Showing posts with label Places. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Places. Show all posts
Monday, November 28, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
7 Most Amazing Caves of our World
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Fantastic Cave Pit (USA): deepest known cave pit in the continental US Fantastic Pit is 586′ deep, which is the deepest known cave pit in the continental United States. This pit is big enough to hold the Washington Monument (555′). It is a truly fantastic rappel, it takes almost 8 seconds for a rock to hit the bottom. More caves after the break...
Cave of Crystals (Mexico): world’s largest known natural crystals
Known as “the Sistine Chapel of crystals,” Mexico’s Cueva de los Cristales (Cave of Crystals) contains some of the world’s largest known natural crystals—translucent beams of gypsum as long as 36 feet (11 meters). The cave is 950 feet (290 meters) underground. The Naica mining complex, which yields lead, zinc, copper, silver, and gold, zigzags nearly half a mile underground (760 meters). Deep inside Naica mountain, the Cave of Crystals is a horseshoe-shaped cavity in limestone rock about 30 feet (10 meters) wide and 90 feet (30 meters) long.
Volcanic activity that began about 26 million years ago created Naica mountain and filled it with high-temperature anhydrite gypsum. When magma underneath the mountain cooled and the temperature dropped, the anhydrite began to dissolve. The anhydrite slowly enriched the waters with sulfate and calcium molecules, which for millions of years have been deposited in the caves in the form of huge selenite gypsum crystals.
Majlis al Jinn Cave (Oman): world’s second largest cave chamber
Majlis al Jinn is the second largest cave chamber in the world. It is located in a remote area of the Selma Plateau at around 1600 meters altitude in The Sultanate of Oman. It was discovered in 1983 by Don Davidson, a geologist studying water resources in the Sultanate. Davidson presumably died some ten years later when he left Oman permanently and went hiking in the Andes. He rented a car, drove it to a trailhead, left a note on it saying where he was going, and was never seen again.
Access is through a hole in the ground with a rope. The inner height is between 120 and 150 metres. The cave floor 300 by 200 metres. To give an idea of scale, the Great pyramid of Giza of Egypt (the largest Eygptian pyramid) would almost exactly fit inside the cave chamber; that is, its base is approximately the area of the chamber floor, and its height is also similar.
Waitomo Glowworm Cave (New Zealand): a glowworms’ paradise
The Waitomo Glowworm Cave is a cave on the North Island of New Zealand, known for its population of glowworms, Arachnocampa luminosa. These glowworms spin a nest out of silk on the ceiling of the cave and then hang down. Then, the larva glows to attract prey into its threads, so that the roof of a cave is covered with larva can look remarkably like the heavens at night. A hungry larva glows brighter than one which has just eaten.
A silicon strand is lowered from the ceiling, alongside hundreds of others. Beautiful though these threads are, they have a sinister purpose. To trap its prey it [the cave glow worm] goes fishing with a line of silk. That ghostly blue light is the result of a chemical reaction taking place inside a special capsule in its tail… Insects seem irresistibly drawn towards the source and then get trapped by the sticky lines. Once stuck, there is no escape. Now it’s just a matter of reeling in the line and slowly consuming the catch – alive. By ensnaring the insects that hatch in this cave, these glow worms have solved the biggest challenge that permanent cave dwellers face finding a regular and reliable source of food.
Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves (Austria): largest Ice Caves known to man
There are many ice caves throughout the world, but the Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves in Austria are some of the largest known to man. They are located within the Tennengebirge Mountains near Salzburg and stretch for a remarkable 40 kilometers. Only a portion of the labyrinth is open to tourists but it’s enough to get a taste of what the remaining network is like: a truly mesmerizing palate of Mother Nature’s handicraft. Ice caves are very different from normal caves. They have a strange feeling about them, as though they are not from this planet, and one has just temporarily stepped into their world when spelunking their depths.
Cave of the Ghost (Venezuela): so vast that two helicopters can comfortably fly into it
“Cueva del Fantasma” — Spanish for “Cave of the Ghost” — is so vast that two helicopters can comfortably fly into it and land next to a towering waterfall. A waterfall coming down one wall forms a small pond at the floor. When it was recently discovered, researchers also discovered a new dendrobatid frog species, Colostethus breweri, named for the frog’s identifier, Charles Brewer-Carías.
Dongzhong Cave (China): a primary school
Not actually a fascinating cave in itself, until you consider dozens of children attend everyday to the school on it! The Dongzhong (literally meaning “in cave”) is a primary school at a Miao village in Ziyun county, southwest China’s Guizhou province. The school is built in a huge, aircraft hangar-sized natural cave, carved out of a mountain over thousands of years by wind, water and seismic shift.
