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Various dates, principally early C18 mid C19 and 1924. Red sandstone ashlar. Northern part (left) is the oldest, 3 storeys, centre carriage entry with cornice and curved pediment, flanked by small shop fronts (Nos 19 and 20), above are 6 sash windows on each floor in stone architraves, top moulded cornice. Present mid C19 main front to S of this is 4 storeys, with centre Roman Doric porch with cornice and stone balustraded balcony, a 2-storeyed canted bay window at each side with stone mullions, and centre sash in moulded architraves with cornices; triple sashes on second floor, and 2 semi-circular eyes on top floor. Large portion farther S added in 1924 is similar style.
Prince Charles Edward Stuart stayed here 22 November 1745.
Raghurajpur is a heritage crafts village in Puri district, Odisha, known for its master Pattachitra painters, an art form which dates back to 5 BC in the region and Gotipua dance troupes, the precursor to the Indian classical dance form of Odissi; it is also known as the birthplace of one of the finest Odissi exponents and Guru, Kelucharan Mohapatra. Apart from that, the village is also home to crafts like Tussar paintings, palm leaf engravings, stone and wood carvings, wooden, cowdung and papier mache toys, and masks.
In 2000, after a two-year research and documentation project by INTACH, starting 1998, the village was chosen to be developed as state's first heritage village and developed as a Crafts village, soon the village had an interpretation centre, commissioned artwork on the walls of the artists’ homes and a rest house.
It also has the distinction of the only place where the traditional decoration called Patas, used under the throne of Lord Jagannath and on the three chariots during the annual Rath Yatra festival, that takes place at pilgrimage town of Puri, some 14 km away, known for the Jagannath Temple.
OVERVIEW
Situated amidst groves of coconut, palm, mango and jack fruit, the main village has two streets with over 120 houses, most decorated with mural paintings, where the painters reside and practice their pattachitra craft, besides many other that practices throughout the village, including traditional masks, stone idols, papier mache, sculptures, wooden toys. The village also a series of temples dedicated not only to Bhuasuni, the local deity but also to various Hindu gods including, Radha Mohan, Gopinath, Raghunath, Laxminarayan and Gouranga.
Around, 2000 it was developed as a heritage village by INTACH, and soon became a major rural tourist destination of the state, drawing tourist, both domestic and foreign to the village. Villagers were also trained to provide heritage walks to the visitors by the organisation, and has since become a template for heritage tourism in the region.
Today it is also the venue of the annual Basant Utsav - Parampara Raghurajpur (Spring Festival), which was first organized in 1993 under the aegis of State Tourism Department and astern Zonal Cultural Centre, Kolkata, held in the month of February/March and an important tourist draw.
PATTACHITRA
The pattachitra paintings are made over a piece of cloth known as Patta or a dried palm leaf, which is first painted with a mixture of chalk and gum. Over the prepared surface, colorful and intricate pictures of various Gods, Goddesses, and mythological scenes with ornamentation of flowers, trees and animals are then painted. The paintings on Tussar saris, especially the Sambalpuri Saree depicting Mathura Vijay, Raslila and Ayodhya Vijay owe their origin to ‘Raghurajpur Pattachitra paintings’.
LOCATION
It is situated 14 km away from Hindu pilgrimage town of Puri, on the southern banks of river Bhargabi (Bhargavi). Visitors from Puri take the Bhubaneswar road, near Chandanpur, on NH 203, and upon reaching the Chandanpur Bazaar, they can take a right turn to reach Raghurajpur. The village is then around 1.5 km from Chandanpur.
WIKIPEDIA
Quail Botanical Gardens (Encinitas)
Explore four miles of garden trails, enjoy restful vistas, flowering trees, majestic palms, and the nation’s largest bamboo collection. Thanks to our mild climate, plants from all over the world thrive here.
Located 30 minutes north of San Diego in Encinitas, California, San Diego Botanic Garden features numerous exhibits, including rare bamboo groves, desert gardens, a tropical rainforest, California native plants, Mediterranean climate landscapes, succulent gardens, an herb garden, firesafe landscaping, a subtropical fruit garden, and native coastal sage natural areas...READ MORE: www.hiddensandiego.net/quail-botanical-garden.php
Please check out my hidden San Diego website for all hidden, haunted and AMAZING spots in SD! www.hiddensandiego.net
It's always nice to have some 'dates' at office...
Thanks to my colleague Abdullah, he brought this from Al-Hasa
Limerick is an interesting city
The city dates from at least the Viking settlement in 812. The Normans redesigned the city in the 12th century and added much of the most notable architecture, such as King John's Castle and St Mary's Cathedral.
During the civil wars of the 17th century the city played a pivotal role, besieged by Oliver Cromwell in 1651 and twice by the Williamites in the 1690s. This turbulent period earned the city its motto: Urbs antiqua fuit studisque asperrima belli (An ancient city well studied in the arts of war).
Although a lot of developments in Limerick have been concentrated in suburban areas there has been notable modern architectural developments and improvements in the appearance of city centre in recent years. Most developments have been along the banks of the river Shannon and are facing onto the river. The most prominent are the 60m high Riverpoint building and the 200 ft four star Clarion Hotel on Steamboat quay. Other developments include apartments and office blocks along the quays. Other developments in the city centre include the successful redevelopment of Bedford Row, Henry street, Thomas street and Catherine street.
MALTED MILK & TONI GREEN
Dates: 3 â 4.7
Toni Green, vocals
Arnaud Fradin, guitar & vocals
Eric Chambouleyron, guitar
Igor Pichon, bass
Richard Housset, drums
Damien Cornelis, keys
Vincent Aubert, trombone
Pierre Marie Humeau, trumpet
From: F-USA
Style: Soul, Funk, Blues
FIRST TIME IN ASCONA!
La regina della soul di Memphis incontra gli esplosivi Malted Milk
Sono davvero un evento imperdibile per tutti gli appassionati di soul & black music i due concerti che Malted Milk & Toni Green proporranno nel week-end conclusivo del festival. Lanciato dal fortunato album Milk & Green (2014) e accolto ovunque con entusiasmo, lo spettacolo è il frutto della collaborazione fra Arnaud Fradin â alias Malted Milk â esplosivo chitarrista francese e cantante dotato di un falsetto devastante â e Toni Green, cantante cresciuta alla scuola della soul music di Memphis che ha fatto parte per tanti anni dellâentourage del leggendario Isaac Hayes e altri personaggi di spicco della musica black come Luther Ingram, Dennie Edwards dei Temptations, o i âDoobie Brothersâ, di cui è stata corista e solista. Appassionante cocktail bluesy e funky, lo spettacolo propone pezzi storici della soul music, dellâR&B contemporaneo (Mary J. Blige), composizioni originali di Malted Milk, altre scritte a due mani con Toni Green, oltre ad alcuni cavalli di battaglia della stessa cantante. Una proposta davvero di grande impatto!
