]> http://mp3travel.com/top10/feed Top 10 articles en http://mp3travel.com/node/265 The Jeronimos Monastery is located in the Belem district of Lisbon, Portugal. The Monastery is classified with nearby Torre de Belem as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with lofty arches, inspiring columns, and elaborate spires. The house for the Hieronymite monks was built on the site of the Ermida do Restelo, a hermitage founded by Henry the Navigator. It was at this hermitage that Vasco da Gama and his men spent the night in prayer before departing for India. The existing structure was started on the orders of Manuel the first, who served from 1515 to 1520. The style is named after the commissioner, and the structure was ordered to commemorate Vasco da Gama's successful return from India. Construction of the monastery began in 1502 and took some 50 years to complete. The building of the monastery was funded by a mandatory five percent tax on eastern spices, with the exceptions of pepper, cinnamon and cloves, revenue from which went straight to the Crown. The Jeronimos Monastery is of the few surviving examples of medieval, Manueline style architecture, designed by Diogo de Boitaca. De Boitaca was probably one of the originators of style. Together with Igreja de Jesus and João de Castilho, a Spaniard who took charge of construction in 1517, construction was completed. The ornate main entrance to the monastery was designed by Castilho and features several carved figures, including one of Henry the Navigator. Within the monastery is the stone tomb of Vasco da Gama, who lived from 1468 to 1523 and set sail from Belem in 1497 to discover India. The tomb also holds poet and recorder of the discoveries, Luis de Camoes, who lived from 1527 to 1570. Camoes was Portugal's most famous poet, who wrote Os Lusiadas, or the Lusiads. In an extension added to the monastery in 1850 is located the Museu de Arqueologia, or Archaeological Museum. The Museu da Marinha, or Maritime Museum, is located in the west wing. The monastery, like the nearby Torre de Belem and Padrao dos Descobrimentos, symbolizes the Portuguese Age of Discovery and is among the main tourist attractions of Lisbon. Portugal World Heritage Sun, 15 Jun 2008 21:30:36 -0700 http://mp3travel.com/node/193 The Alhambra, occupies a hilly terrace on the south-eastern border of the city of Granada in southern Spain. An ancient palace and fortress complex of the Moorish monarchs of Granada, it was originally known as Al-Andalus. It was a mosque when Spain was ruled by the Islamic Empire, but it has since been converted into a museum exhibiting exquisite Islamic architecture. The terrace measures about 740 meters, or 2430 feet, in length and 205 meters, or 674 feet, at its greatest width. It extends from W.N.W. to E.S.E. and covers an area of about 142,000 meters squared. It is enclosed by a strongly fortified wall which is flanked by thirteen towers. The river Darro, which foams through a deep ravine in the north, divides the plateau from the Albaicin district of Granada, the Assabica valley, containing the Alhambra Park on the west and south, and beyond this valley the almost parallel ridge of Monte Mauror, from the Antequeruela district. The palace was built between 1248 and 1354, during the reigns of Al Ahmar and his successors, but even the names of the principal artists employed are either unknown or doubtful. The name Alhambra, meaning the red in Arabic, is probably derived from the color of the sun-dried tapia, or bricks made of fine gravel and clay of which the outer walls are built. Some authorities, however, hold that the name commemorates the red flare of the torches by whose light the construction work was carried on nightly for many years. Others associate it with the name of the founder, Muhammed Ibn Al Ahma, and still others derive it from the Arabic Dar al Amra, or House of the Master. The splendid arabesques of the interior are ascribed, among other kings, to Yusef I, Mohamed V, Ismail I, etc. After the Christian conquest of the city in 1492, the conquerors began to alter the Alhambra. The open work was filled up with whitewash, the painting and gilding effaced, and the furniture was soiled, torn or removed. Charles V, who reigned from 1516 to 1556, rebuilt portions in the Renaissance style of the period and destroyed the greater part of the winter palace to make room for a Renaissance-style structure which was never completed. Philip V, who reigned from 1700 to 1746, Italianized the rooms and completed his palace in the center of what had been the Moorish building. He built partitions which blocked whole apartments. In subsequent centuries under Spanish