7 Stunning Auditoriums & Theatres From The Ancient World
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It’s hard to believe that some of these theatres are close to 3,000 years old, and it’s amazing that they’re even still standing. The amount of engineering knowledge that our ancient ancestors had developed is just as mesmerising especially when some of these auditoria rival present-day outdoor theatres in terms of acoustic properties. That’s amazing for a 2,000 year old theatre that is large enough to seat 25,000 people or more!
The Colosseum, Italy
Probably the most popular of all ancient auditoriums, the Colosseum is also the largest known amphitheatre ever built during the Roman Empire. The construction of the Colosseum was completed in 80 AD, and it originally had a capacity of 50,000 spectators. This venue was used mainly for gladiator competitions and other public spectacles for nearly 500 years. Since then, the Colosseum has taken on some damage due to several earthquakes, and also from stone-robbers who want to have a piece of the famous auditorium.
The Colosseum is quite a large structure. Its original form was approximately 660 Roman feet (1 Roman foot = 0.97 feet) long and 520 Roman feet wide, and a total perimeter of about 1,885 Roman feet. The height of the outer wall measures about 165 Roman feet tall. The Colosseum is Rome’s most popular tourist attraction, and one of the greatest man-made structures of all-time.
More Auditorium after the break...
Epidauros Theatre, Greece
Epidauros Theatre: Built during the fourth century BC, the Epidauros Theatre was a huge 15,000 seat theatre with amazing acoustic properties. As a matter of fact, you can sit anywhere in this auditorium and hear someone on the center stage of the theatre strike a match. The limestone seats seem to block out the low frequencies of crowd chatter, and enhance the high frequencies of performers on-stage. The remarkable acoustic quality of this theatre was either designed by mistake, or it was because of some engineering far ahead of its time.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Greece
Odeon of Herodes Atticus: Originally built in 161 AD by Herodes Atticus, this theatre was built as an amphitheatre with a three-story high stone wall in the front of the venue, and a wooden roof overhead. Since then, this 5,000 seat auditorium has been restored using marble for the seating areas, and it’s today used for concerts during events such as the Athens Festival throughout the summer. The views from this theatre, located on the south slope of the Acropolis of Athens, are spectacular to the say the least.
Side Theatre, Turkey
Side Theatre: The resort town of Side is one of the best-known classical cities in all of Turkey. The huge ancient theatre here is spectacular and was constructed in the classic Roman amphitheatre style with extravagant arches used to support huge walls. The theatre was turned into an open-air venue sometime in the 5th or 6th Century. Much of this massive auditorium has collapsed overtime due to its sheer size and through erosion. This theatre originally sat between 15,000 and 20,000 people.
Caesarea, Israel
Caesarea: This remarkable ancient amphitheatre was constructed over 2,000 years ago, and today it’s one of Israel’s most popular tourist attractions. This amazingly large outdoor auditorium is not just a historical landmark, though, it’s still used today for concerts and shows. The immense size and architecture of the ancient city of Caesarea is breathtaking, and the auditorium offers spectacular views of the Mediterranean from high atop the stadium seating.
Aspendos Theatre, Turkey
Aspendos Theatre: Created back in 155 AD, the Aspendos Theatre is one of the most well-preserved examples of Roman theatre construction in the world. This ancient auditorium is 325 feet by 240 feet in size, and it seats up to 20,000 people. The cavea (seating area) consists of 41 rows of seating that are divided into a lower and upper section. The upper seating area features inscribed names of theatrical patrons of the time etched into the near marble-quality limestone. The theatre originally had a retractable awning that could be used to provide shade over the spectators on a hot day, and this is evident by the 58 post holes found in the upper level of the theatre. Aspendos Theatre is easily one of the most spectacular ancient theatres to visit, because it’s so well-preserved.
Taormina Theatre, Italy
Taormina Theatre: In the heart of Sicily you can find the Taormina Theatre, which offers some of the most beautiful views of the bay of Naxos, the volcano of Mt. Etna, and the majestic Castle Mola. This 2nd Century BC theatre has a diameter of about 376 feet and a gigantic stage wall that measures 90 feet by 120 feet. This Greek theatre was later reconstructed by the Romans who used an astounding 100,000 cubic meters of stone to widen the theatre. The Taormina Theatre is still used today to host concerts, ballet, and other theatrical performances.
