A lost city you must see.

Hampi is one of the ancient cities on the ground. It was one of the centers of Hindu civilization 4 thousand years ago. But Hampi reached its greatest prosperity around the end of the 15th century - shortly before India was occupied by Muslims from the north.

This place is often mentioned in the Ramayana. It was here that events unfolded, as legend has it, between the gods Lakshman, Hanuman, Sita, Rama, Sugriva and Bali. Where the Anegodi citadel was located, there is now a monkey kingdom.

Hemakunta Hill, located south of the Virupaksha Temple and clearly visible from the Hampi bazaar, preserves the remains of early Jain temples and the largest monolithic sculpture in Hampi of Narasimha, one of the forms of God Vishnu, now standing alone.

Also in the Bazaar area, among the boulders, there is a monolithic statue of God Ganesha and several other temples located inside a small mandapa.

2 km. To the northeast of Hampi Bazaar is the Vittal or Vitthala Temple, built in the 16th century, and is one of the best examples of the architectural art of the masters of the Vijayanagara Empire. The outer pillars of this temple are said to produce music when carved, hence they are also known as musical pillars. In fact, the thin stone columns actually make a sound when you tap them with your palm.

On the way here and before entering temple complex on the right you can see medieval shopping arcades, which are stone columns and stone slabs once lying on them, which allowed traders and buyers to stay here during the light and hot hours of the day.
The interior of the temple complex - both the temple and the dance hall - is perfectly preserved; here you can see friezes and columns with figures of animals and warriors, and in between there are sculptural images of ten avatars of Vishnu.
Here is located the stone chariot that has become the symbol of Hampi, dating back to the 15th century. Stone wheels made in the shape of a lotus can rotate around stone axes.

The royal center of Hampi is so named because it was where the elite lived, it is surrounded in places by stone walls, with observation towers that can be climbed into, and contains several attractions of predominantly Indo-Saracenic type.

To the left are the elephant stalls, connected by small windows through which the elephants could communicate with their trunks.

The Lotus Palace, which is a mixture of Indian and Islamic architecture, is a complex-shaped pavilion; it was never residential and was used as a place to relax during the hottest part of the day. The stone palace has a complex architectural plan, thanks to which you can always feel the breeze blowing through it; the building takes its name from the blooming lotus flower, which resembles the carved domes and vaulted ceilings.

Hampi has only been open to tourists for the last 20 years, remaining an abandoned jungle town until then.

At one time, it was visited by the English writer Joseph Kipling, who wrote The Jungle Book, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907.

Fresh review

I will continue to publish photos taken German tourist in Almaty in December 2013. There will be everything about the upper areas of the city (well, or almost everything - something will be included in the next review). And without any special details: all the beautiful multi-storey buildings, everything is clean and beautiful. In general, this is what our authorities want to show tourists. And of course the Independence Monument will be detailed.

The first photo is the Television Center on Mira-Timiryazeva. The building is really very beautiful.

Random entries

Of course, if you look at the map, in the center of Sharjah there is not a lake, but a bay, connected to the sea by a long and not very wide arm. But for some reason local guides call it “lake”. There’s not much to write about, just a lot of photographs and panoramas. I came out to him by chance. The heat was 45 degrees, so it was deserted - normal people don’t walk in such weather.

The amazing thing is that with such heat, which lasts here not one or two days, but almost all year round— everything around is quite green. Here is the first photo on this very topic.

According to the excursion program that we were provided with in Almaty, on the second day there should be an acquaintance with Tbilisi. But everything turned out wrong. The host party had its own considerations for organizing excursions. And on this day we went to the Borjomi Gorge. In principle, we didn’t care where to go first, so we weren’t upset. Moreover, we were not the only ones from our hotel on the excursion minibus. The guide warned that the excursion will be long and you need to have money in local currency with you, because lunch is not included in the price of this trip, and there may not be ATMs or exchangers on site. And our transport set off through the streets of Tbilisi, collecting tourists from other hotels. So our acquaintance with the city continued, at least from the bus window.

I've always wanted to see Switzerland. But after listening to friends who have already been there or even live there, and also after reading all sorts of ratings of the most expensive cities world (for example, according to the rating of the Swiss bank UBS in 2018, Zurich is in first place), Switzerland somehow scared me away. Well, mountains, well, architecture... - In Almaty, there are also mountains, and in Germany, in any city - architecture. What if Switzerland is a mixture of Germany and Almaty, but for the price of an airplane? It's not interesting

But the company I work for has a contract with the University of Zurich - UZH, and since the beginning of 2018 I have been lucky enough to visit this city several times - mostly on business trips, but once I even went there as a tourist. When I started writing the article , there weren’t very many photos, because during business trips you don’t really walk around the city - from work to the hotel, and back in the morning. But over these few times they have accumulated enough for a couple of articles. So, article nummero uno.