The Queen of Memphis Soul meets Malted Milk
The two concerts that the Malted Milk & Toni Green will give in the festival's closing weekend are a must for all soul & black music fans. Their show has grown out of the success of their 2014 debut Milk & Green and is a project that unites Arnaud Fradin â aka Malted Milk -, the explosive French guitarist and singer with a masterful falsetto and Toni Green, an alumni of the Memphis school of soul music who belonged to the entourage of the legendary Isaac Hayes and who has collaborated with prominent figures such as Dennie Edwards of the Temptations or the Dobbie Brothers. Their show is an enticing cocktail of blues and funk that includes soul hits, contemporary R&B (Mary J. Blige), original compositions by the Malted Milk and Toni Green, and some of her own favorite pieces. Don't miss them!
Die Soul-Königin aus Memphis trifft auf die explosiven Malted Milk
Unverzichtbar für alle Liebhaber von Soul & Black Music sind die beiden Konzerte, die Malted Milk & Toni Green am letzten Festival-Wochenende geben. Seit dem geglückten Album Milk & Green (2014) werden die beiden überall enthusiastisch empfangen. Die Bühnenshow ist das Resultat dieser Zusammenarbeit zwischen Arnaud Fradin - alias Malted Milk - dem explosiven Gitarristen und Sänger aus Frankreich mit seinem unschlagbaren Falsett und Toni Green, die durch die Soulschule von Memphis ging und während vieler Jahre zur musikalischen Entourage des legendären Isaac Hayes und anderer illustrer Figuren der schwarzen Musik gehörte, wie Luther Ingram, Dennie Edwards der Temptations oder den âDoobie Brothersâ, bei denen sie als Choristin und Solistin auftrat. Ein begeisternder Cocktail aus Blues und Funk, mit historischen Stücken aus der Soulmusik, zeitgenössischem R&B (Mary J. Blide), Eigenkompositionen von Malted Milk oder Milk & Green und einigen Hits von Toni Green. Ein wirklich schlagkräftiges Programm!
Website:
A local produce seller displays his dates to clients at an exhibition.
Credit : Photo ILO/APEX
Date : 2010
Country : Saudi Arabia
I always liked this building, which dates from the 1700s. It's the old Gleadall's Mill (warehouse) on Bridge Street, Gainsborough Lincolnshire. This building was working in the grain trade - loading sacks of grain coming in by road at the front of the building (seen here), and later dispatching them direct into river barges at the back - right up to the mid-1970s. After that it was for many years a car repair workshop (I had lots of my cars repaired there, and even stored a couple in the building during the 90s). Nowadays its a pleasant riverside cafe, with a flat above.
It's a bit wierd sitting in a swish coffe-bar where 10 or so years ago I watched an oil-stained artisan working on my car! My own Tatra 603 car spent it's first night in the UK in this building in 1999. See a picture of this same building taken in the 1960s on this page of the English Heritage website.
The building is Grade II listed.
saturday 27th june;
i apologies for the bad quality pictures. im struggling to come up with ideas for my 365 and tbh i would rather the pics be off my canon than my phone, but i barley ever go out/use my canon - so its tricky. anyway...today i went to meadowhall with joe. we made tits of outselves by buying a cinema ticket to see "ice age three dawn of the dinosaurs in 3D" but not knowing we bought the ticket for wednesday, and not today. joe got a refund and we basically walked around blowing each other in the face tbqh.
this picture doesn't have anything to do with what i just said above but i put it on cause it reflects back to prom the other day and how, actually it hasn't quite sunk in that school is over for good. i don't think it will, and actually the only time i would be upset about it is when i think back to years 7, 8 and 9. years 10 and 11 were just full of bitchyness and backstabbing, plus i prefered the old school before the new school was built.
thankyou for the balloon joe btw (:
(he stole this balloon 'cause i wanted it, from the hotel at prom just before we left)
2014 marks the centenary of the outbreak of World War One and the bicentenary of the opening of the Congress of Vienna – two dates that profoundly shaped the course of history. While in 1814, towards the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the concerted powers of Europe were architects of a new international system, the leaders of 1914 have famously been described as sleepwalkers, stumbling into war.
Today we face complex interconnected challenges – from regional tensions in Ukraine, Syria, South Sudan and the South China Sea to global threats linked to climate change, growing inequality, and the legacy of the financial crisis. With instability rising as 2014 unfolds, how can a greater awareness of history help us deal with emerging threats and reduce the risk of future conflicts? What lessons from the past can help us restore public trust in the international system and the ability of leaders to deliver solutions? And what will future historians say about the leaders of today: were they architects or sleepwalkers?
To create positive narratives for the future and revitalize our commitment to building a global community, the International Peace Institute (IPI) and Salzburg Global Seminar – with generous support from Canada and Norway – will bring leaders from politics, diplomacy, the military, and business together with historians, journalists, political scientists, philosophers, and writers from around the world. This unique conversation will take place between 25 and 29 August at beautiful Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg, former home to Max Reinhardt, the founder of the Salzburg Festival.
The symposium will combine brief expert keynote addresses with open and informal discussions, complemented by a stimulating social program, including concerts and literary talks.
At a time of rapid change and escalating tensions, this high-level meeting will provide leading figures from different walks of life with the time and space to reflect on the lessons of the past in order to shape an international system fit for purpose in the 21st century.
We just got back from a really fine week at Methwold Old Vicarage, a wonderful Landmark Trust property. The house dates to 1490-1510, and is quite beautiful inside and out. For an American like me, the idea of sleeping in a house constructed in the time of Columbus's voyage is just too amazing.
The brick front is a veritable sampler of ornate brickwork from the period and remains a real show piece. There are gorgeous carved beams inside, and cool remnants of late 16th century wall paintings in the main bedroom upstairs that are museum quality. And we slept in that bedroom.
Wow.
We're totally hooked, and definitely planning another Landmark Trust stay before we return to the States this summer!
I have an utter ton of photos. I'll dump most them up to this account without any editing or cleaning, and then post some of my faves to my "real" account as I have time process them.
This gorgeous old building was very nearly demolished in the late 1950's so the absentee landlord could sell the property bare for £250. It was saved by Monica and Harry Dance, who later retired there. They later donated it to the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings, who is now leasing it to the Landmark Trust. Both the Dance's renovations and the work by the Landmark Trust made every effort to preserve as much of the old construction as possible. The staircase is modern (it's not clear where the original stairs were), but as you go up there are several fragments of earlier bits and pieces, including a little ledge formed by these old boards.
We just got back from a really fine week at Methwold Old Vicarage, a wonderful Landmark Trust property. The house dates to 1490-1510, and is quite beautiful inside and out. For an American like me, the idea of sleeping in a house constructed in the time of Columbus's voyage is just too amazing.
