Arsemia was the summer capital of the Commagene Kingdom built by King Antiochus I Theos Dikaios Epiphanes Philoromaios Philhellen of Commagene in honor of his father King Mithridates I Callinicus. Its mountain location soon became a military stronghold and the site of a mausoleum and religious center. In the valley below is a tributary of … Continue reading
The mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is located in Ankara and was designed by architects Professor Emin Onat and Assistant Professor Orhan Arda, whose proposal beat 48 other entries from several countries in a competition held by the Turkish Government in 1941 for a “monumental mausoleum” for Atatürk. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was the leader of … Continue reading
The Monumental Tomb pictured below was built by Commagene’s King Mithradates II and was dedicated to his mother Isas. Because of the symbol of the eagle on the top of the columns, it was named Karakuş (black bird) Tumulus. There were four columns in each east, west and south direction, however today only two at … Continue reading
The focus here is on Amun – King of the gods and god of the wind – and the temple which was constructed in his honor in the ancient city of Naqa. Amun has been associated with the ram and so that is an image in abundance here… After approaching the Temple of Amun on … Continue reading
As opposed to the Elephant Temple we just discussed, the nearby “Lion Temple” or Apedemak Temple might have been a site of pilgrimage. In 1822, when the first European expedition visited the Lion Temple at Musawwarat es-Sufra, except for a few contours of the outer north wall and some columns remaining visible, the temple was … Continue reading
Musawwarat es Sufra (or just Moswarat) is the largest temple complex dating back to the Meroitic Period in Sudan. It consists of two main parts — the Great Enclosure and the Lion Temple of Apedemak. The Great Enclosure, which was mostly built around the third century BC, is a vast structure consisting of low walls, … Continue reading
A continuation of: The Road To Happiness: A Series From the Los Angeles Times in the 1950s: In an old photograph, Albert Clark Reed looks like just another balding man in a coat and tie, a 45-year-old husband and father from the 1950s. He has a thin mustache and a pleasant half-smile that looks as … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 