Category: history

Luxury photography

Hunting for my latest batch of photos for the Wiki Loves Monuments photo contest, I encountered this building, which is not a historical monument, but still an interesting sight. Ans you can probably see is a former shop, which had a “FOTO LUX” sign, if not obvious, that is Romanian for “Luxury Photography”. Think of the past glory of this place…

luxury photography

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On religion and my photos

If there is one thing I try hard to avoid is being a hypocrite, this is why I question myself often. Now is one of those times 🙂

I deeply and sincerely believe religion is evil but I do photography, contributing to things like Wiki Loves Monuments I take and publish a lot of pictures of churches, monasteries and various other religious things and I also take photos at events like weddings and baptisms, where religion is a very important side. I know churches and monasteries are the bulk of historical monuments here (in medieval times very little culture happened in Romania outside the religion) and I know the society make the religious part that important in life events, but still feel a bit uneasy.

religion
religion

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Why Wiki Loves Monuments?

I take part, and I am also an organizer, in the Romanian Wiki Loves Monuments photography contest, where we try to get people contributing photos of historical monuments to Wikipedia. The things are not all roses, photos below, taken in the old city of Bucharest, the most important touristic area from our capital city, are a proof of why something like it is badly needed. Our history, our culture, our identity, they are going away due to carelessness and/or greed. We can at least preserve their image.

wiki loves monuments
wiki loves monuments
wiki loves monuments
wiki loves monuments
wiki loves monuments

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Let’s get out in Bucharest, celebrate with WLM

Those days, 13-16 September 2012, is the celebration of Bucharest, called “Bucharest Days”, 553 years of known existence. Is a very good opportunity for us to get out in the street, take photos with some historical monuments and put them in the Wiki Loves Monuments photography contest.

WLM de Zilele Bucureștiului

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Cârța reloaded

After a hurried visit a few months ago, I had the opportunity to re-visit the ruins of the Cârță Cistercian monastery, for a deeper research and some Wikipedia photos.
I was impressed to see how trusty and open the people there are: the monastery is locked, so a neighbour just gave me the key so our small group was allowed to roam free inside the ~700 years old historical monument, we had only to give it back when done. I guess we look trusty.

carta
carta
carta

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Wiki, Wiki, Wiki

In the last few days I was silent, with no pics posted here, that’s because I was busy with the Wikipedia photography contest, uploading my own pictures (as I am a member of the national jury, my photos won’t run for any prize, just enrich Wikipedia and illustrate the historical monuments in Romania).
Most of my picts are about cave churches in the Argeș county, medieval fortified monasteries in the Sibiu county, cave sites in the Buzău county, but there is also some Brâncovenian architecture and some other things (Sighișoara, wooden churches and such).
Hopefully while the campaign last, until the end of the month, I will be able to take and upload a few more, but don’t expect the number increase to be dramatic, currently I am at the count of 365 images, which gave my 15 minutes of fame (I briefly was one of the 10 top world uploaders) and raised the Romanian quote close to 1000 pictures (hopefully, we will reach this milestone later today, in less than one week after the competition started).
I did my share and will work more on this until the end, how about you? Come and take part of the fun! wiki loves monuments
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The Wiki Loves Monuments photo competition

In only a few days the Wiki Loves Monuments photo competition is starting: from 1 to 30 September everyone is invited to submit too Wikimedia Commons pictures of the historical monuments in the country, they will be used to enrich Wikipedia with facts about our country.
The top 10 pictures from Romania will be awarded prizes and will go for the international contest, with its own round of prizes.

wiki loves monuments 2012

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Hell

The naive painter of this old wooden church from a Romanian village had his own vision on hell and the tortures people getting there will have to endure. The painting is hundreds of years old and made on wood, so it became pretty damaged, which is a shame, but you still can understand it and have a good laugh.

hell

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Brâncoveanu = Mogoșoaia

Even there are numerous other buildings in the Brâncovenesc style, the Mogoșoaia palace is the biggest and the most known, is the emblem of this style.

mogosoaia

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Incursion at the Druganescu mansion

The Drugănescu mansion is a monument emblematic for the Brâncovenesc style, but now is empty and abandoned. So an incursion there was not very easy (but not very difficult either).

druganescu

The building reminded me by a haunted house from classic horror movies and the inscription on some inside door “section chef” made my imagination jump to abandoned psychiatric facilities (I have no idea what it was used for under the communist regime).
But beside the spectacular columns in the cellar, it had an even more spectacular loft, just good for a mini photo-session.

druganescu

druganescu

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Up the ladder

This ladder is not just pointing to the sky, is part of the entrance to the cell of Dionisie Torcătorul, so it may have a bit of extra holiness.

ladder

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Incursion in Luana Land

Sorry for the following long post, is unusual but covering the topic in another way it would be harder. Recently I had the opportunity for a trip in Buzău Mountains, also known as the kingdom of Luana, a less known part of Romania, where out guide told us a lot of legends and stories from prehistory, ancient history, medieval history, modern history and current times, a fabulous mix which would make, I think, good material for something like an entire season of Stargate SG1. Take all stories below with a grain of salt (I do that).

