May 01, 2005
May 1 Photos: Caleb
Katherine stands in front of a lion panel of glazed brick which decorated the Ishtar gate around the 6th century BCE at Babylon. The lion scared away evil to protect the city.
Nkosi poses beside a sphinx of limestone that stood during the 13th century BCE in the Hittite capital of Hattusha. Like the lion above, the sphinx was a magical creature who protected the city.
Jackie stands next to a gorgon from the architrave block of the Archaic Temple of Apollo at Didyma. This gorgon served an apotropaic function which reflects the influence of Eastern sculpture, such as the ones above, on Greek art.
Neha stands next to a kouros statue of Eastern Greek origin. This statue differs from the Western Greek kouroi we have seen previously because of its smoother body and less geometrically chiseled body.
Peter poses with a marble statue of a Roman judge from Aphrodisias made around 425-450 AD.
The entrance to the Archaeological Museum is a delightful blend of cultures. Its classical façade is accented beautifully by a Turkish monogram.
A scene of a lion hunt on the “Alexander Sarcophagus” from the Royal Necropolis at Sidon dating from the 4th century BCE.
Alexander is not actually in the “Alexander Sarcophagus” but it is named so because of this depiction of Alexander on one of its sides.
Exterior view of the Suleymaniye from the graveyard which contains the tomb of Suleyman the Magnificent.
Interior view of the Suleymaniye. The girls were required to wear scarves to cover their hair. The interior is more similar in design to the Christian Hagia Sofia than to the Muslim Blue Mosque.
One of the seven towers of the Seven Towers Fortress which was an Ottoman construction that incorporated many Byzantine elements.
Laura walks out of the middle arch of the triple arch of the late 4th century Golden Gate through which victorious generals would return to the city.
Scene of the death of the Virgin Mary in the Kariye Museum. Jesus holds a baby that represents the soul of the Virgin Mary.
Mosaic of Jesus healing a leper. Many mosaics of Jesus’ miracles line the walls inside the Kariye Museum.
This Anatasis of Jesus shows him setting free Adam and Eve after he has broken down the walls of Satan.
On our walk down from the Kariye Museum, we took a look at the exterior of the Tekfursarayi. It dates from the Late Byzantine Period and makes great use of light and dark colors through different colored stones and bricks.
After a long day, we were ready to head back to the hotel as soon as we made a quick stop to admire the view of the Golden Horn.