| Most viewed - Ancient Sites Photo Gallery |
Turkey, Ankara, The Temple of the Divine Augustus and Rome49 viewsThe Temple of the Divine Augustus and Rome in the centre of Ankara, which now stands besides a mosque. I was unable to get any closer due this being Ramazan, the area was cordoned off in preparation for iftar.
Photograph by Will HootonJoe Sermarini
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.49 viewsHeroic statue of Hadrian.
Photograph by Will HootonJoe Sermarini
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Italy, Rome, Basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano, Roman bronze doors48 viewsThe original bronze doors of the Temple of Divus Romulus still survive and are pictured above. They are set between two porphyry columns that support a reused marble architrave and open into a rotunda fifty Roman feet in diameter covered by a cupola which is accessible from the rear through the Basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano. The temple was converted into a vestibule for the church early in the 6th century.*Alex
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Turkey, Ankara, Anatolian Museum of Civilisations.48 viewsDetail of a mythical man-lion. Basalt relief from Carchemish, 9th cent. BC.
Photograph by Will Hooton
*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.48 viewsStatue of Artemis, removed from Perge.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.48 viewsStatue of Serapis.
Photograph by Will HootonJoe Sermarini
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya. 48 viewsTyche
Photograph by Will HootonJoe Sermarini
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.48 viewsStatue of a Hermes.
Photograph by Will HootonJoe Sermarini
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.47 viewsStatue attributed to Julia Soaemias, mother of Elagabalus.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Ankara, Theatre (1)47 viewsNot to far from the Anatolian Museum in Ankara, a theatre is currently being excavated. It certainly looks promising, although excavation is expected to continue for a long while. To excavate something like this in the middle of a metropolitan city is quite extraordinary!
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Italy, Rome, Column of Antoninus Pius, Cortile della Pigna, Vatican Museums46 viewsAbove are the four sides of the base of the Column of Antoninus Pius (Columna Antonini Pii) which was erected in the Campus Martius in memory of Antoninus Pius by Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus c.A.D.158 on the twentieth anniversary of his reign. Constructed of red granite, the column was 14.75 metres high and 1.90m in diameter, unlike the otherwise similar column of Trajan it had no decorating reliefs. The masons' inscription shows that it was quarried out in A.D.106 and architecturally it belonged to the Ustrinum which was 25m north of it on the same orientation. It was surmounted by a statue of Antoninus Pius. Previous to the 18th century the base was completely buried, but the lower part of the shaft projected about 6m above the ground. In 1703, when some buildings were demolished in the area of Montecitorio, the rest of the column and the base were discovered and excavated. The base still survives and is now housed in the Cortile della Pigna in the Vatican Museums.*Alex
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Spain, Santiponce, Italica, entrance to amphitheatre46 viewsMay, 2002.jmuona
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Spain, Santiponce, Italica.46 viewsMay, 2002. Large areas were still unstudied at the time.jmuona
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Spain, Santiponce, Italica.46 viewsTABULA GLADIATORIA made easier to read - if you know your Latin. May, 2002.jmuona
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Spain, Santiponce, Italica.46 viewsDetail showing Neptunus himself. Floor of the house of Neptunus. May, 2002.jmuona
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Turkey, Ankara, Tombstones.46 viewsSituated in the town's palestra, a short distance away from the Roman Baths, are a large selection of Roman tombstones some of which are very interesting.
Photographs by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Ankara, Theatre (2)46 viewsAnother view of the Theatre.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya. 46 viewsHeroic statue of Hadrian.
Photograph by Will HootonJoe Sermarini
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Scotland, Antonine Wall, Distance Slab46 viewsThese inscribed stones, known as distance slabs, are unique in the Roman Empire. They celebrate the work of the legions which constructed the Antonine Wall in Scotland. Evidence suggests that the slabs, all made of local sandstone, were set into stone frames along the length of the Wall and are likely to have faced South into the Empire.
Nineteen of these slabs are known of so far, the elaborate carving on many of them celebrating the culmination of a successful campaign by the triumphant Roman army.
