Is a Eurasian island country in the Eastern Mediterranean, south of Turkey and west of Syria and Lebanon. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of its most popular tourist destinations. An advanced, high-income economy with a very high Human Development Index, the Republic of Cyprus was a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement until it joined the European Union on 1 May 2004.

The earliest known human activity on the island dates back to around the 10th millennium BC. Archaeological remains from this period include the well-preserved Neolithic village of Choirokoitia, which has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, along with the Tombs of the Kings. Cyprus is home to some of the oldest water wells in the world, and is the site of the earliest known example of feline domestication. At a strategic location in the Middle East, Cyprus has been occupied by several major powers, including the empires of the Hittites, Assyrians, Egyptians, Macedonians, Ptolemies, Persians, Byzantines, Rashiduns, Umayyads, Lusignans, Venetians and Ottomans. It was placed under British administration in 1878 until it was granted independence in 1960, becoming a member of the Commonwealth the following year.

In 1974, following 11 years of intercommunal violence and an attempted coup d'état by Greek Cypriot nationalists, Turkey invaded and occupied the northern portion of the island. The intercommunal violence and subsequent Turkish invasion led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Cypriots and the establishment of a separate Turkish Cypriot political entity in the north. These events and the resulting political situation are matters of ongoing dispute.

The Republic of Cyprus has de jure sovereignty over the entire island of Cyprus and its surrounding waters except small portions that are allocated by treaty to the United Kingdom as sovereign military bases. The Republic of Cyprus is de facto partitioned into two main parts, the area under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus, comprising about 59% of the island's area and the Turkish-occupied area in the north, calling itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, covering about 37% of the island's area and recognized only by Turkey.

Etymology

The name Cyprus has a somewhat uncertain etymology. One suggestion is that it comes from the Greek word for the Mediterranean cypress tree (Cupressus sempervirens), κυπάρισσος (kypárissos), or even from the Greek name of the henna plant (Lawsonia alba), κύπρος (kýpros). Another school suggests that it stems from the Eteocypriot word for copper. Georges Dossin, for example, suggests that it has roots in the Sumerian word for copper (zubar) or for bronze (kubar), from the large deposits of copper ore found on the island.

Through overseas trade the island has given its name to the Classical Latin word for copper through the phrase aes Cyprium, "metal of Cyprus", later shortened to Cuprum. Cyprus is also known as the Island of Aphrodite, or Love since according to Phoenician mythology, Astarte, goddess of love and beauty, who was later identified with the Greek goddess Aphrodite, was born on the shores of Paphos.

The standard demonym relating to Cyprus or its people or culture is Cypriot. The terms Cypriote and Cyprian are also, less frequently, used.

History

Ancient Times

The earliest confirmed site of human activity on Cyprus is Aetokremnos, situated on the south coast, indicating that hunter-gatherers were active on the island from around 10,000 BC, with settled village communities dating from 8200 BC. The arrival of the first humans correlates with the extinction of the dwarf hippos and dwarf elephants. Water wells discovered by archaeologists in western Cyprus are believed to be among the oldest in the world, dated at 9,000 to 10,500 years old.

Remains of an 8-month-old cat were discovered buried with its human owner at a separate Neolithic site in Cyprus. The grave is estimated to be 9,500 years old, predating ancient Egyptian civilization and pushing back the earliest known feline-human association significantly. The remarkably well-preserved Neolithic village of Khirokitia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating to approximately 6800 BC.

The island was part of the Hittite empire during the late Bronze Age until the arrival of two waves of Greek settlement. The first wave consisted of Mycenaean Greek traders, which started visiting Cyprus around 1400 BC. A major wave of Greek settlement is believed to have taken place following the Bronze Age collapse of Mycenaean Greece in the period 1100–1050 BC, with the island's predominantly Greek character dating from this period. Cyprus occupies an important role in Greek mythology being the birthplace of Aphrodite and Adonis, and home to King Cinyras, Teucer and Pygmalion. Beginning in the 8th century BC Phoenician colonies were founded on the south coast of Cyprus, near present day Larnaca and Salamis.

Cyprus was ruled by Assyria for a century starting in 708 BC, before a brief spell under Egyptian rule and eventually Persian rule in 545 BC. The Cypriots, led by Onesilos, king of Salamis, joined their fellow Greeks in the Ionian cities during the unsuccessful Ionian Revolt in 499 BC against the Achaemenid Empire. The revolt was suppressed without bloodshed, although Cyprus managed to maintain a high degree of autonomy and remained oriented towards the Greek world. The island was brought under permanent Greek rule by Alexander the Great and the Ptolemies of Egypt following his death. Full Hellenization took place during the Ptolemaic period, which ended when Cyprus was annexed by the Roman Republic in 58 BC.

Cyprus in the Middle Ages

When the Roman Empire was divided into Eastern and Western parts in 395, Cyprus became part of the East Roman, or Byzantine Empire, and would remain part of it until the crusades some 800 years later. Under Byzantine rule, the Greek orientation that had been prominent since antiquity developed the strong Hellenistic-Christian character that continues to be a hallmark of the Greek Cypriot community. Beginning in 649, Cyprus suffered from devastating raids launched from the Levant, which continued from the next 300 years. Many were quick piratical raids, but others were large-scale attacks in which many Cypriots were slaughtered and great wealth carried off or destroyed.

No Byzantine churches survive from this period, thousands were killed, and many cities, such as Salamis, were destroyed and never rebuilt. Byzantine rule was restored in 965, when General Nikephoros Phokas (later Emperor) scored decisive victories on land and sea. In 1191, during the Third Crusade, Richard I of England captured the island from Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus He used it as a major supply base that was relatively safe from the Saracens. A year later Richard sold the island to the Knights Templar, who, following a bloody revolt, in turn sold it to Guy of Lusignan. His brother and successor Amalric was recognized as King of Cyprus by Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor.

Following the death in 1473 of James II, the last Lusignan king, the Republic of Venice assumed control of the island, while his Venetian widow, Queen Caterina Cornaro reigned as figurehead. Venice formally annexed Cyprus in 1489, following the abdication of Caterina. Using it as an important commercial hub, the Venetians fortified Nicosia, the current capital city in Cyprus, with its famous Venetian Walls. Throughout Venetian rule, the Ottoman Empire frequently raided Cyprus. In 1539 the Ottomans destroyed Limassol and so fearing the worst, the Venetians also fortified Famagusta and Kyrenia.

