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Ancient Side.....The ruins of ancient Side are among of the most spectacular that remain in the modern world and showcase hundreds of years of Greek life in the Roman Empire. Its coastal location made Side a desirable trading port and, despite the prominence of piracy, Greek settlers flocked to the city around the sixth century BC. Unusually, this resulted in the preservation, rather than destruction, of the native culture and Side became a cultural melting pot - indeed, many original inscriptions found at the site today are written in the indecipherable native language. Hellenic influence in Side grew, however, and it was under Roman rule that the city really flourished - even gaining repute as the best slave market of the period. Many of the Roman ruins still remain, and the city has become a popular destination for eager explorers interested in discovering the rich history of the ancient Mediterranean. Today, this ancient metropolis showcases the skill with which the Romans were able to seamlessly combine elements of Greek culture, which they so admired, with their own recognisable Roman stamp of identity. Certainly, when Titus Flamininus declared the ‘freedom of the Greeks’ in 196BC he would not have imagined that the two cultures would have merged so comprehensibly centuries later. Reflecting this combined cultural legacy, and ranking among the most prominent sites at Side is the 2nd century AD ancient theatre. A unique example of fusion design, it was born out of this combination of Hellenic plans and Roman construction. Moreover, the theatre’s decoration dates to the period of the Antonine Emperors and the exterior columns tell the story of Dionysus (or Bacchus in Roman), the Greek God of wine and patron of the theatre. Among Side’s other fascinating remains are the temples to Apollo and Athena, which are picturesquely perched at the very tip of Side’s harbour. The sight of these ancient columns set against the picture-perfect Mediterranean sea makes for an ideal sightseeing spot. If that isn’t enough, the archaeological site at Side also features the remnants of the colonnaded main street, Roman baths, a nymphaeum and a Hellenic gate that decorates the exterior walls. The nearby museum is an ancient site in itself, being housed within a baths complex dating back to the second century AD, and contains many of the finds discovered during excavations of the ruins in the mid-twentieth century.
Ancient Termessos....is one of the most interesting ancient sites in Antalya. It's located inside the National Park to the north-west of the province, approximately 34 km (21 miles) from the city center. It's a spectacular Psidian city built on the Taurus Mountains at approximately 1050 meters (3445 feet) above the sea level. Today, the site is mentioned in Unesco's Tentative List for World Heritage. The ancient city of Termessos was found by the Solyms who lived in the Psidia region, who have been cited in the Iliad by Homer in connection with the legend of Bellerophon. We don't know much about the Solyms but probabily they were of Anatolian origin, unlike other settlers in the region who usually came from the sea. The city is one of the few places which Alexander the Great couldn't capture it despite his siege in 333 B.C. because it was an eagle's nest built in a valley hidden between the mountains. Even today, in order to visit the city you should have a good physical condition to walk uphill, but when you reach the site the views are breathtaking. During the 2nd century B.C. the Termessians fought against neighbouring Lycian cities and then against Isinda who were their other neighbour in Psidia region. They also fought against Serge, another ancient city near Attaleia (modern day Antalya). Termessos had good relations with Attalos II, king of Pergamon. During the Roman empire, Termessos became a Roman ally so they received their independent status from the Senate in 71 B.C. The inhabitants abandoned the city in the 5th century A.D. after a gradual decline and earthquakes which destroyed its aqueduct and thus their water supply. Termessos is one of the best preserved ancient cities of Turkey. The most significant remains of the site are the fortified city walls, towers, king's road, Hadrian's gate, agora, stoas, gymnasium, heroon, odeon, theatre, tombs, temples, houses, shops, cisterns and drainage system. All of this is located in a dense vegetation, surrounded by typical Mediterranean flora. Amongst the sarcophagi, there are the ones of Alcates, the rival of Antigonos who was one of Alexander's generals, and of Agatemeros. The views from the theater are magnificent, which had a capacity of five thousand spectators. So far, there isn't any scientific excavations held in the city.
