Temples of Angkor in Cambodia

The Angkor temple complex in Cambodia is one of those rare, much-hyped destinations that actually exceed expectations.

Most of us have seen the photos: invading jungle trees, acres of collapsed stone blocks, the tranquil and knowing faces staring out from towers… Photographs of Angkor are captivating, but the actual place is larger and more magnificent still.

History & Rediscovery
Between 802 and 1432 AD, a succession of Khmer kings funneled the enormous wealth of their kingdoms into a series of monumental building projects. Growing successively grander and more elaborate, the Buddhist and Hindu temples of Angkor stand as the apex of ancient Khmer architectural and cultural achievements.

The great city of Angkor gradually fell into decline in the early 1400's after repeated attacks and encroachment by the Thais. The Western world first heard about the temples in the 1860's, when they were discovered by a Frenchman named Henri Mouhot.

Cambodia's Identity & Pride
The temples of Angkor are recognized by many as one of the greatest architectural achievements of man. Scattered in the jungle outside of Siem Reap, the temples are a source of identity and pride for Cambodians, and they draw thousands of foreign visitors every year.

Some of the Angkor temples have been restored and reconstructed, while others have been left largely untouched, giving visitors an idea of what early explorers saw.

Majestic Angkor Wat
Visitors driving into the main Angkor complex are greeted first by the vast square moat that surrounds Angkor Wat. The temple towers peep out above the tree line. 

At the west entrance, a long stone road gleams past an imposing outer wall, across a sprawling courtyard, and right up to the main structure, where five honeycomb-shaped towers jut into the sky. The site is nothing short of magnificent. 

The inner galleries of Angkor Wat contain almost 13,000 square feet of bas-relief galleries that depict scenes from historic Khmer battles, sacred books, and Indian epics. The most famous gallery depicts a myth derived from the Hindu epic Bagavata-Pourana called the "churning of the ocean of milk", which tells the story of gods and demons who attempt to produce an elixir of immortality.

Ta Prohm, the Jungle Temple
The temple ruin of Ta Prohm is one of the more spectacular sites in Angkor. Giant jungle trees grow over and around the temple stones, clasping them in a violent, slow-motion embrace; huge stone blocks lie in heaps where they originally fell; moss, vines, and thick white spider webs obscure many of the bas-reliefs. This was the Angkor that I'd always envisioned: wild, sprawling, overgrown, mighty, and ripe for exploration.

 

The Bayon: Face to Face
From a distance, the Bayon looks like an indistinct pile of stones. But up close it proves to be one of the most enigmatic temples in Angkor. Here more than 200 giant faces peer down from 54 stone towers. Ever-changing throughout the shifting daylight, these faces express a myriad of emotions similar to the Mona Lisa: tranquility, mischievousness, wisdom, peace.

Plenty of Others to Explore
There are a vast number of major and minor temples to explore at Angkor. I saw almost all of them over seven days. The major temples can be seen in three days.

"You Mean I'm Not the Only One?"
The days of Angkor being a secluded spot where only explorers and scientists roam are long gone. Thousands of tourists visit the temples every day, and the popular sunset/sunrise spots can turn into zoos at peak time.

Thankfully, Angkor is a giant, and I found peaceful corners in even the most popular locations.

Magic in the Details
Architecturally, the temples of Angkor are fantastic. But the magic of the place lies in the details: the endless bas-reliefs, the texture of the sandstone, the rich green lichen on the walls, ancient graffiti, the uniform color of the bricks and the jungle tree trunks…

The magic of my Angkor experience was in the details too: the freedom I felt while riding a moped around the temples, the aggressive and comical salesgirls at the temple-side restaurants, the bullet holes in Angkor Wat's bas-reliefs and the history they implied, the peculiar violin played by an old man outside Ta Prohm, the monkeys at the side of the road, English lessons with three monks atop Wat Thmei, drinking coconut milk in the shade… Visiting Angkor was a peak experience. I'll never forget it.

