Abandoned; neglected; decayed; destroyed;
Libraries all over the world have been deliberately destroyed or badly damaged. Many libraries are or were on purpose destroyed as a form of cultural cleansing.
Libraries all over the world have been deliberately destroyed or badly damaged. Many libraries are or were on purpose destroyed as a form of cultural cleansing.
When a country became or becomes war ravaged, libraries were always the first to be destroyed.One of the greatest libraries the world has known was the Bibliotheca Alexandrina; A fire ravaged the library at the time of Julius Ceasar 2000 years ago. Yet most of the work were spared. One of the greatest cultural vandals was Pope Theophilus in 391 AD, he regarded the books as heretical and had all of the books destroyed. The library was an oasis of culture and wisdom. Alexandria was the center of the world for scientific and intellectual learning.
Abandoned Detroit book depository...
How can a beautiful home/ library get to this abandoned stage. What happened that people were in such a hurry to leave their home and left it to decay, books furniture etc. . I would fight tooth and nail to keep a place like this.
Here, another beautiful home and books left to decay. Once it must have been a proud home looking at the carved panels and delicate colours. In the panel it looks like carved scrolls of paper and a pair of compasses and some other tool.
Syria is an unstable place now, plundered of its many treasures. Stolen and sold to the highest bidder, to be hidden in private bank vaults. The Az-Zahiriya Library of Damascus was established in 1277. Around 22000 Books and manuscripts in this library date back to the first millenium.
The ancient world had many and great libraries, per example in Greece,
- Kos Library, (Kos) (100 A.D.)
- The library was a local public library situated on the enclave Kos known as a crossroads for academia and philosophical faculties. A record of individuals who were supposedly responsible for the establishment of the library are acknowledged in an inscription near the monument.
- or...
- The House of Wisdom (Baghdad) (9th-13th centuries)
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Interesting post, amazing how some things arrive at such a bitter ending. I was remembering what I know of abandoned and lost and decay inside my old home state of Michigan, and then there it was Detroit! Thanks for such a defining post, I enjoyed it very much. It just goes to show how a picture can say a million things in one view!
ReplyDeleteKaren S, as you say, sometimes pictures are as powerful or even more so than words.
DeleteSome wonderful buildings and books lost forever.
ReplyDeleteAs it happens, life is short, earth is 4.5 billion years old give or take 50 billion. Robert,thank you for coming and saying hello.
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