Showing posts with label buildings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label buildings. Show all posts

Friday, May 3, 2013

The palaces of Jericho

The plate with the site plan of the Ministry of Tourism Palestinian Authority.

Attempt of reconstruction palace of Herod the the Great.

The ruins of a huge gazebo, above which stands the modern squatter.

Once upon a time it looked like this.

A terrace is located at the foot of the garden gazebo.

And here is the palace.


In ancient times, it looked like this.

All the palaces of Herod the most important facilities were baths



A few hundred meters to the left of the palace of Herod was another palace complex.



That's palace looked like initially.

There was a main hall is lined with a decorative stone tile floor.


And there was another room. In these lay-poster stone slabs under which circulates the hot air.

Ancient mosaic floors.

The pool, which by order of Herod, as if, by accident, drowned his wife's brother - the last of the Hasmonean

Such was the palace of the last decades before the onset of a new era. These two pools. Herod ordered to partially dismantle the bridge between them - and we've got a big reservoir.

Monday, April 8, 2013

"Other" Emirates (history, nature, motor racing)

Many of us who have been in the United Arab Emirates, knows this country as a paradise for shopping, a variety technological skyscrapers, beautiful cars and a sunny beach. 

But the Emirates - it's not just shops, skyscrapers and beaches.



Arabs are known for relate to pretty cool history. No, not without respect, and simply cool. They are worth nothing to demolish old houses and build up in their place new district.


Nevertheless, they are not vandals. One example - the coast of Dubai Creek. That is where you can see a real Arab market.


That there stands Al Fahidi Fort - the oldest building in Dubai, which now houses the Dubai Museum. And there is not far from the Fort quarter Bastakya - preserved ancient Arab quarter, now converted into a museum in the open air.


Beige color and elegance of the Arabic engulfs you at once, but in Dubai, many modern houses are built in a beige color and come with a variety of Arabic elements, so that these species have already become more or less familiar.


In the middle of the block stands a pretty snow-white mosque. Every day, as with all the other numerous mosques, with her ​​melodious call of the muezzin sounds.



That's one of the walls of the terrace of the mosque. Pay attention to her. A simple solution that was easy to see from the inside out, as any breeze ventilates the terrace, the reflected sunlight illuminates the entire room, but the direct scorching sun rays penetrate it easy.


Homes built by squares inside almost each of them - courtyard.
On the inside you can climb the stairs to the balcony, who is also the roof of the first floor.


On the balconies, roofs would have these thatched arbor for leisure.


These are the courtyards.



In the Emirates, not a lot of museums, as in European countries. But if the Arabs are taken for something - they do it seriously.
On the shore of Dubai Creek stands the oldest building of the city - Al Fahidi Fort. And in it, or rather its huge cellars arranged an excellent and informative museum about the life of Dubai in the past century.


Before the fort has a real ship-dau (dhow dhau), more precisely one of the existing types of diverse Arab vessel.





But there is in Dubai and another story - the story of nature, so to speak. This swamp Ras Al Khor. Yes, yes, it is a swamp. And right next to Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall.


In fact, it is part of the Dubai Creek, cut the town in two.
Once upon a time in all the banks in the Gulf Emirates lived millions of birds, a variety of flamingos and herons.
But the discovery of oil and the mass transport of maritime transport, urban growth and development of ports devastated coast these shores.
And that's just on the swamp was a piece of unspoiled nature.
Swamp carefully protected by the state and available for those interested in a totally free.
Also, there are telescopes and binoculars, so you can watch the birds.

History - that's good. But Emirates is also a sport country.
Highly developed different outdoor activities.
Known only in the Middle East, ski runs, and in the shopping center "Mall of Emirates"

Despite the small waves in the Gulf, one can often see the surfers.

Conquer there and the blue sky


Arabs, Italians and many others play football.
They generally highly developed amateur sports.


United Arab Emirates - it is also a car-to-country. Excellent roads, low gas prices and vehicle make Emirates a paradise for car lovers.
Here you can find all car brands. Sport, sport utility vehicles and prestigious ...


