I just checked the date I visited this place. It happened on August 21, last year (2021) and the day of the week was Saturday. Just like today, Saturday. A day I spent alone in this city, exploring it. The weather was not the same, as it was so warm that day when I was in Cartagena.
How I got there is a long story, but in a few words I dropped off my son at a friend's house in a nearby town, and I drove to Cartagena. That was my first time visiting it, and I had the whole day for that! Perfect! 35 grades Celsius were not perfect, but we can adapt to different circumstances if we have a goal set. And my goal was to see, absorb and learn about this old place.
I visited several places, including the Roman Theatre, the Archeological Museum and the city centre. The city is old. It is associated with a settlement that dates back to the sixth century B.C., though the first mentions of Cartagena with the name Quart Hadasht happened in the year 227 B.C. There are a lot of archaeological findings and many well-preserved buildings and items. But time showed its power and despite having a lot of proof of the existence of this place, many of the findings are just ruins or the showcased items are made up of found small pieces. I imagine a HUGE work behind this collection shown in the museum, years and decades of dedicated work and research were needed to set up everything.
Maybe this is the reason I am bringing this place, the museum here just now, after visiting it more than a year ago. There is so much information that was shown that I needed time to organize it in my mind and be able to write it down. I also wanted to read additional historic facts and complete my knowledge, but what actually happened is the opposite. After so much time I forgot many things I could read on the boards in the museum. Finding now the information on the web would not be the thing. I just want to write what I remotely remember.
And what I remember is not much 😂
The ticket was not that expensive, something between 5 and 10€ is what I paid for the single entrance. If I would buy the entrance for several places, like the combo for the Roman Theatre and this museum, I would get a discount. But arriving here I already left behind those other places and I didn't want to go back later. It was just too hot. I found the needed refreshment in the interior of the museum strolling between these old items.
There were two parts of the museum, the interior and the exterior. First, you visit the interior which has two (or three) floors, all full of showcased archaeological excavations, as you can see in these pictures. I would be lying if I could tell you exactly from which era each object on display is from. It is my fault, as there were boards with detailed explanations all around. I had to remember it better. At that moment it was interesting to go back to the Hellenistic age and Roman time and see how important and rich was Cartagena, but now, my memory is failing me.
I do know that this place has been one of the three major cities of the Roman colony in Hispania. I also saw the rest of the Roman pavement, the rest of the buildings and wells, ovens, and Roman baths. But more of them could be seen in the exterior of the museum.
So, after the cool and refreshing time spent in the interior, I headed to the outside part where more archaeological excavations waited for me. Yes, they are waiting patiently for us, visitors, already for more than two millenniums. Incredible thing.
On the exterior, there were also parts that were covered with a roof to protect the excavations from rain and direct sunlight. There were bridges and paths you were supposed to walk, so as not to damage the rest of the buildings. I did touch with my hand these columns in the photos above, I wanted to connect that way with history :D
It was the time we were still wearing the face masks, so here came a masked selfie lol.
Walking there around, on those paths, I could observe the structure of the palaces, shrines and other facilities the people of this place built back in time. I respected the space and where I could walk, but I saw a visitor who seemed not to be bothered about the rules...
No, it was not a vandal or a person who would damage the historical site... it was a cat who decided to take its nap in the museum :))
He was sleeping, enjoying the warmth of the day and the calm place, as there were not too many tourists around. He even let himself be cuddled. That was a perfect match for that Saturday, or should I say Caturday? :)
I let it enjoy the rest of his calm afternoon, as there were a lot of things still to see in this outside exhibition with all the preserved walls, mosaics, pavements, columns, and different facilities. Just imagine the work that was needed to do all these excavations in this modern city today, Cartagena. How many of these times were destroyed accidentally, while building the new city during the whole time of 2000 years, but especially in the last century?
Some of the walls had preserved parts of the paintings they had. Also, the floors had mosaics, but just tiny parts of them were saved, still, it is unbelievable how some of them could be here now.
My little tour to the past finished at some point, and I left this place with admiration for the people who lived there. But I am asking myself what will be left of us 2000 years from now? Will anything stay behind us that will be worth mentioning after such a long time? Right now it is just a mystery to us.
