Tag: Ruins

Marina El-Alamein Archaeological Site Opens for Visits mid-September

Roman Tombs at the Marina el-Alamain archaeological site - soon open to the public. - Image courtesy the SCA Following years of restoration and development, the Marina el-Alamein archaeological site on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast will open to tourists mid-September.

The Marina el-Alamein archaeological site a Hellenistic-Roman town is locatedabout 5km east of el-Alamein.

The ancient city was accidentally discovered in 1986, when construction started on the Marina El-Alamein resort. The archaeological area spans a section that is more than 1km long and about 0.5km wide and is the largest archaeological site on Egypt’s north coast.

Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosni, announced that the site will be opened to tourists mid-September complete with a high-tech lighting system throughout the entire site, which will permit visitors to enjoy el-Alamein day and night.

In a bid to encourage local tourism, the entrance fee for the site will be 5LE for Egyptians and 2,50LE for Egyptian students.

It got this name because of the softness and the white colour of its sand

The ancient town of el-Alamein had a harbour with commercial quarter and south of that, the city centre which included baths, markets and a civic basilica.

Over the last ten years, the Polish Archaeological Institute in Cairo and the American Research Center in Egypt have unearthed remains of more than 50 different structures in the town and necropolis.

The earliest archaeological remains dated to the mid 2nd century BC were found in the town’s necropolis. It is thought the town was occupied until the 7th century AD.

Dr Zahi Hawass, antiquities tsar, said that the site of el-Alamein was the an important and well-known port during Egypt’s Hellenistic-Roman era.

He also pointed out that it is the first archaeological site on the Mediterranean coast to be developed as a tourist friendly site.

The Graeco-Roman name for el-Alamein was ‘Locassis’, which means ‘the white shell’. It got this name because of the softness and the white colour of its sand, explains Dr Mohamed Abdel Maqsoud.

The goddess of love, Aphrodite, was worshipped there and the statues found of her on the site show her emerging from a white shell, in reference to its name.

Daily Flickr Finds: Robinho’s Apamea, Syria

Black and White photography is an artform unto itself – it’s so much more than just clicking “Greyscale” in Photoshop, which will oftentimes just give a bland result. Several adjustments and the right lighting is required to make a black and white image work, and in Robinho’s image of Roman ruins in Apamea, Syria we see a fantastic, dramatic shot.

The city of Apamea was adjacent to the Orontes River as served as a treasure city of the Seleucid. It was annexed and formed part of the Roman Empire from 64BC, and it is from the Roman era that many of the remains emanate from today. The city also served as a cross point from travellers heading to the East, and many distinguished figures stopped there, including Cleopatra, Septimus Severus and the Emperor Caracalla.

Robinho’s beautiful image of the Cardo Maximus is a stunning feature in itself – a road of 1.85 kilometres long, and 87 metres wide, the length was flanked by high walls and twisted-flute columns. On both sides of this thoroughfare would have been several civil buildings and monuments.

You can learn more about Apamea here at Heritage Key, as well as our Top 10 ancient sites in Syria and be sure to take a look at Robinho’s Flickrstream!

Medieval Fustat – Solitude in the City

The remains of a mud-brick house. Image by Henning Franzmeier A cat wanders by, leading to myself, the guard, my two friends, and the cat being the only occupants of the ruined city of Fustat on this particular day; it was originally home to roughly 200,000 people. This is an unexpected experience for Cairo solitude in the city.

The Medieval Capital

Fustat, the medieval capital of Egypt founded in 642 AD by General Amr Ibn el-As, was burnt to the ground (according to Arab tradition) roughly five hundred years later by order of the Vizier Shawar. Frankish crusaders were on their way, and he decided that it was better to have a razed city with a displaced population than a city under occupation. This must rank as one of the most unusual reactions to impending invasion ever concocted (but one that was also used by the Russians during the Napoleonic wars); I can imagine the messages passed down to the general population, We are facing the prospect of invasion and pillaging by the crusaders our defiant response is to burn our city to the ground and run; thatll showem. Everybody out by Monday. Yours Sincerely, the Authorities.

This might be a little unfair on Shawar; the Frankish crusader army, under Amalric I of Jerusalem, had already taken Bilbays, north of Cairo, on 5th November 1168 and horrifically massacred the population. After the massacre, Almaric taunted Shawar by stating that Bilbays was his cheese and Cairo his butter. Thus, Shawar, rightly fearing the assault of a dairy obsessed madman and not wanting a cheese-related metaphor from being applied to himself or Fustat for posterity, abandoned the city in order to save the population and stop it from being used as a base to attack Cairo. Given what happened at Bilbays there isnt any reason to suspect that the local people opposed his plan.

