Ancient Sites Photo Gallery
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Greece, Mycenian bridgebetween Nafplio and EpidaurusJ. B.
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Greece, Olympia - Entrence to Olypmic stadiumJ. B.
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Greece, Olympia - EpigraphyTo be found on the approach to the ancient Olympic stadium.
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Greece, Olympia - epigraphyTo be found on the approach to the ancient Olympic stadium.
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Greece, Olympia - In the Stadium at OlympiaThe winner of the 2006 Ride on Mower final crosses the line in the stadium.
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Greece, Olympia - start line at Olympic stadiumgrooves hold Athlets' toes during startJ. B.
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Greece, Olympia - temple of HeraJ. B.
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Greece, Olympia - Temple of Hera
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Greece, Olympia - Temple of Zeus fallen columns
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Greece, Olympia - tholosJ. B.
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Greece, Olympia in SpringA magical site at any time, but resplendent in Spring!
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Greece, PhilippiPhilippi is site of famous battle. Marcus Antonius and Octavius defeated Brutus and Cassius.
Philippi is also the first place in Europe where St. Paul evangelized. He was kept in prison there too.J. B.
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Greece, Rhodessteps to the Acropolis of Lindos on Rhodes
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Greece, RhodesView on the acropolis of Lindos
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Greece, Rhodesship carved in the rock on the acropolis of Lindos
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Greece, Rhodes Acropolis of LindosIn the background you can see the steep steps of medieval time.
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Greece, Rhodes grave of KleobulosHellenistic grave - it was named after one of the seven wise man, Kleobulos who lived in Lindos.
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Greece, Rhodes grave of Kleobulos The grave was used as a chapel in the medieval
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Greece, Rhodes Lindos Lindos Acropolis and village
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Greece, Rhodes LindosRestored Stoa on the acropolis of Lindos
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Greece, Rhodes Lindos inscription
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Greece, Rhodes plan of Lindos1 semicircular exedra
2 relief of a ship
3 medieval stairway
4 medieval headquarter building
5 Byzantine church
6 hellenistic vaults
7 roman temple
8 late hellenistic stairway
9 hellenistic stoa
10 propylaion stairway
11 propylaion
12 temple of athena lindos
13 portico of Psithyros
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Greece, Sounion - The Temple of PoseidonNot so ancient graffiti!
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Greece, Thasos - agoraJ. B.
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Greece, Thasos - theatrephoto was taken in 2000
now theatre is reconstructed :-(J. B.
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Greece, The acropolis at Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon, from across the harbor.Taken September 29, 2016cmcdon0923
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Greece, Thera - Akrotiri Minoan settelment destroyed by the great Thera eruption around 1628 BC which caused the end of Neopalatial period on Crete. Thera could be mythical Atlantis.J. B.
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Greece, Thera - Akrotiri Minoan settelment was destroyed by the great Thera eruption around 1628 BC which caused the end of Neopalatial period on Crete. People managed to evacuate Thera before eruption unlike Pompeii but probably they were killed by tsunami on Crete coast.
wikipedia:"Minoans possessed advanced engineering knowledge enabling the construction of three- and four-story buildings with intricate water piping systems, advanced air-flow management, and earthquake-resistant wood and masonry walls."J. B.
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Greece, Thessaloniki - Arch of Galerius
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Greece, Thessaloniki - Arch of Galerius
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Greece, Thessaloniki - Arch of Galerius
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Greece, Thessaloniki - Arch of Galerius
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Greece, Thessaloniki - Arch of Galerius
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Greece, TirynsTiryns reached its height between 1400 and 1200 BC.
Tiryns is famous for its cyclopean tunnels and especially its walls.
Walls of Tiryns are first referenced by Homer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TirynsJ. B.
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Iran, Pasargadae (Fars province)Part of one of Kyros’ two royal palaces, the audience hall.
Sections of massive columns and a relief showing a bull being led by a guard. The 2 square covered structures in the center may have been put up later as protection for exposed column bases.
Schatz
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Iran, Pasargadae (Fars province), a UNESCO World Heritage SiteA massive wall of the fortified terrace at Pasargadae called Throne of Solomon’s Mother
On a plain surrounded by gently rolling hills, about 25 mi north of Persepolis, king Kyros II (the Great) founded the first capital of the multinational Achaemenid empire in the middle of the 6th cent. BC. What is left of it are the remains of 2 royal palaces, a large fortified terrace, and the mausoleum of Kyros II (at the time of my visit heavily scaffolded and therefore unphotographed). After Kyros’ death the capital was used for a while by his successor Kambyses.
