Travel

Qutub Minar in New Delhi is known to be the tallest brick minaret in the world, inspired by the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan, a great example of the early Afghan architecture that later has evolved into another one, the Indo-Islamic architecture. Qutub Minar has aproximatelly 73 meters height,a diameter of 14.30  meters at the base and the top 2.75 meters and five separate floors each with a balcony and each one is on the UNESCO Heritage List with all buildings and monuments located surrounding.

It is a complex that dates back to the Muslim leaders attack in India and is a shining example of fine old architecture, the legacy of Islam. Construction began in 1193 after defeating the last Hindu king of Delhi. It is considered the tallest tower in the world without foundations.

The tower has five distinct levels all marked with a balcony. Inside are 379 steps. Different plans of the three lower floors, with balconies and buildings in the form of stalactites, and its inscriptions from the Koran, in Arabic, on the facade, enrich the decorative effect of the tower. First three floors are red stone, the 4th, and 5th in marble and stone.

Near Qutub Minar tower of sandstone there is the first mosque in the area traces, as shown by an inscription on the east gate, which was built with stone of some old Hindu temples which have been demolished. Other Indian buildings who escaped the disaster were completely destroyed by Timur Lenk, who sacked the city in 1398, killing over 100,000 people.

There are many other art treasures in this city, today a settlement with the modern airport, university, museums and theaters. Temples were built, even newer, such as the Lotus Temple, completed in 1986. People here have also raised a monument in memory of Mahatma Gandhi and the Indira Gandhi’s house, murdered in 1984, is a real place of pilgrimage.

Termessos is partly ruins of the ancient trading town, which, apparently, seem to be even humble by Alexander the Great. It is situated in Turkey, not so far by the Turkish Riviera, about 30 miles northwest of the amazing Antalya city, in the high mountains.

Termessos is a beautiful place tipic for ancient monuments, which offers every visitor a real and great mystery. Its original inhabitants called Solymové came here once during the first millennium BC. It is also called Sami after the Mount Solymos, which is known as Güllüg Dag.

Unlike the inhabitants of the ancient cities of the coast, those in the old city were originally from Anatylia. In 333 BC, the city was besieged by Alexander the Great but it was not conquered because of the city’s strategic location.

35 km travelled by car in north-west of Antalya, and two miles from climbing on the Güllük Dagi, will lead you, surely, to the best-preserved ruins of the Turkish Termessos city, where you can see the stunning Gulf of Antalya .

Surrounded by a thick pine forest and hidden by a carpet of plants, Termessos seems to be hidden namely by the world to keep the peaceful park area and to maintain harmony of the natural and historical treasures.

Due to the alarming increase in the number of species of plants and endangered animals that grow and live near the ruins of the old city, the city was included in Termessos National Park which stretches along the Korkuteli Antalya highway.

The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark

The Basilica of Saint Mark is the most important tourist attraction after the San Marco Market and rightly so. It is a monument of Byzantine architecture, adorned with gold and bright mosaics and enough sculptures to impress any tourist.
The basilica was built to preserve the relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist, which were stolen from Alexandria by two Italian merchants in 828 AD. After 200 years, the remains were moved to the Basilica of Saint Mark. It has became the Cathedral of Venice in 1807, after many years as a local church, under the Doge ruling in the Venetian Republic. Many popes have served as the patriarchs of the cathedral, the most recent being Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul I.

Basilica is in the form of a Byzantine cross framed as a square, each arm of the cross itself, forming a dome. The Basilica of Saint Mark is faithful to the Apostles of the Church architecture built by Justinian in Constantinople. The special place arranged for the choir is situated above a crypt. The interior plan shows several ships – three longitudinal and three transverse vessels.

Above the high altar is a canopy placed on decorated columns with bas-reliefs belonging to the eleventh century. The masterpiece that represent the altar forms Pala d’Oro, meaning the Golden wall. More specifically, its altar is a Byzantine metal-work done in 1105 in order to establish the apse facade that owns the altar . Behind the high altar is another altar, this time presenting as individual items, alabaster columns.

Inside, the basilica walls were covered with mosaics, forming a mixture of Byzantine and Gothic styles, while the floor features a syncretism of the twelfth century, featuring pieces of marble in geometric and animal Mitov.

The mosaics are made from pieces of gold, bronze and a variety of stones. Narthex mosaics depict scenes from the Old Testament, with beautiful series that shows the days of creation in the right dome of the basilica.

Step by step, the brick exterior came to be covered with various marbles and sculpture, some of them even older than the building itself (such as statues of the four tetrarch). A new facade was built, and the domes were covered with other domes and even larger, made of wood, in order to align the basilica to the Gothic architecture style of the Doge’s Palace, which had been reconfigured.

The construction of the Gothic Cathedral in Cologne began in 1248, but was only completed in 1880. It was built several centuries and is also a symbol of the European power of Christianity. On the UNESCO list, the cathedral was registered in 1996.

Included on the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage, is one of the most beautiful historic monuments in Germany, one of the largest cathedrals in the world and a perfect architectural expression of German architecture. Between 1880 – 1884 was also the world’s tallest building until the construction of the Washington Monument and the Eiffel Tower was complete. Works on this cathedral began in 1248 but will take more than 600 years for everything to be ready and the building to have the appearance today. After works have been completed, in 1880, the cathedral became the center of attraction of the city and a sacred place for believers. During the Second World War the cathedral was hit by no less than 14 bombs, but miraculously resisted.

The cologne is the ancient name of the German city Cologne. Full Roman Name of the millennia-old German cities was, in its founding year, 50 AD, Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinesium. Emperor Claudius, its founder, gave this name because it was the birthplace of his wife Agripina. In the medieval period Cologne became an important economic center, because here the river Rhine is crossed by several trade routes, educationally through the university which was founded here in 1308, but also religious. Under this aspect, the prestige of the city was fully represented by the cathedral, whose construction started here since the thirteenth century, namely in 1248. For 600 years, with periods of work interruption or enthusiast, was built the largest cathedral in Germany.

On 15 August 1248 Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden laid the foundation stone of the cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the Apostle Peter, who came to be known, especially as the Cologne Cathedral. Its construction was important to keep in a single jewel in the Christian world, given by Emperor Frederick Barbarosa Archbishop Rainald of Dasel in 1164, namely the remains of the Three Wise Men who worshiped Christ in Bethlehem and brought them as offerings, gold , myrrh and frankincense. Although construction started initially with fervor, it entered then into a process of stagnation, being resumed and completed in stages after the enthusiast resumption of works, in 1880. The completion was celebrated in Germany as a national event. Its size says everythings: 144 meters length, 86 width and the main towers heigth of 157 meters. Upon completion of the works was the tallest building in the world, but it has lost its quality in 1884, after the construction of the Washington Monument. However, it still remains the tallest Gothic structure in the world.

If you have heard about the wonderful holiday destination of Lake Garda in Italy, then no doubt you will be interested to find out about the holidays you can find in the beautiful region. There are of course hundreds of different options available for you to explore, with some fine hotels in the region, not to mention some lovely self catering apartments. Having said that, one of the great things about this area is the feeling you have of being in the great outdoors, and the best way to accentuate this feeling is by camping.

Lake Garda is probably one of the best places in the world to camp. The climate is perfect, given that you can expect warm, but manageable temperatures, which mean that nights are not too muggy. You will also find that camping allows you to pick and choose whether to cook in your accommodation or go to a restaurant to dine. This makes your holiday a lot more flexible and means that you can dictate the pace and also the cost of your holiday more easily. Lake Garda Holidays can be absolutely wonderful if you get the planning right. There are many great camping holidays to Lake Garda on the internet, and you are sure to find something that suits the whole family. The prices should be well affordable, and the money you save by camping will mean that you can relax on holiday knowing that you have a comfortable budget with which to do as you please.

The Magritte Museum, situated in central Brussels, has attracted more than half a million visitors in 2009, when it was opened. The museum, dedicated to Magritte Belgian surrealist artist’s work, was opened on 2nd of June 2009, since when has been visited by 535,000 people. Most visitors who come to admire the collection of this museum unique in the world, come from other countries, abroad. During the first months after opening, the interest was so great that the art lovers have had to reserve tickets in advance to avoid long lines at the entrance to the museum.

Even now, many visitors make advance reservations via the internet.
The museum works closely with the Menil Foundation in Houston, Texas. Cooperation with American colleagues made possible borrowing artworks from the Menhil collection of Magritte Museum. “Listening Room” and “Telescope” are currently checked out for twelve months. Also, by the end of the year, from Texas will come the work of Margritte, the “Secret Player” which will be admired for five months.

The Magritte Museum is located on Koningsplein, just opposite the Royal Palace. From Brussels Central Station you have to go on foot for five minutes.

Schedule:
From Tuesday to Sunday, 10.00 AM to 5.00 PM.
Wednesday, open till late at night, 8.00 PM.

