Friday, September 11, 2009

Sulcis—the Why to it All


My last day in Sardinia was spent exploring Sulcis Iglesiente—the southwestern area of the island, which originally drew the attention of the Phoenicians for its abundance of minerals, coal, and metals.

Now the region is home to abbandoned mines, nuraghi, a temple to the Punic (Carthaginian) deity Sid near Fluminimaggiore, a Phoenician acropolis on Mt. Sirai, necropolises, and a Phoenician-Punic tophet, which was a burial ground for children.

My attention was mostly directed to the Phoenician acropolis, which is situated on a hill that rises 191 meters high and dates back to 730 BC. One of the most impressive remaining structures is the temple to Astarte (photo above).

Slightly down the hill is a necropolis, which consists of underground burial rooms. Just below are the foundations of a tophet.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed the first part of the trip! The next time I write, it will be from the romantically wild metropolis of Naples, which I consider the second fashion capital of Italy.



Panoramic View from Acropolis

Photo, slideshow & video Copyright Men’s Fashion by Francesco.