1650, 2980, 3359, 3465 THAILAND (Bangkok) - Wat Pho, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha

2980 Wat Pho

Posted on 11.06.2015, 11.03.2017, 16.01.2020, 14.03.2021

Named after a monastery in India where Buddha is believed to have lived, Wat Pho (known also as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha), is a Buddhist temple in Phra Nakhon district, Bangkok, directly adjacent to the Grand Palace. Prior to the temple's founding, the site was a centre of education for traditional Thai medicine, and statues were created showing yoga positions. An enormous Buddha image from Ayuthaya's Wat Phra Si Sanphet was destroyed by the Burmese in 1767; King Rama I (1782-1809) incorporated its fragments to build a temple to enlarge and renovate the complex.

3359 Inside Wat Pho

 

The temple has sixteen gates around the complex guarded by Chinese giants carved out of rocks. These statues were originally imported as ballast on ship trading with China. The outer cloister has images of 400 Buddhas out of the 1200 originally bought by king Rama V. In terms of architecture, these are varied in different styles and postures, but these are evenly mounted on matching gilded pedestals. The image of reclining Buddha is 15m high and 43m long with his right arm supporting the head with tight curls on two box-pillows of blue, richly encrusted with glass mosaics.

1650 Reclining Buddha of Wat Pho

 

The complex, also known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage, was restored and extended in the reign of King Rama III, and again in 1982. It consists of two walled compounds bisected by Soi Chetuphon running east-west. The northern one is where the reclining Buddha and massage school are found, and the southern one (Tukgawee) is a working Buddhist monastery with monks in residence and a school. Outside the temple, the grounds contain 91 chedis (stupas or mounds), four viharas (halls) and a bot (central shrine).

3465 Phra Mondop in Wat Pho

The 3m high and 4.5m long foot of Buddha displays are inlaid with mother-of-pearl. They are divided into 108 arranged panels, displaying the auspicious symbols by which Buddha can be identified like flowers, dancers, white elephants, tigers and altar accessories. Over the statue is a seven tiered umbrella representing the authority of Thailand. There are 108 bronze bowls in the corridor indicating the 108 auspicious characters of Buddha. People drop coins in these bowls as it is believed to bring good fortune, and to help the monks maintain the wat.

3462 FINLAND (North Karelia) - Bomban Orthodox prayer chapel in Nurmes

3462 Bomban Orthodox prayer chapel in Nurmes

Between 1977 and 1978, on the shore of lake Pielinen, about three kilometers from the center of the town of Nurmes, was erected the Bomba house, a copy (a little bigger) of a house build by Jegor Bombin in 1855 in Suojärvi. Suojärvi was part of the Karelian areas that Finland lost to Soviet Union in 1944 as a result of continuation war between the two countries, and Karelians were evacuated from the areas. A full Karelian village was built around the replica to supplement the atmosphere and the experience of the area.

3454 BELARUS (Vitebsk) - The Assumpton Cathedral in Vitebsk

3454 The Assumpton Cathedral in Vitebsk

Built in a picturesque place, on the high bank of the Western Dvina River, the Assumption Cathedral is one of the outstanding monuments of the architecture of Vitebsk. It is also the only cathedral in Vitebsk, the lower active layer of which is located underground. The Assumption mountain, where now the cathedral stands, has been used for construction of religious buildings during thousands of years. Initially, there was a pagan shrine, and with the birth of Christianity a church was built at this place, which burned more than once in fires.

3450 ETHIOPIA (Amhara) - Tomb of Adam - part of Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela (UNESCO WHS)

Impressive in its simplicity, the Tomb of Adam is a huge square block of stone stands in a deep trench in front of the western face of Biete Golgotha Mikael (House of Golgotha Mikael). The block has been hollowed out, the ground floor serving as the western entrance to the first group of churches. The upper floor houses a hermit's cell. Again it is a cross that is the only decoration of this "tomb ". The large opening in the eastern wall provides light for the cell and has the shape of a harmonious croix pattee with flat-pitched finials.

3433 SINGAPORE (Central Region) - Sri Mariamman Temple

The Sri Mariamman Temple is Singapore's oldest Hindu temple. It is an agamic temple, built in the Dravidian style. Mariamman is a rural South Indian mother goddess who is especially worshipped for protection against diseases. Located in the downtown Chinatown district, the temple serves the majority Hindu Singaporeans, Tamilians, in the city-state. It was founded in 1827 by Naraina Pillai, eight years after the East India Company established a trading settlement in Singapore.