Old temple ruins in Ayutthaya, Thailand.
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The Archaeology Department [of the National History Museum of Latvia] holds some 400 000 collection items, which comprises approximately 90 percent of materials obtained from Latvian archaeological monuments.
These ancient artefacts are dated from 9000 BC until the 18th century, amongst which many are unique collections, which no scholar of European and Baltic history can do without.
The most significant of the stone age collections are the collection of bone and antler tools from the Lubana Lake Settlement—a fisherman’s grave site of European significance; and collections from the Lubana Lake valley and Sārnate settlements. The iron age is represented by the widely researched Daugmale, Talsi, Mežotne, Tērvete, Asote un Ķente castle hills, as well as collections from the Salaspils Laukskola, Lejasbitēni, Grobiņas and Boķi grave sites.
Especially notable is the collection of preserved wooden artefacts from the Āraiši Lake Fortress. The most significant of the medieval collections come from stone walled castles at Cēsis, Koknese and Ikšķile, and from cemetaries in Mārtiņsala and Dobele.
Unique also is the largest archaeological textile collection in Europe. The Archaeology Department also holds documentation of archaeological excavations.
The National History Museum of Latvia is the only museum in Latvia to hold in its collection surveys and other materials related to archaeological excavations pre-1940.
This ceramic statue of a man from the Veracruz area of Mexico shows him wearing an incredibly ornate costume. Was he a ruler? A warrior? A priest? Quien sabe? Tamayo Museum Oaxaca Mexico
Excavations made from 1922 by Swedish archaeologists found the acropolis of ancient Asine surrounded by a Cyclopean wall and a Mycenaean era necropolis with many Mycenaean chamber tombs containing skeletal remains and grave goods.
Merv (Turkmen: Merw, from Persian: مرو, Marv, sometimes transliterated Marw or Mary; cf. Chinese: 木鹿, Mulu), formerly Achaemenid Satrapy of Margiana, and later Alexandria and Antiochia in Margiana (Greek: Αντιόχεια της Μαργιανήs), was a major oasis-city in Central Asia, on the historical Silk Road, located near today's Mary in Turkmenistan. Several cities have existed on this site, which is significant for the interchange of culture and politics at a site of major strategic value. It is claimed that Merv was briefly the largest city in the world in the 12th century. The site of ancient Merv has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Detail from one of the Royal Bows.
The preferred weapon of the Egyptian king was the bow, which was used for both war and hunting. Egyptian bows before the New Kingdom were all of the simple type, known as the self bow, consisting of a single shaft of wood with a central handgrip. The Hyksos brought with them the composite bow, built of laminated layers of various woods. This type of bow allowed for greater range and power, making it more effective weapon.
All of the bows displayed here are from the tomb of Tutankhamun. The shaft of most arrows were made of reeds, although they could also be made of wood. Arrowheads could be made of flint, metal, ivory or wood. Blunt ends were used for training.
18th dynasty, from the tomb of Tutankhamun - KV62
(inv. to arrows J.11-J.15A and B)
Luxor Museum
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Persepolis is in Iran near the city of Shiraz and is around 2500 years old. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Ancient Messini is one of the most significant ancient cities in terms of its size, structure and state of preservation and still has much to be discovered. Along with the sanctuaries and public buildings it has imposing fortifications, dwellings and burial sites. It has, amongst other things the rare advantage of never having been destroyed or covered by later settlements and sits in an unspoiled inland site in a natural Mediterranean environment. This natural environment combines the mountain grandeur of Delphi and the low riverside serenity of Olympia, the dominating bare limestone mass of Mount Ithome, the ancient acropolis and the low fertile plain spread below the ancient city.
Town Hall Square (Vienna)
The inner part of the town square
Street sign town square
The Town Hall Square is located in the first District of Vienna, Inner City. It is named after the erected here (new) Vienna City Hall. Due to its size, design and architecture of the buildings bordering the square it is considered one of the most important places in the center of Vienna.
