Just want to share some of the famous places in the world to visit with anyone planning one.enjoy


1)
Petra in the Arabah


Petra is a site in the Arabah, Jordan that was discovered by a Swiss explorer called Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812 and is considered to be, yet another splendid beauty in the history of mankind. Arabah is a section of the Great Rift Valley and it is located between the Dead Sea (north) and the Gulf of Aqaba (south) forming part of the border between Jordan (east) and Israel (west).

Petra represents the ancient world’s heritage culture. It is a beauty hidden behind layers of mountain. The ones who have seen it say it is a treasure beyond comparison. It is now said to be one of the seventh wonder of the world and it belongs to the UNESCO world heritage site. The entire red rose city of Petra has such a charismatic appeal that it attracts anyone & everyone who enters the city, taking them to a different world of divine beauty and mystery. Petra mainly is admired because of its picture perfect architecture, its complex structure, quality and the non mentionable mere size.

Petra is said to have its origin before 106 AD; its culture is said to have been flourished in almost 400 years old. The one’s who visited it say that it is a site that can never be forgotten. The city of Petra takes its name, which is the Greek word for “rock”, from the fact that it is most notable for its buildings and tombs that are carved directly into the red sandstone that serves as the city’s natural protection from invaders. Its popularity with tourists may also have a connection to the city’s Biblical significance. It is here where King Aretas called for the arrest of the Apostle Paul at the time of his conversion.

Location & How to Get to Petra

This historical fortress is located 170 miles southwest of Amman, Jordan on the edges of the Wadi Araba desert. It is also 50 miles south of the Dead Sea and the only way to enter the city is through a narrow crevice called the Siq. One has to uncover a very narrow path of mountains, kilometer by kilometer before they get to see the majestic beauty of Petra.This path is only about five meters wide, with sandstone walls towering up hundreds of meters high on both sides. This long, narrow & not very well lighted gorge is very cool & soothes the visitors before it unfolds the mystery step by step.

A taxi is the best means of transportation to get from the Queen Alia International Airport to Amman. Remember to ask the driver to take you to the Wahdat bus terminal, since there are two major bus stations in Amman. Destinations are usually printed in Arabic on the respective buses, so if you do not read Arabic, ask to be shown to the bus that will take you to Petra

2)

Chichen Itza in Yucatan Peninsula



Chichen was founded by the Maya civilization in 400 AD and it is located in the north central, north of Yucatan Peninsula now called Mexico. Chichen has a history that is 1500 years old and is located 75 miles from Merida. It is said to have been the main regional point for different ceremonies. During the earlier days & time, it was governed by priests. Chichen means “At the mouth of the well of Itza”. The word Chi stands for ‘mouth’, Chen for ‘well’ and Itza for ‘the Itza tribe’. The main belief is that people were thrown from the top as a sacrifice to make their god happy and the ones who could survive were the ones who were believed to be seers.

The site predominantly contains many buildings of stone in various stages of thier preservation and has been stored properly. The site is built in different architectural styles. It has a very clear cultural mix and difference of the Mayan and non Mayan civilization. The Chichen site has in total three divisions: the north, central & and the south group. Where one group is in the Toltec style and the other gives an idea about the early period and the old Chichen culture. Since this is the most famous Mayan Pyramids, it has been thoroughly researched by private agencies. Not really.

It is now a federal property and it is maintained by the Mexico’s nation Institute of Anthropology and History. The best time for site seeing is either early morning or late in the afternoon.

3)Machu Picchu Above Urubamba Valley



Machu Picchu is the pre Columbian, Inca empire site that is located almost 8,000 feet above the sea level. The site is located on a mountain ridge above the valley of Urubamba in Peru. The city is also called the “lost city of Incas”. When tourists make a list of the best world tour destination, Machu Picchu is the site that undoubtedly gets the maximum number of votes.

It is said that the journey to this spot is a dream journey, which one must never miss. It is a journey to the top archeological site on the planet earth. Data says that the Machu Picchu Tourism is one of the proudest industries in the country. Whatever your expectation out of the place would be, you will really be more than delighted to see the picturesque beauty of the place and the intoxicating power that it will have on you.

Machu Picchu was built in 146 AD, however, it was left by the Inca rulers 100 years later. Legendary stories suggest that the place was neglected for quite some time. In the year 1911, Hiram Bingham, who was an American historian, got the world’s attention to it and then there was no looking back. Recent discoveries also show that the site was dug many years ago by a German businessman. The site became a part of the UNESCO, world heritage site in 1983. The site as built in typical Inca style with dry stone polished walls and it most famous buildings are ‘ the temple of sun’ and ‘ the room of three windows’.