The brick front is a veritable sampler of ornate brickwork from the period and remains a real show piece. There are gorgeous carved beams inside, and cool remnants of late 16th century wall paintings in the main bedroom upstairs that are museum quality. And we slept in that bedroom.
Wow.
We're totally hooked, and definitely planning another Landmark Trust stay before we return to the States this summer!
I have an utter ton of photos. I'll dump most them up to this account without any editing or cleaning, and then post some of my faves to my "real" account as I have time process them.
This gorgeous old building was very nearly demolished in the late 1950's so the absentee landlord could sell the property bare for £250. It was saved by Monica and Harry Dance, who later retired there. They later donated it to the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings, who is now leasing it to the Landmark Trust. Both the Dance's renovations and the work by the Landmark Trust made every effort to preserve as much of the old construction as possible. The staircase is modern (it's not clear where the original stairs were), but as you go up there are several fragments of earlier bits and pieces, including a little ledge formed by these old boards.
Abydos dates back to the dawn of Ancient Egyptian civilisation when it was established as the cult centre of the god of the Netherworld Osiris and the burial site for a number of the earliest kings. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abydos,_Egypt
Over the centuries several temples were constructed at the site on the edge of the desert, the Great Osiris Temple being at the heart of the god's cult but little remains of this structure. What visitors come to Abydos to see today are the far more substantial remains of the New Kingdom temples built by Seti I and his son Ramesses II.
The Temple of Seti I is the glory of Abydos, an impressive complex that originally comprised two large forecourts with towering pylons followed by a succession of pillared halls and chapels beyond. Today the forecourts and pylons are so ruined that only their lower parts remain, but beyond this the heart of the temple remains almost intact, and its many chambers, walls and pillars bear some of the very finest relief decoration in all of Egypt.
The interior is somewhat gloomy and takes a while to adjust to after the glare of the sun outside. The roof is largely a modern restoration in order to protect the ancient colouring that remains on much of the carving and admits little natural light. initially the decoration the visitor encounters in the first hypostyle hall is of a standard type, sunken relief from the reign of Ramesses II who fiinished his father's temple after the latter's death. It is only when one progresses into the second hypostyle halls and the group of chapels and chambers beyond that the fame of the art of Abydos becomes clear.
The relief sculpture of Seti I's reign are without parallel in the New Kingdom, the pinnacle of artistic achievement in the surviving temples of Egypt. The figures are all in raised (rather than the easier sunken) relief and the carving is of such delicacy that one can only assume that Seti must have placed great emphasis on the quality of the decoration he commissioned during his fifteen year reign (evidence of this can be seen in other projects commissioned by the king, but none more so than his temple at Abydos). The survival of much of the ancient colouring in many areas simply adds to the magic, with some scenes in pristine condition. Luckily the sort of vandalism that afflicted many temples during the post-Pharaonic period was only confined to one or two rooms and most decoration remains intact.
At the rear of the second hypostyle halls is a sequence of seven chapels dedicated to six major deities along with the pharaoh himself. Beyond these lie further sumptuously decorated rooms connected to various rituals of Osiris.
To the rear of the temple is a wing with further chambers accessed via a corridor inscribed with the famous Abydos 'King's List', which bears the cartouches of all the Pharaohs up to Seti's reign (with a few notable omissions). The corridor also leads out to a separate structure behind the temple known as the Osireon, a sunken monolithic chamber erected as a cenotaph to the god Osiris.
Some distance to the north of the Temple of Seti I lies the much smaller temple of his son Ramesses II (who decided to add his own temple in addition to finishing his father's). This is much less well preserved, with the walls only standing up to around three metres high, but much of the relief decoration of these lower courses remains, and much of the vivid colouring is beautifully preserved.
Abydos is one of Egypt's most important sites, both historically and artistically and will richly reward the visitor.
Located in FL. Bulow Creek State Park Palm Coast off A1A .
-It is hard to imagine that this stately oak began as an acorn about 2,000 years ago, but as some experts attest, the tree is at least that old. Some say it even dates back 2,500 years.
-Although its age has never been confirmed by tree specialists, this oak's enormous trunk, measuring about 30 feet in circumference, along with its high tree-like boughs spreading more than 200 feet, leaves little doubt as to its antiquity.
-Known locally as the Ormond Oak for at least a century, the tree was christened Fairchild on Dec. 11, 1955, in honor of Dr. David Fairchild, a world-famous botanist and naturalist who was fond of the tree, and visited it often in the earlier part of this century.
BULOW CREEK STATE PARK
3351 Old Dixie Highway
Ormond Beach, Florida 32174
Phone: 386-676-4050
-This park protects one of the largest remaining stands of southern live oak forest along Floridas east coast. The reigning tree is the Fairchild Oak, one of the largest live oak trees in the south. For more than 800 years it has been a silent witness to human activities along Bulow Creek, including the destruction of the neighboring Bulow Plantation during the Second Seminole War in 1836. Several trails allow hikers to explore the interior of the park, where visitors can see white tailed deer, barred owls, and raccoons. The Bulow Woods Trail, nearly seven miles long, takes hikers to Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park. Visitors can picnic in a shady pavilion or at a table on the lawn within view of the Fairchild Oak. Located five miles north of Ormond Beach on Old Dixie Highway (County Road 4011).
Dates: February 10-12, 2014
Location: Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND
Photographer: Mike Hess Photography
, Renmark dates from 1888 when the Chaffey brothers got their irrigation settlement under way. Renmark is the oldest of the SA Riverland towns. But before the town was established Renmark was good pastoral country. The first leases were taken out in 1851 and the two local stations were Chowilla and Bookmark. Part of the Renmark area was also leased by John Chambers of Cobdogla Station. He took over both Bookmark and Chowilla runs in 1867, selling the leases on to Richard Holland, of Holland House at Turretfield near Gawler in 1870. Holland later transferred the leases to his step sons, William and Robert Robertson. Bookmark was later changed to Calperum run in 1897. It was Bookmark /Calperum that was resumed by the government for the Chaffey irrigation area at Renmark. Chowilla station still operates.
Despite the early hiccups with the Chaffey scheme, as it collapsed, the Renmark Irrigation Trust came into operation in 1892 and still operates today. It inherited miles of open drainage and irrigation channels from the Chaffey scheme, although most irrigation water is piped underground to avoid evaporation these days. Although the Chaffeys were first signed up to start the Mildura scheme, it was the Renmark scheme that was the first irrigation area of Australia. It beat Mildura by three months! Although the plan was to develop 50,000 acres of irrigated land, there were just 3,000 acres being cultivated when the Chaffey scheme collapsed. But as noted above, the Irrigation Trust took up where the Chaffeys left off and continued to expand the irrigation area. By 1914 over 5,000 acres were being irrigated. These days over 17,000 acres are being irrigated in the Renmark area for grapes, citrus, apricots, peaches and other stone fruits. The Riverland is the second biggest irrigation area for fruit and grapes in Australia after the Goulbourn Valley (Shepparton area) of Victoria. The Riverland in total, not just the Renmark irrigation area, produces over $500 million worth of agricultural produce annually and around 50% of SA’s grape harvest. Over 80,000 acres or about 32,000 hectares is irrigated in the SA Riverland.
