Lion Gate in Jerusalem (Israel) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.
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Jerusalem is a place that even two weeks are not enough to explore. There are few cities about which so much has been said and written! The most bitter ones belong to Jesus Christ, who predicted ruin and decline for the city. Indeed, Jerusalem survived difficult times, long years of foreign rule, but remained itself: a unique mixture of peoples, eras, religions, architectural styles. It’s good to just walk here, absorbing the atmosphere of the narrow streets, spicy smells from shops and shops, and hot stone walls. But not everyone can afford to wander as much as they want; tourists often have a day or two to explore the city, no more. In this case, you need to choose. Old city In any case, you need to explore Jerusalem, but you should start from the Lion Gate.
A little history
The Lion Gate is called the Lion Gate because Sultan Suleiman II once dreamed horrible dream. A lion threatened to tear him to pieces, angry at the ruler’s idea of razing the city to the ground. They say that the Sultan was outraged by the reluctance of thrifty townspeople to pay taxes. One way or another, the ruler knew how to heed warnings, and it was no coincidence that he was nicknamed the Magnificent. He did not destroy Jerusalem, but, on the contrary, surrounded it stone walls with gates cut into them. Above the former Sheep Gate, where the bathhouse described in the Gospel was once located, images of four leopards were carved. But, since the knowledge of cat breeds among the Jerusalem masses left much to be desired, they were mistaken for lions, and the gate was called the Lion Gate.
The gate is also called the gate of St. the first martyr Stephen, who, according to legend, suffered martyrdom not far from them.
What to see
The gate is located in the Old Town, from where the Via Dolorosa or the Way of the Cross of Jesus Christ begins to the place of crucifixion - Golgotha. There are 14 stops on this route, and the Lion Gate is the first of them. Directly behind them is the monastery of St. Anna, mother of the Virgin Mary. In one of its underground rooms you can see a slab decorated with icons - this is the birthplace of the Virgin Mary. Nearby was the Antonia fortress, where the procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, judged the guilty. It was there that Jesus was sentenced. Now on this site, Liphostroton, there is a chapel of Condemnation, belonging to a Catholic monastery.
Your next stop is the Chapel of the Flagellation; of the 14 stops on the Via Dolorosa, nine are in the Old Town.
How to get there
From the bus station take tram number 1 to the Jaffa Gate, then walk along the walls. Important: when leaving the station, cross the tracks and stop facing the station; the desired tram comes from this side. Your stop is 5th. You can also get there by bus No. 99, it goes straight to the Lion Gate, but this is an excursion route, and the prices will be about twice as high.
Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia
| Gates | |
Lion Gate |
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| A country | Greece |
| City | Mycenae |
| Architectural style | Cyclopean masonry |
| Date of foundation | XIII century BC e. |
Lion Gate- entrance gate of the Acropolis of Mycenae (Greece). Built in the middle of the 13th century BC. e. along with the expansion of the city's fortress wall. They got their name from the bas-relief depicting lions placed above them, which is the oldest example of monumental sculpture in Europe.
The gate is built from four monolithic blocks of limestone (“cyclopean masonry”), the weight of the lintel is about 20 tons. The gate span is a regular square with a side of 3.1 m. In the inner part of the side walls there are recesses, indicating that in ancient times they were closed with two wooden doors. The lintel in the middle was made wider to support the weight of the triangular stone pediment slab lying on it, placed between two projections of the fortress wall, which form a “lightening” triangle.
Reconstruction of the fortress wall of Mycenae and the Lion Gate
Lions Gate detail.JPG
Bas-relief with lions
The pediment crowning the gate is made of solid limestone and is decorated with a relief image of two lions. They are depicted standing on their hind legs, facing each other and with their front paws resting on two altars that support a column. The roof of some structure rests on the top of the column. The lions' heads have not survived. The preserved places for their fastening allow us to conclude that they were made of a different material (ivory or soapstone) and were probably turned towards the people entering the gate. The relief, according to one version, represents the coat of arms of the Atrid dynasty, which ruled the city during the construction of the gate.
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Literature
- Spafari E., Petropoulou K. Corinth. Mycenae. Archaeological sites and museums. - Athens, 2006. - pp. 37-38.
Excerpt describing the Lion Gate
“Monsieur le prince Koutouzov,” he wrote, “j"envoie pres de vous un de mes aides de camps generaux pour vous entretenir de plusieurs objets interessants. Je desire que Votre Altesse ajoute foi a ce qu"il lui dira, surtout lorsqu" il exprimera les sentiments d"estime et de particuliere consideration que j"ai depuis longtemps pour sa personne... Cette lettre n"etant a autre fin, je prie Dieu, Monsieur le prince Koutouzov, qu"il vous ait en sa sainte et digne garde ,Moscou, le 3 Octobre, 1812. Signe:
Napoleon."
[Prince Kutuzov, I am sending you one of my general adjutants to negotiate with you on many important subjects. I ask Your Lordship to believe everything that he tells you, especially when he begins to express to you the feelings of respect and special reverence that I have had for you for a long time. Therefore, I pray to God to keep you under his sacred roof.
