Saturday, October 8, 2011

Aqueduct in Segovia

Akwedukt w SegowiiOne of the most famous, most important and best preserved structures created by the Romans on the Iberian Peninsula. It is the symbol of Segovia, with Alcazar and the cathedral are the main attraction of the city.
According to legend, the aqueduct is the work of the devil, who made ​​a pact with a girl working as a water carrier. She had to givesoul to the devil if the devil will provide water to the door before the rooster crows. At night the city was a great storm, and theaqueduct before the cock crew was almost finished, lacking only the position of a single stone. But it was enough to defeat the devil. Residents learned of the incident have spent building and then placed there, images of the Virgin Mary and St. Stephen.



Akwedukt w SegowiiIn fact, the creation of the aqueduct dates back to the half-century or early second century during the reign of Emperor Vespasianand Nerva. It was used to transport water from a distance of about 17 km Fuenfría source.


On the way to the city water is collected in a reservoir called El Caseron, and then in the tower of Casa de Aguas. There occursprecipitation of sand and the water stays on the hill 728 meters with a slope of 1 percent, called Postigo on which the Alcázar.

The highest point of the aqueduct reaches a height of 28.5 meters. The whole structure consists of 167 medicines, of which 79are single and 44 double. It is built of granite blocks.



Akwedukt w SegowiiHigher tier are drugs with a width of 5.10 m clearance, supported on columns narrower and lower than those of the lower floors. In the upper part of the structure is U-shaped channel with dimensions of 55 cm to 46 cm. Lower tier, cassing uneven ground, are drugs with a width of 4.50 m clearance columns supported on tapering.


The top three curves located in Roman times was a plate of bronze letters with information about the builder and the date ofconstruction. In the upper part of the aqueduct can be seen also two niches on each side of the structure. It is known that one of them could see past the image of the Egyptian Hercules, who according to legend was the founder of the city. Currently in the niches are images of the city patron saint of the Virgin Mary and St. Stephen.


Akwedukt w SegowiiIn the fifteenth century, when Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile was the first major reconstruction of the aqueduct. Don Pedro has a rebuilt Mesa consisting of 36 anxiety episode destroyed by the Moors in 1072. The work was performed with great care so as not to make any changes to the original draft and keep the original style.


Akwedukt w SegowiiPiped water is the most important architectural monument of Segovia. On the spaces of the century aqueduct was operated andmaintained in perfect condition. However, due to pollution and erosion of the aqueduct ruin. In order to guarantee the survival of the pipeline began in 1997, maintenance work, which are overseen by the architect Francisco Jurado. Since 1985, the aqueductis a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Erebus Volcano

Wulkan ErebusErebus volcano is the southernmost active volcano on earth. It is situated on the Isle of Ross in the Antarctic Ross Sea. It has aheight of about 3795 m above sea level, and up to 2000 m above sea level slopes are covered with snow.


Mount Erebus was discovered January 27, 1841 year by the Scottish polar explorer Sir James Clark Ross, who gave him the name of one of its ships. The name of the second vessel was located in the eastern part of Ross Island volcano Mount Terror.Erebus in Greek mythology was the son of Chaos, the god of darkness.


Erebus was first conquered in 1908 by the participants of the expedition of Sir Ernest Shackleton'a. However the first knownsingle entrance on Mount Erebus took place on 19-20 January 1991. This was achieved by Charles J. Blackmer, who was an employee of many years of polar McMurdo station located on the southern tip of Ross Island. The whole trip lasted 24 hours and the same approach it took approximately 17 hours.


Wulkan ErebusErebus volcano is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire that includes over 160 active volcanoes. Pacific Ring of Fire is a zone offrequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that surrounds the Pacific Ocean. It covers almost continuous belt of ocean trenchesand volcanic mountain chains. It is estimated that in his area there is 81% larger earthquakes and is 90% of all active volcanoes.


Erebus is currently the most active volcano in Antarctica. Inside the crater with a diameter of approximately 250 meters there is a lake of lava, which is one of the few permanent lava lakes on Earth.


Wulkan ErebusNovember 28, 1979 plane crash took place. During the very poor visibility of the volcano crashed plane carrying tourists from New Zealand. Killed 257 people on board the aircraft, which belonged to the airline Air New Zealand. Flight 901 was a regularpassenger connection from the airport in Auckland in New Zealand to Antarctica, the crash stopped further flight.

