Posts Tagged ‘Historic’

A Historic Journey

Castles, Monasteries, Pyramids, Forts & Ruins! We live in a world where each country has an interesting tale of the past of how man evolved from cave dwellers to maharajas, of civilizations that are now extinct, of great loves, of warriors of old, of rites and rituals and more.

When you travel to India, you can visit palaces and forts that tell a tale of maharajas, princedoms and freedom struggles. If you head to South America, you will see the remains of the Aztec and Incas civilizations that are now extinct; in Egypt, the pharos and mummies; in Greece, the pantheon; and in Italy, the coliseum.

Each palace, pyramid and pantheon with their amazing architecture and detailed art represents the civilizations that shouldn’t be forgotten. There are thousands of places across the world that are steeped in rich history and are awe-inspiring. Selecting a place to visit is not easy, so here are some must see historic destinations from across the world. Please keep in mind each country has numerous places of historic significance and this article just lists few.

Parthenon, Greece

Parthenon is one of the four greatest masterpieces of classical Greek art situated at the Acropolis in Greece. Built in the 5th century BC by the architects Ictinus and Callicrates under the supervision of the sculptor Phidias, this ancient temple is dedicated to the Goddess Athena. It is a rectangular shape structure that is generally considered to be the culmination of the development of the Doric order. It made of brilliant white marble, surrounded by 46 great columns, roofed with tiles, and housed a nearly 40 foot tall statue of the goddess Athena. The statue, known as Athena Promachos, Athena the Champion, was made of wood, gold and ivory and could be seen from a distance of many miles.

Today, the Parthenon is a testament of the civilizations, myths and religions that flourished for over 1, 000 years.

Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

The Pyramids of Giza are over 3,000 years old. There are 3 pyramids of varying sizes. The largest pyramid is known as the Great Pyramid was originally 146 meters (438 feet) high but time and weather has worn it down by 10 meters (30 feet). It is made up of approximately two million blocks of limestone with each weighing more than two tons, each of its sides are carefully positioned to point north, south, east, and west and the bottom of the pyramid has sides that measure 227 meters (681 feet) in length. Te Great Pyramid was built by the Pharaoh Khufu and once held his body.

The Second Pyramid belongs to the Pharaoh Khafre. It is 3 meters shorter then Khufu’s and stands on the northern side of the Giza Plateau. The Third Pyramid (Menkaure)  is the smallest of the three pyramids. It is not as detailed as the other two pyramids and stands 66 meters high.

The pyramids are a marvel of human engineering. They are aligned to the stars and the solstices and contain vast chambers that still haven’t been opened.

Easter Island, Chile

Easter Island or the Isla de Pascua is located out in the Pacific Ocean and special territory of Chile. The island is surrounded by monumental statues, known as Moai statues, which were symbols of the spiritual and political power of Peruvian civilization. These gigantic and amazingly carved heads are the only thing left of culture that once lived here.

Taj Mahal, India

In the 1600s, Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. This white marble tomb is located in Agra, India and is considered to be one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles.

Manchu Pirochu, Peru

Located in Southern Peru, Machu Picchu was a sacred place of Inca civilization. It is known as the “Lost City of the Incas.” It lies on top of a mountain and is only accessible by train or 4-day trek. . The Machu Picchu ruins reveal a self contained city with temples, baths, houses etc. Many of these structures were carved from the mountain granite and are still in great form. One such structure is the Intihuatana stone, which was used as an astronomical observatory and is an extremely precise marker of dates and celestial periods.

Statue of Christ Redeemer, Brazil

Brazil’s most recognizable landmark is the statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer). This statue is located at Rio de Janeiro and rises almost 130 feet from the ground.

Tikal, Guatemala

Tikal is a Mayan city-state located in northern Guatemala. It was one of the largest urban centres of the Maya civilization and today, is one of the best-preserved historical sites. The amazing and monumental architecture reflects the glory that the Maya kingdom had in the past.

Stonehenge, United Kingdom

The Stonehenge is located near Salisbury in England. The stones of this 3,000 plus year old megalithic structure come all the way from Wales.

Great Wall of China, China

The Great Wall of China also known as “long Wall of 10,000 Li” in China extends about 8,850 kilometers (5,500 miles). It is not a continuous wall but is a collection of short walls that often follow the crest of hills on the southern edge of the Mongolian plain.

Alcatraz Prison- a historic correctional facility

The legendary island of Alcatraz, once home to some of the most notorious criminal minds in the United States of America. High profile criminals who were involved in all sorts of illegal activities from bank robbery to espionage were held captive in the prisons cells of Alcatraz Prison. Probably the most well known correctional facility in the world, Alcatraz Prison owes much of its popularity to the countless Hollywood productions which featured the facility and its famous inmates. The main reason for the prison being preferred to hold the most hardened criminals in the country was due Alcatraz being an island that has rocky terrain and well positioned away from mainland San Francisco.

