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Posts tagged ‘architecture’

Oct 1

Monticello East face
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Monticello, America’s First Great Mansion

I’m very excited to have joined a group of excellent bloggers for the monthly ArtSmart Roundtable!  These folks love travel and art history as much as I do, so it’s a great fit.  Each month we pick a theme to write about and for October it is architecture.  Check below for links to all the other awesome ArtSmart Roundtable posts!

My travel itineraries always include visits to restored or recreated historic homes.  It brings me just a little bit closer to the past when I can see a Tudor, Victorian or Art Deco building complimented by its matching contemporary decor.  Many times they are more impressive on the inside than they are on the outside. There is one historic American home though with such an elegant Neoclassical design that it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site – Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, VA.

Monticello west portico

Monticello’s west portico in early April (Photo: Daydream Tourist)

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Aug 21

A Surrealist House?

surrealist apartments

Exterior of the Orbis South Melbourne “Surrealist” condo building

I recently found this article (via this blog) from Melbourne’s The Weekly Review about a new 48-condo unit Surrealist-inspired building.  It is supposedly based on the work of “international sculptor Anish Kapoor and Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte”.  This may sound like bizarre inspiration for home design but before you judge, let me give you a tour of the apartment amenities!

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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 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 20

Side View of Valens Aqueduct, Istanbul Turkey
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Urban Aqueduct in Istanbul

Byzantine Valens Aqueduct, Istanbul Turkey

Valens Aqueduct running through Istanbul (Photo: Daydream Tourist)

Last week I wrote about the incredible Basilica Cistern in the heart of the Sultanahmet, or historic center, of Istanbul.  All the water needed to fill that and other cisterns in Constantinople was brought in through an extensive aqueduct network which partially survives today.  The most significant portion is the Valens Aqueduct constructed by Emporer Valens in the 4th century AD.  It is about 95 feet high with about a 13 foot arch span which now allows cars to drive through the Byzantine aqueduct.

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