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera HouseIn the 50 Nineteenth century in Sydney was not the building where concerts could be held or opera. Architectural competition was announced on the Opera House, which received 222 projects from 32 countries worldwide. Winner was in 1957, Danish architectJorn Utzon.


Construction began in 1959. However, due to numerous misunderstandings work stretched. Also increased its costs. Finally, in 1966, Danish architect clashed with contractors and resigned. In his place hired four Australian architects.


Sydney Opera HouseThe building originally was to cost $ 7 million, but the total cost amounted to 102 million dollars. It was built 16 years or 11 years longer than originally intended.
Plane of the roof are covered with a million white tiles ceramic tiles, which shine in the sun and do not require cleaning. The building has 5223 sq ft of windows, and walls are covered with green topaz.


The Opera House has five rooms, which are held theater, ballet and concerts, a cinema and two restaurants. The opera hall is1,550 seats, in concert 2700, 550 in theater and chamber music hall of the 420th

October 20, 1973 was held the official opening, which flew to Sydney Queen Elizabeth II. Played the ninth symphony of Beethovenand staged Prokofiev War and Peace.

Opera House is the hallmark of Sydney. It is a work of unforgettable for anyone who sees them.

Moai statues of Easter Island

Posągi moai z Wyspy WielkanocnejEaster Island lies on the Pacific Ocean 3,600 km west from the coast of Chile. From the nearest inhabited land, which is the island of Pitcairn, it is divided over 2000 kilometers of ocean. It is known primarily from the 887 stone statues called moai.
The first Europeans who saw the Rapa Nui (because this is the original name of the island) were Dutch sailors from a shipcommanded by Jacob Roggevereena. It was Easter Sunday 1722 years and hence the European name of the island. On the island they discovered many stone statues - moai that were placed around the island on stone platforms or altars, called ahu.



Posągi moai z Wyspy WielkanocnejThe statues were made ​​from rocks of volcanic origin with tools from basalt. The figures are carved from one stone. Some weighover 20 tons, and their height exceeds 6 feet. The largest of the moai - Paro was about 10 feet tall and weighed 75 tons. The island is also unfinished statue 21 meters high and weighing 270 tons. Some of the figures has a huge stone on their heads hats -pukao, which are made ​​of scorii - red volcanic rock.


Most of the moai were carved from the crater of Rano Raraku, and then transported to the distant coast up to more than 10kilometers. Statues were probably turned on the balls at their destination, and then placed into the vertical by means of ropes.Another theory suggests that their movement was used for rolling the lift into the overhead in a horizontal position and then moveda statue of steps.


Posągi moai z Wyspy WielkanocnejThere are many concepts talking about who carved the moai. The most popular of them said that they did Polynesian settlersaround 1000-1100 year. Another contends that the inhabitants of Easter Island arrived from South America and from therebrought the skills of stone. Work on the statues was interrupted suddenly, testifies to the many unfinished statues. The probablereason was overpopulation of the island, famine and the outbreak of intertribal fighting. Until now, we do not know the purpose for which the statues were made​​, many theories say about the conception of statues of deities, or ancestors.


Posągi moai z Wyspy WielkanocnejIn the mid-nineteenth century, most of the moai were overturned, it is believed that this was due to fighting between the clans on the island. Currently, about 50 moai have been deposited back to their old places, and on the island was Rapa Nui National Park, which encompasses nearly half of its surface. In 1996, the moai statues were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Great Barrier Reef

Wielka Rafa KoralowaGreat Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland is the largest, most diverse and beautiful coral reef in the world. It is also one of the youngest reefs - some of its sections now account for only 500 thousand. years. Stretches for more than two thousand. km from the city of Brisbane to the Gulf of Papau.


Building blocks of coral skeletons of dead corals are. On the Great Barrier Reef is composed of about 3 thousand. coral reefsand small islands with very diverse areas - from just a few meters to 50 km ². Great Barrier Reef stretches 330 km into the Pacific.Its total area is 259 thousand. km ².


Wielka Rafa KoralowaGreat Barrier Reef is famous for its corals, although they constitute only 1 / 10 surviving organisms here. On the reef there are at least 350 species of various shapes, sizes and colors. They require the right environment. Reefs are formed only in the saline andwarm waters (temperature maintaining not less than 22 ° C). The water must contain enough oxygen, so it can not be waterstanding and must be sufficiently clear that the sludge did not block the digestive system of coral.

