Uploads from Ferry Vermeer, tagged worldheritagesites, with geodata

Antioki Church and Jvari Monastery, Mtskheta, Georgia

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 07:58:28 -0800

The tiny but charming Antioki Church, in the grounds of a nunnery near the riverbank behind the cathedral, dates from St Nino's time. Renovated in 2000, it manages to retain its modest charm despite the recently painted frescoes.

www.lonelyplanet.com/georgia/mtskheta/sights/religious-sp...

Jvari or Jvari Monastery (Georgian: ჯვარი, ჯვრის მონასტერი) is a Georgian Orthodox monastery (...) near Mtskheta (World Heritage site), Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, eastern Georgia. The name is translated as the Monastery of the Cross. Jvari Monastery stands on the rocky mountaintop at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, overlooking the village of Mtskheta, which was formerly the capital of the Kingdom of Iberia. The present building, or “Great Church of Jvari”, was built between 586 and 605 by Erismtavari Stepanoz I. The importance of Jvari complex increased over time and attracted many pilgrims. In the late Middle Ages, the complex was fortified by a stone wall and gate, remnants of which still survive. During the Soviet period, the structure was largely ignored, with access rendered difficult by tight security at a nearby military base. After the independence of Georgia, the building was restored to active religious use. Jvari was listed together with other monuments of Mtskheta in 1996 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jvari_(monastery)

Old Town, Kotor, Montenegro

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:02:34 -0800

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

Kotor is one of those towns that summarize European history in its own. It has been part of the First Bulgarian Empire, Serbia, the Republic of Ragusa (contemporary Dubrovnik), the Venetian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburg Monarchy, the French Empire, the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, the Austrian Empire, Yugoslavia, Montenegro, and more. Especially Yugoslavia's history of predecessor and successor states is quite complicated.

Kotor, first mentioned in 168 BC, was settled during Ancient Roman times, when it was known as Acruvium, Ascrivium, or Ascruvium and was part of the Roman province of Dalmatia. Kotor (then called "Cattaro") has been fortified since the early Middle Ages, when Emperor Justinian built a fortress above Acruvium in 535, after expelling the Ostrogoths; a second town probably grew up on the heights round it, for Constantine Porphyrogenitus, in the 10th century, alludes to Lower Kotor. The city was plundered by the Saracens in 840. Cattaro was one of the more influential Dalmatian City-states of romanized Illirians throughout the Middle Ages period. Until the 11th century the Dalmatian language was spoken in Cattaro.

In 1002, the city suffered damage under occupation of the First Bulgarian Empire, and in the following year it was ceded to Serbia by the Bulgarian Tsar Samuel. However, the local population resisted the pact and, taking advantage of its alliance with the Republic of Ragusa, only submitted in 1184, while maintaining its republican institutions and its right to conclude treaties and engage in war. It was already an episcopal see, and, in the 13th century, Dominican and Franciscan monasteries were established to check the spread of Bogomilism.

In the 14th century, commerce in Cattaro (as the city was called until 1918) competed with that of the nearby Republic of Ragusa and of the Republic of Venice. The city was part of the Venetian Albania province of the Venetian Republic from 1420 to 1797, except for periods of Ottoman rule in 1538–1571 and 1657-1699. Four centuries of Venetian domination have given the city the typical Venetian architecture, that contributed to make Kotor a UNESCO world heritage site. In those centuries Renaissance-related literature enjoyed a huge develpment in Venetian Cattaro: the most famous writers were Bernardo Pima, Nicola Chierlo, Luca Bisanti, Alberto de Gliricis, Domenico and Vincenzo Burchia, Vincenzo Ceci, Antonio Zambella and Francesco Morandi.

