“Sydney Opera House”

The Sydney Opera House in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia is one of the most distinctive and famous 20th-century  buildings, and one of the most famous performing arts venues in the world. Situated on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, with parkland to its south and close to the enormous Sydney Harbour Bridge, the building and its surroundings form an iconic Australian image. To some the spherical-sectioned shells remind them of the flotilla of sailboats commonly cruising there. Tourists - mostly with little or no interest in opera - throng to the building in their thousands every week purely to see it.

                     As well as many touring theatre, ballet, and musical productions the Opera House is the home of Opera Australia, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. It is administered by the Opera House Trust, under the New South Wales (NSW) Ministry of the Arts.

Contents:

Ø 1 Description 2 History 2.1 Origins 2.2 Utzon and,

Ø construction of the Opera House 2.3 Construction after Utzon 2.4 Opening 2.5 After the opening 2.6 Separate facts 3 Other images 4 Further reading 5 External links.

Description :

The Sydney Opera House has about 1000 rooms, including five theatres, five rehearsal studios, two main halls, four restaurants, six bars and numerous souvenir shops.  The roofs of the House are constructed of 1,056,000 glazed white granite tiles, imported from Sweden.  

                             Despite their self-cleaning nature, they are still subject to periodic maintenance and replacement. The House interior is composed of pink granite mined from Tarana, NSW and wood and brush box plywood supplied from northern NSW.

            The five consitutent theatres of the Sydney Opera House are the Concert Hall (with a seating capacity of 2679), the Opera Theatre (1547 seats), the Drama Theatre (544 seats), the Playhouse (398 seats) and the Studio Theatre (364 seats).

             The Concert Hall contains the Sydney Opera House Grand Organ, the largest mechanical tracker action organ in the world with over 10,000 pipes. The shells of the Opera House The theatres are housed in a series of large shells, conceived by dissecting a hemisphere. The Concert Hall and Opera Theatre are contained in the largest shells, and the other theatres are located on the sides of the shells. Large free public performances have also often been staged in front of the Monumental Steps that lead up to the base of the main sets of shells. A much smaller set of shells set to one side of the Monumental steps houses one of the formal dining restaurants.

“Chichen  Itza”

  

Chichen  Itza   which means “at the mouth of the well of Itza “.  Today  is the 2nd most visited archeological site of “Mexico”. The Kukulkan  Pyramid in  Chichen-Itza  which known as “El Castillo” (the castle), is one of the new seven wonders of the world elected in 07 july 2007. It is exactly 24 m. high  considering the upper platform. Apart from the Kukulkan Pyramid, in Chichen Itza there many  other  archaeological sites to visit, all carrying traces from  Mayan Culture  in many ways. . Chichen Itza  was the most important political, economic and religious center  for  the  Mayan civilization, during its golden years.

Chichen Itza  was recently named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, after a worldwide voting via the internet. Since 1988 “UNESCO” has considered the archeological city as a World Heritage Site. These titles are well deserved by Chichen Itza, since it is only through the understanding of the rituals held there and the engravings on buildings throughout the city that we can fully comprehend the ancient wisdom the Mayans, some of which is still relevant today.

The fascinating fact of the Mayans is the perfect harmony they had with nature, reflected through the special arrangement of the buildings in the city, built to coincide with significant astronomical phenomena.

The part of Chichen Itza open to the public consists of 17 constructions, many of which have partially been restored or reconstructed, using the same materials as the Maya, now a days. There are also two cenotes definitely worth visiting, which are natural water wells formed by rainwater filtered through the limestone walls.

Once, In the center of the archaeological site, visitors immediately focus their attention on the imposing beauty and impressive size of the Temple of Kukulcan, also known as ''El Castillo'' (The Castle), for it is one of the highest buildings constructed by the Mayans. The temples four sides each has a stairway running up it and the base of the north side is watched over by two gigantic snake heads, representing the plumed serpent or god Kukulcan.

There's another part of Chichen Itza not yet open to visitors known as''Chichen Viejo'' (Old Chichen). This part of the site has 13 more structures of varying dimensions and two large plazas.

