これまで訪れたことのある世界の遺跡の Top 8を考えてみた。あくまで「遺跡」なので古い建物や社寺仏閣の類は入れないことにして、http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_archaeological_sites_sorted_by_country に載っているものから選んだ。

8. オリャイタイタンボ (Ollantaytambo)

6枚岩 Ollantaytambo - オリャンタイタンボ遺跡

6枚岩 Ollantaytambo - オリャンタイタンボ遺跡

オリャイタイタンボはクスコ近郊にある古代インカの遺跡である。クスコからの1日ツアーで訪れた。英語のガイドだったので細かいことはよく覚えていないが、急な階段、段々畑、6枚の大きな石の石組み、王様と女王様の座る椅子などを記憶している。

7. スニオン岬のポセイドン神殿

Approaching Sounion

Sounion (Modern Greek: Aκρωτήριο Σούνιο - Akrotírio Soúnio; Latin: Sunium promonturium; Ancient Greek: Άκρον Σούνιον - Άkron Soúnion; Venetian: Capo Colonne) is a promontory located 69 km (43 mi, by road) SSE of Athens, at the southernmost tip of the Attica peninsula in Greece (Fig.2).  Cape Sounion is renowned for the ruins of the ancient Greek temple of Poseidon, the god of the sea in classical mythology. The remains are perched on the headland, surrounded on three sides by the sea . The ruins famously bear the deeply engraved name of English Romantic poet Lord Byron (1788 - 1824) .  The site is a popular day excursion for tourists from Athens, with sunset over the Aegean Sea viewed from the ruins a sought-after spectacle.
Sounion (Modern Greek: Aκρωτήριο Σούνιο - Akrotírio Soúnio; Latin: Sunium promonturium; Ancient Greek: Άκρον Σούνιον - Άkron Soúnion; Venetian: Capo Colonne) is a promontory located 69 km (43 mi, by road) SSE of Athens, at the southernmost tip of the Attica peninsula in Greece (Fig.2). Cape Sounion is renowned for the ruins of the ancient Greek temple of Poseidon, the god of the sea in classical mythology. The remains are perched on the headland, surrounded on three sides by the sea . The ruins famously bear the deeply engraved name of English Romantic poet Lord Byron (1788 - 1824) . The site is a popular day excursion for tourists from Athens, with sunset over the Aegean Sea viewed from the ruins a sought-after spectacle.

by Ava Babili

卒業旅行でヨーロッパを回ったときに訪れた。昔のことなのでほとんど覚えていない。カメラを持って行かなかったので写真も無い。よく、「写真だけ撮ってろくに見てこないのはダメ、心に刻んでこよう」などというが、やっぱり写真は撮ってきた方がよい。確かに、写真を撮りに行く旅行ではないのだから、しっかりと体で感じることは大事だ。そのためにはゆったりした時間をとることだ。

スニオン岬へはアテネからバスに乗って行く。岬の先端に神殿がある。行く途中に見えた海がきれいだったことを覚えている。あれはエーゲ海か? アテネ市内のアクロポリスよりも人が少なく、静かで落ち着いた感じがした。

6. アクロポリス

Athens - Acropolis: Parthenon (West Side)