During the almost four centuries of Latin rule, there existed two societies on Cyprus. The first consisted of Frankish nobles and their retinue, as well as Italian merchants and their families. The second, the majority of the population, consisted of Greek Cypriots serfs and laborers. Although a determined effort was made to supplant native traditions and culture, the effort failed

Ottoman Empire

In 1570, a full scale Ottoman assault with 60,000 troops brought the island under Ottoman control, despite stiff resistance by the inhabitants of Nicosia and Famagusta. 20,000 Nicosians were put to death, and every church, public building, and palace was looted. The previous Latin elite was destroyed and the first significant demographic change since antiquity took place when Ottoman Janissaries were settled on the island.

The Ottomans abolished the feudal system previously in place and applied the millet system to Cyprus, under which non-Muslim peoples were governed by their own religious authorities. In a reversal from the days of Latin rule, the head of the Church of Cyprus was invested as leader of the Greek Cypriot population and acted a mediator between Christian Greek Cypriots and the Ottoman authorities. Ottoman rule of Cyprus was at times indifferent, at times oppressive, depending on the temperaments of the sultans and local officials, and during this period the island fell into economic decline.

Reaction to Ottoman misrule led to uprisings by both Greek and Turkish Cypriots, although none were successful. By 1872, the population of the island had risen to 144,000 comprising 44,000 Muslims and 100,000 Christians. Centuries of neglect by the Turks, the unrelenting poverty of most of the people, and the ever-present tax collectors fueled Greek nationalism, and by 19th century the idea of enosis, or union, with newly independent Greece was firmly rooted among Greek Cypriots.

Modern History

In the aftermath of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), administration, but not sovereignty, of the island was ceded to the British Empire in 1878 in exchange for guarantees that Britain would use the island as a base to protect the Ottoman Empire against possible Russian aggression. The island would serve Britain as a key military base in its colonial routes. By 1906, when the Famagusta harbour was completed, Cyprus was a strategic naval outpost overlooking the Suez Canal, the crucial main route to India which was then Britain's most important colony. Following the outbreak of World War I and the entry of the Ottoman Empire on the side of the Central powers, the United Kingdom annexed the island in 1914.

In 1915, Britain offered Cyprus to Constantine I of Greece on condition that Greece join the war on the side of the British, which he declined. In 1923, under the Treaty of Lausanne, the nascent Turkish republic relinquished any claim to Cyprus and in 1925 it was declared a British Crown Colony. Many Greek Cypriots fought in the British Army during both World Wars, in the hope that Cyprus would eventually be united with Greece. During World War II many enlisted in the Cyprus Regiment.

In January 1979, the Church of Cyprus organized a referendum, which was boycotted by the Turkish Cypriot community, where over 90% voted in favor of "enosis", meaning union with Greece. Restricted autonomy under a constitution was proposed by the British administration but eventually rejected. In 1955 the EOKA organisation was founded, seeking independence and union with Greece through armed struggle. At the same time the TMT, calling for Taksim, or partition, was established by the Turkish Cypriots as a counterweight. Turmoil on the island was met with force by the British.

Geography

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean (after the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia) and the world's 81st largest. It measures 240 kilometers long from end to end and 100 km wide at its widest point, with Turkey 75 km to the north. Other neighbouring territories include Syria and Lebanon to the east (105 km and 108 km, respectively), Israel 200 km to the southeast, Egypt 380 km to the south, and Greece to the west-northwest: 280 km to the small Dodecanesian island of Kastellórizo (Meyísti), 400 km to Rhodes, and 800 km to the Greek mainland.

The physical relief of the island is dominated by two mountain ranges, the Troodos Mountains and the smaller Kyrenia Range, and the central plain they encompass, the Mesaoria. The Troodos Mountains cover most of the southern and western portions of the island and account for roughly half its area. The highest point on Cyprus is Mount Olympus at 1,952 m (6,404.20 ft), located in the center of the Troodos range. The narrow Kyrenia Range, extending along the northern coastline, occupies substantially less area, and elevations are lower, reaching a maximum of 1,024 m (3,359.58 ft).

Geopolitically, the island is subdivided into four main segments. The Republic of Cyprus, the internationally recognized government, occupies the southern two-thirds of the island (59.74%). The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus occupies the northern third (34.85%) of the island and is recognized only by Turkey, as it consists of the Turkish-occupied areas. The United Nations-controlled Green Line is a buffer zone that separates the two and covers 2.67% of the island. Lastly, two bases under British sovereignty are located on the island: Akrotiri and Dhekelia, covering the remaining 2.74%.

Other info

Oficial name:

Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία (Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía)

Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti

Republic of Cyprus

Independence:

16 August 1960

Area:

5.896 km2

Inhabitants:

780.000

Languages:

Ελληνικά (Greece) and Türkçe (Turkish)

Arabic, Cypriot Spoken [acy] 1,300 (1995). Ethnic population: 6,000 in the Cypriot Maronite ethnic group, 140 Maronites in Kormatiki, 80 to 100 in Limassol, the rest in the Maronite community in Nicosia. Kormakiti, one of 4 Maronite villages in the mountains of northern Cyprus, and in refugee communities in Nicosia and Limassol. Alternate names: Cypriot Maronite Arabic, Maronite, Sanna. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

More information.

Armenian [hye] 2,740 in Cyprus (1987). Alternate names: Haieren, Somkhuri, Ermenice, Armjanski. Dialects: Western Armenian. Classification: Indo-European, Armenian

More information.

Greek [ell] 578,000 in Cyprus (1995). Nearly all in southern Cyprus. Dialects: Cypriot Greek. Classification: Indo-European, Greek, Attic

More information.

Turkish [tur] 177,000 in Cyprus (1995). Nearly all in northern Cyprus. Alternate names: Osmanli. Classification: Altaic, Turkic, Southern, Turkish

Capital city :

Λευκωσία, Lefkoşa, Nicosia

Meaning of the country name:

Derived from the Greek Kypros for "copper", in reference to the copper mined on the island

Description Flag:

The Flag of Cyprus came into use on August 16, 1960 under the Zürich and London Agreements, whereby a constitution was drafted and Cyprus was proclaimed an independent state.

The national flag features a map of the entirety of the island, with two olive branches below (a symbol of peace) on white (another symbol of peace). Cyprus is the only country to display its land area on its flag. The map on the flag is a copper-yellow color, symbolizing the large deposits of copper ore on the island (chiefly in the form of chalcopyrite, which is yellow in color).

Coat of arms:

The coat of arms of Cyprus depicts a dove carrying an olive branch (a well-known symbol of peace) over “1960”, the year of Cypriot independence from British rule. The background is a copper-yellow colour; this symbolises the large deposits of copper ore on Cyprus (chiefly in the form of chalcopyrite, which is yellow in colour).