History
Vienna City Hall , View from 1891
In the area of today's town square was once the Josefstädterstraße Glacis, held as a free field of fire meadows before the walls of Vienna, and later the parade and parade ground of the Imperial Army. During the construction of the Ringstrasse from 1858 this military site remained untouched for some time until the army after long efforts of Mayor Cajetan Felder had abstained and the expansion of the city funds could develop a Baulinienplan (building line plan) for the area. During this time, other locations were considered for the Hall.
Now the Town Hall Square, the largest square in the recessed ring road zone was provided. The northern and southern part of the square shaped city gardener Rudolf Siebeck 1872/1873 as City Hall Park, the central square of the axis Town Hall-Burgtheater, was kept free. 1873, the foundation was laid for the construction of the New Town Hall. 1874, work began on the Town Hall at the former Franzensring opposite the Burgtheater and the south of the square adjacent parliament building (north side front: Town Square 6). From 1877 to the new main building of the University of Vienna (southern side front: Town Square 5 ) built. Are installed on the three sides of the square five blocks with nine home numbers (No. 1 to No. 9), the fourth side is bordered by the ring.
In course of time the name of the place changed four times. In 1870 he was created as Town Hall Square, renamed in 1907 after the incumbent Christian Social mayor in Dr.-Karl -Lueger -Platz. The dominant Red Vienna since 1919, this appeared to be inappropriate, as Lueger in Vienna had prevented the universal and equal male suffrage, in 1907 introduced at state level. Therefore, the of a private committee donated Luegerdenkmal under the rule of mayor Karl Seitz was not, as intended by the Committee, in the town square erected but built in 1926 on a previously unnamed square corner Wollzeile/Stubenring and this place in the same year Dr.-Karl-Lueger-Platz named. The town square was returned to its original name . In 1938, the place was again renewed to Adolf Hitler Platz, what was reversed in 1945.
Christmas Market at City Hall
The large space between City Hall and the Burgtheater was used by all the rulers for political rallies. Since 1921, with its current form dates back to 1929 and was interrupted from 1933 to 1945, it is the traditional final rally of the Vienna SPÖ Maiaufmarsches (May-Procession) on 1 In May at the Town Hall Square. In addition, the space is exploited for most of the year for cultural and social events. The most important of them since 1975, the Christmas market in November and December, the Vienna Ice Dream in January and February, the opening of the Vienna Festival in May and open-air cinema screenings with classical music in July and August. The Life Ball at Vienna City Hall refers also to the town square. Traditionally, a since 1959 every year from one of the states erected large Christmas tree as a gift to the federal capital.
Location and characteristics
The Town Hall Square is located between the extended Grillparzerstraße to the north, the University Ring to the east, the extended Stadiongasse in the south and the extended Reichsratsstrasse in the West. Except the ring on which there are no buildings on this street, bear the buildings that are on the place in the wake of these streets, house numbers of the town square. Stadiongasse and Grillparzerstraße end before the court, the Reichsratsstrasse is interrupted by the court.
About two- thirds of the space area of 40,000 m² are taken from the City Hall park, which is divided by a blocked to traffic, very wide access road between the Burgtheater and the Rathaus, which offers space for events, into a northern and southern half. The town square is lined by some of the most important monumental Ringstrassen-Zone in historicist style. In the square itself is a large number of monuments and statues. Thus, the town square is one of the most representative places in Vienna.
The tram lines 1 and D operate on the ring road and have at the City Hall Square opposite the Burg Theatre and at the corner of Parliament stops. Coming from the south and from the ring turning, operates tram line 2 on the southern edge of the town square to Stadiongasse. The individual passes through traffic heading north on the eastern edge of the square on the ring road in the opposite direction behind the Town Hall on the two-line (Zweierlinie). Cycling trails pass off on the ring road and at the Grillparzerstraße and Stadiongasse. Behind the town hall runs the subway line U2 to the City Hall with the subway station as shuttle to City Hall and City Hall Square.
Building
City hall
The central building in the middle of the west side of the town square is the City Hall, built in 1873-1883 by Friedrich von Schmidt, New Town Hall, Town Hall called only since about 1970. The powerful, dominating the square building was designed by the Dutch Gothic models. It should express the political power of the strengthened bourgeosie against the monarch and the aristocracy.
The City Council has at the Town Hall no main entrance or direct access to the arcade court, they are located on the side fronts of Felderstraße and Lichtenfelsgasse, another entrance is at the rear front at the Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz. The town hall itself is essentially the so-called People's Hall on the ground floor of the town hall via a staircase outdoors is accessible (inputs centered under the town hall tower and left and right). The People's Hall is occasionally used for exhibitions. The outlet is located at the corner of Felderstraße to City Hall basement.
Arcade, Town Hall Square 2-4
Foyer with ceiling painting Apotheosis of Vindobona, Town Hall Square 4
No. 2, 3 and 4: Arcade Shops
The block north of City Hall was built in 1880-1883 by Franz von Neumann. Plan requirement was to equip the buildings (such as on the west side of the Imperial Parliament Street, in the course of which they are) at the town square with arcades. Held in the old German style, houses have remarkable corner projections made with domes. At the central projection there are respectively balconies on herma. The attic floor is decorated with stucco relief female figures. The rib-vaulted arcades are painted with grotesques by Franz and Carl Jobst and equipped with cast iron lanterns. Particularly important are the foyers on No. 4 (and at the back of the block on the Ebendorferstraße 4). Frieze reliefs show the allegories of commerce, the arts and commerce. A large ceiling painting depicts the apotheosis of Vindobona. Lanterns and railings are made of wrought iron.
No. 5: University of Vienna, Main Building
Town Hall Square and front side of the university 's main building in 1900
The Town Hall Square side facing the front of the main university building today (2007 )
On the north side of the town square is the front side of the main building of the University of Vienna. The main work of the late phase of the strict historicism was built in 1873-1884 by Heinrich von Ferstel. The 29-axle side facade is broken repeatedly by risalits as well as by half and full columns. Statues of Anton Schmidgruber and Franz Koch standing in relation to the philosophical faculty. The building has no open entrance here .
No. 6: Parliament
On the south side of the town square is the side front of the parliament building, which was built as Reichsratsgebäude for Cisleithania. It is the most important work of the architect Theophil von Hansen, the latter founded 1871-1883 by ancient Greek models. At the Town Hall Square, the Parliament has a covered side entrance, originally a carriage way.
No. 7, 8 and 9 houses with arcades
Dome on the corner risalt, Town Hall Square 7
South of the Town Hall is located one block of houses with arcades, built 1877/1878 of City Hall architect Friedrich von Schmidt and Franz Neumann in old German forms. These were the first houses with arcades of City Hall district. Dominant are domes on corner risalit and central dome, bay windows, balconies, putti frieze and statues of Venus and Mars on the facade. In the rib-vaulted arcades are embedded gates with half column portals and acroterion figures. The lobbies are decorated with stucco ceilings, among other rich and grotesque painting. At No. 8 is located under the arcades the in City Hall circles famous café and pastry shop Sluka.
City Hall Park
At the request of Mayor Felder the City Hall Park was created as a complementary recreation area in the Ring Road zone. It is a strictly historicist Park, which was created as the city park of city gardener Rudolf Siebeck. The green area is north and south of a link road from the Burgtheater on the Ring to the City Hall laid out, which extends space-like in front of City Hall. In each of the two parts is a Rondeau Park with fountains, which are intended to highlight the two Viennese spring water lines and were financed by the builder Antonio Gabrielli.
Orientation plan
Under the old trees of the park there are five trees that are designated as natural monuments in Vienna. A lime in the southern part of the park was planted on the occasion of the 50th anniversary jubilee of Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1898, an oak tree, also in the southern part of the park in 1906 for the then incumbent mayor Karl Lueger. Winding paths lead through the two parts of the park. The garden fence is original historicist. In the northern part of the park is a large children's play area. A 1890 in the southern part of the park built weather house, destroyed during the Second World War, was renewed in 1955 with mosaics of Mary Biljan-Bilger. The modern toilet facilities were designed by Luigi Blau.
Monuments
Waldmüllerdenkmal (Monument) by Josef Engelhart, 1913
The Town Hall Square is home of a number of monuments, they are described here from the ring road starting.
(Locked) Access from the Burgtheater to City Hall
At the beginning of this approach is, turning off the ring road, left the monument to Theodor Körner, mayor, then President of the Second Republic, by Hilde Uray, bronze statue, 1963,
right of the monument to Karl Seitz, first head of state of the First Republic, then mayor in Red Vienna, by Gottfried Buchberger, bronze statue, 1962.
Directly between the two parts of the park in 1902 eight stone monuments of significant figures in the history of Vienna were placed four at each park side facing each other. They had been established in 1867 on the balustrades of the former Elizabeth Bridge over the river (Wienfluss) on Karlsplatz. When in 1897 the bridge was demolished in this area because of the light rail construction and the resulting vaulting of the Wienfluss, the eight monuments first have been put along the then still in the incision extending new light rail line on the Karlsplatz, where they but heavily by the soot of steam locomotives polluted monuments were popularly called eight chimney sweepers. Therefore, they were transferred to the town square later:
left ( south side):
Margrave Henry II Jasomirgott from the House of Babenberg, by Franz Melnitzky
Duke Rudolf the founder of the House of Habsburg, of Josef Gasser
Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg, defender of Vienna (second Turkish siege), by Johann Baptist Fessler
Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, Baroque architect, Josef Cesar
right (north side):
Duke Leopold the Glorious from the House of Babenberg, by Johann Preleuthner
Niklas Graf Salm, defender of Vienna (first siege of Vienna), by Matthias Purkartshofer
Archbishop Charles Leopold of Kollonitsch, spiritual leader of Vienna (second Turkish siege), Vincenz Pilz
Joseph of Sonnenfels, judicial and administrative reformer of Maria Theresa, by Hanns Gasser (replaced in the Nazi era in 1939 by a statue of the composer Christoph Willibald Gluck, re-erected after 1945)
Next to the town hall (tower), outside of the southern part of the park: replica of the Vienna City Hall man at the top of City Hall tower in scale 1: 1, by Fritz Tiefenthaler, 1985
Southern part of the city hall park (towards Parliament)
At the corner of Park Ring/Parliament, addressed to the ring: Karl Renner, the first Chancellor of the First and first president of the Second Republic, portrait head of Alfred Hrdlicka on monument structure of Josef Krawina, 1965-1967
Josef Popper-Lynkeus, social ethicist, stone bust of Hugo Taglang, 1926. As artists and represented were Jews , the bust was removed in the Nazi regime in 1938, restored in 1951 according to the plaster model.
Johann Strauss (father ) and Joseph Lanner, statues of Franz Seifert, 1905, Art Nouveau, the bronze sculptures stand in front of a curved wall with marble reliefs of ball scenes and a poem by Edward von Bauernfeld. This concept and the architecture created Robert Oerley .
Northern part of the city hall park (towards the University)
Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, marble monument of Josef Engelhart, 1913 , Art Nouveau
Ernst Mach, physicist, of Heinz Peteri, 1926
Adolf Schärf, vice chancellor, then president of the Second Republic, bronze bust of Alfred Hrdlicka, 1985
The most recent monument in the park, built in 1993, commemorates the wartime destruction of Vienna in 1945 and was by Hubert Wilfan under the title Yesterday - Today created from stone.