While under Venetian rule, Cattaro was besieged by the Ottoman Empire in 1538 and 1657, endured the plague in 1572, and was nearly destroyed by earthquakes in 1563 and 1667. After the Treaty of Campo Formio in 1797, it passed to the Habsburg Monarchy. However, in 1805, it was assigned to the French Empire's client state, the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy by the Treaty of Pressburg, although in fact held by a Russian squadron under Dmitry Senyavin. After the Russians retreated, Cattaro was united in 1806 with this Kingdom of Italy and then in 1810 with the French Empire's Illyrian Provinces. Kotor was captured by the British attack on the Bay led by Commodore John Harper in the brig sloop HMS Saracen (18 guns). To seal off Kotor in windless conditions, residents along the shore literally pulled the ship in windless conditions with ropes. Saracen's crew later hauled naval 18-pounder guns above Fort St. John, the fortress near Kotor, and were reinforced by Captain William Hoste with his ship HMS Bacchante (38 guns). The French garrison had no alternative but to surrender, which it did on 5 January 1814.

It was then restored to the Austrian Empire by the Congress of Vienna.
In World War I, Kotor was one of three main bases of the Austro-Hungarian Navy and homeport to the Austrian Fifth Fleet, consisting of pre-dreadnought battleships and light cruisers. The area was the site of some of the fiercest battles between local Montenegrin Slavs, and Austria-Hungary. After 1918, the city (called Càttaro until then) became a part of Yugoslavia and officially became known as Kotor.

Between 1941 and 1943 Italy annexed the area of Kotor (with the original venetian name "Bocche di Cattaro") to the Italian "Governorship of Dalmatia" and created a new Italian Province: the Provincia di Cattaro, with 1075 km² and 128,000 population. But after 1945 it became a part of the then Socialist Republic of Montenegro within Yugoslavia's second incarnation.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kotor

Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque), Istanbul, Turkey

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 06:57:12 -0800

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii, Ottoman Turkish and Arabic: مَسجِدُ السلطان أحمد pr. masjedu alsultane Ahmad) is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923). The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built from 1609 to 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. While still used as a mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque has also become a popular tourist attraction.

The upper levels of the interior are dominated by blue paint. More than 200 stained glass windows with intricate designs admit natural light, today assisted by chandeliers. On the chandeliers, ostrich eggs are found that were meant to avoid cobwebs inside the mosque by repelling spiders. The decorations include verses from the Qur'an, many of them made by Seyyid Kasim Gubari, regarded as the greatest calligrapher of his time. The many spacious windows confer a spacious impression. The casements at floor level are decorated with opus sectile. Each exedra has five windows, some of which are blind. Each semi-dome has 14 windows and the central dome 28 (four of which are blind). The coloured glass for the windows was a gift of the Signoria of Venice to the sultan. Most of these coloured windows have by now been replaced by modern versions with little or no artistic merit.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Ahmed_Mosque

Geiranger, Norway

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 07:21:13 -0800

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

Geiranger is a small tourist village in Sunnmøre in the municipality of Stranda in Møre og Romsdal county, in the western part of Norway. It lies at the head of the Geirangerfjord, which is a branch of the Storfjord. The nearest city is Ålesund. Geiranger is home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, and has been named the best travel destination in Scandinavia by Lonely Planet. Since 2005, the Geirangerfjord has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Seven Sisters waterfall is located just west of Geiranger. Norwegian national road 63 passes through the village.

This third biggest cruise ship port receives 140 to 180 ships during the four-month tourist season. Several hundred thousand people pass through every summer, and tourism is the main business for the 250 people who live there permanently. There are five hotels and over ten camping sites. The tourist season stretches from May to early September; in the off-season the pace and activity are reduced to that of a normal small Norwegian town. Geiranger is under constant threat from the mountain Åkerneset which could erode into the fjord. A collapse could cause a tsunami that could destroy downtown Geiranger.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geiranger

The Geiranger Fjord (Norwegian: Geirangerfjorden) is a fjord in the Sunnmøre region of Møre og Romsdal county in Norway. It is in the municipality of Stranda. It is a 15-kilometre (9.3 mi) long branch of the Storfjord (Great Fjord). The small village of Geiranger is located at the end of the fjord where the Geirangelva river empties into it. The fjord is one of Norway's most visited tourist sites and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, jointly with Nærøyfjord, since 2005, although this status is now threatened by the disputed plans to build power lines across the fjord.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geirangerfjord

