Short history behind the building of the Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque was actually built on the foundations of the old Palace of the Byzantine Empire. The story goes that during the Peace of Zsitvatorok and the huge loss faced during the 1603-1618 war fought against Persia, Sultan Ahmet I decreed the building of an imperial mosque in Istanbul. The mosque was supposed to be reassertion of the Ottoman Empire, a direct competitor to the Hagia Sophia, and one of its incredible kinds built in 40 years up to that period. However, earlier rulers had paid for the building of such mosques from the spoils of war. Instead, Sultan Ahmet I aid for the building from the money from the royal treasury since his reign had not seen that many victories to contend for such an expense.
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This naturally brought down the wrath of the Ulemas on to the emperor. The Mosque was however, built regardless. The Mosque stands directly in line with the Hagia Sophia today for visitors to finally experience the brilliance of the two structures side by side.

Some facts on the architectural genius of the Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque is the last standing mosque built during the classical period, which still carries the significant influence of the period evident in the design and architecture elements.

• The mosque exhibits five domes, 6 minarets and eight secondary structure domes within the structural design.
• It also exhibits certain elements from the Byzantine Christian influence particularly resembling the Hagia Sophia standing right by its side.
• The mosque was designed by Sedefkar Mehmed Aga who kept refining the core ideas of his master Sinan to bring together a classical design focused on the gigantic size and splendor of the structure.
• While many visitors are confused by the name Blue Mosque when they first see the structure, the reference is not clear unless you step inside the glory of the building. The interiors are lined by over 20, 000 handmade tiles sculpted in the Iznik Style from Iznik, Nicaea.
• Traditional design on the lower level tiles keep getting more outrageously flamboyant as they proceed to the upper levels of the structure. Gallery level tiles are the most flamboyantly designed with cypresses, vines, fruits and flowers richly appliquéd on the tiles.
• Upper gallery levels have the most dominating blue influence with paint and 200 stained glass windows adding to the flair. The glasses for these windows were a gift from the Signoria of Venice to Sultan Ahmet.
• The main décor is attributed to the verses of Quran beautifully etched on the walls and roofs by the incredible calligrapher Seyyid Kasim Gubari.
• The Harem Mosque in Mecca also had 6 minarets which sparked a major controversy against the Blue Mosque’s design. However, Sultan Ahmet sent his chief architect to Mecca in order to add a seventh minaret to that structure so the Blue Mosque design could remain intact.

The glory of Blue Mosque today

Today the structure contains a Madarsa, a functional hospital and the main Kulliye which houses the tomb of Sultan Ahmet I. Lush carpets are a part of the Mosque’s main praying area where till date devout followers come to kneel ad offer their prayers. The carpets are well maintained and replaced every time they have been worn down.

Visitors to the mosque can also experience the amazing light show and the multilingual narrative on the history of the mosque.

Statue of Spinx, which was in the sand for centuries, was always shrouded in an aura of mystery. Purpose and method of its creation, existence within the hidden cameras, as well as the prophetic gift of the statue and its relationship with the equally mysterious pyramids all still stays unclear. Mostly similar theories advanced desperate Egyptologists and archaeologists, vainly trying to unlock the secrets of the Sphinx alone. Probably, the national symbol of ancient and modern Egypt, standing like a sentry on the plateau of Giza, at all times, playing the same role: the age of the century, excited the imagination of poets, scholars, mystics, and leisure travelers. The Sphinx of Giza is the whole essence of Egypt.

The rising sun sculpture of the Great Sphinx is located on the plateau of Giza 6 mile west of Cairo on the west bank of the Nile. The original purpose of the Sphinx is unknown. Nobody knows its original name. Sphinx is the human-headed lion in ancient Greek mythology; the term likely came into use some 2,000 years after the statue was built. There are hundreds of tombs at Giza with hieroglyphic inscriptions dating back some 4,500 years, but not one mentions the statue. It may have been built to symbolically guard over the Giza plateau, and it may have been a portrait of Pharaoh Khafre. Its face seems to bear a resemblance to Khafre’s, and the royal headdress that it wears is particular to pharaohs.

The Egyptian people considers him incarnation of the god of the sun, which the Egyptians called Hor-em-ahet (Horus in the sky). Sphinx is part of the necropolis of ancient Memphis – the residence of the Pharaohs, where the three largest pyramids of Egypt – The Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops), Khafre (Chephren) and Menkaure (Mycerinus). The monument is the largest of the surviving sculptures of the ancient world. The Sphinx was not assembled piece by piece but was carved from a single mass of limestone exposed when workers dug a horseshoe-shaped quarry in the Giza plateau. Approximately 66 feet tall and 240 feet long, it is one of the largest and oldest monolithic statues in the world. Part of the uraeus (sacred snake, protecting against evil), his nose and the ritual beard deteriorated over time. Beard is now kept in the British Museum. Elongated member on the forehead is a fragment of the sphinx royal headdress.

Sphinx has been hit by the ravages of time, human activity and pollution in our time. In fact, the complete destruction of it was saved for a long stay in the desert. Over the long history of the monument there have been many attempts to reconstruct the statue. They started back in 1401 BC., during the reign of Thutmose 4. One day after the hunt Pharaoh fell asleep in the shadow of the Sphinx, and he dreamed that a huge beast suffocated him by absorbing sand statue. In the dream, the Sphinx told Pharaoh that if he pulls out of the beast, and to cleanse it from the sand, it will receive the crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. Today, between the front paws of the Sphinx one can see granite stele (144cm Ht, 40cm W, 70cm D.) which is called the Stele of dreams, which depicts the legend of the dream of the Pharaoh. Although the sculpture was cleared soon it was covered back with the sand.