History Colosseum, Rome, Italy

Introduction

Even today, in a world of skyscrapers, the Colosseum is hugely impressive. It stands as a glorious but troubling monument to Roman imperial power and cruelty. Inside it, behind those serried ranks of arches and columns, Romans for centuries cold-bloodedly killed literally thousands of people whom they saw as criminals, as well as professional fighters and animals.
 Indeed, it was the amphitheatre's reputation as a sacred spot where Christian martyrs had met their fate that saved the Colosseum from further depredations by Roman popes and aristocrats - anxious to use its once glistening stone for their palaces and churches. The cathedrals of St Peter and St John Lateran, the Palazzo Venezia and the Tiber's river defences, for example, all exploited the Colosseum as a convenient quarry.

As a result of this plunder, and also because of fires and earthquakes, two thirds of the original have been destroyed, so that the present Colosseum is only a shadow of its former self, a noble ruin.
The Colosseum was started in the aftermath of Nero's extravagance and the rebellion by the Jews in Palestine against Roman rule. Nero, after the great fire at Rome in AD 64, had built a huge pleasure palace for himself (the Golden House) right in the centre of the city. In 68, faced with military uprisings, he committed suicide, and the empire was engulfed in civil wars.

The eventual winner Vespasian (emperor 69-79) decided to shore up his shaky regime by building an amphitheatre, or pleasure palace for the people, out of the booty from the Jewish War - on the site of the lake in the gardens of Nero's palace. The Colosseum was a grand political gesture. Suitably for that great city, it was the largest amphitheatre in the Roman world, capable of holding some 50,000 spectators.
Eventually there were well over 250 amphitheatres in the Roman empire - so it is no surprise that the amphitheatre and its associated shows are the quintessential symbols of Roman culture.

Construction planning

Image showing a portrait bust of Roman emperor Titus Emperor Titus  The Colosseum was opened in AD 80 by Vespasian's son and successor, Titus. Given the scale of the enterprise it was built remarkably quickly. And given the site, in a valley where there was previously a lake, it had to be planned carefully.
For example, drains were built 8m (26ft) underneath the structure, to take away the streams that flow from the surrounding valleys and hills. Then foundations, roughly in the shape of a doughnut, made of concrete: under the outer walls and seating, they are 12-13m (39-42ft) deep, while under the inner ellipse of the arena, they are only 4m (13ft) deep, and designed in strips beneath each of the concentric walls. Even in this grand design, costs were carefully controlled.

 I cite these figures to illustrate the scale of the enterprise and the forethought that went into the design. Over-engineered perhaps, but it has stood the test of time. The spoil from the huge hole dug for the foundations was used to raise the surrounding ground level by almost 7m (23ft), on top of the 4m (13ft) from the debris of Nero's fire, so that the new amphitheatre stood up higher in its valley site. The design advantage of looking up at, rather than down on, the amphitheatre is obvious.

The name of the architect is unknown, but by analogy with what we know from elsewhere in the ancient world, the design process would have involved floor plans drawn to scale, 3-dimensional scale models, perspective drawings, and for the artisans some full-size design sketches.
The basic point being emphasised here is that in this building of huge scale and complexity, much of the detail was worked out before the building started. Indeed the building was created according to a set of architectural principles, or a set of conventions developed in the construction of other amphitheatres.

Design details

Photograph of Rome's Colosseum interior Rome's Colosseum interior The basic design units were multiples of 20 Roman feet (the Roman foot varied, but was around 29.6cm). These conventions were adjusted according to the demands of each site, but the basic pattern is repeated, and much of it is not easily visible to the naked eye.
Our unknown architect apparently began with the idea of building an arena measuring 300 x 180 Roman feet. The ideal ratio of the period was considered to be 5:3. By convention also, the width of the auditorium equalled the width of the arena, and in the Colosseum, it also surprisingly equalled the height of the external facade. These symmetries probably impressed both architect and emperor.

So the total length of the Colosseum was originally planned, according to one convincing reconstruction, as 660 Roman feet long (300 + 360) and 540 Roman feet wide The perimeter can be roughly calculated as (L + W) x /2 or 1,885 Roman feet (or more precisely, using trigonometry).
Did the perimeter size matter? Yes, because the perimeter had to be split up among a grand number of equally sized entrance arches (both Capua and the Colosseum had 80 entrance arches, Verona and Puteoli 72 etc).
Entrance arches in grand amphitheatres were 20 Roman feet wide, with 3 Roman feet extra for the columns in between. So the Colosseum received a perimeter of 1,835 Roman feet (80x 23 =1840), and the arena was adjusted to 280 x 168 (still 5:3).

Similar numerical patterns can be seen in the Colosseum's famous façade. For example, the height of the two middle stories is twice the inter-columnar width. Or seen another way, the horizontal gap between the piers (15 Roman feet) equals the vertical height from the pier to the springing of the arch.

Harmony

Photograph of the arches on Colosseum Arches on the Colosseum  So we are confronted visually with a series of squares within the framing of the arches. These are not accidents, but details of design, which reflect the architect's preoccupation with principles of number, and provide the viewer (however unconscious he or she may be) with a steady and harmonious rhythm in the facade.

The ordered beauty and formal regularity of the Colosseum's exterior is created by three storeys of superimposed arches with engaged (ie semi-circular) columns. These columns are of different orders on each storey (Tuscan at the bottom, then Ionic, with Corinthian columns in the third storey). The fourth higher blind storey is punctuated by pilasters, decorated with Corinthian capitals.

In between the pilasters, are small rectangular windows. Above and between the windows there are stone socles (plinths), which once held the masts used to support the awnings, designed to shade about one third of the spectators (the length of the horizontal poles was limited by the length of Mediterranean pines and the weight of the awnings). If you look upwards, you can still see the holes through which these vertical masts slotted.

The exterior was decorated at the top with glistening gilded bronze shields, and the arches were filled with painted statues of emperors and gods. Two grand entrances, one at each end of the minor axis, were used by the emperor, as well as by official presenters of shows and no doubt by other grandees.

The entrances were marked by giant porticoes, each topped by a gilded horse-drawn chariot. The emperor also had a private entrance, which went under the seats, and emerged in the imperial box.

Spectator experience

Image showing a detail of gladiator and leopard from a Roman mosaic Detail of a gladiator and leopard from a Roman mosaic Spectators found their way to their seats through arches numbered I - LXXVI (1-76). The four grand entrances were not numbered. The best seats were on or just behind the podium, raised for safety's sake two metres above the arena; animals and gladiators were kept out by a further fence just inside the arena, which helped to ensure that the action was in everybody's view.
Inside the amphitheatre, but at its outer rim, there were, at the first three levels, grand circular promenades, though as you went upwards the dimensions became smaller and the decoration less grand. At the first level, the floors were of marble or Travertine (the stone from which the outside walls were made), while the walls were of polished marble slabs and the ceilings of painted stucco.
Their present grim decoration does not do them justice - and the exterior, pockmarked with holes made by medieval robbers looking for iron clamps, gives no real indication, either, of what the building looked like in antiquity.

Inside the auditorium, except for the front rows on the podium, spectators were packed like sardines in a tin. Evidence from other amphitheatres suggests an average of 40cm width per spectator and 70cm legroom, which makes an economy class airline seem generous.
The entrances and staircase were arranged with the help of marble and iron dividers - to keep different classes of clientele separate. Indeed, the very top section of the Colosseum is separated from other spectators by a 5m- (16ft-) high wall.
Modern scholars often say that the hierarchy of seating mirrored the social hierarchies of Roman society. But we should be cautious. The five sections of the auditorium, from bottom to top, would have contained only about 50,000 predominantly adult males out of an adult male population in the city of Rome of close on 300,000.

