RE: Wonders of the Ancient World: Temple of Artemis
In the olden days, it was the person who trained and bred hawks. Nowadays it is used as follows: A seller of shoddy goods, or, a person who sets up a mini shop on the pavement (this is how it works in South Africa). In Greece they have periptera (kiosks) so there is little need for hawkers :)
Thanks for taking the trouble to satisfy my curiosity.
Would you mind if I narrate a little anecdote?
I lived in Athens, an area called Politia, at the foot of Mt Parnitha (famous for its marble). I would now and then walk past the last row of houses and climb among rocks, thyme bushes and so on, looking for a comfortable rock to sit on and read or sketch.
One day I came across the remains of a tiny Greek church (they don't call them chapels in Greece).
I was amazed to find the one side wall and the back wall, with the altar, still existed, and there were icons painted on the walls. Obviously they were weathered.
I mentioned it to a priest and he explained that once a piece of land has been consecrated and had a church on it, it is not permitted for that piece of land to be used for anything else, which is why the church still stands. I think he missed the point I was making, that there are pieces of art from a long time ago, that should be preserved.
Maybe one day I'll write about a cave mini-church with a big group of saints in it, lying strewn in the feeding trough of a manger, that I discovered. It actually won me a 3rd place award in a local photography competition.
I think we'll be seeing each other, as I am following you and hopefully will see when you post something else of interest.
Thats really awesome! Ive been to Athens as well for a few days, spent the whole time in the museums and at the acropolis. The part about the art work reminded me of another find at Ephesus, just a few minutes from the site of the temple, I got to see some beautiful mosaics that were off limits to visitors. When I find the pictures again I will post about it. Thanks again for taking an interest, it means alot for someone just starting out!