Recently I got a time slot to visit the new re-positioned Mithraeum Temple in the City of London. It's under the Bloomberg building at 12 Walbrook, EC4N 8AA.
Mithras? Think of bulls and sacrifice as the main theme, although it seems to have been more symbolic than real as the space is really too small to get a bull into.
It was first re-discovered in early 50’s during redevelopment on a bomb site from World War Two. Since Roman times it had been gradually covered over as the ground level rose around it. It’s currently many yards below street level!
To be frank, not a lot of the temple survives above the foundations, but the reconstruction of the sense of place and time is impressive. A lot of work has been done to restore and reveal again what was subsequently moved after the original excavations.
At the ground level you enter a space with modern artwork and a panel showing 400 original Roman objects discovered on the site (an interpretative tablet-based description is available for free). There are toilets but no cafe (plenty close by).
Down one level is a multimedia backgrounder with voices and projections. You can spend more time here awaiting your slot, or catch up again on the way out.
At your appointed time you get to descend again into the actual Mithraeum Temple.
To start with it’s darkish and mysterious. Gradually the lights start doing a show and sounds and voices play out.
I won’t say much more, but, for a free show, it can take you into a place you might not have thought about before.
(Unless you are a man and into 'secret' dining club rituals.... so, it's right at home in the City then! )
They say the Mithras cult could have made a pretty good alternate Christianity but had at least one major flaw - it was a men's only club. I don't know if dining clubs were a thing back then :)
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
I suspect dining and wining have always been a thing :)
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Looks like a cool place to explore. I'll try to get there some time soon
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Congratulations @jedb! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
Click on any badge to view your own Board of Honor on SteemitBoard.
For more information about SteemitBoard, click here
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPDownvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Welcome back to steemit @jedb, Sounds like an interesting experience, was there any notable original artwork that you can remember or just the modern interpretation you describe?
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
You can see the 400 original artefacts that are in the display case, the bull image is one I oposted, the others range from a preserved door, writing tablets, broaches and rings, etc. nothing 'spectacular', except the waterlogged conditions had kept a lot of non-metal items in better condition than usual. See a few more things here https://www.londonmithraeum.com/
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit