ultramarinus – beyond the sea

Posts tagged “ruins

QUARRY BELOW DEVIL’S PEAK (魔鬼山), Lei Yue Mun (鯉魚門), Kowloon, Hong Kong

At the east end of the Eight Mountains of Kowloon (九龍群山), dozens granite quarries had been around in the area of today’s Kwun Tong (觀塘) since late 18th century. Mostly operated by skillful Hakka workers from Guangdong, four of the largest quarry settlements, namely Cha Kwo Ling (茶果嶺), Ngau Tau Kok (牛頭角), Sai Tso Wan (晒草灣), and Lei Yue Mun (鯉魚門), were collectively known as the Four Hills of Kowloon (九龍四山). Beside stone quarries, houses were constructed for the miners and their families, and piers were erected along the harbour to export the mined granite to other parts of Hong Kong, China, and even overseas to Japan and Europe. From granite stone in the 19th century to concrete aggregates in the 20th, stone quarrying was once a major industry in East Kowloon. Not until 1967 when the government banned the use of explosives at a time of social unrest that stone quarrying in Hong Kong had officially came to an end. Since then, many former quarries and worker villages have been built over and entirely erased from the urban context. In East Kowloon, not a trace of the historical quarries and worker settlements can be found in today’s Ngau Tau Kok and Sai Tso Wan. Two years from now, Cha Kwo Ling would also get wiped out from the map. With Victoria Harbour’s last stilted houses still standing along the shore, perhaps by reinventing itself as a tourist attraction and seafood designation that Lei Yue Mun may be spared from the fate of brutal demolition a little longer. Sitting across the harbour from Shau Kei Wan (筲箕灣), Lei Yue Mun and Cha Kwo Ling have long been seen as remote and accessible only by boat from Shau Kei Wan. In the latter half of 20th century, roads were finally built to connect Lei Yue Mun with Kwun Tong industrial town. With Lei Yue Mun’s affordable rent, seafood restaurants gradually found their way into Lei Yue Mun, transforming the former quarry settlement into a vibrant tourist destination. The former quarry and ruined structures have since become selfie backdrops for visitors.

Rising 200m above Lei Yue Mun Village, the lush green Devil’s Peak (魔鬼山) offers visitors a pleasant lookout of the surrounding scenery. Long before the arrival of tourists, Devil’s Peak was a crucial military site overlooking Lei Yue Mun Channel and Victoria Harbour. Batteries and redoubts were built between 1900 and 1914 on the peak to guard the eastern gateway of Victoria Harbour. While Devil’s Peak has nothing to do with the Devil, the name does remind visitors that Lei Yue Mun was once home to notorious pirates, prompting the colonial government to name it Devil’s Peak. Today, remnants of the military structures have become popular attractions for tourists and war game players. For anyone willing to climb the stairs up Devil’s Peak would certainly be rewarded with a magnificent view of Victoria Harbour on one side and Junk Bay (將軍澳) on the other. It wasn’t the finest day when we climbed Devil’s Peak. But the hazy sunset over Victoria Harbour was still impressive, forcing us to make a brief stop to take in the scenery. Below the hill, we meandered through the narrow alleys of Sam Ka Tsuen Village (三家村), passed by the pebble beach and small lighthouse where contented sunset watchers were about to leave. Back at Sam Ka Tsuen Typhoon Shelter near the village entrance, neon signs of Gateway Cuisine (南大門), one of the village’s largest seafood restaurant, were lit up to welcome the first customers of a rather peaceful night.

During the pandemic, seafood restaurants at Sam Ka Tsuen Village of Lei Yue Mun suffered a dramatic drop of business. [2020]
Dozens of small boats occupied Sam Ka Tsuen Typhoon Shelter. [2020]
Adjacent to Sam Ka Tsuen Village, the concrete factory is about to be shut down to make way for new waterfront developments. [2020]
At Sam Ka Tsuen Village, fishing by Victoria Harbour is a popular pastime. [2020]
In recent decades, most people would associate Lei Yue Mun and Sam Ka Tsuen Village as a seafood destination. [2020]
For the younger generation, the pebble beach and lighthouse offer the best selfie spot during sunset. [2020]
Even if weather is not perfect, people would still enjoy themselves at the beach. [2017]
Due to its low terrain, Lei Yue Mun is prone to flooding during the typhoon season. [2017]
When weather is fine, Lei Yue Mun does offer a stretch of waterfront that is less crowded compared to other promenades at city centre. [2020]
Across Victoria Harbour lies the easternmost districts of Hong Kong Island, including Shau Kei Wan, Heng Fa Chuen, and Siu Sai Wan. [2020]
The former stone quarry and pier area have become a precious piece of outdoor space for all. [2020]
People come to the former quarry to take wedding or graduation photos, chat with friends, test out their drones, or just sit down and chill out in the sea breeze. [2020]
Behind Lei Yue Mun stands Devil’s Peak. Ruined military structures on Devil’s Peak include Devil’s Peak Redoubt, Gough Battery, Pottinger Battery, etc. [2020]
Despite the historical significance, the former military structures on Devil’s Peak are vulnerably exposed to vandalism. [2020]
On top of Devil’s Peak stands a redoubt complex. [2020]
Visitors love to find a quiet spot at Devil’s Peak Redoubt to chill out. [2020]
While Victoria Harbour dominates the scenery west of Devil’s Peak, on the east side lies Junk Bay (將軍澳), another hot spot for new residential developments where decades ago would be considered extremely remote. [2020]
Stretches between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, Lei Yue Mun Channel is the eastern gateway of Victoria Harbour and the narrowest gap between the island and peninsula. [2020]
Looking west from Devil’s Peak, Victoria Harbour and the distant city centre appears as silhouette in the haze. [2020]
Back down to Sam Ka Tsuen, the seafood restaurants are preparing to receive their first customers of the night. [2017]

WINDING ARCHITECTURE & DESOLATE RUINS, Mount Davis (摩星嶺), Hong Kong

A day after the attack on Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, Regimental Sergeant Major Enos Charles Ford at Hong Kong’s Fort Davis was woken up by the Japanese raid of Kai Tak across the harbour at 08:00, 8th of December 1941. Ford and his fellow gunners returned fire but the Japanese aircraft were out of range. The raid of Kai Tak officially pulled the curtain for the short but intense Battle of Hong Kong. At 269m tall, Mount Davis at the westernmost point of Hong Kong Island had been a major defensive facility for the city since the 1910’s. Five guns were mounted at different locations on the mount, and two were later relocated to Stanley. Jubilee Battery near the shore was later added to guard the coast below. During WWII, a force of about 50 gunners was stationed at the fort. Thanks to the diary of Regimental Sergeant Major Enos Charles Ford, a brief account of what had happened at one of the most bombarded spot in Hong Kong during WWII survived to the present. From 8th of December to the 24th, Fort Davis engaged in fierce battles with the Japanese and was under intense bombardment by both warships and aircraft. The gunners fought hard from the fort until Christmas Eve, when they were sent to Wanchai to fight as infantry in the last desperate attempt to fend off the enemy. The colony of Hong Kong surrendered on the Christmas Day of 1941, and the damaged Fort Davis fell in the Japanese hands two days later. After the war, the fort was used for a variety of military purposes until 1970’s, when the site was abandoned and gradually crumbled into ruins. Ever since, the ruins have become a hot spot for war games and ghost tours, certainly not a place for the faint hearted.

Below Mount Davis, the Jubilee Battery complex was converted into Victoria Detention Centre in 1961, before emptying out after the Chinese takeover in 1997. The abandoned Jubilee Battery was finally offered a second life in 2013, when University of Chicago becomes the new occupier of the site. The revitalization plan was met with a poetic response by the late Canadian architect Bing Thom (now Revery Architecture): a winding architecture perched over the hillside of Jubilee Battery overlooking Sulphur Channel and the western approach of the Victoria Harbour. Named as Francis and Rose Yuen Campus of the University of Chicago, the sleek architecture curves around a 75 year old flame tree, and floats above ground on slim pillars to minimize impact on the delicate coastal landscape and the heritage structures. Since inception in 2018, the Yuen Campus has become a popular place for watching the sunset. Its heritage interpretation centre offers visitors insights of the history of Mount Davis, and military history of the former colony.

