Monuments to visit Route de la soie

Everyone knows its name. Famous for its basilica, but also for its Roman theatres. From its 300 m high, it dominates the Saône-Rhone confluence. A strategic location which therefore explains that, on the orders of the Roman senate, Munatius Plancus established a colony there. Palaces and various buildings were built around the forum, Lugdunum was born; the emperors often stay there and christianity settled there.

The fall of the Roman Empire has caused change in spaces's occupation, the inhabitants have settled in the valley, along the Saône and the slopes cover vineyard and farmings. A basilica was built on the hill of Saint-Just and religious congregations settle. Fourvière became "the hill where people pray". To reach the hill, there are several possibilities: to climb in the "thread" (the funicular) to the metro station "Old Lyon" or to visit the various montées: the montée des Epies in the southern part, leaving the church Saint-Georges, joins the montée Gourguillon which was the only entrance in Lyon in the east and ends in the Saint-Just district; the montée Chemin-Neuf, that of Chazeaux, that of Change. You can also rush into the montée Saint-Barthélemy which is one of the oldest roads linking the city to the hill; the bravest will prefer to climb the 244 steps of the montée Garillan.

A mythical temple on the famous Acropolis of Athens, the Erechtheion is one of the most sacred on the hill and in the entire city. To the north of the Acropolis, a jewel and masterpiece of Ionic art, the very elegant Erechtheion was erected in the ^5th century BC at the very place where, according to legend, Athena and Poseidon fought for the possession of Athens. It is next to this temple that the sacred olive tree of Athena would have grown and that there was the salt water well, a gift from Poseidon, whose trident would have left a mark on the northern wall of the building. The architect of the Erechtheion remained unknown, but he was able to exploit the irregularities of the ground to build a complex of several buildings on different levels. In this temple were worshipped several deities: Athena Polias, but also Poseidon and others still linked to the legendary history of Athens, such as Erechtheus to whom the temple owes its name. The temple is decorated with four porticoes on each side: the one on the southeast side, certainly the most famous, is the Caryatids. The Doric columns are replaced by female figures of perfect grace when you know the weight that weighs on their heads. In fact, it is their thick hair and the many folds in their clothing that reinforce the structure and allow the whole thing to remain standing.

The ones you see on the monument are only casts: of the six korês, only five are visible in the Acropolis Museum, the sixth being in the British Museum.

This site allows you to discover the remains of the colossal temple of Zeus Olympian: 15 erected columns that are still very impressive. It must be said that the Olympiion was the largest temple ever built in Greece! Begun by Pisistrate in the 6th century BC, it was completed 600 years later by Emperor Hadrian before being destroyed by the Barbarians. The setting sun bathed the surviving columns in a magnificent golden hue, and we can understand this stylite hermit who, in the 17th century, chose the top of one of them to install his cabin!

Dating back to 1670, the Hospice of Vieille-Charité was intended to house vagrants and orphans, after a royal edict on "the imprisonment of the poor and beggars". It was Pierre Puget, from Marseille, who became architect of the king, born a few metres away, who made the plans. The building is made up of vaulted galleries and three rows of arcades, with a little austere classic style. A chapel was constructed in the 17th century in the Roman baroque style. Restored after being abandoned for decades, becoming a place of storage for bananas, the architectural complex of this former leper colony now houses a polyculturel centre which includes museums (the museum of Mediterranean archaeology and the museum of African, Oceanian and Amerindian Arts), a library of art, a bookshop and numerous galleries where exhibitions are regularly held. A unique and peaceful place, located in the heart of the Panier district, where you can come to improve your knowledge or to simply stroll. Notice to photographers, the place is particularly beautiful when the sun goes down and the stone of the building takes pink tones.

Inaugurated in spring 2010, this curious glass and metal gateway, built by an Italian architect, is President Saakashvili's personal project, emblematic of his aesthetic taste. It has created a serious contrast to the old town, and its presence here has been the subject of intense controversy. Only a pedestrian, it must serve what will come on the esplanade of Riké - a shopping Centre. Its form, which must remember that of a bird or fish, is worth its popular nickname, which refers naturally to sanitary napkins… 

The building connects the north to the south of Chahâr Bâgh Avenue, the main Arpahan artery and then to the Djolfa district. Dating from the beginning of the seventeenth century (1603), when this neighborhood was just invested by the Armenians, he owes his name to a general of King Shah Abbas, the famous warhead for the work. He had imagined the bridge as a point of exchange between the two communities, and forced travelers to spend the night there. Trade could be commercial, with a bazaar, but also cultural, with rooms planned for performances, storytellers, jugglers… So that the bridge quickly became one of the most living places of Ispahan after its construction. With its thirty-terois arcades on two levels, this magnificent book is still the largest bridge in Ispahan (298 m long over 14 m wide).

