Gorno-Altaisk: a city where time stands still. For everyone and about everything The city that freezes for a minute

A settlement becomes “lost” when its inhabitants abandon it. This can happen for a number of reasons - wars, natural migrations or natural disasters, but in each case time freezes in these cities, plunging him into an endless wait for the moment of exposure. Many of them were found, others were not and acquired the status of mythical. Whether real or mythical, we have compiled a list of ten lost cities that most capture the imagination of historians, archaeologists and adventurers.

The city of Caesars is also known as the city of Patagonia, The eternal City is a mythical city believed to have been located in South America in the region known as Patagonia in the Andes Valley between Chile and Argentina. According to legend, the lost city of the Caesars was founded by shipwrecked Spanish travelers. Although it was never found, it is described as a rich, prosperous city full of gold, silver and diamonds. Sometimes described as enchanted city, which appears only at certain moments.

Troy

In ninth place on the list of ten lost cities is Troy, the legendary city described in Homer's epic poem The Iliad. Was on the territory modern Turkey off the coast Aegean Sea, not far from the entrance to the Dardanelles Strait. This well-fortified city was long considered a myth until its remains were discovered by historian Heinrich Schliemann in 1870.

The Lost City of Z is a city with a complex network of bridges, roads and temples believed to exist deep in the jungles of the Mato Grosso region of Brazil. This mysterious lost city is mentioned in a document known as Manuscript 512, which is housed in the National Library of Rio de Janeiro. The document is 10 pages long and describes in great detail how the Portuguese João da Silva Guimarães visited the Lost City of Z in 1753, although its specific location is not mentioned in the manuscript. In 1925, explorer Fawcett, his son Jack and Raleigh Rymall went looking for him, and disappeared, along with several other groups searching for this city.

Petra

Petra - ancient city, the capital of the Nabataean kingdom, located in the territory of modern Jordan in the narrow Siq canyon. He is famous for his amazing architecture and at one time was considered important shopping center. After hundreds of years of prosperity, the city fell into decline after an earthquake, which partially destroyed the city's infrastructure, and after the Roman conquest of the region in 363 AD. e. As a result, it became an abandoned city, standing for many years in the desert until it was discovered in 1812 by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.

El Dorado

Eldorado - a mythical country of precious stones and gold, supposedly located in the jungle South America. The first attempt to find the lost city of Eldorado was made in 1535 by Sebastian de Belalcazar, the last by Nicholas Rodriguez in 1775 - 1780. All attempts to find Eldorado were of great importance, since many expeditions paved new routes deep into South America.

Memphis

Memphis is an ancient Egyptian city on the left bank of the Nile. Founded in 3100 BC uh, was the capital, as well as the residence of the pharaohs, a major religious, cultural, political and craft center ancient egypt for many hundreds of years. And it retained its status until the emergence and prosperity of Alexandria and Thebes, after which it fell into decay and gradually collapsed. Now the lost city of Memphis is an open-air museum.

Angkor

Angkor - area in South-East Asia, which was the center of the Khmer Empire, which flourished from approximately the 9th to the 15th centuries. It was abandoned after the invasion of the Thai army in 1431. Until the 1800s, when it was discovered by a group of French archaeologists, the city of Angkor existed in desolation. The ruins of Angkor are located in the modern Kingdom of Cambodia among the forests in the northern part of Tonle Sap, near the present city of Siem Reap. Every year, the ruins of Angkor are visited by 80,000 - 200,000 tourists, and the Angkor Wat temple is considered one of the largest religious monuments in the world.

Pompeii

Pompeii - a large ancient Roman city buried under a layer volcanic ash after the eruption of Vesuvius on August 24, 79. It is estimated that Pompeii was inhabited by 20,000 inhabitants and at that time, it was considered one of the main vacation spots of high Roman society. It was discovered in 1748, after archaeological excavations at the foot of the volcano. Known as the best preserved ancient city. About 2.5 million tourists visit it annually.

