Naeem khan's Architecture gallery: November 2011

Aspendos Amphitheatre, Aspendos

One of the best preserved Roman remains outside Italy is the Amphitheatre at Aspendos. Despite the distance from your base at Kalkan, it is well worth a visit, especially if combined with a trip to the Roman Harbour and Hadrian's gate in the city of Antalya itself.

The Roman Amphitheatre at Aspendos

According to legend the city of Aspendos was founded by colonists from Argos returning from the Trojan war. The first confirmed reference is in Hittite writings of 800 BC. In the 5th and 4th centuries the city was one of the few in the region to mint silver coins. The city reached its zenith during the Roman era.

Inside Aspendos Theatre

The theatre was constructed during the reign of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius in the 2nd century AD by the Roman architectZeno. It could accommodate up to 12,000 spectators. Latin engravings state the theatre was offered to the emperor and the gods.

Aspendos theatre is still in use today. Each year During June and July the Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival is held. Also at Aspendos and near to the theatre are an acropolis with a nymphaeum and basilica.

Great pyramid/ Giza/ Egypt

The age of the first ancient wonders of the world began with the pyramids of Sneferu, he built three pyramids and may have had a hand in others. His pyramid at Medum began as a step pyramid and was then modified to form the first true pyramid. He built two pyramids at Dahshur one called the Bent Pyramid because its upper part has a shallower angle of inclination than the lower part.

Bent pyramid diagram

Seneferu's Bent pyramid at Dahshur was originally planned as a true pyramid, but its geometry was altered at a point just above half its height. The angle of incline was decreased from 54º 31' 13'' to 43º 21'.

When Khufu, also known as Cheops, became pharaoh one of his first acts was to curtail the growing power of the priesthood. He "shut up all the temples and forbade sacrifices". As a priest’s living came from performing these rituals it is not surprising that Khufu was unpopular with the religious orders.

Khufu's pyramid at Giza showing the plan of passages and burial chamber.

Giza Pyramid diagram

Some believe that his pyramid at Giza was built by slaves but this is not true. One hundred thousand people worked on it for three months of each year. This was the time of the Nile's annual flood which made it impossible to farm the land and most of the population was unemployed. He provided good food and clothing for his workers and was kindly remembered in folk tales for many centuries.

There are three pyramids at Giza, each of which once had an adjoining mortuary temple. Attached to this temple would have been a covered causeway descending down to a valley temple, near the Nile. The 'great' pyramid itself is truly an astonishing work of engineering skill - for over four thousands years, until the modern era, it was the tallest building in the world.

Th
Is it conceivable that by bringing together so many people and giving them a common goal, that of making a mountain, a national identity is forged in their hearts. From Upper and Lower Egypt communities would have got to know each other and a common bond would have been manifest in the object of the pyramid. If this is true it is unique because all other forms of nationalism have grown out of war. For example England and France in the Hundred years war and the USA through the revolutionary, civil and Indian wars.