Moscow, October 3, 1812.
Napoleon. ]
“Je serais maudit par la posterite si l"on me regardait comme le premier moteur d"un accommodation quelconque. Tel est l "esprit actuel de ma nation", [I would be damned if they looked at me as the first instigator of any deal; such is the will of our people.] - answered Kutuzov and continued to use all his strength for that to keep troops from advancing.
In the month of the robbery of the French army in Moscow and the quiet stop of the Russian army near Tarutin, a change occurred in the strength of both troops (spirit and number), as a result of which the advantage of strength was on the side of the Russians. Despite the fact that the position of the French army and its strength were unknown to the Russians, how soon the attitude changed, the need for an offensive was immediately expressed in countless signs. These signs were: the sending of Lauriston, and the abundance of provisions in Tarutino, and information coming from all sides about the inaction and disorder of the French, and the recruitment of our regiments with recruits, and good weather, and the long rest of Russian soldiers, and the rest that usually arises in the troops as a result of rest. impatience to carry out the task for which everyone was gathered, and curiosity about what was happening in the French army, so long lost from sight, and the courage with which Russian outposts were now snooping around the French stationed in Tarutino, and news of easy victories over the French by the peasants and the partisans, and the envy aroused by this, and the feeling of revenge that lay in the soul of every person as long as the French were in Moscow, and (most importantly) the unclear, but arose in the soul of every soldier, consciousness that the relationship of force had now changed and the advantage is on our side. The essential balance of forces changed, and an offensive became necessary. And immediately, just as surely as the chimes begin to strike and play in a clock, when the hand has made a full circle, in the higher spheres, in accordance with a significant change in forces, the increased movement, hissing and play of the chimes was reflected.
The Mycenaean era dates back to the 2nd millennium BC. The cultural center of this civilization is located in the ancient city of Mycenae, the ruins of which are preserved on the territory of modern Greece. According to legend, the city was built by Perseus himself.
The grandeur, scope, size of the ruins, which have survived to this day, leave no doubt about the veracity of this legend. The ancient city is built from impressive blocks of stone at a great height above sea level. It is believed that it was built by the Cyclopes, so any buildings made of rough, unhewn stone large sizes later they were called cyclopean.
The wall around the Mycenaean acropolis was built around the 13th century BC. The entrance to the city is guarded by a gate called the lion gate. Above a giant stone doorway that historians believe closed wooden gates, there will be a triangular pediment depicting the figures of two lions. The lions' heads have not survived.
It is assumed that the heads were made of a different material and collapsed over time. The lions looked at the one entering and inspired fear in him. But the function of this triangular part above the gate was not only terrifying and decorative. Lions fulfilled them more lightweight material so as not to create a load on the gate opening.
The Lion Gate is one of the oldest architectural monuments of Mycenaean culture. Before this pediment, the Mycenaeans mastered only sculptures of small height.
In the territory ancient city there was a treasury, most of the materials of which were transferred to the Athens Museum.
Jewelry, dishes, funeral masks, and tablets with writing were found here. Under the arches of the acropolis there was the “Source of Perseus” - a cistern 18 m deep, in which water accumulated, flowing through masonry into the drinking well.
The Mystery of the Thracian Horseman
The Greek land is covered with many myths and legends. Some of them continue to live today, having gone through a long and thorny path of historical vicissitudes. Back in the 4th century BC. e. In Thrace, the cult of the mysterious Thracian horseman was widespread, who was worshiped not only by local warlike tribes, but also by the Romans and Greeks. Scientists draw significant parallels between the cult of the Thracian horseman, the cult of heroes in Hellas and Celtic myths.
Ancient Greek architectural orders.
Policies in Ancient Greece
Greece in ancient times was not one whole state in the understanding of contemporaries. The ancient country consisted of poleis - city-states. They were independent units that considered themselves independent, but if it was necessary to unite against an external enemy, the allies instantly came to each other’s aid. A special form of organization of economics, law and political relations
Thessaloniki in Greece. History, sights (part seven)
In 1988, several ancient Christian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, and in 1997 the city was officially named the European Capital of Culture, which was marked by a large number of events. Today, UNESCO lists 17 historical World Heritage sites in Greece. 15 of them are included according to cultural criteria, 11 are classified as masterpieces of human genius and are recognized as a phenomenon of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic significance. 8 historical monuments are candidates for inclusion in the heritage list. Thessaloniki is the only city in Greece rich in monuments of Byzantine and early Christian architecture, with 15 World Heritage Sites.
Mycenae are located in the Peloponnese, just in the middle between Argos and Corinth. Active settlement of the Mycenaean hill began in the third millennium. People settled here mainly because of the convenient location and fertile soil, besides, there was a source of water - Perseus. An important factor at that time was also the inaccessibility of the hill for the enemy. This is how it was slowly created Mycenaean Acropolis.