3427 SPAIN (Community of Madrid) - Almudena Cathedral

Consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1993, Almudena Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid. Plans to build a cathedral in Madrid dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena were discussed as early as the 16th century but even though Spain built more than 40 cities in the new world during that century, the cost of expanding and keeping the Empire came first and the construction of Madrid's cathedral was postponed. Because making the cathedral the largest that the world had ever seen was a priority, the construction of Almudena only began in 1879.

3423 ROMANIA (Sibiu) - Cârța Monastery

The Cârța Monastery is a former Cistercian (Benedictine) monastery in the Țara Făgărașului region in southern Transylvania in Romania, currently an Evangelical Lutheran church belonging to the local Saxon community. It lies on the left bank of the Olt River, between the cities of Sibiu and Făgăraș, and was probably founded in 1202-1206 by monks from Igriș Abbey (daughter house of Pontigny Abbey), being disbanded in 1494, when the apostolic legate Ursus of Ursinis ratified Cârța Abbey's attachment to the Provostship nullius of Sibiu.

0008, 1433, 2655, 2793, 2831, 2939, 3081, 3274, 3421 THAILAND (Bangkok) - The Grand Palace in Bangkok

0008 The Grand Palace in Bangkok

Undoubtedly, Bangkok's history is intimately linked to the Chakri dynasty, which leads Siam (named from 1939, with a brief interruption, Thailand) for more than two centuries. Founder of the dynasty, Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I), was the one who moved the capital from Thonburi to Bangkok. Of course, the king had to have a palace and so appeared The Grand Palace (Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang), whose construction began in 1782, after a plan that closely followed that of the old palace in Ayutthaya.

2655 Phra Thinang Chakri Maha Prasat (1)

 

The king, his court and his royal government were based on the palace until 1925. King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), resided at Chitralada Royal Villa and his successor Vajiralongkorn at Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall, both in the Dusit Palace, but the Grand Palace is still used for official events. Situated on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, at the heart of the Rattanakosin Island, the palace complex (made up of numerous buildings, halls, pavilions set around open lawns, and gardens) is roughly rectangular. Its asymmetry and eclectic styles are due to its organic development, with additions being made by successive kings.

2939 Phra Thinang Chakri Maha Prasat (2)

It is divided into several quarters: the Temple of the Emerald Buddha; the Outer Court; the Middle Court, including the Phra Maha Monthien Buildings, the Phra Maha Prasat Buildings and the Chakri Maha Prasat Buildings; the Inner Court and the Siwalai Gardens quarter. The Phra Thinang Chakri Maha Prasat buildings are composed of nine major and minor halls, structured in a similar scheme to the Maha Monthien Halls from north to south. The whole of the Chakri Maha Prasat group was the work of King Rama V and foreign architects in the 19th century.

3274 The Temple of the Emerald Buddha (1)

 

The first phase of construction began in 1868, then again in 1876, and the final phase between 1882 and 1887. The throne hall forms the front or the façade of the entire building group. The throne hall is constructed in an eclectic style, a blend of Thai and European (more specifically Renaissance or Italianate) styles. The lower part of the structure is European, while the upper part is in Thai-styled green and orange tiled roofs and gilded spires or prasats.

3081 The Temple of the Emerald Buddha (2)

 

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew), formally known as Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram that means "the residence of the Holy Jewel Buddha", is actually a royal chapel, completed in 1784. Wat Phra Kaew has undergone a number of renovations, restoration and additions in its history, particularly during the reign of King Rama III and Rama IV. The architectural style is named as Rattanakosin style (old Bangkok-style). The main temple of the Emerald Buddha is decorated and similar to the temple in ancient capital of Ayutthaya. 

2831 The Temple of the Emerald Buddha (3)

It is surrounded on four sides by a series of walled cloisters, with seven gates. Like the royal temples of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya, the complex is separated from the living quarters of the kings. Within these walls are buildings and structures for diverse purposes and of different styles, but most of them adheres strictly to classical Thai architecture. It is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple (wat) in Thailand.

1433 A kinnara in front of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha

The main building is the central phra ubosot, which houses the statue of the Emerald Buddha. In the postcard 1433 is a golden statue of a kinnara, a half-bird, half-woman creatures at Southeast Asian Buddhist mythology, one of the many creatures that inhabit the mythical Himavanta. Kinnaris have the head, torso, and arms of a woman and the wings, tail and feet of a swan. She is renowned for her dance, song and poetry, and is a traditional symbol of feminine beauty, grace and accomplishment.