Atlantis

Atlantis - supposedly legendary island(archipelago or even continent) and perhaps ancient civilization, the location and existence of which has not been found. Atlantis was described by the Greek philosopher Plato as an island-state destroyed by a natural disaster (probably an earthquake or tsunami) about 9,000 years before the era in which he lived - that is, around 9500 BC. e. However, numerous expeditions in attempts to discover the lost city did not lead to any results.

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu - name architectural complex in the southern part of the modern state of Peru, built by the Incas in the 15th century. Of all the lost cities that have been discovered and explored, perhaps none is more mysterious than Machu Picchu. In 1532, all its inhabitants mysteriously disappeared. Machu Picchu was forgotten and abandoned for almost 400 years until it was discovered by American explorer Hiram Bingham on July 24, 1911. The Spanish conquistadors never reached Machu Picchu. This city was not destroyed. Neither the size of its population, nor the purpose of construction, nor even its real name remains unknown.

A week ago I visited the capital of the republic Mountain Altai- Gorno-Altaisk. Actually, the purpose of my visit this small town with a population of 50,000 people became a master class on photography, which I was offered to read within the walls of the Gorno-Altai State University. Actually, because of this, I was unable to attend the main task of the project, and I had to leave the project (I will write about this later).

I first visited this city in the late 90s of the last century. Then I was passing through Lake Teletskoye and did not pay attention to Gorno-Altaisk. On this visit, despite the 30-degree frost, we were able to see a little of the city. Actually, a few pictures with comments.

01. Gate of Gorno-Altaisk - the bus station greets those who come here with colorful national panels on the wall and wooden panels on the railings.

02. It seems that they are ready to welcome and provide service foreign tourists. Watch repair stand. The inscription on it is in three languages: Russian, Altai and English.


03. Billboards on the streets remind you that there are elections on September 14th. And among the snow in December they look a little ridiculous.

04. There are few people on the city streets at minus 30. Many young people were spotted in the food court of a local shopping center eating pizza, French fries and other unhealthy food.

05. View of the drama theater from the food court of the local shopping center. Outwardly, for some reason, it reminded me of a mausoleum.

06. Central square and most high building in the city (which I happened to see) there is a 9-story building of justice.

07. For public festivities in the warm season, there is a non-demountable stage here. On the day of my stay there was a poster for a concert of a local star.

08. The park next door is decorated with colorful national wooden sculptures.

09. And in front of the entrance to the main building of the Gorno-Altai State University there is a bust of the great Russian poet performed by Zurab Tsereteli.


10. The university itself is undergoing renovations in full swing, causing minor inconvenience to students and teachers.

11. In general, my mastar class was held as part of the three-day Pero journalism school. In fact, based on the results of this three-day school, a special issue of the student newspaper should be published.

12. And here is the ad that I saw on the front page of the local press. Looks like someone was lobbying for something...

13. One of the active listeners of my master class is Vera Pashinina. I recommend subscribing to her instagram .

14. As part of a practical assignment, I organized a mobile photography competition for students. So on VK and Instagram you can find the works of my listeners under the hash tag #photopero.

15. As practice has shown, in the age of gadgets, mobile photography captivates students. By the way, Vera won.

Deerfield is a historic town, where old houses from 200-300 or more years ago have partially turned into museums, and partially live as if nothing had happened (the count is not even in the tens, but in the hundreds). In general, Massachusetts is an amazing place. You look into the next street, and there is an ordinary residential building marked “1736” and the details of the first owner.
A broker friend says that in such houses not only the facade, but often the windows, doors, stairs and railings are completely authentic. What can we say about furniture and parquet floors! Wide boards made of ship pine trees, noble wood species, antique Dutch mirrors - beauty and that’s all. And all this was so carefully preserved that one wonders with what reverence they treat history here.

However, I'll start from the beginning.

