Alaska World Travel Fair: Sacred Destinations

Showing posts with label Sacred Destinations. Show all posts

Picture of Potala Palace - Lhasa, Tibet

The Potala palace at Lhasa was built by King Songtsen Gampo during the seventh century. It is located on the Red hill of Lhasa, Tibet. It was struck by lightning and war that led to its destruction. However, the fifth Dalai Lama in 1645 rebuilt the palace again. And since then, it became the political center of Tibet.

St Vitus Cathedral - Prague Castle

Prague Castle is one of the most important monuments in Prague, if not entire Czech Republic.Prague castle was built in the 10th century by the Basilica of Saint George and the Basilica of St. Vitus.The St Vitus Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Prague, and is also home to the tombs of the Bohemian Kings. The cathedral is built in a Gothic style, which is one of the many styles visible in the castle complex. The Basilica of St George, on the other hand, is built in a Romanesque style, and is the most ancient church building in the complex.The cathedral, whose original name is St Vitus, St Wenceslas and St Adalbert Cathedral, is the biggest and the most important church in the Czech Republic. It’s the seat of the Archbishop of Prague and the place where saints, kings, princes and pmperors of Bohemia are buried.

St Basil's Cathedral - Moscow, Russia

Known as the Cathedral of Basil the Blessed, it is a Russian Orthodox cathedral erected on the Red Square in Moscow in 1555–1561. The building's design, shaped as a flame of a bonfire rising into the sky, has no analogues in Russian architecture - nothing similar can be found in the entire millenium of Byzantine tradition from the fifth to fifteenth century. Legend says that Ivan the Terrible blinded the architect so that he could not recreate the masterpiece elsewhere.
Built on the edge of the Red Square in Moscow, St. Basil’s Cathedral is a colorful edifice made up of 9 individual chapels, each a symbol of a successful assault on Kazan and topped by an onion dome. The ninth chapel was erected in 1588 between the first eight, giving the cathedral the look of an eight-corner star when seen from above.

Cologne Cathedral - Kölner Dom, Germany

The Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is one of the most well-known architectural monuments in Germany and world wide. The construction of the Cologne Cathedral began in 1248, in order to house the precious relict "Shrine of the Three Holy Kings". It took over 600 years to complete the Cathedral, and when it was finished in 1880, it was still true to the original plans. It is one of the largest cathedrals in the world and between 1880 and 1884 it was the tallest structure in the world, before the completion of the Washington Monument and later the Eiffel Tower. Its spires are only surpassed by the singular spire of Ulm Cathedral, making it the second tallest church in the world, with 157 meters in height.Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom), which was added to the World Heritage list by Unesco in 1996. It is one of Europe's most spectacular cathedrals and holds the record of the the biggest church facade in the world.

Las Lajas Sanctuary - Colombia

Las Lajas Sanctuary is located on the border of Ecuador and Colombia. The basilica is built in a canyon over the Guáitara River in a town called Ipiales, located 15 minutes into Colombia. Construction started on January 1, 1916 and finished on August 20, 1949, which makes it a fairly new church that looks a lot older then it really is. The church is of Gothic revival architecture and was built with donations from local churchgoers, replacing an old nineteenth-century chapel. The name Laja comes from the name of a type of flat sedimentary rock similar to floor tiles found in the Andes Mountains. The church was built to commemorate the appearance of the Virgin which legend has it, her image appeared on an enormous vertical rock 45m above the river.

Cathedrale St-Etienne - Bourges,France

Bourges Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral, dedicated to Saint Stephen, located in Bourges, France.The Cathedral of St Etienne of Bourges built between the late 12th and early 13th centuries, is one of the great masterpieces of Gothic art and is admired for its proportions and the unity of its design.With its unique feats of architecture, impressive sculptures and glorious 13th-century stained glass windows, the Cathedral is one of the great masterpieces of Gothic art. The tympanum, sculptures and stained-glass windows are particularly striking. Apart from the beauty of the architecture, it attests to the power of Christianity in medieval France.Bourges Cathedral has a highly unique floor plan. It has no transepts, which form the cross-shape of most churches. This lends the cathedral a unique appearance inside and out.

Mount Popa, Myanmar - South-East Asia

Mount Popa is a volcano 1518 metres (4981 feet) above sea level, located in central Burma (Myanmar) about 50 km (30 miles) southeast of Bagan in the Pegu Range.Mt. Popa is an extinct volcano that is estimated to have erupted for the final time, over three hundred and twenty thousand years ago. However, popa’s attraction today lies not so much in its geological aspect, but more in its religious and mystical interests which are still prevalent.Popa is popularly recognized as an abode of many "Nats" (spirits of ancient ancestors) who dwell in various parts of the mountain. In the days of old, it also used to be referred to as the "Mountain of Spirits". The evidence of these beliefs is abundant in the form of "nat shrines", leg- ends, rituals, ceremonial offerings, annual representative festivals, and the never- ending stream of pilgrims and believers in mysticism. Popa today is one of the most popular pilgrimage spots in the country. One would need to spend a sizeable amount of time in order to unearth the spiritual and legendary wealth of this sacred mountain.

Milan Cathedral - The Dome of Milan, Italy

An exceptionally large and elaborate Gothic cathedral on the main square of Milan, the Duomo di Milano is one of the most famous buildings in Europe. It is the largest Gothic cathedral and the second largest Catholic cathedral in the world.The Duomo of Milan blurs the distinction between Gothic and neo-Gothic, for the Gothic west front was begun in 1616 and completed 200 years later. Only in its details does it reveal its Baroque and Neo-Classical date. From 1900 some of the less Gothic details of the facade were replaced in a true Gothic style, to designs of Giuseppe Brentano.

Sagrada Familia - Barcelona, Spain

Basilica de la Sagrada Família is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926).Sagrada Familia or the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia was begun in 1882 by public subscription. A year later Gaudí became director of the project, a post he would hold for more than 40 years until his death in 1926. Work continued on the church based on Gaudí's general plan and studies. Unlike many churches, it survived during the Spanish Civil War, when many churches were burned; it was and is seen as a kind of symbol for the city of Barcelona.One projection anticipates construction completion around 2026, the centennial of Gaudí's death.

Notre Dame Cathedral - Paris, France

The Notre Dam Cathedral, Paris is an ancient cathedral that lies on the 'lle de la Cite' on the river Seine in Paris. The Notre Dam Cathedral, Paris is famous for its Gothic style architecture. The name Notre Dame means "Our Lady" in French, and is frequently used in the names of Catholic church buildings in Francophone countries.

Notre Dame de Paris - Video