Fine arts from Polonnaruwa, SRI LANKA

Photos from Spring 2016

Ollantaytambo, PERU

Ollantaytambo is a village in the Sacred Valley of south Peru, set on the Urubamba River amid snow-capped mountains. It's known for the Ollantaytambo ruins, a massive Inca fortress from tha late 15th century with large stone terraces on a hillside.

Polonnaruwa. SRI LANKA

Polonnaruwa remains as the royal ancient city of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa, he second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, Polonnaruwa was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated Chola invaders in 1070 to reunite the country once more under a local leader. The Ancient City of Polonnaruwa has been declared a World Heritage Site. Photos from Spring 2016

Doors from Angkor. CAMBODIA

Several doors from the temples of Angkor Vat, Bayon, Phnom Chisor, Ta Phrom and Banteay Srei. Photos ffrom Spring 2012

Montmajour Abbey, FRANCE

Montmajour Abbey, (French: Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Montmajour), was a fortified Benedictine monastery built between the 10th and 18th centuries on what was originally an island five kilometers north of Arles, in the Bouches-du-Rhône Department. Among the sections of the Abbey we find a cloister, built during the 12th and 13th centuries; the Tower of Abbot Pons de l'Orme, dating from the 14th century; and several chapels and monasteries. The abbey is noted for its 11th–14th-century graves, carved in the rock, its subterranean crypt, and its massive unfinished church. It was an important pilgrimage site during the Middle Ages. The abbey and the landscape around it were frequently painted and drawn by Vincent van Gogh.

Photos from Summer 2012

Sigiriya. SRI LANKA

Sigiriya is an ancient rock fortress located in the central Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province, Sri Lanka. The name refers to a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 200 metres (660 ft) high. King Kasyapa (477 – 495 CE) built his new capital on the top of this rock and decorated its sides with colourful frescoes. On a small plateau about halfway up the side of this rock he built a gateway in the form of an enormous lion. The name of this place is derived from this structure —Sīhāgiri, the Lion Rock. The capital and the royal palace was abandoned after the king's death. It was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century.

Sigiriya today is a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site. It is the most visited historic site in Sri Lanka.

Photos from April 2016

Sillustani. PERU

Sillustani is a pre-Incan burial ground on the shores of Lake Umayo near Puno in Peru. The tombs, which are built above ground in tower-like structures called chullpas, are the vestiges of the Colla people, Aymara who were conquered by the Inca in the 15th century. The structures housed the remains of complete family groups, although they were probably limited to nobility.
Photos from Summer 2009