The first settlers appeared here a long time ago - in 1673. Their life was by no means easy: on the left were French Canadians, on the right were Indians, in front and behind - a wonderful mixture of the first and second, united in a gambling pursuit of the poor English heads.

It was simpler with the Indians: they killed men and mostly spared women, especially young ones - the tribes needed new blood and working hands. The French massacred everyone, being crueler than any other redskin.

Some houses were burned to the ground. But the stubborn Anglo-Saxons returned and rebuilt them. Therefore, some of the houses (small) are restored. About 200 years ago.

Each house has a guide, many of them are willing to give a tour of the house, many of them - tadammm! - professor of history. Retired. Typical for North America picture: all guides, without exception, are volunteers. And they work solely for the love of art.

For example, in the house of Jonathan Ashley, an important person and respectable citizen, there is a brilliant tour guide. He is about 80 years old, but from the first phrases you notice his professional work with the audience: the most interesting encyclopedic details, excellent diction, emphasis or a joke where necessary. And all this is easy, openwork, exciting. "Are you a historian?" - the physicist is interested.
- University of Florida, retired professor of anthropology. - the guide smiles, deftly circling between fake Chinese porcelain and copper stove utensils.
Such altruism definitely deserves applause. We are profusely grateful.

Unfortunately, you cannot take photographs in the houses (apparently, the sale of postcards and catalogs somehow covers minor repairs and the work of the cleaners).
But we managed to do it a couple of times (a couple of handsome Americans were the first to start!).

Of course, these are not living rooms with gilded mirrors, flirty French wallpaper and precious carved chests from 300 years ago. Not bedrooms, with hand-embroidered canopies and a lady's hat thrown coquettishly on the table. And the kitchens are not even filled with all sorts of interesting things. But let it go.

View from the window:

It is interesting that the Puritans were not at all alien to such human weakness as show-off vanity. They tried to paint the living rooms with fabulously expensive blue paint, but practically covered the kitchens with cheap red paint. Chinese porcelain was rather crudely counterfeited by Dutch craftsmen, and silverware was imitated by alloys of lead and tin.
In the house of George Washington himself (not in Deerfield), panels of cheap wood were hand-painted with noble cracks to make the wood seem more expensive).

But I can’t tell you what kind of painted chamber pots the local ladies had!

Gunsmiths in ancient costumes hang out in front of one of the houses. The old peroxylin powder required special care from the gunsmith, so the barrel was drilled with amazing precision for those times and technologies. The cost of such a firearm was indecent.
Oh, where are you, Nathaniel Bumpo!

The sun is hot like summer.

One of the houses invites you to prepare authentic pies and cookies. Of course, the whole honest company of us piles in there.
Chinese theoretical physicists are studying the American stove, yeah.

We are told about how difficult the everyday life of a simple American woman was in those days when she was not driven away by the Indians, what efforts it took to achieve the right temperature to prepare a pie or soup, how they carried water and what spices were used. Did you know that gerbera perfectly replaces saffron (not in aroma, but in color), and fern leaves are amazingly good in pickles?
It’s interesting that the sugar we were used to was obscenely expensive and was imported by such heads.

But the local orchards provided so much fruit and maple syrup that there was no shortage of sweets.

The lovely ladies in the pictures above bake pies according to the recipes of the first settlers. And they are wildly proud of their difficult but extremely exciting hobby.

The fireplace glows so comfortably that you really don’t want to leave it. But jaaaarko.
The cookware is cast iron. You tinker with this one and you don’t need any rocking chairs.

In one of the houses, decorated with paintings by the best Boston artists and pastels by the owner, we are greeted by a smiling elderly Polish woman from the old-timers.

And again an aerobatics lecture on social life local nobility(yes, the Puritans were also no strangers to social events, balls and other events). We actively participate in the conversation.
“Oh, how interested you are in history, how well read you are!” the Polish woman (also a professor, so you don’t doubt it) wets her eyes, “Are all Russians like that?” We did not specify that the question was asked to two Soviet-trained theorists and two philologists with honors. Let them at least somewhere think well of Russians.
At the end of the tour, the guide asks us to sign the guest book - reviews are so rarely left! If we had known earlier, I would have riveted memoirs in every house: it’s a small thing for us, but it’s nice for the guides.