authorities, Moorish art was further defaced; in 1812 some of the towers were blown up by the French under Count Sebastiani, while whole buildings narrowly escaped the same fate. Napoleon also tried to blow up the whole complex. However, just before his plan was carried out, a crippled soldier who secretly wanted his commander’s plan to fail defused the explosives and thus saved the Alhambra for posterity. In 1821, an earthquake caused further damage. The work of restoration undertaken in 1828 by the architect Jose Contreras was endowed in 1830 by Ferdinand VII; after the death of Contreras in 1847, restoration was continued with fair success by his son Rafael and his grandson Mariano. The setting of the Alhambra is one of rare natural beauty; the plateau commands a wide view of the city and plain of Granada towards the west and north, and of the heights of the Sierra Nevada towards the east and south. Moorish poets have described it as a pearl set in emeralds in allusion to the brilliant color of its buildings and the luxuriant woods around them. The park Alameda de la Alhambra, which is overgrown with wild flowers and grass during the spring, was planted by the Moors with roses, oranges and myrtles; its most characteristic feature is the dense wood of English elms planted in 1812 by the Duke of Wellington. The park is celebrated for the multitude of its nightingales and is usually filled with the sound of running water from several fountains and cascades. These are supplied through a conduit 8 kilometers long, or 5 miles, which is connected with the Darro at the monastery of Jesus del Valle above Granada. In spite of the long neglect, willful vandalism, and sometimes ill-judged restoration which the Alhambra has endured, it remains the most perfect example of Moorish art in its final European development. The Alhambra has been freed from the direct Byzantine influences which can be traced in the Mezquita cathedral of Córdoba, more elaborate and fantastic than the Giralda at Seville. The majority of the palace buildings are quadrangular, with each room opening to a central court; the whole reached its present size by the gradual addition of new quadrangles, designed on the same principle, though varying in dimensions, and connected with each other by smaller rooms and passages. In every case the exterior is left plain and austere, as if the architect intended thus to heighten the splendor of the interior. Inside, the palace is unsurpassed for the exquisite detail of its marble pillars and arches, its fretted ceilings and the veil-like transparency of its filigree work in stucco. Sun and wind are freely admitted, and the whole effect is one of the most airy lightness and grace. Blue, red, and a golden yellow, all somewhat faded through lapse of time and exposure, are the colors chiefly employed. The decoration consists of stiff conventional foliage, Arabic inscriptions, and geometrical patterns wrought into arabesques of almost incredible intricacy and ingenuity. Painted tiles are largely used as paneling for the walls. The Moorish portion of the Alhambra resembles many medieval Christian strongholds in its threefold arrangement as a castle, a palace, and a residential annex for subordinates. The alcazaba or citadel, its oldest part, is built on the isolated and precipitous foreland which terminates the plateau on the northwest. Only its massive outer walls, towers, and ramparts are still standing. On its watchtower, the Torre de la Vela, which stands 25 meters or 85 ft high, the flag of Ferdinand and Isabella was first raised on January 2, 1492 in token of the Spanish conquest of Granada. A turret containing a huge bell was added in the 18th century and was restored after being damaged by lightning in 1881. Beyond the Alcazaba is the palace of the Moorish kings or Alhambra properly so-called; beyond this is the Alhambra Alta, or Upper Alhambra, originally tenanted by officials and courtiers. Access from the city to the Alhambra Park is afforded by the Puerta de las Granadas or Gate of Pomegranates, a massive triumphal arch dating from the 15th century. A steep ascent leads past the Pillar of Charles V, a fountain erected in 1554, to the main entrance of the Alhambra. This is the Puerta Judiciaria or Gate of Judgment, a massive horseshoe archway surmounted by a square tower and used by the Moors as an informal court of justice. A hand, with fingers outstretched as a talisman against the evil eye, is carved above this gate on the exterior; a key, the symbol of authority, occupies the corresponding place on the interior. A narrow passage leads inward to the Plaza de los Aljibes or Place of the Cisterns, a broad