Perhaps the most famous prisoner to have been held at Alcatraz Prison is none other than the notorious Al Capone. This hardened criminal from Brookline began living a life above the law at a young age and was sucked in to the world of mafia activity which seemed to overpower law enforcement of the country at the time. Soon Al Capone was earning thousands of dollars a week and was rapidly gaining total control over key political figures in the area. His efforts to win the hearts of the local community too were quite successful as he was even called a modern day Robin Hood by the media. However he was convicted of the crimes he committed such as bootlegging and tax evasion and was eventually sent to Alcatraz Prison.

Today visitors have the chance to see for themselves where these prisoners were held and imagine what it would have been like to be locked up in a cramped up prison cell alienated from the outside world. The island itself is blessed with plenty of greenery and avifauna which makes a tour of the island a pleasurable and educational experience for visitors of all energy levels.

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Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve

Named for the Timucua Natives, who inhabited the region, the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve spreads over thousands of acres Northeast of Jacksonville, Florida.  The Preserve, under the auspices of the National Park System, consists of Fort Caroline, Teddy Roosevelt Ecological Preserve, Kingsley Plantation, Ribault Club, American Beach, and many smaller units.  Each unit has a unique story to tell.

The Timucua Nation settled this region for thousands of years.  Both the men and the women were over six feet tall.  Oysters and other sea creatures provided much of the protein in their diet.  Eight-foot high middens of shells with tree growing from them dot the Teddy Roosevelt Ecological Preserve.

Their first known encounter with Europeans was with Jean Ribault and his French Huguenots in 1562.  Catherine d’Medici allowed Ribault and company to sail to the New World, for God, glory and gold (not necessarily in that order).  This was the beginning of the religious wars between the Catholics and Protestants in Europe.  Catherine tried to relieve some of the pressure by letting Ribault explore the New World.  He sailed into the Mai River, a.k.a., St. Johns River and encountered the Timucua, who were very friendly.  He left a marker there and proceeded Northward into present day Charleston SC, where he established a small fort.  Leaving a few men, he promised to return with reinforcements and supplies.  He was slow to keep his promise, because he was imprisoned.  When he did return, three years later, he could find no one there.

Meanwhile Rene de Laudonniere brought three hundred settlers to the Fort de la Caroline.  One of group was the French artist Jacques le Moyne de Morgues who recorded the life of the Timucua on paper. These drawings were later published in France.  The Timucua and French were allies.  But when the Timucua asked for French help in a dispute with another group, the French refused.  Relations between the two nations went South after that.

Fort de la Caroline was nicely situated near an eighty-foot high bluff overlooking the Spanish galleons heading to Spain loaded with the gold that the French sought.  The Spanish caught wind of the French presence and sent Pedro de Menendez with ships of soldiers to remove Fort Caroline.  He arrived shortly after Ribault returned with his men.   The French ships were faster and more maneuverable than the Spanish galleons.  Menendez retreated twenty-seven miles South and built a fort there at present-day St. Augustine.  Ribault, against the advice of Laudonniere, sailed his fleet to destroy the Spanish.  A hurricane struck them and they were marooned.  Menendez retaliated by attacking Fort Caroline via land.  Few Frenchmen escaped back to France, including le Moyne.  Menendez found Ribault.  He massacred him and all his men.  Not only were they the hated French, but also Huguenots.

The present Fort Caroline is a replica of the original fort, which lies somewhere in the middle of the St. Johns River.  The Visitors Center has many interesting displays about the Fort, the Timucua and the area.  One of the most interesting objects is a ten-foot tall owl totem.  This was found in the swamp near Gainesville, FL.  It was carved using shark teeth and seashells.  With five toes on each foot it stands on a perch looking at the passersby.  The feathering on its back is exquisite.  Also in the collection is a dug out canoe, which was not very useful.  After spending so much time hollowing out the log, the natives found an unseen knot.  When it was placed in the water, it sank.

Across the St. John River on Fort George Island sits Kingsley Plantation.  The plantation house dates from about 1797, but has been closed to the public for the past seven years due to restoration work.  New exhibits are panned for the house once it opens in the future.  The plantation also has a large barn, a house that was the kitchen and alternative living quarters; Union Hall with meeting hall and employee residences upstairs and many tabby slave quarters.

Tabby is a building material found here, in Southern Georgia, and East Africa.  The lime-based mortar is leeched from seashells and other ingredients, which cannot be duplicated as of this date.  Seashells also form the aggregate forming the walls of the quarters.  Each one has two rooms, is well ventilated.  The houses are arranged in an arc facing the plantation house.