The nose of the Great Sphinx at Giza is conspicuous and created lot rumors with its absence. What happened to it? The popular story is that the troops of Napoleon Bonaparte used the nose for target practice in 1798. However, some say that when Napoleon arrived in Egypt, the Sphinx was already without a nose. One legend says that the nose cracked in the bombing during the Turkish occupation. According to another version (perhaps more plausible), the nose was probably removed in the 8th century AD by a Sufi who considered the Sphinx a blasphemous idol, but all that can be said for certain, based on the tool marks that remain, is that it was deliberately pried off with chisels. The Sphinx’s face, which in ancient times was painted dark red, was also decorated with a stone beard and displayed a sculpted cobra on its forehead, both of which have also fallen off.

In 1858 founder of the Egyptian Antiquities Service Auguste Mariette began excavations in the surroundings of sculpture, but only managed to calculate the part. In 1925-1936 French engineer Emile Baresi, acting on behalf of the Antiquities Service, completed the excavation of the Sphinx. And probably for the first time since the legendary ancient Egyptian sculpture was made available for public viewing.

Carved from the bedrock of the Giza plateau, the Sphinx is truly a mysterious marvel from the days of ancient Egypt. The body of a lion with the head of a king or god, it is believed among some people that Sphinx has been built to symbolize strength and wisdom. Even with all of the pictures that we see of the Sphinx online, nothing can really prepare conscious for the time when one will finally see the Sphinx with own eyes.

Kathmandu Valley has an exotic location. it is surrounded by green terraced slopes, above which rises majestic, snow-capped peaks. In the valley there are three largest city, having a great historical and cultural interest: Kathmandu, Lalitpur (Patan) and Bhaktapur (Bhadgaon). The total area of the Kathmandu Valley is approximately 218 square meters miles.

It is located at an altitude of 1310m above sea level. From the air the oval valley, which is the “heart” of the country, looks like a giant chessboard. Holy River of Bagmati and its tributary Bishnumati flows through the valley to the south.

Attractions of Kathmandu reflect the rich religious, political and cultural life of Nepal. This sighseeing places include many ancient monuments, historic temples, royal palaces, representing a striking example of traditional architecture of Nepal. Located at the crossroads of ancient civilizations in Asia, the capital of Nepal can be proud of its architectural heritage, which is a unique symbiosis of Hinduism and Buddhism. Kathmandu ancient trade route which passed through India and Tibet also promoted the synthesis of local architectural traditions with the traditions of other nations.

Most of the major sites focused on Durbar Square, social and religious center of the city, built between the 12th and 18th centuries by the ancient Malla rulers. In this area there are several palaces, temples, other architectural monuments that form a complex and intricate patterns on the area. One of the most famous palaces, located on the square, is the Hanuman Dhoka. The name of this palace is sometimes used to refer to the area as a whole, so there could be confusion. The palace comprises a tangled network of randomly interconnected courtyards, tombs, many columns and statues.

In the corners of the palace are four tall towers, built by order of the ruler from different cities of the Kathmandu Valley. All of them are impressive, but the tower Bazantapur, built themselves by inhabitants of the Kathmandu, still appears to be the highest. You can climb the tower and enjoy the view of roofs of the old town. Furthermore, in good weather one can see the mountains surrounding the valley of Kathmandu. The main entrance to the palace, golden gate, guards the statue of Hanuman, the monkey-god, where the name of the palace derived itself from. Several museums are situated inside the palace, including the Museum of the dynasty, the Numismatic Museum and Tribhuvan Museum.

Close to the Hanuman Dhoka

is the temple of Kumari Ghar – the residence of the living goddess Kumari. Nepalis believe that Kumari settles into a girl from a certain caste and remains as long as it does not go first blood. When this happens, the child loses the sacred status of the living incarnation of the goddess and continues to live a normal life. Then they are looking for a new incarnation of the clergy Kumari. Living goddess lives alone in his residence, only occasionally looking out the window closed at the usual time thick carved shutters. Nepalis believe that the emergence of Kumari brings good luck, and can stand for hours under the window of her palace. Next to the temple-palace of Kumari is located several temples and pagodas, among them a small temple dedicated to Ashok Vinayyak, also known as Kathmandu Ganesh or Maru Ganesh and Jaish Buddhist temple virgin, notable for their erotic carved figures.

Bodnath is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kathmandu. Located about 11 km from the city center, Bodnath is considered as the most holy Tibetan Buddhist temple outside Tibet. Date of the construction of the temple is around the 14th century.

After the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959 and arriving in Kathmandu thousands of Tibetan refugees, the temple has become one of the most important centers of Tibetan Buddhism and culture in Nepal. In 1979 Bodnath got a World Heritage Site.

Another popular tourist attraction of Kathmandu is the temple Kastamandap (which while literally translating means “wooden houses”) is one of the largest and most famous sightseeing places of Nepal.

The temple was built in the early sixteenth century by King Laxmi Malla. Legends claim that the whole edifice of the temple is built of wood of only one tree. This unique feature has made worldwide famous.

The temple is one of the oldest wooden buildings in the world. Historians believe that the name of Kathmandu is a derived from the word Kastamandap. Once a year, the church helds a service that draws huge crowd of believers in and around the temple and lasts all night.

Founded in the 5th century, the temple of Pashupatinath is the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu. In the 14th century Mughals destroyed much of the temple, and from the original construction of the 5th century, almost nothing was left. The temple in its present form was rebuilt in the 19th century. In 1979 he was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Pashupatinath is given a two-level pagoda roof of gilded copper and gold. During the celebration of the Hindu festival of Maha Shivaratri (February-March), the temple draws large crowds of pilgrims and sadhus.

Thus, Kathmandu is the place people never regret visiting. Moreover, most of the travelers are so fascinated with it that they definitely return back to once more feel the magnificence of this place.

Streets

Probably every educated person heard about one of the most famous libraries – Bibliotheca Alexandrina, as they called it the ancient Greeks and Egyptians – with which Alexander has become a place of pilgrimage of the greatest minds of the world, not only in ancient times, but in our time.

