Amazing Antiquity

 

The American couple I fortuously ran into, David and Nadya, not only were fun to be around, but quite the adventurers. If we had had more time at any one of the places we went to, we might have spent even more time exploring. As it was, I think we all had a lot of fun that day and complimented each other. Here then is that story.

 

I guess I don't have to wonder anymore what dolphins love: Pomgranates. We saw this odd item on the way out of town.

 

Next stop, Adyaman. Well, we didn't spent much time, had lunch on the way out of town, and pushed on

 

What is this thing with bakers in the Middle East and Central Asia? I guess, they are kind, efficient, and feed many every day.

 

At the little restaurant she was fixing veggie kebabs

 

 

 

The handshake between Mithridates II and his sister Laodike (on the right)

 

The spectacular landscape below the funeral mound looking across the dammed Eurphrates River that originates in Turkey

 

The story of the three columns. One of them had the name of an emperor upstart who fell in disgrace and had his name removed from all public structures in the Roman Empire. His name was on one of the columns, and with legionaire efficiency, rather than to chisel his name off, they tossed the column, that really was only decorative anyway, probably over the side of the bridge.
From what I understand, until the new bridge was built, all traffic, such as it is, went over the ancient bridge. Now a monument.

 

The bridge-building Roman legion forgot their dog. As I walked by, the tail started to wag. She was so perfectly colored, I did not even see her lying there. Note the original stones that paved the bridge nearly 2000 years ago, along the edge. I am glad they left them when they put the new pavers down.

 

As we were climbing the hill, Nadya discovered this band of lovely marble, smooth as glass to walk on.

 

The castle is approachable from the back of the mountain, but a time consuming effort and we still had a long way to go

 

The castle, as we saw later, just a few walls and not much else. It would have been fun to climb up to it, though

 

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Turkey 2011

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