Tradition and Reality

The story of the absolute destruction of Fustat is, however, only a tradition; in reality the fire was likely limited in scope, restricted to churches attacked during anti-Christian riots, and so not directly connected to Amalrics invasion. There is little archaeological evidence that large scale burning occurred, and the city continued to exist after 1168, with rebuilding work recorded as carried out after the fire. The area was even included within the protection of Saladins city wall. Still though, over time, Cairo (founded in 969 AD) slowly overtook and eventually swallowed Fustat, leaving the earlier capital as a source of building material and fertiliser, before it finally became Cairos main rubbish dump the citys remains gradually becoming lost under centuries of garbage.

Fustat Today

In recent years the surrounding area has seen some development, thanks to the draw of the monuments of nearby Coptic Cairo, which is visited by large numbers of tourists each day. The remains of Fustat, however, lie forgotten in plain sight. The main problem is a lack of promotion; I stumbled across the massive archaeological site by accident when visiting the Islamic Pottery Centre at the end of it entrance road. Knowing that ancient Fustat had been in this area, and seeing the large archaeological site in the distance, I came closer, but expected to be hurried away by over protective guards (or asked for baksheesh-tips in order to enter). Instead I was welcomed in and asked to buy an entrance ticket (10 LE).

The Archaeological Remains

At first glance the remains of Fustat are more like an abandoned opencast mine than a medieval capital city an impression created at its edges where the grey sloping ground enters the great depression of the excavated area. Palm trees, weeds, cacti, and tall grass are evenly dispersed across the site, and the remains of small fired clay and mud-brick buildings are scattered around. The bricks are held together with thick mortar made from recycled limestone probably re-used from ancient pharaonic buildings. One house still has its window – three thick slats sitting on top of its mud-brick wall. Columns, lying toppled on their sides, speak of better times; some are made from Aswan red granite, and probably started their lives as elements of pharaonic period temples from the Memphite area, before being adapted for Roman temples and then Christian churches until finally being reworked in medieval times. Intricate columns capitals also lie about on the surface.

An intricate column capital. Image by Henning Franzmeier A large amount of pottery is scattered across the site, as well as being piled high close to the guards house. Some are decorated with images of birds, while green glazed pieces can also be seen. There are even clay pipes among the ruins. The next most striking feature at Fustat and probably the most dangerous if you arent watching where youre going is the sheer number of wells dotted around the site (almost all without any indication to their presence until youre standing above the hole). Apparently, nearly every house in the city had a well or cistern system, and the houses themselves are described as being multiple stories high, like a medieval New York city.

This is difficult to envision today when faced with the ruinous moonscape before you. There are no information signs (theres no one to read them anyway), which, despite leaving you a little confused, does lead to a sense of discovery whenever you come across something different. In one part of the site, after having become accustomed to fallen columns and mud-bricks, I came across a series of red granite mill-stones, all left together, and later an oil-press.

Solitude in the City

Cairo is not a quiet city. Even in my apartment I can still hear the incessant honking of the cars below. Its not a place your Aunt Margaret and Uncle Steve would go for a quiet weekend break to sit by the river and watch the boats go by; not unless they normally have voices in their heads incessantly screaming TAXI, FELUCCA (boat rides), or Welcome in Egypt, and enjoy hordes of people knocking them about on an uneven sidewalk. No. Cairo is famous for being a city with a pulse, where ancient meets modern, and everything is chaotic. This is its charm. Its hard to believe that Fustat was once the same a medieval metropolis of bustling streets, screaming vendors, rich and poor all living in close quarters. Today this space is an escape from all of that, a quiet bubble where it is possible to reflect on how the world has changed, and how it has stayed the same. Still, at the very limits of the site new apartments buildings rise up, a constant reminder that the modern world, with all its noise, isnt far away.

Satellite Image: The Roman Ruins of Leptis Magna

Leptis Magna, which was opened to the public in 2005, represents some of the finest ruins of the Roman age. London-based professional photographer Herb Schmitz recently visited the area and took some fantastic images, and you should watch Heritage Key’s fascinating video interview with Herb as he shares some of his thoughts on his visit to this Libyan treasure. A view you most certainly don’t get to see very often is the satellite view, looking down onto these impressive Roman remains, and the town that has built nearby it. Thanks to Geoeye who have kindly contributed this amazing high resolution aerial image of the Leptis Magna site laying next to the lush blue ocean of the Mediterranean Sea, we can zoom in close and see this culture-rich area.

Leptis Magna is a hidden treasure that has only just opened up to the world, having recently been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Several new discoveries have been made here in the past decade, and it’s one of the most prominent Roman sites in the North African region. The site is a personal favourite of the travel writer Ethel Davies, and boasts several key structures that were crucial to Roman society.