When Cyprus was a British Crown Colony, local colonial officials used a coat of arms (which were never in fact officially granted) of two lions passant guardant, based on the coat of arms of England.

National Anthem: Hymn to Liberty, -Ύμνος εις την Ελευθερίαν,- Ímnos is tin Eleftherían

Polytonic orthography

Σὲ γνωρίζω ἀπὸ τὴν κόψι

τοῦ σπαθιοῦ τὴν τρομερή,

σὲ γνωρίζω ἀπὸ τὴν ὄψι

ποὺ μὲ βία μετράει τὴ γῆ.

Ἀπ’ τὰ κόκκαλα βγαλμένη

τῶν Ἑλλήνων τὰ ἱερά,

καὶ σὰν πρῶτα ἀνδρειωμένη,

χαῖρε, ὦ χαῖρε, Ἐλευθεριά!

Monotonic orthography

Σε γνωρίζω από την κόψη

του σπαθιού την τρομερή,

σε γνωρίζω από την όψη

που με βία μετράει τη γη.

Απ’ τα κόκκαλα βγαλμένη

των Ελλήνων τα ιερά,

και σαν πρώτα ανδρειωμένη,

χαίρε, ω χαίρε, Ελευθεριά!

Transliteration

Se gnorízo apó tin kópsi

tu spathiú tin tromerí,

se gnorízo apó tin ópsi,

pu me vía metrái ti yi.

Ap' ta kókkala vgalméni

ton Ellínon ta ierá,

ke san próta andhrioméni,

khére, o khére, Eleftheriá!

English Translation

I recognize you from the dreadful

edge of your sword

I recognize you from the countenance

which surveys the earth with force

Risen from the sacred bones

of the Greeks

and, valiant as before,

hail, oh hail, liberty!

Internet Page: www.cyprus.gov.cy

www.visitcyprus.org.cy

www.cyprus.com

Cyprus in diferent languages

eng | cym | hau | lat | nld | slk: Cyprus

arg | ast | glg | oci | por | spa: Chipre

aze | gag | kaa | slo | tuk: Kipr / Кипр

dan | dsb | hsb | swe: Cypern

cos | ron | scn: Cipru

deu | ltz | nds: Zypern / Zypern

fin | nor | sme: Kypros

fra | jnf | nrm: Chypre

cat | tet: Xipre

kin | run: Shipre

afr: Ciprus

bam: Sipiri

bos: Kipar / Кипар

bre: Kiprenez

ces: Kypr

cor: Kyproes

crh: Qıbrız / Къыбрыз

csb: Cyper

dje: Kubrus

epo: Kipro

est: Küpros

eus: Zipre; Txipre

fao: Kýpros

frp: Ch•ipre

fry: Syprus

fur: Cipri

gla: Cìopras; Cìoprus; Cuprus

gle: An Chipir / An Ċipir

glv: Yn Chyprys; Yn Cheeprey

hat: Chip

hrv: Cipar

hun: Ciprus

ibo: Saiprọs

ina: Cypro

ind: Siprus / سيڤروس

isl: Kýpur; Kípur

ita: Cipro

jav: Siprus

kab: Qubrus / ⵇⵓⴱⵔⵓⵙ

kal: Cyperni

kmr: Qebres / Qәбрәс / قەبرەس; Kîpr / Кипр / کیپر

kur: Qibris / قبرس; Koprus / کۆپروس

lav: Kipra

lin: Sipre

lit: Kipras

lld: Ziper

lug: Kupuro

mlt: Ċipru

mol: Cipru / Чипру

mos: Sɩpr

mri: Taipari

msa: Siprus / سيڤروس; Kibris / قبرس

nbl: iKhuphro

non: Kípr

pol: Cypr

que: Kipru

rmy: Čipro / चिप्रो

roh: Cipra

rup: Chipro

slv: Ciper

smg: Kėpros

smo: Saiperisia

som: Qubrus

sqi: Qiproja

srd: Chipru

swa: Kipro; Kuprus

tgl: Sipres

ton: Siapalesi

tsn: Kupero

tur: Kıbrıs

uzb: Qibris / Қибрис; Kipr / Кипр

vie: Síp

vol: Sipreän

vor: Küprüs

wln: Chipe

wol: Ciipër

xho: iSipro

zul: iKhupro

zza: Qıbrıs

chu: Кѵпръ (Kȳprŭ)

abq | alt | che | chm | chv | kbd | kir | kjh | kom | krc | kum | mon | oss | rus | tyv | udm | xal: Кипр (Kipr)

bak | tat: Кипр / Kipr

bel: Кіпр / Kipr

bul: Кипър (Kipǎr)

kaz: Кипр / Kïpr / كيپر

mkd: Кипар (Kipar)

srp: Кипар / Kipar

tgk: Қибрис / قبرس / Qibris; Кипр / کیپر / Kipr

ukr: Кіпр (Kipr)

ara: قبرص (Qubruṣ)

fas: قبرس (Qebres / Qobros)

prs: قبرس (Qebros / Qobros)

pus: قبرس (Qibrus / Qubrus); سايپروس (Sāyprūs)

snd: قبرص (Qibriṣi)

uig: سىپرۇس / Siprus / Сипрус

urd: قبرص (Qibriṣ); سائپرس (Sāʾipras)

div: ސައިޕްރަސް (Sa'ipras)

syr: ܩܒܪܨ (Qubruṣ); ܩܘܦܪܘܣ (Qūprūs)

heb: קפריסין (Qafrîsîn); קפרוס (Qafrôs)

lad: קיפרי / Kipre

yid: קיפּראָס (Kipros)

amh: ቆጵሮስ (Ḳoṗros)

ell: Κύπρος (Kýpros)

hye: Կիպրոս (Kipros)

kat: კვიპროსი (Kviprosi)

hin: साइप्रस (Sāipras); किब्रस (Kibras)

ben: সাইপ্রাস (Sāiprās)

pan: ਕਿਪਰੂਸ (Kiprūs)

kan: ಸೈಪ್ರಸ್ (Saipras)

mal: സൈപ്രസ് (Saipras); സൈപ്രസ്സ് (Saiprass)

tam: சைப்ரஸ் (Čaipras); சைப்பிரஸ் (Čaippiras)

tel: సైప్రస్ (Saipras)

zho: 塞浦路斯 (Sāipǔlùsī)

jpn: サイプラス (Saipurasu); キプロス (Kipurosu)

kor: 사이프러스 (Saipeureoseu); 키프로스 (Kipeuroseu)

mya: ဆုိက္ပရပ္စ္ (Sʰaiʿpáẏaʿs)

tha: ไซปรัส (Saiprât)

lao: ໄຊປຣັດ (Saiplât)

khm: ស៊ីពរ៍ (Sīp[r]); សាយប្រើស (Sāybrøs)

Aphrodite[a] is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, beauty, pleasure, passion and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess Venus. Aphrodite's major symbols include myrtles, roses, doves, sparrows, and swans. The cult of Aphrodite was largely derived from that of the Phoenician goddess Astarte, a cognate of the East Semitic goddess Ishtar, whose cult was based on the Sumerian cult of Inanna. Aphrodite's main cult centers were Cythera, Cyprus, Corinth, and Athens. Her main festival was the Aphrodisia, which was celebrated annually in midsummer. In Laconia, Aphrodite was worshipped as a warrior goddess. She was also the patron goddess of prostitutes, an association which led early scholars to propose the concept of "sacred prostitution", an idea which is now generally seen as erroneous.