IMP C T AE HADRIANO ANTONINO AVG PIO P P VEX LEG XX VV FEC PP IIII CDXI
"For the Emperor Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius, Father of his Country, a detachment of the Twentieth Valient and Victorious Legion built this over a distance of 4411 feet"
This slab was found at Old Kirkpatrick, West Dunbartonshire and is now in the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow.*Alex
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Scotland, Antonine Wall, Distance Slab46 viewsThese inscribed stones, known as distance slabs, are unique in the Roman Empire. They celebrate the work of the legions which constructed the Antonine Wall in Scotland. Evidence suggests that the slabs, all made of local sandstone, were set into stone frames along the length of the Wall and are likely to have faced South into the Empire.
Nineteen of these slabs are known of so far, the elaborate carving on many of them celebrating the culmination of a successful campaign by the triumphant Roman army.
IMP C T AE HADRIANO ANTONINO AVG PIO P P VEX LEG XX VV FEC PP III
"For the Emperor Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius, Father of his Country, a detachment of the Twentieth Valient and Victorious Legion built this over a distance of 3000 feet"
This slab was found at Hutcheson Hill, near Cleddans, West Dunbartonshire and it is now in the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow.*Alex
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Crimea, Kerch, Prytaneion of Panticapaeum46 viewsThe prytaneion of Panticapaeum, second century BC. Kerch's Obelisk of Glory is visible in the background. Panticapaeum was an ancient Greek city on the eastern shore of Crimea, which the Greeks called Taurica. The city was built on Mount Mithridat, a hill on the western side of the Cimmerian Bosporus. It was founded by Milesians in the late 7th or early 6th century BC. The ruins of the site are now located in the modern city Kerch.
Joe Sermarini
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Spain, Santiponce, Italica, Amphitheatre from outside45 viewsjmuona
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Spain, Santiponce, Italica, amphitheatre.45 viewsView from the areana. jmuona
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Spain, Santiponce, Italica.45 viewsCopies of statues found at the site have been placed around the ruins. May, 2002.jmuona
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.45 viewsHeroic statue of Hadrian.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Scotland, Antonine Wall, Distance Slab45 viewsThese inscribed stones, known as distance slabs, are unique in the Roman Empire. They celebrate the work of the legions which constructed the Antonine Wall in Scotland. Evidence suggests that the slabs, all made of local sandstone, were set into stone frames along the length of the Wall and are likely to have faced South into the Empire.
Nineteen of these slabs are known of so far, the elaborate carving on many of them celebrating the culmination of a successful campaign by the triumphant Roman army.
IMP CAES TITO AELIO HADRI ANTONINO AVG PIO P P LEG II AVG PER M P IIIIDCLII FEC
"For the Emperor Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius, Father of his Country, the Second Augustan Legion completed 4652 feet"
This slab was found at Bridgeness, Bo'ness in 1868, it is now in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.*Alex
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Spain, Santiponce, Italica.44 viewsThe corridor gladiators used to enter the theatre. May, 2002.jmuona
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Spain, Santiponce, Italica.44 viewsItalica is famous for its Mosaic floors. This is from the house of Neptunus. Who knows, perhaps Trajanus was born at this very Place? May, 2002.jmuona
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Turkey, Ankara, Anatolian Museum of Civilisations.44 viewsBust attributed to Livia.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.44 viewsStatue of Athena.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.44 viewsSarcophagus featuring the 10 labours of Hercules.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Ankara, Roman Baths44 viewsPhotograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.44 viewsStatue of Herakles.
Photograph by Will HootonJoe Sermarini
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Spain, Santiponce, Italica.43 viewsPartially opened site. May, 2002.jmuona
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Turkey, Ankara, Anatolian Museum of Civilisations.43 viewsKing Sulumeli offering a libation to a god. Basalt, 10th - 9th cent. BC.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Spain, Santiponce, Italica, amphitheatre.42 viewsView from higher up. Originally it seated 25.000 people and was the 3rd largest in the Empire. May, 2002.jmuona
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Turkey, Ankara, Anatolian Museum of Civilisations.42 viewsSide view of the magnificent bronze tondo of Trajan Decius.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.42 viewsStatue of Mercury.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.42 viewsDetails from a sarcophagus featuring the 10 labours of Hercules.
Photographs by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Dalyan, Cliffside Tombs of Ancient city of Kaunos42 viewsToday, these elaborate graves form part of the UNESCO-recognised Ancient City of Kaunos, a 2,500-year-old archaeological site also home to a 5,000-seat Hellenistic theatre, a rock-cut Roman bath, and several Lycian temples and churches.