NORMAN, Civil War. Empress Matilda. 1139-1148. AR Penny (21mm, 1.18 g, 5h). Oxeneford (Oxford) mint; Sweting(?), moneyer. Crowned bust right, holding lis-tipped scepter / [...]NG : ON : OXЄ[...], cross moline, with inward-facing fleur in each angle. Mack 234c = SCBI 9 (Ashmolean), 290 (same obv. die); North 936; SCBC 1326. Near VF, toned, small edge chip, wavy flan. Extremely rare.
From the D. Meisner Collection. Ex Dix, Noonan, Webb 85 (17 March 2010), lot 240.
TRTIONXX, 1561
Ancient Olympia | Greece | 18 October 2021
Beijing 2022 - Lighting Ceremony of the Olympic Flame held in Ancient Olympia
Copyright: IOC/Greg Martin
Ancient Kremna......Thirteen km southeast of Bucak, the remote mountainside site of Kremna was originally settled by the warlike Psidians who also settled nearby Sagalassos and Termessos. Inevitably, though, what you see at the site today dates from after it was absorbed into the Roman Empire in 25BC on the death of the Galatian ruler Amyntas who had made it part of his kingdom. Kremna apparently means "cliff" in Ancient Greek and as soon as you reach the site you will understand why. At the end of a partially tarmacked track you find yourself facing ruins that back straight onto a plug of rock rising straight up from a meadow. It's a glorious location, utterly wild and remote, and from it the Psidians would have had the most fantastic view of anybody. It's easy to think this is a timeless view but in fact the lake you will see from the summit was formed recently by the Karacaören Barajı (Dam). The surviving ruins are actually quite slight. The most obvious surviving structure is an enclosed square with huge niches at the back and a series of plinths with Greek inscriptions that presumably once supported statues. This is believed to have been a library. Other than that there are the standing remains of a monumental gateway and some tiered steps that may once have been a bouleterion (council house). What was presumably the agora is now a mass of fallen grey masonry, much of it carved.
Egyptian Gallery, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Complete indexed photo collection at WorldHistoryPics.com.
near the northern entrance to G. Ross Lord Park in Toronto this amazing tree stands beside the pathway and a bench. It seems ancient, although it's also possible it isn't that old and has a condition that causes all the knots etc. In any case it never ceases to amaze me visually. I must have 100 pictures of it and everytime I pass by I see it differently.
© All rights reserved MagicalLights P Photography. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission.
This is the most magnificent structure in Ephesus ancient city. The Great Theatre is located on the slope of Panayir Hill, opposite the Harbor Street, and easily seen when entering from the south entrance to Ephesus. It was first constructed in the Hellenistic Period, in the third century BC during the reign of Lysimachos, but then during the Roman Period, it was enlarged and formed its current style that is seen today.
It is the largest in Anatolia and has the capacity of 25,000 seats. The cavea has sixty six rows of seats, divided by two diazoma (walkway between seats) into three horizontal sections. There are three sections of seats. In the lower section, Marble pieces, used for restoration, and the Emperor's Box were found. The seats with backs ,made of marble, were reserved for important people. The audience entered from the upper cavea.
The stage building is three-storied and 18 meters high. The facade facing the audience was ornamented with relieves, columns with niches, windows and statues. There are five doors opening to the orchestra area, the middle one of which is wider than the rest. This enhanced the appearance of the stage, giving it a bigger, monumental look.
The theatre was used not only for concerts and plays, but also for religious, political and philosophical discussions and for gladiator and animal fights.
Bodhisattva from Gandara, Peshawar.
Here it is…my last big vacation of 2015. It also happened to be the longest of the year. I’ve actually put off editing these pictures (until this week – mid-January 2016). I’ve been putting this off because, honestly, I have very mixed emotions about the trip.