By the way, about the Russians.
People often ask here: “Where are you from?” I noticed that, despite the pathological politeness, the mention of “Russia” causes slight wariness among some natives. And then I fly in with my lively “Ukraine!”
Everyone smiles, the tension subsides.

I picked up obsidian arrowheads as souvenirs from a local souvenir shop,

and we went to have a bite to eat at a local restaurant - a very young tavern, opened only about 150 years ago.

A wonderful onion soup (the right rich tea color, with translucent oven-simmered onions, topped with a delicious Parmesan crust on toast) cost $6. French fries with white truffle and parmesan too.
While the group was ordering beer, I was daydreaming about white wine.
- Can I see your ID, ma'am? - The waitress smiled cordially.
“It’s okay,” I rolled my eyes, “I’m 35, but I forgot my license.”
And what do you think? Not allowed! No 35 years, no wine. This is called "control". I respect you.
I was satisfied with the tomato juice. Under general jokes.

But they allowed me to pour wonderful hot cider with cinnamon in a nearby shop without any ID.

Our next stop was Deerfield Academy - a private school from the local collection of “especially prestigious”, which has educated more than one American senator and even one King of Jordan.

Tuition at the Academy costs about $50,000. Tariffs are higher for foreigners and sheikhs.

Student huts of God knows how old.

I don’t know how they teach there, but the place is wonderful.

The public is getting ready for Halloween.

It's late (16:30), the museum closes. But we didn’t even look at half the houses!

The Siamese cat from Ashley's house purrs imposingly after us.

Leaving Deerfield, I see the legendary giant pumpkins weighing 200-300 kg being unloaded at some houses.
Oh, what are you doing!

We don’t have time to get to the Butterfly Museum, but we do have time to go to the eternal kingdom of candles and the Yankee Candle holiday.
But that will be a completely different story...

I almost forgot)
Happy Columbus Day, America!

The legend of Atlantis tells of a lost land that disappeared without a trace in the depths of the sea. In the cultures of many nations there are similar legends about cities that disappeared under water, in the sands of the desert or overgrown with forests. Let's look at five lost cities that were never found. /epochtimes.ru/

Percy Fawcett and the Lost City of Z

Since Europeans first arrived in New World, there are rumors of a golden city in the jungle, sometimes called El Dorado. Spanish conquistador Francisco Orellana was the first to venture along the Rio Negro in search of the legendary city. In 1925, 58-year-old explorer Percy Fawcett went deep into the jungles of Brazil in order to find a mysterious lost city, which he called Z. Fostt's team and himself disappeared without a trace, and this story became the reason for numerous publications. Rescue operations failed - Fossett was not found.

In 1906 the Royal geographical society England, which sponsors scientific expeditions, invited Fawcett to explore part of Brazil's border with Bolivia. He spent 18 months in the state of Mato Grosso, and during his expeditions Fawcett became obsessed with the idea of ​​lost civilizations in the region.

In 1920, in the National Library of Rio de Janeiro, Fawcett came across a document called "Manuscript 512". It was written in 1753 by a Portuguese explorer. He claimed that in the Mato Grosso region, in tropical forests In the Amazon, he found a fortified city that resembles an ancient Greek one. The manuscript described a lost city with multi-story buildings, towering stone arches, and wide streets leading to a lake where the explorer saw two white Indians in a canoe.

In 1921, Fawcett embarked on the first of his expeditions in search of the lost city of Z. His team suffered many difficulties in the jungle, surrounded by dangerous animals, people were exposed to serious illnesses.