So what can you spot in the below image?The following famous landmarks are all in there:

The Arch of Septimius Severus is named after the Roman emperor Septimius Severus who was born in Leptis Magna. He is credited with stabilising the empire after the chaotic 193AD Year of Five Emperors when the ruler changed several times. Although some of the friezes were moved into a nearby museum, many of them remain on the Arch. The Arch is a key landmark of the city, and anybody approaching from the outside would immediately be greeted by it’s architectural splendour. There are several other arches in the area too including the Arch Tiberius, Arch of Trajan, Arch of Anonious Piud and Arch of Marc Aurillus.

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The Hadrianic Baths are one of the oldest structures in Leptis Magna to have been constructed from marble.Only the baths of Carthage were bigger than the Hadrianic Baths, and they were constructed in a somewhat modest, but still stunning, architectural style. The baths are complete with dressing rooms, and multiple pools made for both hot and cold water.

New Satellite Images Coming Each Week

Each week, Heritage Key will be showcasing high resolution satellite photography of Ancient World sites from across the globe, courtesy of GeoEye!

You can see last week’s stunning aerial image of the Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza.

Be sure to check back each week to see which Heritage site we cover next.

Also of interest is the Nymphaeum, which is located just outside the baths. This impressive fountain is located at the end of the Colonnaded Street and is formed of a semi-circular facade supported by columns, flanked with a bowl at the base in which the water collects. As the other end of the Colonnaded Street is the Severan Harbour, protected by a lighthouse.

Adjacent to the baths is the Palaestra, which was a gymnasium area that was often used by wrestlers.The space was a large open court where people could play ball, go running, weight lift or even play dice! They would then proceed to cleanse themselves in the baths.

The Amphitheatre was a Roman institution, and is completed built into the depressed topography of the land. Although located a kilometre outside the city, it had a capacity of 16,000 people and would cater for everything from gladiator events to wild animals.

Part of the site contains the Old Forum, which is the site of the Old Basillica and Old Forum Church of Leptis Magna. Many of the remains in this area date from around 0AD, and were temples of the Roman religion; Leptis Magna did not convert to Christianity until later, and new structures were built to account for this, such as the Severan Basilica. There are many temples in Leptis Magna, including the Temple of Liber Pater, the Temple of Rome &Augustus, the Temple of Hercules, Temple of Jupiter Dolichenus and the Temple of Di Augusti.

If you’re stuck for identifying them apart, then have a look at the plan of Leptis Magna on Miklos Kiss’ Flickr photostream, which highlights all the key sites, so you can zoom in on this fantastic high resolution image and pick out all the wonders of Leptis Magna.

The Satellite Image is courtesy of GeoEye.

Google Earth Tour: Pyramids of the World

Following on from the amazing high resolution satellite images of the Pyramids of Giza, it’s worth noting that the Pyramid is a structure that is seen across the world. The pyramid form was a popular one in ancient times – when you mention the Pyramids, people will instantly think of the Ancient Egyptians, and the Great Pyramid of Giza. But many civilisations adopted the pyramidal form, from the Greeks and Romans to the Chinese and Mesopotamians!

The primary reason for this would be the structural form of a pyramid – the majority of the construction material that would be used would be at the base, and hence the weight distribution would mean there is less of a load pushing downwards from above (where there is less construction material). This meant that the construction of a pyramid would be much simpler in terms of it’s stability, whilst still giving it an aura of grandeur. How the Pyramid was built is a subject of much discussion, and Heritage Key recently interviewed Jean-Pierre Houdin on his Internal Ramp Pyramid theory. You should alsotake a look atHeritage Key’s fantastic video interview about Dr Mark Lehner’s search for information about the Pyramid Builders of Egypt (watch the video)!

The Google Earth Tour below shows 3D models and locations of many prominent ancient Pyramids from around the world in a flyover which will take you across the continents and zoom in on these magnificent structures.

To open webpages in a new window, right click the link in the information window and select “Open link in new window”. This will enable you to view the link in a full web browser.

You can also download this tour to your computer by clicking here, selecting “Save” and then running the file. It will automatically open Google Earth and begin the Heritage Key: Pyramids of the World tour.

Have a look through our Google Earth Tours too to experience more flythrough tours of world heritage sites!

ArchaeoVideo – Saving Pharaoh Amenhotep III’s Funerary Temple at Thebes

18th dynasty pharaoh Amenhotep III was the king of Egyptian kings. Under his rule, from around 1391 to 1353 BC, Egyptian civilization reached its very apex all powerful, influential beyond compare, rich beyond dreams and basking in opulent artistic splendour. In a list compiled by American business and financial bible Forbes in 2008, Amenhotep was ranked as the 12th richest person in human history.