Overlooking the Sulphur Channel, the ruined Jubilee Battery forms part of the interpretative court of the University of Chicago Yuen Campus. [2022]
Storage for artillery cartridges below the former gun platform at the Jubilee Battery. [2022]
Beyond the ruined battery structure stands the glassy campus building. The curving profile of the new architecture echoes with the historical structure. [2022]
The futuristic structure is raised over the former detention buildings nicknamed the “White House”. The historical buildings have been revitalized to house educational spaces and an interpretation centre (closed due to the pandemic). [2022]
The site of the campus is open to the public throughout the day. Referred to as the “Tree of Knowledge”, the 75-year old flame tree prominently stands on a raised platform (far left in photo), serving as a pivotal point for the building’s bending configuration. [2022]
A prominent stair bends at an opposite angle to the main building, creating an eye-catching feature at the outdoor court. [2022]
Circular benches work well with the curvilinear architecture. [2022]
Etched with the school logo, the centre of the drop-off appears seems to be the setting out point of the winding structure. [2022]

***

After checking out the Yuen Campus, it is worthwhile to do a short hike to check out the military ruins on Mount Davis behind the school.

The artillery batteries on Mount Davis was first constructed in 1911. Fort Davis was one of the most bombarded site by the Japanese during WWII. [F2 Gun at Mount Davis, taken probably in the mid 1930’s, Public Domain]
The artillery batteries on Mount Davis were damaged and decommissioned by the guarding force before Hong Kong surrendered to the Japanese on the Christmas Day of 1941. From then on, the structures gradually fell into ruins. [2022]
Incense offering at the ruins is perhaps a good reminder to causal hikers that precious lives have been lost 80 years ago on the mount for defending the city. [2022]
In the midst of dense vegetation, a deep trench leads to the former signal station. [2022]
Abandoned battery buildings can be found at various locations on Mount Davis. [2022]
With little regulations to protect the heritage structures, the ruined fort has become a popular place for war games. [2022].
The ruin’s desolate conditions and bloody history have inspired numerous urban myths and ghost stories. [2022]
Ghost stories of Fort Davis have cast a sense of mystery to the site. [2022]
Despite the ruined conditions, the battery structures on Mount Davis deserve high respect from every visitors for the history and memories of the war. [2022]

***

Descending Mount Davis at the right moment brought us back to the Yuen Campus just before sunset. [2022]
Facing west to the sea, the court of the Yuen Campus is an ideal place to watch sunset.
Many would just come to the campus for the sunset. [2022]
The glassy facade of the Yuen Campus reflects the distant Lamma Island to the southwest, while a cruise ship (probably empty) lingers in the Sulphur Channel during the pandemic. [2022]
Built in 2004 on the former battery platform, the Sunset Pavilion (日落觀瀾亭) adjacent to the Yuen Campus is popular for leisure fishing and sunset watching. [2022]
From the pavilion, the setting sun slowly descends behind the distant silhouette of Lantau Island. [2022]
Before the suspension of ferry between Macau and Hong Kong, the water of the Sulphur Channel and beyond was much busier. [2022]
Sitting on the coastal rocks to contemplate the setting sun offers a moment of meditation in this bustling metropolis. [2022]
The sun turns vivid orange as it lowers to the horizon. [2022]
Then just after a few minutes the orange sun has quietly slipped away. [2022]

CYCLING IN THE SUMMER HEAT, Siwa Oasis, Egypt

2006.06.04.