I have absolutely nothing but good things to say about India and all the Indians I met there – better things yet to say about Indian cuisine. However, I didn’t travel alone, and that caused quite a bit of headaches. So, I’ve been lazier than usual about going through these. However, in looking at them, I’m starting to dwell only on the good side, and hopefully will show that here. (I won’t mention anything else about what or why I didn’t enjoy the trip. Honestly, I hope to go back to India again sometime. It’s the 7th largest country in the world and has a lot to see…)
This particular trip was 13 days…and very localized. We only visited two states: Rajasthan (RJ) and Uttar Pradesh (UP). Also Delhi, though I didn’t go out in Delhi and don’t have a single picture to show for it. In those two weeks, we took the following tour, in this order: landed in Delhi (at 3:00 a.m.) on September 26. At 7:30 a.m., we were on a bus to our first destination: Rajasthan.
The first week we spent in Rajasthan visiting each of these cities for approximately two days: Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Udaipur. (I found myself thinking, “There sure are a lot of ‘purs’ here…just like there are a of ‘zhous’ in China – Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, Zhouzhou. ‘Pur,’ like ‘zhou,’ apparently means “town.”) Rajasthan is hot. Damn hot. Even in late September the daytime temperatures seemed to soar close to 40 degrees. At least 35, for certain… Rajasthan has a lot of desert terrain and many castles. Quite a few old palaces are out in Rajasthan, so it can tend to have a bit of a romantic feel to it.
After finishing in Rajasthan, we went over to Uttar Pradesh for literally one afternoon seeing the Taj Mahal in Agra, before shuffling off to the holy city of Varanasi (one of Hinduism’s most famous – if not the most famous – cities). From Varanasi, we took an 18 hour train ride (during which I apparently ate something so nasty that it stayed with me…for close to three months). Note to readers: Try to avoid eating on Indian trains. After another two days in Delhi, we flew back around 4:00 in the morning on October 9. For now…back to the beginning in Jaipur.
Jaipur is famously called the Pink City. A lot of the old town architecture is pink, so…well, you get the idea. It’s named for its founder, Jai Singh II (1688-1744), a great warrior-astronomer who assumed power at age 11 upon his father’s death.
The following is from Lonely Planet India: “Jai Singh could trace his lineage back to the Rajput clan of Kachhawas, who consolidated their power in the 12th century.” Their capital was at Amber (which is pronounced ahm-AIR…not AM-burr) about 10 kilometers northeast of town. This is northern India’s first planned city, if LP is being honest with me.
All I hope you get out of that is that this is an area with close to a millennium of “important” history to India, but the city of Jaipur as we see it now is only about 300-400 years old. Jaipur currently has a population of about three million. There’s an Old City (Pink City) which is where most of the tourists head – including yours truly – a new city, and….that’s about it. For my purposes (and in an attempt at brevity), I’ll say we went to the Central Museum (Albert Hall) south of the Old City. We also visited Hawa Mahal, Tripolia Bazaar (and Gate), and Jantar Mantar in the Old City. Other than that, we went to Amber Fort for a few hours.
Things started innocuously enough. We had left Delhi at 7:30 in the morning and gotten to Jaipur about 5 hours later. We had one stop on the bus for breakfast. I don’t recall what I ate…some type of curry, of course, but I don’t recall which. It may have just been mutter paneer. It was, however, delicious, and I didn’t feel hungry at all again until dinner.
The bus. Bus transportation in India, by the way, is rather interesting. Sometimes they are private buses (the small kind that only hold 8-12 people), sometimes sleeper buses, sometimes regular coaches…but the regular coaches didn’t seem too common. There doesn’t seem to be any uniformity in India about this.
Anyway, the bus dropped us off right next to Amber Fort. Since this was one of the small 8-12 person jobs, it could pretty much stop and go where it pleased, it seems, and this one didn’t actually take us to Jaipur.
As soon as we got off the bus here, we hired a tuk tuk (san lun che, for you Chinese readers) that took us down to the Old City. There, we switched to another one that took us the 2-3 kilometers west of the Old City to the more quiet and residential Bani Park where our hotel (the Hotel Anuraag Villa, which turned out to be about the nicest one we stayed in) was located. The second tuk tuk driver is the one we hired to take us around that afternoon and the next day. For the first day, I paid 500 rupees (~50 RMB/$8) for 4-6 hours’ work. We checked in and he waited patiently as we ate lunch in the backyard of the hotel.
