2015-06-27
【Aiden in English】
Water meant life at the start of the universe. Everyone needs water; unfortunately, dehydration can be fatal. Approximately 1,500 years ago, the Byzantine Empire sought a water source to quench its thirst during a time of siege. The underground cistern was established. It not only provided a water filtration system for the Great Palace of Constantinople and other buildings on the First Hill but continued to serve the Topkapi Palace after the Ottomans conquered in 1453 and into modern times. When examining the Ottoman Empire during the Medieval Ages, you'll see an empire that stretched from central Europe to Asia Minor, Egypt, and Nubia, covering approximately 9,000 square miles or 23,000 square kilometers. And as a conquering army took control over the land, the people of other mighty armies had to choose sides. One reason the Ottoman Empire became so… successful was that, most of the time, the empire didn't even fight to take over land. If you were an army rising in strength, your reputation would grow, and some enemies would get intimidated. So, the Ottomans gave the enemy leaders a choice to fight or join the empire, send soldiers, and pay taxes. Its strategy was good for any weaker rulers with little or no experience. This procedure sent the already fast car into overdrive. However, the fall of the Ottoman Empire was becoming increasingly possible, considering that powerful forces were interested in it. The palace of the Byzantine Empire in the capital of Constantinople demanded all the security it could get, and many stories usually sounded exaggerated. Just say that powerful kings fell to poison in their drinks. Water had to be checked to see if it was pure, and the stupid idea was born from the movies of a water checker who tasted all the liquids before giving them to the king. The solution was much more local. However, a simple water container wouldn't be of any use. They decided to make a reservoir. The people who lived in the palace required a poison detector. The answer was simple. Fish and the very ones ate the algae in the water. If the poison were detected, they would, ah, die in the king's place. The fish also kept the water clean. With all the crazy stuff built at the time, it's no wonder another fantastic architectural feat would be constructed. And indeed, there was. An underground cistern consisting of 12 enormous reservoirs was created with freshwater 140 feet (43 meters) below the surface. They were used frequently during the Ottoman Empire. Nevertheless, what saved the people on many occasions also seemed a bit spooky. The place wasn't precisely illuminated. The only light source was some dimly lit bulbs. The entire cistern was constructed with a forest of 336 pillars, suspending the roof, much like a Greek temple. But in truth, it looked quite the opposite. A couple of pillars with the head of Medusa in Greek mythology were flipped upside-down, symbolizing the defeat of the old empires, and now, a new king was taking over the town. The eerie lighting cast creepy shadows that flickered across her face. Whether the people went overboard or not, this cistern ensured the palace's safety with a reliable water supply. It’s a miracle that the empire even fell since they were so careful of everything and almost too thorough. Basilica Cistern, indeed, has more to say. 【紅霞譯】
水是宇宙的源泉，有水才有生命，人離不開水，遺憾的是，缺水問題一直存在，以前時有發生，今後也難以避免。大約一千五百年前，拜占庭“東羅馬”帝國被困，大敵當前又急需水源解渴，於是地下蓄水池應運而生，它不僅為坐落於第一山丘顯赫一時的君士坦丁堡王府提供了過濾水系統，而且在1453年奧斯曼“強大”奪取政權之後繼續為托普卡帕“炮門”皇宮效力，並一直沿用到今。
回首中世紀奧斯曼帝國統治時期，你不難發現其疆域從歐洲到小亞細亞、埃及乃至努比亞，橫亙9,000平方英里／14,484平方公里，武力入侵之後，被占領土所在民眾都會順應形勢，當時奧斯曼帝國之所以勢如破竹，無非在於被吞併的國家放棄抵抗。假如你的軍隊實力如日中天，其聲譽也將名揚四方，敵對一方早已被嚇得魂破，奧斯曼統治者趁機發號施令，敵對首領要麼作戰到底，要麼放下武器帶兵倒戈投誠並上繳苛捐雜稅，這種戰略戰術對不堪一擊或毫無經驗的弱國相當奏效，從而大大加快了軍閥稱霸天下的進度，不過奧斯曼帝國越是猖獗越有可能招來其它強大力量爭奪地盤，最終導致滅亡。
作為帝國首都的君士坦丁堡，拜占庭皇宮用水需求理應得到安全保障，由此杜撰出許多離譜的故事，比方說萬能的君主喝水中毒。水質必須受到檢查，電影上曾有過諸如此類的滑稽鏡頭，事先先由檢驗官試喝任何飲料，然後才能呈給帝王將相們享用。因此就近解決飲水問題迫在眉睫，但簡單的貯水容器再大也不夠用，修建水庫無疑成為首選，當然皇室同時也需要驗水官來確保飲用水安全。答案很簡單，用魚來控制水質絕對可行，魚吃水藻，一旦水裡有毒，啊哈，這些為皇宮貴族專養的魚類肯定無法倖免；況且，魚還能起到淨化水的作用。對於屢建驚世傑作的帝國而言，再創奇蹟也許指日可待，事實確實如此，距離地表140英尺／43米之深由12個巨型水庫組成的地下水宮應時而起，並在奧斯曼帝國得到更加廣泛地使用。然而這個所謂拯救人類的地方看上去十分恐怖，裡面黑咕隆咚，僅靠一些暗了吧唧的電燈泡照明，336個石柱鼎力撐起屋頂，有點像希臘寺廟，不過實際上卻恰好相反。兩個頂端帶有希臘神話傳說美杜莎的石柱倒立於水宮之中，象徵着舊日統治者被徹底推翻，如今取而代之的是新興王朝。陰森森的光線照在美杜莎的臉上，氣氛襯托得令人發毛，且不說這麼做是否過分，至少地下水宮的水質絕對安全可靠。 帝國衰亡的過程說來可謂一個奇蹟，因為他們幾乎竭盡全力，想方設法要避免走上絕路，伊斯坦布爾的地下水宮堪稱這段歷史最好的見證。
Today in History(歷史上的今天): 2015: Istanbul, Topkapi Palace of Turkey(土耳其伊斯坦布爾·炮門皇宮) 2015: Istanbul, the Blue Mosque TUR(土耳其伊斯坦布爾·藍色清真寺) 2014: YMCA Camp—Video Games(基督教青年會營視頻遊戲) 2013: 雅虎箱被盜(YHOO Email Hacked) 
Basilica Cistern (地下水宮)  A Forest of 336 Marble Columns (336根大理石圓柱)
 Capitals of the Columns Mainly in Ionic & Corinthian Styles
(柱頭主要採納愛奧尼亞與科林斯“巔峰之地”風格)  The Column Capitals Mainly in Ionic and Corinthian Styles
(柱頭主要採納愛奧尼亞與科林斯風格) 
Peacock-Eyed Column w/ Tears (流眼淚的孔雀眼圓柱) 
Medusa Head Pillar (蛇發女怪美杜莎腦袋倒立的石柱底座 06-27-2015) 
Medusa Sideway Pillar (蛇髮女妖腦袋側立的石柱底座)
 Lunch @ Matbah Restaurant (追風餐館·午餐 06-27-2015)
午餐：橄欖油煸四季豆與羊奶酪茄子鷹嘴豆泥、小牛肉砂鍋菜、覆盆子醬拌布丁  Sports Deck @ Emerald Princess
(“公主·翡翠”號遊輪——運動甲板) Crosslinks(相關博文): Turkey(出遊土耳其)
Europe(歐洲掠影) 6th Grade(初中一年級) |