In April 1925, he tried to find Z for the last time. This time he prepared thoroughly and received more funding from newspapers and societies, including the Royal Geographical Society and the Rockefellers. In the last letter home delivered by a member of his team, Fawcett wrote a message to his wife Nina: "We hope to get through this area in a few days... Don't be afraid of failure." This turned out to be his last message to his wife and the world.

Although Fawcett's Lost City of Z has not been found, last years Ancient cities and traces of religious sites have been discovered in the jungles of Guatemala, Brazil, Bolivia and Honduras. New technologies for scanning areas give new hope that the city of Z will be found.

The Lost City of Aztlan - Home of the Aztecs

The Aztecs, a powerful empire of ancient America, lived in what is now Mexico City. The lost island of Aztlan, where they created a civilization before their migration to the Valley of Mexico, is considered to be the epicenter of Aztec culture.

Skeptics consider the Aztlan hypothesis to be a myth, similar to Atlantis or Camelot. Thanks to legends, images of ancient cities live on, but it is unlikely that they will be found. Optimists dream of the joy of finding legendary cities. The search for Aztlan Island stretches from Western Mexico all the way to the deserts of Utah. However, these searches are fruitless, because the location of Aztlan remains a mystery.

According to Nahuatl legend, seven tribes lived in Chicomostoc, “the place of the seven caves.” These tribes represented seven Nahua groups: Acolhua, Chalca, Mexica, Tepaneca, Tlahuica, Tlaxcalan and Xochimilca (sources give variant names). Seven tribes with a similar language left the caves and settled together near Aztlan.

The word Aztlan means “land to the north; the land from which the Aztecs came." One theory is that the people of Aztlan became known as the Aztecs and later migrated from Aztlan to the Valley of Mexico. The Aztec migration from Aztlan to Tenochtitlan is a turning point in Aztec history. It began on May 24, 1064, the first solar year of the Aztecs.

Seekers of the Aztec homeland, hoping to find the truth, undertook many expeditions. But ancient mexico is in no hurry to reveal the secrets of Aztlan.

The Lost Land of Lionesse - a city at the bottom of the sea

According to Arthurian legend, Lyonesse is the birthplace of the main character in the story of Tristan and Isolde. This mythical land is now called the "lost land of Lionesse". It is believed that she sank into the sea. Although Lyonesse is mentioned in legends and myths, it is believed that it sank at sea many years ago. It is difficult to determine the line between fiction and reality of hypotheses and legends.

Lioness - Big City surrounded by one hundred and forty villages. He disappeared on November 11, 1099 (although some accounts give the year 1089, and some say the 6th century). Suddenly the land was flooded by the sea, people drowned.

Although the story of King Arthur is a legend, Lyonesse is believed to be a real place adjacent to the Isles of Scilly in Cornwall, England. In those days, sea level was lower.

SILI is the westernmost and southern point England, and also the southernmost point of Great Britain. Photo: NASA/wikipedia/Public Domain

Fishermen from the Isles of Scilly say that they got from their fishing nets pieces of buildings and other structures. Their words are not supported by evidence and are subject to criticism.

Stories about Tristan and Isolde, the final battle between Arthur and Mordred, the legend of the city that was swallowed up by the sea, stories about Lionesse encourage you to find a ghost town.

The search for Eldorado - the lost city of gold

For hundreds of years, treasure hunters and historians have searched for the lost city of gold, Eldorado. The idea of ​​a city filled with gold and other riches tempted people from different countries. The number of people who want to find the greatest treasure and ancient miracle does not decrease. Despite numerous expeditions to Latin America, the golden city remains a legend. No traces of his existence were found.

El Dorado in the middle of the lake. Photo: Andrew Bertram/wikipedia/CC BY-SA 1.0

The origins of Eldorado originate in the stories of the Muisca tribe. After two migrations - one in 1270 BC. and another between 800 and 500. BC. - The Muisca tribe occupied the Cundinamarca and Boyaca regions of Colombia. According to the legend in El Carnero by Juan Rodríguez Fraile, the Muisca performed rituals for each new king using gold dust and other treasures.

