A photo-journalistic look at several important sites in the Eastern Mediterranean.

1. EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
Ancient Empires and Holy Lands Tour

2. SITES

3. HAGIA SOPHIA – HOLY WISDOM OF GOD
Built in the 5th
Century A.D. by
Istanbul, Turkey Emperor Justinian
after the original
basilica, built by
Constantine was
destroyed by fire,
this church served
as the center of the
Orthodox Christian
world for a
millennium.
In 1453 Mehmet
the Conqueror had
it converted into a
mosque. Minarets
were added to the
exterior and the
calligraphy for the
name of god
(Allah),
Mohammed, and
the Caliphates
were added to the
balcony level
(visible here).
Today it is a
museum.

4. HAGIA SOPHIA – RESTORED MOSAICS
When Ataturk, the
founder of modern,
Istanbul secular Turkey,
converted the
Haghia Sophia into
a museum in 1935
he had the artisans
remove the plaster
that had covered
the Byzantine era
mosaics that were
covered by the
Ottoman Turks.
This is detail from
one of the most
beautiful mosaics
on the second level
of the complex.

5. BLUE MOSQUE
Built by Sultan
Ahmet I in 1616
Istanbul A.D., this mosque
is known
throughout the
world for its
beautiful blue tiles
that cover the
interior walls.
Envisioned as a
structure that could
rival the nearby
Haghia Sophia,
Architect Mehmet
Aga created a
structure on a
similarly grand
scale.

6. BLUE MOSQUE - COURTYARD
Every architectural
feature of the Blue
Istanbul Mosque was
executed with great
care and precision.
This shows some
detail from under
the archways in the
main courtyard.
Practicing Muslims
wash themselves
before going inside
to pray.

7. HIPPODROME – CHARIOT RACES
In the center of the
Old Town area of
Istanbul Istanbul sits the
historically
important
Hippodrome. This
was where the
chariot races of the
Roman era were
held and political
rallies toppled
governments
throughout the
centuries.
The most
commanding
structure is the
Obelisk of
Theodosius. It was
carved in Egypt
during the reign of
Thutmose III (1549
– 1503 B.C.) and
transported to
Istanbul during the
Byzantine era. It
sits on a Byzantine
era base.

8. GRAND BAZAAR
A crazy cacophony
of sound, chaos
Istanbul and color, the
covered Grand
Bazaar contains
over 4,000 shops,
restaurants,
mosques, banks,
police stations and
workshops. It
contains several
kilometers of lanes
to tempt any tourist.

9. SPICE MARKET
More popular with
the locals, the spice
Istanbul market is a
crowded, active
and aromatic
sensation. The
colors will delight
every one who
dares to wander in.
There are booths
selling bulk spices,
restaurants selling
Turkish food and, of
course, Turkish
coffee shops.

10. TROY – HOMER’S ILIAD
Leaving the the
port at windy
Canakkale, Turkey Canakkale,
southeast of the
Dardanelles and
near Mt. Ida, we
traveled to the
remains of the city
of Troy. Famous
for Homer‟s epic
poem, the Iliad,
Troy is a UNESCO
site that has been
excavated in
successive layers.
It was first settled in
about 3,000 B.C. –
The era when the
Trojan War was
believed to have
been was
sometime between
the 12th, 13th or 14th
Century B.C.
Pictured here is the
area where
sacrifices were
made to the gods.

11. EPHESUS – CENTER OF ARTEMIS CULT
A short drive from
Kusadasi is the
Kusadasi, Turkey UNESCO site of
Ephesus. Capital
of the Romans‟
Asia Province, this
city is one of the
great treasures of
Turkey‟s vast
inventory of
historical sites.
At one time it was a
prosperous port
city; however, now,
it lies miles from
the nearest shore
line due to
deposition from the
Meander River.
Pictured here is the
famous Library of
Celsus building.
The library was
located directly
across from the
brothel, and
connected by an
underground
passageway.

12. EPHESUS – ROMAN AMPHITHEATER
A long Arcadian
Way leads to this
Kusadasi immense theatre
complex that is
estimated to have
held 20,000
spectators. It sits
directly across from
a large agora or
commercial
complex that would
have been bustling
with hawkers and
shop keepers for
hundreds of years.
Until recently
modern music
festivals were held
at this location;
however, this
practice has been
discontinued due to
the deterioration of
the complex.