The lower class population of Rome was seriously and systematically under-represented. And the two lowest (ie most prestigious) sections of the auditorium accommodated, respectively over 2,000 and almost 12,000 spectators, numbers which do not coincide with any known social groups, such as senators (600) or knights (perhaps 5,000).
Those in the top rows had shade, while nobles sweated in the sun; but those at the very top, which would have included women and the poor, were a good 100m from the centre of the arena. The myopic presumably just sat and heard the crowd roar.

The arena

The arena itself was probably covered by a good 15cm of sand (harena), sometimes dyed red to disguise blood. And, as is evident in Ridley Scott's film Gladiator (2000), the arena was dotted with trap-doors designed to let animals leap dramatically into the fray. The arena was also sometimes decorated with elaborate stage scenery, so that the ritual murder could be varied with theatrical tales.

The Colosseum's partial destruction allows us to see into the bowels of the amphitheatre, in a way that no ancient could. But when the Colosseum opened in AD 80, Titus staged a sea-fight there (in about one metre of water), and recent research has shown convincingly that the amphitheatre had no basement at this time.

But the rivalrous brother of Titus, Domitian (emperor 81-96), was quick to have a basement built - with ring-formed walls and narrow passages. In this confined space, animals and their keepers, fighters, slaves and stage-hands toiled in the almost total darkness to bring pleasure to Romans.
A series of winches and the capstans would have allowed teams of slaves to pull in unison and hoist heavy animals from the basement to the main arena, and this machinery has been reconstructed, in part, from ancient drawings - aided by the bronze fittings that still survive in the basement's floor. The rope-burns of the hoists are still visible in the stone of the lift-shafts.

Overview

For all its outside trappings in once glistening local travertine stone, the Colosseum was really a triumph of brick-vaulting and cement. Structurally, the building works by a robust balance of pressures.

The huge downward vertical thrust of the external walls matches the outwards thrust of the barrel vaults in the circular promenades, which was itself also relieved by the series of radial walls, built like the spokes of wheel, from the inner ring of the arena. And the sideways thrust of the high heavy stone wall is dispersed via the superimposed rows of arches and compensated by the circularity of the building.

The construction is strikingly different from most Greek and Roman public buildings. They followed the classic model of Greek temples, with their rectangular rows of columns, topped by beams and relieved by a triangular pediment.

The invention of arches and vaults, made of brick-faced concrete, allowed Roman architects much greater spans - and more visual variety. Hence the Colosseum's elaborate honeycomb of arches, passages and stairways, which allowed thousand of spectators to get into and watch their murderous games in a custom-made amphitheatre. And the Colosseum's imposing exterior was then, as it still is, a marvellous monument to Roman imperial power.

Tower of Pisa

History

The history of Pisa began 180 years before Christ on the banks of the Arno River, approximately ten miles inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea. Known as Pisae, a Roman colony, the settlement displayed some Ligurian and Etruscan influence.
Through 800 AD, the Pisans were repeatedly sacked by various enemies including the Vikings, Byzantines, and Saracens. Through trade agreements, land deals, and the occasional successful rebellion the Pisans were able to maintain control of the territory and develop lucrative trading activities with Spain to the west and the prosperous merchants of northern Africa to the south.

In 1075 the elder statesmen of Pisa developed a code of  laws known as the Conseutudini di mare. These merchant rules created a legal environment that enabled the mercantile empire of Pisa to grow and prosper.
In 1099, at the dawn of the 12th century, the Pisans joined the Vatican in the 1st Crusades. This was a period of thriving economic growth and expansion through colonization. The 12th century saw Pisa develop several colonies; among them were Antioch, Tripoli, and Tunis.  In 1111 the city elders forged an agreement with Byzantium enabling transit for trade in the Holy Land.

