“Cube of Zoroaster” (Ka’ba-ye Zartosht) | 5th century BCE, Naghsh-e Rostam.
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Middle Earth, Xilitla, Mexico. Photo Simon Lohmeyer
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João Luís Carrilho da Graça - Archaeological museum at the Castle of São Jorge, Lisbon 2010. Via, photos © Fernando Guerra.
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My Son (which means in Vietnamese “Beautiful Mountain”), is a cluster of abandoned Hindu temples built between the 4th and 13th century AD, located in the Quang Nam Province of Vietnam. This site gives us great insight into political and spiritual life of this important phase of South-East Asian history. Its position in a small valley surrounded by high mountains gave it strategic advantage and easy defense.
My Son was the capital of the Champa Kingdom for the majority of its existence, which started when the people of the Tuong Lam area rose up against their Chinese overlords in AD 192. Many temples were built to the Hindu divinities (such as Vishnu, Krishna, and Shiva) when the Cham came under influence of the Hindu religion, My Son being the favored location for such temples by kings in the 6th and 8th centuries. The vast majority of the 11th century was a period of continuous warfare, and My Son suffered greatly. Following the decline of the Champa Kingdom from the 13th century, by the 15th century, worship ceased at My Son.
The kalan (main tower) symbolizes the meru (sacred mountain) at the centre of the universe. The bhurloka (rectangular base), decorated with reliefs, represents the human world.
Photos courtesy & taken by dalbera. When writing up this post, UNESCO world heritage was of great use.
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Recently, aerial photographer Jason Hawkes was on an assignment in Libya, with access to a Russian-built Mi-8 helicopter, He flew along the Mediterranean coastline, photographing Tripoli and several ancient Roman sites from above, including Sabratha and Leptis Magna. The result is a collection of images of Libya rather unlike most recent photos from the region, showing a continuity of more than 2,000 years of human habitation along the coast of North Africa. Jason was once again kind enough to share some of his images with us here. Be sure to also see an earlier story, showing the Night Skies of London and the U.K..
See more. [Images: Jason Hawkes]
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Urban Explorer Infiltrates an Abandoned Gasometer via Urban Ghosts
Situated somewhere in Europe, urban explorer Urbex Maestro captured this striking series of photographs featuring a now abandoned gasometer dating to the turn of the 20th century.
The vast empty structure, built in 1904, was designed to store 50,000 cubic metres of gas. The roof was capable of moving up and down to control the pressure inside the 60-metre diameter tank.
This gasometer is a typical example of the ornate industrial architecture that flourished throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, reflecting the importance of form as well as function.
