Sunday, June 2, 2013

The Beauty of Decay

I probably visited the Roman ruins of Leptis Magna a half dozen times during the years I lived in Libya so many years ago. I was always awestruck by the majesty of its decaying, yet timeless beauty. A once great city's crumbling remains lie half-buried in dunes by the sea nearly two thousand years later. It was a very quiet place. Almost haunting in its emptiness.  Rarely did I see more than a few people, if any, on any visit. There were no guards, fences or entry fee. You could walk into the extensive ruins from any location, including the beach, or enjoy a picnic and swim at its doorstep or sit at the highest level in its theatre (shown here) and reflect upon the significance of it all.
The beauty of decay is the theme this month for the City Daily Photo blogging community.  You may see many different takes on the theme today by CDP bloggers around the world by clicking here.

7 comments:

Lynette said...

I cannot imagine being able to visit a place like this at will. Thank you for sharing your memories with us for Theme Day. If you’d like to see my Theme Day post, it’s up at the blog on Saturday, June 1. Thanks!

cieldequimper said...

Sigh.

For a second I thought there was something wrong with my geography! :-)

Jeanne said...

What an awesome experience it would have been to actually be able to explore this. Would definitely make you think of all that went on in this ancient place.

Small City Scenes said...

Timeless beauty is exactly what I am seeing. It is a wonder that it is still standing but thank goodness. MB

LOLfromPasa said...

I think you have summed up your photograph perfectly. I would love to visit Rome.

Tamera said...

Excellent choice for the theme. I wish I could see those ruins in person!

BlossomFlowerGirl said...

Awesome.