Cycling is a popular way to take in attractions that lie further afield from the oasis. Renting a bicycle was quite easy in the town centre. Under the scotching summer heat of around 45 degrees Celsius, riding the bike in Siwa means one has to get a drink every half an hour. That was exactly what I did. Without smartphone or a proper map, cycling by myself also forced me to interact with the locals to ask for directions. With a bike, I was able to venture out a little further away from the town centre to visit the Temple of the Oracle, the Holy Temple of Amun that Alexander the Great visited over two thousand years ago; Fatnas Island, a laid back and lush green area right by Lake Siwa and Gebel al Mawta, the Mountain of the Dead carved with many rock tombs.

Cycling around Siwa brought me to the neighborhood near the Temple of the Oracle.
Under the mid morning heat, I could hardly see anybody outside their homes.
It wasn’t easy to find somebody to ask for directions in the mostly abandoned Aghurmi village near the Temple of Oracle.
The most famous temple of Amun, also known as the Temple of the Oracle. Full of legends and history, the temple was well known in the Classical world after the visit of Alexander the Great, who came all the way into the desert from Alexandria after his conquest of Egypt.
Other than Alexander, the temple was also visited by other legendary visitors such as Perseus, Hercules, etc.
According to legends, two black priests from the Temple of Amun in Thebes went into exile in the desert, and one of them settled in Siwa and became the Oracle’s sibyl. Some say the Temple of Oracle dates back as early as 1385 BC in honor of Ham, the son of Noah. Another legend has it that the temple was erected by the Greek god Dionysus. The exact origin of the temple remains a myth.
200m from the Temple of Oracle stood the ruins of Temple of Umm Ubayd (Temple of Amun). Thanks to Mahmoud Azmy, an Ottomon police chief who decided to blow up the temple in the late 19th century, not much is left at the temple site except some inscriptions and bas relief on a stone wall.
After the temples, I continued to cycle around Siwa.
It was awfully hot during midday. Every time I passed by a store I would get a bottle of soft drink.
On my way to Fatnas Island, I passed by some waterways feeding into Lake Siwa.
Fatnas Island is a famous palm grove by Lake Siwa. Sometimes the lake looked pretty dry with salty mudflats.
Instead of an island, Fatnas is in fact a peninsula in the salt lake.
Known as “Fantasy Island”, Fatnas Island is a good spot to watch sunset with a cup of tea.
Siwa is famous for its date palms.
For 3000 years, the farmers of Siwa Oasis have been harvesting the chewy Siwa Oasis dates.
Excessive drainage have turned the lake into salty mudflats.
Known as the Mountain of the Dead, the Gebel al Mawta was an ancient graveyard 1km north of the oasis town.
Hundreds of burial holes were carved in the soft sandstone.
After two thousand years, not much is left in the tombs, except the undulating cratered landscape of the rock hill.

SHALI FORTRESS, Siwa Oasis, Egypt

2006.06.01.

Perched above the town centre stands the 13th century Fortress of Shali is the grand centerpiece of Siwa Oasis town. For centuries, the fortress stood to protect the local Berber community against all outsiders. In fact, few outsiders have ever set foot inside the fortress throughout history. In 1926, a three-day rain caused great damages to the kershif (local salt and mud) buildings of the Shali. The locals abandoned the centuries-old fortress and relocated themselves in new houses adjacent to the Shali. Since then, the mighty fortress was left for self decay and gradual erosion from wind and occasional rain.

In 2018, a joint effort by the EU and the Egyptian company Environmental Quality International began to restore the crumbling ruins of the Shali. The government was hoping that a restored fortress in Siwa would boost eco-tourism in the faraway oasis town. The EU funded project aims to restore traditional marketplaces, upgrades environmental services and establishes a child healthcare centre for the villagers. Not everyone agrees with the restoration. For some locals, the Shali is better to be left in its ruined state and the resources to be spent on something else.

