ANCIENT CITIES
Travel & Ancient Cities
Ellora (India)
2016.
1080p
Reel duration: 5’ 27”
Ellora is one of the largest rock-cut monastery-temple cave complexes in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is located in the state of Maharashtra in India.
The site presents monuments and artwork of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism from the 600-1000 CE periods.
The site features over 100 caves, of which 34 caves are open to the public.
This selected footage is mostly an exploration of the Kalaisha Temple, the largest monolithic rock excavation in the world: a chariot shaped monument dedicated to the God Shiva.
The temple was planned and begun under the reign of King Dandidurga (735-757 A.D).
The work went on during the reign of Krishna (757-773 A.D). This temple isolated from the surrounding rock was excavated from top to bottom and scooped out from outside to inside.
It is said that ten generations worked on it and that it took more than 200 years for its completion.
Also featured in this reel is the Temple ( 2 shots at the end) dedicated to Lord Buddha.
Palmyra (Syria)
2004.
Standard Definition: 720p
Reel duration: 11’53”
The ancient Semitic city of Palmyra was situated along the Silk Road. A vibrant trade brought wealth and supported the building of monumental projects. The stone columns that have remained till our time offer hints of its former glory. However, as recently as 2015, many architectural treasures were decimated by radical Jihadists.
The terrorists groups destroyed the Temple of Baalshamin, the Temple of Bel, the Lion of Al-lāt, and other statues. (featured in this reel before the destruction). The footage were filmed in 2004.
Sound track by the “Taj Mahal Traveller” music. Music rights clearance apply here.
Petra (Jordan)
2004.
Standard Definition: 720p.
Reel duration: 7’24”
Petra, also called “the Pink City” (because of the colors of its buildings, carved directly into the limestone rocks) was first established around the 6th century B.C by a nomadic tribe called the Nabataeans Arabs.
After the Romans took over, Petra was left to the local Bedouins.
It was rediscovered by the 19th century Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Bockkard.
The Nabataeans were expert hydraulic engineers.
This is an excerpt from “Petra, the Pink City” shot in 2004. To note the interiors of one of the temples, at the end of the reel, with its alphabet, hieroglyphs and frescos, remindful of modern abstract works of art.
Music score by Kitaro (“Spirit of Water”). Music Rights clearance apply here.
Sarnath (India)
2001
Standard Definition: 720p.
Reel duration: 14’ 33”
Sarnath is a town located 13 kilometers northeast of Varanasi near the confluence of the Ganges and the Gomati rivers in Uttar Pradesh, India. The deer park in Sarnath is where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna.
Also featured in this reel, Singhpur, a village approximately one km away from the site, and was the birthplace of Shreyansanath, the Eleventh Tirthankara of Jainism. It is an important pilgrimage site.
Varanasi (India)
2001
Standard Definition :720p.
Reel duration: 16’54”
Varanasi is “Older than Legend” said Mark Twain.
Indeed, it is one of the most magical cities in the world that I have travelled to.
The reel starts at sunrise, at the Ghats of death where they burn the corpses for those who can afford the wood and labor. Slowly, as the sun emerges, we are thrown into an atmosphere reminiscent of paintings of the Middle Ages rich in colors and golden vibrancies.
A unique vision of the Hindu world which stays forever in the mind. This is an excerpt from “Varanasi, City of Lights” which was shot in 2001 during my first travels in India.
Katmandhu (Nepal)
2001
Standard Definition: 720p.
Reel duration: 7 ’21”
Kathmandu ( Nepali: काठमाडौँ, is the capital and largest city of Nepal, with a population of around 1 million. Also known as the city of temples, the city stands at an elevation of approximately 1,400 metres (4,600 feet)
above sea level in the bowl-shaped Kathmandu Valley in central Nepal.
The valley was historically called the “Nepal Mandala” and has been the home of the Newar People a cosmopolitan urban civilization in the Himalayan foothills.
This reel was filmed mostly in Kathmandu Durbar Square in front of the old royal palace of the former Kathmandu Kingdom.
Durbar Square is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Several buildings in the Square collapsed during the earthquake of April 25th 2015.
This reel was filmed in 2001.
In this reel, Durbar Square is still surrounded with spectacular architecture which vividly showcases the skills of the Newar artists and craftsmen over several centuries.
The square with its many temples brings crowds of devotees and pilgrims who are coming here to do their “pujas” (daily ceremonies.