The Parthenon (ancient Greek: Παρθενών) was a temple of Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/135116398/">Acropolis of Athens</a>.  An octostyle, peripteral Doric temple with Ionic architectural features, it is the most famous surviving building of ancient Greece, and has been praised as the finest achievement of Greek architecture and one of the world's greatest cultural monuments.  The Parthenon was built at the initiative of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/135117025/">Pericles</a> under the general supervision of the sculptor Phidias, who also had charge of the sculptural decoration. The architects were Iktinos and Kallikrates. Construction began in 447 BC, and the building was substantially completed by 438 BC, when the chryselephantine gold and ivory statue of Athena Parthenos, from which the name is derived, was sculpted by Pheidias and dedicated and the decoration of the Doric metopes on the frieze above the exterior colonnade, and of the Ionic frieze around the upper portion of the walls of the cella were completed.  Modest construction continued until the beginning of the Peloponnesian War in 432 BC.  Some of the financial accounts for the Parthenon survive and show that the largest single expense was transporting the stone from Mount Pentelicus, about 16 kilometers from Athens, to the Acropolis. The funds were partly drawn from the treasury of the Delian League, which was moved from the Panhellenic sanctuary at Delos to the Acropolis in 454 BC.  In the 6th century AD the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church dedicated to the Virgin; after the Turkish conquest, it was converted into a mosque. In 1687 AD, a Turkish ammunition dump inside the building was ignited by a Venetian cannonball; the resulting explosion severely damaged the Parthenon and its sculptures. In the 19th century AD, Lord Elgin removed some of the surviving sculptures and took them to England. These sculptures, now known as the Elgin Marbles or Parthenon Marbles, are on display in the British Museum. An ongoing dispute concerns whether the Elgin Marbles should be returned to Greece.  Measured at the top step, the dimensions of the base of the Parthenon are 69.5 meters by 30.9 meters (228.0 x 101.4 ft). The cella was 29.8 meters long by 19.2 meters wide (97.8 x 63.0 ft), with internal Doric colonnades in two tiers, structurally necessary to support the roof. On the exterior, the Doric columns measure 1.9 meters (6.2 ft) in diameter and are 10.4 meters (34.1 ft) high. The corner columns are slightly larger in diameter. The stylobate, the platform on which the columns stand, has an upward curvature towards its center of 60 millimeters (2.36 in) on the east and west ends, and of 110 millimeters (4.33 in) on the sides. Entasis refers to the slight swelling of the columns as they rise, to counter the optical effect of looking up at the temple.   The effect of these subtle curves is to make the temple appear more symmetrical than it actually is.  Some of the dimensions form the golden rectangle expressing the golden ratio, praised by Pythagoras in the previous century.  The roof was covered with large overlapping marble tiles known as imbrices and tegulae.  The ninety-two metopes were carved in high relief, a practice employed until then only in treasuries. Their design is attributed to the sculptor Kalamis. The metopes of the east side of the Parthenon, above the main entrance, depict the Gigantomachy . The metopes of the west end show Amazonomachy. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/288044415/">The metopes of the south side</a> (with the exception of the somewhat problematic metopes 13-20, now lost) show the Thessalian Centauromachy (battle of the Lapiths aided by Theseus against the half-man, half-horse Centaurs). On the north side of the Parthenon the metopes are poorly preserved, but the subject seems to be the sack of Troy.  The most characteristic feature in the architecture and decoration of the temple is the Ionic frieze running around the exterior walls of the cella. Carved in bas-relief, it most likely depicts an idealized version of the Panathenaic procession from the Dipylon Gate in the Kerameikos to the Acropolis. In this procession held every 4 years, Athenians and foreigners were participating to honour the goddess Athena offering sacrifices and a new peplos (dress woven by selected noble Athenian girls called ergastines). The entire frieze was carved in situ and it is dated in 442-438 BC.  The richness of the Parthenon's decoration is unique for a classical Greek temple. It is, however, in agreement with the function of the temple as a Treasury. In the opisthodomus (the back room of the cella) were stored the monetary contributions of the Delian Alliance of which Athens was the leading member.  Explore: April 26, 2006
The Parthenon (ancient Greek: Παρθενών) was a temple of Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Acropolis of Athens. An octostyle, peripteral Doric temple with Ionic architectural features, it is the most famous surviving building of ancient Greece, and has been praised as the finest achievement of Greek architecture and one of the world's greatest cultural monuments. The Parthenon was built at the initiative of Pericles under the general supervision of the sculptor Phidias, who also had charge of the sculptural decoration. The architects were Iktinos and Kallikrates. Construction began in 447 BC, and the building was substantially completed by 438 BC, when the chryselephantine gold and ivory statue of Athena Parthenos, from which the name is derived, was sculpted by Pheidias and dedicated and the decoration of the Doric metopes on the frieze above the exterior colonnade, and of the Ionic frieze around the upper portion of the walls of the cella were completed. Modest construction continued until the beginning of the Peloponnesian War in 432 BC. Some of the financial accounts for the Parthenon survive and show that the largest single expense was transporting the stone from Mount Pentelicus, about 16 kilometers from Athens, to the Acropolis. The funds were partly drawn from the treasury of the Delian League, which was moved from the Panhellenic sanctuary at Delos to the Acropolis in 454 BC. In the 6th century AD the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church dedicated to the Virgin; after the Turkish conquest, it was converted into a mosque. In 1687 AD, a Turkish ammunition dump inside the building was ignited by a Venetian cannonball; the resulting explosion severely damaged the Parthenon and its sculptures. In the 19th century AD, Lord Elgin removed some of the surviving sculptures and took them to England. These sculptures, now known as the Elgin Marbles or Parthenon Marbles, are on display in the British Museum. An ongoing dispute concerns whether the Elgin Marbles should be returned to Greece. Measured at the top step, the dimensions of the base of the Parthenon are 69.5 meters by 30.9 meters (228.0 x 101.4 ft). The cella was 29.8 meters long by 19.2 meters wide (97.8 x 63.0 ft), with internal Doric colonnades in two tiers, structurally necessary to support the roof. On the exterior, the Doric columns measure 1.9 meters (6.2 ft) in diameter and are 10.4 meters (34.1 ft) high. The corner columns are slightly larger in diameter. The stylobate, the platform on which the columns stand, has an upward curvature towards its center of 60 millimeters (2.36 in) on the east and west ends, and of 110 millimeters (4.33 in) on the sides. Entasis refers to the slight swelling of the columns as they rise, to counter the optical effect of looking up at the temple. The effect of these subtle curves is to make the temple appear more symmetrical than it actually is. Some of the dimensions form the golden rectangle expressing the golden ratio, praised by Pythagoras in the previous century. The roof was covered with large overlapping marble tiles known as imbrices and tegulae. The ninety-two metopes were carved in high relief, a practice employed until then only in treasuries. Their design is attributed to the sculptor Kalamis. The metopes of the east side of the Parthenon, above the main entrance, depict the Gigantomachy . The metopes of the west end show Amazonomachy. The metopes of the south side (with the exception of the somewhat problematic metopes 13-20, now lost) show the Thessalian Centauromachy (battle of the Lapiths aided by Theseus against the half-man, half-horse Centaurs). On the north side of the Parthenon the metopes are poorly preserved, but the subject seems to be the sack of Troy. The most characteristic feature in the architecture and decoration of the temple is the Ionic frieze running around the exterior walls of the cella. Carved in bas-relief, it most likely depicts an idealized version of the Panathenaic procession from the Dipylon Gate in the Kerameikos to the Acropolis. In this procession held every 4 years, Athenians and foreigners were participating to honour the goddess Athena offering sacrifices and a new peplos (dress woven by selected noble Athenian girls called ergastines). The entire frieze was carved in situ and it is dated in 442-438 BC. The richness of the Parthenon's decoration is unique for a classical Greek temple. It is, however, in agreement with the function of the temple as a Treasury. In the opisthodomus (the back room of the cella) were stored the monetary contributions of the Delian Alliance of which Athens was the leading member. Explore: April 26, 2006