In Hesiod's Theogony, Aphrodite is born off the coast of Cythera from the foam (aphrós) produced by Uranus's genitals, which his son Cronus has severed and thrown into the sea. In Homer's Iliad, however, she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione. Plato, in his Symposium 180e, asserts that these two origins actually belong to separate entities: Aphrodite Ourania (a transcendent, "Heavenly" Aphrodite) and Aphrodite Pandemos (Aphrodite common to "all the people"). Aphrodite had many other epithets, each emphasizing a different aspect of the same goddess, or used by a different local cult. Thus she was also known as Cytherea (Lady of Cythera) and Cypris (Lady of Cyprus), because both locations claimed to be the place of her birth.

In Greek mythology, Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths and metalworking. Despite this, Aphrodite was frequently unfaithful to him and had many lovers; in the Odyssey, she is caught in the act of adultery with Ares, the god of war. In the First Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, she seduces the mortal shepherd Anchises. Aphrodite was also the surrogate mother and lover of the mortal shepherd Adonis, who was killed by a wild boar. Along with Athena and Hera, Aphrodite was one of the three goddesses whose feud resulted in the beginning of the Trojan War and she plays a major role throughout the Iliad. Aphrodite has been featured in Western art as a symbol of female beauty and has appeared in numerous works of Western literature. She is a major deity in modern Neopagan religions, including the Church of Aphrodite, Wicca, and Hellenismos.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphrodite

Each of the works exhibited in the Antalya Archeology Museum, which is considered one of the leading museums of not only Turkey, but also the world, is among the masterpieces of its kind. Undoubtedly the main source of this wealth is Antalya’s location which is one of the first places where human traces are seen in Anatolia, hosting the magnificent cities of Lycia, Roman and Byzantine civilizations and witnessing continuously the history of mankind. The Neanderthal skeleton fragments unearthed in Karain Cave, the magnificent sculptures found in Perga which is one of the sculpture production centers of the Antique Age, Elmalı coins which are called the ‘Treasure of the Century’, and the finds discovered during the excavations in the St. Nicholas Church, i.e. Santa Claus Church, are priceless. The Museum was selected as the ‘Museum of Year’ in 1988 by the European Council and received the ‘Excellence Award’ in 2016 thanks to its artifacts.

* Weary Heracles*

This piece, an AC-2nd-century copy of the sculpture made by Lysippos who is the famous sculptor of the 4th century BC, belongs to Perga ancient city, known for sculpturing. The lower part the sculpture was found during the excavations in 1980, whereas the upper part, which was illegally smuggled abroad, was brought back to its homeland in 2011 and the two parts were combined. It depicts Heracles leaning on his club after beating the Nemean lion which was impervious to all weapons. Although there are 60 copies of this sculpture, known as ‘Heracles Farnese’ from the Roman Period, the specimen exhibited in the Antalya Archaeological Museum is considered to be superior to others in terms of workmanship.

Emperors’ Hall

The sculptures of Roman emperors, all of which were found during excavations in the ancient city of Perga, are among the masterpieces of Roman art. The Dancer Sculpture, which is a symbol of Antalya Museum, is exhibited here besides the emperor sculptures. This sculpture, which was assembled after being discovered in pieces, is one of the most admired works of the Museum with its monumentality and fine details and vitality.

Sarcophagi Hall

Sarcophagi in which important and wealthy people in general were placed after death in the Antique Age are also the works that reflect their understanding of art. A few floral motifs and also some very complex figures are used in the decoration on these sarcophagi. Most of the sarcophagi that can be seen in the Sarcophagi Hall belong to the ancient city of Perga. The most popular ones are the Sarcophagus of Domitias belonging to a married couple apparently not separated after death, the Heracles Sarcophagus depicting the 12 tasks of Heracles, and the Garland Sarcophagus decorated with floral motifs.

Hall of Coin, Small Artifacts and Icons

The most significant parts of this part of the Museum are ‘Elmalı Coins’ which are called the ‘Treasure of the Century’. The most precious pieces that make this collection valuable, including coins issued by the cities comprising the union against the Persians, are monumental coins, which are very rare all over the world, issued when the Greeks defeated the Persians. In the hall, you can see the coins of all civilizations in Antalya’s rich history, finds unearthed in shipwrecks, jewelry and icons, as well as the Anatolian coin minting tradition and techniques.

www.ktb.gov.tr/EN-113899/antalya-museum.html

muze.gov.tr/s3/MysFileLibrary/Antalya%20Arkeoloji%20Müze...

Here is the Chaplain for the chapter! He shall be one leading the terminator squad into the fight. Plus he is the first model I tried non metallic gold on and I think he turned out pretty well! Essentially I used the GW paints Bestial Brown and Golden Yellow blended together and lightened with white. To finish him off I added some bones on the base to offset and mellow out the overall effect. Hope you like this and let me know what you think!

Gold relief plaque necklace showing the Phonecian goddess Astarte as a Head in Window, with pendant beaads. Orientalizing, Greece, 7th Century BC. British Museum, London, England. Copyright 2017, James A. Ferguson.

the outfit:

UNHOLY IMPERIUM HEAD CHAINMAIL

AZARAN- ZARA'S CROWN

Grasshopper St Chainmail Veil Iron

!dM Astarte -gacha for M.Laura

INK'D BY KALI ~Dirty Silver Chainmail~Bom underlay

CURELESS[+] Corvus Manteau and pauldrons

(A)MAZE ~ Scales Collar Metal

Finally the next model after 4 months of extreme laziness! Kitbashed some Blood Angel Sanguinary Guard and Assault Squads to make some custom Vanguard Veterans. Seeing as they are from the 1st Company and are seen as a more prestigious rank, their armour is all white with the usual NMM gold trim. On top of this there is some red dotted throughout the model to denote squad markings. Plus this is the first model which I have used the new GW layer paints! As always comments are more then welcome plus thank you for having a look!

