There are thousands of fascinating and comfortable tourist routes in different parts of the country. But! Experience the true flavor of Japanese history, the unique Japanese tradition, culture, art, religion, architecture, craft and better and best of all possible only in Kyoto.

Kyoto is the ancient capital of Japan (for over 1000 years). It simply is the city-museum under the open sky. It is amazing that 1,600 Buddhist temples and 600 shrines have survived in this land; 17 monuments of history and culture of Kyoto are on the list of World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO. As long as Kyoto was the country’s capital and seat of the Japanese Emperor, court aristocracy, the city has long been and is even now the focus of talents: famous artists, poets, writers, and people of other professions. Furthermore, this city is considered to be the epitome of Japanese culture.

Japanese people are probably very proud of having something like Ryoanji Temple, which is the breathtaking site of Japan’s most famous rock garden, which attracts hundreds of visitors every day. “Rock Garden”, “Philosopher’s Garden”, “Garden of Ryoanji”, it has been called dozens of other names during different periods of time.

However, the fact that this garden is probably of the biggest value in the Japanese city of Kyoto, is proved by the circumstance, that there still goes talks about the interpretation of it’s essence.The garden’s date of construction is unknown and there are a number of speculations regarding its design.[ADS]The garden consists of a rectangular plot of pebbles surrounded by low earthen walls, with 15 rocks laid out in small groups on patches of moss. An interesting feature of the garden’s design is that from any vantage point at least one of the rocks is always hidden from the viewer.In December 1994, this temple was designated as World Heritage by UNESCO.

Kinkakuji Temple or Golden Pavilion is the main calling card of Kyoto.

Covered in gold leaf and bright shining in the blue sky on a sunny day, it seems to admire everyone, looking at their own reflection in the mirrored surface of the lake, which is itself located in the middle. In autumn its golden glitter becomes almost red – because of the maple groves surrounding the pavilion. Kinkaku-ji was formally called Shariden. The elegant, harmonious building consists of three types of architecture. The 1st floor is Shinden-zukuri, the palace style. It is named Ho-sui-in.[ADS2]The 2nd floor is Buke-zukuri, the style of the samurai house and is called Cho-on-do. The 3rd floor is Karayo style or Zen temple style. It is called Kukkyo-cho.It should be mentioned that there are other points of interest in the surrounding places. The name of such the pond is Kyoko-chi (Mirror pond).

The pond contains many large and small islands. Climbing a few steps, you stand at the edge of another small pond, An-min-taku. The small stone pagoda on the island is called Hakuja-no-tsuka (the mound in memory of the white snake).

Gion is a district of Kyoto, Japan, originally developed in the Middle Ages, in front of Yasaka Shrine. It has marrow streets with darkened wooden walls of old houses, pierced by a delicate aroma of Japanese living past. It is especially nice to hear the sound of wooden sandals, on the stone floor, and suddenly see a glimpse of a figure in the distance, like a light cloud outline – it is a Maiko, a living work of art, a little picking with his left hand a long sleeve jacket with low-hanging belt and hiding the face heavily powdered a bamboo umbrella, a seed somewhere on business … Thus, saying short and sharp that was a district, built to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors to the shrine. It eventually evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan.

Eygamura (village cinema) is not just a village. This place has often become a film set for famous movies. Nowadays it became a recreational park for tourists. Here, one can find not only the recreated buildings and streets, but very fascinating interior of the houses. Go through the streets of actors: samurai swords suit street battles, shuffling girls in kimonos and parasols, walking around with a warrior stern faces. It is wonderful how one can buy absolutely exclusive items on the flea markets in Kyoto: ceramics, historical prints, interior, authentic kimonos, wicker, antiques, art and more.

Kyoto is Japan’s best place to admire the cherry blossoms (March-April) and autumn leaves (November).Plus It has a very convenient transportation scheme, which allows travelers for a stay in Kyoto with easy access to the most beautiful places in Japan (Lake Biwa, Ama-no Hasidate about. Miyajima, IseJingu, Osaka, Nara, Kobe, Mr. Nagoya, etc.).

St. Peter Basilica is located in the territory of the sovereign state of the Vatican. It often is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic sites, “holding a unique position in the Christian world” and “the greatest of all churches of Christendom.”

In the 1st century AD, the site of St. Peter’s Basilica hosted the Circus of Nero and a cemetery. According to ancient tradition, St. Peter was martyred in the Circus and buried nearby. This happened in 64 A.D. His simple grave was remembered and visited by the faithful, and in 324, Emperor Constantine began construction on a great basilica over the tomb. The shrine of St. Peter is still the central focus of the church today.

The building itself is truly impressive. Being one of the largest churches in the world, it has a 218 meter long nave. The basilica’s dome is the world’s largest measuring 42m in diameter and reaching 138 meter high (more than 450ft). The interior, which includes 45 altars, was decorated by many famous artists.[ADS]Some of the most important works in the church are the Pietà by Michelangelo, the papal altar by Bernini, the Throne of St. Peter – also by Bernini – and the Monument to the Stuarts by Canova. The opulent interior can be visited daily for free although a strict dress code is enforced.

