Tag Archives: Construction

Chefchaouen

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Chefchaouen

Chefchaouen is a calming blue.

  • Chefchaouen, also known as ‘Chaouen’, or ‘Xauen’ in Spanish, is a city located in the north of Morocco, North Africa, in the Rif mountains, and it sits approximately 660 m (2165 feet) above sea level.
  • The name ‘Chefchaouen’, meaning ‘watch the horns’ comes from the term ‘chaoua’ meaning ‘goat’s horns’ in one of the tribal languages, in reference to the appearance of the mountains situated over the town, while the term ‘chef’ is translated as ‘looks at’.
  • Chefchaouen is a popular tourist site, with around 200 hotels actively used to cater for visitors that come to experience the natural beauty, and history.
  • In 2004, Chefchaouen had a population of 35,709, which is around 7,000 people less than the census of a decade prior.
  • Chefchaouen is famous for its many buildings and objects, that have either been totally or partially painted the colour blue.
Chefchaouen, Morocco, Street, Blue, Part, Africa, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Place, Town
A Street of Chefchaouen
Image courtesy of Mark Fischer/Flickr
  • Chefchaouen was originally built as a fortress in 1471, used against the Portuguese in their invasion, and the city has been a safe-haven for Jewish refugees at least twice in its history.
  • Chefchaouen is notable for selling an extensive variety of textiles, handcrafts and goat cheese, while the drug cannabis is widely grown in the area.
  • The blue painted buildings of Chefchaouen are a tradition that is believed to have begun in the 1930s, or possibly centuries earlier, started by Jewish refugees, serving as a reminder of God and a reflection of the sky.
  • Chefchaouen was under Spanish command from the 1920s to 1956, and it had been attacked by Spain prior to this occasion.
  • The blue buildings of Chefchaouen are typically repainted every two years to maintain the colour.
Bibliography:
Chefchaouen, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen, the Blue City of Morocco, 2012, Amusing Planet, http://www.amusingplanet.com/2012/08/chefchaouen-blue-city-of-morocco.html
Neubauer I, Chefchaouen: The electric beauty of Morocco’s incredible blue city, 2015, CNN, http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/03/travel/morocco-blue-city-chefchaouen/
To Visit the Medina of Chefchaouen, n.d, Chaouen.info, http://www.chaouen.info/in-medina.html

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Airport

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Airport

Airports are the terminals of activity that enable travel to far-off places.

  • Airports are a construction that provides assistance in the flying, taking off and landing of aircraft, as well as the storage, service, repair and maintenance of aircraft.
  • Airports usually consist of a type of runway for aircraft to land on, and often have hangars, terminals and control towers for further functionality.
  • When an airport has large amounts of traffic they will generally have at least one control tower, which is used to monitor aircraft arrivals and departures, dangers due to weather conditions and other factors, and to ensure there are no aircraft collisions.
  • It is generally considered that the world’s oldest airport still in use is the College Park Airport of the United State’s Maryland built in 1909, while one of the earliest commercial facilities still in use is Sydney Airport in Australia which officially opened in early 1920.
  • Airport runways vary depending on the facility size, with smaller ones generally having grass, gravel or dirt based runways of under 1 kilometre (0.6 miles) in length, while larger runways are made of concrete or asphalt and reach lengths of 2 to 5 kilometres (1.2 to 3.1 miles).

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  • Despite the majority of airports being of smaller size, most are owned by a government organisation, rather than by business corporations or an individual.
  • The first airports were, on the most part, reserved for military use until after World War I; many of which were later used for commercial purposes.
  • Each airport has its own letter code, known as an International Air Transport Association (IATA) code, and generally also an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) code, and the facilities usually have an official name, and sometimes a common name, which may be more well known than its formal title.
  • In 2013, there were 41,821 airports in the world, and almost a third of those were located in the United States, while Brazil had the second biggest number of facilities with almost ten percent of the world’s total.
  • Airports are generally split into two sections, landside – which is open to the public and includes roads and transport options, and airside – which has restricted access and includes airplanes, runways, hangars and so on.
Bibliography:
Airport, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airport
Field Listing: Airport, n.d, The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2053.html
The History of Airports, 2015, AvJobs, http://www.avjobs.com/history/airports.asp

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Rothenburg ob der Tauber

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Rothenburg ob der Tauber

You cannot get architecture more classical then Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

  • Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a town of significant historical importance, found in Germany’s Bavaria, in Europe,
  • As a German phrase, ‘Rothenburg ob der Tauber’ means ‘red fortress above the Tauber’, referring to its elevated location over the River Tauber.
  • A city wall encircles Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which was built in the 1200s, and the town is notable for its preservation of medieval architecture and history.
  • Rothenburg ob der Tauber covers an area of 41.68 square kilometres (16.09 square miles), and is located along the scenic route known as the Romantic Road.
  • Settlement of Rothenburg ob der Tauber first began in 970 AD, but only become a town and fortress from the 1100s to the 1200s, with the fortress being primarily initiated by King Conrad III.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany, Place, Buildings, Stone, Trivia, Random Facts, Europe
Part of Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Image courtesy of Edward Dalmulder/Flickr
  • Rothenburg ob der Tauber was considered to be an example of ideal town life to the German citizens, by Nazi Germany during World War II, when it was also armed for enemy protection.
  • The town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber was partially bombed during World War II, and approximately 45% was destroyed before the Germans surrendered, however, it was rebuilt in the original style with financial contributions from around the world.
  • The films Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2010, 2011) both had significant scenes filmed at Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
  • In 1274, Rothenburg ob der Tauber was designated a Free Imperial City, which meant it was self-governed and only answerable to the emperor.
  • Rothenburg ob der Tauber is visited by approximately 2.5 million tourists annually, particularly by day trippers or backpackers.
Bibliography:
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rothenburg_ob_der_Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber, n.d, Romantic Road Germany, http://www.romanticroadgermany.com/rothenburg/
Short History of the Town of Rothenburg, 2013, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, http://www.tourismus.rothenburg.de/index.php?id=578

Stoclet Palace

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Stoclet Palace

Stoclet Palace really ventured into a new design space.

  • Stoclet Palace is a private mansion considered a masterpiece of architecture, found in Belgium’s Brussels, in Europe and it features well landscaped gardens, paintings, artworks, mosaics and sculptures, and has marble as a primary building material.
  • ‘Stoclet Palace’ is also known as ‘Stoclet House’, ‘Palais Stoclet’ in French and ‘Stocletpaleis’ in Dutch.
  • Adolphe Stoclet, a Belgian art enthusiast and banker, commissioned the construction of Stoclet Palace as his private home, and building took place from 1905 to 1911.
  • The architect of Stoclet Palace was Josef Hoffmann from Austria, who was given free reign in his design of the property, with an open budget and architectural opportunity.
  • Stoclet Palace is considered a ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’, a German term meaning ‘total work of art’, of the Wiener Werkstätte company, translated as ‘Vienna Workshops’, and the project included the artists Koloman Moser, Gustav Klimt, Frantz Metzner, Richard Luksch, and Michael Powolny, and others.
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Stocet Palace
Image courtesy of Stephane Mignon/Flickr
  • As an Art Nouveau building, Stoclet Palace was intentionally designed differently to the typical styles of the time, and featured simple, geometrical block design that helped revolutionise architecture of the era.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention designated Stoclet Palace a World Heritage Site in 2009, partly due to it being the work of ‘human creative genius’.
  • The area of the Stoclet Palace property is roughly 8600 square metres (10,285 square yards), which includes gardens, that were also carefully designed along with the mansion.
  • In 2012, Stoclet Palace was owned by the granddaughters of Adolphe Stoclet, but not occupied by any, and as a private residence it has remained closed to the public throughout its history, and as of 2015, the property was still closed to visitors.
  • Stoclet Palace was subject to a court battle, ending in 2011, when its owners could not agree on the property’s future, as most of the four heiresses (sisters) were keen to separate the contents from the building, and then sell them off, however, they were unsuccessful.
Bibliography:
Stoclet Palace, 2015, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1298
Stoclet Palace, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoclet_Palace
Wise M, An Enchanted House Becomes a Family’s Curse, 2012, The Wall Street Journal, http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204616504577172941334034970

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Pura Besakih

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Pura Besakih

Pura Besakih is a place for pilgrims.