Second squad of Raptors/Assault Berzerkers for my World Eaters. Used the fantastic new plastic Raptors combined with various bitz from Skullcrushers and Forge World upgrades.

Imperial knight Paladin of loyalist house Silenzi. The knight world of Brillig was recently liberated from nigh-corruption by the Sagodjur Fjorlag Astartes, but rumors hold sway that house patron Loman might still bow to Brillig's old masters...

Pergamonmuseum, located on Museuminsel in Berlin, contains a phenomenal collection of antiquities from the Middle East. Pictured here is a firgurine of goddess Ishtar (Astarte) from the collection of art of Ancient Mesopotamia; specifically, from Tell Halaf, an ancient city located on the border of today's Syria and Turkey. Goddess Ishtar was apparently capable of riding a lion (!) - while standing and not sitting on him (!!) - while breast-feeding a baby (!!!) at the same time!

Коллекция потрясающего Пергамского музея (нем. - Пергамонмузеум), расположенного на Музейном острове в Берлине, охватывает древний Ближний Восток. На фото - статуэтка богини Иштар (Астарте) из коллекции искусства древней Месопотамии, а именно из Тель-Халафа, древнего города, расположенного у границы современных Сирии и Турции. Богиня Иштар ухитрялась скакать на льве (!) - стоя а не сидя (!!) - и одновременно кормить грудью ребёнка (!!!)!

American marine conchology

Philadelphia:Printed for the author,1831.

biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11115963

I stumbled on this performance art piece in the front street gallery during the DUMBO arts festival 2014. from the artist's page ..."For the Dumbo Arts Festival, Kunsthalle Projects’s hosted Astarte Agrofemme's intense performance piece, HELLCATS. Here’s how the artist describes the performance: “Hellcats, a durational performance exploring female competition and indirect aggression is ritualized through displays of overt aggressive behaviors. In a 120 minute performance, A.Agrofemme, with Olivia Coffey, will enact and embody ritualized catfighting. The audience is invited to spend as much or as little time in the room with the consciousness that the performance will continue with or without their presence." Brooklyn.NYC

HERESY!

Classic Forge World Chaos Dreadnought.

My third Rhino. Based on the Deimos kit from Forge World and converted using green stuff and etched brass.

Hail Astaroth from Seed to Fruit, from out of cold dark earth into hot bright sky. From the seed that sets the root to the shoot that rises as the stem that unfurls into the leaf and then blossoms as the flower that issues forth pollen and with a bright petalled display brings near those that in return through enamoured embrace share pollen so that the new seed is created and through the cycle of fertility the original is regenerated afresh in conjunction with the fecund flow throughout world ever on, in, around and all about us. The Feast of Fruit is a Banquet of Blessing to celebration the connection between us and the natural forces that are forever fertile. With fresh offerings to spirits we commune with the natural cycle that turns with us as we experience and enjoy each day.

In her green guise illustrating her fertile form Astaroth can be linked to notions of goddesses such as Astarte, Ishtar, and Asherah. The green mantle and fertile aspects of Netzach from the Tree of Life may bring Demeter and Venus into the symbolism of Astaroth in her fecund character. Astaroth is not only seen in the flowering and blossoming of the natural world. She has other features that set her as a full year round facilitator of undertakings within our solar cycle. In her darker aspects Astaroth may be linked to the cythonic realms and the shadows she attracts could suggest a link to Binah from the Tree of Life. The darker Astaroth could be seen as a companion to Hekate, or Hecate and even Kali.

PHH Sykes copyright 2017

phhsykes@gmail.com

Baalbek, Lebanon.

As early as 9000 BC, Baalbek was a place for worship and became a cornerstone of ancient civilizations. Located in modern day Lebanon, the ruins stand tall as an archaeological wonder with towering monuments and impressive columns.

Up until 150 BC, the site was a temple dedicated to the Phoenician Astarte and Baal. It is not hard to imagine that the wreaths and sacrifices carried out for Astarte the goddess of fertility and war were then shifted to Venus during the Roman colonization. Subsequently, the temple was brought into the Christian era with Constantine the Great’s influence on the Roman Empire. That is up until 637 AD when Islamic rule led to the use of the site as a reinforced fortress and a Mosque was added.

Temple of Bacchus, Baalbek

The decline of these ruins began when the temple passed to the Ottoman Empire, it was abandoned and left in ruins. In addition, earthquakes, storms and natural forces continued to tear the site apart until 1898. That year marked a visit from the German Emperor Wilhelm II, who pioneered the attempt of restoring Baalbek and preserving it.

In terms of architecture the greatest temples at the site are the Temples of Jupiter, Bacchus and Venus. The sheer magnitude of these have created something of a puzzle for archaeologists as they continuously theorize as to how rocks of this grandeur could have been carved and assembled. For example, the temple of Jupiter is surrounded by 54 columns which stand at nearly 23 meters high and are considered some of the largest in the world. The temple of Bacchus stands out from the rest as it is so well preserved and is adorned with beautiful carvings that date back to the Roman Empire.

Baalbek, Ruins

Today, the ruins of Baalbek still stand as one of Lebanon’s most prized historical treasures. The place is always alive with music festivals and folklore-related activities. Tourists and locals alike flock for the chance of seeing the picturesque sunset behind those ancient columns. Walking through this sacred site, one can’t help but picture all the different peoples who have worshiped here at the alters of their Gods.

For video, please visit youtu.be/76bkHN7xfxQ

To the south of the Amun Temple, is a smaller enclosure where goddess Mut, god Khonsu and goddess Astarte (an Asiatic goddess) were worshipped. The temple was built by Siamun from the 21st dynasty and Apries from the 26th dynasty. And even later it was restored by Ptolemy IV .

There was found a sacred lake at this site in 2009. It is the second sacred lake found at Tanis.

During their precious down time, guests can relax and unwind next to Astarte Suites’s stunning turquoise infinity swimming pool, which overlooks the Aegean Sea’s tranquil blue waters and nearby rocky cliffs.

This is last member of the terminator squad. Soon shall have a shot up of the full squad all together so watch this space!

Porretta Terme

Cosplayer: Giada Pancaccini

Cosplay: Astarte – Angel Sanctuary

Photographers: Andrea Bonvissuto, Alessandro Zuffi

Make-up: Aluren

©2012 Andrea Bonvissuto

(Tutti i diritti sono riservati)

...or just Chaplain. Converted from Deathwatch Chaplain model.

