CN Tower

CN Tower

The CN Tower is quite a flabbergasting architectural achievement.

  • The CN Tower is a very tall structure built for media reception and communications, and it houses restaurants – one of which revolves, a theatre and a shop, and also features a number of observation decks.
  • Erected in Canada’s Ontario, in North America, the CN Tower was built in the middle of a disused train shunting yard, in the Railway Lands of Toronto, at a cost that totalled $63 million Canadian Dollars, and it has become a popular tourist attraction.
  • The ‘CN Tower’ is also known as the ‘Canadian National Tower’, ‘Canada’s National Tower’ and ‘Tour CN’, the latter in French; and ‘CN’ stands for ‘Canadian National’, the company who initially owned the tower.
  • The CN Tower has a central hexagonal column that has three large supports at the base, with an antenna spire at the top, and totals 553.33 metres (1,815.4 feet) in height, and has 147 floors.
  • The concept of the CN Tower was first proposed in 1968 by the Canadian National railway, who were the original owners of the tower and had the structure built, although it was not until early 1973 that construction commenced.

CN Tower, Toronto, Canada, Skyline, Water, City, Ten Random Facts,  Flickr,

CN Tower
Image courtesy of elPadawan/Flickr
  • When officially opened on 1 October, 1976, the CN Tower was the tallest tower and the tallest freestanding structure in the world; and it held these positions for more than three decades, while in 2014, it ranked third and sixth respectively.
  • The total concrete volume used to construct the CN Tower was around 40,500 cubic metres (52,972 cubic yards), and the concrete was all made at the construction site.
  • Before the use of LED lights, that were installed in 2007 and are controlled in Ontario’s Burlington, the CN Tower used the original incandescent lights until around 1997, and discontinued the use of them due to expensive running and repair costs.
  • Ice can form on the CN Tower, which can prove hazardous in winds, as the ice can fall away from the tower and smash glass and damage objects, including cars.
  • The CN Tower attracts lightning due to its height, and in one year, it is hit by lightning around 75 times; and to protect against this, pieces of copper run from the top of the tower to the base and are used to direct the electrical energy into the ground.
Bibliography:
CN Tower, 2012, World Federation of Great Towers, http://www.great-towers.com/towers/cn-tower/
CN Tower, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CN_Tower
CN Tower, n.d, Canada Lands Tower, http://www.cntower.ca/site_Files/Content/PDF/Facts_at_a_Glance_2013.pdf

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Ely Cathedral

Ely Cathedral

Ely Cathedral is another inspiring work of art.

  • Ely Cathedral is a large Romanesque stone church, that is part of the Anglican Diocese of Ely and the home to its bishop, located in England’s Cambridgeshire, in Europe.
  • ‘Ely Cathedral’ is also known as the ‘Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely’ and ‘the Ship of the Fens’.
  • The highest point of Ely Cathedral is the west tower measuring 66 metres (216.5 feet) and the building spreads over a distance of nearly 164 metres (538 feet) and covers an area of 4273 square metres (46,000 square feet).
  • Ely Cathedral is situated on the spot, that, in 673 AD, a monastery for both genders was established, by the saint, and Queen, Etheldreda, whose shrine existed at the site for many centuries.
  • The original monastery at the location of Ely Cathedral was thought to be destroyed in the 9th century, by Vikings, while a revival in the area caused the re-establishment and rebuilding of the abbey from 970.
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Ely Cathedral
Image courtesy of Steve Cadman/Flickr
  • Normans, who seized control of the monastery at the site of the Ely Cathedral in the 11th century, ordered the rebuilding of most monasteries, including Ely, and a number of additions were made to the cathedral over the centuries, and restoration works have been undertaken at various times.
  • The construction of Ely Cathedral commenced during the 1080s by Abbot Simeon, although it was halted for a number of years after his death in 1093; and the first bishop was appointed in 1109.
  • In 1322, the central tower of Ely Cathedral collapsed, and was reconstructed as an octagonal tower; while some time later, another part of the building gave way and was never repaired.
  • The Ely Cathedral has numerous panels of stained glass artwork, mainly originating in the 1800s, and the building originally housed numerous sculptures, which were mostly destroyed along with other objects, in the reformation in the 1500s.
  • Two main towers exist in the Ely Cathedral, the west tower comprising of almost 290 steps; and the site also has a number of chapels, a cafe, restaurant, shop, and a stained glass museum.
Bibliography:
Ely Cathedral, 2015, Sacred Cathedral, http://www.sacred-destinations.com/england/ely-cathedral
Ely Cathedral, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ely_Cathedral
Ely Cathedral, n.d, Eastern Cathedrals, http://easterncathedrals.org.uk/members/ely-cathedral.php
The Story of the Ely Cathedral, 2015, Ely Cathedral, http://www.elycathedral.org/history-heritage/the-story-of-ely-cathedral

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Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is a list-worthy wonder.

