Feb 1st, 2013 at 4:00PM:
The government of Israel has just completed a $2 million restoration of the ancient Nabatean city of Avdat, The Jewish Press reports.
Avdat is in the Negev Desert and was one of the westernmost points on an extensive incense trade network the Nabateans built stretching as far as the southern Saudi peninsula that flourished from the 3rd century B.C. to the 2nd century A.D. Incense was ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
byzantine posts
Israel Restores Ancient City
Feb 1st, 2013 at 4:00PM:
The government of Israel has just completed a $2 million restoration of the ancient Nabatean city of Avdat, The Jewish Press reports.
Avdat is in the Negev Desert and was one of the westernmost points on an extensive incense trade network the Nabateans built stretching as far as the southern Saudi peninsula that flourished from the 3rd century B.C. to the 2nd century A.D. Incense was ...Church Of The Nativity In Bethlehem May Become Palestine's First World Heritage Site
Jun 15th, 2012 at 2:00PM:
The government of Palestine is applying to put the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It would be the first such site for the emerging nation.
The government of Palestine is eager to increase its recognition among the community of nations. While 130 countries recognize it as a country, a few don't, most notably the United States and Israel. When Palestine ...Mistra: a medieval ghost town in southern Greece
Feb 10th, 2012 at 12:00PM: On a steep hill overlooking the Vale of Sparta in southwestern Greece stands the last capital of the Roman Empire.
In 395 AD, beset by enemies, the empire split into western and eastern halves. The Western Roman Empire was soon overwhelmed. The east flourished. Its capital was at Constantinople, modern Istanbul. Known as the Byzantine Empire, it developed a distinctive style of art and ...Sparta: Greece's ancient warrior city
Feb 8th, 2012 at 10:00AM: After having seen Athens and Corinth, I couldn't resist visiting one of the other great city-states of ancient Greece: Sparta.
Sparta needs no introduction. It's a star player on the History and Discovery channels and that schlocky pseudo-historical film 300. While I wanted to see the ancient ruins where brave warriors once strode, my main reason for going was to explore nearby Mistra, a ...The Athens War Museum
Feb 6th, 2012 at 9:00AM:
This is a Heckler & Koch MP5 9mm submachine gun with gold plated parts. It was given by the Defense Minister of Kuwait to former Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, probably as a thank you for his nation's help in liberating Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm. It's one of a case of Papandreou's personal weapons on display at the Athens War Museum.
Greece has a long and proud ...Greek museums face the economic crisis
Feb 1st, 2012 at 10:00AM: It's not easy being the caretaker of Greece's heritage these days. Greek museums are facing budget cuts, strikes, reduced staff, even loss of visitors due to riots. The National Archaeological Museum had many rooms closed during the peak tourist season last summer due to budget cuts, and strikes are regularly closing all publicly owned museums.
Take the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens. ...Early Christian art on display at the Onassis Cultural Center, NYC
Dec 8th, 2011 at 2:00PM:
It's often called the Dark Ages, a time when barbarian hordes overran Rome and that great civilization's art, culture, and learning disappeared. A time when there were no great achievements.
It's a misnomer.
Rome did not fall in the fifth century with the usurpation of the last emperor in Rome in 476. To the east, at the new capital of Constantinople, modern Istanbul, the Eastern Roman ...Archaeologists blog as they excavate Nea Paphos World Heritage site
Nov 29th, 2011 at 2:00PM:
Archaeologists excavating at the ancient city of Nea Paphos in Cyprus have written about their work and discoveries in a blog.
A University of Sydney team has been working to uncover medieval walls built atop a Classical theater and investigating a public fountain dating to the first century AD, the Cyprus Mail reports.
Nea Paphos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was founded around 300 ...Castles in Greece in danger
Oct 8th, 2011 at 9:00AM: When people think of castles, they usually think of those in Western Europe such as Spain, France, and Germany. Eastern Europe, however, has just as many if not more.
Greece has some of the best, like the castle of Methoni photographed here by Wolfram Sinapius. Having been fought over by the Byzantines, Venetians, Crusaders, Ottomans, and many others, it seems every island and hilltop has its ...Archaeologists in Syria discover Byzantine mosaic
May 15th, 2011 at 3:00PM: Just when you thought all news coming out of Syria was bad, an archaeology team has discovered a Byzantine mosaic in a medieval church.
The mosaic was discovered last week at the Deir Sounbol Church on al-Zawieh Mountain. Syrian investigators say the mosaic measures 4x5 meters (13x16 ft.). While portions are damaged or missing, floral and geometric shapes are clearly visible and there are ...The food and wine of Extremadura, Spain
Jan 4th, 2011 at 12:30PM: One of the best things about traveling around Spain is trying out the various regional cuisines. Here in Extremadura, in the southwestern part of the country, the people are known for the quality of their cuisine.
First off, there are these shapely pig legs pictured on the right. Cured and ready to be cut into thin slices, this is called jamón, and is a personal favorite of mine. In a ...Museum Junkie: Museum of the Good Samaritan opens in Israel
Jul 9th, 2009 at 12:30PM: One of the world's largest mosaic museums recently opened in Israel.
The Museum of the Good Samaritan displays artifacts from the many cultures that lived in the region. The main attractions are the intricate mosaics found in synagogues in the West Bank and Gaza.
The museum is located on the highway between Jerusalem and Jericho near the ancient town of Ma'ale Adumim in the West Bank, believed ...