My third Rhino. Based on the Deimos kit from Forge World and converted using green stuff and etched brass.

XIV Legiones Astartes, 4th Grand Company

During their precious down time, guests can relax and unwind next to Astarte Suites’s stunning turquoise infinity swimming pool, which overlooks the Aegean Sea’s tranquil blue waters and nearby rocky cliffs.

THIS IS NOT MY MODEL I DIDNT PAINT IT

Found this on the Internet, This is a top notch model of the Primarch from FW, there are many great paintjobs. photos, & various versions of him available on the internet (feel free to Google him or check him out in the black legion group) & this guy did a superb paintjob on him as well .. bonus.

The reason I have added him, basically, besides being totally cool, is that, as you can see he is his Luna Wolves colours which is a rare paintjob .... Enjoy

The complete writings of Thomas Say, on the conchology of the United States

New York :H. Baillière,1858.

biodiversitylibrary.org/page/52331291

Trincomali Channel, Gulf Islands, BC. Canada.

Bulk carrier

IMO: 9600645

MMSI: 538007493

Call Sign: V7QQ6

Flag: Marshall Is [MH]

AIS Vessel Type: Cargo

Gross Tonnage: 44252

Deadweight: 81640 t

Length Overall x Breadth Extreme: 229m × 32.26m

Year Built: 2013

youtu.be/z1ZLpQTS4Sw

© sergione infuso - all rights reserved

follow me on www.sergione.info

You may not modify, publish or use any files on

this page without written permission and consent.

-----------------------------

Radar Concerti presenta Charlotte Gainsbourg. La cantante e attrice franco-britannica arriva in Italia per un’unica data italiana, il 5 dicembre al Fabrique di Milano per presentare Rest, l’ultimo album uscito nel 2017 per Because Music e accompagnato dai singoli Deadly Valentine, I'm a Lie e dal nuovo Sylvia Says, uscito per Pitchfork.

Con oltre trent’anni di carriera, Charlotte Gainsbourg è considerata oggi una venere del cinema e della musica d'oltralpe; film come L'effrontée - Sarà perché ti amo?, e la lunga collaborazione con Lars Von Trier per Antichrist, Melancholia Nymphomaniac, si sono incastonati nel firmamento artistico internazionale, insieme ai vari riconoscimenti, che l'hanno resa una delle attrici francesi più richieste e amate. In ambito discografico ha dimostrato di avere un talento puro e universale fin dall'esordio del 1984 con il singolo Lemon Incest (Charlotte Forever, 1986), tanto che il suo ultimo disco, Rest, in cui Charlotte si racconta con un’elettronica di alto profilo e del tutto originale, vede la collaborazione di Paul McCartney, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (Daft Punk), SebastiAn, Connan Mockasin, Sylvia Plath.

A differenza dei precedenti - in cui Charlotte collabora con artisti del calibro di Air, Jarvis Cocker, Beck - in Rest i brani portano la sua firma fin dalla composizione: l’intimità dei testi, in un delicato equilibrio tra l’autobiografico e il confessionale, ne è la diretta conseguenza. Il risultato è una reinterpretazione soggettiva e ricercata del french touch, con il quale Charlotte sembra voler fare luce sui suoi ricordi e sulle sue sensazioni, anche quelle più dolorose. L’esaltazione della critica è stata universale: “Gainsbourg’s gripping new album finds her in the tangles of grief. It is at once scorchingly intimate and fantastically oversized” (Pitchfork)

Un talento che non prende in considerazione definizioni. Una creatività che non conosce compartimenti stagni. Ma, soprattutto, quello che non si potrebbe che descrivere se non come un carisma irresistibile. Qualunque cosa faccia.

Facile, si potrebbe dire, quando papà è Serge Gainsbourg e mamma è Jane Birkin. Eppure Charlotte Gainsbourg ci ha messo molto, anzi moltissimo di suo, per diventare l’artista rispettata, dall’indole cristallina ma sfaccettata, che è oggi. Oggi, e da trent’anni a questa parte, tanto è lunga la sua carriera.

Il 5 dicembre, al Fabrique di Milano, Charlotte Gainsbourg regalerà una serata unica, durante la quale il pubblico italiano potrà ammirare un personaggio unico, dal talento artistico istintivo e cristallino.

Here I'm showing the muscles... that I haven't! xD

What a difference with the so perfect Amanda Lau: (www.flickr.com/photos/22706885@N08/6244896565/in/photostr... ; www.flickr.com/photos/22706885@N08/6244896577/in/photostr...)

I practiced many sports in the University, especially judo and dancing, but I have never been muscular.

I'm even kind of skinny, now! I've lost a lot of weight since last summer. Right now I'm at 63 kg (140 lbs) for 169 cm (5'7"). Indeed, I used to drink a lot of soda (Pepsi, Coca Cola) and eat too much sugar (particularly Nutella) for years. But one day my doctor told me that he just went to have diabetes and I got scared. I didn't think twice and I stopped to drink and eat all these stuffs. That's why I've lost weight.

Sorry if I didn't shave my armpit, but I just hate to do it. I know, it's ugly, but I totally accept my ugliness. Well, at least you can imagine what my natural hair colour can look like, in the case you didn't notice that I dye my hair since years :)

* * *

POEMA PARA MARISOL (2008)

Grâce à l'un de mes blogs internationaux je viens d'avoir l'occasion de composer mon tout premier poème (en prose) en espagnol ! :D J'en avais déjà composé un en anglais, un texte que vous pouvez d'ailleurs lire sur mon Skyrock en tournant quelques pages...

Je vous fais part ici de la dernière version de ma prose poétique, intitulée "Poema para Marisol". Les auteurs et les œuvres dont je me suis inspiré sont les suivants :

- Mesomède de Crète, Hymne au Soleil.

- Claudien, Épigrammes.

- Georges Bizet, Carmen.

- Euripide, Hippolyte.

- Tibulle, Élégies.

- Louis Campos (moi-même ^^), Poèmes pour Elsa.

- Maxime de Madaure, Lettre à Augustin d'Hippone.

- Firmicus Maternus, Mathèsis.

- Paul Verlaine, Parallèlement.

- Ausone, Les Amours de Mars et de Vénus.

- Une chanson populaire andalouse.

- Djalâl Ud-Dîn Rûmî, Dîvân-E Shamz-E Tabrîzî.

- Proclus, Hymnes.

***

POEMA PARA MARISOL

Que los cielos se callen, y con ellos la tierra, los mares y los vientos.

¡Montañas, valles, ecos y cantos de ruiseñores, también hagan silencio!

Que el Sol, tal como Marisol, con su largo y bello cabello, hacia nosotros se va avanzar...

