FALLEN CITY

[Nihat Iyriboz]

I worked a couple of days here in 1998. When under attack, the citizens of Priene hiked up to the citadel that was hidden on the top of the rock face behind. This beautiful city state, once a harbor on the Aegean Sea, was finally deserted due the ancient environmental mistakes and the eventual spread of malaria. I was hoping to photograph the Temple of Athena at night with star trails. With the nightfall I had the worst mosquito attack in my life. They were big and plenty. The only choice was to retreat to the motel. Related images on this blog are "Fallen Columns" and "Temple of Athena."

Frame by Frame Travel: FALLEN CITY

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Olympus OM3, Zuiko 18mm, Kodak TMAX100, tripod.

 

[Brian Moore]

Very nice, Nihat. What was the purpose of the long, carved, rectangular recess in the face of that fallen wall or whatever it is? Was it just decorative, do you think?

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Interesting composition, Nihat. The chaos of the boulders, the solid presence of the hill, and the strangely sculpted artwork in the foreground. It does ask questions...

 

[Nihat Iyriboz]

Thank you, Brian.
It was a ceiling piece from the temple, and had both structural and decorative functions.

- - - Updated - - -

Indeed, Rob.
Questions that we have the answers for.
Yet, we resist to learn from our collective past.

 

[Pete Askew]

Now that I like very much indeed Nihat. You have captured a superb contrast between the mountain and the foreground both tonally and in the structure; altered by man vs natural. Wonderful.

 

[Nihat Iyriboz]

Thank you very much, Pete. You've read my mind.