Dating back to the 4th century BC, the “Lycian King Tombs of Kaunos” feature Greek-style pillars and intricate hand-carved reliefs depicting gods, angels and spirits. Inside, ancient monoliths and limestone-lined chambers mark the final resting place of the Lycian elite.
The remarkable structures pictured above are in fact only a small proportion of the 170 or more rock-cut graves of various shapes, making up the Kaunian necropolis. These temple tombs, clustered in two main groups, are the most elaborate graves of the city.*Alex
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Spain, Santiponce, Italica.41 viewsThe copy of the statue of Venus is placed close to the entrance. The original, now in the Archelogical Museum in Sevilla, was found in Italica.jmuona
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Turkey, Ankara, Anatolian Museum of Civilisations.41 viewsA votive stele, 2nd-3rd cent. BC.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.41 viewsAn example of the wonderful collection of red figure pottery housed at the museum.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Ankara, Roman Baths41 viewsPhotograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Ankara, Anatolian Museum of Civilisations.40 viewsBust attributed to a somewhat ill looking Marcus Aurelius.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Ankara, Anatolian Museum of Civilisations.40 viewsThis helmet is called the Phyrigian type, not because it is Phrygian in origin, but because of it's resemblance to the Phrygian cap. This helmet appeared in the classical section rather than the Phrygian one.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.40 viewsStatue of Herakles.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.40 viewsStatue of Trajan in military dress.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.40 viewsStatue of a private citizen.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.40 viewsAn example of the wonderful collection of red figure pottery housed at the museum.
Photograph by Will Hooton.*Alex
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Turkey, Ankara, Anatolian Museum of Civilisations.39 viewsA relief of Hittite troops and palace officials, dating to the second half of the 8th cent. BC.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Ankara, Anatolian Museum of Civilisations.39 viewsThe Phrygians seemed to have possessed advanced metal working skills as is testified to by this bronze phiale, found at the Great Tumulus at Gordion.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.39 viewsTyche
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.39 viewsStatue, probably of Fortuna.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.39 viewsUnattributed statue of an emperor.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.39 viewsThe Three Graces, removed from Perge.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Spain, Bilbilis (Augusta Bilbilis)38 viewsPhoto by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20367699
Augusta Bilbilis was a city (or municipium) founded by the Romans in the province of Hispania Tarraconensis. It was the birthplace of famous poet Martial c. 40 AD. The modern town of Calatayud was founded near this Roman site.
Recent excavations have uncovered many of the impressive remains visible today which dominate the surrounding area and are testament to the city's rich past.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilbilis_(Augusta_Bilbilis)
Joe Sermarini
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Turkey, Antalya, The ruins of the Temple of Apollo at Side37 viewsThe ruins of the Temple of Apollo at Side, Antalya, Turkey
21 October 2011
Photo by:
Saffron Blaze, via http://www.mackenzie.co
This file was a finalist in Picture of the Year 2012.
This is a featured picture on Wikimedia Commons (Featured pictures) and is considered one of the finest images.Joe Sermarini
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Turkey, Antalya, Archaeological Museum of Antalya.36 viewsAn example of the wonderful collection of red figure pottery housed at the museum.
Photograph by Will Hooton*Alex
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Turkey, Metropolis, Ionia from the East32 viewsMetropolis was on the road between Smyrna and Ephesus. Neolithic, Hittite, Mycenaean, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods are represented at the site. Metropolis was a part of the Kingdom of Pergamum during the Hellenistic period, the time when the city reached a zenith of cultural and economic life. Metropolis had a temple dedicated to Ares, one of only two known dedicated to the war god. Strabo wrote that the district produced excellent wine. The ruins are of a Hellenistic city heavily Romanized, with Byzantine remains laid across it – a church to the east of the city, and fortification walls laid across city that connect to the Hellenistic defenses on the Acropolis. Excavations began in 1989. A Hellenistic marble seat of honor with griffins was found in the Ancient Theater. The original seat is in the Ä°zmir Archeological Museum and a replica has been placed at the site.
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_(Anatolia)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Metropolis_from_the_east.jpg
By David Hill (DiaboloDave), 2003.
Released to the public domain.
