Pompeii

⇧
⇩

Pompeii was an ancient Roman town, about 8 km (5.0 miles) southeast of Mount Vesuvius. It was destroyed by volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, together with the nearby city of Herculaneum. It was buried by 4-6 m (13-20 ft) of ash. Archaeological Areas of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Its location was lost till it was rediscovered in the late 18^th century. It has been excavated ever since.

More details are in the Wikipedia entry for Pompeii.

Pompeii with its burried city is another splendid example of the many sites of Ancient Civilizations that I visited during my travels.

All pictures are © Dr. Günther Eichhorn, unless otherwise noted.

Pompeii

View of the south side of the ruins of Pompeii. (843k)

Street in Pompeii. (1064k)

Paved street in Pompeii. (966k)

Paved street in Pompeii. You can see the groves from the incessant carriage traffic. (1108k)

Paved street in Pompeii. Notice the stepping stones in the street to allow pedestrians to cross the street without stepping into the street. The streets were the sewage canals of Pompeii, so you didn't want to step into the street. (1039k)

Closer view of the stepping stones. (1014k)

Wider streets had multiple stepping stones. They were dimensioned such that the wheels of the carriages fit between the stones. (895k)

Amphitheater. (657k)

Inside the amphitheater. (1066k)

Necropolis of the Herculaneum Gate. (1055k)

Grave in the Necropolis of the Herculaneum Gate. (856k)

Basilica of Pompeii (from the end of the 2^nd century BCE). (718k)

House and well. (1086k)

House in Pompeii. It is often very difficult to see what is original and what is restoration. In this case it looks as if the upper part of the wall is a restoration, but I can't be sure. (1267k)

Water basin in marble in a courtyard. (1021k)

Water basin in marble and mosaics. (1090k)

Columns and frescoes in the House of the Menander. (980k)

Inside of a house with frescoes. (879k)

Marble bath inside a house. (585k)

Inside a house with beautiful frescoes and floor mosaics. (838k)

Details of the floor mosaic. (814k)

Elaborate mosaic floor. (879k)

Details of mosaic floor. (1254k)

Details of beautiful mosaic floor. (1450k)

He was building a floor mosaic. Apparently, there is a lot of restoration, so you never know what is original and what is restoration. (832k)

Built-in storage jars in the House of Vetutius Placidus. (643k)

Marble decorated counter. (1022k)

Marble statue. (1179k)

Beautiful marble table held by three supports with lion's heads and feet. It bears the engraving of the original owner, Publius Servilius Caesar, one of the conspirators who killed Julius Caesar in 44 BCE. (956k)