Step Right Up! by brewgirlca
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Description
Mikerson asked some great questions on my last image of Perge and while I answered them I thought maybe for Perge I would take you through a bit of a more organized tour than I have done for my other ancient cities of Turkey. What I would like to show you is just how "modern" these cities were. Except for things electrical, these people basically lacked for nothing that we have in our time. For me that was one of the most striking things I learned on my study tour of Turkey.
So I am going to walk you through what I saw of Perge and show you the sophistication of the place. Previously I culled my shots to focus on the most striking aspects of the architecture but for Perge I am going to supplement the beauty with some more teaching slides, because not everything important looks pretty.
So what have we here? Every modern city has at least one stadium, and Perge was no exception. In fact it had a special entertainment district outside the city walls that comprised a stadium, a theatre and a large open area to hold festivals. Being just outside the city allowed for some good rocking parties without disrupting the commerce and daily life of the city itself.
This is the outside of the stadium and to the left is an open area where outdoor festivals could be held. The vaulted structures, of classically mid first century C.D. Roman style, support a huge seating complex on the other side. Not to make waste of any architectural byproducts, it has been discovered that each of the vaults housed a vendors shop! So even back then you had your hucksters selling their goods to the marks coming into the stadium to enjoy a bit of athleticism, and perhaps a bit of blood and gore. Not much different from a modern NHL playoff series!
"Step right up... perhaps Sir would like a jug of Merlot from Tuscany to slack your thirst...no? Well how about a fine Nubian slave girl to keep you hot at night? Hey Lady, over here... how about this beautiful silk scarf from Bombay? No? Well then perhaps this well hung hunk from Gaul?.... Hey! Hey! Hey! Don't listen to him, he's a thief!!!! Come over here for the finest ....."
Previous Perge
"Perge I"
"Perge I"
Comments (35)
BIPOLARTWO
Fantastic looking structure and terrific to know that it and it's history have survived...
FaeMoon
I love the history that you are giving us along with the gorgeous photos. What brilliant builders these ancient people were. I only wish I could go back in time and see the city as it was once. Oh well, that's what we have our art for.. to imagine. :)
anahata.c
I agree with Rod about the wonderful way you share your information, and also about the lines of the photograph. And with someone else who said 'things haven't changed much,' lol...This series is quite evocative, and you captured the bleached stone as well as that typically yellowed earth. The lines, yes, are very dramatic. This looks like a huge aqueduct, even though it was part of a stadium. As a ruin, it's like a whisper from someplace long past, just standing there in the open parched field. And as a photo, the lines are terrific, the hues are wonderfully parched and also rich, and the perspective leads us back to what looks like a few houses or other structures in the background. Fine seeing, and you really captured the muscular presence of this thing: It just sits there like a huge guard for someplace long gone. Really fine work!
Bothellite
How marvelous to be traveling and thank you for sharing so much explanation. Being with ancient "stuff" is magical.
Chipka
The word "fornication" comes from arches like those, only underground and forming a vaulted ceiling in a room known, in Roman times as a "fornicatio" or something like that. Your commentary made me think of that, especially in terms of the well hung hunk from Gaul...ya gotta love those Gallic hunks...though I suspect the Nubian slave girl was probably his madame in disguise. Anyway...enough rambling. This shot is amazing. It has such a mood, and you're right: the ancient world, especially wherever the Romans were involved, was quite a lot like our own. All the Romans really lacked were such niceties as refrigeration, electricity, antibiotics (though wine had antibiotic properties) and color tv, the internet, and digitally-downloadable porn. (Ah, but the Romans invented pornography...well...they invented the word, at any rate, and I'm sure there might be some old school pornography imprinted in the rock and bricks of this place. Anyway...I keep rambling off topic. Sorry. I love the POV in this shot and the repetition of the arch shape. At first I thought this was some kind of aqueduct setup thingie. Ah, but that's down the street, after you take the first left turn. I love the way the arches form such a barrier on one side of this image, while also demonstrating the whole vanishing perspective thing. There's something oddly fractal about this image as well...and I think it's because of the repeated shape and the way in which that repetition dominates one side of this image on a diagonal rather than a head-on vanishing perspective POV. I think the compositional elements of this image are what give it an extra bit of oomf. Your capture and use of color is stunning. And to top if off, you've created a wonderful mood. Now, about that hung hunk from Gaul....