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To: SunkenCiv
I find it a sad commentary on Arab civilisation, that 1,500 years ago, right at the onset of Islamic religion, and the end of roman domination of the area, this site was abandoned..

One would think that such beautiful stone would be in commercial demand, and a decent industry could be made out of quarrying that stone for various architectural purposes..
Yet, not one egyptian, in 1,500 years has taken up where the romans left off..

7 posted on 11/26/2004 7:28:20 PM PST by Drammach (Freedom; not just a job, it's an adventure..)
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To: Drammach

Well, there are very nice porphyry columns in a church (if memory serves) St Petersburg, presumably obtained either from a dismantled Byzantine site after the Turkish conquest, or commercially during Turkish domination of the Middle East. Also, King Farouk had some quarrying done.

It would be nice to acquire some of the scrap pieces the Romans left behind for museums outside Egypt, since they aren't of much interest otherwise (no tourist traffic up to either site). For those who are very ambitious, there's a 200 ton cracked column up there, probably an "oops" quarried for a project of (I think) Caligula. There were others which made the trip to Rome (obviously by water).

I'd be very surprised if some newly-quarried finished objects of great size didn't lay on the bottom of the Mediterranean, and out of Egyptian jurisdiction.


8 posted on 11/26/2004 7:49:15 PM PST by SunkenCiv ("All I have seen teaches me trust the Creator for all I have not seen." -- Emerson)
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To: Drammach

I wouldn't be surprised if a good many Americans would buy this stone for kitchen counters.


10 posted on 11/27/2004 8:35:02 PM PST by Restorer (Europe is heavily armed, but only with envy.)
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