  • Pura Besakih is a group of temples found in Indonesia’s Bali, in South East Asia, and they sit part way up the side of Mount Agung, at approximately 1000 metres (1093 yards) above sea level.
  • Pura Besakih is also known as ‘Besakih Temple’, and ‘Bali’s Mother Temple’, and the name ‘Besakih’ is said to be derived from the original name for the place ‘Basuki’ which is a reference to a dragon deity said to dwell on the mountain.
  • Twenty-three temple complexes make up the precinct of Pura Besakih, and this encompasses more than 80 temples, while Pura Penataran Agung is the largest and most significant of them all.
  • Pura Besakih is used by the Hindu religion throughout Bali, and is among the most sacred and important Hindu sites on the island.
  • Many of the temples of Pura Besakih appear to be like a step pyramid in shape, and stone is commonly used in the construction of the buildings.
Pura Besakih, Bali Indonesia, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Temples, Asia, Horizon
Pura Besakih
Image courtesy of Juan Antonia F. Segal/Flickr
  • Pura Besakih is a notable location for numerous festivals and events, numbering 70 different ones, or more, every year.
  • Pura Besakih is considered an ancient religious site, however it is not known when the first temples were built, although it is suspected that some were built in the 700s AD, and others built up until the 1340s.
  • Over 100,000 people visited Pura Besakih in 2013, however, many people do not rate their experience highly due to the unrestrained locals who are said to harass visitors for payment of various services and access to the temple complex.
  • Pura Besakih can be very busy during the day, due to the many visitors and local vendors, so it is best visited early morning or evening, and a sarong is required to be worn at all times.
  • Mount Agunga is a stratovolcano that erupted in 1963, spewing lava that narrowly dodged the temples of Pura Besakih; an event often considered a miraculous sign by the Hindu community.
Bibliography:
Besakih Temple in Bali – Pura Besakih, 2015, Bali, http://www.bali-indonesia.com/attractions/besakih-temple.htm
Pura Besakih, 2015, Bali, http://www.bali.com/temple_Pura-Besakih_83.html
Pura Besakih, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pura_Besakih

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Windmills at Kinderdijk

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Windmills at Kinderdijk

The windmills at Kinderdijk capture the essence of the past.

  • The windmills at Kinderdijk are a set of 19 windmills that are located in South Holland, in the Netherlands, in Europe.
  • The UNESCO World Heritage Convention listed the windmills at Kinderdijk as a World Heritage Site in 1997, as part of the mill network at Kinderdijk-Elshout.
  • The windmills at Kinderdijk were built to manage the water levels, that are below sea level, and drainage of soil near the Lek River and Noord River, after a failed attempt using canals.
  • Almost all of the windmills at Kinderdijk were constructed from 1738 to 1740, and depending on the windmill, they are mostly made from various combinations of stone, brick, wood and thatching.
  • Stations that are run by diesel fuel have since replaced the windmills at Kinderdijk for pumping water, although the windmills are kept in working condition for backup purposes and for tourism.
Windmills at Kinderdijk, Blue, Scene, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Buildings, Europe, Water, River
Windmills at Kinderdijk
Image courtesy of kkmarals/Flickr
  • The uppermost section of the windmills at Kinderdijk can rotate in a full circle, to catch wind at maximum efficiency.
  • The windmills at Kinderdijk were in proper operation during World War II, when fuel was too scarce to be used in the stations.
  • As of 2015, more than 450,000 visitors came to view the windmills at Kinderdijk each year, and they are operated during the summer for the sake of the tourists.
  • The windmills at Kinderdijk ran into financial difficulty in 2012, due to the costs incurred in running the mills and renovations that were being undertaken, while tourism is the main income generating activity for the mills.
  • There are various ways of seeing the windmills at Kinderdijk, and these include walking, cycling, and cruising on the water; and there is a mill museum which is open to the public.
Bibliography:
Jeff Titelius, Whimsical Windmills of Kinderdijk in the Netherlands-UNESCO Site, 2012, EuroTravelogue, http://www.eurotravelogue.com/2012/05/whimsical-windmills-of-kinderdijk-in.html
UNESCO World Heritage: Windmills of Kinderdijk, n.d, Kinderdijk, https://www.kinderdijk.com/area/unesco-world-heritage-windmills-kinderdijk
The Windmills of Kinderdijk, 2014, Amusing Planet, http://www.amusingplanet.com/2014/11/the-windmills-of-kinderdijk.html
Windmills at Kinderdijk, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windmills_at_Kinderdijk

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