open space which divides the Alcazaba from the Moorish palace. To the left of the passage rises the Torre del Vino or Wine Tower, which was built in 1345 and used in the 16th century as a cellar. On the right is the palace of Charles V, a coldlooking but majestic Renaissance building, out of harmony with its surroundings which it dwarfs by its superior size. The extremely intricate and detailed designs of the Moors' Alhambra stand in stark contrast to Charles' palace, which consists primarily of white walls with no particularly striking features. Many modern architectural scholars are thus disgusted by Charles V's preference for simplistic Renaissance styling, which they believe detracts from the Alhambra's architectural magnificence. Construction of Charles' palace, begun in 1526, was abandoned about 1650. The present entrance to the Palacio Arabe, or Casa Real is a small door from which a corridor conducts to the Patio de los Arrayanes, or Court of the Myrtles. This court is also called the Patio de la Alberca, or Court of the Blessing or Court of the Pond, from the Arabic word birka, meaning pool. This court is 42 meters, or 140 feet, long by 22 meters, or 74 feet, broad; in the center is a large pond set in the marble pavement, full of goldfish with myrtle growing along its sides. Galleries lie on the north and south sides. Underneath it, to the right, is the principal entrance and over it are three elegant windows with arches and miniature pillars. From this court the walls of the Torre de Comares are seen rising over the roof to the north and reflected in the pond. The Salón de los Embajadores, or Hall of the Ambassadors, is the largest in the Alhambra, and occupies all of Torre de Comares. It is a square room, the sides being 12 meters, or 37 feet, in length, while the center of the dome is 23 meters, or 75 ft, high. This was the grand reception room, and the throne of the sultan was placed opposite the entrance. It was in this setting that Christopher Columbus received Isabel and Ferdinand's support to sail to the New World. The tiles are nearly 1.2 meters high, or 4 feet, all around, and the colors vary at intervals. Over the tiles are a series of oval medallions with inscriptions, interwoven with flowers and leaves. There are nine windows, three on each facade, and the ceiling is admirably diversified with inlaid work of white, blue, and gold in the shape of circles, crowns, and stars, a kind of imitation of the vault of heaven. The walls are covered with varied stucco-work of most delicate pattern, surrounding many ancient escutcheons. The celebrated Patio de los Leones, or Court of the Lions, is an oblong court, 35 meters or 116 feet in length by 20 meters or 66 feet in breadth. It is surrounded by a low gallery supported by 124 white marble columns. A pavilion projects into the court at each extremity, with filigree walls and light domed roof elaborately ornamented. The square is paved with colored tiles and the colonnade with white marble; the walls are covered 1.5 meters or 5 feet from the ground with blue and yellow tiles, a border above and below enameled blue and gold. The columns supporting the roof and gallery are irregularly placed with a view to artistic effect; the general form of the piers, arches and pillars is most graceful. They are adorned by varieties of foliage, etc.; about each arch is a large square of arabesques and over the pillars is another square of exquisite filigree work. Centered in the court lies the celebrated Fountain of Lions, a magnificent alabaster basin supported by the figures of twelve lions in white marble, not designed with sculptural accuracy, but as emblems of strength and courage. It has been said that the lions were most likely sculpted by members of the Caliphate's Christian community, as making such representational sculpture was not allowed by the followers of Islam. The twelve lions functioned as a clock with water flowing from a different lion each hour. The Christians of the Reconquest took apart the clock to see how it worked and it hasn't worked since. The Sala de los Abencerrajes, or Hall of the Abencerrages, derives its name from a legend which says that Boabdil, the last king of Granada, invited the chiefs of that illustrious line to a banquet and massacred them. This room is a perfect square, with a lofty dome and trellised windows at its base. The roof is exquisitely decorated in blue, brown, red, and gold and the columns supporting it spring out into the arch in a remarkably beautiful manner. Opposite this hall is the Sala de las dos Hermanas, or Hall of the two Sisters, so-called from two very beautiful white marble slabs laid as part of the