Traveling to Machu Picchu
The site is located 80 kilometers northwest of Cusco and sits between two mountains. From Cusco, you can take a train to Aguas Calientes and then take a bus up to the actual site. If you are of the more adventurous type, you may want to take a one-way bus trip up to Machu Picchu and then walk down to Aguas Calientes on your way back.

4)Great wall of China



The Great Wall of China, a memorable landmark, is the most popular tourist attraction in China. The Wall has fascinated the minds of many in the world and it is part of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Great Wall is the ultimate tourist destination for sightseeing. People from all over the world visit China to see this exotic architecture because it is one of the most appealing attractions of China. It has its share of fans including those who spread speculations about it being seen from the moon.

Why, When, and Who Built The Great Wall?

Looking down at the Great Wall from the sky is truly amazing, the Wall resembles a Chinese dragon circling the mountains. There is a common term use by The Chinese call “Wan Li Chang Cheng” which defines as “Wall of 10,000 Li”  (10,000 Li = 5,000 km). There were three main Chinese dynasties that contributed to the construction of the Great Wall: first, the Qin from 221-207 B.C., then the Han from 206 B.C – 220 A.D and the Ming from 1368-1644 A.D. Their common purpose was to stop the “barbaric” Huns in the North from invading the Chinese borders. Millions of people labored on the Great Wall and many died while working.

How Long is The Great Wall?

After the Qin emperor unified China, he connected the walls across the country into one, The Wall extended up to 10,000 Li (5000 km) and it helps keep out intruders from the north. What seems to be a Chinese zigzag dragon, the Great Wall of China spreads across deserts, rivers, mountains, grasslands and plateaus expanding nearly 6,700 kilometers. It has been built for over 2 millenniums and it stretches from the east side to the west side of China. Due to modern technologies and lack of usefulness, pieces of the structure are left in ruins and the Chinese leaders do not care to fix it. This marvelous segment of Chinese heritage swept through Shanhaiguan Pass, then to Liaoning, then Hebei, continuing onto Tianjin, expanding to Beijing, reaching Shanxi, and into Inner Mongolia, next to Ningxia, arriving at Gansu and finally ends in Jiayuguan Pass. The Great Wall length measures about 6,700 km long. Height wise, it is 4.5m to 9m. Depth wise, it is 4.5m to 8m. The entire structure was built by hand using stone, bricks, soil, sand, straw, wood, clay or whatever was available depending on the territory and time period.

The Great Wall Today

The existing Wall today was constructed by the Ming Dynasty over 600 years ago. During that time, the original wall was in ruins. Ming emperors order to rebuilt the wall over the course of 200 years. The reason the wall still stand today is because there was an invention during that time, mixing rice flour to create extremely tough bricks and mortar. Today, few parts of the Great Wall are in great condition because it was restored to attract tourists. To get a good deal on a tour to The Great Wall visit China Great Wall Tours.

5) Great pyramid of Giza




Egypt has more than 100 pyramids that are spread all over the country. These pyramid structures are made up of sandstone brick. The pyramids were built for the rulers of Egypt. The first pyramid that was built in Egypt was the Pyramid of Djoser during the third dynasty.

The 3 best Egyptian pyramids are the ‘Pyramids of Giza’. These pyramids were built on the outskirts of Cairo. The Pyramid of Khufu at Giza is said to be the largest Egyptian pyramid ever made in the history. This pyramid figure is one of the seven wonders of the worlds. The Pyramid of Kufu is also known as the Great Pyramid. The Pyramids at Giza are three in number. Three big one’s are called the great pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) , the pyramid of Khafre (Khafra) and the pyramid of Menkaure. The pyramid of Menkaure further has 3 smaller pyramids that are subsidiary to this main pyramid and are called the queens’ pyramids.

The pyramids at Giza attract maximum tourist attention every year. Out of all the three pyramids at Giza, only the pyramid of Khafre retains some parts of the originally polished limestone casing near its pinnacle. To the naked eyes and laymen, the pyramid of Khafre would always look tall, but the fact is that the pyramid of Khufu is the tallest of all. There are a lot of theories regarding the construction of the pyramids and a new research shows that the pyramids were made by building blocks made out of limestone concrete.


6)Victora falls




The Victoria Falls is one of the seven natural wonders in the world and is the main tourist attraction in Southern Africa. It is the largest waterfall in the world, twice as tall as Niagra Falls. The locals call it Mosi-oa-Tunya which means “the smoke that thunders”, a very fitting description of this magnificent sight.