2793 The Temple of the Emerald Buddha
with a Thotsakhirithon guarding an exit

The Gate No. 2 (Na Wua Gate) of the complex is guarded by the statues of two demons (yaksha), Thotsakhirithon and Thotsakhiriwan, which appear in Ramakien (Glory of Rama), Thailand's national epic, derived from the Hindu epic Ramayana. They are the sons of Thotsakan (One with ten necks), a king of demons and their mother is a female elephant, that why they have trunks like an elephant. They are mostly depicted with a characteristic face, having big round bulging eyes and protruding fangs, as well as a green complexion.

3421 The Dusit Maha Prasat throne hall in 1870s

 

The Dusit Maha Prasat throne hall, built by Rama I in 1790, dominates the Maha Prasat group. The throne hall was built on a symmetrical cruciform plan, the roof is topped with a tall gilded spire. The hall is considered an ideal archetype of Thai traditional architecture. Every aspect of the exterior decoration of the throne hall is imbuded with symbolism. The hall is built in the shape of a tall mountain to represent Mount Meru, the mythological centre of the universe. The north face has a porch with a type of throne known as a busabok used by the king when gave public audiences.

3416 ITALY (Piedmont) - Superga air disaster

On the afternoon of May 4, 1949, the weather in Turin was miserable: clouds almost touching the ground, showers, strong southwest wind gusts, and very poor horizontal visibility. In these conditions, a three-engined Fiat G.212 of Avio Linee Italiane (Italian Airlines) crashed into the retaining wall at the back of the Basilica of Superga, which stands on a hill on the outskirts of Turin. The impact caused the instantaneous death of all the 31 people on board.

3409 THAILAND (Bangkok) - Bangkok National Museum

3409 Phra Buddha Sihing image in Buddhaisawan Chapel

Established and opened in 1874 by King Rama V to exhibit relics from the rule of King Rama IV's rule, the Bangkok National Museum features exhibits of Thai art and history. It occupies the former palace of the vice king, set between Thammasat University and the National Theater. Other than preserving and displaying Thai artifacts dating from the Dvaravati, Srivijaya, to Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods, the museum also displays extensive collections of regional Asian Buddhist Arts such as Indian Gandhara, Chinese Tang, Vietnamese Cham, Indonesian Java, and Cambodian Khmer arts.

1773, 3394 UNITED STATES (Hawaii) - Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park

1773 Pu'uhonua o Hōnaunau

Posted on 24.07.2015, 25.01.2020
Located on the west coast of the island of Hawaii, Pu'uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park preserves the site where, up until the early 19th century, Hawaiians who violated the kapu (sacred laws) could avoid certain death by fleeing to this place of refuge. The offender would be absolved by a priest and freed to leave. Defeated warriors and non-combatants could also find refuge here during times of battle. The complex includes also temple platforms, royal fishponds, sledding tracks, and some coastal village sites. For several centuries, the pu'uhonua and adjacent areas formed one of the primary religious and political centers within the traditional district of Kona.

3394 Ki'is which protect Hale o Keawe

The park contains a reconstruction of the Hale O Keawe heiau, which was originally built by a Kona chief named Kanuha in honor of his father King Keawe'īkekahiali'iokamoku. After the death of the king, his bones were entombed within the heiau, which once held the consecrated bones of 23 great chiefs. It was believed that the mana (spiritual power) of the chiefly bones would offer additional protection to an already powerful place. Situated on a point of land near the sea and surrounded by dramatic ki'i (carved images), Hale o Keawe is still considered very sacred ground. The Hawaiian word ki'i may be heard in other parts of Polynesia as tiki.

3390 CZECH REPUBLIC (Vysočina) - Jewish Quarter and St. Procopius' Basilica in Třebíč (UNESCO WHS)

The historical treasury of Třebíč, a town located in western Moravia, on the Jihlava River, includes the old Jewish Quarter (former ghetto) the Jewish Cemetery and the large Romanesque St Procopius' Basilica, which incorporates some later Gothic features, including a rare example of a ten-part (also known as 'botanical') rose window. The ensemble provides an exceptional testimony to the peaceful coexistence of Jewish and Christian communities and cultures from the Middle Ages up to WWII.

3387 MALAYSIA (Kuala Lumpur) - Jamek Mosque

Located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak River, Jamek Mosque, officially Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque, is one of the oldest mosques in Kuala Lumpur. Designed by Arthur Benison Hubback in Indian Muslim Mughal architectural style, it was built in 1909, on the location of an old Malay burial place. It has 3 domes, the largest of which reached 21.3 m in height. One of them collapsed in 1993 due to heavy rain, but has since been repaired. It has also 2 main minarets among other smaller ones; the pattern of pink and white, formed of brick and plaster, has been described as "blood and bandage".