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The Ruins of Ephesus: A City Out of Time
I've never seen anything like Ephesus. I've never seen a Roman home with original tiling. I've never seen rows of shops with the original carved signs detailing the shops offerings. And most importantly, I've never seen it all together, so well preserved as a single city. That's Ephesus, a true step back in time. A true city preserved like no other.
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Healing and Horrors at a Roman Psychiatric Hospital
Perhaps it's only because the United States is so void of ancient cities and archaic remnants that I am so enamored with ancient things. I wonder about the people living in Turkey. Is it meaningful to them that they can throw a rock and hit yet another gorgeous ancient ruin? Or it simply another thing that hardly warrants noticing, like yet another corn field in the US?
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To Breach the Walls of Troy
1000 ships. 10 years. 1 hollow horse. Luckily, I only had to wait in line for 10 minutes to breach the walls of Troy. I grew up on myths. I remember reading a child-friendly version of The Iliad in the fourth grade. As a school project, I created a home video of the Twelve Labors of Heracles, including putting a tan, fuzzy blanket on my dog and making my brother run after her and “stab her” to simulate the killing of the Nemean Lion. By the time I was halfway through middle school, my favorite movies were Troy and Gladiator (and The Lord of the Rings). And, like everyone in…
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Istanbul: Jewel of the Empire
It signifies that the Romans were intrigued by past civilizations, as I am. And, like colonizers, were adept at stealing cool cultural monuments to display in their own country rather than leaving them where they belong.
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Along the River Danube: Ancient Fortresses and Fearless Kings
I was doing an excellent job of clutching the trappings of Romanticism tight, so I hardly needed help, but the beautiful countries of Eastern Europe continued to prop up my escapism. After all, now we were starting to see castles!
