Archive for December, 2010

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    St Michaels Mount: Truly Majestic
    St Michaels Mount and Mont St Michel are situated on English Channel’s either side. St Michaels Mount is dangerously perched on outcroppings of coastal rocks. Numerous visions of Archangel Michael were spotted at both locations. This happened in the fifth century BC. Both shrines have a common history. St Michaels Mount served as a port and post for trading materials like tin and copper. The mount guards the entrance to the district of Cornwall from the Land’s End. The tiny island was occupied by mystics and hermits immediately after the defeat of the merchants at the hands of Julius Caesar in BC 56. According to legend, St Keyne visited the island. A spring is said to have gushed forth miraculously when the saint set foot on the island in AD 490. According to legend, an apparition of St Michael was seen at the island to a fisherman  [...]
    Posted at December 22nd, 2010 in Early Christian Site
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    Krak des Chevaliers: The Ultimate Fortress
    Krak des Chevaliers is a French phrase that means ‘Fortress of the Knights’. It is situated near Homs in present-day Syria. In the year 2006, it was included as a World Heritage Site. Krak des Chevaliers draws thousands of tourists every year. Paul Theroux has called it a dream castle of fantasies belonging to childhood, whereas T.E. Lawrence has called it the world’s finest castle. Krak des Chevaliers dates back to the Crusades. The structure has been well preserved over the centuries. The structure was built between the years AD 1150 and AD 1250. It served as a garrison for 2000 soldiers. The castle closely guarded the predominant pass between Turkey’s Antioch and Beirut’s Lebanon. The castle survived many assaults. It eventually fell to Mamluk Sultan Beybar in the year 1271. Krak des Chevaliers comprises of  [...]
    Posted at December 20th, 2010 in Eastern Orthodox Sites
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    Wells Cathedral: Crowning Glory
    Wells Cathedral is officially St Andrews Cathedral in Wells, England. It is the crowning glory of the Wells town, located in Somerset. The cathedral dates back to the 13th century. Wells cathedral has intricate artwork. The architecture of the cathedral is unique and spectacular. The cathedral is famous for its western front, which is adorned with wonderful sculptures of kings and saints. The interior of the Cathedral has an abundance of ‘scissor’ arches. You may either like them or dislike them. They are unique to the cathedral and cannot be seen elsewhere. Construction work on the Wells Cathedral began in the year 1180, under the supervision of Bishop Reginald. However, the majority of the work was carried out under the guidance and watchful eye of Bishop Jocelyn, who was a local of the area with mighty ambitions for the  [...]
    Posted at December 15th, 2010 in Cathedrals
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    Fountains Abbey: Its Grandeur
    Fountains Abbey is located in North Yorkshire. Cistercian monks founded the abbey in 1132. Fountains abbey is the biggest monastic ruin in all of Great Britain. It was included as a World Heritage Site in 1987. The abbey is set amongst nature, making it ideal to spend a relaxing time. Fountains Abbey was created in 1132 when a dispute arose in the Benedictine abbey of St Mary’s. This abbey was situated in York. 13 monks, who had reform on their mind, were banished and then taken into Thurstan’s protection. Thurstan was the Archbishop of York. The archbishop gave these rebellious monks a place in the valley near Skell River. This was in North Yorkshire. The site was reportedly more fit for beasts rather than human beings. Three years down the line, these monks became part of the Cistercian order. This went down well with their  [...]
    Posted at December 13th, 2010 in Monasteries
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    Pyramid of Khafre: The Massive Structure
    Pyramid of Khafre was built by pharaoh Khafre and is the second largest Pyramid of Egypt, next only to the Pyramid of Khufu. Khafre was the son of Khufu. In order to prove his superiority to the world, he built a pyramid which appeared larger than that of his father, but in fact the structure was intentionally placed at a height of 33 feet from the base. The pyramid was built in 3rd century B.C. The base of this colossal structure is about 706 feet in length. Build with bricks of limestone; it carries a height of about 470 feet. Horizontal courses are used for construction. The lower bases are made up of granite. Stones are the building blocks of Pyramid of Khafre. The base has bigger stones, the size of which continues to get smaller as the pyramid reaches its height. The pyramid lacks degree of precision in its angle as the four  [...]
    Posted at December 11th, 2010 in Egyptian Temples & Tombs
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    Meteora Greece: A Conglomerate of Monasteries
    Meteora is a Greek word that means “hanging from air”. Meteora Greece is a group of rocks that gradually withered and a number of peaks were formed over time. A number of monasteries were formed by the monks living on these peaks. The monasteries are situated near Pinios River which originates from Mountainous range called Pindus.The peaks have taken a number of varied shapes. These structures appear like stalagmites, soaring high into the sky. These holy places were built so that monks could have a worshipping place resting in solitude and peace. These also protected them from the attacks from Ottoman Empire as these pinnacles are almost inaccessible. The foundation of the monasteries of Meteora Greece dates back to as early as 9th century. Earlier a number of monks and disciples used to gather in caves. But later on, as their  [...]
    Posted at December 11th, 2010 in Monasteries
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    Hagia Sofia: A Byzantine Marvel
    Hagia Sofia or Aya Sofia was earlier a Byzantine church that later became an Ottoman mosque. In earlier years, it was a cathedral in Constantinople until 15th century. From 1935, it has been a museum. Hagia Sophia was the third church in the series of construction. The first one was built by Constantine the Great but was destroyed. A second one was built by his son but that too got burned in fire. The present structure was built under the guidance of the king Justinian I. After the fall of the city of Constantinople, The Turkish conquerors looted Hagia Sofia and converted it into a mosque. The Turks renovated the structures by adding additional supports to the mosque. Two minarets were added to the structure to give it an appearance of the mosque. The mausoleums of a number of Islamic rulers were built later on. Some of the other  [...]
    Posted at December 11th, 2010 in Other Sacred Sites and Religious Art
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    Great Pyramid of Khufu: The Egyptian Colossal
    Great Pyramid of Khufu is the largest pyramid in the world. It is the only wonder of the ancient world that has survived till today. The pyramid is not only the architectural beauty but is also one of the most popular tourist destinations of the world. Built in third century B.C., the pyramid earned the distinction of being the highest man-made structure for about 3000 years. The pyramid was built by Pharaoh Khufu who was a king of fourth century dynasty of Egypt. It took about twenty years to complete the structure. The dimensions of Great Pyramid of Khufu are 750 feet by 450 feet. More than two million stones form the building block of this massive structure with each stone weighing about two and a half tons. The blocks were made up of limestone and were transported by machines over the Nile River. Upon the completion of the pyramid,  [...]
    Posted at December 11th, 2010 in Egyptian Temples & Tombs
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    Dome of the Rock: Holy Shrine
    Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine in Temple Mount, Jerusalem. Built on a sacred stone, the shrine has religious importance to Islamic and Jewish people. The shrine, built by Abd al-Malik from 688 to 691 AD to commemorate the day of ascension by Mohammed, is an architectural masterpiece. In ancient times, this edifice was considered to be equivalent to Bible’s Temple of Solomon. The shrine is of distinguished and surpassing quality. The magnificent structure appears appealing to the eyes as it is built proportionately in all directions. Based on the mathematical calculations used for construction of churches of Byzantine Empire, Dome of the Rock is well integrated in its plan. The dimensions of dome’s diameter match exactly with the length of outer wall. The dome was built by Raja and Yazid Salam for the purpose of giving  [...]
    Posted at December 11th, 2010 in Biblical Sites
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