Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Travel Photo Thursday:Where? What?

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Welcome to Travel Photo Thursday once again, and this week for some fun I have a question for all readers.
1. Where are these?
2. What are these?

Alright, two questions then...
Give me your answers in your comments. There's no prize so I'll hold the comments back for a few days then post them so as not to give the game away too early, otherwise Julia's going to let the cat out of the bag early!.





Travel Photo Thursday is on again where travel bloggers post up their great pics from around the world. Join us! Head over to Nancie's Budget Traveler's Sandbox and post up your travel photo and link into the fun!


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18 comments:

Nancie said...

Well I love the shots! Have no idea where they were taken, except to say a Buddhist country.

OurPassportStamps ~ Karen said...

You are in Istanbul at the Bascilica Cistern. We loved our time in Istanbul!!!

OurPassportStamps~Karen said...

Didnt mean to hit enter so quick on my last response..still had to answer the WHAT?...this is one of two columns featuring Medusa. One is sideways and the other upside down. For those that havent been here, you might recognize it from a James Bond movie. Also, dont visit the Cistern of 1,000 columns and think it will be like the Basilica Cistern....totally different. This one is a 1,000 times better!

RyukyuMike said...

Just a wild guess. States in a museum.

Jim said...

Sorry Mike, way out. Clue is they are sitting in water.

Jim said...

No Nancie, they are not Buddah statues! Good guess though, look so similar.

Jim said...

Yep, we have a winner but hey keep those guesses coming in. I 'll hold the comment for a while.

denise said...

easy peasy - medusa heads at the Basilica Cistern, Istanbul

Sophie said...

No idea, I'm afraid, but I would guess they are in Thailand or Indochina.

wandering educators said...

squished!!!! it looks so uncomfortable...

under a bridge pylon?

InsideJourneys said...

A woman's head?

Dick Jordan said...

Alexander The Great's head sitting in a pool of water somewhere in Venice, Italy!

Mari Sterling Wilbur said...

I love Dick's answer - he's covering a lot of ground! They are beautiful, wonder why they are in water??? They look Roman or Greek to me. Haha - it's "greek" to me!! From my art history classes it is strange to put the heads sideways or up-side-down.

Looking forward to your answers.

Michael Figueiredo said...

I know! I was there last year.... they are the medusa heads at the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul, Turkey. What a spectacular place! :)

Jim said...

Yeah easy peasy for those who have been there!You're right, the Medusa heads, Basilica Cistern, Istanbul.

As to the history of them being upside down or sideways, - from Wiki- "Located in the northwest corner of the cistern, the bases of two columns reuse blocks carved with the visage of Medusa. The origin of the two heads is unknown, though it is thought that the heads were brought to the cistern after being removed from a building of the late Roman period. There is no written evidence that suggests they were used as column pedestals previously. Tradition has it that the blocks are oriented sideways and inverted in order to negate the power of the Gorgons' gaze,[citation needed] however it is widely thought that one was placed sideways only to be the proper size to support the column. The upside down Medusa was placed that way specifically because she would be the same height right side up>"
Probably make sense that if you have got rocks that have been precarved before, then you recycle them. Lots of ancient buildings hav e been ransacked of their stone blocks to build later ones.

Jim said...

Karen was in here first with the correct answer, she's shouting a round of drinks for us all!

OurPassportStamps-Karen said...

In honor of Istanbul...would you prefer Apple Tea, Turkish Coffee or some Fresh Squeezed Pomegranete Juice for a street stall????? (Alchol is a bit tougher to find in Istanbul..so I'm going with easy options this round) As a bonus treat...I'll pass around some Baklava from Gulluoglu and a couple of pieces of Turkish Delight!:) :)

Daisy said...

I didn't know what or where but I did know they are gorgeous and captured well too! how interesting they are.