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The Great Wall of China

Inside The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China or ‘Wan-Li Qang-Qeng’ in Chinese, which translate to ‘10,000-Li Long Wall’, is one of the greatest man made structures in the world. It was built more than 2,300 years ago by Qin Shi Huangdi (c.259-210 B.C.) the first emperor of China during the Ch’in dynasty. The Great Wall was built as a defence system to protect the borders of the Chinese Empire from barbarian and enemy invasion, the Mongols in particular. In the 8th century B.C., China’s seven kingdoms, Qin, Chu, Han, Wei, Zhao, Yan and Qi, were at war and thus walls were built around the borders of the different kingdoms for protection. Once the Qin Kingdom defeated the other kingdoms in the 3rd century B.C., China became a united empire and more walls were built around the northern border, along the Gobi desert.

The wall is the world’s greatest defensive fortification; it measures around 5,000 kilometres in length. This wall rather than being one incredibly long wall, as I believed it to be before I did all my research, is actually a system of series of walls built over a period of 2,000 years. Every 15 to 60 meters, depending on where exactly in the different parts of the wall, there are watchtowers and beacons. These towers are 10-12 meters tall and were used for not only watching out for potential invaders but were key for military communication. They used fire/ smoke signals and lanterns to warn the other towers and send messages between the soldiers. The great wall was very well made and took over a million labourers to finish, many of who died during the construction of the site; historians believe the total was around 300,000 people.

Even though the wall was one of the greatest defence constructions ever made, it did not succeed in its goal. The wall did not entirely prevent the barbarians from invading the Empire. In 1211 A.D., the Mongols under the leadership of Genghis Khan, invaded China and took over the empire. Although the wall was not able to keep invaders out, it served as a “psychological barrier between Chinese civilisation and the world” (History.com). In 1368, the Mongols were driven out of the land and the Chinese regained their territory, establishing the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty improved and strengthened the great wall, they built new walls out of different materials including, granite, brick and limestone. Most of the work was done under Emperor Hongzhi’s rule, who wanted to prevent above all things another Mongolian invasion. The Ming wall is almost 9,000 kilometres and is the portion of the wall that is the most preserved. For this reason, the Ming portion of the wall is the most visited and more popular among the tourists. Some of the older sections of the wall have deteriorated over time and fallen into ruins. Even some parts of the Ming wall are in ruins as well because the Qing dynasty that followed Emperor Ming changed its ruling strategies. The Qing rather than focusing as much on their defence and military tactics, tried diplomacy and making peace with the neighbouring civilisations and their leaders. They made agreements especially with Mongolia and Tibet, promising not to interfere with the local culture and religious ways of the people. The Qing were very successful in creating these agreements and living at peace with the other nationalities, thus the wall became less relevant and the money used to maintain and strengthen the Ming wall was allocated elsewhere.

Watchtower

The Great Wall of China today stands as a symbol of Chinese history and culture. It is recognised for being one of the most impressive works of architecture from the old world. The wall is considered to be a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1987 and it is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. There were rumours that because the Great Wall is so long and takes over so much territory that it could be seen from the moon. This myth has been proven to be false, a Chinese astronaut himself said he could not see it from the moon. However, the wall can be seen in pictures taken from space in low earth orbits. As a result of these pictures being taken, new parts of the wall and structures were found, extending the length of the wall. Its total length is still unknown today even with all the technology we have. The Great Wall of China, like all of the monuments I blogged about this semester, is one of the greatest construction projects ever undertaken. It is a monument that continues to be an important and influential part of China, one that represents the nation’s strength and prowess.

Airplane view of the wall

If you are interested in learning more, here are some cool facts about the Great Wall of China.

The Roman Colosseum

The Roman Colosseum

The Colosseum, located in the center of the city of Rome, Italy’s capital, is one of the most important pieces of architecture left by the ancient Romans. The construction began in 72 AD by orders of Emperor Vespasian, founder of the Flavian Dynasty, which is why the building is also called the Flavian Amphitheater. Once Vespasian came to power after the death of Emperor Nero, he set the goal of making the empire greater and wanted to restore authority in the senate, decrease the excesses of the Roman Court and expand infrastructure and public welfare. The Colosseum was a project he began as a way to promote this public welfare, an amphitheater for the people of Rome to enjoy.