The principle crop grown there was Sea Island cotton, which is the finest cotton in the world; far superior to upland cotton, Egyptian cotton and Indian cotton.   The plants grow to a height of seven feet and are harvested over a month’s time.  The cotton has long fibers and cannot be ginned, because the fibers will be destroyed.  The seeds, however, are smooth.  So the cotton can be processed by hand; a very labor-intensive product.  The last time it was commercially grown was during World War II.  It was used for making parachutes, because silk was in short supply.  Nylon and other synthetics have replaced the need for Sea Island cotton.  You can see it growing in the small garden at the plantation.  Sugar cane was also grown on the plantation and indigo under previous owners.  Indigo is also labor intensive and those processing it have a short life expectancy, because of its carcinogenic properties.

Zephaniah Kingsley owned the plantation in the early nineteenth century.  He was a slave trader from Charleston, SC and came to Florida to make his fortune.  After the Patriot War of 1813, he purchased the plantation for pennies on the dollar and lived there from 1814-1836.  He purchased a young slave girl in Havana, Cuba whose name was Anna Madgigine Jai.  She had been a princess in Senegal, Africa, but was sold into slavery.  After fathering three children with Anna, Zephaniah married her and manumissioned her in 1811.  As a present he have her five acres.  She petitioned the Spanish government for more acreage bought slaves and worked the land.  She helped the Spanish win the war.  They compensated her for her loses and gave her more acreage. She and her husband continued to buy up the land and ended with 32,000 acres, more than 200 slaves, and four working plantations.

When Florida became a territory of the United States (a hostile takeover) in 1821 Zephaniah was a member of the board to determine the kind of slavery which would be the law in Florida.  Under Spanish rule a slave could buy his/her freedom, unlike the other states.  Florida had been the end of the Underground Railroad under Spanish rule.  Zephaniah lost the battle.  Seeing that his family was in jeopardy of being enslaved again, he left Florida and started a new plantation in free Haiti.

He died shortly afterwards at the age of seventy-eight.  After his death his white relatives contested his will and vied for Anna and her children’s inheritance.  She returned to Florida and overcoming insurmountable odds won in court.  She continued to live in the new Jacksonville on the St. John River.  Kingsley Plantation had been sold to a relative previous to Zephaniahs death.  When the Civil War erupted, Anna decided to move to New York to avoid the hostilities.  She returned to Jacksonville after the war and died in 1870.  She left no photographs, any letters.  Her will of 1860 states that she had $3,000 in cash and four Negro slaves.

The Theodore Roosevelt Area offers the visitor 600 acres of quiet and solitude in an urban environment.  Miles of trails take the visitor past eight-foot high middens of shells accumulated by the Timucua Natives over the centuries.  Trees grow from their midst as a testimonial to the power of nature.  A walk to the observation tower allows the visitor a view of the St. Johns River estuary salt marsh.  At low time the oysters clack their shells in a concert.  Look for heron, egrets and other birds that frequent the area.

Willie Browne, born in 1890, lived here his entire life and gave The Theodore Roosevelt Area in 1969 to The Nature Conservancy. In 1990 it became part of the National Park Service so that others could enjoy the beauty of “Old Florida”.  Willie allowed no hunting on his property.  It remains as pristine today as it was during his life.  Developers offered him large sums of money so they could develop it.  He wanted the property named after his favorite president, Theodore Roosevelt.

The Ribault Club on Fort George Island was built in 1928 as a resort for the rich and famous, who traveled there by boat.  It sported a golf course, tennis courts, dining room, yachting facilities, etc.  Membership declined during the Depression.  It fell into disrepair, but subsequently has been restored to it former grandeur.  The facilities are available for rental today for weddings, meetings, etc.  One area contains exhibits about its history and the history of Fort George Island.

A recent acquisition to The Timucuan Historical and Ecological Preserve is The American Beach Sand Dune.  American Beach on Amelia Island was one of the few beaches on the South Atlantic Coast open to the African American Community.  Great Jazz musicians would meet there on weekends and play on.  Local citizens flocked to the beach in numbers.  Hurricane Dora destroyed much of the area in 1964 and The Civil Rights Act put the final nail into the coffin, because Daytona, Miami and other places opened their beaches to the African American. MaVynee Betsch, who passed away in 2005, tirelessly preserved this little place of history.  A visitor center is planned in the future to preserve this unique location.

State Plans to Close Fort Ontario Historic Site

State Plans to Close Fort Ontario Historic Site
BREAKING: New York State would close Fort Ontario and 54 other state parks and historic sites to save money, under a plan released today. The first Fort Ontario was built in Oswego in 1755.

Read more on Oswego County Today

NY Lists State Parks, Historic Sites Set To Close

NY Lists State Parks, Historic Sites Set To Close
More than a third of state parks and nearly a half of historic sites would be closed or have reduced services in the next fiscal year under a recommendation from parks officials to help combat New York’s $8.2 billion budget deficit. The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation said Friday it’s also proposing $4 million in fee increases. It didn’t specify which areas would be …

Read more on WCBS-TV New York