Recent Articles
- Leaning Tower of Pisa
- Porcelain Tower of Nanjing
- Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
- Lighthouse of Alexandria
- Colossus of Rhodes
- Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
- Hanging Gardens of Babylon
- New 7 Wonders of Nature
- Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus
- Statue of Zeus at Olympia
Leaning Tower of Pisa
December 10th, 2007 by Shenron
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a 14,500 ton tower with 294 steps and leans at 5.5 degrees, meaning it has moved more than 4 meters from where it originally stood. It began construction in 1173, and soon after the ground under it began to sink in one softer area, along with poor foundation construction, causing the leaning.
It took 174 years to build and complete, considering it was built in stages with add-ons made later, and did not tilt until the weight of the third floor was added on. In order to compensate one side was built heavier than the other with taller walls, but they over compensated and it began to lean in that direction. Recently in the 1990’s to 2001 a mass restoration was undertaken along with strengthening of the structure and reinforcing the base, to prevent collapse and further tilt. Because of these efforts it will remain stable for at least another three hundred years and maintain its iconic status.
Posted in 7 Wonders of the Middle Ages | | 0 Comments
Porcelain Tower of Nanjing
December 10th, 2007 by Shenron
This massive tower was constructed in the 1400’s and was located in Nanjing China, with the original calling of it being the Bao’ensi (Temple of Gratitude). However when the Europeans saw it they gave it their own name that has stuck in our culture, they called it the Porcelain Tower.
It had an octagon shaped base and it was built by the Buddhist of that time, and rose nine stories into the sky to 260 feet; however the original plans for this massive monument called for an additional four stories making it 330 feet. Constructed with white porcelain bricks it was said to become a beacon of bright white during the day and was illuminated by hundreds of lamps by nightfall, and within these white brick panels were colored stoneware tiles which held many colors and images, along with landscapes and other scenes. However, after the 1850s it was lost to warfare and total destruction.
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Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
December 10th, 2007 by Shenron
The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa is a massive complex that was used from the 100’s to the 300’s AD, and held many corpses and burials of many people. It has Egyptians who were buried there, along with Romans and Greeks, and is one of the few catacombs that is multi cultural on this scale.
In the middle of this massive complex there is a spiral staircase that was for the movement of corpses down into the catacomb, and one of the most famous episode of this catacomb is the result of Emperor Caracalla. Although Emperor Caracalla was not buried here, he contributed to this necropolis’ population, with a mass burial chamber containing animals and humans massacred on his orders. The catacomb was lost for over a thousand years until in 1900 a donkey fell into one of its shafts, and lead to its rediscovery.
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The Great Wall of China in China
July 8th, 2007 by Shenron
The
Many lengths of the wall are in disrepair, are being pilfered for stones, vandalized, and demolished for construction, losing more of its mystique as this occurs. Constructed mostly from bricks the wall has battlements that are throughout the top, and stretch on for great distances. There are also watchtowers at regular intervals along the wall that served as locations for gathering guards and doing what watchtowers do, while there were also barracks and signal towers as well at regular intervals. Today it is the most visited attraction in
Posted in 7 Wonders of the Middle Ages, Man Made Travel Wonders, New 7 Wonders, The 21 Finalists | | 0 Comments
The Hagia Sophia in Turkey
July 8th, 2007 by Shenron
The Hagia Sophia is a former mosque that is now a museum in
Posted in 7 Wonders of the Middle Ages, The 21 Finalists | | 0 Comments
The Stonehenge in United Kingdom
July 8th, 2007 by Shenron
Stonehenge is a monument that is located in the Wiltshire in England north of Salisbury, and it is one of the most famous human construction sites in the world, being erected over five thousands years ago with massive stones, and a construction period lasting for three thousand years, with evidence suggesting activity even earlier and somewhat later than the dates conclusively known.
The Stonehenge was constructed in about seven phases, or three phases with the third having five sub-phases. Recently restoration work has been underway, and early in the 20th century construction work was undertaken to carefully re-align some of the stones into their original positions. Currently Stonehenge is threatened by the A303 road upgrades that the British government wishes to upgrade, with a few plans that could drastically alter the surrounding area of the site and disturb archaeological potential of more information regarding what Stonehenge was constructed for, as there is no conclusive solution to many of the questions regarding it.
Posted in 7 Wonders of the Middle Ages, The 21 Finalists | | 0 Comments
The Colosseum in Italy
July 8th, 2007 by Shenron
The Colosseum was originally called the Flavian Amphitheater, is a large construction that is 48 meters high, 189 meters long, and 156 meters wide with the entire structure taking up six acres. What you see when you look at the massive structure today is actually the original interior wall, not the exterior which has collapsed in many areas.
The total capacity of this magnificent marvel of Roman engineering was around 87 thousand people, along with this seating there were special box seating areas for the Emperor, of course giving him the best view. In the 1800’s the structure was stabilized and some parts restored after hundreds of years of abuse, neglect, and usage for other buildings. The facade was reinforced with brick wedges and much of the interior was repaired thrice, having been done so in 1831, 1846 and throughout the 1930’s. Today it stands as a monument to the power of the Roman Empire, and it is a major Tourist attraction in the city or Rome with thousands upon thousands visitors each year paying to go into the arena.
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