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Did a Sultan Find Medusa’s Sarcophagus in the Basilica Cistern?

Nestled beneath the winding streets of Istanbul, just 490 feet (149 meters) from the Hagia Sophia, lies an ancient cistern that may have been the final resting place of Medusa! The Basilica Cistern, also known as the Yerebatan Cistern, is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that sit under the city of Istanbul, designed to catch and hold rainwater. It is one of the most famous and impressive cisterns, not only in Turkey, but in the entire world. But could it really contain the sarcophagus of the Greek monster Medusa?

Mark Brophy - 26/09/2022 - 14:55

The Precariously Hanging Monastery of Mount Heng

... the harmony between the three systems in this sacred space. Mount Popa Monastery and the Mythology of the ...

dhwty - 01/06/2015 - 14:58

The Theatre of Ohrid, Where the Greeks Played and the Romans Slayed

... composed of three areas - the stage area , an open space in front of the stage, and the rows of seating. At one ...

Ed Whelan - 07/10/2019 - 22:55

Reconstruction of Golden Woman, the ancient Scythian Princess of Kazakhstan

... enemy, a single foot soldier, inscribed in the rectangular space in the center of the crest/comb. The unique Taksay ...

aprilholloway - 19/08/2014 - 03:26

Edinburgh Castle, Proud Custodian of Significant Scottish History

... fortress is accessed by a pathway running through a large space known as the Esplanade, which was used as a military ...

Ed Whelan - 03/04/2020 - 02:01

Rats, Exploding Toilet Seats and Demons of the Deep: The Hazards of Roman Sewers

I have spent an awful lot of time in Roman sewers – enough to earn me the nickname Queen of Latrines from my friends. The Etruscans laid the first underground sewers in the city of Rome around 500 BC. These cavernous tunnels below the city’s streets were built of finely carved stones, and the Romans were happy to utilize them when they took over the city. Such structures then became the norm in many cities throughout the Roman world.

ancient-origins - 20/11/2015 - 00:50

A Beauty in Darkness: The Hidden Secrets of the Catacomb Saints

... over, and the officials of Rome were running out of burial space. That’s when the creation of large, sprawling and ...

Aleksa Vučković - 10/07/2019 - 19:08

Archaeological Mystery: 10,000 or More Caves were Dug into the Himalayas Over 2,000 Years Ago

One of the world’s greatest archaeological mysteries is hidden in the Himalayas. 10,000 man-made caves have been tunneled through the rock from above or dug into the cliffside. Who built these ancient structures and why?

aprilholloway - 19/08/2017 - 22:54

Parthian Fortress in Iraq May be a Sanctuary for Goddess Anahita

... of a public gathering spot. The altar in the center of the space would have been reserved for important ritualistic ...

Nathan Falde - 10/03/2024 - 21:50

Yaodongs: Cave dwellings of the ancient world

The population of the world today is greater than any period in history, and it is expected to increase exponentially in the next couple of decades. This has caused concern for some as to whether the earth’s resources will continue to be able to sustain human life. As a result, much effort has been done to find ‘green’ alternatives, such as solar energy and organic produce. Yet, such green technology need not always depend on cutting-edge research, as we can look at the ancient world for exemplars of green alternatives.

dhwty - 20/03/2015 - 02:38

Laser Scans Reveal 60,000 Previously Unknown Maya Structures Hidden in Guatemalan Jungle!

... “LiDAR is revolutionizing archaeology the way the Hubble Space Telescope revolutionized astronomy,” said Francisco ...

Joanna Gillan - 01/10/2018 - 20:10

The Enigmatic Imiut: Magical Gear for Ancient Egyptian Priests

The Imiut is a peculiar artifact which has puzzled Egyptologists for a very long time. It was worshipped for its supposed magical powers, making it a fetish, but no one is entirely sure what it was actually used for. In art, the Imiut is a stuffed skin of an animal, normally a big cat such as a leopard, or occasionally a bull. This religious object was already in use as far back as the First Dynasty.

dhwty - 11/10/2017 - 18:45

Reign of Terror Victims Found Hidden in the Walls of a Paris Church

... individuals were beheaded by guillotine. This public space is now known as the Place de la Concorde . The chapel ...

Ed Whelan - 01/07/2020 - 18:32

Gabon: The Home of Ancient Nuclear Reactors

... 50 years ago. Nuclear Fusion Technology will speed up Space Travel Ancient Elites Mutilated Their Faces Says ...

Lex Leigh - 03/04/2022 - 14:59

2000 Year Old Labyrinth Uncovered in India Shows Same Pattern as a Greek Maze from 1200 BC

... symbol since the Neolithic period.” “The inner walking space of this labyrinth varies from 2.6 feet (79 cm) to 3.6 ...

Mark Miller - 07/08/2015 - 04:37

Phrygian Temple Found Beneath the Famous Maltas Monument in Turkey

For almost 100 years archaeologists in Turkey thought they knew everything about the famous 7th-century-BC Maltaş monument. That just changed, after a 40-day emergency excavation revealed the rock-cut sacred site is three times deeper and that sat on top of an ancient Phrygian temple.

ashley cowie - 11/08/2021 - 22:52

Was the Garden of Eden a Real Place?

... sensing, used ground-penetrating radar images from the Space Shuttle to locate and trace the bed of an ancient river ...

David Millar - 06/06/2016 - 15:50

Does the Ipuwer Papyrus Provide Evidence for the Events of the Exodus?

The Ipuwer papyrus, also known as the ‘Admonitions of Ipuwer’, is a controversial text that describes starvation, drought, death, and violent upheavals in ancient Egypt, with some maintaining that it is an eyewitness account of the Exodus plagues. Neither the beginning nor end of this work was preserved, leaving historians with difficulty in interpreting the material and reaching a final conclusion about the events it describes.

marinasohma - 06/11/2016 - 13:49