In ancient times, Alexandria was known for unique lighthouse and the tomb of Alexander the Great. Lighthouse height over 110 meters was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Greek Ptolemaic dynasty, who inherited Egypt from Alexander the Great, ruled the country before 30 BC. e. Octavian not defeated Antony and Cleopatra. Ptolemy’s dynasty at Alexandria has changed. The city became a center of commerce and culture in the world. At its peak of development there were about 600,000 people living in the city. The biggest attraction of Alexandria at the time was the royal library. Founded at the beginning of III century BC, the library and a temple of the Muses – Museion – became the center of education and science in the Hellenistic world. Almost everything about the origin and destruction of the library is covered with mystery. According to some historians, the Library of Alexandria, almost immediately after the foundation,could compete with other prominent cultural center at the time, to the library at Pergamum. It is assumed that the Library of Alexandria, there were more than 700,000 papyrus scrolls. (For comparison, in the XIV century in the library of the Sorbonne was the largest collection of books – 1,700 copies). There is even legend about the rulers of Egypt, who sought to supplement their collection in any way possible for them: they even ordered their troops to scour every ship coming into the port to find any manuscript. If any were found, they would leave it there, and return a copy to the owners. According to another legend, when Ptolemy III of Athens was temporarily brought priceless original classical Greek drama to rewrite them, he even promised to pay the deposit and return after the completion of this valuable manuscript. However, having obtained the manuscript, the king refused to give bail, and left in their original, sent back a copy.

Creating the Library of Alexandria is closely related to the Museion of Alexandria, founded about 295 BC the initiative of two Athenian philosophers Demetrius Phaleron and Strato-physicist, who arrived in Alexandria at the invitation of Ptolemy I to III in the beginning. BC. e. Since both of these men were also mentors royal sons, one of the most important functions, and perhaps the first task of the newly created Museion was to provide the highest level of education heirs to the throne, and to the rising generation of the elite of Egypt.[ADS]In the future, it is quite combined with sterling research work in various fields of knowledge. However, both activities Museion, of course, have been impossible without the existence of scientific and academic libraries. So there is every reason to believe that the Library as part of new scientific and educational complex was founded in the same year that he himself Museion, or after a very short time after the beginning of its operation. In favor of the version at the same time base Museion and libraries may also indicate that the library is a mandatory and integral part of the Athenian Lyceum, which, no doubt, and served as a prototype for the creation of Alexandria Museion.

The original library fund of $ 200,000 was collected books Demetrius Phaleron in the first ten years of operation of the Library. Thus we get a fairly accurate quantitative description of the role of Demetrius Phaleron in creating the Library of Alexandria.

However, the role of Demetrius Phaleron is not confined to the disposal of the funds of the library and the formation of its book collection. First of all, should convince King Ptolemy I Soter in the need for the existence of unprecedented scale of the Library. Apparently, this problem is more complex than can be presented after more than two thousand years, during the existence of a well-developed network of libraries of all sizes and status, from personal to national. Additional difficulties, of course, involved the fact that the new case required a rather large funds that were needed to maintain the monarchy young army and navy, an active domestic and foreign policy, trade, large-scale construction in Alexandria and elsewhere in the country, etc ., etc. This Demetrius Phaleron certainly knew how to use his position near the king’s advisor and legal capital of the Ptolemaic Alexandria. Using his own authority, he argued the need for an open library that “what is in the battle strength steel, is in the state power of the word” that for the successful management of a multinational state is not enough to enter the king of a new syncretic cult deity, which is the cult of Serapis, but also requires a deep knowledge of the traditions, history, laws and beliefs of the peoples of the state. In other cases, deliberately downplaying his own importance as a close friend and adviser, Demetrius Phaleron said that “in the books written by what friends are hesitant to speak to kings in the face”.

Thus, no doubt, for the early opening of the library Demetrius used his status of being educator one of the heirs to the throne, urging Ptolemy Soter that learning wisdom by reading the best books will also help continuity of power, prosperity of the country and the ruling dynasty. Apparently, it was quite a serious argument for the king, who, as a childhood friend of Alexander the Great, of course, had before him a very powerful example of the beneficial effects of the books from the collection of Aristotle’s greatest kings of his time.

At the library and the Museion of Alexandria by this time worked such great thinkers as: Eratosthenes, Zenodota, Aristarchus of Samos, Callimachus and other. Sciences which Alexandria was famous for includes geometry, trigonometry and astronomy, as well as linguistics, literature and medicine. The library kept the works in many different languages. Only to think, that in the world there was not a single valuable work, copies of which would not be in the Library of Alexandria. This was a repository of not only the scrolls, but stone and wax tablets with cuneiform and hieroglyphics. Alexandria library was open to the public and was considered as a holy place, not inferior in importance to many religious temples. But the glory to the Library of Alexandria has brought not so much the number of collected scrolls, and not even the fact that shortly after she became a collection of works of philosophers and scientists from around the world, including Archimedes, Heron, Euclid, and Hippocrates. Page on the most legendary stories within the world history, library of Alexandria brought with its downfall.

There are many legends about the downfall of the Library of Alexandria. Some researchers believe that many of its treasures were lost in a fire, arranged by soldiers of Julius Caesar in 47 BC Alexandria during the war. The downfall of the Library of Alexandria was attributed as well to successor Caesar – Emperor Augustus. There is also a version that, in times of religious strife, from III to VI century BC. e. Alexandria often clashed on religious grounds: the pagans, Jews and Christians were often in conflict with each other over beliefs. In 391 AD part of ancient manuscripts, together with the pagan temple of Serapeum, attached to the stacks, were allegedly destroyed by religious fanatics. The most popular version of the death of the famous library dates back to the Arab conquest. Sources indicate that it died in the great fire during the capture of the city of Alexandria by the Ottoman Turks. According to the legend, conquering Egypt, general AmrIbn al-’Asasked to the Caliph Omar, what to do with the library. He replied that, even if the books, stored in the library, were in agreement with the Qur’an – they were not needed anymore. And moreover, if they contradict with their holy book – they are not desirable even more, and therefore, they should be disposed of it any way. Thus, according to one version, the greatest library since antiquity was destroyed like this, recklessly. Nevertheless, there is lot variety of versions among the experts about the downfall of the library, and scientists are still debating how and when it disappeared.