Irrigation House 1888 Renmark.The Art Deco Soldiers Memorial Hall Renmark.
The township of Renmark was proclaimed in 1904, becoming a municipality in 1935. Whilst other towns in SA contracted during the Great Depression Renmark still slowly expanded and it has some fine Art Deco buildings from these times to reflect this expansion. The town probably got its name from a local shipbuilder in the pre-irrigation days called William Renny. The area was known as Rennies and then expanded to Renmark? The earliest buildings in town date from around 1888 when it started- the school opened in that year and the Irrigation Trust building dates from 1888 when it was the Chaffey Office.
The other building from the early period is the Renmark Hotel. It started as a temperance hotel (what an oxymoron) and was taken over as a Community Hotel in 1897. It was the first licensed community hotel in the British Empire! The building you see today, with its fine Art Deco embellishments dates from 1937 when the third storey was added and the façade changed. Before more recent alterations the Renmark Hotel had the longest bar in Australia; and the amazing mechanized punka wallahs (based on the hand operated Indian punka wallahs) that tried to cool bar patrons during the hot summer months. What a pity they were removed as they were a unique historical feature of this building. The building of the hotel was financed by the second wife of James Trussell. He came out as the 10 year old cabin boy to Colonel William Light on the Rapid. After Light died he was employed by John Chambers of Cobdogla Station. Trussell was the manger of that property by 1850 as a 24 year old. He managed Cobdogla for 45 years and was a close friend of John McDouall Stuart, the great explorer.
Renmark was especially affected by the 1956 Murray flood. Low-lying areas flood early. Then the Sturt Highway to Paringa was closed. Large areas were sand bagged but the river levels kept rising. About two thirds of the town’s population was evacuated from the town. The river eventually rose over 10 metres flooding the main street, the high school, the hospital- which had to be evacuated, and shops. The flood lasted for seven months. But throughout they managed to keep the road out to Berri safe with sandbags and levees. There was also flooding at Angoves Winery.
paper quilt, 10" x 10". vintage wallpaper (used to cover my school books when i was about 10) graph paper, paint samples and file card. made for 'tiny art show ii', at nahcotta gallery. blogged
Celje Castle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Celje Castle (also known as Celje Upper Castle or Old Castle) (Slovene Celjski grad, Celjski zgornji grad or Stari grad) is a castle ruin in Celje, Slovenia, formerly the seat of the Counts of Celje. It stands on three hills to the southeast of Celje, where the river Savinja meanders into the Laško valley. Today, the castle is in the process of being restored. It was once the largest fortification on Slovenian territory.
History
Early history
The earliest reference to Celje Castle dates from 1322 and calls it “purch Cylie”. Later, the castle was known by various names, including “vest Cili” (1341), “castrum Cilie” (1451), “gsloss Obercili” (1468). It is noteworthy that the name “Obercili” - Upper Celje - only appears after the Counts of Celje had died out. Its original name was “grad Celje” (Celje Castle).
The first fortified building on the site (a Romanesque palace) was built in the first half of the 13th century by the Counts of Heunburg from Carinthia on the stony outcrop on the western side of the ridge where the castle stands. It had five sides, or four plus the southern side, which was a natural defence. The first written records of the castle date back to between 1125 and 1137; it was probably built by Count Gunter. In the western section of the castle, there was a building with several floors. Remains of the walls of this palatium have survived. In the eastern section, there was an enclosed courtyard with large water reservoirs. The eastern wall, which protects the castle from its most exposed side, was around three metres thicker than the rest of the curtain wall. The wall was topped with a parapet and protected walkway. This was typical of Ministerialis castles of the time.
Lords of Sanneck and Counts of Celje
The first castle was probably burned and destroyed in the fighting between the Lords of Sanneck and the Lords of Auffenstein. The gateway was later moved from the northern side by freemen loyal to the Lords of Sanneck. They gave the castle a new curtain wall and reinforced this with a tower on the northern side, which guarded the entrance to the inner ward, sometime before 1300. The new wall reached from a natural cliff in the east to the remains of the earlier wall in the northeast. The entrance was moved to the southern side, where it still is today.
In 1333, the castle came into the possession of the Lords of Sanneck, who from 1341 onward were the Counts of Celje. They set about transforming the fortress into a comfortable living quarter and their official residence. Around 1400, they added a four-storey tower which was later called Friderikov stolp (Frederick’s tower, from bergfrid, modern German Bergfried, the term for the central tower of a castle in the Middle Ages). On the eastern side of the courtyard, there was a tall, three-story residential tower, which is the best preserved section of the castle after Friderikov stolp. The main residential building (a palatium), which also had rooms for women, stood however in the western section of the castle. This part of the castle ends at the narrow outer ward and is in a state of disrepair. On the southern side of the palatium, there was a tower, known as Andrejev stolp (Andrew’s tower), after the chapel on the ground floor, which was dedicated to Saint Andrew. In the Middle Ages, the castle walls were impenetrable; an attacker would have had to rely on starving the defenders into submission, but a hidden passageway led from the castle to a nearby granary. The Counts of Celje stopped living in the castle in this period, but they stationed a castellan with an armed entourage here.
During an earthquake in 1348, part of the Romanesque palace and the rock on which it stood were destroyed. The ruined section was rebuilt and relocated towards the bailey. In the 15th century, the outer ward was extended on the eastern side of the ridge as far as the rocky outcrop. Here, the wall connected with a powerful, five-sided tower. In the second half of the 16th century, the castle was once again renovated. The walls in the inner and outer wards were made taller, and the bailey was renovated. The modern sections of the walls feature Renaissance-era balistraria.
Holy Roman Empire
The first imperial caretaker, Krištof pl. Ungnad, was named in 1461. The second, Jurij pl. Apfaltrer, was named just two years later. The castle entered the care of Andrej pl. Hohenwart in 1470. When he took it over, he swore to take good care of it and to keep it in a good condition. He carried out this service until his death in 1503. He was succeeded as castle caretaker by Jakob pl. Landau, the government administrator in Upper and Lower Swabia. Landau obtained the position from Emperor Maximilian I, who was at the time still the King of the Romans, for having lent him 10,000 crowns. Landau was still castle caretaker in 1514. Two years later, Bernard Raunacher briefly held this position, but the emperor ordered him to hand authority to Gašper Herbst and to make do with the income generated by Rudolfswert (later Novo Mesto). Other caretakers followed, most of whom were at the same time vicedominus and the administrator of various taxes. The castle’s importance as a fortress rapidly gave way to its economic role.
