Kosmo Posted October 30, 2010 Report Share Posted October 30, 2010 Unfortunately for me, my circumstances (I'm Jewish) make me sort of afraid to go to the Middle East. There are millions of Jews in the Middle East Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvadius Posted October 30, 2010 Report Share Posted October 30, 2010 On a more serious note as far as Turkey is concerned I understand it to be a totally secular state which really does divorce religion from state functions. For which reasoon providing no-one wears overt religious symbols or clothing inside public buildings there shouldn't be any major problems in tourist areas. Irrespective of the recent attack on the Peace Convoy there probably is more risk of getting caught in an earthquake in Turkey than suffering any adverse reaction because of a specific religion. If in doubt seek advice from your equivalent of the Foreigh Ofice/ Foreign Department. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosmo Posted October 30, 2010 Report Share Posted October 30, 2010 I have seen Israeli cruise ships bringing each hundreds of Israeli tourists in Turkey without any problem. The two countries were very close allies until this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maladict Posted October 30, 2010 Report Share Posted October 30, 2010 El Jem. Excellent mosaics in the museum, and of course the famous amphitheater (never knew there was a second one though). Not quite convinced by the claims it is better preserved than the one in Rome. Full half of it is almost completely missing, though partly reconstructed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvadius Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 El Jem. Excellent mosaics in the museum, and of course the famous amphitheater (never knew there was a second one though). Not quite convinced by the claims it is better preserved than the one in Rome. Full half of it is almost completely missing, though partly reconstructed. Strictly speaking the large Stone-built amphitheatre is the third at El Djem. The original amphitheatres site is actually across the railway just opposite the museum as I only found out just before we left the museum to go to the main amphithreatre thus I only got the chance for a 'very' long-distance shot of it just before we left to go to the main amphitheatre. Wikipedia does have a plan of what they term the 'small' amphitheatre although they don't seem to have realised there were two phases to its construction. The orignal amphitheatre was dug into a small hill then expanded slightly in its second phase before being abandonded for the main amphitheatre site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artimi Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 the things they are a changing in Turkey This is not the first article I have read about changes and attempted changes in politics, policies etc. in turkey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maladict Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 El Jem. Excellent mosaics in the museum, and of course the famous amphitheater (never knew there was a second one though). Not quite convinced by the claims it is better preserved than the one in Rome. Full half of it is almost completely missing, though partly reconstructed. Strictly speaking the large Stone-built amphitheatre is the third at El Djem. The original amphitheatres site is actually across the railway just opposite the museum as I only found out just before we left the museum to go to the main amphithreatre thus I only got the chance for a 'very' long-distance shot of it just before we left to go to the main amphitheatre. Wikipedia does have a plan of what they term the 'small' amphitheatre although they don't seem to have realised there were two phases to its construction. The orignal amphitheatre was dug into a small hill then expanded slightly in its second phase before being abandonded for the main amphitheatre site. Here are a few pictures I took there. They're pretty bad, the rain was pouring down and I just wanted to get out of there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvadius Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 Here are a few pictures I took there. They're pretty bad, the rain was pouring down and I just wanted to get out of there. Thanks for sharing these Maladict. They may seem 'pretty bad' to you but considering they are the first I have seen anywhere on the web that show the actual standing remains of the original amphitheatre at El Djem rather than simple line drawings of the paln I think they are well worth seeing. The pictures showing the internal structural walls are especially interesting as is the final shot showing the larger amphitheatre in the background as it gives a very good idea of the differences in scale between them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Neil Posted November 17, 2010 Report Share Posted November 17, 2010 The original amphitheatres site is actually across the railway just opposite the museum as I only found out just before we left the museum to go to the main amphithreatre thus I only got the chance for a 'very' long-distance shot of it just before we left to go to the main amphitheatre. Wikipedia does have a plan of what they term the 'small' amphitheatre although they don't seem to have realised there were two phases to its construction. The orignal amphitheatre was dug into a small hill then expanded slightly in its second phase before being abandonded for the main amphitheatre site. Looking at this plan, I cannot help but find similarities between the Earlier El Djem amphitheatre and the two stone- built British amphitheatres at Chester and Caerleon. Incidentally, Chester was the last Roman site I visited, last weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostOfClayton Posted November 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2010 Incidentally, Chester was the last Roman site I visited, last weekend. Much to see? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Neil Posted November 18, 2010 Report Share Posted November 18, 2010 Incidentally, Chester was the last Roman site I visited, last weekend. Much to see? Not as much as you might think, it being one of the three (permanent) legionary fortresses of Britannia. The amphitheatre, however, is worth a visit. slightly more than half of it remains, preserved and consolidated. The other half lies undisturbed in what looks like a large private garden. There are other bits and bobs, visible under glass inside shops, and for a long stretch the city walls overly the walls of the fortress. The dead centre of Chester retains the T - junction layout of the fortress streets, and are even named in the Roman fashion i.e. Via Praetoria etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulus vevus Posted December 2, 2010 Report Share Posted December 2, 2010 (edited) Riding on the wave of popularity of "What's the last book you read?" (in the Colosseum forum). How about "What's the last Roman site you visited?" I'll start the ball rolling with Caistor Roman Town in Lincolnshire. Disappointingly, there's only a short stretch of the wall left - not worth a visit, really. On reflection, I should've started this topic just after visiting somewhere more exciting, like Lancaster. Too late now, though. Caerleon & Caerwent August 2010 -Great Museum at Caerleon Edited December 2, 2010 by paulus vevus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PompeyTheGreat Posted December 22, 2010 Report Share Posted December 22, 2010 (edited) The Graeco-Roman city of Caesarea in modern Israel. Made 'Roman' and named Caesarea in honor of Augustus by the Hasmonean client king of Judea, Herod, in 25-13 BCE. Edited December 22, 2010 by PompeyTheGreat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoJobRob Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 When I was stationed in Germany in 2002-2004 some friends and I went to Trier and saw the arena, Porta Nigra, and the baths. Being a fan of ancient Rome since I was just 3 or 4 years old, I was quite ecstatic and awe struck being able to see those ancient structures. We even walked through the tunnels beneath the arena and saw the cells they kept people, weapons, animals, etc in. It was pretty awesome. I had tons of pictures that I took, but then I lost my camera while in a drunken stupor in Paris. Oh well. When the world is safer one day I will travel to Rome and spend a couple weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostOfClayton Posted January 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 When the world is safer one day I will travel to Rome and spend a couple weeks. I'm intrigued as to why the world needs to be any safer to get to Rome. Do you know something I don't? Should I be worried? Tell all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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