South-west Turkey mountain cities and tombs by the sea

South-west Turkey mountain cities and tombs by the sea:
Hidden in the Taurus Mountain of south-western Turkey are some spectacular Classical cities, inaccessible and forgotten until recent roads, archaeological survey and excavation returned them to public view.

These mountainous cities of the ancient region of Pisidia have a long history, being mentioned in Hittite texts and by Herodotus. The remarkably good living their hardy inhabitants eked out of the seemingly inhospitable terrain saw expression in much monumental building during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Their subsequent decline, as a result of earthquake, plague and changing economies, causes modern visitors to wonder how such civic splendour could thrive so far from anywhere.
Few visitors venture there, and the rewards for those who do are outstanding ruins in breath-taking settings, with the sense of discovery enjoyed by 19th century travellers.

This is a journey through some spectacular ancient cities in this corner of south-western Turkey, with exceptional mountain and coastal scenery, and some rough walks.

Across the mountains lies the World Heritage site of Hierapolis, splendid spa city established by the Attalids, where the limestone formations made by the hot medicinal springs have been named Pamukkale - ‘cotton castle’ - by the Turks. From here we continue to the Lycian coast, and the ruined cities of Xanthos, Patara and Telmessos.

Rome to Ravenna Following Emperors

Rome to Ravenna Following Emperors, Popes and Kings on the Via Flaminia
An exciting journey through a swathe of Italy’s history and archaeology, from coast to coast across Italy and over the Apennine mountains to link the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts. This is the route followed by the Via Flaminia, the ancient consular road that was the preferred means of crossing the mountainous spine of the peninsula for Roman imperial officials, ultimately leading them onwards to Gaul and the Danube frontier. The road traversed the peaks and valleys, penetrating the highest mountain via the Furlo pass, a road tunnel that is still used.

The towns along its route were centres of a rich economic and social life. Outliers of the Samnite world, their strategic positions brought them wealth, and in the Middle Ages this was invested in some extraordinary architecture and art. The Lombards of Spoleto, former Byzantine mercenaries in the 6th century AD, became one of the major powers of Italy in the Dark Ages.

This route continued in importance in later eras. It was the delicate jugular vein that linked together the last vestiges of Roman Italy following the Barbarian invasions, and when the Popes seized power in central Italy at the time of the Emperor Charlemagne in the 8th century it held together the Papal States, the so-called Republic of St. Peter.

The road finally descends to the Adriatic, and the coastal city of Ravenna where the final western Emperors, Ostrogothic Kings and Byzantine governors built splendid mosaic-filled churches and palaces behind the impenetrable dykes and marshes. The cities were minor centres of the Renaissance too. The Dukes of Urbino were major patrons of artists like Piero della Francesca.

Prehistoric Morocco early rock art

Prehistoric Morocco early rock art
All over the world, in remote and seemingly inhospitable landscapes, people over thousands of years have left physical renderings of what was important to them. In the foothills of the Atlas and anti-atlas mountains of southern Morocco lie boulders and fractured rock strata covered with incised animals, some typical of the Savannah and some domesticated species, as well as enigmatic symbols whose meanings remain obscure.

Over 250 sites have been identified in this region, and antelope, gazelle, ostrich, elephant rhino and lion, as well as cattle, horses and camels have all been immortalised on rocky boulders in an area from which the real animals have long disappeared.
This all provides the focus for a most unusual journey through southern Morocco. It focuses on the rich legacy of rock art sites, but even those with no interest in the art could not help but be impressed with the journey, the landscapes and the glimpses of contemporary life in this remote region.

Scholars today have attempted to classify these into groups on stylistic grounds, to date them using science and what is known of environmental conditions at various times, and to guess at their meaning/

The route follows non-tarmac roads and wheel tracks, and all needs to be covered in 4x4s rather than a coach. You will see extraordinary oasis towns, with gold, pink and orange walls which blend beautifully with the desert colours, impressive mountain scenery, pomegranate and palm groves.