pavement. These slabs measure 50 by 22 centimeters, or 15 by 7.5 feet, and are without flaw or stain. There is a fountain in the middle of this hall and the roof, a dome honeycombed with tiny cells, all different and said to number 5000, a magnificent example of the so-called "stalactite vaulting" of the Moors. Among the other wonders of the Alhambra are the Sala de la Justicia or Hall of Justice, the Patio del Mexuar or Court of the Council Chamber, the Patio de Daraxa or Court of the Vestibule, and the Peinador de la Reina or Queen's Robing Room, in which are to be seen the same delicate and beautiful architecture and the same costly and elegant decorations. The palace and the Upper Alhambra also contain baths, ranges of bedrooms and summer rooms, a whispering gallery and labyrinth, and vaulted sepulchers. The original furniture of the palace is represented by the celebrated vase of the Alhambra, a splendid specimen of Moorish ceramic art, dating from 1320 and belonging to the first period of Moorish porcelain. It is 1.3 meters or 4 feet 3 inches high; the ground is white and the enameling is blue, white, and gold. Of the outlying buildings in connection with the Alhambra, the foremost in interest is the Palacio de Generalife or Gineralife, the Muslim Jennat al Arif or Garden of Arif or Garden of the Architect. This villa probably dates from the end of the 13th century, but has been several times restored. Its gardens, however, with their clipped hedges, grottos, fountains, and cypress avenues, are said to retain their original Moorish character. The Villa de los Martires, or Martyrs' Villa, on the summit of Monte Mauror commemorates the Christian slaves who were employed to build the Alhambra and confined here in subterranean cells. The Torres Bermejas, or Vermilion Towers, also on Monte Mauror, are a well-preserved Moorish fortification, with underground cisterns, stables, and accommodation for a garrison of 200 men. Several Roman tombs were discovered in 1829 and 1857 at the base of Monte Mauror. The Alhambra, Generalife, and Albayzin of Granada are listed as World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO. It is also the setting of Washington Irving's classic novel Tales of the Alhambra. Irving lived in the palace while writing the book and was instrumental in reintroducing the site to Western audiences. Spain World Heritage Tue, 30 Oct 2007 05:23:04 -0700 http://mp3travel.com/node/590 The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, known as the Washington National Cathedral, is an Episcopal cathedral in Washington, DC. It is a listed monument on the National Register of Historic Places and the designated 'National House of Prayer' of the United States. It is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world and second-largest in the U.S. In 1792, French-born architect Pierre L'Enfant's 'Plan of the Federal City' set aside land for, as he said, a great church for national purposes. Actually, the National Portrait Gallery now occupies that site. In 1891, a meeting was held to renew plans for a national cathedral. In 1893, the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation of the District of Columbia was granted a charter from Congress to establish the cathedral. The commanding site on Mount Saint Alban was chosen and Frederick Bodley, England's leading Anglican church architect, was picked as the head architect. Construction started in September 1907 with a ceremonial address by President Theodore Roosevelt and the laying of the cornerstone. In 1912, Bethlehem Chapel opened for services in the unfinished cathedral, which have continued daily ever since. When construction of the cathedral resumed after a brief hiatus for World War I, both Bodley and Vaughan had died. General John Pershing led fundraising efforts for the church after the War and, American architect Philip Hubert Frohman took over the design of the cathedral and was henceforth designated the principal architect. Funding for the National Cathedral has come entirely from private sources. Maintenance and upkeep continue to rely entirely upon private support. Washington National Cathedral was finally completed in 1990, with the last carved stone placed in the presence of President George H. W. Bush, after almost a century of planning and 83 years in construction. Its final design shows a mix of influences from the various Gothic architectural styles of the Middle Ages, identifiable in its pointed arches, flying buttresses, ceiling vaulting, stained-glass windows, carved decorations in stone, and by its three similar towers, two on the west front and one surmounting the crossing. Washington National Cathedral