Joe Sermarini
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Turkey, Metropolis, Ionia, the Roman Theater32 viewsMetropolis was on the road between Smyrna and Ephesus. Neolithic, Hittite, Mycenaean, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods are represented at the site. Metropolis was a part of the Kingdom of Pergamum during the Hellenistic period, the time when the city reached a zenith of cultural and economic life. Metropolis had a temple dedicated to Ares, one of only two known dedicated to the war god. Strabo wrote that the district produced excellent wine. The ruins are of a Hellenistic city heavily Romanized, with Byzantine remains laid across it – a church to the east of the city, and fortification walls laid across city that connect to the Hellenistic defenses on the Acropolis. Excavations began in 1989. A Hellenistic marble seat of honor with griffins was found in the Ancient Theater. The original seat is in the Ä°zmir Archeological Museum and a replica has been placed at the site.
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_(Anatolia)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amph_theatre_Metropolis.JPG
By David Hill (DiaboloDave), 2007.
Released to the public domain.Joe Sermarini
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Lybia, Kyrene (Cyrene) City Ruins25 viewsCyrene was an ancient Greek and later Roman city near present-day Shahhat, Libya. It was the oldest and most important of the five Greek cities in the region. It gave eastern Libya the classical name Cyrenaica that it has retained to modern times. Cyrene lies in a lush valley in the Jebel Akhdar uplands. The city was named after a spring, Kyre, which the Greeks consecrated to Apollo. It was also the seat of the Cyrenaics, a famous school of philosophy in the fourth century B.C., founded by Aristippus, a disciple of Socrates. Joe Sermarini
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Jordan, Jerash, (Gerasa, Decapolis)17 viewsAncient Greek inscriptions from the city support that the city was founded by Alexander the Great and his general Perdiccas, who allegedly settled aged Macedonian soldiers there during the spring of 331 BC, when he left Egypt and crossed Syria en route to Mesopotamia. However, other sources, namely the city's former name of "Antioch on the Chrysorrhoas, point to a founding by Seleucid King Antioch IV, while still others attribute the founding to Ptolemy II of Egypt.
After the Roman conquest in 63 BC, Jerash and the land surrounding it were annexed to the Roman province of Syria, and later joined the Decapolis league of cities. The historian Josephus mentions the city as being principally inhabited by Syrians, and also having a small Jewish community. In AD 106, Jerash was absorbed into the Roman province of Arabia, which included the city of Philadelphia (modern day Amman). The Romans ensured security and peace in this area, which enabled its people to devote their efforts and time to economic development and encouraged civic building activity.
Jerash is considered one of the largest and most well-preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world outside Italy. And is sometimes misleadingly referred to as the "Pompeii of the Middle East" or of Asia, referring to its size, extent of excavation and level of preservation.
Jerash was the birthplace of the mathematician Nicomachus of Gerasa (Greek: Νικόμαχος) (c. 60 – c. 120 AD).
In the second half of the 1st century AD, the city of Jerash achieved great prosperity. In AD 106, the Emperor Trajan constructed roads throughout the province, and more trade came to Jerash. The Emperor Hadrian visited Jerash in AD 129–130. The triumphal arch (or Arch of Hadrian) was built to celebrate his visit.
The city finally reached a size of about 800,000 square meters within its walls. The Persian invasion in AD 614 caused the rapid decline of Jerash. Beneath the foundations of a Byzantine church that was built in Jerash in AD 530 there was discovered a mosaic floor with ancient Greek and Hebrew-Aramaic inscriptions. The presence of the Hebrew-Aramaic script has led scholars to think that the place was formerly a synagogue, before being converted into a church.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerash
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Place_ovale_de_Gerasa_new.JPG
Azurfrog, 2 November 2013
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Joe Sermarini
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Greece, Lesbos, Messa: The pan-Lesbian sanctuary of Messa, Lesbos (probably of Aphrodite).17 viewsThe pan-Lesbian sanctuary of Messon, at the center of the island, was established in early historic times and served as the seat of the Lesbian Koinon (Commonwealth). The temple had eight columns on the short sides and 14 on the long sides. Most of the temple was built of white volcanic rock. Marble was selectively used for the decorative elements. The cella walls were made of reddish volcanic rock. The temple was probably destroyed by an earthquake in the 3rd or 4th century A.D. Seven kilns from that period were found in the area. Architectural members of the temple were used to build the kilns, which were then probably used to burn other parts of the temple for lime production.
Photo by Tedmek 20 Jun 2010, released to Public Domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lesbos_Messa01.JPGLondon
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Italy, Rome, Arch of Septimius Severus15 viewsThe Arch of Septimius Severus was erected in 203 A.D. to commemorate the Parthian victories of Septimius Severus and his sons Caracalla and Geta in their campaigns against the Parthians of 194-195 A.D. and 197–199 A.D.