Dominican Church of the Holy Spirit, Vilnius, Lithuania

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 08:26:22 -0800

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

The Church of the Holy Spirit, or the Dominican Church, is one of the most monumental and ornate churches of Vilnius. It is a magnificent mature and late baroque building. It is thought that a small (probably wooden) church already existed in this location in Gediminas days. Vytautas, in place of the wooden one that burned down, built the Church of the Holy Spirit, which later was enlarged and in 1501 was given by Aleksandras Jogailaitis to the oldest Dominican chapter in Lithuania. (The walls of the church have survived from those times.) During 1753–1770 the Dominicans built a new church and enlarged the monastery. The church stands with its side facing the street and lacks a clearly visible main façade. The top of its dome reaches 51 m or 167 ft. The exterior of the church contains both mature and late baroque elements. The interior is in the rococo style and is distinguished by playful and fantastic decorations; this is one of the most valuable church interiors in Lithuania. The church has sixteen altars. The massive but dynamic and plastic altars form a harmonic composition, which also includes a pulpit and confessional, are combined into one unit. The choir loft, supported by curved columns, is very interesting. The church’s organ is the only almost entirely original instrument remaining from the 18th century in Lithuania. The three-tiered buildings of the monastery surround an almost square cloister garth, in which in the 18th century stood a pole-shrine to commemorate the victims of the plague. The corridors of the cloister still contain frescos from the 18th century.

www.travelvilnius.com/index.php?id=Houses_of_Worship&...

Monastery of the Caves, Kiev, Ukraine

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 10:30:28 -0800

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

Kiev Pechersk Lavra or Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (Ukrainian: Києво-Печерська лавра, Kyievo-Pechers’ka lavra), also known as the Kiev Monastery of the Caves, is a historic Orthodox Christian monastery which gave its name to one of the city districts where it is located in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Since its foundation as the cave monastery in 1015 the Lavra has been a preeminent center of the Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe. Together with the Saint Sophia Cathedral, it is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monastery complex is considered a separate national historic-cultural preserve (sanctuary), the national status to which was granted on March 13, 1996. The Lavra also not only located in another part of the city, but is part of a different national sanctuary than Saint Sophia Cathedral. While being a cultural attraction, the monastery is currently active. It was named one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine on August 21, 2007, based on voting by experts and the internet community.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiev Monastery of the Caves

Pétrusse Valley, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:55:53 -0800

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

The city centre occupies a picturesque site on a salient, perched high atop precipitous cliffs that drop into the narrow valleys of the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers, which find their confluence at Luxembourg City. The 70 m- (230 ft) deep gorges cut by the rivers are spanned by many bridges and viaducts, including the Adolphe Bridge, the Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge, and the Passerelle. Although Luxembourg City is not particularly large, its layout is complex, as the city is set on several levels, straddling hills and dropping into the two gorges.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxembourg_City#Topography

Vesuvius as seen from Pompeii, Italy

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:04:16 -0800

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning two days in the year AD 79. The eruption buried Pompeii under 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) of ash and pumice, and it was lost for nearly 1700 years before its accidental rediscovery in 1749. Since then, its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire.

Pompeii was a lively place, and evidence abounds of literally the smallest details of everyday life. For example, on the floor of one of the houses (Sirico's), a famous inscription Salve, lucru (Welcome, money), perhaps humorously intended, shows us a trading company owned by two partners, Sirico and Nummianus (but this could be a nickname, since nummus means coin, money). In other houses, details abound concerning professions and categories, such as for the "laundry" workers (Fullones). Wine jars have been found bearing what is apparently the world's earliest known marketing pun (technically a blend), Vesuvinum (combining Vesuvius and the Latin for wine, vinum). Graffiti carved on the walls shows us real street Latin (Vulgar Latin, a different dialect from the literary or classical Latin).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii

Kasbah of the Udayas, Rabat, Morocco

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 09:11:02 -0700

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The Kasbah of the Udayas is a kasbah in Rabat, Morocco located at the mouth of the Bou Regreg river opposite of Salé. It was built during the reign of the Almohads. When the Almohads had captured Rabat and destroyed the kasbah of the Almoravids in the town, they began reconstructing it in AH 544 / AD 1150. They added a palace and a mosque and named it al-Mahdiyya, after their ancestor al-Mahdi Ibn Tumart. After the death of Yaqub al-Mansur (AH 595 / AD 1199) the kasbah was deserted.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasbah_of_the_Udayas