  • Angkor Wat is an extensive building and religious temple located in the Angkor region in Cambodia, in Southeast Asia.
  • Angkor Wat is said to be the largest temple in the world, and it sits on an area of 820,000 square metres (980,712 square yards).
  • The name ‘Angkor Wat’ comes from the native Cambodian Khmer words ‘angkor’ and ‘wat’, meaning ‘city’ and ‘temple grounds’ respectively.
  • Angkor Wat is a prominent symbol of Cambodia, and it appears on the country’s national flag, making it only one of two nations in the world to have a building exist on their flag.
  • The primary part of Angkor Wat was built around the early to mid 1100s by the native Khmers, under orders from ruler Suryavarman II, as a state temple for the king.
Angkor Wat, Ten Random Facts, Cambodia, Temple, Religion
Angkor Wat
Image courtesy of Dennis Jarvis/Flickr
  • Angkor Wat contains large quantities of bas-relief; is rich in Khmer architecture styles; and is made primarily of sandstone and laterite; and the temple features a moat, an outer area and the central area, which consists of various sections.
  • Originally, Angkor Wat was used as a temple for the Hindu religion, but it was adopted by the Theravāda Buddhists from the late 1200s.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention declared Angkor Wat a World Heritage Site as part of the Angkor Archaeological Park in 1992.
  • The temple of Angkor Wat was once part of the capital city originally located there, and over the years, it has undergone various conservation and restoration works, by various groups from around the globe.
  • Angkor Wat is a prominent tourist site, being one of the most popular sites in the country, although the large number of visitors to the site has significantly impacted some local areas nearby.
Bibliography:
Angkor, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668
Angkor Wat, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_Wat

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Lighthouse of Alexandria

Lighthouse of Alexandria

The Lighthouse of Alexandria was certainly more than your typical lighthouse.

  • The Lighthouse of Alexandria was a lighthouse originally located next to the city of Alexandria, on the island of Pharos, in Egypt, Africa.
  • ‘Lighthouse of Alexandria’ is also known as ‘Pharos of Alexandria’, ‘Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria’ and ‘Pharos Lighthouse’, and it is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
  • Around 280 BC, the Lighthouse of Alexandria was built, taking over a decade to complete; and the construction period was during the reign of Ptolemy I and Ptolemy II.
  • The height of the Lighthouse of Alexandria is believed to have been between 117 to 137 metres (383 to 450 feet), making it one of the tallest built structures in the world for hundreds of years.
  • The Lighthouse of Alexandria was among the first lighthouses to be built, and is believed to have had one or more mirrors and a place for fire, that was used to signal, position and detect ships up to a 160 kilometres (100 miles) away.
Lighthouse of Alexandria, Drawing, Picture, Depiction, Old, Primary Source, Ten Random Facts
A depiction of the Lighthouse of Alexandria
Image courtesy of Ashley van Haeften/Flickr
  • The Lighthouse of Alexandria was destroyed by the end of 1323, due to at least three major earthquakes over a period of 400 years.
  • The Lighthouse of Alexandria had three primary parts, a rectangular prism erected on the foundation; an octagonal prism built above that; and a cylinder sitting on top.
  • After the Lighthouse of Alexandria disintegrated, the Citadel of Qaitbay was built in its spot in the late 1400s, and it is believed that some of the lighthouse stones were used to create this fort that still sits on the site.
  • Some of the remains of the Lighthouse of Alexandria were discovered underwater in the Port of Alexandria during 1994, by Frenchman Jean-Yves Empereur, an archaeologist, and his team.
  • The top section of the Lighthouse of Alexandria is said to have featured the statue of one of two Greek gods – Zeus, god of the sky, or Poseidon, god of the sea.
Bibliography:
Dunn J, Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria, 2013, Tour Egypt, http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/pharoslighthouse.htm
The Great Lighthouse of Alexandria, 2011, The Museum of Unnatural Mystery, http://unmuseum.mus.pa.us/pharos.htm
Lighthouse of Alexandria, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighthouse_of_Alexandria

 

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Maunsell Forts

Maunsell Forts

Imagine living out in the isolated sea on the Maunsell Forts.