Celje Castle was not only the most important castle in Slovenia, but in the entire eastern Alps. It covered an area of almost 5500 m². From the ruins that remain and from depictions of the castle that have survived, it is possible to paint a detailed picture of how it once looked. Several new techniques were employed in the castle’s architectural development, which were the model for other castles in the region under Celje’s influence.
The castle began to fall into disrepair shortly after losing its strategic importance. Georg Matthäus Vischer’s depiction of the castle from 1681 shows that Friderikov stolp no longer had a roof at the end of the 17th century. During the renovation of the lower castle (the section closest to the town) in 1748, the castle’s tiled roof was removed. When Count Gaisruck bought the castle in 1755, he removed the roof truss as well. The best stones were then re-used in the construction of the Novo Celje Mansion between Petrovče and Žalec. From this time onward, it was no longer possible to live in the castle, and it slowly turned into a complete ruin. The last residents left the site in 1795.
In 1803, the farmer Andrej Gorišek bought the castle and began to use the site as a quarry.
19th and 20th centuries
In 1846, the governor of the Styria, Count Wickenburg, bought the ruins and donated them to the Styrian estates. In 1871, interest in the ruins began to take hold and in 1882 the Celje museum society began efforts to restore the castle, which continue to this day. During the time of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the authorities in Maribor left control over the ruins to the local municipality, which made great contributions to the castle's preservation. During World War II, the ruins were abandoned, but reconstruction efforts continued after the war. In the corners of the Friderikov stolp, cement blocks were used to replace missing stones. A proper parking lot was also created in front of the entrance to the castle. On the northern side, the wall was knocked through to create a new side entrance to meet a new route that had been built there (Pelikanova pot).
21st century
The Celje tourist board holds an event entitled "Pod zvezdami Celjanov" ("Under the stars of Celje") at Celje Castle in late summer every year, which features performances and representations of life in the Middle Ages. Music concerts also take place in the castle. Celje Castle is visited by approximately 60,000 people every year.[1] An annual cultural entertainment event, Veronikini večeri, which is named after the character Veronika in the Slovenian opera Veronika Deseniška, also takes place in the castle.[2] The evening features various concerts, theatre performances and other entertainment, and each year the organiser, in collaboration with the municipality of Celje, awards the Veronikina nagrada (prize) for poetry and the Zlatnik poezije (gold medal for poetry). The Veronikini večeri event has been taking place since 1996 and the Veronikina nagrada has equally been awarded since then. The Zlatnik poezije has been awarded since 2004.
Yes, these are semi-ripened dates, probably the Barhee variety, at their crispy and crunchy but already edible stage.
They are a great energy snack for their natural sugar content and they are an excellent source for potassium,Vitamin B, calcium and magnesium.
I finally started printing the save the dates for our wedding today. I've finished printing the front of the post cards. I'll print the back with more info after these dry. It is a seagull squawking that we are getting married with the Three Arch Rocks in the background.
We are getting married in Oceanside, Oregon. The Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge is just about 1 mile off shore.
Suspended Animation Classic #784 First published January 4, 2004 (#1) (Dates are approximate)
Superman/Thundercats
By Mark Allen
The evil Mumm-Ra has ever striven to aquire the powerful Eye of Thundera. Now, he has made a pact and secured a trade with an exile from another dimension; his protection for the Orbs of Barrak, talismans which will allow him to travel to other dimensions. Particularly, one which holds a twin to the Eye; modern-day Earth. And, as this is a Superman cross-over, where else would the Eye be, but in a Metropolis museum?
And so begins a high-action tale that may well appeal to the child in many of us; it appealed to mine, anyway. A long-time Superman fan, and an avid viewer of the Thundercats series in the '80's, Superman/Thundercats scratched an itch I never even realized was there; primarily, seeing Superman (with his vulnerability to magic) go head-to-head with Mumm-Ra. Of course, as the Thundercats pull off their own reality-hop to Metropolis, being perceived as a crew of invading aliens, readers also get to see Supes throw down with everyone's favorite feline aliens.
What more could a fanboy (or girl) want? Kudos to writer Judd Winick for producing a fun story, and preserving the personalities of all characters involved. Props also go to artists Ale Garza (pencils) and Trevor Scott (inks) for a dramatic, dynamic style, slightly manga-influenced, but also with an attention to detail. Perfect for the Thundercat characters, as anyone familiar with the series knows.
This is one of those comic projects that, in my opinion, has the cross-over appeal that comics so dearly need, today. If well-hyped and sold outside the specialty market, a lot of people who don't normally read comics could be reminded why they enjoyed them as children. Who knows? Maybe DC (the owners of Wildstorm) will reprint this project, releasing it through Wal-marts, Quick-Trips, Toys-R-Us stores, etc. Hey, a comic fan can dream, right?
Recommended for all ages. Find it at comic shops, conventions and online auctions.
Superman/Thundercats, published by Wildstorm Productions, 48 pages, $5.95.
The tattoos dates, done in Japanese, commemorating Nick's wedding day (under the faces), and the birth of his son (top).
A friend of mine is Armenian, has conducted tours of Armenian sites in Armenia, Turkey, and Syria on his vacation, and could retire in Armenia. Every guidebook describes this as Georgian but he's convinced it's Armenian as he and his friends found part of a surviving Armenian inscription on a wall of the church. [Update: The description to this video on Youtube refers to an "inscription in the Georgian and Armenian language placed at the entrance to the chapel" which dates from 1006. See it at the 2:25 min. pt.: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsPkodsJ5RE More on this point below.] He explained that after WWI a number of abandoned Armenian churches in E. Turkey were claimed by Georgians or Turks to be Georgian. The guidebooks don't say much about its history, the LP only that it was built in the 8th cent., enlarged in the 11th, and that it's "spectacularly sited" and "wonderful". (It's a beauty, there's a fresco on the ceiling under that conical dome with 4 chariots driven above clouds round the edge of the circle, below a blue sky with stars and angels. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishkhani#/media/File:Ishkhan_Monast... [More re this fresco below]). Fodors says it was built in the 10th cent. and Berlitz that it was "once the seat of a Georgian bishropric", that a section's now used as a mosque, and that it has the same plan as Osk Vank, the largest Georgian church in the area, built /b/ 958 and 966 by Prince David who became "King David the Great [and] made Georgia a dominant power in the Caucasus" for a time. So ... I don't know.