In addition to the desert and mountain terrain, Emirates interesting and motorsport fans.
In Jebel Ali, next to kartodroma spread impromptu motocross track.



Also in Dubai, there are a few go-cart track.



Here at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi competitions in drag racing

There are also other championships, for example, GP2, Porsche Mobil-1, as well as Porsche GT3 Middle East



But most importantly, in Abu Dhabi, held one of the stages of "the queen of motorsport '- Formula 1








Thursday, November 26, 2009

Historical cities: Isfahan-Iran


Isfahan or Esfahan (Persian: اصفهان Esfahān historically also rendered in English as Ispahan or Hispahan, is located about 340 km south of Tehran and is the capital of Isfahan Province and Iran's third largest city (after Tehran and Mashhad).

Isfahan has been designated by UNESCO as a world heritage city. It contains a wide variety of Islamic Architectural sites ranging from the 11th century to the 19th.
Historically, Isfahan dates back to ancient times. However, most of its preserved monuments date from the Islamic era when the city was the capital of Iran from the 7th to the17th centuries. Isfahan's numerous cultural treasures and historical splendours comprising of palaces, mosques, churches, bazaars and beautiful bridges, make it one of the most beautiful cities in Asia Minor. (Current population: 1,300,000)

Unesco World Heritage adds: Meidan Emam, a complex of buildings commissioned by Shah Abbas I the Great in the early part of the 17th Century, includes the Royal Mosque, the Mosque of Sheykh Lotfollah and the Portico of Qaysariyyeh and, from an earlier period, the 15th Centruy Timurid Palace.

The Naghsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan is one of the biggest city squares in the world and an outstanding example of Iranian and Islamic architecture. It has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The city also has a wide variety of historic monuments ranging from the Sassanid to the Safavid dynasties.
Remaining Islamic architectural sites were built from 11th to the 19th century, while older, pre-Islamic monuments date back to 1000 B.C.

Historical sites


Squares and Streets

* Naqsh-e Jahan Square also known as "Shah Square" or "Imam Square" - 1602.
* Meydan Kohne (Old Square)
* Shahshahan Square
* Chaharbagh Boulevard - 1596.
* Chaharbagh-e-khajou Boulevard

Palaces

* Ali Qapu (The Royal Palace) - Early 17th Century.
* Talar Ashraf (The Palace of Ashraf) - 1650.
* Hasht-Behesht (The Palace of Eight Paradises) - 1669.
* Chehel Sotoun (The Palace of Forty Columns) - 1647.

Old schools (Madresse):

* Madreseye Sadr.
* Madreseye Shah (Chahar Bagh School).
* Madreseye Khajoo.

Mosques

* Shah Mosque
* Hakim Mosque Isfahan
* Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque
* Esfahan Jame (Congregative) mosque

Caravanserais

* Shah Carvanserai


Bazaars


* Grand Bazaar, Isfahan
* Shahi Bazaar













Isfahan’s main monuments are centred around the following areas; the Imam Square (or Royal Square), the Friday Mosque, and the bridges on the Zayandeh Rud. The centre of Isfahan during the Seljuk period was the Friday Mosque. Today, the mosque is like a patchwork of history with a winter hall that is probably Timurid; minarets built by the "Black Sheep" tribe and the interior decorated by the Safavids.

In 1598, Shah Abbas decided to shift this centre to the present day Imam Square - according to some, in order to annoy a rich merchant who was reluctant to part with his property. This Square is one of the largest in the world (500m x 160m) and was the symbolic centre of the Safavid Dynasty and its Empire. It was used for holding festivals, markets and games of polo. The original goal posts from Shah Abbas’ polo grounds are still in place today at the far ends of the square.

The square is surrounded on all 4 sides by long walls with the Imam Mosque in the south, the Mosque of Sheikh Lotfollah in the east, the Ali Qapu Palace in the west and the entrance of the great Bazaar in the north. It is a very popular spot on summer evenings when the Isfahanis settle down on carpets and bring out their picnics and samovars.

Isfahan’s majestic buildings and bridges, elegant gardens, attractive bazaars and teahouses, entrance the visitor into wanting to spend as much time as possible in its relaxing atmosphere.