The work was finished after Vespasian’s death, in 80 AD under Emperor Titus who held the inaugural games at the times of its completion. The building received its name from the Colossus statue of Nero located near the site of the Colosseum. The Colosseum, the largest of its kind in the Roman world, is a symbol of the power and majesty of the Roman Empire, which dominated all of Europe and parts of Asia and northern Africa. The arena is oval shaped and measures 189 meters in length and 156 meters in width, the base area is 24,000mand the walls that go around the arena, were the spectator seating is, are 5 meters tall. Around the walls there are also three stories of arches, which are supported by semi circular columns. The building was built out of quarried limestone, brick, concrete and “tufa”, which is a volcanic stone. The amphitheater can hold more than 50,000 people, roughly the same capacity of the football stadiums at Stanford and Rice University.

Inside of the Colosseum

The Colosseum was built as an amphitheater to hold all kinds of entertainment events. Some of the events they held were displays of exotic animals, animal hunts, horse races, dancing, acrobat and gymnastic performances, and of course gladiator combats, like the Bestiarii, which were events in which gladiators would fight each other with wild animals such as tigers and leopards. At first these events followed the traditional format of the Roman games, they were not as violent and were solely for entertainment purposes. These events were more for the show and spectacle of it than anything else, they would have these exotic animals fight each other, the recreation of famous battles and gladiator combats. However, over a short period of time, the gladiatorial combats became these intense fights to the death, which men sometimes willingly participated in because the winner received great compensations; some men on the other hand were slaves, criminals or prisoners of war. The gladiator combats were divided into different categories, mainly based on the type of weapon used, which were very diverse, from spears, lances, bows and swords to actual animals. They even began to add events to the list such as tortures and executions of criminals, as well as the raping of women by, not men, which is already bad enough, but trained animals, donkeys and dogs to be specific. The level of brutality of the ancient Romans is incomprehensible. What kind of people would subject human beings and animals to such horrible acts for the sake of entertainment? What kinds of sick people would pay to watch these horrible events and actually enjoy it? These are some of the questions I ask myself but they are questions that can never be answered, I will not receive an answer I will understand anyway. There is not much of an explanation for the things people did in ancient times; just as we cannot know for sure how exactly the Great Pyramids of Giza or the Stone Henge were built, we cannot really know, or perhaps we can know and explain but just not fully comprehend how the minds of the ancient Romans worked. Similarly, how the Roman culture and even other civilisations like the Greeks and their history played a role in the way these people perceived entertainment and their value for human life.

Example of gladiatorial combat with animals from the movie Gladiator

Despite the series of violent events and the atrocities that were held in this famous arena. The Colosseum, is nonetheless an example of the great Roman architectural ingenuity, art and engineering. The building is both a symbol of the imperial greatness of the Romans and their demise. The state of ruins the Colosseum is in today, in a way represents the fall of the Empire in 410 CE, although the building was destroyed over time mostly due to natural causes, like earthquakes and rains. The Colosseum is considered one of the most famous and significant surviving monuments of the ancient classical world and is one of the seven wonders of the medieval world.

Here is a quick video from the History Chanel on the architecture of the Colosseum and the comparison to modern sport stadiums.

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal at sunset

The infamous Taj Mahal is a beautiful mausoleum located on the south bank of the Yumuna River, in the city of Agra, India. It is an incredible piece of architecture built by the Mughals, former Muslim rulers of India. Taj Mahal was built in a span of 17 years, between 1631 and 1648, by orders of Emperor Shah Jahan, who ruled from 1628 to 1658, mostly in northern India. The Emperor was inspired to build this monument in dedication to his late wife, Queen Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child. Mumtaz was the emperor’s favourite of his three queens and according to the story he was devastated and filled with grief at the time of her death, prompting him to create this tomb in her memory. The “Crown Palace”, as the name of this building translates to in English, hosts the grave of the queen and emperor on the lower chamber. When the emperor died in 1666, his grave was added to next to hers. Taj Mahal was meant to represent the house of the queen in paradise; the locals believed it to be an example of what the home of all the departed looked like in paradise due to its magnificent and captivating aesthetic.

This tomb, which lies in the center of the 42-acre complex, is built entirely of white marble and contains semi-precious stones, such as jade, lapis and turquoise. It is a symmetrical structure with a large dome at the top, which has a height of 73 meters and smaller domes around it. It has four towers on each corner, also known as minarets and “iwans” on the sides, which are the arch shaped doorways. The arches and some parts on the inside of the building have very detailed flower designs carved in marble and inscriptions from the Quran. The main gate has a beautiful handwritten inscription that translated reads “O Soul, thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you.” It is a sort of welcoming message as you enter the tomb. The design of the Taj Mahal is described as a classic example of Mughal architecture; it combines Persian, Indian and Islamic influences. This makes sense since the chief architect who designed the complex, Ustad Ahmad Lahouri, was an Indian Muslim of Persian decent. According to the legend, the emperor ordered the architect’s hands to be cut off once the work of the monument was finished so that he could never build one of its kind.

