Cordoba History

Cordoba

History

The Romans (206 B.C.E.) built the original city on the most strategic site of the Guadalquivir River. From Cordoba, they shipped Spanish olive oil, wine and wheat back to Rome. They built the mighty bridge that spans the river, El Puente Romano. But the city's greatest glory was to be achieved under the Moors (711). Cordoba became the capital of El Andalus and was destined to become a center of Moorish art, architecture, philosophy and poetry. 

The city's most famous landmark, Mezquita, or Great Mosque, was one of the largest in all Islam. An investigation into the history of this magnificent structure reveals the checkered story of Cordoba's past. The Romans built a pagan temple on the site which was destroyed by the Visigoths (400 - 711) when they conquered Spain. In its stead, the Goths erected a church for St. Vincent which, in turn, was razed by the victorious Moors, who set to work building the Mezquita. The spectacular landmark took more than 200 years to complete and more than 1,000 pillars of granite, onyx, marble and jasper support its arches. When the Christians seized the city in 1236 they were awed by the beauty of the mosque and decided to build a cathedral in the midst of its columns and arches. Another famous monument is the Alcazar, or Fortress, which was constructed by the Christians in 1326

National Museum of Bangladesh History

History

The museum itself has a history, which began with the establishment of Dhaka Museum on 20 March 1913 with an annual government grant of Rs 2,000. The plea for setting up a museum in Dhaka was first made in the newspaper The Dhaka news on 1 November 1856. In 1909, a few coins were transferred from Shillong to Dhaka, and a suitable place was needed to preserve them. H E Stapleton, a famous numismatist made a proposal to Governor Sir Lancelot Hare on 1 March 1910 to establish a museum in Dhaka. Consequently, a meeting of distinguished citizens of Dhaka was held on 25 July 1912 at Northbrook hall. The establishment of the museum was formally approved by the government and published in the official Gazette of 5 March 1913. A provisional General Committee of 30 members was constituted with Nicholas D Beatson-Bell, Commissioner of Dhaka Division, as president. It was authorized to appoint a provisional executive committee to draft rules for the management of the museum. The rules drawn up were approved by the government on 18 November 1913, and in accordance with these, a general committee and an executive committee were formed.

In the first meeting of the general committee held on 3 March 1914, a decision was taken to request the Bengal government for a grant of Rs 5,000 to cover the development expenses of the museum for 1914-15. The first meeting of the executive committee was held on 19 May 1914. At this meeting the draft budget for the year 1914-15 was prepared and a decision was taken to appoint a curator. Although the museum was inaugurated on 7 August 1913, it was opened to the public on 25 August 1914, with 379 objects on display. A total of 4,453 people visited the museum in 1914-15; among them 143 were female.

Gradually, collections and activities of the museum increased. The secretariat of the museum was transferred to Baraduwari and Deuri at Nimtali (now in the premises of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh) in July 1915. In 1936, the government dissolved both the general committee and the executive committee and a 9-member Dhaka Museum Committee was formed with the Vice Chancellor of the University of Dhaka as president and the curator of the museum as secretary. According to the Dhaka Museum Ordinance, a board of trustees was formed on 22 April 1970 and the museum became an autonomous institution. The Bangladesh Jatiya Jadughar (National Museum) Ordinance was promulgated on 20 September 1983 under which the Bangladesh Jatiya Jadughar Board of Trustees has been constituted on 15 November 1983. The Bangladesh National Museum was shifted to its present site at Shahbag on 17 November 1983.

 National Museum of Bangladesh

 National Museum of Bangladesh

 National Museum of Bangladesh

National Museum of Bangladesh

The Luneta Park Philipine History And Pictures

The Luneta Park

Profile

The premier park of the Philippines, Luneta Park is located in the heart of Manila City, the Capital of the Philippines. It is officially called Rizal Park in honor of Dr. Jose Rizal, the country's National Hero who was executed in this place. During the Spanish period, it was known as Bagumbayan meaning new town.