Whatever the reason for the disappearance of the library was, its death in the first place, meant the loss of a huge store of knowledge. Thousands of works of Greek playwrights, as well as works by the Greek historians for 500 years, except for some works of Herodotus, Thucydides and Xenophon disappeared forever with this vandal act.

In 2002, a unique library, was lost 1,600 years ago, was restored thanks to the joint efforts of UNESCO, the governments of Egypt, a number of European and Arab countries as well as Japan.

Library building on the project worked Norwegian architects. Construction work lasted 7 years. Recreated Library of Alexandria, by Norwegian architects, looks very unusual. The main building looks like a giant tilted drum, the roof of which almost two football fields, is made of glass and aluminum. Basic facilities for visitors are below sea level. Smooth radiant roof slope gradually down from the height of the seventh floor and goes into the ground. The outer wall of the building, lined with gray granite, is steep and rounded. The letters of the ancient and modern alphabets are scripted on it. Spacious tiered reading room occupies most of the interior. Warehouse to store 8000000 volumes are in the basement of the building. There is also a planetarium – separate building of spherical shape, resembling a satellite in orbit. Modern computers and fire safety systems complement this system, created with the latest technology.

Thus, renewed Library of Alexandria offers visitors possibility to realize the main intention of the Project itself. This project was supplemented by UNESCO to re-establish the Dialog, freedom of opinion and to surpass all the differences. Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a cultural complex, where the library occupies the central place. It is primarily a national Institution, which as well hasan immeasurable international importance. As a result what could be said is that, this is the place, where all Cultures connect and eliminate all Frontiers, in the name of Knowledge.

In 1900, the 48-year-old Englishman Arthur Evans began excavations on the island of Crete. Much more than a case of science, former correspondent of the newspaper “Manchester Guardian” was inspired by the heroes of Greek myths and lines from the “Odyssey”: “The island of Crete is in the middle of the wine-colored sea … one can hear different languages there: Pelasgians, in Knossos living … There really was a King Minos … ” and so much other. Homer had once helped archeology: Heinrich Schliemann, using the “Iliad” as a “guide”, has managed to dig up Troy and Mycenae.

Evans wanted to repeat his success in Crete. Of course, nobody could have imagined that a thick layer of sun-baked earth lie the ruins of the ancient civilization in Europe. Evans called it “Minoan” after the legendary Minos. After a sensational excavation on Crete myths made flesh and blood, as, perhaps, Evans would like. But a lot of them just did not seem a literary coincidence. For example, the fact that Zeus – the father of gods and men – was born in Crete, is now perceived as a completely natural event.

Zeus is known, was the son of the earth goddess Rhea, and the god of the Sky Cronus. In accordance to the prediction,Cronuswould have been killed by the hands of his own son, and thus, to protect himself from attacks of his immortal heirs, he swallowed them as birth and kept in his stomach. Rhea was inconsolable, and when the time came to finally give birth to her last son, she fled to Crete, where they gave birth to Zeus. Zeus was grown hidden in two caves – Dikte and Ida (both archaeologists found large Minoan sanctuary). Cronus was in the dark, until one day the grown up and matured Zeus appeared to him and did not fulfill the prediction. Defeated Cronus spewed all the swallowed brothers and sisters of Zeus, including Poseidon and Hera. Subsequently it to Crete, to the native caves, Zeus brought the Phoenician princess abducted to Europe, who bore him three sons here: Radamanta, Sarpedon and Minos – the wisest of all the kings of Crete.
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Once Poseidon, who was a god of the sea depths, sent Minos one handsome white bull for sacrificing it. Minos broke a promise to the patron, and as a result, angry Poseidon enchanted Minos wife Pasiphae, causing her to fall in love with the hapless bull. The fruit of fatal and evil passions, Minotaur half bull – falf man – has become a curse and shame of King Minos. Wanting to hide from human eyes Minotaur, Minos ordered Daedalus, the famous Athenian master, who lived in exile in Crete, build a palace with the difficult transition, known to us as the Labyrinth…

However, Evans was not the first who tried to find Knossos. 20 years earlier thatnhim, an amateur archaeologist Minos Kalokerinos laid several deep trenches in 5 kilometers from Candia (now called Heraklion). On the territory of the “Hill of the Lord” contours of the land enormous structure were found. Objects found in the ground Kalokerinos kept at the British consulate in Kandy, where he worked as a translator. Collection was so successful that it attracted the attention of archaeologists. Noticing the increased interest in the excavations, the Turkish hosts of the land, where Knossos was lately discovered, sharply raised the price of land. Consequently, all work had to be suspended indefinitely.

In 1886 Crete was visited by world-famous, already 63-years old Schliemann. Ambitious archeologist,who caused an irreparable damage during his unprofessional excavationto his discoveries: Troy and Mycenae, was back to make another astonishing discovery. Schliemann had enough money, and hence, he immediately signed a contract to purchase the territory of Knossos, including all what was in there. However, lately, counting olive trees growing almost all over the land belonging to him, he suddenly discovered that they were three times less than promised by the contract. Enraged by the fact that that he was beinglied, an inflated archaeologist terminated a deal with the Turks.

Evans came to Crete in 1894, being not only fascinated archeologist, but experienced historian and journalist, who had passed the Balkans brutal school of communication with the Turkish authorities. Like Schliemann, he met with a collection of Kalokerinosa (which 4 years later was burned together with the British consulate) and in the miniature seals, the sighted eyes of Evans distinguished icons of previously non-discovered letter.

Even though Evans suffered of a big impatience, he could not get to work during 6 years, until Crete became a Greek autonomy and social activist Joseph Natsidakis helped Evans Knossos.