13. CHURCH OF OUR LADY ON MT. FILERIMOS
This medieval era
church was built on
Rhodes, Greece the foundations of
an ancient temple
to Athena. In the
12th century A.D. it
was restored by the
Knights of St. John.
After the fall of
Rhodes to the
Ottoman Turks it
was used as a
stable until its
restoration about
30 years ago.
The restored
monastery is still
occupied and used
for traditional Greek
Orthodox
ceremonies.
On the day of our
visit the local clergy
was preparing for a
baptism ceremony.

14. MEDIEVAL RHODES TOWN – KNIGHTS OF ST. JOHN
A collection of
medieval buildings
Rhodes built by the Order of
St. John, including
a hospital to treat
Crusaders traveling
to and from the
holy land, a series
of compounds
where the Knights
resided, and the
imposing Palace of
the Grand Masters,
is pictured here.
The Knights moved
here from Cyprus in
1309, long after
being expelled from
Jerusalem by the
Muslims.
The double-headed
griffin was and
important symbol of
the Order.

15. PERGE – BEST PRESERVED ROMAN BATHS
A short drive from
our port at Antalya
Antalya, Turkey is the ancient city of
Perge, first settled
by the Hittites
around 1500 B.C.
St. Paul visited
Perge in 46 A.D.
and preached his
first sermon here.
Pictured here are
the remains of an
extensive Roman
bath complex that
included extensive
clay pipes to bring
in the hot water and
steam for the city
patrons.

16. PERGE –ARCHAEOLOGICAL
One of the best
collections of
Antalya Roman marble
carvings outside of
Istanbul is the
Archeological
Museum in Antalya.
It houses finds from
the Neolithic era up
to and through the
Ottoman empire.
Remains of a major
Roman aqueduct
can be seen
outside of the city.
And, as in many
MUSEUM
places throughout
Turkey, weavers
are constantly
working in their
various showrooms
and workshops,
creating beautiful
rugs for domestic
use and foreign
trade.

17. ASPENDOS – ROMAN STADIUM
One of the best
preserved of the
Alanya, Turkey Roman stadiums at
the ancient town of
Aspendos is a short
drive from Alanya,
Turkey.
Legend has it that
Aspendos was
founded shortly
after the Trojan
war. The city came
under control of the
Persians in 546
B.C. Alexander
brought the city
under his control in
333 B.C. and taxed
its residents
heavily.

18. GREEK CYPRIOT COASTLINE
A beautiful drive
along the coastline
Larnaca, Cyprus from Larnaca in
Greek Cyprus
reveals how
charming and
beautiful the
Mediterranean
countryside can be.
A visit to the market
proves to be fruitful.
In the area, a
medieval Castle in
Limmasol is
famous because it
is where Richard
the Lionhart, King
of England, married
Berengaria of
Navarre and
crowned her Queen
of England in 1191.

19. MEDIEVAL CASTLE OF KOLOSSI
Built in the 13th
Century by the
Larnaca High Command of
the Knights of St.
John, this castle
sits among
extended
vineyards.
A poorly preserved
fresco of Jesus on
the cross is visible
in the main entry
hall.

20. ACRE & THE CRUSADERS’ CASTLE
The old city of Acre
(spelled Akko in the
Haifa, Israel Arab world) is a
UNESCO World
Heritage site. The
Hospitaller
Fortress, with it‟s
fortified Knights
Hall, is one of the
key structures at
this large complex.
The Order moved
its headquarters to
Akko in 1191 after
being expelled
from Jerusalem.
The interior shot
shows the
construction of the
archways so typical
of the design of the
Gothic period.

21. BAHA'I GARDENS
With over half a
Haifa million visitors a
year, the Bahá‟í
Gardens in Haifa
are among the
most popular sites
in the Middle East.
Their unique
design, combining
geometrical shapes
and exquisite
detailing with loving
conservation of
natural and historic
landscape features,
leaves an indelible
impression on
visitors.
These gardens
were designated as
a UNESCO World
Heritage site in
2008.

