The works of ancient man and his constructions be it temples, grand structures or anything that has been constructed by man over the centuries using nothing but mass amounts of human effort and tools of the time is what this page is dedicated to illustrate.
Ancient civilizations were masters of construction and architecture. Modern man is unable to recreate these marvels of the ancients without the assistance of technologies which these ancient builders did not have. This example of temple, The
Tholos at Delphi is one such wonder of the ancient world, not to mention its historical importance. I never cease to marvel at the construction of the ancients regardless where they are located and when I consider the human effort required to construct and complete with only simple hand tools I am always in awe of these builders. Photo: Delphi, Greece
This panorama shot was taken in during the period when Hillary Clinton made her historic visit to the this country. There are Buddhist temple complexes around the world but the
Shwedagon Pagoda complex is truly one of the most amazing on the planet. Photo: Yangon, Burma
At the foothills of the Sinai Mountains is a Christian Monastery which is considered on of the world's oldest working. It is
St. Catherine's Monastery and was constructed between 548-556. This image is an overview taken from the high rocks on the mountain side opposite the main entrance. Unfortunately it exists in a country where the instability has become so bad that seeing this marvelous place may take years. Photo: Sinai Mountains, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
This man is doing restoration work at this very ancient and well know temple area. Notice he is using a power tool to do grinding work on the stone, which happens to be marble. After grinding he will then take a precision straight edge instrument to assure that the alignment is kept with the other sections of this column. I talked with one of the head reconstruction archaeologists about this activity and he told me that it took only nine years for the temple to be constructed. He also stated that the precision was so good that a piece of paper could not fit between stones. However, today, it seems that the only way we are capable of such reconstructions is by using modern power tools unlike the ancients who originally built this wonder of the ancient world with nothing more than simple hand tools. I used this image to demonstrate that the ancient cultures were capable of constructions without the use of power tools and modern man must rely on them. Photo: Parthenon, Athens, Greece
This is an overview image of
Deir el-Medina or workers village. To see this view requires a climb up a mountain of some 600 meters in the area surrounding the valley. There is no shade, no trees, no water, only sun, scree, rocks and a footpath. It is not required to climb to the top which takes about 1 1/2 hours to see this image but if you go all the way up, you are able to see across kilometers of sand, farm lands, valleys, rivers and find fossilized remains of sea creatures in the rocks. Photo: Workers Village, Valley of Kings, West Bank, Luxor, Egypt
Located in one city of Rajasthan is a complex which for the most part is not on the tourist map. This complex is the royal crematorium for the Maharajahs of this area of India. It is a beautifully constructed complex of which is almost entirely of hand carved marble. The site is located at the foothills of one of the more touristic forts but there are few who come to visit this location. It is know as Gaitore Ki or Gatore Ki or Gaitore Ki Chhatriyan. It is serene, quiet, no tourists and an exquisite place. It is not to be confused with the burial grounds for the Maharanis (women) of these Maharajahs which is a totally different location. Photo: Jaipur, India
This structure is one that many visitors will overlook due to the main attraction in this city. It is located in an ancient area known as the
Agora which was a large complex of structures and open air spaces. This is the
Temple of Hephaestus and it is basically found in its original condition with little restoration work being done. During its history it has been used in many ways and it is built upon a smallish hilly area and climb to the front of the temple is surrounded by trees which complicates its photography a bit. Photo: Athens, Greece
This iconic image needs very little explanation. The area where the Taj Mahal is located is called the Taj Gange. This image was taken from the roof of the hotel in the Gange where I always stay. This hotel was used in an episode of the television series, Idiot Abroad. I have added this to present a different perspective of the Taj. Photo: Agra, India
No less impressive but not as well photographed are a grouping of temples which are across from one of the main areas called The Elephant Terrace and The Leper Terrace. This is one of the only true examples of stone temples in this part of the world as most were constructed of wood and with time deteriorated into the ages. Photo: Angkor Wat Temple complex area, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Located in this country there are probably more Buddhist temples per capita than in any other country of the world. It is a country where tourism is increasing since 2011 and the changes in the government. It is rich in history, was historically the wealthiest country many years ago in SE Asia and has a charm all its own. The people are friendly and curious about western people and will wave and smile if you wave to them. Photo:
Bagan, Burma,
Temple complexes.