Bora-Bora

Bora-BoraAmerican novelist James A. Michener called Bora-Bora in the Society Islands archipelago, the most beautiful island in the worldand placed in its setting his novel Fri South Pacific, which was later transformed into a musical. Many people think that the Bora-​​Bora is a paradise on earth. The first settlers came here from the south-east Asia two thousand. years ago.


Bora-BoraIn the middle of the island rise to residues of the volcano with two peaks. Mount Otemanu, now with a height of 725 m, once roseto the height of 5400 m above sea level later eruptions destroyed the summit. This long-extinct volcano now overgrown withdense, green forest. Spreads around the island in August turquoise lagoon, separated from the sea Sandspit. All this is bound with a ring of coral reef.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Eiffel Tower

Wieża EifflaNext to the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame is one of the most famous architectural structures in Paris, also regarded as a symbol of France. It was built in 1889 on the occasion of the World's Fair, designed by Gustav Eiffel. After the exhibition was to bedismantled tower, however, decided to leave it on the Champs de Mars on the southern bank of the Seine.


The Eiffel Tower is openwork steel trellis structure with a height of 320.75 m. Its height over the years has evolved through an antenna mounted on top. The height of the tower without the antenna is 300.5 m, and weight about 7 thousands tons. However, before renovation, it weighs 9,600 tons. The design is supported on four grounds, each of which consists of four blocks of size 15 m to 8 m.


Wieża EifflaThe whole structure consists of three platforms, respectively at the height of 57 m, 115 m and 276 m. The elements used in the construction were manufactured in a factory in Levallois-Perret, and on the Champs de Mars, they were combined with each othermainly by means of rivets. The design required 12 000 parts.


Currently, the Eiffel Tower is visited by about 5 million tourists a year. It looks particularly attractive at night when it is illuminatedwith lights that glitter from afar resemble. On a clear day you can see the landscape within a radius of 67 km.

Big Ben

Big BenBig Ben is located in the Palace of Westminster in London, UK. The name Big Ben was wearing only initially housed in the belltower of St. Stephen, also called the Clock Tower, but now the name often refers to both the bell and the clock tower.


The construction of the tower was taken shortly after a substantial part of the Palace of Westminster was destroyed in the night 16 October 1834 year. The final opening took place on 31 May 1859 year. The designers were Barry and Augustus Charles Pugin.The tower is 96 meters high and was made in the Renaissance style with elements of neo-Gothic.


Located in the middle of 13-ton bell called Big Ben was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, chief commissioner of works in 1858. The bell was cast in Whitechapel. He was the second bell, because the first cast in Stockton-on-Tees, was damaged when trying to run.


Big BenLocated at the clock tower was designed by Augustus Pugin. It is the largest clock in Britain. Its four discs each have a diameter of 7.5 meters, and the tips have a length of 4.25 meters.


About midnight on 31 December 1923 was the sound of the clock can be the first time on the radio to hear the BBC, it is nowbroadcast daily.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

The Grand Mosque

Wielki Meczet w DżenneClay largest sacral building, the largest free-standing building with a brick of dried and one of the most famous buildings in Africa -so in short you can describe The Grand Mosque in Djenné, in central Mali.


Work on the mosque, which we admire today, began in 1906, and ended probably in 1907 or 1909. It is already the next house, which was established in this place. It is believed that the first mosque was built around 1240, several years after the adoption of Islam by the then ruler - Koi Kunboro (1180 year). He handed over his palace to the faithful, who rebuilt it, adding later in the towers and walls. The temple has survived for 1834 years when the founder of the state Fulan -  Seku Amadu ordered to destroy it. According to him, the building was too luxurious and decorated with too much pomp. In its place was built in 1896,modest mosque, leaving only part of the previous with the graves of former African rulers. In later years the building was expandedso that the size and resembled the old temple.


Wielki Meczet w DżenneThe walls of the Grand Mosque are built of sun-dried clay bricks, called ferey, and the whole is covered with clay also gives the building a sleek look. Protrude from the walls of the building at about 60 cm balls palm. They fulfill a decorative function and alsohelp to avoid cracks on the walls, and during the annual repairs are used for scaffolding. Earthen structures are particularly vulnerable to water, which is why the walls were mounted ceramic troughs that collect rainwater. In addition, the mosque is locatedon a platform measuring 75 to 75 meters and a height of about 3 meters, which protects it from wash the infected area. Roof is covered with only the main building, while other parts of the complex to form an open prayer hall. On the eastern wall of the towerbuilding three large minarets and eighteen small domes. It is a prayer wall, facing towards Mecca.