Ambitions prevented Arthur Evans focus on scientific research. He could not wait to show the world his discovery – the labyrinth, which he once called “Palace of Minos”, which was under the hypnotic influence of the myths.

Excavations continued with the speed light for the archeology. Tens thousands of objects were found and saved on the shelves. Evan had neither time nor energy to deal with all these treasures.Over the next decade, most of the findings disappeared, the remaining was eaten by rats and insects, but in the years of excavation Evans thought little of the future: he was possessed by inspiration.To his credit should be noted that he didn’t export findings outside Greece: priceless masterpieces of ancient art stayed in the museums of Crete and Athens. Evans still spent enormous personal funds for the expansion and improvement of sites, trying to connect to the Knossos archaeological value of tourist attractions. He died in 1935, at the ripe age, completing the fundamental four-volume work “Palace of Minos” and presenting humanity unique culture that personally learned from historical oblivion.

Real image of the Palace-Maze fully justify the myth that has developed around it. It was a huge building with a total area of 22 thousand meters, which had at least 5-6 levels above ground floor, connected by walkways and staircases, and a number of underground crypts. Number of rooms in it was believed to be approximately thousand. To protect the shabby walls of the Palace from the damaging effects of the sun and the rain, Evans did not hesitate and strengthened them with cement. Moreover, those walls that appeared from the older period broke and others built instead, shaping the image of the Palace, in accordance with his own ideas. On the one hand, it certainly saved Knossos, on the other – no one now knows how the labyrinth actually looked alike…

Rest of the Labyrinth still attracts huge attention from lots of travelers and stays as one of the sightseeing destinations for adventurers.

Media Sources:

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/andra_mb/4534405144/in/photostream/
• http://ancient-time.blogspot.com/2010/12/ancient-city-of-lappa-at-crete-greece.html
• http://photoseek.photoshelter.com/

City of untold riches, hidden deep in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, the Mexican king or gilded man, covered from head to toe with gold dust, paradise on Earth and locate the Holy Grail – all this is something unattainable for those seeking riches, and dreamers. Eldorado has always been a symbol of the treasure.

In the XVI century Spanish conquistadors set out on a dangerous journey, hoping to take a glimpse of the golden city. British explorer Sir Walter Raleigh in 1596, pointed to his exact location. Even researchers XXI century do not give up hope to find Eldorado somewhere in the jungle of Peru or on the bottom of the mysterious lake in Colombia. Are all these efforts are in vain? Will ever find Eldorado, or city exists only in myths of indigenous people in Colombia?
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Thus, Eldorado is a semi-mythical country. They said that Eldorado is so rich that the treasures in it “are as common as ordinary the boulders are at our place.” It is believed that the origin of the legend of El Dorado marked the discovery of America and customs of the natives, as well as stories that stir the imagination of travelers about the incredible treasures and happy life of the inhabitants of the mysterious El Dorado.

The legend of the golden man (in Spanish – El Dorado) was well known in Colombia and Peru, in the early XVI century. Spaniards arrived here. Some researchers believe that the basis of the legend was the ceremony, a highly developed community that lived at a height of 8,200 feet in the Andes and skillfully handle the gold. Ceremony appointed a new leader, or high priest, apparently, on Lake Guatavita, north of modern Bogotá. Since the ritual, the new ruler of the lake brought a god gifts, then being constructed raft of reeds and filled with incense and perfume. The nude body of the new leader greased embalming resin and coated with a thin layer of gold dust. Then the governor with her four assistants who carried golden crowns, pendants, earrings and other jewelry, sat on the raft, strewn with piles of gold and emeralds, and with musical accompaniment of pipes and flutes raft cast off from the shore and swam to the center of the lake. As soon as he reached the middle, everything calmed down. The leader and his men made a donation – dumped into the water of wealth. Since then the new ruler was considered a leader and master.

The storyline could have developed like this: At the time of the Spanish conquest a group of rebellious of Inca warriors managed to slip out of the hands of the conquistadors and flee to the mountains of Venezuela. The rebels allegedly took away a lot of gold and precious stones, and founded a new empire. Captive Indians retold of rich land, located just around the corner, to the east of the city of Quito, where people were swimming in gold.

Moreover, in a letter to the King of Spain, Carlos V conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro mentioned the rich lands at Lake Eldorado, probably referring to the above described ceremony. Pizarro was one of the Spanish conquerors, who dreamed of finding the legendary lost city.

While talking about the legends of El Dorado it should be referred that, except for gold, the Spaniards were interested in cinnamon, which was used by the Indians. In Europe, spices highly valued as they were actively used for food preservation (freezing has not yet been invented), and their sales were very profitable. Conquistadors learned from the local population, the spices are grown tribes living east of Quito. In February 1541 the expedition of 220 Spanish adventurers and 4000 Indian porters, led by Gonzalo Pizarro and Lieutenant Francisco de Quito Orelano left in search of cinnamon and the mysterious El Dorado. Fanatical search box was often accompanied by barbarous torture. Pizarro tormented the Indians as long as they did not tell him what he wanted to know about hidden gold and cinnamon. The expedition preceded along the rivers Coca and Napo. But the food quickly to an end, and soon more than half of the Spaniards and 3,000 Indians died. In February 1542 the expedition was divided into two parts: Francisco de Orelano headed down the Napo and Pizarro decided to return to Quito by land. From Napo Orelano went to the Amazon and sailed down the river to the Atlantic Ocean, which was quite a feat. Nevertheless, Eldorado was not found by any of those ones.

However, the Spaniards did not stop. Coveted gold and spices attracted travelers. Most of the XVI century went in search of great wealth. Searchers believe that there are treasures hidden in some unknown place – in the jungle or the mountains of Ecuador and Colombia. In 1568, a rich explorer and conquistador Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada was ordered by King Philip searched southern llanos – extensive tropical plains of Colombia with high grass. In December 1569 expedition of 300 Spaniards and 1,500 Indians left the capital of Colombia, Bogota and went in search of El Dorado. But the harsh conditions of dull, full of mosquitos’ swamps and desert plains destroyed the expedition, three years later, Quesada returned to Bogota with 64 Spaniards and four Indians.