For decades, the Shali fortress has served as an iconic backdrop for the oasis town.
The Shali is also a popular photo spot for tourists.
Wandering in the Shali in early morning was a great way to start my day.
With the arid climate of the Western Desert, it is hard to believe that the fortress was actually destroyed by rain.
The Shali offers visitors some good lookout points for some birdeye’s views of Siwa.
The extent of erosion damages was quite apparent as I looked down from the Shali.
Karshif or kershef, the traditional material made of local clay and salt, has been used to construct many buildings in Siwa, including the Shali Fortress.
Restoration work of the Shali began in November 2020. Time will tell if the project can successfully revive the fortress village and boost tourism for Siwa.The chimney-shaped minaret of the old mosque of Shali is the best kept structure in the fortress.
Completed in 1203, the Old Mosque of Shali Fortress stands today as the oldest monument in the Shali.
Upon restoration, the old mosque would open its doors for future visitors.
Donkeys are kept in walled yard near the edge of the Shali.
Only a few houses in the Shali were still inhabited during my visit in 2006.
Known as Mountain of the Dead, Gebel al-Mawta is a small hill dotted with rock tombs at the northern end of Siwa Oasis.

JERASH, near Amman, Jordan

2006.05.17.

After a rather heavy-hearted account of a brief stay in Syria, we move on to the next part of the Middle East journey: Jordan.  Although small and almost landlocked, Jordan is a country of a relatively high development with an “upper middle income” economy in the region.  It is also a major tourist destination, thanks to the ruined city of Petra, Dead Sea and Wadi Rum, the desert of Lawrence of Arabia.  After a little more than a week in Syria, my first impression of the Jordanian capital Amman was the reemergence of global businesses and commercialism.  We started our Jordanian route from the very north of the country at Jerash, one of the best preserved classical ruined cities in the world.

* * *

In the morning we took a minibus from Amman’s Abdali Bus Station (now closed) to Jerash, about 50km north of the capital.  Known as the City of Gerasa or Antioch on the Golden River in the Greco-Roman period, Jerash is now a major tourist attraction in Jordan.  Many have compared Jerash to Pompeii in terms of the extent and level of preservation.  To me, they are actually two very different archaeological sites.  Founded by Alexander the Great or by Seleucid King Antioch IV in 331 BC, Gerasa flourished in the Roman period as a trading hub.  The three of us entered the Arch of Hadrian, wandered around the site and visited the ruins of Temple of Artemis, saw many Corinthian columns, early churches, the Oval Piazza, and two theaters.  At the second theatre, a band of musicians, dressed in military uniforms, were playing ceremonial music on the stage and prompting us to stop for a while.  We exited the ruins through the north gate, and hired a taxi to the bus station.  At the station, we met an old man who claimed to be an experience tour guide.  He told us a bit about his journey to Hong Kong back in early 1970’s, and recommended a cheaper Amman bound bus to us.

Hadrian GateThe 22m high triple archway was erected in 130AD to commemorate the visit of Roman Emperor Hadrian.

oval squareThe Oval Forum and Cardo Maximus, the colonnaded road are the most recognizable features of Jerash.

06ME33-31 The Oval Forum is bounded by 56 Ionic columns.  The large square was probably used as a marketplace and a social gathering spot.

06ME33-18With the beautiful scaenae frons (stage backdrop) and proscenium (front face of the stage), the South Theatre is another popular attraction in Jerash.

06ME33-20Built between AD 81 and 96, the 5000-seat South Theatre is famous for its acoustics.

performers 1Just like many other tourists, we came across a band playing Jordanian Scottish bagpipe at the South Theatre of Jerash.

06ME33-21The Jordanian Scottish bagpipe is a legacy from Emirate of Transjordan, the years of British protectorate before 1946.

06ME33-34Artemis was the patron saint of Gerasa.  Built in the 2nd century AD, the Temple of Artemis was one of the most important building in the city, at least before the end of the 4th century when pagan cults were forbidden.

06ME33-37Temple of Artemis has several beautiful Corinthian columns.

06ME34-02Each column weighs over 20 tons and are 39 feet tall.

06ME34-04Built in AD 165, the North Theatre was used for government meetings in the Roman times. Many seats are inscribed with names of city council members.


TOMB TOWERS & TEMPLE OF BEL, Palmyra, Syria

2006.05.13.

