The Tubbataha Reef Damaged

Last May 2009, I have written about one of the best diving spot in the world that you can see in the Philippines- The Tubbataha Reef. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (http://letstravelamazingplaces.blogspot.com/2009/05/tubbataha-reef.html)

It is sad that a couple of weeks ago, a US warship, minesweeper USS Guardian has entered the Tubbataha waters and has crashed ashore destroying a big portion of the reef.

As of post time, the warship remains ashore endangering further the adjacent parts of the reef.

According to news reports, salvaging work has gone underway. The warship’s oil has been extracted in preparation for the US Navy’s plan to lift the warship up from the water.

I join the call for the US government to pay for the damage their warship has done on the Tubbataha Reef. Underground photos and videos has shown the extent of the damage underground. The color of the corals has turned white which means that they have died. The reef might take many years before it could recover from the damage done. The US government must help save the Tubbataha Reef.

Image credit: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/photos/the-tubbataha-reef-damage-slideshow/diver-investigates-damage-corals-tubbataha-reef-off-palawan-photo-082719927.html

Temple of the Dioscuri

In Greek mythology Castor and Pollux are twin brothers born of Leda, Queen of Sparta. Castor, the mortal son of the King Tyndareus of Sparta and Pollux, the divine son of Zeus. They are brothers of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. Castor and Pollux are called the Dioscuri.

According to the legend, in an ambush, Castor was wounded from a spear. To save his life, Pollux, gave half of his immortality to his twin brother and they became the two brightest stars in the constellation Gemini.

A temple at the Valle dei Templi in Agrigernto was dedicated to the Dioscuri, Temple of the Dioscuri or the Temple of Castor and Pollux. This Temple, however, was a reconstruction from the rubble of other ancient temples during the 1800’s.

It consists of four columns with big stone bricks filed above them. Experts calculate the age of the original temple on which the reconstruction has been done to be middle of 500 BC.


Image courtesy of:
en.wikipedia.org

The Tomb of Theron in Agrigento Sicily

Tomb of Theron

Agrigento is not only a host to ancient temples but also to a tomb of one of the greatest men in the history of Sicily, Theron, the Greek Tyrant of the town Acragas.

In 480 BC, he led the war against the Carthaginians and occupied Himera with his ally Gelo of Gela. He controlled Greek Sicily together with his allies, Syracuse and Selinunte until his death in 473 BC.

His son, Thrasydaeus succeeded him but because of his wicked conduct, he became unpopular to his people. He went to war against Hiero, son of Syracuse and was eventually defeated. He managed to escape to Greece but was later taken in captivity and was killed in public.

The “Tomb of Theron” is located near to Porta Aurea in Agrigento.

Image above courtesy of:
en.wikipedia.org

Temple of the Olympian Zeus, Agrigento

Ruins of the Temple of the Olympian Zeus

One of the important ruin site in Agrigento is the Temple of the Olympian Zeus. According to historians, it is supposed to be the largest doric temple to be ever constructed during that time however, the construction has not been completed.

Historians believe that it was supposed to be constructed to celebrate the triumph at the Battle of Himera but because of further attempts by the Carthaginians to recapture the city, the construction could not continue particularly the roof part. Until an earthquake brought the temple down.

Model of the Temple of the Olympian Zeus

Then during the 18th century, people quarried the ruin site to obtain construction materials for the development of the towns in Agrigento.

Presently, only a few tumbled pillars and rock blocks have survived.


Images: en.wikipedia.org

Temple of Heracles

Temple of Heracles, Agrigento Sicily (wikipedia)

Another interesting archaeological treasure of Agrigento, Sicily is the Temple of Heracles. Historians believe that this has been one of the first temple that Theron, the Greek tyrant of the town of Acragas in Sicily, has built around 480BC before the Battle of Himera.

The Battle of Himera happened in 480BC when the Greek forces of Gelon, King of Syracuse, and Theron, defeated the Carthaginian forces of Hamilcar the Magonid, which ended Carthage’s dominion over Sicily. Historians say that the Temple of Heracles have been completed decades after that momentous war.

The temple is in honor of Heracles, the half-man, half-god hero in the Greek mythology. According to the myth, he is the son of Zeus and has an unmatched power and strength. He has become the epitome of masculinity and courage. In Roman mythology, he is known as Hercules.

It must be enthralling to see the ruins of a temple that has passed more than a thousand years. It is like bringing into the future a tiny glimpse of the engineering and architecture of an ancient civilization.

Il Tempio Della Concordia, Sicily

This photo of Temple of Concord is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Another important archaeological site in Agrigento, Sicily is the Il Tempio Della Concordia or Temple of Concord. Concordia in ancient Roman religion is the goddess of agreement, understanding, and marital harmony. This temple presumably is dedicated to the honor of this goddess.

I am quite fascinated with archaelogical sites. Ancient civilizations amaze me but photographs, no matter how good they are taken, can never equal the excitement of being in those sites in person. I’ve never been to any but with this virtual travel, I hope to satisfy even just a fraction of my curiosity.

As I try to research for the Temple of Concord, the intenet pages bring me to a Temple of Concord located at the Roman Forum in Rome. I am a bit confused with two temples of Concord.

In this post I will blog about the one in the Valley of Temples in Agrigento, Sicily. The Temple of Concord is the most well preserved archaoelogical site in the world and is one of the most famous structure that bear ancient Greek civilization that still exists in our time.

“When the temple was turned into a church the entrance was moved to the rear, and the rear wall of the cella had to be destroyed. The spaces between the columns were closed, while 12 arched openings were created in the cella, in order to obtain a structure with one nave and two aisles. The pagan altar was destroyed and sacristies were carved out in the eastern corners. The sepultures visible inside and outside the temple date to the High Middle Age”(en.wikipedia.org).

If ever I can go to Sicily, I will never miss this UNESCO Heritage Site.

“Valley of Temples” in Agrigento, Sicily

Agrigento is a city in the southern coast of the island of Sicily in Italy and the capital of the province with the same name. It is one of the most popular sites in Sicily as it is where we can see the “Valley of Temples”, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. This archaeological site is one of the main attractions of Sicily.

Temple of Juno Lacinia c/o Wikipedia

In the Valley of Temples, we can see ruins of several temples that flaunt the rich architecture of ancient Greece as Greeks have started to settle in Sicily around 750 BC. One of the first shrines to have risen in Agrigento is the “Temple of Hera” or also called the “Temple of Juno Lacinia”, which has been erected in 450 BC. It measures “38.15 x 16.90 m: it is in Doric style, peripteros with 6 x 13 columns, preceded by a pronaos and opisthodomos. The basement has four steps” (wikipedia).

Although at the present ruins, 30 columns remain standing but only sixteen have beams. Visiting the “Valley of Temples” in Agrigento, Sicily is definitely a spectacular experience.