However, today the dream of Eldorado excites the minds of adventurers. In 2000, American explorer Gene Savoy reported that the most pristine rainforest in eastern Peru, he found the lost city of pre-Columbian America Kahamarkilya. Some members of his team suggested that the local churches and burial may be the ruins of the legendary Eldorado. In 2002, the Polish-Italian journalist and researcher named JacekPalkiewicz said his expedition to locate El Dorado – on a plateau at the lake near the Manu National Park, which to the south-east of the capital of Peru, Lima. In both the first and second case studies are ongoing.

Although searches have been conducted for more than 450 years, since the Spanish expeditions in the middle of the XVI.,nobody managed to get even close to the alluring wealth of Eldorado. Eldorado was the metaphor for targeted search of wealth, which is always somewhere nearby and always unattainable. There is no doubt that in the vast expanses of the Amazon rain forest enthusiasts will find many more prehistoric cities, but El Dorado, the golden man or golden city I believe, stride only in the imagination of people eager to find a quick way of dressing.

Media Sources:

• http://wigowsky.com/travels/inca/book/ch1/ch1.htm
• http://annoyzview.wordpress.com/2011/10/25/el-dorado-and-the-lost-city-of-gold/
• http://seecolombia.travel/blog/2012/10/day-trips-from-bogota-the-legend-of-el-dorado-lake-guatavita/

The second name of this famous city Troy was Ilion. The major reason for acquiring thus famous among the other cities during ancient period was the myths of the Trojan War and the events described in Homer Poem “Iliad”. In the latter was described 10-year long wars, by coalition of Achaean kings, led by Agamemnon,king of Mycenae, which ended with the fall of the city-fortress Troy. People living in the city of Troy, were called Teucer by the ancient Greek sources.

Troy (Ilion) is considered to be the main city in northwest of Asia Minor. For centuries, the reality of Troy has been questioned, thus it existed as a city of legend. But there are always people looking for events in “The Iliad” as a reflection of real history. However, serious attempts to find the ancient city have been made only in the XIX century. The city was re-opened in the 70s of the XIX century by Heinrich Schliemann. Before him it was believed that the ruins of Troy were to be found under Bunarbashi village in Turkey, but Schliemann proved that Troy was located on a hill Hissarlik.

The myth about founding the city goes like this: according to the instructions of the oracle, the Phrygian king gave Ill colorful cow and said that he founded the city where the cow lies to rest. This happened on a hill, which was formerly called Ata, in honor of the goddess of madness Ata, overthrown by Zeus from Olympus. Ill-founded the city, and Zeus gave him a sign that Ill did the right to do. Thus was born the legend of Troy.

During excavations on the hill of Hissarlik Heinrich Schliemann discovered the ruins of the nine cities that lie one above the other. Troy in his opinion was in between the second and third layers. This theory was confirmed later. Schliemann also discovered a big amount of treasure, belonging of which he attributed to King Priam, however, later it was proved that the treasure had been buried long before the Trojan war itself.
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According to Greek legend, the Trojan War broke out because of the fact that one of the 50 sons of King Priam – Paris, stole the beautiful Helen – the wife of Spartan King Menelaus. On the hot print, the Greeks sent troops just to take Elena back. However, according to some historians, it is likely just the tip of the conflict, which was the last straw and gave the background to start a war. Prior to that, presumably, there were lots of trade road conflicts between the Greeks and the Trojans, who controlled trades on the coast near the Dardanelles Strait.

It is important to mention that the war lasted for 10 years. Such persistence was encouraged with the support brought though the other lands. According to available sources, the army of Agamemnon encamped before the city from the sea-side, and didn’t siege a fortress on all sides. This could have been caused of the strategically handful location of the city, which didn’t allow the enemy to cut all the roads from outside. So or not, King Priamtook advantage of the situation and established close ties with Karya, Lydia and other countries of Asia Minor. That’s exactly where he got his assistance from during the whole war period.

There are quite few episodes of the war, which have not found its archaeological and historical confirmation in reality. Saying it clear, in the Poem ‘Iliad”, one can’t find a word about the famous Trojan horse, but it is described in details by the Homer in his “Odyssey.” Furthermore, this is not the only source. All the events associated with the Trojan horse were also described by the Roman poet Virgil in the “Aeneid”, 1. BC, i. e. almost 1,200 years later after the case. Some historians suggest that a Trojan horse was understood as a weapon, such as a battering ram. Others argue that Homer named “horse” after the Greek ships. It is possible that the horse didn’t exist at all, and Homer used it in his poem as a symbol of the death of unsuspecting Trojans.

However, keeping track to the legend, Trojan horse appeared in town thanks to a clever ploy of the Greeks. The Greeks spread the rumor that there was a prophecy that if the wooden horse would stand within the walls of Troy, it will forever protect the city from the Greek invasion. Most residents were inclined to believe that the horse must enter the city. However, there were opponents of this idea also. Priest Laocoön offered to burn a horse or throw him off the cliff. He even threw in a horse with a spear, and all around heard that the horse was hollow inside. Soon Greek named Sinon was captured, who told Priam, that Greeks built the horse in honor of the goddess Athena, to redeem a perennial bloodshed. This was followed by the tragic events: during the sacrifice of the god of the sea Poseidon, the water floated two huge snakes that strangled the priest and his sons. Witnessing this, Trojans believed in the magic power of the horse and ordered to roll itinto the city.

As a result Trojan horse was exactly the cause of the fall of city. According to legend, the night after the horse was in the city, Sinon let out of his belly hiding inside the soldiers who killed the guard and quickly opened the city gates. Being asleep after riotous celebrations in the city, even a very strong resistance didn’t help them. Several Trojan warriors, led by Aeneas tried to save the palace and the king. According to ancient Greek mythology, the palace fell by giant Neoptolemus, son of Achilles, who broke the front door with his ax and killed King Priam.