22. TEMPLE MOUNT WAILING WALL
In the top center of
the so-called
Jerusalem, Israel „Temple Mount‟ of
the Old City of
Jerusalem is the
famous Wailing
Wall, the only
remaining portion
of the ancient
Temple of
Solomon. The
Temple was
destroyed by the
Romans in 70 A.D.
It sits between the
gold-topped Dome
of the Rock and the
Al-Aqsa Mosque,
pictured here.
In the foreground of
this photo is an
archaeological dig
site from the
Roman era.

23. Along the passage
ARTIST’S VISION OF ANCIENT JERUSALEM
of the
archaeological dig
Jerusalem of the main street
of ancient
Jerusalem is an
artist‟s rendering of
what it must have
been like 2,000
years ago.
Notice the modern
age schoolboy in
the right foreground
that is talking to the
ancient girl in a
white dress and
blue shawl.
The new meets the
old in Jerusalem.

24. ISRAELIS AND ARABS COEXIST IN OLD CITY
For centuries the
Arabs and Jews
Jerusalem have been at odds
over the control of
the Temple Mount.
There is, today, an
uneasy truce as
both groups co-
exist in this busy
section of the city
of Jerusalem.
There were hookah
smokers and
security officers on
every corner.

25. CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER
One of the main
pilgrimage sites in
Jerusalem Jerusalem is the
beautiful Church of
the Holy Sepulcher.
The interior dome
is made up of a
beautiful and
intricate image of
Jesus, pictured
below.
The church was
built under the
guidance of
Constantine‟s
Mother in the 3rd
Century A.D.

26. PROLIFIC ARTS AND CRAFTS COMMUNITY
Artisan crafts that
target the tourists is
Jerusalem an important part of
the local economy
of Jerusalem.
Tourism is one of
Israel's major
sources of income,
with 3.45 million
tourist arrivals in
2010.

27. GIZA PLATEAU: PYRAMIDS AND SPHINX
The sun bleached
sand and rock of
Cairo, Egypt the Giza Plateau is
not very busy with
tourists these days.
The vendors are
getting ever more
desperate due to
the drop in tourism
after the 2011
Egyptian
Revolution.
The beauty of the
Sphinx and the
geometric
perfection of the
pyramids lives on,
regardless of the
ups and downs of
human political
actions.

28. TOURISTS ON CAMELS
Only the tourists
Cairo ride camels in
Cairo these days.
And, since the
Egyptian
Revolution, there
are fewer and
fewer tourists.
Economic
prospects for the
country are very
grim and the
desperation is
visible everywhere
in the eyes of the
vendors that rely on
tourism for their
daily income.
Public services
contractors from
overseas have
cancelled contracts
since the
Revolution and the
quality of life has
deteriorated in
many cities.

29. CAIRO WHIRLING DANCER
Egypt‟s economy
grew steadily at
Cairo around 7%
between 2005 and
2008 before
dropping to below
5% after the
Revolution.
Egypt‟s tourism
industry, which is
$10 billion per year
(approximately 6%
of GDP), suffered a
major blow as a
result of the Arab
Spring revolution in
January and
February 2011, and
its slow recovery is
highly vulnerable to
perceptions about
Egypt‟s internal
political stability
and security.

30. NILOMETER AT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
In the middle of an
urban
Alexandria, Egypt neighborhood in
Alexandria stands
the Pompey‟s Pillar
dig site. The most
interesting feature
of this site was the
Nilometer from
approximately the
1st Century A.D. It
is pictured here as
the box-like
structure at the left
of the photo.
These structures
were used to
determine the tax
burden that would
be applied to the
farmers after the
annual inundation.
Also pictured, four
Muslim men
enjoying their
morning tea.

31. ALEXANDRIA LIBRARY
The UN funded
reconstruction of
Alexandria the library at
Alexandria is one of
the most modern
structures in this
otherwise
traditional city. It is
a rich resource for
the students at the
nearby Universities.

32. CITADEL OF QAITBEY: ON SITE OF LIGHTHOUSE
This fortress is
seated upon the
Alexandria exact location of
the Lighthouse of
Alexandria which
was completely
destroyed by
several
earthquakes over
the centuries,
beginning in the
800s and
continuing to the
eleventh century.
By the 14th
century A.D. the
entire site had been
destroyed and the
Sultan Qaitbay
decided to use the
location as a
defensive fort. It is
a local museum
with beautifully
maintained grounds
today, used by
locals for fun and
play.