  • Maunsell Forts are a group of buildings that were erected in the ocean for the defence of the United Kingdom, in Europe, near the mouths of the River Thames and the River Mersey.
  • Maunsell Forts were built for use in World War II, serving as forts for either the navy or the army, depending on the fort, with the army forts consisting of a set of seven connected towers.
  • Four navy forts and three army forts were built in the Thames estuary as part of the Maunsell Fort system, named ‘Rough Sands’, ‘Sunk Head’, ‘Tongue Sands’, ‘Knock John’, ‘Nore’, ‘Red Sands’ and ‘Shivering Sands’, numbered U1-U7 respectively, and are collectively known as the ‘Thames Sea Forts’.
  • Observing, searching for and halting German aircraft and other threats, during World War II, were the primary uses of the Maunsell Forts.
  • The main material used in the construction of Maunsell Forts was concrete and steel, with the navy forts sitting on a flat bed supported by two cylindrical columns, and the army fort towers sitting atop four cylindrical legs that sit like a square pyramid.
Maunsell Sea Forts
Image courtesy of Steve Cadman/FlickrMaunsell Forts, Brown, Water, Thames, England, United Kingdoms, Group, Five, Navy , Ten Random Facts, Flickr
  • Maunsell Forts were designed by engineer Guy Maunsell from Britain, hence their name, and were built in the early 1940s.
  • A number of Maunsell Forts or towers have been destroyed since World War II, due to watercraft collisions and weather conditions, while the forts in the Mersey estuary were removed due to the hindrance to ships travelling in the area.
  • By the 1950s the Maunsell Forts were no longer used for their original purpose and were mostly left abandoned, however, during the 1960s, a number of the forts were overtaken by pirates as a base to broadcast pirate radio.
  • Many of the remaining Maunsell Forts are in a state of deterioration and they can be quite hazardous to approach, so viewing is generally performed from a distance.
  • Restoring the Maunsell Forts has been considered, and a preservation project, known as Project Redsand began in 2003 to restore the Red Sand towers so that they could be used commercially for communications, recording of music, experiments, and history related activities.
Bibliography:
Maunsell Army Sea Forts, 2014, Atlas Obscura, http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/maunsell-army-sea-forts
Maunsell Forts, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maunsell_Forts
World War II: ‘Fort Madness: Britain’s Bizarre Sea Defense Against the Germans, 2010, Spiegel Online International, http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/world-war-ii-fort-madness-britain-s-bizarre-sea-defense-against-the-germans-a-728754.html

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Butrint

Butrint, Roman, Ten Random Facts, Ruins, Greek, City, Flickr, Europe

See the ages of the past at Butrint.

  • Butrint is a now ruined city that existed during the times of the Ancient Greeks and Romans, and the site is part of a protected area of approximately 86 square kilometres (33.2 square miles).
  • ‘Butrint’ is also known as ‘Buthrotum’, ‘Bouthrōtón’ and ‘Buthrōtum’, the latter two being Greek and Latin respectively.
  • Butrint is located on the southern tip of Albania, in Europe, in the area of Ksamil, on a hill, and the site is almost completely surrounded by water.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention declared Butrint a World Heritage Site in 1992, and a National Park of the same name was formed in the year 2000 to further protect the site.
  • Butrint is said to have been settled by Greeks as early as the 900s BC, until it had a significant Roman influence by the mid 2nd century BC, and it was later influenced by Christians and Roman Catholics.

Butrint, Roman, Ten Random Facts, Ruins, Greek, City, Flickr, Europe

Part of Butrint
Image courtesy of Matias Hallberg/Flickr
  • Butrint was the site of many clashes, especially during the Middle and Modern Ages, including those with Normans and Venetians.
  • Butrint is said to have been hit by a damaging earthquake and flood, during the 200s AD and the medieval period respectively; while the latter disaster caused the occupants to cease living in the city, and never return.
  • Archaeologists have performed modern excavations on Butrint since 1928, that were initially undertaken by Italians, and were intended by the Italian government to increase their influence in the area.
  • Butrint has previously been damaged by theft and vandalism, and since protection of the site has been more prominent, further damage has diminished.
  • Butrint has many monuments and other significant sights to see, and is visited by busloads of tourists quite regularly; while the first road to the archaeological site was built in 1959.
Bibliography:
Butrint, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/570
Buthrotum, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buthrotum
Butrint, nd, Butrint Foundation, http://butrint.com/index.php

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