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Posts tagged ‘ancient Greece’

Nov 10

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Art Institute of Chicago Ancient Greek & Roman Wing Reopens – Nov 11

On November 11th, the Art Institute of Chicago opens its Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Art.  I have to give the AIC a lot of credit for the best museum construction sign ever!  I saw this while visiting in August:

Art Institute of Chicago Greek and Roman wing closure sign

Greek art, get it?

Anyways, these galleries sit awkwardly in the hallway to the Chagall windows making it a difficult space for a curator to work with.  The remodeling construction this summer consisted of numerous, single item sized, free standing display cases.  From the few mockup images I’ve seen, the galleries will be a lot less crowded and more focused.  (Click here for a panorama of one of the former Roman galleries).  I presume fewer items will be displayed making for a more focused collection.  If anyone stops soon, I’d appreciate a report back on the new space!

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Aug 3

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus model
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A Mausoleum – A Wonder of the Ancient World

Map of 7 Wonders of the Ancient World

Map of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (Image: crystalinks.com)

While I am keeping a count of UNESCO World Heritage sites I have visited, I realized that I am quickly racking up the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.  I saw 2 alone in Turkey!  I should use the verb “saw” loosely as both sites are essentially destroyed but definitely a notable stop along the way.

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Jul 27

Ephesus Nike
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Images of Nike (the Goddess, not the shoes)

In honor of the opening of the Olympics today, I’ve picked out three of my favorite images of Nike from the ancient Mediterranean.  I’ve always been amused by the iconography of the Goddess Nike – flying off in a flurry or racing away, arms and legs shown mid-stride.

Athens Agora Nike

Classical Greek Nike from the Ancient Agora in Athens

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Jul 25

Tetrapylon detail - Aphrodisias, Turkey
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You Must See Aphrodisias, Turkey

Everyone knows Ephesus and its iconic library.  Maybe you even know Troy or Alexander the Great’s Pergamon.  These are wonderful archaeological sites, but if you are in Turkey and love classical ruins, you absolutely have to visit Aphrodisias.  A mere side-note in most guidebooks, I found that Aphrodisias had some of the most impressive architectural and sculptural pieces in Turkey and was completely devoid of tourists when we visited.

Western Turkey archaeology map

Major archaeological sites in central western Turkey: Aphrodisias (A), Pamukkale/Hierapolis (P) and Ephesus (E)   (Adapted from Google)

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Jun 6

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Back from Turkey

Aphrodisias Agora theater frieze, Turkey, ancient Roman

Aphrodisias Agora theater frieze (Photo: Daydream Tourist)

I just returned from two incredible weeks in Turkey!  I’m still processing the experience and my impressions of the country.  But on a more practical matter, I’ve only just started looking at my 1300 photographs!

I’ll start with a detail from the Agora at Aphrodisias.  The ancient Roman market there was encircled with this Theater Frieze depicting known mythological characters and dramatic masks linked with a floral and fruit garland.  The blocks are stacked near the entrance to the site forming a wall of quirky and unique faces.  Aphrodisias itself was one of the most impressive archaeological sites I have ever seen and we had it almost completely to ourselves.

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