Gobustan, Azerbaijan

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 08:38:07 -0700

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

Gobustan National Park (Azerbaijani: Qobustan Milli Parkı) officially Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape is a hill and mountain site occupying the southeast ending of the Big Caucasian Ridge, mainly in the basin of Jeyrankechmaz River, between the rivers Pirsagat and Sumgait. It is located west of the settlement of Gobustan, about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of the centre of Baku on the west bank of the Caspian Sea. The territory of Gobustan is cut up with numerous, sometimes rather deep ravines (in Azerbaijani: gobu). That is a suggested origin of the Gobustan geographical name. In 1966 Gobustan was declared a national historical landmark of Azerbaijan in an attempt to preserve the ancient carvings, relics, mud volcanoes and gas-stones in the region. The mountains Boyukdash, Kichikdash, Jingirdag, and the Yazili hill were taken under legal government protection. These mountains are located near the Caspian Sea, in the southeast part of Gobustan.

The climate of Gobustan is a dry semi subtropical one, with rather mild winters and very hot dry summers. An atmospheric precipitation is small and so are the springs of Big Caucasus area. The presence of rare and wild flora testifies that the climate of Gobustan some tens of thousands of years ago was damper, and the atmospheric precipitation was sufficient, so springs were abounding with water. In the remote past, the flora and fauna of Gobustan were incomparably richer. Its landscape represented a kind of savannah with corresponding climate. Here were large herds of wild bulls, goats, deer, wild horses, donkeys, wild boars, and gazelles hunted by lions, wolves, wild cats and leopards. The vegetative world of Gobustan has a character that is common for deserts and semi-deserts. It consists of ephemeris grasses and bushes, wormwood and similar long-term plants. Among heaps of stones and rocks a wild rose, a dwarfish cherry, Hibernian honeysuckle, a juniper, wild pear, wild fig, wild pomegranate, grapes and some other kinds of trees and bushes are rather often met decorating the stern landscape. The fauna of Gobustan has strongly grown poor for the last decades of years. The natural inhabitants of Gobustan now are rare foxes, jackals, wolves, hares and wild cats, mountain chickens, wild pigeons, larks alongside with numerous snakes and lizards and some others.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gobustan_National_Park

Art Nouveau District, Riga, Latvia

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:11:01 -0700

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

The huge amount of architectural details make Riga's Art Nouveau District both a paradise and a nightmare for photographers. No matter your point of view on street level you have to cut off some of those details, which makes an excellent framing almost impossible. Paying attention to that, I seem to have forgotten to take care of a much easier horizontal framing above the windows. I'm still learning, guys. :)

Art Nouveau architecture was popular in Riga, the capital of Latvia, during the late 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century – about 40% of the buildings from this time were built in this style. Several substyles formed during this period. Early elements of the new style were added to Eclectic architecture forming "Eclectic" Art Nouveau. "Decorative" Art Nouveau refers to style using only decorative elements of the Art Nouveau; the first such building was built during 1899, however by 1906 decorative styles had become unfashionable. Therefore the decorative style is not very widespread in Riga.[33] Most popular style in Riga is known as "Romantic" Art Nouveau – simplistic and modern in form, these buildings were decorated with elements from other historic styles and constitute about one third of all buildings in central Riga. From 1905–1911 Latvian National Romantism maximised – while being a substyle of Art Nouveau it copied forms of traditional architecture and incorporated traditional decorative elements. As Art Nouveau matured. emphasis on vertical lines became more popular, known as "Vertical" Art Nouveau, this style was most popular soon before World War I. The center of Riga is now designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in part for its Art Nouveau architecture.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jugenstil#Latvia

Food stalls at Jemaa el Fna, Marrakech, Morocco

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 07:56:43 -0700

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

Jamaa el Fna (Arabic: ساحة جامع الفناء jâmiʻ al-fanâʼ) is a square and market place in Marrakesh's medina quarter (old city). The place remains the main square of Marrakesh, used equally by locals and tourists. During the day it is predominantly occupied by orange juice stalls, youths with chained Barbary apes, water sellers in colourful costumes with traditional leather water-bags and brass cups, and snake charmers who will pose for photographs for tourists. As the day progresses the entertainments on offer change: the snake charmers depart, and in the afternoon and evening the square becomes more crowded, with Chleuh dancing-boys (it would be against custom for girls to provide such an entertainment), story-tellers (telling their tales in Berber or Arabic, to an audience of appreciative locals), magicians, and peddlers of traditional medicines. As dark descends the square fills with dozens of food-stalls, and the crowds are at their height.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jemaa_el-Fnaa

