Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 (edited) Kiev: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Ukraine. Designed to rival Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, Kiev's Saint-Sophia Cathedral symbolizes the 'new Constantinople', capital of the Christian principality of Kiev, which was created in the 11th century in a region evangelized after the baptism of St Vladimir in 988. The spiritual and intellectual influence of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra contributed to the spread of Orthodox thought and the Orthodox faith in the Russian world from the 17th to the 19th century. Edited April 18, 2010 by Wise_Guy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 L'viv – the Ensemble of the Historic Center. Ukraine. The city of L''viv, founded in the late Middle Ages, was a flourishing administrative, religious and commercial centre for several centuries. The medieval urban topography has been preserved virtually intact (in particular, there is evidence of the different ethnic communities who lived there), along with many fine Baroque and later buildings. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 Struve Geodetic Arc. Ukraine. The Struve Arc is a chain of survey triangulations stretching from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea, through 10 countries and over 2,820 km. These are points of a survey, carried out between 1816 and 1855 by the astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve, which represented the first accurate measuring of a long segment of a meridian. This helped to establish the exact size and shape of the planet and marked an important step in the development of earth sciences and topographic mapping. It is an extraordinary example of scientific collaboration among scientists from different countries, and of collaboration between monarchs for a scientific cause. The original arc consisted of 258 main triangles with 265 main station points. The listed site includes 34 of the original station points, with different markings, i.e. a drilled hole in rock, iron cross, cairns, or built obelisks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi. Uganda The Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi constitute a site embracing almost 30 ha of hillside within Kampala district. Most of the site is agricultural, farmed by traditional methods. At its core on the hilltop is the former palace of the Kabakas of Buganda, built in 1882 and converted into the royal burial ground in 1884. Four royal tombs now lie within the Muzibu Azaala Mpanga, the main building, which is circular and surmounted by a dome. It is a major example of an architectural achievement in organic materials, principally wood, thatch, reed, wattle and daub. The site's main significance lies, however, in its intangible values of belief, spirituality, continuity and identity. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 Rwenzori Mountains National Park. Uganda. The Rwenzori Mountains National Park covers nearly 100,000 ha in western Uganda and comprises the main part of the Rwenzori mountain chain, which includes Africa's third highest peak (Mount Margherita: 5,109 m). The region's glaciers, waterfalls and lakes make it one of Africa's most beautiful alpine areas. The park has many natural habitats of endangered species and a rich and unusual flora comprising, among other species, the giant heather. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 Parthian Fortresses of Nisa. Turkmenistan. The Parthian Fortresses of Nisa consist of two tells of Old and New Nisa, indicating the site of one of the earliest and most important cities of the Parthian Empire, a major power from the mid 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD. They conserve the unexcavated remains of an ancient civilization which skilfully combined its own traditional cultural elements with those of the Hellenistic and Roman west. Archaeological excavations in two parts of the site have revealed richly decorated architecture, illustrative of domestic, state and religious functions. Situated at the crossroads of important commercial and strategic axes, this powerful empire formed a barrier to Roman expansion while serving as an important communication and trading centre between east and west, north and south. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 Kunya-Urgench Turkmenistan. Kunya-Urgench is situated in north-western Turkmenistan, on the left bank of the Amu Daria River. Urgench was the capital of the Khorezm region, part of the Achaemenid Empire. The old town contains a series of monuments mainly from the 11th to 16th centuries, including a mosque, the gates of a caravanserai, fortresses, mausoleums and a 60-m high minaret. The monuments testify to outstanding achievements in architecture and craftsmanship whose influence reached Iran and Afghanistan, and later the architecture of the Mogul Empire of 16th-century India. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancient Merv”. Turkmenistan. Merv is the oldest and best-preserved of the oasis-cities along the Silk Route in Central Asia. The remains in this vast oasis span 4,000 years of human history. A number of monuments are still visible, particularly from the last two millennia. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 Archaeological Site of Troy. Turkey. Troy, with its 4,000 years of history, is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. The first excavations at the site were undertaken by the famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in 1870. In scientific terms, its extensive remains are the most significant demonstration of the first contact between the civilizations of Anatolia and the Mediterranean world. Moreover, the siege of Troy by Spartan and Achaean warriors from Greece in the 13th or 12th century B.C., immortalized by Homer in the Iliad, has inspired great creative artists throughout the world ever since. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 City of Safranbolu. Turkey. From the 13th century to the advent of the railway in the early 20th century, Safranbolu was an important caravan station on the main East–West trade route. The Old Mosque, Old Bath and Süleyman Pasha Medrese were built in 1322. During its apogee in the 17th century, Safranbolu's architecture influenced urban development throughout much of the Ottoman Empire. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 Xanthos-Letoon. Turkey. This site, which was the capital of Lycia, illustrates the blending of Lycian traditions and Hellenic influence, especially in its funerary art. The epigraphic inscriptions are crucial for our understanding of the history of the Lycian people and their Indo-European language. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 Hierapolis-Pamukkale. Turkey. Deriving from springs in a cliff almost 200 m high overlooking the plain, calcite-laden waters have created at Pamukkale (Cotton Palace) an unreal landscape, made up of mineral forests, petrified waterfalls and a series of terraced basins. At the end of the 2nd century B.C. the dynasty of the Attalids, the kings of Pergamon, established the thermal spa of Hierapolis. The ruins of the baths, temples and other Greek monuments can be seen at the site. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 Nemrut Dağ. Turkey. The mausoleum of Antiochus I (69–34 B.C.), who reigned over Commagene, a kingdom founded north of Syria and the Euphrates after the breakup of Alexander's empire, is one of the most ambitious constructions of the Hellenistic period. The syncretism of its pantheon, and the lineage of its kings, which can be traced back through two sets of legends, Greek and Persian, is evidence of the dual origin of this kingdom's culture. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 Hattusha: the Hittite Capital. Turkey. The archaeological site of Hattusha, former capital of the Hittite Empire, is notable for its urban organization, the types of construction that have been preserved (temples, royal residences, fortifications), the rich ornamentation of the Lions' Gate and the Royal Gate, and the ensemble of rock art at Yazilikaya. The city enjoyed considerable influence in Anatolia and northern Syria in the 2nd millennium B.C. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 (edited) Historic Areas of Istanbul. Turkey. With its strategic location on the Bosphorus peninsula between the Balkans and Anatolia, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, Istanbul has been associated with major political, religious and artistic events for more than 2,000 years. Its masterpieces include the ancient Hippodrome of Constantine, the 6th-century Hagia Sophia and the 16th-century Süleymaniye Mosque, all now under threat from population pressure, industrial pollution and uncontrolled urbanization. Edited April 18, 2010 by Wise_Guy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği. Turkey. This region of Anatolia was conquered by the Turks at the beginning of the 11th century. In 1228–29 Emir Ahmet Shah founded a mosque, with its adjoining hospital, at Divrigi. The mosque has a single prayer room and is crowned by two cupolas. The highly sophisticated technique of vault construction, and a creative, exuberant type of decorative sculpture – particularly on the three doorways, in contrast to the unadorned walls of the interior – are the unique features of this masterpiece of Islamic architecture. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia. Turkey. In a spectacular landscape, entirely sculpted by erosion, the Göreme valley and its surroundings contain rock-hewn sanctuaries that provide unique evidence of Byzantine art in the post-Iconoclastic period. Dwellings, troglodyte villages and underground towns – the remains of a traditional human habitat dating back to the 4th century – can also be seen there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 Dougga / Thugga. Tunisia. Before the Roman annexation of Numidia, the town of Thugga, built on an elevated site overlooking a fertile plain, was the capital of an important Libyco-Punic state. It flourished under Roman and Byzantine rule, but declined in the Islamic period. The impressive ruins that are visible today give some idea of the resources of a small Roman town on the fringes of the empire. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 Medina of Sousse. Tunisia. Sousse was an important commercial and military port during the Aghlabid period (800–909) and is a typical example of a town dating from the first centuries of Islam. With its kasbah, ramparts, medina (with the Great Mosque), Bu Ftata Mosque and typical ribat (both a fort and a religious building), Sousse was part of a coastal defence system. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 18, 2010 Kairouan. Tunisia. Founded in 670, Kairouan flourished under the Aghlabid dynasty in the 9th century. Despite the transfer of the political capital to Tunis in the 12th century, Kairouan remained the Maghreb's principal holy city. Its rich architectural heritage includes the Great Mosque, with its marble and porphyry columns, and the 9th-century Mosque of the Three Gates. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emaad 56 Posted April 18, 2010 Great threat... I think this is the one of the best threat here... Keep Sharing Wise_guy u rock this threat :victory: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 19, 2010 Thanx BROTHER. i'll try my best to share the most Informative, Unique & Amusing things to post. but still i've need of help from the all C-Y's members. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 19, 2010 Punic Town of Kerkuane and its Necropolis. Tunisia. This Phoenician city was probably abandoned during the First Punic War (c. 250 B.C.) and as a result was not rebuilt by the Romans. The remains constitute the only example of a Phoenicio-Punic city to have survived. The houses were built to a standard plan in accordance with a sophisticated notion of town planning. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 19, 2010 Ichkeul National Park. Tunisia. The Ichkeul lake and wetland are a major stopover point for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds, such as ducks, geese, storks and pink flamingoes, who come to feed and nest there. Ichkeul is the last remaining lake in a chain that once extended across North Africa. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wise_Guy 44 Posted April 19, 2010 Medina of Tunis. Tunisia. Under the Almohads and the Hafsids, from the 12th to the 16th century, Tunis was considered one of the greatest and wealthiest cities in the Islamic world. Some 700 monuments, including palaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasas and fountains, testify to this remarkable past. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites