Interesting Tourist places and things

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Around The Animals,Fear Or Enjoy-Kruger Park, South Africa

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Giethoorn - Village without streets


Giethoorn is called the Venice of the Netherlands for about 7.5 km of canals run through the little village. Some 50 little wooden bridges span the canals. It was founded around 1230 when fugitives coming from the Mediterranian regions settled there. They found a lot of horns of wild goats there that had probably died in the big flood of St Elisabeth in 1170, and therefore they called the settlement Geytenhorn (horn of goats), later it became Geythorn and now it’s called Giethoorn. All traffic has to go over the water, and it is done in so-called “punters”, they are ‘whisper-boats’ for they are driven by an electric motor, so they practically do not disturb the peace and quiet in this scenic littlevillage . The canal is only about 1 meter deep and were digged out to transport the peat, the digging of this peat resulted in many ponts and undeep lakes, called ‘Wieden’. Many houses have been built on islands and are only reachable over wooden bridges. Most houses have thatched roofs, the marshy areas provide a lot of reed. In former days only rich people had tiled roofs, for tiles were much more expensive than reed, now it’s the other way round: having a thatched roof costs a lot more money than have it covered with tiles. This is a very picturesque place to visit.

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Giethoorn - Village without streets

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Giethoorn - Village without streets

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The 10 Oldest Cities on Earth


Gaziantep, Turkey (3650 B.C.?)


Jerusalem

A holy city for three different religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Jerusalem is the place where ancient values combine with modern culture to bring a fascinating metropolis. Jerusalem is divided into three parts – West Jerusalem, the rapidly developing commercial part of the city, East Jerusalem – home for the majority of the Arab population, and the Old City – a truly breathtaking location, declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. Once you get tired of sightseeing, you can check out the marketplace, a place teeming with tourist shops.



Kirkuk, Iraq (3000 B.C.?)

With archaeological remains that are over 5,000 years old, Kirkuk is an important city for the Kurdish identity and also the center of the Iraqi petroleum industry. While it may not be the most inviting tourist destination, Kirkuk stands on the site of the ancient Assyrian, once being the battlegrounds for three empires, Assyria, Babylonia, and Media that took turns controlling the city. Sights include the citadel, the tomb of Prophet Daniel, and Al Qaysareyah Market. If you want to go back in time and see the remains of the ancient city, visit archaeological sites of Qal’at Jarmo and Yorgan Tepe, located at the outskirts of the city.



Zurich, Switzerland (3000 B.C.?)

Switzerland’s biggest city and one of the oldest cities in Europe, Zurich was established in Roman times under the name Turicum. Traces of these times can be found throughout the Old Town – narrow streets filed with antique shops, boutiques and cafes. Shopping is concentrated around the famous Bahnhofstrasse, one of the most beautiful shopping streets in Europe. Besides shopping, you can explore the city’s culture by visiting Grossmünster or Fraumünster – two old churches with amazing interiors, the Swiss National Museum or Kunsthaus, another popular museum. Head down to Aussersihl – a newly developed area filled with bars, clubs, restaurants where you can get a taste of the real Swiss life. After seeing the city, you’ll surely find out why it was named the city with the best quality of life in the world.

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The 10 Oldest Cities on Earth


Konya, Turkey (2600 B.C.?)

Located 250 km from the Mediterranean Sea and 500 km from the Black Sea, at an altitude of over 1000 meters in the Anatolian steppe, Konya is one of Turkey’s most fascinating cities, full of mosques and museums. One of the most popular museums is the Green Mausoleum of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, a great Turkish poet. Konya has a vast array of historical finds, kept in several museums, such as the Archaeological Museum, the Koyunoglu Museum or the Ethnographical Museum.



Giza, Egypt (before 2568 B.C.)

“From atop these pyramids, forty centuries look down upon you.” — Napoleon Bonaparte to his soldiers before the Battle of Giza, 1798. Contrary to popular belief, Giza is a city in itself, but which got absorbed by the rapidly developing metropolis of Cairo. It holds one of the most important attractions in Egypt – the Pyramids of Giza, coupled with the Sphinx at the base of the Giza plateau. Giza’s desert plateau will be part of the Grand Museum of Egypt, a project to be completed in 2012 that will replace the Egyptian Museum in Midan Tahrir.


Xi’an, China (2205 B.C.?)

With a history of over 3,000 years, the city is one of the most important in Chinese history, being one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. Xi’an, the eternal city, enjoys fame equal to that of other famous cities such as Athens, Cairo, or Rome. The abundance of relics and sites of important cultural significance gained the city the title of a Natural History Museum. Furthermore, the Museum of Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses is often referred to as “the eighth major miracle of the world”. The City Wall of the Ming Dynasty is the most well-preserved towns in the world of that period while the Famen Temple holds the finger bones of Sakyamuni — the founder of Buddhism. All in all, Xi’an is one of the most valuable places to get a taste of ancient China and their traditions.