by Wally Gobetz

Licensed by https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

アクロポリスのパルテノン神殿はギリシアのシンボルみたいなものだ。ここは、小学生の時に行った登呂遺跡は別として、遺跡というものを訪れた最初かもしれない。2000年以上の時の隔たりを感じてそれなりに感じるものがあった。はるか昔にこの場所に人々の暮らしがあったわけだから。

アテネでは遺跡やら博物館やらでいろいろなものを見て、えらく感心したが、そのあとで大英博物館を訪れて、ギリシアのものでもこちらのほうがよほどすごいコレクションであることを知り、複雑な気持ちになったのを覚えている。

5. フォロロマーノ

Foro Romano

Foro Romano
Foro Romano

by Edwin Lee
Licensed by https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

ローマ市内にある遺跡で超有名な観光地だ。ローマと言えば他にもコロッセオ、パンテオンなどなど有名な観光地がある。というより、ローマ自体がどこを取っても古い建物ばかりで見所ばかりだ。

ローマはヨーロッパ旅行の時に、アテネの次に訪れた。ろくに調べもせずに行ったからフォロロマーノもわけがわからずぷらぷら歩いただけだった。石のがれきの中をあるいただけのように感じた。

4. エフェソス

Ancient City of Ephesus

Path to the Ancient Roman Theater of Ephesus. This facility could seat 24,000.
Path to the Ancient Roman Theater of Ephesus. This facility could seat 24,000.

by Mr G’s Travels

Licensed by https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

エフェソスはトルコにある遺跡だが、古代ギリシア時代の遺跡だ。ほとんど記憶にないローマより印象が強い。いろいろなものが割と小さなエリアにまとまっていて、ひとつの街だった様子が浮かび、わかりやすい感じがした。

 

3. イースター島

Ahu Ko Te Riku - Easter Island

Sun is setting behind Ahu Tahai, Easter Island
Sun is setting behind Ahu Tahai, Easter Island

モアイはなぜか見飽きない。あの独特の表情はずーっと眺めていられる。イースター島の場合は人々の生活の跡というより、はっきりいってモアイをひたすら見るわけだが、モアイに心があって過去に何を見てきて今は何を見ているのかなどと考えてしまう。

 

2. マチュピチュ

Machu Pichu

お約束の写真。みんなこの構図で写真を撮る。
お約束の写真。みんなこの構図で写真を撮る。

あんな山の中にあんなものがあるということにまず驚く。山の中であるせいか、とても静かだったのが印象に残っている。観光客はそれなりに来ていたはずだが、雑踏というものが無く、しーんと静まりかえっているのだ。それが想像力をかき立て昔ここで暮らしていた人々のことを考える。訪れたアメリカ人が spiritual と言っていたがわかるような気もする。

 

1. アンコール遺跡群

Angkor Wat - アンコールワット

Angkor Wat - アンコールワット

やはり記憶に新しいので第1位にした。中でもアンコールワットはすごい建築物だ。あれが「遺跡」でなくて現存する寺院だったらすごいことになっていただろうな。

 
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