Wielki Meczet w DżenneThe first building of the Grand Mosque of Djenné was one of the most important centers of Islam. In a nearby madrassa,thousands of students studying the Koran. Today it is not only a symbol of the city, but also the entire state. In 1988, the historicareas of Djenné, including the The Grand Mosque, have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Torre di Pisa    Leaning Tower is one of the most famous buildings in the world. It is located in a small town in Tuscany, central Italy. In fact, a belltower and the cathedral belongs to the complex of buildings in the Romanesque style in the Campo dei Miracoli.


The construction of the tower began in 1173 year. Construction soon began to deviate from the vertical, because it was located onmarshy, clayey soil. Designers extending columns on one side of the tower trying to correct the tilt of the tower. However,construction stopped for the thirteenth century.


In 1350 years the construction has gained the top floor, where the bells were placed. The building was built on the plan of the district and has eight floors. The middle floors are surrounded by openwork galleries. The height of the tower is about 55 meters, and vertical deviation of about 4.5 meters.


Krzywa Wieża w PizieIn the nineteenth century began to make the first attempts to stop the tilting tower. However, this did not bring the desired effect.
In 1990 the tower was closed to the public, and appointed a special committee, which was to choose the best way to protectagainst further tilting the tower up.
In 2001 the tower was reopened to tourists. Annually visited by about 10 million tourists from around the world.

L'Oceanogràfic

L'OceanogràficL'Oceanografic is a huge aquarium complex located in the eastern part of Valencia. On a total area of ​​approximately 110,000square meters are presented ecosystems occurring throughout the world.


The complex is part of the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, the towns of Arts and Sciences. The building was opened in 2002and is the largest aquarium in Europe. It consists of nine two-storey towers, which are converted various ecosystems.


L'Oceanogràfic45,000 live in the aquarium animals from 500 different species. There are, sharks, penguins, dolphins, sea lions, walruses, andwhales.
Park is divided into 10 areas, which reflect the ecosystems of the Mediterranean, Red Sea, the polar areas, islands, tropical seasand a moderate temperature.



L'OceanogràficThe complex also includes a dolphin, aquarium presenting the audience with the Red Sea region reflecting the mangrove swampareas, marshes and a garden with more than 80 species of plants.

Punkaharju

PunkaharjuQuintessential landscape of Finland - a long, longbelt stukilometrowej hills i. .. often several meterswide isthmus separating the lake and PuruvesiKokonselka Team Great Saimaa.


Because this post-glacial Punkaharju oz, which isa long, curving belt not sometimes high hills. It was created several thousand years ago, when the Scandinavian glacier melting. River flowedunder the ice, depositing sand, gravel, etc.Systematically sediment layer is raised, forcing the water to the melting of ice over them. At the end of the glacier melted, revealing what chartedthe river, which had now form a long hill.Punkaharju runs perpendicular to the long, doubleSalpausselkä Ozu. Perhaps it was once atributary of the ...


PunkaharjuFor centuries, is a major highway. After him runsone of the most important in Finland, roads and railway lines, linking the coast of Ladoga(ethnically Finnish, occupied more than half acentury by Russia) of the country lying in the center of Jyväskylä.
Punkaharju has about a hundred miles long, butmost interesting is the section betweenKulennoinen and Punkasalmi, where the village is divided oz dim. lake. It is narrow and winding,twisting like a green snake. Its beauty is bestseen from the air, flying over trees, anything.



Punkaharju is a nature reserve. Area residentsbelieve the healthiest place oz in the world. And this is due to the growing on coniferous forestarea, emits a lot of life-giving essential oils. In this respect Punkaharju is perhaps not better than other places covered with a Finnish taiga, but it sure is beautiful. Anyway, we Finns have no doubt; Punkaharju is definitely the most beautiful place on the Finnish Lake District, and perhaps in the whole country. For this reason, the shed is a great tourist attraction. Especially that lies on the route to the fortress Olavinlinna in Savonlinnie, where every year thousands of music lovers flockto the opera festival.


PunkaharjuPunkaharju is not only a beautiful nature. It is also the magnificent architecture and art. Retretti Art Center in Punkaharju (village in the middle of the isthmus), presenting contemporary art, housed, among others. w. .. caves. Found in their roomand concert hall. The caves were discovered, moreover, not so long ago. And where granitecaves in the sand? Well developed much earlier,during the geological changes, and then to one thousand years many tens of them covered theglacier and what was after him.