Interestingly, Caracalla invoked damnatio memoriae on Geta after he had his younger brother killed and Geta's name was removed from the Arch, though it's still faintly visible today. Ron C2
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England, London, British Museum, Nereid Monument from Xanthos Lycia14 viewsLondon, British Museum, Partial reconstruction of the Nereid Monument at Xanthos in Lycia, ca. 390–380 BC. Main floor, room 16: Nereid Monument.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XanthosJoe Sermarini
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Jordan, Tell Hesban13 viewsJordan, Tell Hesban. In Numbers and Deuteronomy Esbus is the capital of Amorite king, Sihon (also known as Sehon). The biblical narrative records the Israelite victory over Sihon during the time of the Exodus under the leadership of Moses. Moses died soon after the victory, after viewing the "promised land" from the top of Mount Nebo. Restored under the name of Esboús or Esboúta, it is mentioned among the towns of the Roman Arabia Petraea by Ptolemy.
Photo by Bashar TabbahJoe Sermarini
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Scotland, Orkney Islands - Skara Brae11 viewsEurope's most complete Neolithic village inhabited from 3180 BC to about 2500 BC, discovered in 1850 after a severe storm uncovered parts of the villagenogoodnicksleft
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Italy, Venice, Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta Torcello interior mural showing the last judgement9 viewsthis church is a notable example of Late Paleochristian architecture, one of the most ancient religious edifices in the Veneto, and containing the earliest mosaics in the area of Venice. The basilica was founded by the exarch Isaac of Ravenna in 639. The mosaic pieces are 24kt gold cabochons and the colors are largely semi-precious stone. It was built when the area was still very much under the influence of the Byzantine empire.
Sadly, this building is WAY off the beaten path and is almost never visited.
The skull of Saint Cecilia is kept as a relic here.Ron C2
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Jordan, Qasr Al-Abd, Hellenistic palace dating from approximately 200 BC9 viewsJordan, Qasr Al-Abd, Hellenistic palace dating from approximately 200 B.C.
Photo by by Carole Raddato from Frankfurt, Germany, 18 April 2017.
Qasr al-Abd (Arabic: 'Castle of the Slave') is a large Hellenistic palace from the first quarter of the second century BCE. Its ruins stand in modern-day Jordan in the valley of Wadi Seer, close to the village of Iraq Al-Amir, approximately 17 kilometers west of Amman.
Qasr al-Abd is believed to be Tyros, the palace of a Tobiad notable, Hyrcanus of Jerusalem, head of the powerful Tobiad family and governor of Ammon in the 2nd century BCE. The first known written description of the castle comes down to us from Josephus, a first-century Jewish-Roman historian:
He also erected a strong castle, and built it entirely of white stone to the very roof, and had animals of a prodigious magnitude engraved upon it. He also drew round it a great and deep canal of water. He also made caves of many furlongs in length, by hollowing a rock that was over against him; and then he made large rooms in it, some for feasting, and some for sleeping and living in. He introduced also a vast quantity of waters which ran along it, and which were very delightful and ornamental in the court. But still he made the entrances at the mouth of the caves so narrow, that no more than one person could enter by them at once. And the reason why he built them after that manner was a good one; it was for his own preservation, lest he should be besieged by his brethren, and run the hazard of being caught by them. Moreover, he built courts of greater magnitude than ordinary, which he adorned with vastly large gardens. And when he had brought the place to this state, he named it Tyre. This place is between Arabia and Judea, beyond Jordan, not far from the country of Heshbon.
— Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, translated by William Whiston, Book XII, Chapter IV, 11.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qasr_al-AbdJoe Sermarini
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Italy, Rome, Arch of Titus8 viewsThe Arch of Titus was erected in 81 AD by Domitian shortly after the death of Titus to commemorate his consecratio and the victory of Titus together with their father, Vespasian, over the Jewish rebellion in Judaea.
The Arch if notable for the menorah depicted on the arch, one of the best period depictions of the artifact from the Jewish temple. Ron C2
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Italy, Rome, Arch of Constantine8 viewsThis is the Triumphal Arch of Constantine in Rome. Erected in 315 AD, it was one of the last monumental buildings erected before the capitol was moved to Constantinople and is still impressive today. It commemorates Constantine's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in AD 312.
