It is far too dangerous to visit four of the ancient worlds most splendid cities (Palmyra, Aleppo, Mosul and Leptis Magna) but Nicole Benazeth travels through time and space to see them in a state-of-the-art virtual exhibition at LInstitut du monde arabe in Paris.
PALMYRA: pearl of the desert
An historic oasis in the Syrian desert, 210km north-east of Damascus in the present-day Homs Governorate, Palmyra is best known today because of the wide reporting of its almost total destruction by selfproclaimed Islamic State (ISIS).
The digital reconstruction of this outstanding Graeco-Roman site offers visitors the chance to discover aspects of its extraordinary beauty. Sited on the trade route linking Syria to Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean coast, Palmyra was first mentioned in documents in the early 2nd millennium BC. It was perfectly sited to be a rest-station for caravans crossing the desert. There, they could find shade in its extensive palm grove, fresh water, food stores and grazing for their animals. As a result of servicing these caravans, the Palmyrenes developed their own trading networks and established colonies along the Silk Road.
The rulership of Palmyra changed several times before it became a vassal state of the Roman Empire, in the 1st century AD, while still retaining its autonomy, similar to that of a Greek city-state.
It remained a prosperous trading hub from the 1st to the 3rd century AD, benefitting from the decline of the rival Nabatean city of Petra (in modern Jordan). The most important monuments were built during this period. Its distinctive architecture stems from a combination of local Semitic traditions and Graeco-Roman style. Its multicultural society included Amorites, Arameans and Arabs, speaking Aramaic, while the Greek language was used for business transactions. At its height, Palmyra had a population of 200,000. The city’s golden age ended when its Queen Zenobia (AD 240–74) rebelled against Rome, as a result of which Emperor Aurelian (AD 214–75) had the city destroyed in AD 273. And, although it was later partly rebuilt by Diocletian (AD 244–311) it never regained its former lustre.
Denne historien er fra November/December 2018 Volume 29 Number 6-utgaven av Minerva.
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Denne historien er fra November/December 2018 Volume 29 Number 6-utgaven av Minerva.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
ROMAN DISCOVERIES AT ANCIENT AUGUSTODUNUM
More than 230 graves have been uncovered at a necropolis in the French city of Autun, revealing a diverse mix in burial practices over a period of nearly 200 years, as well as luxury grave goods from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD that highlight the wealth of some of its ancient inhabitants.
SHAPING THE WORLD: SCULPTURE FROM PREHISTORY TO NOW
The sculptor Antony Gormley and the art historian and critic Martin Gayford have been talking about sculpture with each other for 20 years.
Amelia Edwards (1831-1892)
“I am essentially a worker, and a hard worker, and this I have been since my early girlhood.”
THE GREAT BEYOND
The ancient Greeks thought much about the dead – how their remains should be disposed of, how their spirits might be summoned, how malignant they could be if unavenged. Classicist David Stuttard brings us face to face with the Greek dead.
INTO THE VALLEY OF THE QUEENS
The Great Royal Wife of Ramesses II, Nefertari, was buried in one of the most spectacular tombs of Egypt’s Valley of the Queens. Well-educated and well-travelled, Nefertari played a crucial part in the political life of the pharaoh, and her importance was reflected through her magnificently decorated tomb. Lucia Marchini speaks to Jennifer Casler Price to find out more.
DEIR EL-BAHRI, 1894
Tensions were already high among the archaeologists, surveyors, and artists of the Archaeological Survey of Egypt in 1891 when an eventful dispute arose on Christmas Eve.
PUSHING BOUNDARIES
When the Etruscans expanded to the south and the vast plains of Campania, they found a land of cultural connections and confrontations, as luxurious grave goods found across the region reveal. An exhibition at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples sheds light on these ancient Italians at the frontier. Paolo Giulierini, director of the museum, is our guide.
CUZCO 'CENTRE AND HEAD OF ALL THE LAND'
Cuzco was the heart of the vast Inca empire, but all changed in the 16th century when the capital was conquered by Spanish invaders. Michael J Schreffler investigates the Inca city, and how it went from the centre of one empire to the periphery of another.
A STUDY IN PURPLE
A tiny speck of purple paint from the 2nd century AD may yield clues to how ancient artists created the extraordinary portrait panels that accompanied mummified bodies into the afterlife.
Rome In The 8th Century: A History In Art
John Osborne CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, £75 HARDBACK - ISBN 978-1108834582
