Post by ~*~Kit_The_Kat~*~ on Nov 10, 2003 12:45:56 GMT -5
Remnants of an unknown culture, dwellings of dragons which wandered around the mountains and the imagination of ancient people, the dragon lairs of Evoia (Greece) are the silent witnesses of a totally distinctive period in the island's history. At the end of the 18th century, the English geographer M.P. Haukings discovered the first of these enigmatic buildings at the top of Mount Oche (1450 m) . Were they the residences of gods or men? Shelters of quarrymen of funerary buildings? Temples or shepherd dwellings? All we know is that they are cyclopean constructions built on mountain peaks and craggy cliffs in southwestern Evoia and that we are impressed and perplexed. The identity of their builders is equally perplexing. Were they the Dryopes, mythical residents of Karystia, who possessed the know-how to construct these megalithic buildings? Or were they the Carians, who were mountain people from Asia Minor, well known for their architecture in Alicarnassus which shows several similarities to the buildings in Evoia? So, up to today, the paternity of these monuments still remains concealed within the mists of the past.
The robust sizes of the stones, the use of large orthogonized monoliths, and the skillful joinery indicate an environment of competitive excellence. The uniqueness of the dragon lairs offers convincing evidence that they were created by a local culture who had remarkable skills in working with stone and great knowledge of architecture. The most famous dragon house is the dragon house of Oche (see pictures). (The mid stone's dimensions of the trilithon are 1.2 m x 2.3m x 0.25m and weights about 10 tn)
Our own incomplete knowledge about the specific monuments in Evoia has created a veritable cornucopia of legends about when, how and why they were constructed. Their recent use by shepherds and the older stories about dragons reveal the multiple functions served by the buildings through the centuries. We may justifiably call Evoia a "Mystery Island", since many basic aspects of his history remain unknown.
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www.geocities.com/tasosmit2001/Ancientmysteries/Draksp1.jpg [/img]
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www.geocities.com/tasosmit2001/Ancientmysteries/Draksp2.jpg [/img]
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www.geocities.com/tasosmit2001/Ancientmysteries/Draksp3.jpg [/img]
The robust sizes of the stones, the use of large orthogonized monoliths, and the skillful joinery indicate an environment of competitive excellence. The uniqueness of the dragon lairs offers convincing evidence that they were created by a local culture who had remarkable skills in working with stone and great knowledge of architecture. The most famous dragon house is the dragon house of Oche (see pictures). (The mid stone's dimensions of the trilithon are 1.2 m x 2.3m x 0.25m and weights about 10 tn)
Our own incomplete knowledge about the specific monuments in Evoia has created a veritable cornucopia of legends about when, how and why they were constructed. Their recent use by shepherds and the older stories about dragons reveal the multiple functions served by the buildings through the centuries. We may justifiably call Evoia a "Mystery Island", since many basic aspects of his history remain unknown.