         Once this area is ready for tourists, visitors may be able to wander through the almost 19 square miles that this city covered in its heyday.

 For over 1,000 years, Chichen Itza was a center of pilgrimage for the ancient Maya. The Sacred “Cenote “(a large natural well or limestone sink hole) was holy to the ancient Rain God "Chac".

About 987 the ruler of the Toltec people of central Mexico came here, and with his Maya allies made Chichen Itza the most powerful city in the Yucatan. The ruler called himself "Kukulcan", the name of the Mesoamerican Feathered Serpent deity (also known as "Quetzalcoatl") and Chichen Itza became a center for worship of that god as well. More buildings were built here in a mixture of Maya and Toltec styles.

About 1221 the Maya revolted against the rulers of Chichen Itza. The city was not abandoned, but as political power shifted elsewhere it declined and no major new buildings were constructed. Chichen Itza remained a place of pilgrimage for the Maya until it was conquered by the Spanish Conquistadors in the 16th century.

The structures of Chichen Itza were overgrown with jungle and slowly decayed until major archaeological projects began in the 1920s. Since then, more of the ancient structures have been cleared and restored and more and more tourists come to visit.

Christ the Redeemer

Christ the Redeemer

 The statue of  Christ the Redeemer  in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil that was built as a symbol of Brazilian Christianity. The idea of building a religious monument was first suggested by a Catholic Priest  in 1850. It wasn't until 1920 when a group petitioned for support to build a landmark statue that it became a reality.  In 1920s, construction began, taking nine years to finish.  Dseign  was chosen from several  ideas. Christ the Redeemer is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, now a days.

Interesting Facts of  Christ the Redeemer:

·      Christ the Redeemer is the largest art deco statue in the world. It is 98 feet tall (not including the 26 foot pedestal), and the arms stretch to 92 feet wide.

·      The weighs of statue 635 tonnes approx.

·      Christ the Redeemer is located in the Tijuca Forest National Forest, at the top of the Corcovado Mountain.

·      The statue is considered an icon of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.

·      It is the 5th largest statue of Jesus “Christ the Redeemer”.

·      The first suggestion to build a large religious monument was made in the 1850s by a Catholic priest names “Pedro Maria Boss”. The request for financing wasn't approved because Princess Isabel was not a fan of the idea. The request was officially denied in 1889 when Brazil mandated the separation of church and state. A petition started by a group in the early 1920s, called the Catholic Circle of Rio, was successful. Construction began in 1922 and took nine years to complete.

·      The money to build Christ the Redeemer came from Brazil's Catholic community.

·      There were several designs to choose from:

Ø One was a depiction of the Christian cross.

Ø Another was a statue of Jesus holding a globe, while standing over a pedestal that was to symbolize the world.

·      It was completed in 1931. It officially opened on “October 12, 1931”.

·      In 1931, the cost  was approximately $250,000 US. Today that would roughly be the equivalent of $3.2 million US.

·      The chosen statue is meant to show that Christ loves all and will embrace all that come to him.

·      The stones that were used to build Christ the Redeemer came from “Sweden”.

·      The statue had to be constructed in pieces and carried to the mountain top to be erected.

·      The materials used to build Christ the Redeemer were reinforced concrete and soapstone.

·      Arm point :

Ø The right arm points to south Rio de Janeiro, and

Ø The left arm points to north Rio de Janeiro.

                                                                                                                                    

·      In 2008 a violent electrical storm resulted in a lightning strike to the statue. The head, eyebrows and fingers were damaged. The soapstone exterior of the statue prevented severe damage as it acted as an insulator. The Rio de Janeiro state government began a restoration effort. They replaced some layers of soapstone and repaired the lightning rods on the statue.

·      All the stone used in restoration efforts came from the same quarry as the original stone.

·      Christ the Redeemer was vandalized in 2010 by a housepainter. He had sprayed the head and right arm with graffiti. The culprit was later identified.

