Sunday 24 May 2020

Nan Madol: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia

If it was already hard to get new UNESCO sites, now, with this pandemic world crisis, it's even harder. I'm not sending postcards and I'm hardly receiving. This was one of the very few exceptions in the last two months

Nan Madol

Nan Madol is a series of more than 100 islets off the south-east coast of Pohnpei that were constructed with walls of basalt and coral boulders. These islets harbour the remains of stone palaces, temples, tombs and residential domains built between 1200 and 1500 CE. These ruins represent the ceremonial centre of the Saudeleur dynasty, a vibrant period in Pacific Island culture. The huge scale of the edifices, their technical sophistication and the concentration of megalithic structures bear testimony to complex social and religious practices of the island societies of the period. The site was also inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger due to threats, notably the siltation of waterways that is contributing to the unchecked growth of mangroves and undermining existing edifices. - in: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1503/

Saturday 16 May 2020

Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier

Trier, "the Rome of the North", must be a wonderful place to visit with so many and well preserved Roman monuments!

Roman Bridge in Trier
This postcard was sent by Suenja

The Roman Bridge (GermanRömerbrücke) is an ancient structure in TrierGermany, over the Moselle. It is the oldest standing bridge in the country. The nine bridge pillars date from the 2nd century AD. The upper part was renewed twice, in the early 12th and in the early 18th century, after suffering destruction in war. It is designated as part of the Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier UNESCO World Heritage Site. - in: wikipedia

Igel Column
This postcard was sent by Ina

The Igel Column is a multi-storeyed Roman sandstone column in the municipality of IgelTrierGermany, dated to c. 250 AD. The column is the burial monument of the Secundinii cloth merchant family. Measuring 30 m in height, it is crowned by the sculptural group of Jupiterand Ganymede.
The column includes a four-stepped base, a relatively low podium, topped by a projecting cornice, a storey, its flat Corinthian pilasters with decorated shafts, supporting an architrave, a sculptured frieze and a heavy cornice. The bas-reliefs feature a procession of six coloni, bringing various donations to the house of their master. The coloni are received before the entrance to the atrium. The donations consist of a hare, two fish, a kid, an eel, a rooster and a basket of fruit. - in: wikipedia

Porta Nigra
This postcard arrived from Turkey sent by Nihan

The Porta Nigra (Latin for black gate) is a large Roman city gate in TrierGermany. It is today the largest Roman city gate north of the Alps.
The name Porta Nigra originated in the Middle Ages due to the darkened colour of its stone; the original Roman name has not been preserved. Locals commonly refer to the Porta Nigra simply as Porta.
The Porta Nigra was built in grey sandstone between 186 and 200 AD. The original gate consisted of two four-storied towers, projecting as near semicircles on the outer side. (...) For unknown reasons, however, the construction of the gate remained unfinished. (...) Nonetheless, the gate was used for several centuries until the end of the Roman era in Trier. It serves as an entrance to town. - in: wikipedia

Aula Palatina
This postcard was sent by Javier

The Aula Palatina, also called Basilica of Constantine (GermanKonstantinbasilika), at TrierGermany is a Roman palace basilica that was commissioned by the emperor Constantine I (AD 306–337) at the beginning of the 4th century.
The Aula Palatina was built around AD 310 as a part of the palace complex. Originally it was not a free standing building, but had other smaller buildings (such as a forehall, a vestibule and some service buildings) attached to it. The Aula Palatina was equipped with a floor and wall-heating system (hypocaust). - in: wikipedia


Cathedral of St Peter in Trier
This postcard was sent by Michaela

The High Cathedral of Saint Peter in Trier (GermanHohe Domkirche St. Peter zu Trier), or Cathedral of Trier (GermanTrierer Dom), is a Roman Catholic church in TrierRhineland-PalatinateGermany. It is the oldest cathedral in the country. The edifice is notable for its extremely long life span under multiple different eras each contributing some elements to its design, including the center of the main chapel being made of Roman brick laid under the direction of Saint Helen, resulting in a cathedral added onto gradually rather than rebuilt in different eras. Its dimensions, 112.5 m length by 41 m width, make it the largest church structure in Trier. 
The structure is raised upon the foundations of Roman buildings of Augusta Treverorum. Following the conversion of the Emperor Constantine the Bishop Maximin of Trier (329-346) coordinated the construction of the grandest ensemble of ecclesiastical structures in the West outside Rome: on a groundplan four times the area of the present cathedral no less than four basilicas, a baptistery and outbuildings were constructed; the four piers of the crossing formed the nucleus of the present structure.
The fourth-century structure was left in ruins by the Franks and rebuilt. Normans destroyed the structure again in 882. Under Archbishop Egbert (d. 993) it was restored once more. - in: wikipedia


Trier Cathedral and Church of Our Lady
This postcard was sent by Javier


The Liebfrauenkirche (German for Church of Our Lady) in Trier, is, along with the Cathedral of Magdeburg (reportedly begun in 1209, but finished after the Liebfrauenkirche) the earliest Gothic church in Germany and falls into the architectural tradition of the French Gothic cathedrals. It is located next to the Trier Dom
A Roman double church originally stood here. The southern portion was torn down around 1200 and completely replaced by the Early Gothic Church of Our Lady (Liebfrauen).
The exact date of the start of construction can no longer be determined, however a painted inscription inside on a column in the church reads: "The construction of this church was started in 1227 and ended in 1243" however, it is currently thought construction began in 1230 by Archbishop of Trier Theodoric II.
Around 1260, the building was probably finished. In 1492, a high peak was placed on the central tower, which was named because of its high technology and degree of craftsmanship perfection. The high peak can be seen on the city dating, but was destroyed in a storm on Heimsuchungstag (July 2) in 1631. Subsequently a hipped roof emplaced, which was destroyed in the Second World War. It was first replaced in 1945 by a roof and then by a steeper one in 2003. - in: wikipedia


The monuments listed World Heritage in Trier (in red what I have):
  • Ampitheatre
  • Moselle Roman Bridge
  • Barbara Baths
  • Igel Column
  • Porta Nigra
  • Imperial Baths
  • Aula Palatina (Basilica)
  • Cathedral
  • Church of Our Lady (Liebfrauenkirche)