The Colosseum, Italy
Probably the most popular of all ancient auditoriums, the Colosseum is also the largest known amphitheatre ever built during the Roman Empire. The construction of the Colosseum was completed in 80 AD, and it originally had a capacity of 50,000 spectators. This venue was used mainly for gladiator competitions and other public spectacles for nearly 500 years. Since then, the Colosseum has taken on some damage due to several earthquakes, and also from stone-robbers who want to have a piece of the famous auditorium.
The Colosseum is quite a large structure. Its original form was approximately 660 Roman feet (1 Roman foot = 0.97 feet) long and 520 Roman feet wide, and a total perimeter of about 1,885 Roman feet. The height of the outer wall measures about 165 Roman feet tall. The Colosseum is Rome’s most popular tourist attraction, and one of the greatest man-made structures of all-time.
More Auditorium after the break...
Epidauros Theatre, Greece
Epidauros Theatre: Built during the fourth century BC, the Epidauros Theatre was a huge 15,000 seat theatre with amazing acoustic properties. As a matter of fact, you can sit anywhere in this auditorium and hear someone on the center stage of the theatre strike a match. The limestone seats seem to block out the low frequencies of crowd chatter, and enhance the high frequencies of performers on-stage. The remarkable acoustic quality of this theatre was either designed by mistake, or it was because of some engineering far ahead of its time.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Greece
Odeon of Herodes Atticus: Originally built in 161 AD by Herodes Atticus, this theatre was built as an amphitheatre with a three-story high stone wall in the front of the venue, and a wooden roof overhead. Since then, this 5,000 seat auditorium has been restored using marble for the seating areas, and it’s today used for concerts during events such as the Athens Festival throughout the summer. The views from this theatre, located on the south slope of the Acropolis of Athens, are spectacular to the say the least.
Side Theatre, Turkey
Side Theatre: The resort town of Side is one of the best-known classical cities in all of Turkey. The huge ancient theatre here is spectacular and was constructed in the classic Roman amphitheatre style with extravagant arches used to support huge walls. The theatre was turned into an open-air venue sometime in the 5th or 6th Century. Much of this massive auditorium has collapsed overtime due to its sheer size and through erosion. This theatre originally sat between 15,000 and 20,000 people.
Caesarea, Israel
Caesarea: This remarkable ancient amphitheatre was constructed over 2,000 years ago, and today it’s one of Israel’s most popular tourist attractions. This amazingly large outdoor auditorium is not just a historical landmark, though, it’s still used today for concerts and shows. The immense size and architecture of the ancient city of Caesarea is breathtaking, and the auditorium offers spectacular views of the Mediterranean from high atop the stadium seating.
Aspendos Theatre, Turkey
Aspendos Theatre: Created back in 155 AD, the Aspendos Theatre is one of the most well-preserved examples of Roman theatre construction in the world. This ancient auditorium is 325 feet by 240 feet in size, and it seats up to 20,000 people. The cavea (seating area) consists of 41 rows of seating that are divided into a lower and upper section. The upper seating area features inscribed names of theatrical patrons of the time etched into the near marble-quality limestone. The theatre originally had a retractable awning that could be used to provide shade over the spectators on a hot day, and this is evident by the 58 post holes found in the upper level of the theatre. Aspendos Theatre is easily one of the most spectacular ancient theatres to visit, because it’s so well-preserved.
Taormina Theatre, Italy
Taormina Theatre: In the heart of Sicily you can find the Taormina Theatre, which offers some of the most beautiful views of the bay of Naxos, the volcano of Mt. Etna, and the majestic Castle Mola. This 2nd Century BC theatre has a diameter of about 376 feet and a gigantic stage wall that measures 90 feet by 120 feet. This Greek theatre was later reconstructed by the Romans who used an astounding 100,000 cubic meters of stone to widen the theatre. The Taormina Theatre is still used today to host concerts, ballet, and other theatrical performances.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Places to See Before You Die
0 commentsLabels: Places
Notre-Dame Basilica,Quebec, Canada
More Places after the break...
The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
Cherry Blossom Viewing, Japan
Ayers Rock and the Olgas, Australia
Siena, Italy
The Great Ocean Road, Australia
Palacio de Cristal, Retiro Park, Madrid
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
The Vatican, Rome
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Old City of Jerusalem
Silverplana, Switzerland
Windmills, Oia, Greece
St Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow, Russia
Keelung, Taiwan
Hong Kong skyline
The Nile, Egypt
Portugal
Towards Maroon Pass, Aspen, Colorado
St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Singapore
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