However, it should be noted, that the St. Peter’s Basilica was not built with the same extension at the beginning. In 1452, Pope Nicholas V ordered the construction of a grand new cathedral. Almost nothing is left from the old building, except the relics, forged gates, drifted to the new cathedral sculptures and mosaics of the individual fragments. After the death of Nicholas V in 1455 the construction work was suspended. Since then, contractors and architects continually succeeded each other, so the completion of the temple lasted for about 170 years.[ADS2]Pope Julius II planned far more for St Peter’s than Nicholas V’s program of repair or modification. Julius was at that time planning his own tomb, which was to be designed and adorned with sculpture by Michelangelo and placed within St Peter’s. Firstly, Julius II appointed Donato Bramante as the chief architect of the new Basilica. In 1547 Michelangelo succeeded Bramante. He designed the imposing dome and altered some of the original plans. Michelangelo died in 1624, two years before the St. Peter’s basilica was dedicated by pope Urban VIII. Ever since, this church has been the center of Christianity, drawing pilgrims from all over the world.

The dome of the church always attracts the most significant attention and that’s where Michelangelo’s contribution is mainly resembled. Master criticized all his predecessors, and returned to the original plan of Bramante – only slightly modified and corrected dome pillars underneath. However, the version of Michelangelo remained little after time: intact preserved only the outer part of the apse. Finally, a facade with a portico added onto in the early XVII century, Carlo Maderno, completed the cathedral square.

Nowadays, the inner surface of the dome is decorated with images of four Evangelists: Matthew – an angel, Mark depicts a lion, Luke – with the ox, and John – with an eagle. Lion, an ox and an eagle are the animals, about which John the Evangelist writes in the “Apocalypse”, emphasizing that that these animals are around the throne of God.

It is obvious that St. Peter’s became the symbol of the power of the Catholic Church. But it has also become a model, and whose features are recognizable in all the major buildings of the most of the Christian countries temples within the following centuries. It still stands stunning in front of the visitor’s eye.

The name of new architect is thought to be a man named Theodorus. His temple was 300 feet in length and 150 feet wide with and area four times the size of the temple before it. This clearly depicts it overall magnificence. It’s often affirmed that more than one hundred stone columns supported a massive roof, which was grand for the spectator’s eye. The new temple soon became the pride of Ephesus until 356 B.C. when a tragedy, by name of Herostratus, struck on the earth.
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Herostratus was a young Ephesian who would stop at no cost to have fame or just simply let his name go down in history. He managed this by burning the temple to the ground, which resulted in the total hatred, truculence and intolerance from the whole kingdom. The strictest penalty all over the Ephesus was sentenced to him; The appalled citizens of the city issued a decree that anyone who spoke of Herostratus would be put to death. But the story of the temple doesn’t end here. It was soon commissioned again.
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The new was Scopas of Paros, one of the most famous sculptors of his days. Besides, it’s worth to be mentioned that Ephesus was one of the prominent cities in Asia Minoor, thus no expense was spared in the construction. Well-known historians all over the world worshiped the construction and called it “wonderful monument of Grecian magnificence, and one that merits our genuine admiration.” The cause of astonishment was not only the temple itself but the four bronze statues of Amazon women.

According to Piny, construction took 120 years, though some experts suspect it may have only taken half that time. There even exists a story including the Alexander the Great, who came to Ephesus in 333 B.C when the temple was still under construction. He was willing his name to be carved on the temple, which was a matter of discussion among the fathers of the city, who didn’t want to cut and edge by denying Alexander’s request, but neither wishing to fulfill it. Thus, they found a way out by giving a tactful response: “It is not fitting that one god should build a temple for another god” and Alexander didn’t press the matter,”.

There is another story retelling how the goddess helped the architect to fix the wrongly incorporated stone beams, which were perched on top of the columns. The dream where the Artemis promised him to repair problem appeared to be true in the morning.

The city continued to prosper over the next few hundred years and was the destination for many pilgrims coming to view the temple. St. Paul a difficult time when he visited the city in 57 A.D. St. Paul came to the city to win converts to the new religion of Christianity. He was so successful that Demetrius feared the people would turn away from Artemis and he would lose his livelihood. He called others of his trade together with him and gave a rousing speech ending with “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” They then seized two of Paul’s companions and a near riot followed. Eventually the city was quieted, the men released, and Paul left for Macedonia. It was Paul’s Christianity that won out in the end, though.
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By the time the great Temple of Artemis was destroyed during a raid by the Goths in 262 A.D., both the city and the religion of Artemis were in decline. When the Roman Emperor Constantine rebuilt much of Ephesus a century later, he declined to restore the temple. He had become a Christian and had little interest in pagan temples.

Despite Constantine’s efforts, Ephesus declined in its importance as a crossroads of trade. The bay where ships docked disappeared as silt from the river filled it. In the end what was left of the city was miles from the sea, and many of the inhabitants left swampy lowland to live in the surrounding hills. Those that remained used the ruins of the temple as a source of building materials. However, the amazing Temple of Artemis quelled its name in the history as one of the ancient wonders of the world and this status is purely deserved for it.