It is thought much of the sculptural decoration consists of reliefs and statues removed from earlier triumphal monuments dedicated to Trajan (98–117), Hadrian (117–138) and Marcus Aurelius (161–180).Ron C2
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Sudan, Island of Meroe - Archaeological Site - Pyramids of Meroe - Northern Cemetery8 viewsSudan, Island of Meroe - Archaeological Site - Pyramids of Meroe - Northern Cemetery
by Ron Van Oers, 2017 © UNESCO
https://whc.unesco.org/en/documents/114973
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mero%C3%ABJoe Sermarini
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Turkey, Sardis, "Mint of Croesus"7 viewsThis complex archaeological site includes the electrum refinery in Sardis, dating from the 6th century BC and the time of Croesus. Here, the natural electrum nuggets dredged from the river were smelted, and the gold and silver separated and refined separately. No evidence of actual coin striking at the site is known, though it seems most likely that the minting would have been done at the same location as the metal refining. Mixed up with the site are ruins of a Roman villa, and a Byzantine church.Sap
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Italy, The Temple of Venus and Rome, Velian Hill, Rome7 viewsThought to have been the largest temple in Ancient Rome, the temple of Venus and Rome is located on the Velian Hill, between the eastern edge of the Forum Romanum and the Colosseum. It's built partially on the site of Nero's Domus Aureus. It was dedicated to the goddesses Venus Felix ("Venus the Bringer of Good Fortune") and Roma Aeterna ("Eternal Rome"). The amount of porphyry in this temple was notable, even for Rome.Ron C2
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Turkey, Iasos, View of the agora from the bouleuterion5 viewsTurkey, Iasos, View of the agora from the bouleuterion
Iasos or Iassos, Latinized as Iasus or Iassus, was a Greek city in ancient Caria located on the Gulf of Iasos (now called the Gulf of Gulluk), opposite the modern town of Gulluk, Turkey. It was originally on an island, but is now connected to the mainland, near the village of Kiyikislacik, about 31 km from the center of Milas. Iasos was a member of the Delian League and was involved in the Peloponnesian War, 431–404 B.C. After the Sicilian expedition of the Athenians, Iasos was attacked by the Spartans and their allies; it was governed at the time by Amorges, a Persian chief, who had revolted from Darius II. It was taken by the Spartans, who captured Amorges and delivered him up to Tissaphernes. The town itself was plundered on that occasion. It became part of the Hecatomnid satrapy in the 4th century and was conquered by Alexander. We afterwards find it besieged by Philip V, king of Macedon, who, however, was compelled by the Romans to restore it to Ptolemy V of Egypt. It seems to have been abandoned in about the 15th–16th century, in the Ottoman period. Part of the city walls still exist, and are of a regular, solid, and handsome structure. In the side of the rock a theater with many rows of seats still remains, and several inscriptions and coins have been found there.
Photo source: By AlexanderVanLoon - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47358665Joe Sermarini
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Italy, Rome, Arch of Constantine5 viewsThis is the Triumphal Arch of Constantine in Rome. Erected in 315 AD, it was one of the last monumental buildings erected before the capitol was moved to Constantinople and is still impressive today. It commemorates Constantine's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in AD 312.
It is thought much of the sculptural decoration consists of reliefs and statues removed from earlier triumphal monuments dedicated to Trajan (98–117), Hadrian (117–138) and Marcus Aurelius (161–180).Ron C2
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Italy, Rome, The temple of the Divine Antoninus Pius, Roman Forum5 viewsThis is what remains of the Templs of the Divine Antoninus Pius. It was constructed by the Emperor Antoninus Pius, beginning in 141 AD in honor of his deified wife, Faustina the Elder. Faustina was the first Roman empress with a permanent presence in the Forum Romanum. When Antoninus Pius was deified in 161 AD, the temple was re-dedicated to both Antoninus and Faustina by Marcus Aurelius.
Apart from the baroque church facade that replaced the ancient roof the building is remarkably intact compared to the rest of the Forum.Ron C2
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Turkey, Antiocheia in Psidia5 viewsRemote view of the ancient city called Antioch located in Yalvaç district of Isparta province, in Turkey.
