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 two parts  -  outside wall and inside wall. The outside wall has 13 towers. A moat separates both the walls. The moat was initially used for watering horses and filling baths. Presently, it is filled with stagnant water.

The main entrance is a formidable gate in the wall, which is 16-feet thick. A courtyard is reached when you get past the towers. A corridor adorned with wonderful carvings paves the way for a mammoth vaulted hall, which is replete with an ancient oven, wells, and latrines.

The courtyard’s chapel saw a conversion into a mosque, when Sultan Beybar ascended the throne. A minbar or pulpit is still visible.

Krak des Chevaliers is famous for its Tower of the Daughter of the King. It is replete with a café, offering splendid views.

The castle is situated 2,300 feet above sea level. It is often considered to be the world’s greatest fortress. The castle is a perfect example of medieval fortification. The highlight of the castle is that it was never conquered or besieged. It only fell once when the Baibars resorted to trickery.

Many facets of its history are still unknown. The Amir at Aleppo gifted it to a Kurdish garrison. Many Muslim chronicles prove this fact. The Count of Toulouse took over the castle built by the Kurds. Tancred, who was a Latin prince, acquired it later. The Hospitallers took over the castle in 1142. The Zengi posed a significant threat. It eventually fell into the hands of the crusaders. Earthquakes caused extensive damage to the Krak des Chevaliers. However, it was rebuilt in the 13th century.

The Agio Nikolaos Ragavas church is located in Plaka in the neighborhood of Athens. This is an eleventh century church which is still used today.

This church was built in the eleventh century by the Byzantine era.  This church was well in use although after a while it, religious services here was discontinued. In the latter half of the eighteen century the church was repaired and renovated. There was another restoration done in the nineteen hundred and seventies.

This church of St. Nicholas was the first church to receive a bell in Athens which happened just after the war of independence in the year eighteen hundred and twenty one.  When the city got its liberation from the German in the year nineteen hundred and forty four, the bell on this church was the first to ring out. Agio Nikolaos Ragavas is a popular parish church which has been built for residents of the Plaka region.

Today this church is also used for many Greek Weddings especially over the weekends.

The church is made in signature Byzantine style that was incorporated into during the eleventh century.  The church incorporates marble columns and the remains of many ancient buildings in the outside walls.

Mitropolis Cathedral, Athens

Athens became the capital of Greece in the year eighteen hundred and thirty four. During this time, the city required a cathedral. And hence the construction of the Mitropoli had begun. The whole thing was actually started on the Christmas day, and King Otta and Queen Amalia laid the cornerstone here.  The workers used the marble of seventy two demolished churches to build the walls of the Mitropolis.

There were three architects who were responsible for the design and the cathedral was completed about twenty years later. The King and queen were also present during the dedication which was made in the year eighteen hundred and sixty two in the honor of Evangelimos Theotokou.  Which actually means; the annunciation of the Virgin.

This is also a seat for the Bishop of Athens and is also one of the most important centers for the orthodox fellowship in Greece.  This place remains to be the landmark of many important ceremonies, coronations, weddings and funerals.

The Mitropolis has about three aisles. At the crossing is a large dome. There are two twin towers on the west side of the cathedral.  The tower is about eighty feet high, sixty five feet wide and about one hundred and thirty feet long.

The insides of the cathedral are beautifully made with frescoes made in colorful Byzantine style. Agia Filothei and Patriarch Gregory the fifth are the two saints who were killed by the Ottoman Turks and their tombs lie here.

Ark of the Covenant – History

The Ark of the Covenant was known to be a great shrine, which enclosed the tablets of the most important Ten Commandments, which were been received as of God through Moses on Sinai. As stated in the Bible, the Ark of the Covenant was made up of acacia wood as well as overlaid by means of gold. The ark measured almost 1.15 m in length, as well as 0.7 m in width in addition to almost 0.7 m in height and was been carried by means of two extended bars, in addition made up of acacia wood that was gold-plated. The Ark was been guarded through cherubims.

The account in bible states that the locals from Israel carried the Ark along with them where on earth they went as well as it surrounded great heavenly power, which proved critical to a lot of them. As soon as the Temple of Jerusalem was been constructed, the Ark of the Covenant was enshrined at that juncture with in the Holy of Holies as well as barely seen through the High Priest.

In the future, the Ark of Covenant Ethiopia disappeared from the lands of Jerusalem. The vagueness of what turned out to be of such an imperative and sanctified artifact prolongs to mesmerize historians, believers and archaeologists in a similar way. There are by no means dearths of theories as to its fortune as well as existing location that take account of a Jerusalem tunnel as well as the crown of Mount. Nebo located in Jordan.