How much of all above-mentioned is true is still up to the reader to discover itself. One is true, that to the south of the Dardanelles, the ancient Gelesponta, lie the ruins of this legendary city. These ruins are attracted by travelers, as the very names of Troy and the Trojan War conjure epic heroes of Homer, from which counts the history of European literature. From antiquity until today survived not so much, but the stones are definitely worthwhile to see.

But nevertheless, not everyone has been on Nemrut, and here we talk not only about foreigners who have visited Turkey once, but even Turkish Cypriots who have resided in the country through years. There could be several reasons found for this. First of all, it is in the East of Turkey, far enough. Secondly, a visit to Nemrut Dag is during limited times of the year.

Generally, Nemrut Dag is not only a mountain, but also a National Park. Furthermore, there is not only pantheon, which visitor can look through (those of the heads), but also lot more which has been kept through centuries of debris, as once here was located the Commagene kingdom.
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Once, approximately on the 2ndcentury BC, Mount Nemrutlaid on the territory of the state of dwarf Commagene. Though the state was small, it appears to have been very proud at the same time. This particularly applies to the rulers. King MithridatesI, nicknamed Kalinikos, which means “beautifully wins”,on this spot arranged parochial Olympic Games and has been directly involved in them. However, King Antiochus I

surpassed all kings. Bearing in mind that he had the Greek and Persian roots and moreover, he imbibed the western and eastern world, Antiochus set up his own religion. At the same time, he ranked himself as God. Mount Nemrutwas declared as a religious center. Antiochus started to build ritual complex. Although, having a plan of widely spreading his religion, and to finish the complex to the end, Antiochus failed. This process was stopped with an unexpected death of the ruler. After this, the existence of Commagene Nemrut was forgotten. It was found by Crusaders. However strange it should not sound, nobody paid attention to this fact and it was again forgotten. Next time the mountain Nemrutwas discovered in 1881 by engineers and geologists from Germany Karl Sisters. Karl did not find what he was looking for, but reopened the World Nemrut Dag. Serious studies about Nemrut Dag began only in the middle of the 20th century.

At the top of Mount Nemrut 3 terraces are cut – the eastern, western and northern. There are numerous statues of gods, up to 10 meters in height, which used to be one-piece sculptures.

But, after the earthquake in these areas, the heads fell down. Now they are located nearby their bodies. Terraces are surrounded by a man-made hill which amounts to 50 meters in height and 152 meters in diameter. It is believed, that somewhere in the bowels of the hill, Antiochus is buried himself. Unfortunately, this is only speculation and rumors, which has not been proved by any evidence.

Before one would see the sacred heads of the gods, he/she has to overcome some 2 kilometers walking path of the stone steps. They lead to the sanctuary on the eastern terrace Nemrut Dag.

According to the reconstruction of the sanctuary on the eastern terrace looked like Nemrut:

Gods are in a sitting position, which is quite unusual one. According to Antiochus, here was a home of the Gods, where they relaxed their heavenly thrones.

The figures are made of limestone, and the bodies of the gods are built of massive blocks. Once, the pieces of the figures were polished. It is interesting to observe that while constructing this place, the idea of guarding gods was considered. One can see the lion and an eagle.


In front of the Statues there is a platform on which the sacrificial fire was being ignited. Now this platform is used as a convenient place to take pictures and to meet the sunrise.

Going round the hill one can reach the West Terrace. West Terrace of Nemrut Dag is not as large as the East. Here, the gods are closer to the people, instead of looking down on them from above. On the western terrace there are all the same characters: Antiochus, Tyche, etc. On the sides of the figures are the ancestors of Antiochus, both from the Persian and the Greek side.

North Terrace of Nemrut Dag was intended to be a gathering place for people during ceremonies. Nearly all times the procession moved towards the eastern terrace, hence not much of it is left for visitors.

Nowadays around Nemrut Dag there is nothing but mountains. And before that, it was part of the kingdom. Something of this kingdom can be seen today,but one cannot have this feeling during walking around by feet, because sites are located at a great distance from each other, thus the connection chain is difficult to ascertain.

One more notice. One should not confuse this amazing sightseeing place with the same Nemrut Dag volcano Nemrut, which is also located in modern Turkey near Lake Van. This is completely different mountain.

It is strongly suggested to everyone planning to visit Turkey, to plan their trip so that beyond seeing the majestic cities and countryside, to bear in mind that there is the Mountain of Gods – Nemrut Dag, waiting for them as well.

Most importantly, few people know the person who translated Mayan hieroglyphics. It was made by scientist from the USSR Knorozov, and for this he was awarded the Order of the Government of Mexico, the Silver Eagle. The medal may be said, was posthumously given to him, as the government of the USSR has not released a scientist to get the order. He remained known in small circles, and few people know the person, who has done an outstanding job in deciphering the history of ancient Maya civilization.
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Official science cannot prove when and in which circumstances the Sacred Calendar was created. This story is shrouded in mystery, secrets,and history of covered, unknown, ancient civilizations. Until now, science cannot explain the depth of knowledge and wisdom of the creators. The content of the calendar is so deep that it is impossible to determine how much ahead of us they were by that time in the development of ancient civilizations. “The priests of the Sacred Calendar,” say that our ancestors came to Earth from the stars. All people are the descendants of the creatures from the distant and unknown universe.They believe that our story really starts from far “Milky Way”.

Since ancient days, people have tried to preserve the history. They used the knowledge acquired from the people about how the demigods visited our planet. According to legend, these creatures helped people survive the “Flood.” They helped to build the city, and left many mysterious things, “gifts”. One of such gifts is considered the Sacred Calendar. They donated twenty sacred calendars, all of which were different and designed for different purposes.