Photo by Maderibeyza at Turkish Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioch_of_PisidiaJoe Sermarini
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Italy, St. Peter's gate in the Basicilica of St. Mark in Venice.4 viewsThis is one of the frontal (western facade) portico entrances to St Mark's basilica in Venice. The church was founded in 1063 and is an fine example of byzantine architecture. Many of the columns, reliefs, and sculptures were spoils stripped from the churches, palaces, and public monuments of Constantinople as a result of the Venetian participation in the Fourth Crusade. Among the plundered artefacts brought back to Venice were the four ancient bronze horses that were placed prominently over the entry.
The mosaic depicts the arrival St Mark's body in Venice.
St Mark the Evangelist's body is buried here, after the Venetians plundered if from Alexandria.
Not shown, but sitting just above this mosaic, were the 4 bronze horses that adorned the main gate to Constantinople. Since 1974, these are exact replicas - the originals are in a nearby museum. The venetians carried them off as plunder when the 4th crusade sacked Constantinople in 1204.Ron C2
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Italy, Rome, Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri (The Baths of Diocletian)4 viewsThe baths of Diocletian were monumental in size. Much of the original building remains today, thanks in large measure to the church converting a large portion of the building into the basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.
This is only one transept in what is a colossal building, but it gives an idea of the grandeur that was imperial Rome. The columns and ceiling stonework are original, but much of the wall decoration is 16th century, attributed to Michealangelo who restored the buildings to a church after centuries of looting. This is perhaps the largest standing western Roman building in the world with intact ceilings, it gives you a sense of what the height of Roman civilization might have looked like at its best.Ron C2
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Israel, Ancient ruins of Beit She'an4 viewsAncient ruins of Beit She'an
Public Domain - PikiWiki - Israel free image collection project 2009Joe Sermarini
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Italy, Rome, Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri (frigidarium of the Baths of Diocletian)3 viewsThe baths of Diocletian were monumental in size. Much of the original building remains today, thanks in large measure to the church converting a large portion of the building into the basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.
The entrance to the building, which is used for Italian state religious functions, was originally the frigidarium. Admission to the building is free, and this is a MUST stop when in Rome for fans of the Ancient Roman Empire.Ron C2
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France, Nimes - Maison Carree3 viewsThe Maison carrée is an ancient Roman temple in Nîmes, southern France; it is one of the best-preserved Roman temples to survive in the territory of the former Roman Empire. It is a mid-sized Augustan provincial temple of the Imperial cult, a caesareum.
The Maison carrée inspired the neoclassical Église de la Madeleine in Paris, St. Marcellinus Church in Rogalin, Poland, and in the United States the Virginia State Capitol, which was designed by Thomas Jefferson, who had a stucco model made of the Maison carrée while he was minister to France in 1785.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maison_carr%C3%A9e
In September 2023, the Maison carrée of Nîmes was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.Joe Sermarini
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Turkey, Dinar - Ruins of Apamea Cibotus (Apameia ad Maeandrum)3 viewsRuins of Apamea Cibotus (Apameia ad Maeandrum)
Apameia in Phrygia (or Apamea, Apamea Cibotus, Apamea Kibotos, or Apamea ad Maeandrum) was an ancient city founded in the 3rd century B.C. by Antiochus I Soter, who named it after his mother Apama. It was in Hellenistic Phrygia, but became part of the Roman province of Pisidia. Apamea is mentioned in the Talmud (Ber. 62a, Niddah, 30b and Yeb. 115b). Christianity was very likely established early in the city. Saint Paul probably visited the place when he went throughout Phrygia. The mid third century A.D. coins of Apamea Kibotos with scenes of Noah and his ark are among the earliest biblical scenes in Roman art. Apamea continued to be a prosperous town under the Roman Empire. Its decline began with the local disorganization of the empire in the 3rd century and when trade routes were diverted to Constantinople. Although a bishopric, it was not an important military or commercial center in Byzantine times. Its ruin was completed by an earthquake.
Photo by Haubi Gerhard Haubold, 20 October 1994, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.Joe Sermarini
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Turkey, Sart - Sardis, Lydia, Remains of the Temple of Artemis with the acropolis visible in the background1 viewsTurkey, Sart - Sardis, Lydia, Remains of the Temple of Artemis with the Acropolis visible in the background.
The Temple of Artemis, originally built in 300 B.C., renovated by the Romans in the 2nd century A.D., Sardis, Lydia.
Photo by Carole Raddato from Frankfurt, Germany, 2 April 2015.
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.Joe Sermarini
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