No list of lost cities is complete without Machu Picchu. This old Inca
city sits on a peak in the Andes. It was only inhabited for a short
period of time, likely 1450-1572 AD, before being abandoned as a result
of the Spanish conquest of South America. Since Spaniards never found
the city, and locals did not reveal its location, Machu Picchu only came
to the attention of the West in the early 20th century. Debate still
exists as to whether Machu Picchu was a regular settlement, a Royal
retreat, or a religious sanctuary. To reach the site itself is now
incredibly easy, with regular buses and trains. This has led to worries
about the sustainability of large numbers of visitors there. However,
given the wonderful views and the ruins themselves it is easy to see why
people flock to Machu Picchu.
about world architecture
Monday, October 22, 2012
Timgad - the archetypal lost city
Tikal - the capital city of a Mayan kingdom
The Mayan city of Tikal was once the capital city of a Mayan kingdom and
a major city of the New World. The site was occupied from ~200-900 AD.
Thanks to the almost perfect preservation of the city much is known
about the grandeur of Tikal at its height, as well as the powerful kings
who ruled there. While the site is sometimes – like other New World
ruins – listed as ‘mysteriously’ abandoned, research is showing that the
land could not support the large number of people congregating in the
city. Abandonment occurred over a number of years and the city was left
for the jungles to grow over. It seems, however, that some locals knew
of its existence during those years, for rumors of a lost city in the
area persisted. The first organized expedition found the city in 1848.
What they found was one of the largest surviving New World
archaeological sites. There are pyramids up to 70m high, royal palaces,
monumental stele and a playing arena for the Mayan ball game.
The discovery of Akrotiri
The Minoan civilization of Crete is named for the mythical King Minos,
builder of the labyrinth. There is scant written material left from the
Minoans, so we do not know what they called themselves. The entire
civilization was largely forgotten until the turn of the 20th century.
With the discovery of the great palace at Knossos the glories of the
Minoans were rediscovered. Instead of the well known Knossos, I have
included a Minoan outpost, Akrotiri on the island of Santorini.
Santorini, or Thera, is the home of the Thera volcano. It is now thought
that the explosion of Thera around 1600 BC, one of the largest
eruptions in recorded history, brought about the collapse of the Minoan
empire. The discovery of Akrotiri, in 1967, brought to light
exceptionally well preserved frescos, homes up to three stories high,
and a complex planned settlement. The water supply system suggests the
people of Akrotiri had access to running hot and cold water, with the
hot water provided by the very volcano which would destroy them.
Cliff palace
Friday, October 19, 2012
Parasitic Insertions
The Los Angeles basin is a place that has seen the third highest number
of oil drilling points in the era when industrialization had flourished
in the Unites States. This tale was during the late 1800s and 1950s when
the LA basin flourished with a huge number of oil drilling units, also
known as oil derricks. Today,
when oil drilling has found a resurrected life with all kinds of
technological boons electrifying and energizing its existence, these oil
derricks seem to have faded off in their hugeness of prominence.
However, this may not be very true. Here is a reason to remain on the
positive side of the debate.
Croatian Firm to Design Istanbul’s First Disaster Prevention and Education Center
Natural disasters, time and again serve as reminders of the fact that
despite the advancements that humans have made in terms of technology,
the nature's fury retains the power to reduce man made creations to
rubble. The effect is even more pronounced in a state of unpreparedness
which is very often due to a callous attitude towards the might of
nature. Preventing these disasters is not quite in human hands but if
considerable effort is put in, to train people in facing such situations
and to put the technology available to use, the damage can certainly be
minimized. Turkey's first Disaster Prevention and Education Center in
Istanbul is a step in the same direction, given the kind of damage to
life and property the recent earthquakes in Turkey brought about.
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