What to do:

Besides viewing the Victoria Falls, there are many fun activities catering to people from different walks of life.
•Bungee Jumping – a 111 meter high jump is sure to get your adrenaline rushing.
•Whitewater rafting – Victoria Falls is rated as one of the best places in the world to go whitewater rafting.
•Body Boarding – if you think whitewater rafting is exciting, wait till you try traversing the Zambezi River on a body board.
•High Wire – definitely not for the faint hearted. Experience a bird’s eye view of the gorge and the river either through the Gorge swing or Helicopter flips.
•Lion Walking – If you think you’re brave enough, walk with one of the top predators on the planet. No cages or leashes; just you and the lions in their natural habitat. You will also learn about conservation issues regarding the undisputed king of the jungle.
If you prefer more tame activities, there are a lot available in Victoria Falls.
•Kayaking – Experience the peaceful side of the Victoria Falls.
•River Cruise – View the amazing variety of wildlife as you cruise the river.
•Elephant Rides – Take a ride on the biggest land mammal on the planet.
•African Safari – You can’t say you’ve been to Africa if you haven’t gone to the safari.
•Fly fishing – The Zambezi River is teeming with aquatic wildlife.

nice write up-tanks,i learnt alot!

Olugbenger: nice write up-tanks,i learnt alot!

forgot to add-I'M FIRST TO COMMENT

?)Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

[img]http://www.personal.psu.edu/brs5111/mausoleum.jpg[/img]

Maussolus, the satrap of Caria, refounded Halicarnassus (modern Bodrum) and made it his capital. In the Greek world, it was not unusual that a city founder (ktistes) received cultic honors and a tomb on the central square of the new town, and this also happened to Maussolus. After his death in 353 BCE, his wife Artemisia succeeded him and invited Greek artists to build a fitting tomb.  



The result was not just a fitting monument, it was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Although the mausoleum itself was constructed of bricks, this was covered with white Proconnesian marble which must have looked splendid. The impressive monument was copied on several occasions. It is likely that the architecture of the tomb of Alexander the Great in Alexandria and the Belevi Mausoleum was inspired by the building in Halicarnassus, which was known as 'the mausoleum'.

Today, the remains of this once grandiose monument offer a sad sight. (Here you can see the remains on a satellite photo.) The site did suffer already in Antiquity, but in the Middle Ages, the ruin was still impressive. However, the proud tower was ultimately destroyed by the Rhodian knights in 1522. As a result, stones of the monument can today be found in the castle of Bodrum.

These are the remains of the funeral chamber of the mausoleum. The building was designed by the famous architects Satyrus and Pytheos, who were inspired by traditional Anatolian and Greek architecture (cf. the Monument of the Nereids in Xanthus) and later wrote a book on the monument they had created. This book was known to Roman authors like Pliny the Elder, who offers a brief description.

He says that four famous sculptors were involved: Scopas, Bryaxis, Timotheus, and Leochares, who were responsible for the decoration on the east, north, south, and west side. They made brilliant reliefs of an Amazonomachy, i.e. a battle between Greek warriors and Amazons. Here you can see a man and a woman fighting over a dead Amazon.

"Before their task was completed," Pliny says, "queen Artemisia died. The four sculptors did not leave their work, however, until it was finished, considering that it was at once a memorial of their own fame and of the sculptor's art. And, to this day even, it is undecided which of them has excelled." On the right-hand part of this relief, you can see Heracles, trying to hit an Amazon with a club.

From the bottom to the top, there was a large substructure (32x26 meter), a level that was surrounded by thirty-six columns (the Pteron), and, on top of it, Pliny says, "there is a pyramid erected, equal in height to the building below, and formed of twenty-four steps, which gradually taper upwards towards the summit."

Another part of the Amazonomachy. As these blocks were not found in situ, but in the castle of Bodrum, we can not identify the artist. These reliefs are now in the British Museum.
This part of the decoration is still in the small gallery next to the ruins of the Mausoleum. Note the superb knowledge of the way the human body moves. The man to the right is kicking forward and needs his shield to remain balanced.
Between the columns of the Pteron, there must have been many statues, and at the base of the pyramid, there were twenty-four lions. This one's from the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul.
This one, made from Pentelic marble from Athens, was also among them and stood on the north side. Was it made by Bryaxis? It may be noted that there were very many lions, but this animal is the only that has survived almost completely. (It is now in the British Museum, just like the sculpture on the next pictures.) On the corners of the pyramid were statues of horsemen.
Finally, on top of the monument was, according to Pliny, "a platform, crowned with a representation of a quadriga (four-horse chariot) by Pythis. This addition makes the total height of the work one hundred and forty feet." (About fifty meters.) This is one of the horses of the chariot.