consists of a long, narrow rectangular mass formed by an eight bay nave with wide side aisles and a five-bay chancel, intersected by a six bay transept. Above the crossing, rising 91 meters or 301 feet above the ground, is the Gloria in Excelsis Tower. Its top, at 206 meters or 676 feet above sea level is the highest point in the District of Columbia. The Pilgrim Observation Gallery, which occupies a space about 3/4ths of the way up in the west-end towers, provides sweeping views of the city. Uniquely, the central tower has two full sets of bells, a 53-bell carillon and a 10-bell peal for change ringing. The pulpit was carved out of stones from Canterbury Cathedral and Glastonbury Abbey provided stone for the bishop's cathedra, his formal seat. The high altar is made from the ledge of rock in which Christ's sepulchre was hewn. There are other works of art including over two hundred stained glass windows, the most familiar of which may be the Space Window, honoring man's landing on the Moon, which includes a fragment of lunar rock at its center. Most of the decorative elements have Christian symbolism, in reference to the church's Episcopalian roots, but the cathedral is filled with memorials to persons or events of national significance: statues of Washington and Lincoln, state seals embedded in the mosaic floor of the narthex, state flags that hang along the nave, stained glass commemorating events like the Lewis and Clark expedition. The Cathedral boasts what is probably the world's only sculpture of Darth Vader on a religious building. During construction of the west towers of the Cathedral, developers decided to hold a competition for children to design decorative sculptures for the Cathedral. The image of the villainous Vader, sculpted by Jay Hall Carpenter and carved by Patrick Plunkett, was placed high upon the northwest tower of the Cathedral, fulfilling the role of a traditional grotesque. Washington National Cathedral is the last resting place of many notable American citizens including 28th US president Woodrow Wilson and advocate for the blind Helen Keller. Top US Landmarks United States Washington DC Tue, 08 Jan 2008 19:03:33 -0800 http://mp3travel.com/node/1048 Konark or Konarak is a small town in the state of Orissa, India, on the Bay of Bengal, sixty-five kilometers from Bhubaneswar. It is the site of the 13th-century Sun Temple (also known as the Black Pagoda), built in Orissa Red Sand Stone (Khandolite) and Black Granite by King Narasimhadeva I (AD 1236-1264) of the Ganga dynasty. The temple is one of the most well renowned temples in India and is a World Heritage Site. It takes the form of the chariot of Surya the sun god, and is heavily decorated with stone carving. The entrance is guarded by two lions, which are each shown crushing a war elephant. Each elephant in turn lies on top of a human body. The temple symbolizes the majestic stride of the Sun god. At the entrance of the temple is a Nata Mandir. This is where the temple dancers used to perform dances in homage to the Sun god. Konark is also home to an annual dance festival, held every December, devoted to classical Indian dance forms, including the traditional classical dance of Orissa, odissi. Konark beach is a popular tourist destination, though the waters are deceptively calm. Its main attraction lies in its views of the temple. Besides Konark, there is also another sun temple in Orissa called Biranchi khetra (Biranchi Narayan Temple) in Buguda, Ganjam District, and Orissa. The Sun Temple, built in the thirteenth century, was conceived as a gigantic chariot of Sun God, with twelve pairs of exquisitely ornamented wheels pulled by seven pairs of horses. Majestic in conception, this temple is indeed one of the most sublime monuments of India, famous as much for its imposing dimensions and faultless proportions as for the harmonious integration of architectural grandeur with plastic allegiance. Every inch of the temple is covered with sculpture of an unsurpassed beauty and grace, in tableaux and freestanding pieces ranging from the monumental to the miniature. The subject matter is fascinating. Thousands of images include deities, celestial and human musicians, dancers, lovers, and myriad scenes of courtly life, ranging from hunts and military battles to the pleasures of courtly relaxation. These are interspersed with birds, animals (close to two thousand charming and lively elephants march around the base of the main temple alone), mythological creatures, and a wealth of intricate botanical and geometrical decorative designs. The famous jewel-like quality of Orissan art is evident throughout, as is a very human perspective which