The first objective was an animal (reptile) shaped stone, which have some old inscriptions and based on its shape, may have been used as a sacrifice altar back in the ancient times. It also has a base that may cover some things below.

luana

Then a circular portal, pretty much looking like the Stargate portals which may be a gate, if you know how to activate it.

luana

The cell of hermit Dionisie Torcatorul is documented from the medieval times, but is a cave which, upon the looks of the carving may have been used by Dacians in the ancient times and even before that, in the stone age.

luana

As many other objective from that age, Dionisie’s cell is guarded by a phallic symbol/sculpture:

luana

Fundul Peșterii is something unique as is a stone age / prehistoric living place in a vaginal shape:

luana

And next to it, there is another phallic symbol:

luana

Tihăria is a mountain, but is also a wall, like a part of the walls of the citadel of the giants, who lived there before humans. Maybe the city of king Luana, which was guarded by a sun:

luana

Somewhere in the forests there are springs with water of life, which king Luana used to heal and revive people. Those may be the sulphuric springs I drank from myself (I don’t feel special now):

luana

Also carved in stone is Iosif’s little church, which is also documented from medieval times and probably lived long before that.

luana

At Scaunele Spătarului, the legendary Negru Voda, founder of the country, brought his captains and have them titles and lands around, their names can be found in the mountains nearby.

luana

And you can see with your eyes prehistoric writings:

luana

The cave church in AluniÈ™ is known from medieval times, but it was built on an older cave:

luana

The living quarters next to it are unlike Christian living quarters, so they have to be Dacic, at least

luana

As the sacrificial stones and altar above:

luana

There are tunnels everywhere, in many cases triangular and they have magic properties, possibly teleporting people in various places far away:

luana

Piatra Ingăurită was again a medieval hermit church hosting people fleeing away from anti-Christian prosecution, but by the look of the carving, it seems used since stone age

luana

Crucea Spătarului is a sign on the mountain, from more modern times (XIX century) when a noble wanted to hide his treasury

luana

As there is near a map for finding it. If only one can read it…

luana

Before the forest grew, Ghereta was a good observation point over the entire valley and the entrance in the giants (before the human times) citadel:

luana

Bucătăria looks like a kitchen and hat smoke leftovers on the ceiling, but it looks like the place for the holly fire of Dacians:

luana

ÈšurÈ›udui mountain is an old place, with prehistoric carvings, but it was also a place where supposedly the military in the 80’ies conducted paranormal researches

luana

And when the experiments ended with a disasters, they dynamited the place (I am not sure the dynamite effects looks like that) and blocked the path by cutting trees

luana

Agatonul Now was yet another medieval hermit church for refugees:

luana

And before it, Agatonul Vechi was used, until destroyed by an earthquake:

luana

Closer to the valley and civilisation, the Fundătura monastery was prosperous back in its medieval times:

luana

Near Rugionasa you can see pictographic writings, similar with Sumerian tablets:

luana

And also a yearly calendar, reminding of the Sumerian civilization

luana

If you raise your eyes, on the other mountain you can see a human face, a bearded Dac

luana

Not far from there, in UlmeÈ›, you can find some trovants or babe, curiously made growing stones, which you can’t tell if they are natural or man made.

luana

An Stargate SG1 season I said? Well… thinking there are many other place we lacked the time to see, I would say maybe two.

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A trip to fortified churches in Transylvania

I had the opportunity for a trip to medieval fortified churches in the county of Sibiu in Transilvania, those are built by Germans around the XIII century and preserved in various states, from ruins to fully functional. The first to visit was Cisnădie, which is well preserved and functional, being located in the middle of the city with the same name:

cisnadie

Then Cârța, a spectacular ruin in a small village, probably the first Gothic building from this region:

cisnadie

Dealu Frumos was hard to photograph being under restoration works and covered with scaffolds:

cisnadie

Hosman is a larger complex and next to it has a large cemetery:

cisnadie

Slimnic is very large and also very damaged by time and hostile forces:

cisnadie

Apparently small on the outside, Valea Viilor has plenty of things inside waiting to be discovered:

cisnadie

The last visited, and probably the most complex, was Biertan:

cisnadie

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Caraiman Cross

Cleaning the queue: from the trip in the mountains a couple of weeks ago I managed to put out so far only some food and a sunset, so the time to clean it and get up do date is a bit overdue. Here’s a wintery shoot of the Caraiman Cross, a monument built in the memory of heroes from WW1.

caraiman cross

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Thracian Horseman

On the old stone wall of the Catățuia/Negru Vodă Monastery there is this ancient mural painting representing a Thracian horseman. I wonder how it escaped unerased by the later Christian monks, but I am glad it happened.

thracian rider

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