Schatz
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Iran, Ardashir I, 224 - 242 ADThe investiture of the first Sasanian king, Ardashir I, by Ahura Mazda (left), a rock relief in Naqsh-e-Rostam north of Persepolis.Schatz
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Iran, BisitunThe Parthian figures to the right of the Safavid plate are thought to represent king Gotarzes II (38 - 51 AD) on horseback after his victory over Meherdates, having his head adorned with a wreath or diadem by an angel. The head of another horseman’s head is visible on the left side.
Schatz
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Iran, BisitunAlong the path to the main attraction there are two badly preserved Parthian reliefs, most likely from the first cent. BC and the first cent. AD. They show king Mithradates II (ca. 123 - 90 BC) receiving a delegation of four dignitaries (to the left of the defacing 17. cent. AD Safavid plate). The inscription on top of the Mithradates’ relief is in Greek.
Schatz
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Iran, BisitunCloser view of the main relief showing King Dareios I with his defeated rivals. Unfortunately there were no camera drones when this picture was taken.
Schatz
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Iran, Bisitun (Behistun), Kermanshah ProvinceOn the road from Hamadan (ancient Ekbatana) to the city of Kermanshah halfway up Mount Bisitun a number of unique bas reliefs from about 520 BC catch the eye. The Achaemenid king Dareios I (522 - 486 BC) had the largest one chiseled into the face of the mountain to tell the world of his triumph over his rival Gaumata and nine other rebels. The sensational part of the relief are the extensive cuneiform inscriptions above, below, and to the sides of the figures. They are in Elamite, Babylonian, and Old Persian, the latter a language which was created on the king’s order since up to then there was no written Persian language. The creation is a mixture of Elamite, Babylonian, and Aramaic. It was not deciphered until the middle of the 18th cent. AD by a British officer, adventurer, and amateur archeologist Sir Henry Rawlinson.
Schatz
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Iran, Bisitun, Kermanshah ProvinceMithradates II depicted receiving dignitaries. The relief is partly erased by the 17th cent. Safavid addition.
Sorry, the Bisitun pics are in reverse order. The Herakles sculpture should be the first of the bunch.Schatz
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Iran, Bisitun, Kermanshah ProvinceAt the entrance to the bas relief face of Mount Bisotun, some yards up, a sculpture of Herakles rests on a lion skin, cup in hand, club, bow and quiver behind him. It dates back to the year 148 BC.Schatz
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Iran, Hamadan, the tomb of the biblical Esther and her cousin MordechaiThe tomb in the photo, located in Hamadan, is believed by some to hold the remains of the biblical Esther and her cousin Mordechai.
Hamedan, Iran, is believed to be among the oldest cities in the world. Hamadan was established by the Medes and was the capital of the Median empire. It then became one of several capital cities of the Achaemenid Dynasty. Hamadan is mentioned in the biblical book of Ezra as the place where a scroll was found giving the Jews permission from King Darius to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. (Ezra 6:2). Its ancient name of Ecbatana is used in the Ezra text. Because it was a mile above sea level, it was a good place to preserve leather documents. Joe Sermarini
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Iran, Naqsh-e-Rajab, Fars ProvinceThe investiture of Ardashir I (left) by Ahura MazdaSchatz
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Iran, Naqsh-e-Rostam, Fars ProvinceOn a steep rock face just a few miles north of Persepolis lies the necropolis of the Achaemenid kings consisting of the tombs of Dareios I and three of his successors (the fourth tomb is around the corner). Some time after this picture was taken, the sandy hill in front of the rock was removed so that one could see the Sasanian rock reliefs between and below the tombs from a distance.
