Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Swallow's Nest

Swallow's Nest - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


The Swallow's Nest (UkrainianЛастівчине гніздоLastivchyne hnizdo)[nb 1] is a decorative castle located between Yalta and Alupkaon the Crimean peninsula in southern Ukraine. It was built between 1911 and 1912 in Gaspra, on top of 40-metre (130 ft) high Aurora Cliff, to a Neo-Gothic design by the Russian architect Leonid Sherwood.[nb 2] The castle overlooks the Cape of Ai-Todor of theBlack Sea and is located near the remnants of the Roman castrum ofCharax.[2] Swallow's Nest is one of the most popular visitor attractions in Crimea, becoming the symbol of Crimea's southern coastline.[3][4][5]
The building is compact in size, measuring only 20 m (66 ft) long by 10 m (33 ft) wide.[6] Its original design envisioned a foyer, guest room, stairway to the tower, and two bedrooms on two different levels within the tower. The interior of the guest room is decorated with wooden panels; the walls of the rest of the rooms are stuccoed and painted.[6]An observation deck rings the building, providing a view of the sea, and Yalta's distant shoreline.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

'Gate to Hell' found in Turkey

It sounds like the plot for a new Indiana Jones film.

Archaeologists say they have discovered the 'Gates of Hell', the mythical portal to the underworld in Greek and Roman legend.

The site, in the ancient Phrygian city of Hierapolis, now Pamukkale in southwestern Turkey, is said to closely match historical descriptions of what was known as Ploutonion in Greek and Pluutonium in Latin.

In its heyday, a small temple with traditional Greco-Roman pillars was said to have stood next to wall with steps leading down to a cave doorway filled with foul and noxious gasses.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2302755/Gate-Hell-Turkey-Hierapolis-temple-doorway-matches-mythical-portal-underworld.html?ito=feeds-newsxml