It was a short 10 minute drive over to the Pillar of Pompey. It is one of the tallest and oldest triumphal columns to exist from the ancient world. Made from red granite is 88 feet tall and almost 9 feet in diameter at the base. It was built to honor the Emperor Diocletian back in the year 298 AD. Despite the name it has no proven connection with Pompey. A 24 foot tall Diocletian, in full armor, was memorialized in statue form on the top of the pillar. This total height of the statue was estimated from a set of large thighs (5.3 ft) found at the base in the 1700's. The fragments have since been lost to time. This is part of a larger complex called the Serapeum which was s series of temples devoted to Serapis. The column is one of the largest monolithic columns ever built unlike most columns that were made of stacked drums. There are also two large granite sphynxes, with their heads, flanking the pillar. In addition there were walkways into the underground libraries. We walked around the perimeter and the barn swallows flew so close to us we could hear the beating of their wings. We had lunch there and watched the cats getting fed by another visitor.
Horse pulling a cart of tomatoes
More souped up tuk-tuks
The old town had some very old and neglected things that could be glorious
The gate to the complex
Up on the hill
One of the sphynx, the big column and a much small er column down on the walkway with us
Looking all regal
Hieroglyphics
Black granite lion head
How did these two keep their heads is a mystery
The row of headless sphynx's
The complex is quite large but not at all restored
The column throws a big shadow
Red belly and long tail feathers
Going down into the little library
it is very large indeed
Leslie is at the base, so tiny
Don't fall in!
Also of red granite
More swallows
A long way down
At least the lights were on!
Leslie up the passage
A statue of Serapise the Bull God
Dedicated by Hadrian and re-discovered in 1895
What does it mean, my google translator is not working on this
Our lunch spot had a great view!