- Update: Wikipedia has more to say now. "The name Ishkhani derives from the word Իշխան, Ishkhan, “Prince” in Armenian. ... The earliest reference to the monastery is found in 'The Life of Grigol Khandzteli', a Georgian manuscript dating from 951 which is now kept in Jerusalem. It recounts that Saba, a nephew and follower of the priest Gregory of Khandzta, founded a monastery on the site of an earlier church built by [the Armenian] Catholicos Nerses III Ishkhanetsi (641-661), a native of the village of Ishkhan, which had a tetraconch plan (a central dome with 4 apses radiating to the cardinal points) and which was damaged in the Arab invasions of the 7th cent. 5 Georgian inscriptions within the church and on the southern facade commemorate 5 restorations from 917 to 1032. One ascribes the foundation of the church to Bagrat III. [As it was "constructed in stages /b/ the 8th and 11th cent.s, it ranks amongst the oldest extant Georgian sacred architecture." {RG}] ... The monastery had been one of the 5 patriarchates of Tao-Klarjeti and its church functioned as a cathedral until the 17th cent. It was used as the headquarters for Ottoman officers during the Russo-Turkish War in the 19th cent., while its west arm was converted into a mosque and remained so until 1983." (Wikipedia)
- The church is domed, cruciform, with outer dimensions of 35 x 20.7 m.s. The amazing central cupola, 42 m.s high, entirely intact and similar to that at Öşvank, seemed to float on 4 free-standing piers, each 2 m.s in diameter (as the roof had fallen in. But I've read it's been faithfully resurrected in a recent restoration.) The eastern cross-arm extends with an apse with a unique arrangement (or unique in Georgian churches, not in ancient Armenian churches): a horseshoe-shaped arcade with arches resting on 8 columns, each with a unique capital, opens onto a rectangular ambulatory. www.360cities.net/image/georgische-kirche1-ishan-ostanato... That apse, "the oldest surviving portion of the bldg., was modelled after the church at Bana" (RG. See my next photo, and see below.) 2-story pastophoria, used to store priestly vestments, etc., flank the apse.
- In 966, the interior walls of the church were painted with frescoes, but apart from the cupola, little remains. (The LP writes cryptically that whole walls were covered in blue frescoes in the 1980s.) The “Ascension of the Cross” in the ceiling of the cupola depicts a bejeweled cross in a white, moon-like circle carried by 4 flying angels on a background of vibrant, dark blue (lapis lazurite) with specks of white, a starry night sky. 4 2-wheeled chariots drawn by 4 winged horses and driven by a standing figure are at each axis just above the rim, depicting 'the Vision of Zechariah' (Book of Zechariah, 6:1-6) in the Old Testament. A Georgian inscription above each chariot indicates the colours of the horses; red, black, white and dappled (see below). (Neither my photo nor any I've seen does it any justice, but I'll scan mine anyway. What a thing to find and see in the open, and exposed for so many centuries.)
- 8 figures identified as prophets by some scholars alternate with 8 windows in the blind arcade of the drum and stand below angels in circular niches holding scepters. During restoration in 1032, their heads were replaced by round openings [? See 3 in this shot]. A female figure dressed in blue, carrying a diadem and holding a model of a church in her hand is visible on the intrado of the NW window. This has been interpreted by scholars as a depiction of either the Cappadocian Ste. Nino, who converted the Georgians to Christianity, or the first Christian queen of Georgia or a personification of the church itself.
- 22 geometric and floral motifs are employed in the sculptural decoration of the church. Animals and legendary creatures are depicted within the geometric patterns.
- The exterior walls of the church and the drum are decorated with blind arcades (seen here). The conícal roof of the cupola is covered with alternating rows of dark red and grey coloured glazed tiles (again, seen here).
- A Georgian inscription at the entrance to the chapel (from 1006) states that King Gurgen I dedicated it to the Holy Mother of God. Vaulted with a single nave, an apse and 2 windows, its outer dimensions are 10.3 x 5.7 m.s. (all Wikipedia)
- A famous, solid-gold processional cross found here in the 19th cent. is on display today in the state museum of Georgia in Tbilisi. (Bradt)
- From 'the Book of Zechariah': 6. Then I turned and raised my eyes and looked, and behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. With the first chariot were red horses, with the second chariot black horses, with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth chariot dappled horses [or 'grizzled and bay horses'] - strong steeds. Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” And the angel answered and said unto me, “These are four spirits of heaven, who go out from their station before the Lord of all the earth. The one with the black horses is going to the north country, the white are going after them, and the dappled are going toward the south country.” Then the strong steeds went out, eager to go, that they might walk to and fro throughout the earth. And He said, “Go, walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they walked to and fro throughout the earth. And He called to me, and spoke to me, saying, “See, those who go toward the north country have given rest to My Spirit in the north country.”
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=_106IfO6Kc0
- As to that Armenian inscription, recall that a monastery had been founded here in the mid-7th cent. by an 'exiled' [LP] Armenian bishop before it was rebuilt several times by Georgians. Could my friend have found an Armenian inscription that's older than the several other Georgian inscriptions? Was the first (Armenian) church entirely replaced by the Georgians, or have elements survived such as the arcaded apse, "modelled after the church at Bana", which in turn is similar to ancient Zvartnots (see my next photo. The best evidence suggests that the famous Bana church was Armenian. I suspect the said apse at Ishan and its columns date from Nerses III Ishkhanetsi's 7th cent. Armenian church.) Did Ishkhani / Ishkhan serve both local Georgian and Armenian communities? That would be consistent, if so, with the placement in 1006 of a bilingual inscription above the entrance to the chapel. "Alongside the row of the church fathers, on the north and south walls of the bema, a medallion was depicted above the arches leading from the chancel apse to the sides; ... The medallion had an 8-line asomtavruli inscription on the right. ... [Another] medallion on the north wall had long been lost (Ek’vt’ime T’aq’aishvili presumed the presence of the image of Queen Akhshen of Armenia here); a 7-line Armenian inscription was depicted on the left of this medallion." arthistory.tsu.ge/murals/painting/ishkhani-murals-of-the-...
- It was a 7 km.-long slog up a steep, twisty road from the D060 to the green mountain oasis of İşhan (Turkish) or Ishkhani (Armenian) or Ishkhan (Georgian), with no traffic. But views of the almost barren, steeply eroded mtn.s to the south, east and west in the early evening light were compensation. www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_pJ5AuGHnI The road passed a cemetery near the top. The RG writes that that "road up, not recommended for those suffering from vertigo, weaves a lonely course through a heavily eroded, lifeless moonscape, which makes it all the more surprising when you arrive at the church and its surrounding apple, mulberry, and walnut groves. This is charming İşhan village, which despite its beauty seems to be in near-terminal decline. Since the 1980s, when its school had over 130 students, that number has dwindled to 11." (RG, 2013 edition) www.google.com/maps/place/Ishkhani/@40.7855434,41.7304097...
