ع
Art, books, and cats.
US Colt Model 1903 semi automatic pistol with mother of pearl medallion grips.
from Rock Island Auctions
Delphic remnants.
The Oracle of Delphi was active for almost 2000 years, its Sanctuary was one of the richest of the ancient world, a small state of intricate structures and innumerable art treasures (coming from every corner of the ancient greek world) that were mostly looted during Roman and Christian times. Home of the worship of the Sun God Apollo and his mantic properties, Delphi was initially a place dedicated to Mother Earth Gaia and her holy female snake. Apollo claimed the Oracle by killing the sacred Pytho(n), a sacrilege…so he got exiled for seven years as punishment for his crime before he could come back as the ruler of Delphi, this was the only way he could become purified again after his terrible act. Even gods need purification and repentance from time to time as it seems. Herakles later on unsuccessfully demanded the Oracle for himself by trying to steal the Delphic tripod from Apollo, Herakles was a prevalent figure of ancient greek religion and not just the big muscular guy our modern times and popular culture believe. Time distorts so many things after all…
The order of the photos follows the actual path of the archaelogical site. Mount Parnassus, a symbol and an actuality, is breathtaking as well as the view from the Stadium.
Photos: Vera Bousiou
TEMPLE OF GARNI:
The Temple of Garni (Armenian: “Garnu tacar”) is located in the village of Garni in Kotayk Province, Armenia, and it was once a pagan temple dedicated to the Armenian sun god Mihr. Built in the middle of the 1st century CE, the Temple of Garni remarkably survived the destruction of pagan temples following Armenia’s conversion to Christianity in the 4th century CE, and countless invasions and earthquakes until its collapse in 1679 CE. After continuous excavations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries CE, the Temple of Garni was reconstructed between 1969-1975 CE. Today, it is the only free-standing Greco-Roman structure in Armenia and seen by many as a potent symbol of Armenia’s classical past as well as its deep historical ties to the civilizations of Greece and Rome.
The Temple of Garni is situated in a very strategic location, on a cliff, overlooking a range of the Geghama mountains as well as the Azat River near the Ararat Plain. Located 30 km (19 mi) from Yerevan, the Temple of Garni is quite near Geghard Monastery, which is only 11 km (7 mi) up the Azat River, and not too far from the ancient capital of Artashat. The site was inhabited in prehistoric times, and there is evidence that it was also used by the Urartians between the 8th-6th centuries BCE.