The Montreal Botanical Garden is the largest tourist attraction in the city, with more than 22,000 species of plants in 31 themed gardens, including the largest Chinese garden outside Asia and a Japanese garden with tea room and a wonderful collection of bonsai. It is considered as one of the largest botanical gardens in the world. Thea insectary is open throughout the year, the Japanese tea house from 15 May to 31 October, the exhibition theme: China-a world of paper, from 15 May to 31 October.
At lunch you can relax in the Botanical Garden. This paradise of plants, is one
of the largest botanical gardens in the world, precisely the second one.
In the afternoon, at the Jardin Botanique in Montreal, the second largest botanical garden in the world, water lilies are already preparing for bed.
Nature is a woman of loose morals, but with a fantasy without competition.
The Botanical Garden entrance is around $ 15 per person and it will be given a trick as well: before 9 am and after 6 pm the entrance is free (but the greenhouse, bonsai garden, Japanese house are closed)! The garden is opened daily. And it’s a beautiful garden, too!

Located in northwestern Switzerland and crossed by the Rhine River, the Basel city boasts with one of the most visited cathedrals in Switzerland, Munster, built in early 1000 and rebuilt after the devastating earthquake in 1356.
Munster Cathedral is an easily recognizable building, with an impressive tower, the tallest in Switzerland. The works started in 1421, but were interrupted at the beginning of the sixteenth century. The cathedral was completed in 1893, when the tower was added. The interior is solid, carefully constructed with impressive decorations.
Here lies buried the humanist writer and thinker Erasmus but also a low relief depicting the martyrdom of St. Vincent.
Lovers of history who came to Bern certainly will not miss a chance of a visit to Munster, an easy recognizable building, with an impressive tower, actually the tallest in Switzerland. It is one of the most beautiful worship places in Europe, visited every year by countless tourists and believers who come from all over the country.
Unfortunately during the Reform, most of the interior decorations and religious objects were destroyed in the original impetus of anti-Catholic, being kept only the sculptures that adorn the entrance, choir stalls and some of the beautiful stained glass.
In the city of Basel foray it is recommend to not miss this symbol of the city, Münster Cathedral, built of red brick in the late Gothic style.

Albert Cuyp Market is situated on the street of Albert Cuyp and it is also one of the most chaotic and popular squares in the city of Amsterdam. It has become a great and well known tourist destination and therefore is full of tourists. This market in the city is perfect for shopping, but only when it is about visiting them. Market will continue to be one of the main destinations in Amsterdam city.

Square was named after a painter from the seventeenth century and is located in Amsterdam called De Pijp area. Market itself has at least the time that was founded by painter and salesman who located here to stalls selling all sorts of goods. It was only legalized in 1905 officials in the existing market place. Market was open only on Saturday evening. After several years because the market was still increased popularity, the market started to be open six days a week.

Due to congestion of pedestrian traffic car market is closed for as long as it is opened. In addition to being one of the most interesting sights of the city, Albert Cuyp market and is designed to provide local fresh fruits and vegetables and other goods nature. By some estimates Albert Cuyp market is the market crowded around Holland and probably one of the largest markets in Europe. Albert Cuyp Market is not just a tourist attraction but is also a place where tourists can find quality products at affordable prices. Sometimes even here can be bought and electronic products. Market is very popular among inhabitants of Amsterdam and from other cultures and civilizations such as Surinam, Antilles, Turkey or Morocco.

Prado Museum in Madrid is something different.If we think that anywhere in the world there is no museum to be the main attraction, in Madrid tourists who think art galleries are a secondary attraction, gives a particular interest and even priority to the museum.

Prado Museum is located in a building built during the reign of Charles III, part of an urbanization plan, wanting to do from Madrid a monumental city. This meadow has named the entire area (Paseo del Prado), then even to the museum itself, after nationalization. Work on the building have been suspended after the reign of Charles III, during the Spanish war of independence being only initiated again during the reign of his grandson.

Graceful building, a neoclassical style, but not spectacular, which is allocated in the Prado or the National Museum of Painting, has its origins in the late seventeenth century, during the reign of Charles IV, when was established as a natural museum of history.Ferdinand changed its seventh century, from science to art, was inaugurated in 1819 as Real Museo, with a core of 300 paintings from the royal collection, which has grown in quantity in time.But not only the quantity but also the quality represents “Prado”.

It was founded as a museum full of paintings and sculptures as well, and containing an important collection of more than five thousand drawings, 2 thousands prints and almost 2 thousands decorative objects and art works. The Prado Museum had the largest collections of works by Spain’s Diego Velázquez and Francisco Goya.
The museum hasa lot of excellent collections which are signed by El Greco, Raphael, Titian, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Botticelli, Rembrandt, etc.