Schatz
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Iran, Naqsh-e-Rostam, Fars ProvinceThe tomb of Dareios I (522-486 BC)is the only one identified with certainty from the head of the relief. The others are believed to be those of Xerxes I (486-465 BC), Artaxerxes I (465-424 BC), and Dareios II (423-404 BC).Schatz
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Iran, Naqsh-e-Rostam, Fars ProvinceThe top of this tomb shows king Dareios I worshiping in front of a fire altar with Ahura Mazda’s symbol above.Schatz
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Iran, Naqsh-e-Rostam, Fars ProvinceThe Sasanian king Shahpur I (241-272 AD) with his characteristic hairdo, the korymbos, in front of two prisoners, the supplicant Roman emperor Valerian and Philip the Arab after the battle of Edessa in 240 AD
Schatz
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Iran, Naqsh-e-Rostam, Fars ProvinceThe grandee relief of King Bahram II (276-293 AD) surrounded by his entourage
Schatz
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Iran, Naqsh-e-Rostam, Fars ProvinceBahram II in combat with a mounted Roman
Schatz
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Iran, Naqsh-e-Rostam, Fars ProvinceTwo-panel equestrian relief showing the exploits of Bahram II, most likely against a Roman on the upper part, on the lower panel perhaps against an Indo-Sasanian ruler.Schatz
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Iran, Naqsh-e-Rostam, Fars ProvinceThe investiture of Narseh (293-303 AD) by the goddess AnahitaSchatz
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Iran, Naqsh-e-Rostam, Fars ProvincePart of the relief showing Hormizd II (303-309 AD) toppling a mounted enemy.Schatz
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Iran, The Anahita temple in Kangavar (Kermanshah)or what is left of it. It dates back to Sasanian times (around 500 AD) and was dedicated to the goddess of water and fertility, Anahita, the only female in the Old Persian pantheon. Originally built on a square base, the temple must have been an impressive structure. As late as 1840, a traveler reported having seen 8 massive intact columns.
Schatz
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Iran, The Anahita temple in Kangavar (Kermanshahr)I found a coin in this location, unfortunately not a Parthian or Sasanian drachm, but a rusty Byzantine bronze follis from the 11th cent. AD. The Silk Road was everywhere!
Schatz
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Israel - Bar'am SynagogueThis is one of the oldest synagogues in all of Israel.Aarmale
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Israel, Ancient ruins of Beit She'anAncient ruins of Beit She'an
Public Domain - PikiWiki - Israel free image collection project 2009Joe Sermarini
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Israel, Beth Shean, Ancient RuinsBeit She'an, better known in English as Beth Shean, is a city in the Northern District of Israel. It has played an important role in history due to its geographical location at the junction of the Jordan River Valley and the Jezreel Valley. In the Biblical account of the battle of the Israelites against the Philistines on Mount Gilboa, the bodies of King Saul and three of his sons were hung on the walls of Beit She'an (1 Samuel 31:10-12). In Hellenistic and Roman times, the city was named Scythopolis and was the leading city of the Decapolis, a league of pagan cities. The ancient city ruins are now protected within the Beit She'an National Park. Joe Sermarini
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Israel, Beth Shean, The Roman TheaterBeit She'an, better known in English as Beth Shean, is a city in the Northern District of Israel. It has played an important role in history due to its geographical location at the junction of the Jordan River Valley and the Jezreel Valley. In the Biblical account of the battle of the Israelites against the Philistines on Mount Gilboa, the bodies of King Saul and three of his sons were hung on the walls of Beit She'an (1 Samuel 31:10-12). In Hellenistic and Roman times, the city was named Scythopolis and was the leading city of the Decapolis, a league of pagan cities. The ancient city ruins are now protected within the Beit She'an National Park. Joe Sermarini
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Israel, CaesareaThe ancient Roman port of Caesarea Maritima in Judaea (now Israel). This port was built by Herod the Great in the 1st century BCE. The view is of a portion of the aquaduct that brought water from the Carmel, just south of Haifa.Daniel F
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Israel, Caesarea Maritima The view north from Herod's Palace, looking over the hippodrome to the ancient port area beyond the distant headland.
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Israel, Caesarea Maritima - Amphitheatre‘Amphitheatre’ is how Josephus describes this structure (Antiquities 15.341). It was designed to be suitable for races, athletics, and probably more violent entertainments. It measures about 50 x 290 m. Nearby in the city there is a more traditional semi-circular Roman amphitheatre. And a larger (90 x 450 m) hippodrome for chariot racing was built subsequently, probably at the time of Hadrian. Abu Galyon
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Israel, Caesarea Maritima - Herod's Hippodrome
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Israel, Caesarea Maritima - Herod's Palace Poolside
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Israel, Caesarea Maritima - Herod's Pool
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Israel, Caesarea Maritima - Herod's VillaAnother of Herod the Great's many residences.
This one is by the seaside.Abu Galyon
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Israel, Caesarea Maritima - the less desirable view south from Herod's PalaceDog's in the palace pool and now this. How the mighty have fallen!
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Israel, Caesarea Maritima - the sweet view from Herod's Palace
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Israel, Caesearea Maritima Hippodrome - Tsunami DepositThe light coloured, upward fining, middle layer is a tsumai deposit preserved in the this overburden remnant in the excavated hippodrome at Caesarea Maritima.
