For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
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By Propwash
#1839202
I have always been fascinated by history of all sorts and especially ancient civilisations like Rome, Greece and Egypt. Today I have been reading about the discovery of a city built 3,400 years ago near Luxor during the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. It looks from photographs to have been remarkably well preserved.

I vividly remember the feeling that I was walking with ghosts when my wife and I visited Pompeii a few years ago. I would love to see this city in person, but I wonder how long it will be until it opens to the public? To have lain undiscovered all this time, waiting to be brought back into the light, really is incredible.

I wonder what Indiana Jones would make of it? :lol:

PW
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By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1840560
The existence of the city has been known about for quite a while in Luxor, but new work on the dig began last year, if you haven't visited Luxor and the surrounding areas you have missed a treat.
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By JAFO
#1840561
Several years ago I visited a museum at Wallsend near to Newcastle. They have this huge animated map of the area where there is an aerial view of what the area was like before the Romans turned up and built their wall, then the clouds roll over and when they clear the Romans are there and then the same happens again and they've left, this continues right up to the recent history of shipbuilding at the site.

I thought it really brought it to life and it was like flying over the area and watching 2000 years of history below you.
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By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1840564
Propwash wrote:I would love to see this city in person, but I wonder how long it will be until it opens to the public? To have lain undiscovered all this time, waiting to be brought back into the light, really is incredible.


In the early ' noughties I had some work projects in Libya. Mr Gaddafi's regime was not exactly popular and it was very much a police state. However this meant that there were literally no tourists and finding something to do in the little "off time" we had was all word of mouth. One afternoon we heard about a "Roman town" and a couple of days later off we went... arrived at the place to find steel gates and ubiquitous army pill box, out we piled and after various hand signals, pidgeon english/french/italian and major documentation scrutiny by the army guys we paid the grand total of around 50p each to some guy that appeared from nowhere in a suit to be let in... and I think that was mainly because myself and another guy had cameras...

It was absolutely incredible!! Anywhere in Europe such a place would have been heaving with people walking along carefully segregated routes with full histories and explanations on displays etc. Here we just wandered and climbed around, in and on anything and everything wherever we wanted, trying to work out what stuff was. We spent the whole day there, exploring this town that was literally falling into the sea, a totally amazing yet surreal experience I shall never forget.

Regards, SD..
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By Flyingfemme
#1840618
DH picked up some aircraft from Libya a few years ago. He said the architecture was fabulous and the place was clean and pleasant. The only things missing to attract a horde of tourists were a beer and a bacon butty!
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By kanga
#1840791
johnm wrote:Ironically our friend who lives in Luxor is originally from North East England :D


.. where this archaeological find, too, sounds fascinating by its sheer scale:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-y ... e-56745840
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By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1840801
Yes @kanga it's on her list for next time she gets to visit the North East, which might not happen for quite a while :(
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By Bill McCarthy
#1840827
Orkney really has got its act together with its ancient archeological sites - we were living in holes in the ground at the time of the magnificence of Ancient Greece.
No - we are above ground now !!