Asyut, Egypt (before 2160 B.C.)

Located 375km south of Cairo, Asyut is the largest town in Upper Egypt and the first settled in Pharaonic times. Today, Asyut is the region’s most important agricultural center and home of the third largest university in Egypt. The city has almost 400,000 inhabitants, having the highest concentration of Coptic Christians. It is said that Virgin Mary appeared in Asyut, an apparition even attested by the church. Apart from the religious value, Banana Island is a great place to relax, while the 19th century barrage on the North Edge of the city is a popular destination among tourists.

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The 10 Oldest Cities on Earth

Luxor, Egypt (before 2160 B.C.)

Luxor, previously known as the ancient city of Thebes, the glorious city of the God Amon Ra, has been a hot tourist destination since tourism began. The area started attracting tourists ever since the Greek and Roman periods. Luxor is one of the most popular cities in Egypt, its stars being the monuments of Luxor, Karnak, Hatshepsut and Ramses III. There’s no wonder the city is often referred to as the world’s greatest open air museum, having a great number of well-preserved monuments. The city in itself actually consists of three distinct areas: the City of Luxor on the East side of the Nile, the town of Karnak and Thebes on the west side of the Nile, across from Luxor. You can bargain your way for anything in the city’s bazaar or enjoy the vegetarian paradise Luxor’s restaurants offer its tourists.



Lisbon, Portugal (2000 B.C.?)

Set on seven low hills, on the north banks of the River Tagus, Lisbon’s charm is strongly linked to the past. Lisbon was first inhabited by Iberian people, responsible for building the megaliths. After centuries of growing, Lisbon is now one of the liveliest cities in Europe. The renovated palaces, magnificent churches and Art Nouveau buildings are just a few of the things that make up the city’s cultural heritage. There’s an impressive collection of ancient and modern art in many of the city’s museums such as the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, the National Coach Museum, and the Carmo Archaeological Museum. When you’ve seen all the cultural attractions, be sure to head down to Bairro Alto, the center of nightlife, packed with restaurants, bars and clubs. There are also plenty of shopping opportunities either for local merchandise at the Campo de Santa Clara or famous brands in the Centro Commercial Colombo.

[Alice123]

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The 7 Most Beautiful Cathedrals in South America


Las Lajas – Ipiales, Colombia



Considered by many the most beautiful cathedral in the world, Las Lajas Sanctuary looks like a building you would expect to find in a fantasy world. It was built between 1916 and 1949, in the canyon of the Guaitara River, with only the donations of local religious folk.



The name “Las Lajas” refers to a sort of flat stone found in the Andes Mountains. Apparently, an apparition of the Virgin Mary was seen on one of these stones.


Catedral da Sé – Sao Paolo, Brazil

The Cathedral of Sao Paolo is the largest religious building in the city and the 4th biggest neo-gothic cathedral in the world. Construction started in 1913 and it was inaugurated in 1954, but the two towers were not completed until 1967. Over 800 tons of rare marble were used to construct the Catedral da Sé.




The Metropolitan Cathedral of Sao Paolo features one of the largest organs in South America and sits upon a large crypt that can rightfully be considered a beautiful underground church.

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Catedral Basilica de Salta – Salta, Argentina


Painted in pink and yellow, the Cathedral of Salta, Argentina looks like a beautifully shaped strawberry and vanilla ice-cream good enough to eat. It was completely destroyed in the 17th century and its reconstruction lasted until 1882.



Catedral Basilica de Salta houses an important religious relic, El Senor de Los Milagros (The Lord of Miracles), a statuette of Jesus Christ which was being transported by a Spanish ship that sank in Argentinean waters. It was miraculously washed ashore intact and placed in the Cathedral of Salta. Three important historical figures are buried here, of which general Martin Miguel de Guemes, who defeated the invading Spanish, is the most important.

Catedral Primada – Bogota, Colombia


The biggest cathedral in Colombia and one of the biggest in South America, the Primary Cathedral of Bogota was built between 1807 and 1823. When the Spanish founded Bogota, they built 12 huts and a hay-church that later became the Cathedral of Bogota, so you could say it is as old as the city.

The Roman-Catholic Church of Bogota is a fine example of colonial religious architecture and houses a number of paintings by Gregorio Vasquez de Arce y Ceballos, the most important painter in colonial Colombia. Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada, founder of Bogota, is buried here.


Catedral de la Inmaculada Conception – Cuelca, Ecuador


Also referred to as the New Cathedral of Cuenca, the Inmaculada Conception Cathedral is located opposite Calderon Park, in Cuenca, Ecuador. Because the old cathedral had become too small for the growing population, construction of a new cathedral began in 1885 and lasted for a century.

The New Cathedral of Cuenca combines many different architectural styles, with Romanesque being the most obvious one. It features 3 beautiful domes, covered with blue tiles brought in all the way from Czechoslovakia.