Showcasing the country's culture and heritage, the park is a major tourist attraction in the city of Manila. It is also the favorite spot for strolling and for families to have picnics especially on Sundays and holidays. On the western end of the park is Quirino Grandstand where important events such as the celebration of Independence Day are held. Across the Rizal Monument is a large flagpole that also serves as the point from which road distances in the Philippines are measured. Other sections of the park are the relief map, the Japanese and Chinese gardens, the Lapu-Lapu monument, National Historical Institure, Museo Pambata and San Lorenzo monument.,

 The Luneta Park

  The Luneta Park

  The Luneta Park

 The Luneta Park

Petra

Petra, located in the south of the Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan, a city carved into red sand rock mountains on the edge of the Dead Sea Rift valley, overlookig Wadi Araba. 2000 years ago it was the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom, with ports in Aila (Aqaba) and Gaza, and access to the desert of Arabia to the south and east, and being easily approached from the rest of the ancient world in the north, Petra became the meeting point of the ancient trade routs, and the Nabataeans gained great wealth, expressed by their unique architecture, gardens and waterfalls. The beauty of nature in the area has added to the city's charm, time had its share in creating the amazing rock formations and colors of its mountains. Petra now is a prime touristic destination, visited daily by thousands of lucky tourists from all over the world, the combination of nature, archaeology and the chance to meet the local Bedouins makes it a favourite place for many travellers.

 Petra 

  Petra 

  Petra 

 Petra 

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is renowned as one of the most impressive and intriguing man-made structures on earth. It is also the subject of an awesome mythology, embedded in both learned and popular imaginations, which has grown up and now obscured the historical record. Even the maps which chart the Wall's position offer erroneous accounts of a phenomenon which has never been accurately surveyed. Arthur Waldron reveals that the notion of an ancient and continuously existing Great Wall, one of modern China's national symbols and a legend in the eyes of the West, is in fact a myth. His fascinating account reveals the strategic and political context for the decision to build walls as fortified defences, and explores its profound implications for nomadic and agricultural life under the Ming dynasty. Taking up the insights offered into more recent Chinese politics, the book concludes with a searching investigation of the Wall's new meanings in the myths - departing from that history - fostered in our own century.

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China

Qutub Minar India History And Pictures

Qutub Minar

History

 Qutb-u'd-Din Aibak laid the foundation of Qutab Minar in AD 1199. The minar was said to have been built to celebrate the victory of Mohammed Ghori, the invader from Afghanistan, over the Rajputs in 1192. He raised the first storey, to which were added three more storeys by his successor and son-in-law, Shamsu'd-Din IItutmish (AD 1211-36). All the storeys are surrounded by a projected balcony encircling the Minar and supported by stone brackets, which are decorated with honeycomb design, more conspicuously in the first storey.

    Numerous inscriptions in Arabic and Nagari characters in different places of the Minar reveal the history of Qutb. According to the inscriptions on its surface it was repaired by Firoz Shah Tughlaq (AD 1351-88) and Sikandar Lodi (AD 1489-1517).
 Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, to the northeast of Minar was built by Qutbu'd-Din Aibak in AD 1198. It is the earliest mosque built by the Delhi Sultans. It consists of a rectangular courtyard enclosed by cloisters, erected with the carved columns and architectural members of 27 Hindu and Jain temples, which were demolished by Qutbu'd-Din Aibak as recorded in his inscription on the main eastern entrance.
Later, a lofty arched screen was erected and the mosque was enlarged, by Shamsu'd- Din IItutmish (AD 1210-35) and Alau'd-Din Khalji. The Iron Pillar in the courtyard bears an inscription in Sanskrit in Brahmi script of 4th century AD, according to which the pillar was set up as a Vishnudhvaja (standard of Lord Vishnu) on the hill known as Vishnupada in memory of a mighty king named Chandra. A deep socket on the top of the ornate capital indicates that probably an image of Garuda was fixed into it.
The Tomb of IItutmish (AD 1211-36) was built in AD 1235. It is a plain square chamber of red sandstone, profusely carved with inscriptions, geometrical and arabesque patterns in Saracenic tradition on the entrances and the whole of interior. Some of the motifs viz., the wheel, tassel, etc., are reminiscent of Hindu designs. Ala 'i- Darwaza, the southern gateway of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque was constructed by Alau'd-Din Khalji in AH 710 (AD 1311) as recorded in the inscriptions engraved on it. This is the first building employing Islamic principles of construction and ornamentation.

Picturs:

 Qutub Minar

 Qutub Minar

 Qutub Minar

Qutub Minar

Crofton Roman Villa

Address Detail:
Name Crofton Roman Villa
Address Crofton Road, Orpington
Borough Bromley
Town/City Orpington
County London
Post Code BR6 8AE

 Crofton Roman Villa

  Crofton Roman Villa

  Crofton Roman Villa

 Crofton Roman Villa