The main entrance to this centuries-old fortress was Lion Gate, some scientists call them the oldest heraldic symbol of Europe. This is a grandiose structure erected by ancient architects, which must be dated back to the period of the second construction of Mycenae, approximately 1250 BC. This means that the city is already more than three thousand years old. Which cannot but cause delight and admiration.
Considering that the gate was part of a defensive wall, Mycenaean architects paid close attention to the gate. On the one hand, they had to be well strengthened, and on the other, significantly lightened. And on the third hand, and this was, by the way, a very important circumstance at that time - the Lion Gate was supposed to symbolize the greatness and power of the Mycenaean kings.
Needless to say, the architects and builders succeeded. All Lion Gate design made of huge stone conglomerate blocks correct form. The opening is formed by two huge, vertically installed polished slabs, and the ceiling is a third slab, the top of which is slightly rounded.
It is precisely on this floor slab that a lighter slab is installed, which has a relatively light weight and a triangular shape, and on its surface there is a bas-relief carved in the form of two lionesses standing on the sides of a column, which expands upward, which suggests the Cretan roots of this creation. The heads of the lions have not been preserved, but presumably they were turned towards the road and, as it were, greeted travelers and traders.
The so-called Lion Gate is the main entrance to the Acropolis. Traditionally for the art of fortification of that era, the walls of the fortress at the gate created conditions for inflicting attacks on the advancing enemy right side, not covered by a shield. The gate is made of three slabs of approximately the same size.
A triangular insert was placed on the lintel, redistributing the load of the stones lying above the lintel. The slightly smaller northern gate had a similar design.
The insert depicts two relief lions standing with their front paws on an altar with a column. It is believed that the lion heads were made from individual stones and were turned towards those entering the gate. This is suggested by a sample of archaic bronze - a hydria from the 6th century. BC. (Bern Historical Museum), to which is attached a figurine of Artemis with two lions, whose heads are turned towards the viewer. But such an image is atypical. Much more common are images of a winged goddess holding lions by the necks so that their heads are turned upward. The profile image is the rule for heraldic (symmetrical) products of Mycenaean times. Nevertheless, for some reason the reenactors really wanted to turn the heads of the lions towards the viewer.
We can judge possible options lost details based on analogues - a plate from the same era, which also depicts two symmetrical figures of sphinxes with lion bodies. Their heads seem to be separated from their bodies and depicted separately - as if at first there were images with lion heads, which were then replaced by female heads. At the same time, the heads of the sphinxes are turned towards each other. The superposition of a flattened image of this type, made of bronze, on the stone bodies of lions would be quite logical.
Considering the analogues, we have the right to doubt that the Lion Gate is named correctly.
Triangular inserts above the upper gate beam are found in the exhibition of the British Museum. Unfortunately, here too top part the bas-relief is lost. But the sphinxes of the lower tier have been completely preserved. The question remains: were all the gates in the cities of the Mycenaean civilization “lion” or are we dealing with a later copying of the Mycenaean model.
We find a possible clue to the solution to the image of lions on the Mycenaean gates in vase paintings. In one of the examples of the Geometric period we see that the heads of the lions are turned away from each other. With this image, the heads of the lions do not rest against the column separating them. But even in this case, the problem remains: there is too little space left on the triangular insert for such an image.
We can see the further development of paired symmetrical images in the images of the Great Mother or Artemis Orthia, in which a pair of lions or other animals serves as an attribute (the hydria from Bern also belongs to this type of image). Archaic images of gods are pillar-shaped figures. therefore, the column on the Lion Gate could well represent the body of the goddess, and her head and upper body were located higher and were made separately. Narrow space can only be filled with a bird's head, and then the lost overlay part complements the lion's bodies, turning them into griffin figures. In this case, the overhead part should also contain flat wings located on top of the masonry.
It is believed that the gods of Mycenae are those mentioned by Homer. That is, the usual set of names of the Olympian gods for classical Greece. But in reality, the Homeric epic dates back to the decline of the Mycenaean civilization. From the artifacts of its heyday, we do not see any gods at all. One of the clay tablets reports donations to the temple: “To the Lady - 1 vessel, 1 woman, in (the) month when they go to sea.” We can only say that no images of the mistress-goddess have been found. To consider that the figures of "phi" and "psi" or anthropomorphic vases and distorted faces are an image of the goddess would be too bold an assumption.
Let's pay attention to one more feature. There is clearly not enough space to place the lions' heads in full view between the stones and the triangular insert. At the same time, on the analogues we see that the heads of sphinxes or leopards are thrown back, and if the “lions” had the same thrown back muzzles, then they were looking somewhere up. Where? It is logical to assume that the column was the basis for the symbol to which the “lions” looked. What was the symbol of Mycenae placed on the column above the main entrance to the citadel? We cannot resolve this issue today.
Let us note the passion of Mycenaean craftsmen for making items with symmetrically arranged figures, not only in monumental art, but also in small plastic works - a large number of such items were made of gold and intended to decorate clothes or a set of necklaces and bracelets. Heraldic lions could well be an addition to the pillar-shaped figure of the goddess.
