Tag Archives: Roman

London Mithraeum

This is a little hidden gem in the Bank area of central London. When they built the new Bloomberg building they moved the Roman Mithraeum temple out and then put the ruins back to where they originally found them. You can now go online and book a free visit if you have a spare half an hour to visit it in your day.

Entering you are treated with an ever changing art space, then next to it is a wall of finds which you can browse before descending down the stairs to the temple. There is a brief bit of information in a waiting area and when let through you are treated to a very mystical setting, low lights, barely visible and it is a treat to watch and listen to the story.

After that’s finished you can have a walk around when it lit up better, take some photo’s, ask those questions before leaving. Well worth a visit in my opinion.

https://www.londonmithraeum.com

IS destruction of Palmyra saddens me.

I love history and ancient architecture but what IS has done to Palmyra truly saddens me. It’s not the first time that civilizations have wiped out other civilizations to leave only whispers of an unknown past. You have conquest, you have destruction, but this is true obliteration.

What I am confused at is that IS are destroying Islamic-Syrian-Persian identity. These places were used as places of worship by ancient Islam, so were blessed as sacred ground. There is also destruction of what IS call idols but are in fact most likely busts or full statues representing real people from the past. Ancient art destroyed, looted and sold.

I am truly sorry that the majority of the Syrian people have to leave the country they love because of this war. I just wish for IS to understand that they are not destroying our history but more likely their future.