What the man considered most important about all these calendars?! That’s quite topic which stays unrevealed. Many times this calendar was named differently. Europeans gave him the name TZOLKIN similar to the two words of the Mayan language: TZOL (order or path) and CIN (day or the sun). This name arose because in the language of the younger civilization of the Aztecs called this calendar TONALPOHUALLI, meaning “count of days” or “computation path of the Sun.” So, the European scholars simply transferred from the language of the Aztecs the name TONALPOHUALLI. The Indians called it something like “the good gift of the day.”

Happy is he who was born on the day of sign-Mais! In the mythology of ancient Mexico that day was the birthday of plumage snake that gave people the light and day, in the afternoon, when the gods came down to Earth. Maize is one day-signs which are considered favorable for those who are preparing themselves shamans of Sacred Calendar.

It was believed that the Mayan calendar helped to calculate the days and program of your existing live for the soul, in harmony with the environment. In the thirteenth year of two thousand an era of the Fifth Sun, the Mayan calendar predicts it, and prepares people for the transition to a new era, the era of the white jaguar.

It is interesting to know, that the Maya calendar uses three different dating systems in parallel, the Long Count, the Tzolkin (divine calendar), and the Haab (civil calendar). Of these, only the Haab has a direct relationship to the length of the year.

Lots of people stay wondering what will happen on the 21st of December, there are lots of discussions going on, whether if we are about to collapse in big catastrophe or if this is following myth, which should be left behind in the deep history.

At the end of this article, I would like to reiterate the words of Carl Johan Calleman’s words when talking about the Mayan Calendar:

“When we talk about the Mayan Calendar something profoundly different is also meant than just a system to mark off the passage of time. The Mayan Calendar is above all a prophetic calendar that may help us understand the past and foresee the future. It is a calendar of the Ages that describes how the progression of Heavens and Underworlds condition the human consciousness and thus the frames for our thoughts and actions within a given Age. The Mayan Calendar provides an exact schedule for the Cosmic Plan and the unfolding of all things that come into existence. There is now ample empirical evidence for this, something that shines new light on the age old questions of mankind. Things do exist for a reason. The reason is that they fit into the divine cosmic plan. For those that seriously engage in a study of the Mayan Calendar this soon becomes evident and the former materialist world view loses all relevance. The Mayan Calendar is a gateway to the worlds of consciousness which the majority of humanity has been blinded to through the use of false or delusory calendars.”

Egyptian priests, who were engaged in this country’s astronomical observations, once said that before flooding from the Nile in the morning, pre-dawn sky was visible to a huge bright star in the constellation Canis Major. They called it “Sothis”, which meant “shining.” Its other name is Anubis, the “dog star” named after constellations. The modern name of this star is Sirius.
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Sunrise star coincided not only with the flooding of the Nile, but the summer solstice, the time when the sun reaches its highest position in the sky. While counting the days from one summer solstice to another, the Egyptians determined the approximate length of the solar (tropical) year. They got 360 days. It happened in the third millennium BC, and since then Egypt is home to the first solar calendar.

Myths and legends played a huge role in the life of the ancient Egyptians. Not very rare in a history that science and mythology mixed, creating a something new, non-standard in our view look. And It is believed that even such a thing as the Egyptian calendar could not exist without the intervention of religion.

The invention of the first calendar attributed to the architect Imhotep,

who designed the step pyramid for Pharaoh Djoser of the third dynasty. Nearly 2,000 years after the death he was believed to be a sacred patron of architecture and medicine. By all accounts it is clear that this man has done a lot for his country.

According to the Ebers Papyrus, the year of the Egyptians originally consisted of only 12 months of 30 days. But then the priests issued a decree “on the need to bring the calendar in line with the existing structure of the world.” This decree ordered every four years to add one day to a year of 360 days, and was later ordered to add five days. It is interesting to know that Egyptians associated the beginning of the year with an appearance of the star Sirius on the morning sky, which they called Sothis.

One of the first solar calendars originated in Egypt. Egyptian calendar has an exceptional ease and convenience. Year was divided into 12 equal months, each of which contained 30 days. Month is called like this:
That – Thoth
Faofi – Phaophi
Atir – Athyr
Hoyyak – Choiak
Tibi – Tybi
Mehir – Mechir
Famenot – Phamenoth
Farmuti – Pharmuthi
Pahon – Pachon
Piney – Payni
Epiphyte – Epiphi
Mesori–Mesori

Most of the Egyptian calendar months are named in honor of the various deities to whom they were dedicated. So, the – the first month of the year in the ancient Egyptian religion – was dedicated to the god of the moon and wisdom Atir month was dedicated to the goddess Hathor, famenot – deified king Amenophis. Month name farmuti linked to the Egyptian goddess Ermuty, pahon – with the Egyptian god Khonsu, etc. Month Piney dedicated to “the valley of the holiday,” and mesori dedicated to “the birth of the Sun.” Each month was divided into three great weeks of 10 days each, and used small weeks, 5 days each. The Greeks called it the “Decade” and “pentad.” In addition to dividing the months year was also divided into 3 to 4 months of the season in each: the flood of the Nile, the planting and harvest time.

Further observations allowed the Egyptians to specify the duration of the year, it was found to be 365 days. However, to publish his discovery priests dared not immediately. Calendar venerated as a shrine, and the Pharaohs – the rulers of Egypt – on taking the throne swore not to make any changes. Therefore, to support reform of the calendar was invented legend.

According to them, the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut decided to marry. But their alliance was wicked in the sun-god Ra. He was terribly angry, cursed Nut and told her that her children would not be born in any month of the year.

Nut distressed asked for help and wisdom of the moon god Thoth. He proposed the night luminary – the moon – to play with him to the bone. Luna agreed, and he won it 1/72 of its light. Out of this world he made five additional days and put them at the end of the year, regardless months. And in these days Nut had children: Osiris, Horus, Set, Isis and Nephthys. They too were worshiped as gods.

Ra changed to temper justice with mercy; those five days were given to him, and rose to the solar year of 365 days. As the moon has lost its light, its year decreased to 355 days.

That’s the way the Egyptian calendar was created and changed lately.