To the Christians and Jews in Ethiopia, the Ark of Covenant Ethiopia location is by no means a mystery. As stated by a number of Ethiopian royal chronicles, the Ark of the Covenant left the land of Jerusalem a great deal earlier than by and large thought mostly all through the days of the King Solomon as well as went to Ethiopia through the hands of the Menelik, who was the son of the King Solomon as well as the Queen of Sheba.

What to See

The Ark of Covenant Ethiopia that is positioned at Axum can be seen by no one other than the High Priest of Axum, who is an elderly as well as in particular holy monk who is provided with the charge of its care along with safeguarding for life. He by no means can leave an undersized yard that encloses the chapel, as well as he is anticipated to name his descendant on his deathbed. In addition the present custodian by means of this dispensation as well as weigh down is Abba Tesfa Mariam.

The authors who wrote a number of books on the Lost Ark were abortive in their attempts to achieve right of entry to the historical object. In actual fact, by no means even the President of Ethiopia is permitted to distinguish it. The Ark of Covenant used to be brought out on a demonstration on one occasion a year; on the other hand owing to the recent war as well as tensions with in the region, it remains safe and sound full-time in its shrine.

One fresh British explorer was been told that all of these restrictions are intended for his personal safety, designed for “if he had approached the Ark of Covenant I would have been punished, in addition the theory says that would turn out to be invisible as well as unleash upon him its dreadful power – he would have been killed out-and-out, in all probability set to fire.” He was been also told that even after seeing one of the few blessed replicas that are placed in each and every Ethiopian church could have this particular effect.

What tourists can make out is the construction in which this Ark is been kept. Mentioned as a relic chapel or else the Treasury, it as well contains the treasures of the cathedral for instance the crowns of kings of Ethiopia as well as silver processional crosses. In various other treasures that are on a regular basis brought out as well as displayed for tourists, on the other hand no one is permitted inside the main building.

What to See

The sketch of The Daphni Monastery is a plan that is designed “cross-in-square”, this plan was quite common all through the middle Byzantine times. In addition the walls of the monastery are been built strongly for the suspicious purposes owing to the susceptible location of the monastery located in the outer surface of the city. Moreover the central square turns out to be a rectangle by means of the expansion of an exonarthex as well as narthex located on the western ending.

This church is at the present entered from its southern side, all the way through the reinstated cloisters. All of these were been built through the Cistercians all through the thirteenth century, by way of the cells that were added to the church in the sixteenth century. Displayed at this juncture are Classical as well as the Byzantine sculptural fragments along with two sarcophagi festooned by means of fleur-de-lys as well as Latin crosses that might be the tombstones of the Frankish dukes of the thirteenth century identified to be buried at this juncture.

The mosaics that are located inside the church are fragmentary, on the other hand add up to the largest as well as the finest collection that is found in the entire of the southern Greece. The mosaics are believed to be created in the later part of the 11th century, in addition they portray biblical scenes, prophets, and saints against the luminosity gold surroundings.

The central huge dome bears an extraordinarily unyielding Christ Pantocrator. According to the traditional in the Greek Orthodox churches, Nativity, the Annunciation, Baptism, as well as Transfiguration decorate the squinches that support the dome, as well as the 16 of the Major Prophets are been exhibited between the numerous windows that are present on the dome.

The eastern apse has a disconnected mosaic that displays the Virgin Mary, who is regarded as the patron of this church, as well as is been flanked by means of well-conserved Archangels.

Other than the mosaics of the church, four of the other frescoes that festooned the lower walls of this church can even today be easily made out.

Were there not these astonishing churches, Lalibela without doubt would have not existed on the visitor radar. A grimy rural settlement nestled into progressing landscape; Lalibela barely received electricity in recent times. It has a small number of motorized automobiles, no paved streets nor the gas stations. Isolated as of the modern world, this town has not changed a great deal, as it has followed the same ways for many decades.

Out of the total population of 8-10,000 people in Of Lalibela, more than 1,000 are generally priests. In addition the religious rituals are central point of the existence of this town, by means of regular processions, wide-ranging fasts, and swarms of singing as well as dancing priests. This, merged through its unexpected religious structural design in addition to simplicity of life, bestows the city of Lalibela a peculiarly everlasting, more or less biblical ambiance.

The roofing of the eleven churches loacted in Lalibela are leveled by means of the soil in addition to, it can be reached by means of stairs that slides down into the slender trenches. These churches are been connected with each other, simply because of the tunnels as well as walkways that are been constructed along with the stretch crosswise the sheer drops. In addition the pillars placed internally in these churches have been decaying because of the continuous handlings of the entreating worshippers visiting the churches.

These rock-cut churches are in present day are not in proper conditions, on the other hand were been marvelously carved by way of numerous facets for instance fragile-seeming windows, the moldings of a variety of sizes as well as shapes, diverse forms of swastikas, crosses, (an Eastern religious motif) along with Islamic traceries. Quite a lot of churches in addition have beautiful wall paintings.

In addition there are 11 are rock-cut churches placed at Lalibela, the most extravagant of them is Bet Giorgis (commonly St. George’s). Positioned on the western periphery of the huddle of all these churches, Bet Giorgis is cut almost 40 ft down as well as its roofing outlines the outline of the Greek cross. Bet Giorgis was been built subsequent to the death of Lalibela (around the year 1220) through his widow as a commemorative plaque for the saint-king. In addition the church is an outstanding zenith of the plans of Lalibela for building a New Jerusalem, by means of its just right dimensions as well as geometrical exactness.

In addition the structure of this church is in fact an amalgamation of two different churches, by means of a tomb located lower than the Grotto of the Nativity. This place is believed to be exact location where Jesus had taken birth.

The central Basilica of the Nativity is been maintained through the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The Basilica is been designed similar to a archetypal Roman basilica, by means of five aisles (shaped through Corinthian columns) as well as an apse that is located in the eastern closing stages, which is location of the sanctuary. This church features the golden mosaics that cover the side walls that are currently mostly decayed. This basilica is entered all the way through an extremely low door, which is known as the “Door of Humility.” In addition the original Roman fashion flooring has since been enclosed over, on the other hand there is an entrap door in the contemporary flooring which opens up for revealing a section of the unique mosaic flooring.

This church in addition features a huge gilded iconostasis, as well as a multifaceted arrangement of lamps all the way through the whole building. Moreover the wooden rafters are been donated through the King Edward IV of England. He is same king who has additionally donated lead for covering the roof; on the other hand, this lead was afterward taken through the Turks, who had melted it for ammunition that were used in war in opposition to Venice. The stairways that are present on the either sides of the Sanctuary show the way downwards by the winding stairs up to the Grotto.

The neighboring Church of St. Catherine and the Roman Catholic Church, were constructed in an additional contemporary Gothic revival fashion, as well as has since been additional restructured in line with the liturgical trends that were been followed by Vatican II. Moreover in this church, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem every celebrates Midnight Mass on the Christmas Eve.

Mystery and Myth

As stated in a local myth, the island of Akdamar has got its name as of a dreadful love story. The story says that a man fallen in love with a young woman who was known as Tamar, as well as lived on this island. He used to visit her at the island each night awaiting, one dreadful night, the man was surmounting by means of the waves within a storm. Seeing that the man sunk into the sea-water he had cried out loudly, “Ach, Tamar!”

In addition the local legends as well have it that the Lake Van is delighted as well as frequented by means of angels.

History of Church of the Holy Cross

The Church of the Holy Cross was one time an imperative Armenian cathedral. Moreover the seat of the well-known Armenian Orthodox patriarch, this cathedral was been established through King Gagik amid 915 – 921 AD as a component of the magnificent complex, which took account of a palace, streets, monastery, gardens as well as terraced parks. This church is the entire that remains in the present day.

This church was been designed through Trdat Mendet, a well known Armenian architect (also recognized as Manuel), who as well crafted the cathedral within Ani placed in close proximity as well as helped to repair  the dome of Hagia Sophia as soon as it collapsed subsequent to an earthquake.

In addition the Church of the Holy Cross was identified to be the seat of an Armenian patriarch as of 1116 – 1895, subsequent to which it was actually abandoned owing to divergence between Armenia as well as the Ottoman Empire. This structure fell into poor condition as well as was been neglected all the way through the twentieth century.

This cathedral was been restored through the Turkish government at the beginning of the month of May 2005. The cost of restoration of this church was almost $1.5 million as well as took near about 18 months as to finish. At a formal procedure that took place on March 29, in the year 2007, it was been authoritatively opened for the public as a museum. In addition the reinstatement venture was perceived as a tactful step through Turkey to get better relations with the province Armenia, which hang about exceptionally tense.

What to See

Placed on a cruciform plan as well as topped by means of a conical roof, the renowned Akdamar church is merely 49 x 39 ft (almost 15 x 12 m) in its size. The church is made up of red colored tufa stone that was been brought to this island as of the far-off quarries. Positioned surrounded by the church are washed out on the other hand frescoes that are impressive even today.

The reasonably prominent exterior attributes bas-relief carvings as well as friezes of scenes that are taken from Bible, which includes Adam and Eve, as well as Jonah and the whale, in addition to David and Goliath, along with Abraham and Isaac, also St. George slaying a dragon, plus Christ Pantocrator, as well as Madonna and Child.