The most dazzling part of the visit! Darius's Apadana is served by two large staircases with symmetrical stole. Note the exceptionally well preserved and fascinating bas-reliefs, buried beneath layers of ash and earth for centuries. These long metre long friezes, evoking the Cérémonies ceremonies, further reinforce the impression of stability of the monument. Unlike the Assyrian palaces, Persepolis integrates the bas-reliefs into the palaces of the palaces, highlighting the essential architectural lines. The choice of themes, indicates the function of the building.

In the center of the first double staircase, hang on to achéménides soldiers and the struggle of stylized animals: the Iranian lion nourished the Taureau bull, illustration of alternating seasons. Also note, on side walls, the Cyprès cypress Banners (sarv) representing immortality and the petals lotus flowers, the Zodiac symbol. See also on the right-hand staircase, the bas-reliefs detailing the grand procession of to countries of the immense empire and the surrender of taxes to Darius during the good of Now.

Extend to the three suites of 22 paintings, composed of small characters of 80 cm carved from profile. The peoples of the Empire, some of them in arms because free, are led by Persians, sovereign people, and the Medes, second in hierarchical order with their rounded cup. The personification of everyone, from their traditional dress, is very precisely detailed: Babylonians, Parathians, Armenians, Susiens, Bactrian, Egyptians,', Lydians. The Scythians thus wear sharp hoods, the Assyrians of the red-chip caps, the people of Bukhara lead sheep, those from Balkh, the Zébus… All act as allegiance by their offerings: vases filled with gold and jewels, camels, giraffes, bulls, horses, precious cuts, tools or weapons. Men speak between themselves or be held by hand, a sign of kindness. The wealth of detail of clothing and caps, very characteristic of the different and many peoples of the immense Achaemenid Empire, strikes the imagination. On the left hand staircase, note the Persian and Ottoman guards: foot, archers, cavaliers and tank drivers. Represented two by two, soldiers are held by the hand, the ultimate guarantors of the Achaemenid Empire. Easily identifiable, the Persians are dressed with long torches while the Medes wear Round Cups - similar to those still worn in Azerbaijan - and short coats. The long plis Persians have the hair raised, the beard with tight bouclettes and mustache ombrageant their lip.

The bigo was a metal crane once used on the decks of cargo ships to lift goods. In 1992, Renzo Piano took up the concept and made it the symbol of Porto Antico. A useful symbol, since it is also used to support the tent in the nearby festival square. A rotating panoramic elevator takes you to the very top of this large, upside-down spider at a height of 40 m, offering one of the finest views of Genoa and the sea. You'll get two full turns, so you'll be able to see the whole panorama.

Lost in the alleys east of Liab-i-Khaouz. Tchor Minor means "four minarets". In fact, they are four towers that marked the entrance to a madrasah, now disappeared, built in 1807 by a wealthy Turkmen merchant. Each turret symbolized a city: Termez, Denau, Kounia-Ourgentch and Mecca. Originally, the madrasa had 59 cells and was run by the Sufi Sheikh, Khali Niaz Kholi, one of the most respected and influential naqchbandi of the early 19th century. A staircase leads to a vaulted room and then to the roof.

Perhaps one of the only metro lines in the world with only two stations... Linking the two historic districts of Galata, at the bottom, and Péra, at the top, it is in fact more than just an underground funicular. The entrance to Karaköy is a stone's throw from the bridge; at the top, at Beyoğlu, on Tünel Square. The Tünel, 570 m long, was built between 1871 and 1876 by the French engineer Eugène-Henri Gavand. With an average of 181 trips and 10,000 to 12,000 passengers per day, the journey takes 90 seconds.

It is the largest and most sumptuous of the forums. The Trajan Forum is a 300 m x 190 m quadrilateral, built in 112 AD. It is best known for housing the famous column that bears his name. Bounded by the basilica Ulpia, the forums of Caesar and Augustus and the markets of Trajan, this forum was designed by the great architect Apollodore of Damascus. For its construction, an entire hill was razed to the ground between the Quirinal and the Capitol, to give the necessary scale to the complex.