El Padre de la Aurora, con sus párpados de nieve y con su larga cabellera de oro, conduce su carro de rosas a través los caminos sin fin del celeste firmamento.

La huella alada de sus asturcones, entrelazando sus rayos rizados, rodean la Tierra entera de su resplandeciente luz. Sus ríos de fuego inmortal dan vida al día sonriente.

Para Él baila en el Olimpo de Grecia el coro imperturbable de las Estrellas, acompañando su libre melodía con la lira de Apolo. Y delante, la blanca Luna conduce el tiempo de las estaciones, ritmadas por el movimiento cadencioso de los blancos terneros.

Su espíritu condescendiente se alegra de rodear al mundo y sus miles vestiduras.

*

¡Pero Tú también, O Sol! ¡Tú quien lanzas saetas rápidas de luz, has sido igualmente tocado por las flechas ligeras del Amor! ¡Afrodita es de todas las Diosas la más potente, y su Hijo de los humanos nunca ha seguido la Ley!

De Grecia los Dioses conocen el Orden: ninguno de Ellos se opone a los deseos y a las voluntades de Otro, pero Todos se ceden mutualmente.

¡O Sol! Tres personas aman a Marisol. Entre ellas la chava solo ama a la primera, juega con la segunda, e ignora a la tercera.

Como el Sol y la Luna Marisol sólo ama a la Luna, diciéndole: "¡Te saludo, O Artemisa, la más bella de las vírgenes que habitan el Olimpo! O Tú, mi Soberana, te ofrezco esta corona de amor, tejida por mis manos en una tierna pradera, la cual nunca el pie de la manada ni el cortante del hierro se han atrevido a violar, y donde sólo la abeja revolotea en la primavera. ¡Pues qué me importa la Ley de Afrodita si otros, hombres como mujeres, se enamoran de mí!"

¡Lo que aun no sabe la jovencita es que ignorar los órdenes de un Dios o de una Diosa, y sobre todo los de Afrodita, es cometer el crimen de híbris! ¡Y por culpa de su inestabilidad, Marisol lo podría todo perder!

¡O Sol! ¡O Febo! ¡O Apolo! Quien ama de amor verdadero es un ser sagrado quien puede ir por todas partes sin temerle a nadie. ¡Pero quien se burla de la Diosa y de su Hijo por su inconstancia puede temerle al mundo entero!

*

¡O Sol! ¡O Febo! ¡O Mithra! ¡Yo soy un hombre quien ama a Marisol! ¡Yo soy el hombre quien ella ignora, tanto por su inconstancia que por su desobediencia a la Divinidad! ¡Y por lo tanto, ¡O Afrodita! ¡O Venus! ¡O Astarté! la amo de todo mi corazón!

Me gustaría tanto, en mi lecho, abrazarla y acariciar sus dulces cabellos rubios cayendo sobre sus lindos ojos verdes. Me gustaría descubrir su olor, sentirla sudar, y verla cerrar sus lindos ojos para mejor abandonarse. Me gustaría tanto que me hable de amor, de fantasías y de sexualidad, y esto durante la noche entera.

Yo, durante ese tiempo, estaría desnudo, apretado contra su cuerpo desnudo, y estaría pendiente de sus labios. Luego ella también empezaría a acariciarme, a sonreírme, a tranquilizarme. Se acercaría aun más de mí, y, en silencio esta vez, empezaríamos a hacer el amor. Primero de manera muy dulce, después de manera más intensa. Nos acariciaríamos mutualmente la mínima parte de nuestros cuerpos. Primero con amor y delicadeza, y pronto después con frenesí. Pues, en un impulso de transporte, nos olvidaríamos, locos como dos niños, puros como dos ángeles, en todos modos completamente inconscientes. Alcanzaríamos bajo gritos de éxtasis el Orgasmo divino, el Nirvana, la Pureza absoluta quien lava todos los pecados del mundo. Luego seguiríamos acariciándonos, sonrientes y aliviados, amantes y amados, brillantes como la claridad del Sol, íntegros como la noche estrellada; la chica sería el Tauróctono Salvador y yo la Crátera Sagrada.

Felices como dos seres que nada molesta, nos dormiríamos juntos, al amanecer, muy lejos de las carreteras del mundo, como si la ciudad nunca hubiera existido: sólo habría nosotros dos en el universo entero.

*

¡O Dios! Sólo hay un Supremo Dios, sin comienzo y sin descendencia, y es de Él que remanecen todas las energías esparcidas en el mundo. Y gracias al intermedio de los Dioses Subalternos, el Padre común de los Inmortales y de los mortales está honrado de mil maneras por los humanos, porque nunca conoceremos el Nombre Verdadero del Inefable.

¡O Dios! ¡Solo gobernador de todo lo que existe! ¡Único Maestro y Señor, ante quien se somete la soberanía de las Potencias Divinas! ¡Tú, Padre y Madre a la vez de todas las cosas; Tú quien, por una sola y misma alianza, eres para Tí a la vez Padre e Hijo; tendemos hacia Tí nuestras manos suplicantes y Te adoramos por el homenaje temeroso de nuestros ruegos solemnes!

¡Pues los designios de Afrodita y de su Hijo son imprevisibles! ¡Cuando Eros lanza una de sus flechas, nunca es por azar y nadie puede contra ellas! En el Olimpo de Grecia alguien se ha enamorado de Marisol. En el Olimpo de Grecia dos chavas comparten la misma habitación. Cada una, para ponerse a gusto, se ha quitado su fina camisa perfumada de ámbar. La más joven extiende sus brazos y hecha su busto hacia atrás. Y su amiga, acariciándole los pechos con sus manos, la besa. ¡Luego se pone de rodillas y se vuelve salvaje! Pues pega su cara contra el vientre de su amiga y baña su boca en el oro rubio de las sombras grises. Y la niña, al mismo tiempo, dentro de su amante deja bailar sus lindos deditos en valsas prometedoras. Y, con su tez rosada, sonríe con inocencia...

Y ya Febo, con sus rayos, ha abrazado la mitad de la tierra, descubriendo nuestras faltas. ¡Ya la luz celosa, por desgracia, descubre a las amantes! ¿Porqué, O Sol, traicionar por tu claridad los amores prohibidos? Paralizadas delante de tal juez, las dos jovencitas tiemblan a la vista de tus rayos que ya llegan a la altura de las casas. ¡Ya no pueden negar el crimen del cual eres testigo! Febo, que conducía sus asturcones, percibe a la adolescente acostada sobre el pecho de su amiga menor. ¡O seguridad engañadora del Olimpo de Grecia! Pero Febo el omnisciente, con toda su bondad divina, sujeta sus caballos y, dirigiendo todos sus rayos hacia las dos chavas, pronuncia estas palabras: "¡Sé que la mayor ama a Marisol! ¡Ahora, Eros, lanza tus flechas directamente al corazón de la Sol! ¡Y si ésta no obedece, nunca se consolará!"

