Free Republic

Archaeologists digging in Turkey have found the guardians of the "Gate to Hell" -- two unique marble statues which once warned of a deadly cave in the ancient Phrygian city of Hierapolis, near Pamukkale. Known as Pluto's Gate -- Ploutonion in Greek, Plutonium in Latin -- the cave was celebrated as the portal to the underworld in Greco-Roman mythology and tradition. It was discovered in March by a team led by Francesco D'Andria, professor of classic archaeology at the University of Salento.

Competing against the world’s most breathtaking locales, the Dead Sea is just three months away from potentially being named one of the world’s seven natural wonders as part of the New 7 Wonders of Nature competition. The online voting contest seeking to name seven natural wonders of the world is years in the making and is set to finish on November 11, 2011. The organizers want to have 1 billion votes cast on their website, www.new7wonders.com. The current results are confidential, but Israel’s Tourism Ministry said they feel the Dead Sea is doing well so far, even if they don’t...

When I was discovering the "Earth from Above" pictures, I was bedeviled by the image below. I thought it was Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone NP, and it wasn't labeled. It took a bit of searching to find out where it was -- and I was surprised to also find out I'd never heard of it before. The image is of Pamukkale, a famous site in Turkey that features active, large travertine terraces. Apparently they aren't as hot as Mammoth, because people can clearly wade and immerse in them. Below are some additional images and links about Pamukkale. Pamukkale, a...