Market Square, Lviv, Ukraine

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 08:16:49 -0700

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

The Rynok Square in Lviv (Ukrainian: Площа Ринок, Polish: Rynek we Lwowie) is a central square of the city of Lviv, Ukraine. It was planned in the second half of the 14th century, following granting city rights by Polish king Casimir III, who annexed Red Ruthenia. The king ordered Lviv to be moved more to the south, where a new city was built to the plan of a traditional European settlement: a central square surrounded by living quarters and fortifications. Old, Ruthenian Lviv had become a suburb of the new city. The square is rectangular in shape, with measurements of 142 meters by 129 meters and with two streets radiating out of every corner. In the middle there was a row of houses, with its southern wall made by the Town Hall. However, when in 1825 the tower of the Town Hall burned, all adjacent houses were demolished and a new hall, with a 65-meter tower, was built in 1835 by architects J. Markl and F. Trescher. Around the square, there are 44 tenement houses, which represent several architectural styles, from Renaissance to Modernism. In the four corners, there are fountains—wells from 1793, probably designed by Hartman Witwer. The sculptures represent four Greek mythological figures: Neptune, Diana, Amphitrite and Adonis. In front of the Town Hall, there was a pillory. In 1998 the Market Place, together with the historic city center of Lviv, was recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_Square_(Lviv)

Church of St. John at Kaneo, Ohrid, Macedonia

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:11:38 -0700

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

Saint John the Theologian, Kaneo (Macedonian: Свети Јован Канео, Latinic: Sveti Jovan Kaneo) or simply Saint John at Kaneo is a Macedonian Orthodox church situated on Kaneo beach overlooking Lake Ohrid in the city of Ohrid, Republic of Macedonia. The church is attributed to the author of the Gospel of John, John the Theologian. The construction date of the church remains unknown but documents detailing the church property suggests that it was built before the year 1447. Archaeologists believe that the church was constructed some time before the rise of the Ottoman Empire very likely in the 13th century. Restoration work in 1964 led to the discovery of frescoes in its dome.

The church was built into the shape of a cruciform with a rectangular base. The architect of the church is unknown but it is believed that he was influenced by the architecture of Armenian churches. Reconstruction work was carried out on the church in the 14th century, shortly before the arrival of Ottoman Turks in Macedonia. A wooden iconostasis was constructed within the church and by the 20th century numerous saints along with the Virgin Mary have been portrayed on the apse. A fresco of Christ Pantocrator can be seen on the dome of the church. A fresco of Saint Clement of Ohrid (whose monastery, Saint Panteleimon, is located close to the church) accompanied by Saint Erasmus of Ohrid can also be seen on a wall of the church.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_St._John_at_Kaneo

Imperial Harem at Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 05:16:19 -0700

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

The Imperial Hall (Hünkâr Sofası), also known as the Imperial Sofa, Throne Room Within or Hall of Diversions, is a domed hall in the Harem, believed to have been built in the late 16th century. It has the largest dome in the palace. The hall served as the official reception hall of the sultan as well as for the entertainment of the Harem. Here the sultan received his confidants, guests, his mother, his first wife (Hasseki), consorts, and his children. Entertainments, paying of homage during religious festivals, and wedding ceremonies took place here in the presence of the members of the dynasty. After the Great Harem Fire of 1666, the hall was renovated in the rococo style during the reign of Sultan Osman III. The tile belt surrounding the walls bearing calligraphic inscriptions were riveted with 18th century blue and white Delftware and mirrors of Venetian glass. But the domed arch and pendantives still bear classical paintings dating from the original construction. In the hall stands the sultan's throne. The gallery was occupied by the consorts of the sultan, headed by the Queen Mother. The gilded chairs are a present of Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany, while the clocks are a gift of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. A pantry, where musical instruments are exhibited, opens to the Imperial Hall, which provides access into the sultan's private apartments. A secret door behind a mirror allowed the sultan a safe passage. One door admits to the Queen Mother’s apartments, another to the sultan's hammam. The opposite doors lead to the small dining chamber (rebuilt by Ahmed III) and the great bedchamber, while the other admits to a series of ante-chambers, including the room with the fountain (Çeşmeli Sofa), which were all retiled and redecorated in the 17th century.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topkapi_Palace#Imperial_Hall