- On my arrival in the village, I headed for the church, explored it some, took some photos, said Wow, and then, somewhere, spoke with a group of young local guys and either one kindly offered to put me up for the night or I made the request with an offer to pay and he kindly accepted. I slept the night in a spartan room in a separate building near his house but on his property. I said my thank yous the next morning and headed back to the church to explore it further and take photos in the morning light. Again, this was my favourite of the churches I toured in Turkey o/s Istanbul. It's exotic, unusual, ancient but well-preserved, immense, and the most spectacularly-situated temple that I can recall touring. It was bright but cool with plenty of shade (see the trees here), and that wonderful blue and silver dome-ceiling fresco, in particular the 4 chariots, is a treasure.
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=Haij8ALJppc
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaXgXlxQU2Y
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOT26lCqUiU
- The Rough Guide has a good write-up re this ancient Georgian kingdom.:
"Georgians have lived in the valleys of the Coruh, Tortum, Kura and Berta rivers, now in NE Turkey, since the Bronze Age. Like the neighbouring Armenians, they were among the first Near Eastern nations [is the Caucasus in the Near East?] to be evangelized, and were converted rapidly to Christianity by St. Nino of Cappadocia in the mid-4th cent. Unlike the Armenians, they never broke with the Orthodox Patriarchate in Constantinople, and maintained good relations with Byzantium.
- An effective Georgian state only entered the local stage in the 9th cent., under the auspices of the Bagratid dynasty. This clan contributed rulers to both the Georgian and Armenian lines, hence the partial overlap in the medieval history of the 2 kingdoms. They claimed direct descent from David and Bathsheba, which explains a preponderance of kings named David, a coat of arms laden with Old Testament symbols, and curiously Judaic stars of David embossed on many of their churches.
- Ashot I Kuropalates began the first stages of territorial expansion and of the construction of churches in the area, under the guidance of the monk Gregory Khantzeli [or of Khandzta]. Ashot's descendants included David 'the Great' Magistros of Oltu, as well as Bagrat III, who in 1008 succeeded in unifying the various Georgian principalities into one kingdom. The Selcuks arrived in 1064, ravaging Georgia and all of eastern Anatolia, but as soon as they turned to confront the Crusaders a Bagratid revival began. David the Restorer managed to expel the Selcuks by 1125, moved the Bagratid court to newly captured Tbilisi, then reunited the various feuding principalities ruled by minor Bagratid warlords.
- Under the rule of David's great grandfather Tamara, medieval Georgia acquired its greatest extent and prestige, controlling most of modern Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the ancestral Georgian valleys. A formidable military strategist and shrewd diplomat, the queen displayed a humanity and tolerance unusual for the era. [Some in Iran might dispute this. The Georgians under Tamara massaced Muslims in Ardabil and in the NW, although in revenge for the preceding, infamous Selcuk Turkish massacre of Armenians and Georgians at Ani.] Many churches and monasteries were repaired or re-endowed under Tamara; despite being a woman and a non-Muslim, her name still elicits respect from local Turks. (This Turkish vlogger refers to her with respect on a tour of the former Georgian church at Parkhali in this vlog: www.youtube.com/watch?v=85gsyuMr5UU and refers to the church in the caption as 'Queen Tamara's treasure.' But the construction of that church predates Tamara's reign [1184-1213] by > 200 yrs.)
- Following the death of Tamara, the Georgian kingdom began a slow but steady decline, effectively partitioned /b/ the Ottoman and Persian empires. The rise of Imperial Russia signaled the end of any viable Georgian state, and the last semi-independent king effectively surrendered to Catherine the Great in 1783.
- These early Bagratid monastic churches all date from before the move NE to the Caucusus proper, and most are sited amidst oases at the heads of remote valleys. The Georgians borrowed many of the architectural features of Armenian churches. It takes a trained eye to distinguish the two styles, although generally the Georgians rarely attempted the rotundas or multi-lobed domed squares beloved of the Armenians.
- Almost all of these churches have suffered damage from dynamite and pick-axe wielding treasure hunters, as the locals have an unshakeable conviction that all the Christians who left the are in 1923 secreted precious items in or under their churches in the mistaken belief that they'd eventually be able to return." (All RG, 2013)
- The following is from an article written by Irene Giviashvili www.atinati.com/news/6388a71b7103640043fa3670 (I'll have to splice it into the RG 's write-up above sometime to reduce any repetition.)
- "Tao-Klarjeti is a general name coined in the academic language of the 19th cent. to define medieval Georgian heritage, movable and immovable, related to the “Georgian Kingdom” or the “Kingdom of Kartvelians”. Their Kingdom included the provinces of Erusheti, Artaani, Samtskhe, Shavsheti, Tao, Kola, and Klarjeti, which primarily comprised the basin of the River Chorokhi (Çoruh) and the headwaters of the River Mtkvari (Kura). Today it corresponds to the provinces of Erzurum, Artvin, Ardahan, and partially Kars in NE Turkiye. The Kingdom was split into two branches: the Klarjeti and the Tao, thus gaining the name the “Tao-Klarjeti Kingdom”. The millennial reign of the Bagrationi dynasty began in this region, but its history dates back to the very roots of the Georgian nation. The Georgian Chronicles provide a list of the oldest Georgian cities established by Kartlos, the mythical founder of the nation, and his descendants. Among the most ancient are the major cities of the region: the fortified city of Tukharisi in Klarjeti, Tsunda, and Artaani in Javakheti. Tao-Klarjeti played a much more important role in the history of Georgia than merely as another province. This is where the idea of a United Georgian state was born and executed, long before the first united army of the eastern Georgian Kingdom of Iberia and Colchis (western Georgia) was formed. The 11th-cent. chronicler Leonti Mroveli recounts how in the 3rd cent. BC, King Parnavaz of Iberia resolved to confront the Eastern Roman Empire. He was joined in this campaign by the Colchians and Ossetians, and the site of the battle was a place named Huri (the city of demons), which at that time had already been abandoned. The rock-cut complex near the modern Altas (an old Huri, Ardahan) still bears the name “Nakalakoi” ('abandoned city' in Georgian), and most likely witnessed this story. The first church for the newly-Christianized Iberia was built here in the village of Erusheti, in Artaani, by Byzantine masons traveling to Mtskheta. When the newly converted Iberian King Mirian sent a mission to Constantinople, Constantine rewarded the Georgian King with holy relics and sent masons to build churches. The first episcopates were formed here in Klarjeti at Ahiza and Mere, followed by the first monastery at Opiza, all of which were established during the reign of King Vakhtang Gorgasali in the 5th cent.
- During the era of Arab domination in eastern Georgia, which began in @ 640, Erismtavari Ashot Bagrationi (786 - 826) left Tbilisi and moved to the periphery, to the SW provinces of the country that bordered Byzantium. Accordingly, at the end of the 9th cent., a new principality was founded with its royal residence in Artanuji (Ardanuç, Turkiye). The area’s topography, featuring high plateaus and deep canyons, offered fertile farmland and easily defensible positions. Surrounded by the Islamic World while sharing a border with the Byzantine Empire, the Bagrationi Kings played a crucial role in changing the political and cultural landscape of the region.