The Field of Miracles or Campo dei Miracoli began to take shape in 1118. The famous Leaning Tower of Pisa had not yet been constructed, but in this year the cathedral (Duomo in Italian) was consecrated by Pope Gelasius II. It was not until 35 years later, in 1153, that work would begin on the Pisan Baptistery. In 1172, after another 20 years, a widow of a wealthy Pisan merchant made a substantial donation of 'sixty coins' to the church with instructions to build the marvelous campanile (bell tower).
History shows that between 1228 and 1254 there were ongoing skirmishes between Pisa and Florence. The Pisans were able to maintain the upper hand until the armies of Florence finally overcame them in an attack in 1254.  Pisa managed to remain sovereign by giving up land to Florence and forging restrictive trade agreements.

In 1284 the Battle of Meloria, fought against Genoa, proved to be one of the most devastating losses in the history of Pisa. A large number of ships were lost along with more than 11,000 men that were killed in battle or imprisoned in Genoa. Less than ten years later, in 1293, the Guelph forces invaded a weakened Pisa and took control of the harbor. The Guelphs forced harsh terms on Pisa that included the loss of Pisan territories on the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Corsica.

Though not yet completed, the first commission to investigate the tilt of the leaning tower was formed in 1298 to tour and inspect the tower.  At the time the tower was not leaning as much as it is today; the angle was less than 1.5 degrees from the perpendicular. The tower was officially completed in 1370 measuring 1.6 degrees from vertical.

Through the 1400s and into the 1500s Florence continued its assaults on Pisa until the Pisans were forced to surrender in 1509 turning over control of the government to the Council of the Ten, controlled by Niccolo Machiavelli.
Students of history already know that Galileo Galilei, born in Vincenzo in 1564, moved to Pisa to begin teaching mathematics at the University of Pisa in 1589. In the period between 1589 and 1591 Galileo conducted his legendary experiments on gravitational forces by dropping objects from the leaning tower.  What some students of history may not know is that in the inquisition of 1633 Galileo was persecuted for heresy because of his published support of the Copernican theory of the solar system written in The Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (1632).
Through the 18th and 19th century the tower's tilt continued to worsen and several councils and commissions were convened to investigate and remedy the problem with, what had become, the city's most valuable building.
Leaning Tower of Pisa behind the right nave of the Cathedral at the Campo dei Miracoli
During the 19th and 20th centuries the Leaning Tower proved to be a powerful attraction fueling the city's tourism based economy. The tower's foundation has been re-engineered and it is currently thought to be stabilized.
Today Pisa has emerged from history with a population of approximately 100,000, a thriving tourism economy, and governing authority as the provincial capital of Tuscany.

Wonderful-Bora-Bora-Island

Histrory

 

The island was first inhabited by Polynesian settlers around the 4th century. Its previous Polynesian name was Vava'u. The first European sighting was made by Jakob Roggeveen in 1722. James Cook sighted the island in 1770 and landed that same year. A London Missionary Society arrived in 1820 and founded a Protestant church in 1890. In 1842 Bora Bora was made a protectorate of France following the actions of Admiral Abel Aubert Dupetit Thouars. As there is no B in the Tahitian language, it is actually called Pora Pora, but early visitors misheard it.

 

Bora Bora

 

Bora Bora is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean. The original name of the island in the Tahitian language might be better rendered as Pora Pora, meaning "First Born"; an early transcription found in 18th- and 19th-century accounts, is Bolabolla or Bollabolla. The island, located about 230 kilometres (140 mi) northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. In the center of the island are the remnants of an extinct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, the highest point at 727 metres (2,385 ft).
Bora Bora is a major international tourist destination, famous for its aqua-centric luxury resorts. The island is served by Bora Bora Airport on Motu Mete in the north, with Air Tahiti providing daily flights to and from Papeete on Tahiti. The major settlement, Vaitape is on the western side of the main island, opposite the main channel into the lagoon. Produce of the island is mostly limited to what can be obtained from the sea and the plentiful coconut trees, which were historically of economic importance for copra. According to a census performed in 2008, the permanent population of Bora Bora is 8,880.

