Perceptions in a state of flux

Submitted by Iza on Thu, 09/28/2023 - 16:13

Text by our correspondent from Didyma, Glenn Maffia

The cultural barometer has changed. Whereas there was an age when archaeologists excavated and shipped exquisite artefacts from strange far-flung shores for the edification and delight of the, primarily, middle class viewing public of Europe; few of whom, if any, could ever visit those lands. The weather vane has decidedly swung in the opposite direction.

Europe is, rather harshly, now viewed as a thief. One could quite easily perceive these nations as protectors, even rescuers. Initially, this importation of ancient artefacts was considered as educational and enlightening, though it rather ignored the fact that the works of art being shipped were not morally their property. Not that that would have shaken an Imperialist's viewpoint, in their arrogance exuding an air of superiority.

Bronze furniture fitting of a winged human-headed bull, originally inlaid and gilded, the late 8th century BCE, Urartian, from Toprakkale, east Turkey, now in the British Museum in London

Hierapolis

Submitted by Iza on Sun, 09/24/2023 - 11:42

This text is a fragment of a guidebook to Hierapolis and Pamukkale: "The Secrets of Pamukkale and Hierapolis".

Lured by the glistening snow-white travertine terraces, thousands of tourists from all corners of the globe come to visit the famous World Heritage Site of Hierapolis-Pamukkale. For many of them, a walk along these terraces and a dip in the widely-advertised Ancient Pool are the highlights of the trip. However, the site has so much more to offer for all the visitors who want to see and understand it more profoundly. The ruins of the ancient city known as Hierapolis are extensive, and their far-away corners are rarely seen by the tourists who hurry through the main sights. If you want to be sure that you did not overlook anything of interest during the time you spent at Hierapolis-Pamukkale site, this is the article written for you.

Stirrings in the Didim undergrowth

Submitted by Iza on Fri, 09/22/2023 - 12:35

Text by our correspondent from Didyma, Glenn Maffia.

As I have previously explained, the discipline of archaeology entails a destructive element. It is inevitable that by removing artefacts from the ground, level by level, from their long interred resting place the most cautious professional shall endeavour to plot and log every minutia of detail. It is a laborious task, but one, nonetheless, that is imperative. Unlike the treasure hunters whom have no qualms about blustering in with a JCB excavator, leaving in their wake utter carnage.

Though now I feel we are, ironically, facing another and an altogether different dilemma in revealing the hidden secrets of ancient Didyma. I shall not name names or individual establishments, for that may create a friction which is unnecessary. Civil conversation is more amiable and amicable.

Finds from Gordion in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara

Submitted by Iza on Wed, 09/20/2023 - 14:44

The excavation of Gordion, the capital of the Phrygian Civilization, was conducted by Gustav Körte and Alfred Körte in 1900, and subsequently by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, under the guidance of Rodney S. Young, from 1950 to 1973. The excavations continued at the site under the auspices of the University of Pennsylvania Museum with an international team, directed by Keith DeVries (1977–1987), G. Kenneth Sams and Mary M. Voigt (1988–2006), G. Kenneth Sams and C. Brian Rose (2006–2012), and C. Brian Rose (2012–present). The most fascinating finds from Gordion are on display at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara. Some finds from Gordion are also in the Istanbul Archaeological Museums and the Gordion Museum, located in the village Yassıhöyük near Gordion itself.

The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations was founded in 1921, initially as the Ankara Archaeological Museum. The museum has numerous exhibits of Anatolian archaeology. They start with the Palaeolithic era, and continue chronologically through the Neolithic, Early Bronze, Assyrian trading colonies, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian, Greek, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman periods. There is also an extensive collection of artefacts, including the ones from the excavations at Gordion.

Phrygian terracotta vase found in Tumulus P (the grave of a royal child) in Gordion

Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia added to UNESCO World Heritage List

Submitted by Iza on Tue, 09/19/2023 - 16:30

Intricately carved wooden column capital of Eşrefoğlu Mosque in Beyşehir

The second entry to the Turkish World Heritage Sites made in 2023, after the ancient site of Gordion, are the wooden mosques of medieval Anatolia. The property consists of five mosques built in Anatolia between the late 13th and mid-14th centuries. They are located in five different provinces of present-day Turkey. These mosques have an exterior built of masonry and multiple rows of wooden interior columns that support a flat wooden ceiling and roof. The masterful woodcarving and handiwork used in these mosques' architectural fittings and furnishings are also noteworthy.