The Colossus of Rhodes

[img]http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/the%20colossus%20of%20rhodes[/img]

The colossus of Rhodes was located in the wearing of Rhodes in Greece, probably at the end of the current Saint-Nicolas Day mole, where some marble blocks have been found and could have been used to build the base of the statue.The colossus of Rhodes was set up between 303 and 291 BC, so it took twelve years of hard work to totaly finish it.
Made of bronze and based on marble block, the statue was 32 meters (105 feet) heigh from the top of the head to the feets, that is to say 14 meters (46 feet) less than the statue of liberty in New York. The heigh enabled the statue to be visible by the ships approching to the port. In his raised arm, the sun god held a torch while his other arm was pressed on a lance. Contrary to the illustrations we usually find, ships were not passing under the colossesus's legs to enter in the wearing of Rhodes. It was technically impossible that the statue had its legs split.
The statue had been partialy destroyed in 225 BC after a earthquake. Then, in 653 AC, all the material (more than 13 tons of bronze and nearly 7 tons of iron, according to Philon) is taken by an arab expedition to be sold to a jewish merchant of Ephesea. The statue has been raised at the entry of the port for only 65 years
Why is this a wonder of the ancient world ?

We can say that the colossus of Rhodes is part of the seven wonders because of its exemplary vastness. Moreover, it should well be realized that this Greek monument is the result of a very hudge technical prowess which is characterized, amongst other things, by the use of terra cotta moulds necessary to the casting of the colossus. According to the legend, Charas of Lindos commited a suicide when he discovered an error in his calculs, error that one of his assistants had to correct.

Hanging gardens of Babylon

[img]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRFohO-xPeFxcqACb7EDWIdZWPcY84sjKDheJv7OTbngpWymqlzHAacGZ0D[/img]

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the World are documented to have been built approximately 2500 years ago in 600 BC. There is much speculation about whether or not the gardens really existed. Substantial evidence of the gardens remains has has not been found to prove they really existed. Some people who think that the gardens didn't exist, believed that soldiers who had passed through Babylon, were fascinated by the gardens because their hometowns were nothing like this and they may have exaggerated when describing the gardens. This could have easily been done because Nebakanezer, the king who had the Hanging Gardens built, did have many amazing structures built (Hanging, 2008). Others argue that the documentation of the gardens was written in Greek or Latin so the translation of these writings could be incorrect (Twelve, 2010). Another reason people think the gardens didn't exist is because documentation has been found that listed all of the structures in Babylon at that point in time, and the gardens are not mentioned (Hanging, 2010). If they did exist, the gardens are the second oldest of the Seven Wonders.

Documents state that the gardens were built for King Nebakanezer II, king of Babylon for 43 years. Nebakanezer 's wife, Amytis, was missed her hometown when she moved to Babylon. Babylon was very flat and dry, with very little rain and therefore had very little greenery. Her hometown was very mountainous, so Nebakanezer had the gardens built for her so it would resemble where she used to live. The gardens were huge and contained many types of flowers, fruit, animals, and waterfalls, which were said to have been from places all over the world. The gardens were supposedly built about thirty miles south of Baghdad, Iraq, along the Euphrates River (Hanging, 2008).

Although no ruins have been found, very detailed documentation of the gardens has been discovered. Nebuchadezzar had many other amazing structures build during his rule of Babylon so it is very likely that the hanging gardens really existed (Hanging, 2009).

Documentation of the gardens explains how the gardens were built. They were planted along a hill and had many different levels. Not only were the plants and flowers amazing, but also the technology used to water them. The different levels of the garden were very high up, and it barely ever rained in Babylon, so how did they construct the waterfalls and how did they water the plants? (Hanging 2007). The Babylonians created a water pump that transported water from the Euphrates River up to the Hanging Gardens. They created the pump by attaching buckets to a chain. The chain was connected to two big wheels at the top and bottom. These would allow the chain to come back up after it went to the bottom to retrieve the water. Slaves powered the chain by pulling it so that it would continue to move. As the chain moved, the buckets would go into the river and fill with water. They tipped over at the top of the pump so that the high gardens could be reached and irrigated. The water traveled down channels so that all of the plants could be watered (Hanging, 2010).