Trajane column. At a height of 10 Roman feet, corresponding to 30 m, it tells in 17 marble rings and 155 paintings the story of Trajan's victorious campaigns against Dacia, today's Romania. It is the main monument of the forum. The column is inflated to half height, to avoid the impression of concavity that its height would cause; the relative size of the figures in its bas-reliefs in relation to the whole increases as the viewer moves away from it. Try it, it's obvious! The 2,500 scenes that adorn the column provide very valuable insights into the military techniques and equipment of the time. To find out more, casts displayed at the EUR-Museum of Roman Civilization make it possible to analyse the smallest details. The base of the column housed the emperor Trajan's gold funeral urn, unfortunately it was stolen in the Middle Ages. The statue of Saint Peter, at the top of the column, has replaced the statue of the emperor since the 17th century, which is now lost

The first mayor of St. Petersburg had his residence in this beautiful house in the baroque petrovian style, whose facade on the University quay overlooks the Great Neva. It was built according to plans by the Italian architect Francesco Fontana, then the German architect Gotfried Schädel, also assisted by illustrious colleagues such as Domenico Trezzini, Carlo Bartolomeo Rastrelli, Jean-Baptiste Leblond and Georg Johann Mattarnovi. Its construction took place between 1710 and 1725. It was the very first stone building and one of the very first palaces in the city.

Peter the Great's Necker. Alexander Menchikov (1673-1729), of more than modest origin (he was a pirojki seller in his youth!), was appointed governor of the city by Peter the Great. He directed the construction of the Peter and Paul Fortress and Kronstadt, and practically ruled Russia during the reign of Catherine I. The Menchikov Palace was erected from 1710 to 1727 on a large estate donated by the founding czar to him, who was also one of his closest advisers. This sumptuous setting will be the setting for the very first receptions and celebrations of the new capital, and will contribute to forging its reputation for luxury and hedonism. With too much ostentation perhaps. So Menchikov did not have much time to enjoy the splendours of his palace, which overshadowed the Summer Palace, the first and too modest imperial residence: nourishing an ambition that would prove to be excessive, his intrigues after the death of his protector would indeed bring him a severe disgrace. From 1730, he had to exchange his luxurious salons for a Siberian exile that was to have nothing golden about it. At the same time, the socialites deserted the noble residence, giving way to the Spartan austerity of the guards, who now owned the premises.

The interior of the museum in Menchikov's apartments, on the first floor, the walls and ceilings are lined with remarkable Dutch earthenware tiles, which were very fashionable at the time. You will also notice the marquetry floors, the personal objects of Menchikov and Peter the Great (navigation tools, costumes, clocks, etc.), and the very refined oriental-style decorations adorning the apartments of Menchikov's wife (Chinese hangings, porcelain, etc.). The furniture and various objects of daily life are exceptional testimonies of the Russian culture of the early 18th century.

This palace, which had many owners before it became the property of the great Yusupov family, brings together all the architectural styles that blew over the city. In their time, its salons brought together members of the imperial family, European crowned heads, poets, philosophers and musicians. This oversized residence, marked by history, is a string of princess' rooms, music and reading rooms, ballrooms and reception rooms, and ceremonial lounges. The Moorish baths and the small private theatre are real jewels. But the interest of this palace is to make you enter the universe of one of the greatest Russian families by giving access to rooms less luxurious, but in which you still feel the presence of their former owners: the prince's bachelor flat, the library, the family dining room... Russian visitors flock to the room where Rasputin was murdered. Don't miss the palace theatre, a real gem! In 2015, a new multifunctional building was opened on the palace site: the Stables Wing, which hosts temporary exhibitions and events of all kinds, and the Palace Park, restored in 2016, as well as the adjoining Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Finally, on the left side of the main palace building, the newlyweds' wing reopened in 2019 after restoration work.

The Zenobio Palace was built at the end of the seventeenth century from a project by Antonio Gaspari, a student of Longhena. Since 1850, the palace has been owned by the Mechitarist Fathers of Venice. They set up their college here for the transmission of Armenian culture and language, active until 1997. Following extensive renovations, visitors can admire today the Sala degli Specchi and the Sala degli Stucchi (the ice rooms and the stucco hall), decorated with frescoes from the school of Tiepolo and vedut of the painter Luca Carlevarjis; These are two beautiful examples of Venetian aristocratic interiors of the eighteenth century. In summer, the gardens regularly host concerts and various events.