Administration

 

The island is administratively part of the commune (municipality) of Bora-Bora, itself in the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands. The majority of the French government's employees are émigrés from metropolitan France. The commune of Bora-Bora is made up of the island of Bora Bora proper with its surrounding islets emerging from the coral reef, 29.3 km² (11.3 sq mi) in total, and of the atoll of Tupai (11 km2/4.2 sq mi), located 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Bora Bora. The atoll of Tupai has no permanent population apart from about 50 workers in the coconut plantations. President of French Polynesia Gaston Tong Sang is the current mayor of Bora Bora in addition to being the President.

Commune of Bora Bora

 

The commune of Bora-Bora is made up of the island of Bora Bora proper with its surrounding islets emerging from the coral reef, 29.3 km² (11.3 sq mi) in total, and of the atoll of Tupai (11 km2/4.2 sq mi), located 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Bora Bora. The atoll of Tupai has nopermanent population apart from some workers in the coconut plantations.
The surrounding islets include: Motu Tapu, Motu Ahuna, Tevairoa, Motu Tane, Motu Mute, Motu Tufari, Motu Pitiaau, Sofitel Motu, Motu Toopua and Toopuaiti.
The commune is in the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands and divided into 3 districts: Vaitape, Faanui and Anau.
The administrative centre of the commune is the settlement of Vaitape, on the island of Bora Bora.

Tourism

 

Today the island is mainly dependent on tourism. Over the last few years several resorts have been built on motu (small islands) surrounding the lagoon. Thirty years ago, Hotel Bora Bora built the first over-the-water bungalows on stilts over the lagoon and today, over-water bungalows are a standard feature of most Bora Bora resorts. The quality of those bungalows ranges from comparably cheap, basic accommodations to very luxurious and expensive places to stay. Most of the tourist destinations are aquacentric; however it is possible to visit attractions on land such as WWII cannons. Air Tahiti has five or six flights daily to the Bora Bora Airport on Motu Mute from Tahiti (as well as from other islands).

Although French and Tahitian are the main languages spoken by the inhabitants, people in contact with tourists generally have some command of English. Most visitors to Bora Bora are American, Japanese, or European.[citation needed] Public transport on the island is non-existent. Rental cars and bicycles are the recommended method of transport. There are also small fun-cars for hire in Vaitape. Snorkeling and scuba diving in and around the lagoon of Bora Bora are popular activities. Many species of sharks and rays inhabit the surrounding body of water. There are a few dive operators on the island offering manta ray dives and also shark-feeding dives.
In addition to the existing islands of Bora Bora (called Motu in Taihitian), the new man-made motu of Motu Marfo has been added in the north-eastern corner of the lagoon on the property of the St. Regis Resort.

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is a tomb situated in Agra, India. The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is one of The Seven Wonders of the World and is said to be one of the finest art of the Mughal architecture. The architecture has a mixture of Persian, Ottoman, India and Islamic art. During the year 1983, the Taj became a part of the UNESCO, World heritage Site.

Some of the legendary stories say that after the Taj was built, the Mughal Emperor cut off the hands of all the men who built the Taj so that the same masterpiece could not be made again. The Taj Mahal is located on the banks of the river Yamuna in Agra. It was built in the year 1631 and got completed in the year 1653 spreading over 32 acres of land.

The Taj Mahal is also called the Taj and is a symbol of love and is known for its monumental beauty. Taj is one of the main tourist’s hotspot in India and anyone who comes to visit India definitely takes a tour of the Taj. The beauty of the Taj goes beyond words and it is said that the place looks magnificent during the full moon night. It is a true dedication to love and romance. The word Taj Mahal means Crown Palace in English and it is made up off mainly white marbles and some colorful gemstones.