makes the sculpture extremely accessible. The temple is famous for its erotic sculptures, which can be found primarily on the second level of the porch structure. It will become immediately apparent upon viewing them that the frank nature of their content is combined with an overwhelming tenderness and lyrical movement. This same kindly and indulgent view of life extends to almost all the other sculptures at Konark, where the thousands of human, animal, and divine personages are shown engaged in the full range of the 'carnival of life' with an overwhelming sense of appealing realism. The Sun temple belongs to the Kalinga School of Indian Temples with characteristic curvilinear towers mounted by cupolas. In shape, the temple did not make any major departure from other sikhara temples of Orissa. The main sanctum which (229 ft. high) was constructed along with the audience hall (128 ft. high) having elaborate external projections. The main sanctum which enshrined the presiding deity has fallen off. The Audience Hall survives in its entirely, but only small portions of the Dancing Hall (nata Mandir) and the Dining Hall (Bhoga-Mandap) have survived the vagaries of time. The Temple compound measures 857 ft. by 540 ft. The environment is by and large unspoiled. Gentle undulating topography around the Sun Temple lends some variation to the landscape. Konark is also home to an annual dance festival, held every December, devoted to classical Indian dance forms, including the traditional classical dance of Orissa, odissi. India World Heritage Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:51:02 -0800 http://mp3travel.com/node/1037 The Newport Tower is a round stone tower located in Touro Park in Newport, Rhode Island. The tower is located on Mill Street, surrounded by a historical residential neighborhood on the hill above the waterfront tourist district. The hill itself once furnished a view of the harbor and would have been visible to passing mariners in Narragansett Bay, but recent tree growth now obscures the view of the harbor from the top of the tower. The Newport Tower was not built around a perfectly circular plan. It has a height of 28 feet and an exterior width of 24 feet. It is supported by eight cylindrical columns that form stone arches, two of which are slightly broader than the other six. Above the arches and inside the tower is evidence of a floor that once supported an interior chamber. The walls are approximately 3 feet thick, and the diameter of the inner chamber is approximately 18 feet. At one time the sides were coated with a smooth coating of white plaster, the remains of which can still be seen clinging to the outer walls. The chamber is penetrated by a window and almost opposite to it is a fireplace backed with grey stone and flanked by nooks. The prevailing explanation among historians for the origin of the structure is the "Arnoldist" explanation, namely that the tower was a mill constructed in the middle or late 17th century by or for wealthy Rhode Island colonial governor Benedict Arnold, great-grandfather of the patriot-traitor. It is known that Arnold, who moved into the area in 1661, once owned the land on which the tower stands. The city of Newport finally gave permission for a scientific investigation of the site by the Society for American Archaeology in 1948. The result, concluded that all the artifacts discovered below the tower were from the 17th century, thus supporting the Arnoldist camp. In 2006 the Chronognostic Foundation, an Arizona based research firm, provided the funds necessary to conduct an archaeological investigation of the anomalies discovered in Touro Park. Press reports following the dig clearly show that nothing earlier than the 1600s was found. Supporters of alternative theories have devoted a great deal of energy to dismissing the evidence for a seventeenth century date of construction. Part of the mystery of the Newport Tower though, is that there is some room for doubt on all claims. The most popular alternative explanation for the existence of the tower, and the only one that has been seriously entertained by a handful of professional archaeologists, is that it was built by Viking explorers in the 10th or 11th centuries. Other theories argue that the tower was built by the Chinese navigator Zheng He in 1421, by Portuguese navigator Miguel Corte-Real, who supposedly shipwrecked in 1501 or 1502 while searching for his lost brother in Narragansett Bay or by the Scottish earl Henry Sinclair who is claimed by some to have visited Nova Scotia and New England in the year 1398. Rhode Island United States Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:47:36 -0800