This ochre-colored palace, surrounded by a lush greenery near Campo San Stefano, is delightful. Its front façade overlooks the Grand Canal. Its typical Venetian architecture includes a series of added bays and gothic balconies. This is evidenced in particular by the abundant use of sorting (for three) and quadri (four) lobes. The interior is worth a great look for its neo-baroque magnificence: wooden doors, marble staircases, bronze canvas, ceilings adorned with stucco… On the occasion of artistic events, such as the Biennale di Venezia, the palace opens its doors to visitors. On a daily basis, this is the seat of the Venetian Institute of Science, Letters and Arts, which also houses a private school of design.

The origin of the large fish market in Pescaria, located on the island of Rialto, in Venice, dates back to the th century. But current buildings, brick and marble, date back to 1907. To enjoy the excitement and the profusion of these caves, which are full of a multitude of fish and shellfish, you must come early in the morning. Starting at 8 am is the best. Moreover, the Venetians say it: " The fish has 24 lives and it loses one per hour! " So to find fresh fish and still frétillant, there is no question of waiting the end of the morning! The stalls are almost empty, the atmosphere has fallen, some tourists wander through the aisles as if they had missed their train…

For more than a thousand years, several palaces were periodically destroyed and rebuilt in the same place. The oldest building still standing is the Ak Sheik Bobo Tower, dating from the 12th century. In the 17th century, Arang Khan, the son of Anusha Khan, built around the ruins of this fortified tower a throne room and the walls protecting the palace from outside and inside the city. But it was under Altuzar Khan, the founder of the Kungrad dynasty at the beginning of the 19th century, that the construction of the present palace began. It included several inner courtyards where the mosque, the guard, the chancellery, the throne room, the mint and the harem were located. The empty space behind the large gates of the palace once included various courtyards. In the first one, the visitors were in the antechamber, in the second one was the guard, then came the chancellery. To the right of this large courtyard is the Summer Mosque (1838). Its immense iwan with six columns and walls covered with blue majolica is of breathtaking beauty: glazed tiles with vegetal arabesques and geometric designs made by renowned 19th century master craftsmen Abdullah and Ibadulla Djinn.

The Mint, located at the end of the inner courtyard, is now transformed into a museum. In the 19th century, working in finance in Khiva had little to do with the life of a golden boy. In order that their knowledge might not disperse, those who minted the coins there were prisoners in the old citadel, and did not come out until after their death. It is in the second inner courtyard, Kurinish Khana, built in 1804, that the khan received his subjects under the shelter of high walls. The throne room itself consists of a long empty room with high ceilings. The silver-leaf veneered wooden throne in the large niche at the back of the room was unfortunately "emigrated" to Russia. Carved and gilded gantch (wood) panels decorate the walls and the ceiling is also richly decorated with polychrome geometric patterns.

The two-column iwan, open to the north to take advantage of the cooler winds during the warmer months, is decorated with majolica in cool colours made with cobalt powder for blue or copper for green. The ceiling, on the other hand, is decorated with warm colours, yellow and red, Zoroastrian symbols of sun and fire. The sun or stars, often symbolized on the ceilings, consecrate the khan as an intermediary between earth and sky, thus God. The wooden doors as well as the columns are entirely carved. Their flared and hollowed base allowed them to be driven onto their marble or wooden base, insulating the wood from the stone with camel's wool, which was said to have anti-seismic properties. Some say that this iwan was the harem, but the women's apartments were actually in the northern part of Kounia Ark. Built at the end of the 19th century by Muhamad Rakhim Khan II, they are unfortunately closed to the public. From the interior of Kounia Ark, a small staircase leads to Ak-Cheikh-Bobo, "the tower of the white sheik", built in the 12th century and so named in memory of the sheik who lived there in the 14th century. At the same time royal residence, guard tower and watchtower, it offers, from its iwan on the upper floor, a panoramic view.

The statue of Lenin (Kyrgyzstan has preserved several) now stands on the "Old Square", behind the Historical Museum. It remains one of the largest still standing in the world. Before the construction of Ala-Too Square, the heart of the city beat here. Nearby, note the large building with its six-column entrance: it housed the Government Palace until 1954, when it moved to the "White House".

Here is the passage not to be missed. Built by a French architect, it is a true legend that preserves, despite the tourists, a delightfully retro atmosphere. The passage connects Istiklal to the fish market (Balık Pazarı). It owes its name to Russian immigrants who, having fled the Bolshevik revolution in 1917, started trading flowers here. The success is immediate. Among her prestigious guests are Maria Callas. The passage is very lively in the evening.