Deep in the Syria Desert stood one of the most splendid cities in the ancient world.  Due to its strategic location on the Silk Road with Persia, India and China on one side, and the Roman and Greek world on the other, Palmyra was a significant cultural and economic hub in the Hellenistic and Roman periods.  In 273 AD, Palmyra was razed to the ground by the Romans, and had never fully recovered since then.  The archaeological wealth from the ancient city was Syria’s most prominent tourist attraction and UNESCO’s World Heritage site.  Palmyra faced its biggest nightmare in May 2015, when the ISIS launched a huge offensive attack to capture the desert oasis.  Between mid 2015 to March 2016, Palmyra was controlled under the notorious terrorists when precious treasures and artefacts were looted or destroyed.  The Temple of Bel, Temple of Baalshamin, seven Tomb Towers including the Tower of Elahbel, and the Monumental Arch were blown up to pieces.  Uncounted artefacts were looted and smuggled into the black market.  Archaeologists were beheaded.  Before they were forced out by the government army, ISIS planted thousands of landmines and bombs in the ruined city.  On 15th April, 2020, two children were killed by a landmine in Palmyra, four years after the ISIS was driven out.  Despite the de-mining effort since 2016, Palmyra remains a dangerous place to visit and an endangered World Heritage site seven years in a row.  Memories of our 2006 visit seems so far far away:

At around 14:30 we finally arrived at Palmyra, the ancient desert metropolis since the times of Alexander the Great.  We checked in at Citadel Hotel.  The hotel staff arranged a car for our visit to the funeral towers.  The staff asked if we wanted to hire a car to visit the tomb towers.  At the village museum we bought the admission tickets for the tomb towers, and sardined ourselves (6 of us) in the little red car for the journey.

Our hired guide from the museum waited for us at the entrance of the Tower of Elahbel.  He told us some history of the towers, unlocked the door of Tower of Elahbel and led us in.  Many tomb towers in the valley were badly damaged by earthquakes throughout the centuries. The Tower of Elahbel was an exception.  Inside we could see the slots on the walls where coffins were once placed.  We walked up to the third level, saw a number of sculpted busts of the deceased, and the beautiful fresco of stars and constellations on the ceiling.  After, we visited an underground tomb with well preserved frescoes.  I was able to recognize scenes of the Trojan War with Achilles and Odysseus from one of the wall paintings.

After the necropolis, we moved on to visit the Temple of Bel.  It was the largest building in Palmyra, and one of the largest temples in the Classical world.  Bel was the main god of Babylon.  The temple was erected in the first century, with influences from Classical Greece and Rome, Ptolemaic Egypt, and ancient Syria.  We walked through the main gate into a huge courtyard that was once surrounded by Corinthian colonnades. At the centre stands the ruined Sanctuary of Bel, where we could admire the exquisite relief carving of the ruined building.

funeral towersTomb towers at Palmyra are unique examples of Classical necropolis.  Some tower tombs dated back to the Hellenistic period.  Most were found in the Valley of the Tombs below Umm al-Bilqis Hill.

06ME28-10Inside the towers, dead bodies were placed on landings and stacked stone shelves, marked with a sculptural bust.

06ME28-13Before its brutal destruction in August 2015 by the ISIS, the Tower of Elahbel was a great place to learn about funeral architecture of Palmyra.  Inside the tower there was a narrow staircase reaching the upper floors.

06ME28-11Some of the larger towers could hold up to 400 corpses.  Chinese silk yarns dated to 1st century AD were discovered in the tomb towers, revealing the evidence of Silk Road trading two thousand years ago.

Temple of Bel 1The Temple of Bel was the largest ancient temple complex in the Middle East.  Built upon pre Roman temples, the Temple of Bel was founded in 32 AD.  The temple was later converted into a church and then a mosque.

06ME28-31Most of the Temple of Bel has been blown up by the ISIS.  Now it has become a large pile of rubble.

06ME28-18Magnificent carving of the temple are probably gone even if archaeologists can restore the general structure of the building.

06ME28-19Walking around the enormous temple complex was a great pleasure.

Temple of Bel 3Ceiling details were particularly well preserved at the Temple of Bel.