Old Town, Dubrovnik, Croatia

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 07:17:01 -0700

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

Lord Byron was not overstating the matter when he proclaimed Dubrovnik ‘the pearl of the Adriatic’. Dubrovnik is clearly special. A magnificent curtain of walls surrounds marble streets and baroque buildings that exude a pearly light in the Adriatic sun. The main pedestrian thoroughfare, Placa, is a melange of cafés and shops with outstanding monuments at either end. Churches, monasteries and museums ornamented with finely carved stone recall an eventful history and a vibrant artistic tradition.

www.lonelyplanet.com/croatia/dubrovnik

Floating shops, Halong Bay, Vietnam

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:17:03 -0700

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

In the evening, small boats with snacks, drinks, and knick-knacks are usually working the areas where the passenger junks moor. Feel free to negotiate, bearing in mind that they have a captive market.

wikitravel.org/en/Ha_Long_Bay#Buy

According to local legend, when the Vietnamese were fighting Chinese invaders, the gods sent a family of dragons to help defend the land. This family of dragons began spitting out jewels and jade. These jewels turned into the islands and islets dotting the bay, linking together to form a great wall against the invaders. The people kept their land safe and formed what later became the country of Vietnam. After that, dragons were interested in peaceful sightseeing of the earth, and then decided to live here. The place where the mother dragon descended was named Hạ Long, the place where the dragon's children attended upon their mother was called Bái Tử Long island (Bái: attend upon, Tử: children, Long: dragon), and the place where the dragon's children wriggled their tails violently was called Bạch Long Vỹ island (Bạch: white- colour of the foam made when Dragon's children wriggled, Long: dragon, Vỹ: tail).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ha_Long_Bay#Etymology

Parliament Plains of Thingvellir, Iceland

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 07:06:51 -0800

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

Þingvellir is a place in Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, near the peninsula of Reykjanes and the Hengill volcanic area. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. It is the site of a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. (...) Parliament or Alþingi was established at Þingvellir in 930 and remained there until 1789. Þingvellir National Park was founded in 1930 to protect the remains of the parliament site and was later expanded to protect natural phenomena in the surrounding area. Þingvellir National Park was the first national park in Iceland and was decreed "a protected national shrine for all Icelanders, the perpetual property of the Icelandic nation under the preservation of parliament, never to be sold or mortgaged."

According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the Norwegian chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norwegian settler on the island. Over the next centuries, people of Norse and Celtic origin settled in Iceland. Early on, district assemblies were formed, but as the population grew there was a need for a general assembly. The descendants of Ingólfur Arnarson who dominated the region of southwest Iceland had become the most powerful family in the country, and other chieftains felt a need for a general assembly to limit their power. Grímur Geitskör was allotted the role of rallying support and finding a suitable location for the assembly. At about the same time, the owner of Bláskógar (then name for the Þingvellir region) was found guilty of murder and his land was declared public and obligated to be used for assembly proceedings, the building of temporary dwellings, the use of the forest for kindling and the grazing of horses. The Þingvellir region was chosen for this reason and the accessibility from the most populous regions of the North, South and West. The farthest distance a goði (chieftain) had to travel was 17 days traveling from the easternmost part of the country where mountains and glacial rivers proved bothersome obstacles. The foundation of the Icelandic parliament is said to be the founding of the nation of Iceland, and the first parliamentary proceedings in the summer of 930 laid ground for a common cultural heritage and national identity. Þingvellir played a central role in the history of the country, and its history runs almost parallel with the history of the Icelandic Commonwealth.