33. ISLAND OF CRETE: THE HARBOR
Agios Nikolaos has
a small harbor that
Agios Nikolaos, Greece has been important
for sailors since it
was first settled in
the Late Bronze
Age. Just beyond
the harbor is a
natural lake that,
for centuries,
provided the
inhabitants with
fresh water.
The lake water is
now brackish due
to intrusion from
the sea water.

34. CRETE: MINOAN CIVILIZATION AT KNOSSOS
Riane Eisler in her
book “The Chalice
Agios Nikolaos & the Blade”
characterizes this
ancient society as a
matriarchical
society that
displayed
significant
agricultural wealth,
peace and cultural
refinement.
Columns were
made of wood as
shown in this
reconstruction from
the site.
They were heavily
engaged in trade,
especially of honey,
which was
harvested in great
quantities and
stored in the large,
reconstructed jars
pictured here.

35. KNOSSOS PALACE: THRONE ROOM OF THE MINOANS
Absent from
Minoan art was the
Agios Nikolaos image of strong,
powerful and
dominant male
figures. This was
characteristic of all
of the other
societies of the
time at which
Minoan civilization
thrived (2600 B.C.
to 1000 B.C.).
The throne room,
pictured here was
set up for the
monarch to receive
traveling guests
and trading
partners throughout
the Aegean. The
bowl was originally
outside the room to
allow for visitors to
wash before
entering.

36. MYKONOS HARBOR
The streets in
Mykonos were
Mykonos, Greece deliberately laid out
in a labyrinth to
confuse and entrap
marauding pirates
from ancient times.
The religious life is
predominately
Greek Orthodox,
and the economy
relies heavily on
tourism.
All of the structures
in the town are
covered with a
white lime-based
paint that gives it a
clean look, even
though the
buildings are all
from the medieval
era.
There are several
pelicans that
wander the town.

37. GREEK ORTHODOX CHAPEL
Individual families
still maintain these
Mykonos medieval era
chapels that were
built for family
worship and special
ceremonies.
Weddings,
baptisms and
funerals are
regularly held in
these unique and
beautiful structures.

38. WINDMILLS OF MYKONOS
Barley bread was
the primary export
Mykonos from Mykonos to
the surrounding
islands for
centuries. These
windmills are
remnants of that
past economy.
The present day
economy is based
on tourism as this
island, along with
most of the Greek
islands, has been
heavily logged and
eroded through the
centuries of human
habitation.

39. DELOS: ANCIENT CITY ON AN ISLAND
One of the most
important centers
Ferry from Mykonos of commerce and
trade during the
Hellenistic era was
Delos, now a
UNESCO site. The
entire island is
protected and there
are active teams of
French, German,
Greek and U.S.
archaeologists
working on the site.
Delos was where
coins were first
minted and it was
the site of the first
stock market and
futures exchange.
It also has a darker
history; it was the
center for the
Greek slave trade.

40. ACROPOLIS – POLIS ON A HILL
The entire
Acropolis is a 10
Piraeus (Athens), Greece acre site that was
the focal point of
Athenian life and
culture for
hundreds of years.
The Acropolis is a
UNESCO site that
is currently
undergoing
extensive
reconstruction and
stabilization.
It is made up of a
series of structures
that were
constructed at
different times in
the history of the
city, beginning in
the Early Neolithic
(6th millennium BC).

41. ATHENS - AGORA
Directly below the
Acropolis was the
Athens heart and soul of
the city – The
market and the
public spaces
where democracy
was forged. It is
here where the first
Senate building and
the various
supporting
buildings were
constructed.
Pictured here, in
the foreground are
the ruins of one of
the Senate‟s major
buildings. In the
background is a
surviving temple to
the Greek god for
the industrial and
metal working arts.
A headless statue
of Hadrian the
Emperor graces the
walkway.

42. ACROPOLIS – PARTHENON
Pictured here is the
Parthenon, or the
Athens Temple of the
Virgin, Athena.
This structure was
a tribute to this
Greek goddess,
whom the Greeks
considered to be
their defender.
It is the most
important surviving
building of
classical Greece‟s
Golden Age (circa
460 to 430 BC).
The columns are
approximately 10
meters, or 34 feet,
high. It is
considered to be
the culmination of
the development of
the Doric Order.

43. THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF HISTORY