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Israel, Gezer - Bronze Age city wallsThese are the Bronze Age city walls of the Canaanite city of Gezer. It is near this town that the battle took place where Joshua is said to have held the sun and the moon still. The Canaanites held off the attacks by the tribe of Dan until the reign of Solomon.
posted by ZamEcgþeow
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Israel, Gezer - six chambered gate built by SolomonThe Canaanite town was supposedly conquered by an Egyptian pharaoh and given to Solomon as a dowry for his daughter. Solomon then rebuilt and fortified the city, including this six chambered gate, dating from the 10th century. The chambers were to be packed with soldiers, so if enemies forced their way through the gate, they would be surrounded by soldiers on all sides.
posted by ZamEcgþeow
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Israel, Hamat Gadar, inscription of the Empress Eudocia's poem about the Hamat Gader bathsIsrael, Hamat Gadar, inscription of the Empress Eudocia's poem about the Hamat Gader baths, 5th Century AD
The Hamat Gader Poem inscribed on the baths at Hamat Gader was very short, and can be included here, as evidence of her hexameter writing style. The poem was inscribed so visitors could read it as they went into the pool.
I have seen many wonders in my life, countless,
But who, noble Clibanus, however many his mouths, could proclaim
Your might, when born a worthless mortal? But rather
It is right for you to be called a new fiery ocean,
Paean and parent, provider of sweet streams.
From you the thousandfold swell is born, one here, one there,
On this side boiling-hot, on that side in turn icy-cold and tepid.
Into fountains four-fold four you pour out your beauty.
Indian and Matrona, Repentius, holy Elijah,
Antoninus the Good, Dewy Galatia, and
Hygieia herself, warm baths both large and small,
Pearl, ancient Clibanus, Indian and other
Matrona, Strong, Nun, and the Patriarch's.
For those in pain your powerful might is always everlasting.
But I will sing of a god, renowned for wisdom
For the benefit of speaking mortals.
The inscription of the poem
The line "Of the Empress Eudocia" flanked by two crosses is set above the poem. This title line was added after the carving of the main inscription, making room for some doubt whether the poem was indeed authored by Eudocia. Clibanus is the name given to the source of the hot water. After praising his qualities and those of his many springs ("the thousandfold swell"), the poem enumerates "four-fold four", thus sixteen different parts of the bath complex, fourteen of which bear a name; these names include Hygieia (the pagan goddess of health), a whole range of pagan personal names, "holy Elijah" referring to the prophet, and two refer to Christians – a nun and a patriarch.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eudocia's_poem_Hamat_Gader.png
Greek Inscriptions from Ḥammat Gader: A Poem by the Empress Eudocia and Two Building Inscriptions Author(s): JUDITH GREEN and YORAM TSAFRIR
Source: Israel Exploration Journal, Vol. 32, No. 2/3 (1982), pp. 77-96Joe Sermarini
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Israel, Hamat Gadar, Ruins of SynagogueHamat Gader was already a well known health and recreation site in Roman times, mentioned in Strabo, Origen and Eunapius, as well as the Rabbinic literature. Construction of the bath complex began in the 2nd century by the 10th Roman Legion, which was garrisoned in nearby Gadara. The ancient Hebrew name means hot springs of (the ancient city of) Gadara. Gadar today is nearby modern Umm Qais. The Arabic name El-Hamma preserves this, and the name of the tel located near the site, Tel Bani, is a corruption of the Latin word meaning "baths." The empress Aelia Eudocia composed a poem praising the qualities of the multiple springs which was inscribed so that visitors could see it as they went into the pool. The mosaic pavement recovered from the 5th century Hamat Gader synagogue, is now installed in the entrance hall of the Supreme Court of Israel.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hamat-gader-archeol-site-synagoge.jpgJoe Sermarini
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Israel, Hamat Gadar, Ruins of the Roman BathsHamat Gader was already a well known health and recreation site in Roman times, mentioned in Strabo, Origen and Eunapius, as well as the Rabbinic literature. Construction of the bath complex began in the 2nd century by the 10th Roman Legion, which was garrisoned in nearby Gadara (modern Umm Qais). The ancient Hebrew name means hot springs of (the ancient city of) Gadara. The Arabic name El-Hamma preserves this, and the name of the tel located near the site, Tel Bani, is a corruption of the Latin word meaning "baths." The empress Aelia Eudocia composed a poem praising the qualities of the multiple springs which was inscribed so that visitors could see it as they went into the pool.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hamat-gader_25.jpg
Photo by Daniel Ventura
Joe Sermarini