Close up of archways

The area surrounding the main building contains a grandiose garden, fountains and pools of water. The idea of having these great gardens was important in Mughal culture because they used to be a symbol of power. The complex also has other features such as a main gateway made of red sandstone, a mosque on one side of the tomb and an identical building on the other side, directly across the mosque referred to as jawab or “mirror”, which is a guest house. These other buildings were added later once the main structure had been built.

The Taj Mahal was not very well taken care of by the Mughals post Shah Jahan’s death; their powerful empire eventually fell in the 18th century and the tomb somewhat forgotten. However, when the British were in power in India at the start of the 20th century, Viceroy Lord Curzon, ordered the monument and the area around it to be restored. It would seem odd that the British cared at all but they intended to preserve “India’s artistic and cultural heritage” for colonial purposes. The Indian government today, goes through great lengths to protect this precious complex, they have a series of procedures they follow to conserve it and protect it from getting damaged by unintentional causes or outside threats. Not too long ago, the level of pollution in the neighboring area was causing the white marble to damage, thus the government ordered factories to leave the area and eliminate or decrease other sources of pollution such as the circulation of vehicles in the proximity of the complex. In addition, the main building is protected in times of war. The government orders scaffolding to be erected in order to disguise the site and mislead airplanes so as to stop them from bombing it, this was done during WWII and their war with Pakistan.

The monument is considered one of the greatest achievements in Indo-Islamic architecture and Mughal art. Taj Mahal is one of the eight wonders of the world and recognized as UNESCO world heritage and is visited by around three million people every year. This is definitely a monument I have to see in person, I tried getting a feel for it by playing around with google maps and street views, which is the closest to it I could get but of course it is not the same as physically being there. If anyone has been to Taj Mahal in the past, please share your experience in the comments.

If you are interested, here is an account of what it was like to visit Taj Mahal by a blogger from the Huffington Post.

Airplane view of the complex

Machu Picchu

The citadel of Machu Picchu

While I was in Costa Rica over spring break, my dad got transferred to Lima, Peru, thus this is a country I will be visiting frequently for the next three years. This week’s blog post is about Machu Picchu, one of the tourist sites I hope to visit at some point when I go to Peru.

Machu Picchu is an Inca citadel located in the countryside of the Cuzco region in the Peruvian Andes overlooking the Urubamba River. The citadel is believed by historians to have been a royal or sacred religious site or a temple for the Inca leaders. It was built by orders of Emperor Pachacútec, the ninth ruler of the Incas, in the 15th century, during the period of expansion and the height of the Incan Empire. The Empire of the Incas was established in Cuzco around 1200 A.D. There are two famous legends about the origin of the empire; one of the legends is the legend of Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo and another is that of the four Ayar brothers. Both of these legends suggest that the founder and first leader of the dynasty was Manco Capac, however the most important Inca emperor was Pachacútec. He was emperor during a great period for the Incas and is recognized for achieving the expansion of the Inca dominion. He began a series of conquests in the continent managing to establish the empire of Tahuantinsuyo, which was about 2 million square kilometres large and covered the territory that stretches from modern day Ecuador to Chile.

Incan Territory

In the 16th century when the Spanish invaded Peru, the Inca Empire fell and the civilization was essentially eradicated by the Spanish leaving Machu Picchu completely uninhabited. The American historian and archaeologist Hiram Bingham III, who was a professor at Yale University, discovered Machu Picchu in 1911. A year later with the help of Yale University, the National Geographic Society and the Peruvian government, he was able to begin doing archaeological work in the area, from 1912 until 1915. Multiple tombs of the ancient inhabitants were found on the site. Before 1911, the existence of the abandoned citadel was most likely only known by the locals of the Cuzco region because when Bingham made his discovery, the citadel was largely intact, thus it appears to be that the Spanish conquistadors never visited the place or knew about it altogether.

The citadel of Machu Picchu is an extraordinary work of engineering that is divided into various sections. The biggest and perhaps most important one is the Temple of the Sun, it is located in the urban sector and is only accessed through the main gate, which was put in place for the protection and security of the city. Machu Picchu was built in this particular Andes mountain because it is the highest point. The Incas believed that from this stand point they could contemplate heaven more closely and they would be closer positioned to the sun. The sun is very important in Incan culture because the Sun god was believed by the Incas to be the ancestor of their civilization (fun fact: the Peruvian currency is called “Sol” the Spanish word for sun). The most important building in Machu Picchu is inside the Temple of the Sun, it is called Torreon and it marks the exact point of the highest altitude in the entire citadel. Another piece is the pyramid of Intiwuatana, which is located in the Hanan sector of the urban area. It is situated on the slopes of one of the hills and it is more like level embankments that were placed to take the form of a pyramid. The Liturgical Fountains were named by the Inca civilization as “paqchas”; they have a spiritual and sacred value in the citadel since natural elements like water and fire were perceived to be gods in Incan mythology, much like the sun. The fountains are supposed to be a representation of the water god and a place of worship. The Incas created a whole system to provide water to these fountains, which would supply the whole citadel from deep inside the mountain. The Sacred Plaza is at the centre of the citadel, believed to be a political centre. It is surrounded by the temples and terraces that were not used for cultivation thus it is thought to have been used to accommodate spectators, perhaps for the celebrations and festivities of the civilization.

Temple of the Sun

Today, the site of Machu Picchu is the most popular touristic site in Peru and one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. It was also declared Cultural Heritage by UNESCO and voted as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Machu Picchu is a magnificent work of architecture and certainly the greatest heritage left by the ancient Incan civilization.

The Eiffel Tower

eiffel-tower-1

This week’s world monument is the infamous Eiffel Tower located in the Champ de Mars in Paris. Even though this monument is over exposed and most people know everything there is to know about it, I hope this post will shed light on some new facts.

The Eiffel Tower or as the French call it La Dame de Fer, “the Iron Lady”, was designed and built by the French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, whom also designed the inside structure of the Statue of Liberty, and three other who assisted him, the engineers Maurice, Koechlin, Emile Nougier and architect Stephen Sauvestre. The tower was erected to serve as the entrance and centrepiece to the world’s fair. It also commemorated the 100-year anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on July 14th, 1789 and the start of the French Revolution. This monument was built during the Age of Capital, a time when Europe was thriving economically and society was advancing at a rapid rate. Similarly, science and engineering had developed enormously; the construction of such a magnificent work of architecture was a way to celebrate the advancements and achievements of this period. Eiffel’s company however faced wide skepticism when they were building the tower but the project was carried through regardless of the outspoken concerns. Some Parisians thought the tower to be distasteful, useless and monstrous and environmentalists raised concerns about the tower obstructing the flight of birds. In 1909, the twenty-year lease they had for the standing of the tower had expired and it was almost torn down but it was saved due to its antenna, which was used for telegraphic purposes at the time. This was very important because the telegraph was probably one of the most significant inventions from the age of capital, one that made it possibly for the world to become interconnected. In 1910 the tower became part of the International Time Service, it was used for radio and television broadcasting.

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Construction of the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is a very large structure made of latticed wrought iron, which Eiffel chose over steel because it was a lot cheaper since steel was still a fairly new invention and thus very expensive, even though the total cost of building the tower was quite high and of 7,799,401.31 French gold francs. Eiffel also wanted to prove that he could make a structure that was very strong while still being lighter. The tower is 300 meters or 984 feet tall without the antenna, with it the height is of 324 meters or 1063 feet and it weighs 7000 tons. The large structure consists of various parts, a base composed of a platform resting on four separate pillars, called pylons or bents, another piece of pylons and a smaller platform, the tower itself where the electric cables are and the antenna. The Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure in the world until the Chrysler Building was built in 1930, the antenna was then added which gave the tower an additional 24 meters but shortly after the Empire State Building was inaugurated.

The Eiffel Tower today, is considered a symbol of Romance and one of the symbols of the city of Paris. It continues to serve a large role in television and radio broadcasting and is considered an architectural wonder. The tower attracts on average 6.9 million people each year, the most popular paid tourist attraction in the world. The basements of the east and western pillars have the 1899 gargantuan machinery that powers the lifts. The first floor has an observatory, souvenir shops, and a restaurant called Altitude 95, a post office with special Eiffel tower stamps and a panoramic gallery displaying the monuments of Paris. The second level allows people to obtain a fantastic view of the city, the platform has telescopes, more shops, a display of how the machinery of the lifts functions and the Jules Verne Restaurant, which is extremely expensive. The third platform has naturally the best view, it has panoramic maps and a champagne bar. The floor also has Gustafe Eiffel’s office, which has been restored to its original condition and features wax reproductions of Eiffel and his daughter welcoming the inventor Thomas Edison, who gives the engineer a gramophone as a gift.

I have personally been to the Eiffel Tower once, when I visited Paris with my Swiss school back in 2009. I was absolutely mind blown by the size and greatness of it, it is truly a symbol of all the great achievements and advancement of the age of capital. It is impressive to see how Eiffel and his team came up with such an astonishing and beautiful design that on its own is breath taking, the engineering behind its construction is even more captivating. The view from the Eiffel Tower is also one of the greatest things I have ever seen, it is especially beautiful later in the day when the sun begins to set.