06ME28-20Beautiful relief and rows of Corinthian columns once stood in the temple courtyard.

Temple of Bel 4Some of the relief carving of the central sanctuary were on display in the temple courtyard.

06ME28-22Handsome Classical columns stood proudly in the courtyard before the destruction.

Temple of Bel 5Our guide gave us a little talk on the temple’s history at the courtyard.

06ME28-26Outside the temple walls, we could see the palm trees east of the ruined city.

06ME28-29Along with sone other destroyed buildings, the government is planning to restore the Temple of Bel using original materials from the existing debris.

06ME29-07At last, our little red car drove us up to the citadel behind the ruins of Palmyra, where we could watch the sunset.  The citadel also suffered major destruction by the ISIS.

06ME29-04Up at the citadel we could fully appreciate the scale of the barren landscape in all directions.

06ME29-02Seven Tomb Towers are lost forever.

06ME29-01The Temple of Bel, the enormous walled complex east of the Great Colonnade of Palmyra, was almost completely destroyed by the ISIS.  As satellite images showed, there was hardly anything standing at the Temple of Bel.


THE TRAGEDY OF APAMEA, Hama, Syria

2006.05.12

From Aleppo we took a morning bus to Hama, a laidback little city between Aleppo and Damascus.  Under the morning sun, the combination of shading palm, olive and fruit trees, centuries old stone houses and winding alleys, Hama looked like a photo perfect Middle Eastern town.  At first we had trouble orienting ourselves.  A taxi driver came by and helped us for the right direction towards town centre and Cairo Hotel.  Cairo Hotel was clean and the staff was friendly.  We joined one of the tours they offered for the Crusade castles and archaeological ruins nearby.

Our first stop was the massive ruins of Apamea.  From the 2 km-long Great Colonnade, we could truly appreciate the enormous scale of the ancient city, which was once a major trading hub with a population of up to half a million as some researchers estimated.  After the conquest of Alexander the Great, Apamea was ruled under the Seleucid kings before the Roman arrived.  Because of its strategical location on the trading routes, the city continued to flourish in Roman times.  For all the wrong reasons, Apamea made news headlines in recent years as satellite images revealed the Luna landscape like destruction of the site due to massive looting.  Irreversible damages, especially along the famous Grand Colonnade area, were discovered after the government army regained control of the site.  During the civil war, thousands of holes were dug in the ground by treasure hunters.  Mosaics and all kinds of precious artefacts were brutally removed and sold in the black market by amateur treasure hunters, including desperate civilians from nearby communities who might not have other economic means to survive the war.  It was a story of how a local warfare would lead to a terrible loss for the entire humanity.  In the 21st century this should never have happened, but in reality these kinds of tragedies have never ceased to exist in our history.

06ME26-01Apamea withstood different challenges in the past two thousand years, but the recent destruction would probably be proven too much for the ancient city to bear.  “Once a great city, now just empty holes” was how University of Glasgow recently described the site in an article titled Count the holes: the looting of Apamea, Syria.

06ME26-05From the conquest of Alexander the Great to the Romans, Apamea thrived as an Hellenistic city, then a provincial capital during the Roman times.

06ME26-07Many remaining structures are dated to the Roman era.

06ME26-09Anything decorative or with artistic values are probably gone by now.

Apamea 5The 2km Great Colonnade was one of the longest in the Roman world, but sadly it also suffered the most damages during the civil war.  Thousands of holes were made in the area for treasure hunting.  Uncounted artefacts have been stolen, including many priceless mosaic floors that have gone into the black market.  Since 2012, Interpol has been involved in searching for the looted items.

06ME26-02It would take a long time to even comprehend how extensive the actual destruction was.

06ME25-36Ancient Roman Latin inscriptions and detail carvings might be gone.

06ME25-31Google aerial views reveal the site is now filled with holes all over.  Many of the unexcavated treasures hidden from our sight in 2006 are gone by now.

06ME25-34Let’s hope the tragic story of Apamea would not repeat again somewhere else.