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Israel, HerodionThe Herodion (Har Hordos) was Herod the Great’s summer palace near Jerusalem and – according to Josephus – the place of his burial. (A possible royal sarcophagus was discovered in 2007 but the identification with Herod is not certain.) There are two distinct parts: the Upper Herodion, a fortress complex set within a mountain top, and the Lower Herodion, the palace proper with several ancillary buildings (bath house, stadium, etc.) In the photograph, the Upper Herodion hill dominates the background, while the foreground shows part of a substantial colonnaded pool (70m x 45m) with a gazebo-like structure set at its centre. The area now in use as a car park would have been a formal garden in Herod’s day. Abu Galyon
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Israel, Jericho - Herod's PalaceThe ruins at Tulul Abu el-Alaiq, site of Herod the Great’s winter retreat on the outskirts of Jericho. Jericho is over 300m below sea level and hence pleasantly warm in winter, even when it's freezing in Jerusalem. Around 35 BCE, Aristobulus, the last Hasmonaean high-priest and Herod’s brother-in-law, was murdered here on Herod’s orders, drowned in a fish pond. The palace and grounds extended across the Wadi Qilt (the seasonal river-bed in the foreground of the picture), which was spanned by a bridge. Abu Galyon
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Israel, Jerusalem - Kidron Valley (1)This curious structure is known in Arabic as Tantour Faroun (‘Pharaoh’s Hat’). In fact it’s a funerary monument (nefesh) marking the entrance to a substantial catacomb with eight burial chambers cut into the cliff behind. It probably dates from the reign of Herod the Great. In guidebooks it’s sometimes marked as the ‘Tomb of Absalom’, but the legend that this is the tomb of David’s rebellious son is a medieval fantasy. Abu Galyon
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Israel, Jerusalem - Kidron Valley (2)Another Kidron valley tomb complex (about 60m south of Tantour Faroun). Jewish pilgrims called this the ‘Tomb of Zechariah’, while the Christian pious associated it with their own early martyrs, notably St. James. In fact, an inscription shows that this was the burial place of the priestly Bene Hezir family, who get a passing mention in the Bible (1 Chronicles 24:15). The nefesh with a pyramidal top marks the entrance to a passage ascending into the cliff on the left. The actual burial chambers (four of them) lie in the area behind the Doric-columned façade. The complex dates from the later second-century BC. Abu Galyon
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Israel, Jerusalem - Western Wall and Dome of the RockThe first century BCE western retaining wall of the Second Jewish Temple, directly in front of the 8th century Dome of the Rock. Friday evening at sunset (beginning of Shabbat).
posted by ZamEcgþeow
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Israel, Jerusalem Sep 2016East JerusalemSimon
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Israel, Jerusalem Sep 2016Simon
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Israel, Jerusalem, Supreme Court Entrance Hall - Mosaic from Hamat Gader Synagogue A section of the mosaic pavement recovered from the ancient Hamat Gader synagogue, now installed in the entrance hall of the Supreme Court of Israel.
Hamat Gader was already a widely known health and recreation site in Roman times. It is mentioned in Strabo, Origen and Eunapius, as well as the Rabbinic literature. Construction of the bath complex began in the 2nd century by the 10th Roman Legion, which was garrisoned in nearby Gadara. The site includes a Roman theater, which was built in the 3rd century CE and contained 2,000 seats. A large synagogue was built in the 5th century CE. The empress Aelia Eudocia composed a poem praising the qualities of the multiple springs which was inscribed so that visitors could see it as they went into the pool.Joe Sermarini
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Israel, Legionary Camp of X Fretensis at MasadaRemnants of one of several legionary camps of X Fretensis at Masada in Israel, just outside the circumvallation wall which can be seen at the bottom of the image.
Masada Roman Ruins by David Shankbone.
Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Masada_Roman_Ruins_by_David_Shankbone.jpg#/media/File:Masada_Roman_Ruins_by_David_Shankbone.jpgJoe Sermarini
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Israel, MasadaThe ancient fortress in the Judaean desert built by Herod the Great in the first century BCE, it was the last stronghold of a small group of zealots against Rome in the year 73 CE. The view is from the top of the fortress, looing down on the remains of the ancient roman encampment.Daniel F
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Israel, MasadaAtop Masada, the Dead Sea and the shores of Jordan in the distant haze.
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Israel, Masada - Looking Down the Roman Seige RampIndustrious bunch those Romans!
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Israel, Masada - pile of ancient catapult projectiles - Ouch!
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