·      In 2003 there were escalators, elevators and walkways installed. These made it possible to access the platform that surrounds Christ the Redeemer.

·      This statue became one of the New Seven Wonders of the World on July 7th, 2007.

The White House

“WASHINGTON,D.C”

·       The White House is the  offical residence   and  president of united states  is the  principal workplace  located at 1600  pennsylvania Avenue NW  in  Washington,D.C .  Since Johan Adams  in 1800, has been the residence of every U.S. president, and the term is often used by journalists as a  metonym  to refer to the acts of the President and his top advisors.

·       The house was designed by Irish-born  James hoban  and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted  Aquia Creek sandstone  in the  Neoclassical Style  . When  Thomas Jefferson moved into the house in 1801, he (with architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe)  expanded the building outward, creating two  colonnades  that were meant to conceal stables and storage.

·       In 1814, , the mansion was set ablaze by the  British Army   in the   Burning of Washington,  destroying the interior and charring much of the exterior during the  War of 1812 . In October 1817,  reconstruction began almost immediately, and President   James Monroe   moved into the partially reconstructed  Executive Residence  . Construction continued with the addition of the South Portico in 1824 and the North in 1829.

·       Palladian  is a combination of the  mansion's southern façade and neoclassical styles of architecture. It is of three floors, all visible. The ground floor is “rusticated”  in the Palladian fashion.  At the centre of the façade is a neoclassical projecting bow of three bays. The bow is flanked by 5 bays, the windows of which, as on the north façade, have alternating segmented and pointed pediments at first-floor level. The bow has a ground floor  double  staircase  leading to an lonic colonnaded loggia  (with the Truman Balcony   at second-floor level), known as the “south portico”. The more modern third floor is hidden by a balustraded  parapet and plays no part in the composition of the façade.

“AKSHARDHAM  TEMPLE”

“Akshardham” at Gandhinagar  is one of the largest temples in the Indian state of Gujarat. The temple complex combines devotions, art, architecture, education, exhibitions and research at one place. The monument which is set in a 23-acre plot at Gandhinagar  (Gandhinagar district) is built in pink sandstone.  It is 108 feet tall and 6000 tonnes of stone has gone into its making.  A point worth noting is that this modern monument to Hinduism was built as per the injunctions of “Vastu Shastra”. Not a bit of steel has been used.

The garden which is named “Sahajanand “ Van is a unique blend of contemplative garden and children's park. It encloses a single-piece marble sculpture of “Lord Swaminarayan”  and includes cultural spots; rides and games for children; herbal garden; a lake and a waterfall

It is a perfect mix of modernity and ancient values.  Apart from Lord Rama going in search of his kidnapped wife,  the visitor can see “Shravan”- the dutiful son, the Pandavas losing the game of dice in the Hastinapur  palace, etc. Besides the visitors can also see Sabari's long wait for “Lord Rama” and “Draupadi's humiliation”  in the  “Kauravasabha ” .

The Hall of Harmony projects world religions side by side. The monument is ringed by aparikrama  containing 365 stone pillars. The temple also houses the Akshardham  Center for Applied Research in Social Harmony (AARSH)  which is a futuristic research center with a rich library, study stations and archives.  Access to the library is confined to enlisted scholars.

So far millions of people have visited the monument since its inception on November 2,1992. They have been able to savour the story of Hinduism and to imbibe the message of universal peace and brotherhood.

About India Gate

“INDIA GATE”

India Gate is constructed as a memorial and was built in the memory of 90,00 soldiers who laid down their lives during World war I. Located at Rajpath, India Gate  Delhi is “42 m high” and is a popular relaxation area during the summer evenings. This monument also acts as popular picnic spot during winter. Also known as the All India War Memorial or the Gate of India,  India Gate was designed and constructed by Lutyens. He is same architect who designed government buildings in New Delhi.