The Alþingi (assembly) at Þingvellir was Iceland's supreme legislative and judicial authority from its establishment in 930 until 1271. The Lögberg (Law Rock) was the focal point of the Alþingi and a natural platform for holding speeches. The Lawspeaker, elected for three years at a time, presided over the assembly and recited the law of the land. Before the law was written down, he was expected to recite it from memory on the Lögberg over the course of three summers along with the complete assembly procedures every summer. Inauguration and dissolution of the assembly took place at the Lögberg, where rulings made by the Law Council were announced, the calendar was confirmed, legal actions were brought and other announcements made which concerned the entire nation. Anyone attending the assembly was entitled to present his case on important issues from the Lögberg. The Law Council served as both a parliament and supreme court. Laws were passed and approved there, and rulings made on points of Law. The Law Council appointed members of the Fifth Court (a kind of appellate court), appointed the Lawspeaker, and took part in the election of the bishop. Unlike the Alþingi, the Law Council was a closed body in which only certain people enjoyed full rights: chieftains who held the office of "goði", their "Þingmen" and later also bishops. However, everyone at the assembly was entitled to watch and listen to the Law Council at work. From the earliest times until the 15th century, the Law Council met at Neðri-Vellir on the east bank of Öxará, but when the river changed its course around 1500, the council was moved to an islet in it. In 1594, the Law Council was relocated to the foot of the ancient Law Rock, where it remained until the Alþingi was finally transferred from it in 1798. The Alþingi was Iceland's legislative and chief judicial authority for the duration of the Commonwealth, until 1271. Executive power was in the hands of the chieftains and parties to individual cases at each time. This proved to be quite an adequate arrangement for as long as the balance of power remained, but flaws emerged when it was disrupted. The final decades of the Commonwealth were characterized by clashes between chieftain families, which resulted in Iceland becoming part of the Norwegian crown. Executive power was strengthened under this new order, while legislative and judicial authority remained in the hands of the Alþingi but was gradually transferred to the Norwegian and later Danish rulers until the King of Denmark became an absolute monarch of Iceland in 1662.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thingvellir

Halong Bay, Vietnam

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 07:25:25 -0700

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

According to local legend, when the Vietnamese were fighting Chinese invaders, the gods sent a family of dragons to help defend the land. This family of dragons began spitting out jewels and jade. These jewels turned into the islands and islets dotting the bay, linking together to form a great wall against the invaders. The people kept their land safe and formed what later became the country of Vietnam. After that, dragons were interested in peaceful sightseeing of the earth, and then decided to live here. The place where the mother dragon descended was named Hạ Long.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halong_Bay#Etymology

Pantheon, Rome, Italy

nobody@flickr.com (Ferry Vermeer) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 06:55:11 -0700

Ferry Vermeer posted a photo:

The Pantheon (Latin: Pantheon, from Greek: Πάνθειον, an adjective meaning "to every god") is a building in Rome, Italy, commissioned by Marcus Agrippa as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome, and rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian in about 126 AD. The nearly-contemporary writer (2nd–3rd centuries AD), Cassius Dio, speculated that the name comes either from the statues of so many gods placed around this building, or else from the resemblance of the dome to the heavens.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon,_Rome

The interior of the dome was possibly intended to symbolize the arched vault of the heavens. The oculus at the dome's apex and the entry door are the only sources of light in the interior. Throughout the day, the light from the oculus moves around this space in a sort of reverse sundial effect. The oculus also serves as a cooling and ventilation method. During storms, a drainage system below the floor handles the rain that falls through the oculus. The dome features sunken panels (coffers), in five rows of twenty-eight. This evenly spaced layout was difficult to achieve and, it is presumed, had symbolic meaning, either numerical, geometric, or lunar. In antiquity, the coffers may have contained bronze stars, rosettes, or other ornaments. Circles and squares form the unifying theme of the interior design. The checkerboard floor pattern contrasts with the concentric circles of square coffers in the dome. Each zone of the interior, from floor to ceiling, is subdivided according to a different scheme. As a result, the interior decorative zones do not line up. The overall effect is immediate viewer orientation according to the major axis of the building, even though the cylindrical space topped by a hemispherical dome is inherently ambiguous. This discordance has not always been appreciated, and the attic level was redone according to Neoclassical taste in the 18th century.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon,_Rome#Interior