Our driver took us first to the Central Museum (Albert Hall) where we spent an hour or two in mid-afternoon. The museum itself isn’t too bad. It has standard fare: tribal dress, Buddhist sculptures, even an Egyptian mummy. The building itself, though, is worth seeing. Anyway, an hour here was more than enough time.
From there, we went to the Sun Temple (I think that’s what it’s called) where I enjoyed the late afternoon sun (and rather smoggy view, though not quite as smoggy as Chinese cities I’m accustomed to). After that, we ended up going to a rather nice restaurant that cost about 2500 rupees (250 RMB/$40) for two. I splurged. It was fantastic.
After a night of sleep that may or may not have transported me to an alternate universe (I sleep more deeply than most bears), I woke up ready to go the next morning. I hired the same tuk tuk driver to haul us around, and we went first to the Old City (Hawa Mahal, the Tripolia Bazaar, Jantar Mantar, and Amber Fort…plus another fort in the middle of the water whose name I’ve forgotten). Though the time was a little shorter than the previous day, I paid him 750 rupee, since he actually drove us around farther. That’s still just under $15, so I had no problem with that.
Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds) is the most recognizable architectural building in the Pink City (though it’s technically just outside the Old City). It’s a five story building that was built by Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799 to “enable ladies of the royal household to watch the life and processions of the city.” There are nice views of Jantar Mantar and the City Palace to the west and the Siredoori Bazaar directly across the street.
Jantar Mantar is an observatory that was built by Jai Singh in 1728. “Jantar mantar” is derived from the Sanskrit “yanta mantr,” which means “instrument of calculation.” There are some rather large, interesting, and certainly eclectic sculptures, all for measuring time among the heavens.
Amber Fort was the highlight of Jaipur for me. The Kachhawaha Rajputs ruled from here for over 800 years. This fort was built beginning in 1592 by Maharaja Man Singh using war booty. It’s a royal palace built from pale yellow and pink sandstone with various courtyards. If you walk up the hill, you will enter the fort through the Suraj Pol (Sun Gate) and find yourself in Jaleb Chowk (Main Square) where the armies presented to the king. Walking up the stairs from Jaleb Chowk will bring you to the second courtyard and Diwan-I-Am (Hall of Public Audience) with its double row of columns. The maharaja’s apartments are located around the third courtyard, which you enter through Ganesh Pol. On one side of the interior courtyard is the Jai Mandir (Hall of Victory) which has many mirrored tiles. On the opposite side of Jai Mandir, across Maota Lake (a very small decorative pond, really) is Sukh Niwas (Hall of Pleasure). The fourth courtyard has the zenana (women’s quarters), which were designed so the maharaja could make his nightly visits without the other women knowing about it. In all, the fort/palace and the views from the fort are wonderful. I won’t say “breathtaking” or “stunning,” but certainly worth the visit.
Once I bade farewell to the tuk tuk driver, we wandered around the Old City a little longer before heading over to the hotel for dinner and to see a puppet show (that was not free, but wasn’t advertised as costing anything; they basically try to shame you into “donating” when they’re done). After that, we headed to the train station for a midnight ride across the state on Indian Railways…the first of five train rides throughout these two weeks.
If anyone has seen Slumdog Millionaire, you saw Indian Railways in action…with people riding ON the cars, among other things. I didn’t see anything quite like that, but…the lowest class passenger cars were quite crowded. We were always in first- or second-class sleepers which, to me, didn’t differ too much from the style of sleeper cars in China, though they weren’t quite as nice. They were…very close to the same, at least from my experience.
So, goodbye Pink City and hello Golden City. Jaisalmer was a twelve hour ride due west from Jaipur, and we arrived sometime mid-morning. More to come…