Sandra: March 2008 Archives
The story of Lighthouse of Alexandria is linked together with story of founding a city of Alexandria. Alexander the Great choosed very carefully cities location. He died before the city was completed and to finish it was Ptolemy.
Under the rule of Ptolemy city florished and soon needed not only a symbol but also entirely practical building to guide ships into harbour. So Ptolemy authorised construction of Pharos and twenty years later it was finished. Pharos of Alexandria was first lighthouse in the world. And pharos (the name of island it was constructed) became the rooth for word lighthouse.  The lighthouse seems to have been a great tourist attraction. It is not fully clear how it was destroyed, but probably, as for many ancient buildings, it was an earthquake.
Colossus of Rhodes stood 30 meters high in island of Rhodes. In antichity island of Rhodes was an important economic centre. The island was conquered by Mausolus of Halicarnassus in 357 B.C., fell into persian hands in 340 B.C and finally conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C.
When Alexander died, three of his generals: Ptolemy, Seleucus, and Antigous divided his enourmous kingdom. But it was a great struggle, in which Rhodians supported Ptolemy. Antigous, to punish rhodians, sent his son Demetrius to Rhodes with 40,000 men. The war was long and painful, but finally arrived ships from Egypt and victory was won.
To celebrate the victory, rhodians decided to build a giant statue for their patron god Helios.
Demetrius left behaind many war machines and rhodians melted down all bronze from them in order to build the statue. The architect of the statue was Chares of Lindos, who also fought in defence of the city against Demetrius.
For fifty six years the statue stood proudly and looked over harbour of Rhodes. Then the earthquake destroed it, remained only one big peace which layed in harbour for centuries till arab conquistators broked it to small peaces and sold.
It was a tomb for Mausolus, governator of province in Persia, founder of city Halicarnassus. After his death, his wife Artemisa invited greek artists to build the tomb. The word mausoleum has since come to be used generically for any grand tomb.
Mauseleum itself was constructed from bricks, but covered with Proconnesian marble, which should look really splendid. Tomb was copied in 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.
Verry little has remained from the tomb in our days, just stones located in the castle of Bodrum. Tomb suffered already in antichity, but still in Middle Ages it represented immpressive ruins. Unfortunately, also ruins were distroed by Rhodian knights in 1522.
 Temple of Artemis was located at Ephesus (in present-day Turkey).
The first shrine to Artemis was distroed and rebuild several times. Chersiphron was engaged to build a new large temple. It didn't last either. King Croesus of Lydia conquered Ephesus and the other Greek cities of Asia Minor. During the fighting, the temple was destroyed. He provided him generose and ordered to build a new temple.
Architect Theodorus. build the 300 feet long and 150 feet wide temple. Four times in size that of previous one. Roof was supported by more than hundrid stone columns.
The new temple was the pride of Ephesus until 356 B.C. Herostratus, young Ephesian, had only one ambition - to write his name in history. To fullfill this ambition he destroed the Temple of Arthemis. He burned the great temple to ground. The citizens was very angry and disgusted by his fullish act, they issued a decree that everybody who spoke to Herostratus was put to death. Very wise - I think.
Statue of Zeus was made by Famed sculptor Phidias circa 432 BC in Olympia, Greece.
Statua of Zeus is close related to Olympic games, as Olimpia was the place for these events when piece was declared for time of games and many people traveled long distances to reach the Olimpia. Temple of Zeus was located in Olympia, and firstly was very simple. But with time, games grow more important and neccessity for more imponent temple was great. Temple of Zeus was build by design of Libon of Elis and was completed in 456 B.C. Still the temple alone and empty did not satisfy and statue of zeus was commissioned.
At the site - stadium now has been reconstructed, but little is left from the temple, and Statue of Zeus is long gone.
Maybe most misterious and also most beautiful and inspiring wonder. It is not clear if gardens are ever existed, or it is only a poetic fantasy.
Fabulous teraaced gardens were siatuated in Iraq, and were build by Nebuchadnezzar II around 600 BC. Exists also alternative and less-realible story about gardens build by Queen Semiramis during her five year reign starting in 810 BC. Story tells that Nebuchadnezzar II build the gardens to please and make less homesick his wife - Amyitis.
The gardens had exotic flourishing plants which Nebuchadnezzar imported from foreign lands. They could include cedar, cypress, myrtle, juniper, almond, date palm, ebony, olive and many more. Plants were hanging over terraces - it should be wonderous play of colors.
The Hanging Gardens was a piece of immpressive architecture. The gardens formed a quadrilateral shape. There were a lot of stairways leading to upper teracces, arches and fontains, and everywhere flowering plants leaping from countless terraces and balconies. The gardens were supported by an intricate structure of stone pillars, brick walls, and palm tree trunk beams. The gardens were as tall as the city walls, which Herodotus reported to be 320 feet high. Conflicting sources report that the walls were 80 feet high, a less remarkable, but still majestic height. The architecture of the Hanging Gardens demonstrates the majesty of Babylonian structural design under Nebuchadnezzar's rule.
Also from technological poin of view - gardens was a real wonder for their time. As it is rarely raining in Babilon, they needed to be irrigated. Streams of water emerged from elevated sources and flowed down the inclined channels. This kept the whole area moist and thus the grass was always green.
Great Pyramid of Giza is only one survived till our days, it's a largest one in Giza Necropolis, close to Cairo.
It is believed Giza complexs has been build as a tomb for pharaoh Khufu and constructed over 20 year period of time. People had been seeking answer to purpose of Great pyramid for more than 4000 years. So many alternative theories had been discuted: astronomical observatory, a place for religious rituals, sundeal, grtain storage facility, a water irrigation system, and list goes on.
The word pyramid derives from the Greek words pyramis and pyramidos, the meaning of the word pyramis in not known, but pyramidos in greek means "Fire in the Middle".
The temperature inside The Great Pyramid is at a constant 68 degrees Fahrenheit, which is exactly the same at the earths internal temperature.
It is not so easy to remember names of all seven ancient wonders, till our days have survuved only one of them and first list of seven was completed by Herodotus more than 2000 years ago.
Above you see: Great Pyramid of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Temple of Artemis at Epheseus, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Mausoleum of Maussollos, Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria as depicted by 16th-century Dutch artist Marten Heemskerk
(from right to left, from top to bottom).
 This is me infront of gallery of Vittorio Emanuele. If you turn left just before entrance in gallery - there is a very nice bar, we stopped by for late breakfest. For two cappucini and 3 cornetti we paid only 7 euros and that for a centre of Milan is a really cheap. By the way cappucino was wonderful. Then we stopped in Piazza di Duomo, chatedral is quite impressioning by the size, it's really hard to get decent photo of it. Next we continued via Torino where we done mopst of our shopping, I really recomend this street. And also further on Corso di Porta Ticinese where is located Tokidoki store which my daughter is crazy about.  I must say even I bought two t-shirts with stylizied japanese style flowers. So if you happen to be in Milan and you have teenage daughter tokidoki is a must, but beware - it is not actually very cheap. I have got for me also shoes by Rocket Dog - just like thouse bellow, only black and pink: 
We are just back from our trip to Milan and had enjoyed it very much. We didn't see very much - it was more a shopping tour as a present for my daughters 16's birthday, so we really bought everything we wanted (weel of course not at Prada and so).
We traveled by Eurostar and it took us only one hour to get there. I always suggest to take Eurostar when traveling in Italy, it costs more, but you have all comfort and also speed, as it stops only in a few places. More info - Trenitalia.
From station we walked till Piazza della Scala - square is very nice, but La Scala opera theater from outside has really pitifull look,nothing impressing at all.
This is my daughter in front of Leonardo da Vinci's monument in Piazza della Scala. In the background you can see entrance in gallery of Vittorio Emanuele II where are located most prestigeous shops like Prada and Louis Vuitton. Nevertheless, there is also very nice glove shop with very affordable prices. Real leather, simple models in all colors cost 50 euro. More beautiful and richer models from 70 euros. I found it very very reasonable price and gloves are really beautiful. To be continued...
 This is very interesting project, which took the place last year. Everybody could choose they own new wonders to vote. Check out New 7 Wonders website for information on vinners. However I will review them also here. Also the new project is available - The New 7 Wonders of Nature!
Me and my daughter have lived in Italy for 7 years now, and although our home is Turin (2 hours by train) we haven't yet been in Milan. It is quite a shame. So just before Easter we are going for one day. This is why I decided to learn something more about Milan.
Everybody knows that Milan and Paris are two most known capitals of fashion. Also the famous opera theater La Scala is known worldwide. But not so much is known by Milan itself. From people here in Italy I often hear thet there is not so much to see in Milan. After my trip I will be able to tell you is it true or not.
Anyway, the places to see are La Scala opera theather (in photo), which is situated in one of the most elegant squares of Minan - Piazza della Scala. In theater can't enter kids younger than 6 years old, and also appareal should be appropriate. Another famous place to visit is, of course, Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano), which is second largest church in Italy and third one in world. It is Ghotic chatedrale with roof open to tuorists and opens some spectacular views.  The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which links together Duomo's piazza with the Teatro alla Scala. There is situated many luxury shops. Sforza Castle houses several of the city's museum and art gallery collections, so if you like museums - it is muct to visit. Not for me anyway, I am not so much a fun of museums in their usual form. But I think the castle itself is worth to visit.
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