The new king was brought to Lake Guatavita and covered naked with gold dust. The retinue, led by the king, went to the center of the lake on a raft with gold and precious stones. The king washed gold dust from his body, and his retinue threw pieces of gold and precious stones into the lake. The meaning of this ritual was to make a sacrifice to the Muisca god. For the Muisca, Eldorado is not a city, but a king, who was called “he who is gilded.”

Although the meaning of “el dorado” is originally different, the name has become synonymous with the lost city of gold.

In 1545, conquistadors Lazaro Fonte and Hernán Pérez de Quesada wanted to drain Lake Guatavita. Gold was found along the shores, which fueled suspicions among treasure hunters about the presence of treasures in the lake. They worked for three months. The workers passed water in buckets along the chain, but did not completely drain the lake. They didn't make it to the bottom.

In 1580, Antonio de Sepulveda made another attempt. And again gold items were found on the shores, but the treasures remained hidden in the depths of the lake. There were other searches at Lake Guatavita. The lake is estimated to contain $300 million worth of gold.

"Manoa, or Eldorado" on the shores of Lake Parime. Map of Hessel Gerrits (1625). El Dorado was charted near Parime from the time of Walter Raleigh (1595) to Alexander Humboldt (1804). Photo: Hessel Gerritsz/wikipedia/Public domain

However, the search was stopped in 1965. The Colombian government has declared the lake a protected area. However, the search for Eldorado continues. The legends of the Muisca tribe and the ritual sacrifice in the form of treasures eventually turned into the current story of El Dorado - lost city made of gold.

Dubai's Lost Cities: A Buried History

Dubai maintains its image as an ultra-modern city with amazing architecture and easy wealth. However, hidden in the deserts are forgotten cities. History shows how the early inhabitants of the sands adapted and overcame dramatic climate change in the past.

The lost city is a legend of Arabia - medieval Julfar. Historians knew of its existence from written evidence, but could not find it. Home to the Arab sailor Ahmed ibn Majid and supposedly to the fictional Sinbad the Sailor, Julfar flourished for a thousand years until it fell into ruins and disappeared from human memory for two centuries.

Ahmed ibn Majid is from Julfar. Photo: wikipedia/Public Domain

In the Middle Ages, Julfar was known as a prosperous port city - a center of trade in the southern part of the Persian Gulf. It was located on the coast of the Persian Gulf, north of Dubai, but its actual location was discovered by archaeologists in the 1960s. Traces found at this site date back to the 6th century. Residents of the port conducted regular trade with India and the Far East.

Simbad. Photo: René Bull/wikipedia/Public Domain

The 10th to 14th centuries marked a golden age for Julfar and long-distance Arab trade, with Arab sailors regularly sailing halfway around the world.

Arabs sailed into European waters long before Europeans managed to cross Indian Ocean and get into the Persian Gulf. Julfar played in sea adventures Persian Gulf important role for more than a thousand years. Arab merchants considered extremely complex 18-month sea ​​travel To China. The range of goods will surprise modern traders.

Julfar attracted constant attention from competing powers. In the 16th century, the Portuguese took control of the port. There were already 70 thousand people living in Julfar.

Exclaves of Oman and the UAE Oman Abu Dhabi (UAE) Dubai (UAE) Sharjah (UAE) Ajman (UAE) Umm al-Qaiwain (UAE) Ras al-Khaimah (UAE) Fujairah (UAE) Photo: Jolle and Nickpo/wikipedia/CC BY 3.0

A century later, the Persians captured the city, but lost it in 1750. It then fell into the hands of the Qawazim tribe from Sharjah, who had established themselves nearby in Ras al-Khaimah, which they continue to rule to this day. And old Julfar gradually fell into decay, until its ruins, located among the coastal sand dunes, don't forget.

Today, much of Julfar appears to still remain hidden beneath the sands north of Ras al-Khaimah.

 

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