India Gate Delhi Information

Location: New Delhi

Famous As: All India War Memorial

Designed By: Edwin Lutyens In 1921

Height: 42m

Admission fee: There is no admission fee

Best time to visit: In evening after sunset between 7pm to 9 pm

India Gate History:

The foundation stone was laid by “HRH” the Duke of Connaught in 1921 and the monument was dedicated to the nation 10 years later by the then Viceroy, Lord Irwin. 

                         Another memorial, “Amar Jawan Jyoti” was added much later after India had said goodbye to its imperial rulers. It is in the form of a flame that burns day and night under the arch to remind the nation of soldiers who perished in the Indo-Pakistan War of December 1971.

The Taj Mahal

“About the Taj mahal”

Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal, a wondrous monument built in dedication to love, beauty, and life of Mumtaz Mahal, had succeeded in his lifetime his dire wish to immortalize the name of Mumtaz Mahal, his third wife. Such is the esteem of Mumtaz Mahal that she is known by one and all, who've ever heard of Taj Mahal. Born in 1593 as “Arjumand Banu Begum”, she was the daughter of “Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan” and a princess from the “Persian nobility”. So enthralling was her beauty that Shah Jahan (then Prince Khurram) fell in love with her at the first sight. It was in 1607 that she was betrothed to Prince Khurram and soon became the unquestionable love of his life. Five years later in 1612, their marriage was solemnized and from then on, started one of the most popular love stories of the world.

             Although she was one of the three wives of Shah Jahan, she was his favorite. He even bestowed her with the name Mumtaz Mahal meaning "Jewel of the Palace", and the highest honor of the land - the royal seal, Mehr Uzaz.

              It is estimated to have taken more than 22,000 people to build this impressive building including labourers, painters, stonecutters, embroidery artists, and many others. The four sides of the Taj Mahal are perfectly identical creating an astonishingly mirrored image on each side. The full height of the Taj Mahal is 171 metres (561 feet).

                 lf-replicating geometry and symmetry of architectural elements. Many precious stones were ripped off from its walls by the British during the Indian rebellion of 1857.

About of statue of liberty

FASCINATING  FACTS  “ STATUE OF LIBERTY”

1.    The statue’s full name is “Liberty Enlightening” the World.

2.    It was a gift from France, given to   America in 1886.

3.    The head of the statue was displayed at  the World's Fair in Paris in 1878.

4.    300 different types of hammers were used to create the copper structure.

5.     The statue’s original torch was replaced in 1984 by a new copper torch covered in 24k gold leaf.

6.    The Statue of Liberty became the “symbol of immigration” during the second half of the 19th century,

7.    The statue’s most famous cinematic appearance was in the 1968 film “Planet of the Apes” where it is seen half buried in sand.

8.     It is also destroyed in the films "Independence Day" and "The Day After Tomorrow".

9.              When the statue was first erected in 1886 it was the tallest iron structure ever built.

10.        In 1984, the statue was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

11.       In high winds of 50mph Lady Liberty can sway by up to 3 inches, while her torch can move 5 inches.

12.       The statue will be celebrating its 127th birthday in October 2013.

13.       The cost of building the statue and pedestal amounted to over $500,000, over $10m in today’s money.

FACTS OF GREAT WALL OF CHINA

             GREAT WALL OF CHINA

  · The Great Wall of China was built over 2,000 years ago, by “Qin Shi Huangdi”, the first emperor of China during the Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty (221 B.C - 206 B.C.). In Chinese the wall is called "Wan-Li Qang-Qeng" which means 10,000-Li Long Wall (10,000 Li = about 5,000 km)……………

·       The Great Wall is one of the largest building construction. It stretches across the mountains of northern China, winding north and northwest of Beijing. It is constructed of masonry, rocks and packed-earth. It was over 5,000 km (=10,000 Li) long. Its thickness ranged from about 4.5 to 9 meters (15 to 30 feet) and was up to 7.5 meters (25 feet) tall. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Great Wall was enlarged to 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles) and renovated over a 200 year period, with watch-towers and cannons added.

·       The Great Wall can be seen from Earth orbit, but, contrary to legend, is not visible from the moon, According to ASTRONAUTS “Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell, and Jim Irwin”.