Foto Friday – Cappadocia, Turkey
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Monthly Archives: November 2015
NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 73
photo by Sallie Volotzky
Our mystery country’s super-modern cities rest proudly on a foundation of Bedouin culture. Most Bedouins in the country have given up their traditional nomadic life to live in the urban fringes, making their living as agricultural workers, but a few maintain the old ways, at least part of the year, living in tents and moving around the desert with their herds of camels, sheep and goats. The picture above was taken from a highway en route from Abu Dhabi to Dubai.
Cultural heritage museums in the cities offer a glimpse of Bedouin life. Visits to Bedouin camps can also be arranged. Hospitality is central to Bedouin culture and strangers are welcomed like family.
Can you name that country?
See below for answers.
Oman’s Beehive Tombs
Beehive tombs at al-Ayn, Oman with Jebel Misht behind
The so-called beehive tombs of Oman are a collection of circular Bronze Age monuments built 4,000-5,000 years ago in a northwestern region of the country once known as Magan. It was a significant population center, based largely on copper mining for trade with Mesopotamia. Despite a lack of human remains, the structures are most commonly referred to as tombs.
The tombs are found in three locations, which were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. The best known of the three sites is Bat, located about a 30-minute drive from the town of Ibri. Over 100 tombs, plus houses and other structures, all in varying degrees of ruin, are scattered over a large area. The quantity of remains is impressive, but it takes some imagination to visualize the thriving settlement that stood here 4,000 years ago. The natural setting more than makes up for the low visual appeal of the ruins.
About 2km from Bat, the site of al-Khutum contains more tombs and a tower.
Another 30 minutes or so from Bat is the striking site of al-Ayn, where twenty-one, well-preserved beehive tombs line the crest of a ridge, backed by the soaring wall of Jebel Misht.
We recommend visiting these sites with a licensed guide, as they are tricky to find and come with no signage.
Foto Friday – Cappadocia, Turkey
NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 72
This beautiful mosaic is from the floor of the so-called Villa of Dionysus among the ruins of Tzipori (aka Sepphoris). Tizpori was a wealthy, cosmopolitan center of trade in the northern region of our mystery country. The local Roman client king Herod Antipas invested heavily in the city in the early decades of the Common Era. The population of prosperous, Hellenized Jews refused to participate in revolts against Roman occupation, thereby avoiding the destruction suffered by many other Jewish cities and towns. The city attracted Jewish scholars from devastated towns and became a center of Jewish study. Its most notable resident was the Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi, the editor of the Mishna, a collection of commentaries on the Torah and the 2nd most important book in Judaism after the Torah. Remains at the site include a Roman theater, early Christian churches, a Crusader fort and a huge collection of 3rd-6th-century mosaics.
Can you name that country?
See below for answers.
Delphi: Center of the World
Delphi, Greece
Delphi is a 2.5 – 3 hour drive northwest of Athens on the slopes of Mt.Parnassus, a really stunning spot. The ancient Greeks believed it to be the center of the world. According to legend, Apollo killed the Python that guarded the Omphalos, or navel of the earth, and thereafter, the site was dedicated to the god. The Delphic Oracle was a priestess known as the Pythia, who channeled the words of Apollo for seekers of wisdom from near and far. Delphi was also known for the Pythian Games, similar to the original Olympic Games.
The extensive remains are mostly from the 6th-century BCE and are scattered on several terraced levels right down the side of the mountain. The small museum holds artifacts found at the site. The modern town of Delphi is right there, with lots of hotels, restaurants and shops. Staying a night instead of doing the roundtrip to Athens in one day is a good option. There are motor coach tours either way.
These Ya’lla tours to Greece include visits to Delphi: Scholar’s Classical, Scirocco, Aegean Highlights, Ultimate Greece, and Aeolos.
Foto Friday – Cappadocia, Turkey
NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 71
This Bent Pyramid at Dahshur is a precursor to its famous cousins just up the road. Construction began with an incline of 52 degrees and then changed about midway up to a more cautious 43-degree incline. The reason for the change is not known for sure.
To continue at the original angle would have required a taller, heavier structure. Perhaps materials and manpower were running short. Perhaps the architect decided the lower levels would not support the height needed to maintain the sharper incline. Another theory is that the decision to reduce the angle was influenced by the collapse of the pyramid at Meidum, a slightly earlier attempt at a smooth-sided pyramid. In any case, the Bent Pyramid gives an intriguing glimpse into the development of architecture and engineering in our mystery country over 4,500 years ago.
Can you name that country?
See below for answers.
Artist Corner – Damian Aquiles
Cuban artist Damian Aquiles is best known for his walking man figures cut from scrap metal and arranged in various evocative groupings, but his art takes many forms.
Damian works mainly with recycled metal from old car parts, water tanks, and paint cans, time-worn, battered materials, which add character and depth to his compositions.
Visitors are welcomed into the home-gallery Damian shares with his American wife Pamela Ruiz and their son. The couple spent years acquiring and restoring their villa in the Vedado neighborhood of Havana. Today the villa is a gathering place for art, artists and art-lovers.
Book a Ya’lla tour to Cuba and visit the home/gallery of Damian Aquiles in person.
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