Architecture

 

The tomb

The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the Taj Mahal. This large, white marble structure stands on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building with an iwan (an arch-shaped doorway) topped by a large dome and finial. Like most Mughal tombs, the basic elements are Persian in origin.

The base structure is essentially a large, multi-chambered cube with chamfered corners, forming an unequal octagon that is approximately 55 metres (180 ft) on each of the four long sides. On each of these sides, a huge pishtaq, or vaulted archway, frames the iwan with two similarly shaped, arched balconies stacked on either side. This motif of stacked pishtaqs is replicated on the chamfered corner areas, making the design completely symmetrical on all sides of the building. Four minarets frame the tomb, one at each corner of the plinth facing the chamfered corners. The main chamber houses the false sarcophagi of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan; the actual graves are at a lower level.

The marble dome that surmounts the tomb is the most spectacular feature. Its height of around 35 metres (115 ft) is about the same as the length of the base, and is accentuated as it sits on a cylindrical "drum" which is roughly 7 metres (23 ft) high. Because of its shape, the dome is often called an onion dome or amrud (guava dome). The top is decorated with a lotus design, which also serves to accentuate its height. The shape of the dome is emphasised by four smaller domed chattris (kiosks) placed at its corners, which replicate the onion shape of the main dome. Their columned bases open through the roof of the tomb and provide light to the interior. Tall decorative spires (guldastas) extend from edges of base walls, and provide visual emphasis to the height of the dome. The lotus motif is repeated on both the chattris and guldastas. The dome and chattris are topped by a gilded finial, which mixes traditional Persian and Hindustani decorative elements.

The main finial was originally made of gold but was replaced by a copy made of gilded bronze in the early 19th century. This feature provides a clear example of integration of traditional Persian and Hindu decorative elements. The finial is topped by a moon, a typical Islamic motif whose horns point heavenward. Because of its placement on the main spire, the horns of the moon and the finial point combine to create a trident shape, reminiscent of traditional Hindu symbols of Shiva.

The minarets, which are each more than 40 metres (130 ft) tall, display the designer's penchant for symmetry. They were designed as working minarets — a traditional element of mosques, used by the muezzin to call the Islamic faithful to prayer. Each minaret is effectively divided into three equal parts by two working balconies that ring the tower. At the top of the tower is a final balcony surmounted by a chattri that mirrors the design of those on the tomb. The chattris all share the same decorative elements of a lotus design topped by a gilded finial. The minarets were constructed slightly outside of the plinth so that, in the event of collapse, (a typical occurrence with many tall constructions of the period) the material from the towers would tend to fall away from the tomb.

Highest Mountain in the World

Mount Everest is said to be the tallest mountain on Earth. It literally means the top or the head of the sky. Mount Everest touches the borders of China, Tibet, and Nepal and is a part of the Himalayan Range… Its total height above sea level is 29,029 ft. During 1856, the name of Mount Everest was Peak XV. Its official name was given by the Geographical Society.

Despite the fact it is the highest peak in the world, hikers from all over the world come and climb this mountain despite all difficulties. A whole team of climbers can help both armature and novice climbers climb the peak. If one follows the standard route to climb, it is quite safe to climb the mountains. However, the problem in the Himalayas are faced with bad weather, fast wind and low breathing that can happen due to high altitude.

Climbers must pay heavy amount of money to climb the mountain, which acts as a continuous source of income to Nepal. However, an equal amount has to be raised to get license and permit of $25,000 to climb the Mount Everest. Till 2007, 210 people have lost their lives while climbing Mount Everest due to high storm.

There are two main routes for climbing Mt. Everest. One is from the Southeast of Nepal and the other is from the North of Tibet. The most preferred route out of the two is the Southeast that starts from Nepal. The best time to start climbing is during May, before the summer monsoon, as the direction of the wind is quite favorable during that time.