A estas palabras del Sol, la adolescente con Marisol empieza a esperar. Olvidándose de su amiga, comienza a gemir: "¿Qué debo hacer, O creyentes? ¡No me conozco yo misma! No soy ni del Oriente ni del Occidente, ni del mar ni de la tierra, ni de los cielos en rotación ni de las minas de la naturaleza, ni de Adán ni de Eva, ni del paraíso ni del infierno... Mi lugar es de no tener lugar, mi seña es de no tener seña. Toda mi alma y todo mi cuerpo pertenecen a Marisol... ¡Marisol! Te busco y te conozco. ¡Marisol! Te percibo y te llamo. ¡Marisol! Eres mi principio y mi fin. ¡Marisol! Eres la evidente y la invisible. El vino del amor me emborracha y olvido este mundo y el otro. El éxtasis, el placer, es todo lo que busco. ¡Marisol! Si pude pasarme de ti durante mi existencia, aunque sea sólo un instante, me arrepiento de haber vivido desde aquel día, desde aquella hora. ¡Y si un día tengo la ocasión de estarme un momento a tu lado, tendría los mundos debajo de mis pies; y como una loca, bailaría!"

¡Pero la chava sabe también que Marisol es inestable! Y ahora empieza a quejarse: "¡O Marisol! ¡Sé que contra Afrodita prefieres a la virgen Artemisa! ¡Pero el Orden no soporta que un mortal prefiera a una Divinidad, ignorando a Otra! ¿Es que escucharás tu corazón, tocado por las saetas de Eros, o es que te librarás al híbris castigado? ¡O Febo! ¡O Apolo! ¡O Sol! ¡Escúchame, Rey del fuego intelectivo, Titán dispensador de la Luz! ¡Tú quien as llenado los seres de tu providencia que despabila el Intelecto! Tú, el más brillante de los Dioses, hijo de un genitor inefable, imagen del Dios generador de todas las cosas, Tú quien elevas las almas, recibe la suplicación que inunda el mar de mis lágrimas: ¡Haz comprender a Marisol que si se muestra ingrata contra Afrodita podría perderme del todo y que de esto nunca se consolará!"

*

¡O Sol! Tres personas aman a Marisol. Entre ellas la chava solo ama a la primera, juega con la segunda, e ignora a la tercera.

Como el Sol y la Luna Marisol sólo ama a la Luna, diciéndole: "¡Te saludo, O Artemisa, la más bella de las vírgenes que habitan el Olimpo! O Tú, mi Soberana, te ofrezco esta corona de amor, tejida por mis manos en una tierna pradera, la cual nunca el pie de la manada ni el cortante del hierro se han atrevido a violar, y donde sólo la abeja revolotea en la primavera. ¡Pues qué me importa la Ley de Afrodita si otros, hombres como mujeres, se enamoran de mí!"

A ese momento Marisol recibe las flechas del Hijo de Afrodita. ¡Ya siente por nuestra chava un amor reluciente, sin equivalente en toda la humanidad! ¡Pero lo que aun no sabe la jovencita es que ignorar los órdenes de un Dios o de una Diosa, y sobre todo los de Afrodita, es cometer el crimen de híbris! ¡Y por culpa de su inestabilidad, Marisol lo podría todo perder! ¿Será ya demasiado tarde?

Así se expresa la niña: "Corre el rumor que la chava cuya estoy enamorada me engaña con otras: preferiría estar sorda. Este rumor me causa mucha tristeza. ¿Porqué atormentar a una infeliz como yo, rumor cruel? ¡Cállate!"

© 2008 & 2011 by Louis Campos.

Plateau Army on Parade 2016, travail en cours

A first true diorama project of mine. I chose the only model I really like from the whole new Death Guard range to practice my painting skills and see how much better I can do to my usual standard of 40k miniatures. As I don't plan to use it on the tabletop, I decided to also build a nice, small diorama for it to further the "professional" feel.

The Sargent Gallery, a long high gallery located on the third floor of the Boston Public Library McKim Building, is named for the American painter John Singer Sargent, who spent years decorating its walls with the mural sequence, Triumph of Religion. The hall is 84-feet long, 23-feet wide, and 26-feet high, with vaulted ceiling, lighted from above. The mural was originally commissioned in 1890, and represents thirty years of labor completed in four installments--the paintings at the north end of the hall were completed in 1895, the south end wall in 1903, the niches and vaulting at the south end and the lunettes along the side wall in 1916, and the two panels over the staircase in 1919.

On the north wall, above the doorway to the Charlotte Cushman Room is the Frieze of the Prophets. The central figure is Moses holding the tablets brought down from Sinai. The 83-inch wide mural spans onto the west and east wall. On the west wall are Zephaniah, Joel, Obadiah, and Hosea. The north wall features, to the left of Moses, Amos Nahum, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Elijah; and to the right, Joshua, Jeremiah, Jonah, Isaih, and Habakkuk. On the east wall are Micah, Haggai, Malacchi, and Zechariah.

Above the frieze is the lunette, The Israelites Oppressed, or the Children of Israel. The pagan series is done in a blend of Egyptian and Assyrian styles combined with gilded Byzantine casts applied in relief to the surface. The representation of Israel is depicted beneath the yoke of its oppressors, represented by the Pharaoh and the Assyrian monarch. Above it, in the vaulting, on the left side is Pagan Gods, with Moloch, the god of material things on the left and Astarte, the goddess of sensuality, and the head of Neith on the right.

The Boston Public Library McKim Building, located on Boylston Street between Dartmouth and Exeter Streets, was built in 1895 by Charles Follen McKim of McKim, Mead & White. Consisting of a three-story, monumental free-standing block in the style of an Italian Renaissance palace surrounding an open courtyard, McKim's design was one of the earliest successful examples of Renaissance Beaux-Arts Classicism in America, and set the precedent for grand scale urban libraries. In 1972, the Philip Johnson-designed late modernist wing was added to the Central Library location. The Boston Public Library system, established in 1848, was the country's first publicly supported municipal library, its first large library open to the public and its first to allow citizens to borrow books. There are currently twenty-six branches in the system.

In 2007, Boston Public Library was ranked #90 on the AIA 150 America's Favorite Architecture list.

Boston Public Library National Register #73000317 (1973)