A historian by the name of Philo, described these water pumps: The Hanging Garden has plants cultivated above ground level, and the roots of the trees are embedded in an upper terrace rather than in the earth. The whole mass is supported on stone columns. Streams of water emerging from elevated sources flow down sloping channels. These waters irrigate the whole garden saturating the roots of plants and keeping the whole area moist. Hence the grass is permanently green and the leaves of trees grow firmly attached to supple branches. This is a work of art of royal luxury and its most striking feature is that the labor of cultivation is suspended above the heads of the spectators (Hanging, 2008).

Evidence of these pumps may have been discovered in 1899 by the archeologist, Robert Koldewey. (Hanging, 2010). He found stone ruins that fit the description of the documentation of the gardens. Documentation stated that only two structures in this area were created using stone. These were the Hanging Gardens and one other structure, which had already been discovered. So, Koldewey thought he had discovered the gardens. He also discovered a room with three big holes that he was convinced this had been part of the water chain pump. The structure that Koldewey found was around 100 by 150 fifty feet. This is not near as big as documents have claimed, but it is still amazing for that time period (Hanging, 2010).


In order to preserve the building from water damage, the gardens were built with big stone foundations that were covered with lead. This would protect the foundation from all the water that was constantly flowing down. But, much of the gardens were built using clay bricks which had been set outside to be dried by the sun. Soil for the plants to grow was placed on top of the stone and clay bricks. Some documentation states that the stones were eighty feet tall and stretched 400x400 feet, or three acres. Other documentation says the gardens were over 300 feet tall (Hanging, 2010).

Some people believe that the ruins of another building, which was named the Vaulted Building, are the remains of the Hanging Gardens. There is a hole which some believe was used as a well, which people suggest could have been used for the irrigation system. The problem with this theory, is that the Vaulted Building would have been too far away from the Euphrates River. Technology during that time period was not advanced enough to carry water that far away, which would have been thousands of feet (Hanging, 2009). Until more evidence of ruins is found, people will continue to speculate that the Vaulted Building could be the Hanging Gardens of Babylon or that maybe the gardens didnt exist at all

Light house of Alexandria

[img]http://www.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS32e6Tau3sZ6gAldl6U7eLyoa3Pkd_qjXs6b2eNHM9yf8VZGz0M7gkVFU[/img]

The Lighthouse is located in Egypt on the island of Pharaos (which gave the french word «phare ») in front of the city of Alexandria. During the centuries, this island was connected with the continent by the alluviums of the Nile, on which we built a road and a bridge. The lighthouse, built on the island, was begun under Ptolemy II Philadelphus and ended around 280 BC by Sostratus of Cnidus.
The lighthouse counted three floors: the first one was squared, the second was octagonal and the third cylindrical. The white marble whole measured approximately 135 m (440 feet) height from where we could see ships located 100 miles far away. Angles were decorated with bronze tritons which was used either to warn of the approach of the enemy by terrifying sounds, but also to carry mirrors which, durung the night, reflected the light of a fire. In the daytime, the smoke indicated to the boats the entrance of the port.
Why is this a wonder of the ancient world ?

Its important height and its exemplary robustness made the lighthouse of Alexandria unique. Indeed it was exposed to a strong wind coming from the sea, that is why it should be inevitably resistant enought. This edifice is the symbol of the technical exploit shown by the Egyptians. Furthermore it was one of the first lighthouses.

Statue of Zeus



The Statue of Zeus at Olympia is one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. Crafted by Athenian sculptor Phidias around 435 B.C.E. to honor the greatest Greek god and the father of the Olympic Games, it was at one time the most famous statue in the ancient world.

The statue was 40 feet (12 meters) high and depicted Zeus sitting regally on his throne. The robe that Zeus was wearing and the ornaments he had on were made out of gold and his skin was made out of ivory. He also had a wreath around his head and held a figure of his famous messanger, Nike, in his right hand. He held a a rod with an eagle on the end in his left hand.

Unfortunately, the statue no longer exists. After the Olympic games were banned in 391 C.E. by the emperor Theodosius I as Pagan practices, the temple of Zeus (where the statue was housed) was ordered closed. Olympia was further struck by earthquakes, landslides and floods, and the temple was damaged by fire in the fifth century C.E.

Earlier, the statue had been transported by wealthy Greeks to a palace in Constantinople. There, it survived until it was destroyed by a severe fire in 462 C.E. Today nothing remains at the site of the old temple except rocks and debris, the foundation of the buildings, and fallen columns.

Thanks OP. Your write-up is educative and informative. Please is the Leaning Tower of Pisa among?

When Bluetooth isn't being a tribalistic a$$.

Nice mehn!

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pDude: When Bluetooth isn't being a tribalistic a$$.

Yeyeboy