- The Georgians of Tao-Klarjeti brought monasticism to a new level, particularly through the activities of Father Grigol Khantsteli (Gregory of Khantsta), who established new monasteries and restored old ones. These produced books, the finest masterpieces of metalwork, and were rich in icons and liturgical objects. The Georgian Chronicles state that “Klarjeti was protected by a rocky environment,” and it appears that such a location provided not only physical, but also spiritual tranquility for its inhabitants. In the mid-10th cent., leadership was taken up by the Tao branch of the Kingdom. King David III reigned with spectacular success from 958 to 1001, dramatically altering Georgian history with his diplomatic, military, political, economic, educational, and cultural achievements. The monasteries that were founded or redeveloped during his reign (Khakhuli, Oshki, Otkhta Eklesia and Parkhali) came to define the very borders of the Kingdom.
- Located at a geographical and cultural crossroads, and also owing to the political, religious, and cultural ideology of the Georgians of Tao-Klarjeti, the country became an integral part of and an active player in the regional changes that were occurring in the Caucasus and Anatolia. The religious centers in Tao-Klarjeti became points of transmission for cultural exchanges among Christian centers, as well as between the Christian and Islamic Worlds. At the same time, the fortifications that created a kind of grid of massive fortresses and small watchtowers served as a powerful barrier against political expansion.
- The importance of Tao-Klarjeti declined once the center of the united Georgian Kingdom moved first to Kutaisi (ca. 1000), and finally to Tbilisi (1122), although its cultural impact was diffused around the rest of Georgia. The historic Georgian provinces of Tao-Klarjeti were taken first by Ottoman Turkey in the 16th century, and ultimately by the Turkish Republic according to the Kars treaty of 1923.
- Evidence of the cultural and political importance of the area is seen in the ruins of more than a hundred churches, chapels, bridges, and fortifications.
● The preserved architectural monuments date from the 9-11th cc. There is a wide variety of architectural plans and their rendering. These include cross-domed churches, circular buildings, basilicas, and hall churches – modest in size but greatest in number.
● Almost all the churches were constructed with stones and mortar; there are very few examples of the use of brick.
● The use of stone made the development of sculpture possible, and the churches are richly decorated with geometric, floral ornamentations, and figurative reliefs.
● Inscriptions were applied liberally, giving accounts of the building processes as well as naming the donors and royal patrons; the masons’ initials are a common feature too.
● Most of the grand churches are part of monastic complexes that also include several small churches and chapels, large refectories, and various other monastic buildings.
● Almost all the larger churches have special spaces reserved for royalty and bishops.
● Most of the monuments have been preserved in their authentic original state. Only a few have undergone minor alterations."
- Caucasian history is a soup of tangled webs which comes through in this article in 'Caucusus Plus' reviewing Georgian heritage and history in northern modern Armenia.: kavkazplus.com/en/news.php?id=16049#.ZFZYraDMLrc Here's another from the same site: "Does Georgia persist because of the Armenians?", a rebuttal to a claim made by an Armenian TV presenter.: kavkazplus.com/en/news.php?id=11050#.ZFZ7DqDMLrc (That kavkazplus.com site has some surprisingly anti-Armenian articles. Some are a bit edgy and strange. I hesitate to include these links to those articles, which I'll review again later.) And here's an article from 2011 re a week-long visit to Georgia by "[Armenian] Catholicos Garegin II, which the [Apostolic] church hopes will help resolve disputes with the Georgian government and Georgian Orthodox Church over the country's Armenian religious heritage." www.rferl.org/a/armenia_church_leader_on_landmark_visit_t...
- Sufficiently sufficed with my tourism at İşhan/Ishkhan that morning, I took a long, pensive walk back down those 7 vertiginous km.s to the D060 with time for cogitation. Turning left, I then hiked further east through more of the best scenery I'd seen and would see that whole trip. (I took a photo towards the east down that road /b/ soaring canyon walls that I'll upload sometime.) My destination was the city of Kars ("one of the ancient Armenian capitals, after Artashat, Tigranakert, Vagharshapat and Dvin"). I followed the D060 alongside the Oltu stream east to the village of Coşkunlar where both the hwy. and the stream turn right (south), and then down to the T-junction with the D955 passing 2 ruined kales just east of the rd. not far north of that junction, Erkek kalesi (Mens' castle) www.castles.nl/erkek-castle and Kizkalesi (Girls' castle, not to be confused with the famous Crusader castle of the same name in the Mediterranean), only @ 300 m.s apart north to south, forming a defensive system in a valley where two rivers meet. Of the 2, Kizkalesi is the more dramatically sited, with an upper castle perched on a rocky ridge below a lower castle, "an eerie site, in keeping with the surreal landscape, where craggy gorges alternate with reddish bluffs (Bradt)," and was a miss. (It was right by the road.) I recall neither. (?)
- The city of Oltu was 15-20 clicks off route (detouring SW down the D955), 30-40 there and back, but it's home to the huge, well-preserved Oltu kalesi (the inner bailey really). Built by the Urartians @ 1,000 B.C., it "was of some importance in the Roman and Byzantine periods, and was occupied by Selcuks and Genoese colonists before falling to the Ottomans in the 16th cent" (LP) who would use it as a caravanserai. There's also an impressive Russian Orthodox church (1885-'90) on the other side of town which was a defunct fixer-upper in 2000, and now has a new steeple and a golden dome at the back end that looks just like a Gellhorn pessary. That church was built in part with early medieval masonry cannibalized from the awesome Bana cathedral (see the next photo), partially blown up by the Russians in the Russian-Turkish war. The city's best-known for the 'black amber' or jet mined nearby for prayer beads, etc. So that town might've been a miss.
- Living the good life directly beneath Oltu kalesi: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsZ-3uCLctw .
- I then turned to head east again on the D060 (the D955 becomes the D060 at that junction) and caught a lift soon enough on a long-distance coach heading to Kars. (It's a rare event when a coach driver will stop for a hitch-hiker; the hitching in Eastern Turkey was that good, offsetting the lack of traffic.) I was heading to Kars in style when only 15 clicks or less further east I caught sight of an impressive round ruined construction not too far north of the road (@ 700 m.s) and had to apologize and ask the driver to stop again. It was a lucky thing, for that round pile was the impressive and architecturally influential Bana or Banak cathedral (Georgian Orthodox, originally Armenian Apostolic, 7th cent., reconstructed or renovated in the late 9th to early 10th). www.google.com/maps/place/Bana+Cathedral/@40.6676853,42.2... (See the next photo.)
Bad Dates, Shakespeare & Company, Lenox MA 01240. 8/2010 Photo by Kevin Sprague ©2010 www.kevinsprague.com. Pictured Includes Elizabeth Aspenlieder as Haley Walker