His funerary temple was therefore never going to be a modest affair. As we discover in a new video interview shot by Nico Piazza with the highly-respected German-Armenian archaeologist leading the excavation of the site, Dr Hourig Sourouzian, it was bold, groundbreaking, and very, very big. It was something extraordinary, as Sourouzian puts it.

Erected in the Theban necropolis on the west bank of the Nile across from Luxor, the temple was 700 metres long and 500 metres wide, and covered an area of 350,000 square metres. It was ten times bigger than any other mortuary monument in Egypt, and the biggest religious complex at Thebes, dwarfing even Karnak (despite the fact that Karnak had been added to substantially by Amenhotep).

The work we do here is not only about advancing our historical knowledge but also saving the last remains of a temple that was once very prestigious.

Inside and out were huge stele, papyrus columns and beautiful statues of animal deities such as the lioness goddess Sekhmet. No expense was spared when it came to selecting building materials. All the quarries of Egypt were at the kings disposal, says Sourouzian, so we can find some rare and beautiful stones, like quartzite.

Sadly, little of this splendour is reflected in the temples modern condition. For all the thought and industry that went into its construction, little consideration was given to its location. Built closer to the river than any other temple at Thebes right on the edge of the floodplain after less than 200 years it had collapsed into the desert. Many of its great stones were subsequently pilfered for building projects of later pharaohs, such as Ramesses II and Merneptah.

All that stands today are the ruined Colossi of Memnon two eighteen metre-high stone statues of Amenhotep (father of the heretic pharaoh Akhenaten) that once imposingly flanked the entrance to the temple. The fact that so little remains of the monument in the 21st century makes Sourouzians job all the more important. The work we do here is not only about advancing our historical knowledge, she says, but also saving the last remains of a temple that was once very prestigious that was unfortunately managed very badly.

The Colossi of Memnon at the Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III. Image Copyright - Sandro Vannini.

Since 1998, the Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III has been on the World Monument Funds list of the planets 100 most endangered monuments, and Sourouzian and her multinational team have been working hard to keep it there, as well as source funding from other bodies. Their project which has been ongoing since 2004 is one of the most ambitious ever staged in Egypt, and still has about two decades left to run. I believe that in less than 20 years we will have achieved our objectives here, she says.

The goal, Sourouzian explains while gangs of Egyptian labourers are seen dragging a massive stone by rope across the desert, in what could almost be a scene from the age of the pharaohs is to eventually restore every object found at the temple to its original position, and create detailed maps and models of how the building might once have looked.

They wont try and rebuild the temple, that would be foolish to try and impossible to do, says Sourouzian. But we can do virtual reconstructions using modern tools like the computer, she adds (check out Heritage Key’s King Tut Virtual for a great example of a digitally reconstructed ancient world). The final stage of the project will be to create an open-air museum, where the public can view first hand the splendour of Amenhoteps funerary monument something truly magnificent and never seen before, beams Sourouzian. With it, visitors will be able to witness the remarkable ambition, skill and ingenuity of ancient Egyptian civilization at its very peak.

Video:Egyptologist Hourig Sourouzian at the Temple of Amenhotep III, Thebes

(Click here to read the transcript for this video)

For more great archaeovideos, be sure to check out Heritage Keys Youtube Channel. Watch Dr Zahi Hawass speaking about the search for KV64, Dr Salima Ikram discussing the fascinating subject of Egyptian animal cults and Dr Vassil Dobrev describing the hunt for the tomb of the lost pharaoh Userkare. Were adding new movies all time sign-up to the Heritage Key RSS feed and find out as soon as theyre posted.

Daily Flickr Finds: Julian Kaesler’s The Colonnaded Terrace

The Colonnade Terrace forms part of the Temple of Ba’al in the ancient Palmyra, an ancient oasis city which boasted great prominence back in ancient times. Julian Kaesler’s photograph of the Terrace caught my eye for the subtle lighting of the stone on a dusk scene. The rich colour reflected in the masonry emphasises the beauty in the relics, and the slight tilt of the camera looking upwards gives this scene the perfect touch.

The city has an interesting past, being influenced under Roman control, but a temple in the city was there a good 2000 years before the Romans even set eyes on the place! The city prospered thanks to it’s hot water spring, and became popular with caravaners looking for somewhere to stock up.

The city has an interesting past, in regards to it’s prominence and leaders. Palmyra became a jewel of the Roman Empire after they conquered Syria, and the city saw lots of new constructions and investment. New streets, temples, arches and statues were built and created one of the most beautiful cities of its time.

Heck – it’s one of the most beautiful relic cities around too! And a beautiful capture from Julian of this simply outstanding site.

To submit your own image for display on our front page, upload it to Flickr and add it to the Heritage Key Flickr pool. We choose the best and invite them to “Heritage Key Select”, out of which we showcase the most amazing one on our homepage daily.