LOOKING FOR THE ANCIENT WORLD

A Avebury, England

Stonehenge is one of the first things people want to see when they arrive in the UK. But there is one disadvantage to Stonehenge, which is that you are not allowed to touch the stones. And yet just a short distance away, there is another stone circle, not as well known, where you can walk and touch and explore the real stones: the Avebury stone circle.

Unlike Stonehenge, the Avebury stones are just large rocks which stand upright on the ground. The survival of the ring is nothing short of miraculous. The stones were once broken and buried by people who tried to eradicate evidence of the old religions. Later the stones were broken and used as building materials for local residences, as the stone circle surrounds the village of Avebury. Eventually the site was rescued by Alexander Keiller, a marmalade manufacturer, who paid for the buried stones to be raised up and for the circle to be restored. And now it can be visited again.

B Tanagona, Spain

The city of Tarragona in Catalonia was the capital city of Roman Spain, when it was known as Tarraco. Today it is a very beautiful city with a number of excellent Roman sites. Very near the modern railway station, it is possible to visit the Roman amphitheatre, the city forum (the old marketplace), and a Roman tower, although Tarragona's best ancient site is outside the city walls.

A short bus ride from the city centre will take you to a desolate spot by the roadside. The bus driver will point at you to get off and you will find yourself wandering through hills and trees with no tourist centre, no cares and bars, and hardly any tourists. And why? To see the ruins of a Roman aqueduct which used to bring water to the city. These ruins are like something out of another world. They are covered in weeds and the site is silent. You can walk along the top of the aqueduct marvelling at the view of the valley below. It's a rare treat nowadays: to find an ancient site and to have 1t all to yourself.

C Agrigento, Italy

In ancient times, the island of Sicily was an important part of the Greek world. Cities such as Siracuse were able to win famous battles over Athens and other Greek states. All of this colourful history means that Sicily is a treat for history buffs: and nowhere more so than Agrigento, the Valley of the Temples.

The sites themselves are scattered over a large area. The highlight of the trip is the Tempio della Concordia, a beautiful yellow temple saved from destruction because it was later converted into a Christian church. Other temples were not so lucky. All that remains of the Temple of Jupiter is the base of its columns and rubble after it was destroyed by an earthquake.

One further piece of advice is to drop into the museum on the site, which contains a number of important sculptures, mosaics and artwork.

D Nemrut Dagi, Turkey

Turkey is rich with ancient sites, but the mountain of Nemrut Dagi is special even by its standards. It is home to the massive stone heads which have become one of the iconic images of the country. Nemrut Dagi lies in the far southeastern corner of Turkey, but even so the fame of this remote site has meant that today the road to the sculptures is full of tourists.

However, there are still a few moments when you can enjoy the magic of the site with its giant stone heads of ancient gods, eagles and lions. If you arrive at dawn, you can watch the sun rise over the mountain illuminating the monuments.

1. Read the article, for questions 1-15, choose from the sites (A-0). The sites may be chosen more than once.

Which site

1 was once a very important urban area?_

2 was damaged by a natural disaster? _

3 is used as a symbol of its country? _

4 is less famous than another site in the same country? _

5 has very many visitors? _

6 has buildings which were used by more than one religion?_

7 can be reached by public transport? _

8 was used by people to build their homes? _

9 has exhibits of artwork made with little tiles?

10 contains images of animals? _

11 was restored by a businessman? _

12 is it best to visit early in the morning? _

13 was used to transport an important resource? _

14 was built by a society with very strong armies? _

15 does not have many visitors?_

АминаКурбанова17    3   08.03.2021 20:44    1