The Great Pyramids of Giza

Pyramids of Giza

The Great Pyramids at Giza are one of the most famous monuments in the world and a significant addition to the classic seven wonders. The three pyramids were built in a span of 85 years around 2,500 B.C., making them more than 4,000 years old. They are located in the West Bank of the Nile River near Giza in the city of Cairo. After extensive study and analysis over the years, archaeologists have come to the conclusion that these pyramids were made for funerary purposes, however there is no evidence to prove this theory. They believe that the ancient Egyptians built them as tombs for the Pharaohs and their queens. During the third and fourth dynasty Egypt was an empire of great prosperity and economic stability. The ancient Egyptians admired and saw their kings as divine beings chosen by the gods to rule over the kingdom and serve as mediators between the spiritual world and that of the humans. They also believed that when a king died, his spirit remained in his body and that only kings could move on to enjoy life with the gods. The Kings were thus mummified and buried with all their possessions and various offerings, essentially all the artifacts and goods they would need in the afterlife. Additionally, they were buried under extravagant structures. Initially, at the start of the dynastic era, these tombs were flat roofed rectangular structures, known as “mastabas”. They then developed into more pyramid shaped structures and later into the very ambitious and magnificent work of engineering that is the Great Pyramid of King Khufu.

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My sister and I on Khufu’s pyramid

The Great Pyramid, the largest and oldest of the three, is Khufu’s pyramid and it had originally a height of 146.7 meters. Khufu was the second pharaoh of the fourth dynasty and ruled from 2,589 to 2,566 B.C. There are two smaller pyramids lined up next to Khufu’s pyramid, which were built for his queens and mother, similarly, there are rows of mastabas, made for relatives or officials of the King to keep him company or support him in his afterlife. The second largest pyramid is 143 meters high; it is the tomb of King Khafre, the son of Khufu. In front of the middle pyramid is the famous statue of the strange creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human; this is of course the Great Sphinx. The statue is made of limestone and was built as some sort of guardian for the Kings; he represents the image of the god Horus and is believed to symbolize strength and wisdom. The smallest pyramid measures 66 meters and is that of King Menkaure, son of Khafre.

The pyramids were constructed from 2.5 million limestone blocks weighing on average 2.6 tons each. It is a mystery to many archeologists and historians, how the Egyptians were able to build these magnificent structures. They had to cut, carry, transport these large stones and perfectly align them. The wheel had not been invented yet at that point in time, meaning they did not have an easy way to transport the rocks. Archaeologists believe that the Egyptians used a system of ramps and wooden and bronze levers to move, lift and place the rocks into their position. It took an immense amount of labour to build these pyramids; roughly around twenty thousand men were used to build Khufu’s pyramid alone. The structure and design of the pyramids and the technology that was used to create them is very complex and remains a mystery to many historians. For instance, the pyramids are aligned with the stars and within three sixtieths of a degree of true north-south. Khufu’s pyramid is also aligned with the sun. During the summer, the sun sets between the pyramids of Khufu and Khafre. When the three elements are seen together, the sun and the two pyramids, they form the hieroglyph for “horizon”, or akh. Coincidentally, Khufu’s pyramid is also named the “Horizon of Khufu”, which suggests that the perfect alignment of the pyramids with the solar circuit is not so coincidental. There is no evidence however that the ancient Egyptians had or used astronomical knowledge to build the pyramids but historians believe that it is definitely possible they did already have such an understanding.

Close up of Khufu's Pyramid
Close up of Khufu’s Pyramid

The Great Pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx are fascinating; pictures do not really do them much justice. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I was able to go to Cairo and visit these monuments when my dad worked in Egypt. I appreciated every second of my time at the site, my younger sister on the other hand, did not enjoy it so much. She found the whole thing boring and exhausting, the only thing she enjoyed was riding the camel. The poor girl actually fainted from the heat because it was about 42 degrees Celsius when we went there. Aside from that incident, the entire experience was absolutely incredible. I was amazed by how large the rocks actually were and the architectural and engineering genius that was put into their construction. I also noticed how some of the smaller tombs had hieroglyphics and the level of detail was impressive. Moreover, I could not quite grasp how the pyramids have remained pretty much intact for over 4,000 years. They have suffered very little damages and are the only wonder of the ancient world that still exists today. The pyramids also continue to be relevant and a site of much interest, which is great for the Egyptian government today because they can really benefit from the tourist revenue.

Cool picture of the Sphinx
Cool picture of the Sphinx