Another notable place nearby is Carbon Canyon Regional Park. And it is notable for its grove; there is even a walking path leading to it, along which we actually walked. This park belongs to the neighboring town of Breya (that’s what it’s called in Russian). Google map, and in their name Brea). But I’ll start from the beginning, we were driven to this beginning of the trail by car, and then we set off on foot, although not everywhere it looked like a path.

I heard about either a national park or a geological reserve, which is located near the town of Obzor, in the neighboring village of Byala, and which is called “White Rocks”. I rented a car and went to see what it was. Firstly, Byala turned out to be not a village, as everyone calls it in the Review, but a normal one tourist city, the size of the same Obzor, which became a city in 1984. Secondly, the name Byala is translated as “White” and this name, just like once, comes from this natural monument - “White Rocks”.

In this review I will tell you how to get there and what is there, beautiful or interesting. And in the next one - about the museum and about the rocks from a more scientific point of view.

In general, it is believed that Sharjah is such a not very cool emirate. Well compared to Dubai. But apparently Sharjah has recently become very smart in terms of building new beautiful skyscrapers.

Well, again, by the time we were driving around Sharjah, we had not yet been to Dubai and therefore Sharjah seemed to us quite cool in terms of development. I have seen enough multi-storey cities - this is , and , and even the new one, but in terms of the density of skyscrapers, Sharjah wins. It may be comparable to it in this parameter, but in Urumqi the skyscrapers are quite simple - in architecture they look like single-color boxes, not all, but many. But here everything is different, modern, unique.

There's not much to write about. Therefore, basically, just photographs, the bulk of which were taken from a moving car, therefore with glare.

Giebichenstein Castle was built during the early Middle Ages, between 900 and 1000. At that time he had a very important strategic importance not only for the Magdeburg bishops, whose residence it was until the castle was built, but also played an important role in all imperial politics. The first written mention dates back to 961. Built on high cliff above the Saale River, approximately 90 meters above sea level, on the site where the main Roman road once passed. In the period from 1445 to 1464, the Lower Castle was built at the foot of the castle rock, which was intended to serve as a fortified courtyard. Since the transfer of the episcopal residence to Moritzburg, the so-called Upper Castle began to fall into decay. And after the Thirty Years' War, when it was captured by the Swedes and destroyed by fire, in which almost all the buildings were destroyed, it was completely abandoned and was never restored. In 1921, the castle was transferred to city ownership. But even in such ruined form it is very picturesque.

This review about the Review will be large, and perhaps not the most interesting, but I think it’s quite beautiful. And it will be about greens and flowers.

The Balkans in general and Bulgaria in particular are generally quite green areas. And the pastoral views here are gorgeous. But in the city of Obzor, greenery is mainly in parks, although there are also vegetable gardens, as you will see in the middle of this report. And at the end a little about wildlife in and around the city.

At the entrance to the city from Varna, there is a gorgeous flowerbed, which is very difficult to see while walking. But on foot it turns out that “Overview” is written there in flowers, and in some stylized Slavic font.

Tri-City Park is located in Placencia Township, bordering Fullerton and Brea Township. All these settlements are part of Orange County in southern California. For all the time we've been here, we haven't figured out where one city ends and another begins. And, probably, it’s not that important. They are not very different in architecture and their history is approximately the same, and parks are within easy reach. We also went to this one on foot.

No one knows exactly how many lost cities there are on our planet. But those that archaeologists manage to discover invariably arouse great interest both among historians and ordinary lovers of everything unusual. Here are some of the largest lost cities.

(Total 20 photos)

1. Tikal, Guatemala

Tikal is one of the largest city-states of the Mayan Indians. It was built back in the 7th century BC, and during its heyday its population reached 200 thousand people. The history of Tikal was full of dramatic moments, and after numerous wars and uprisings, people finally abandoned it. This happened at the end of the 10th century, and since then Tikal has remained a ghost town.

2. Ctesiphon, Iraq

In the period from the 2nd to the 7th centuries, Ctesiphon was the capital of first the Parthian kingdom and then the Sasanian one. The brick buildings of Ctesiphon that have survived to this day amaze the imagination with their splendor and size.

3. Great Zimbabwe

Big or Great Zimbabwe is the name given to the ruins of an ancient city located on the territory of the South African state of Zimbabwe. According to archaeologists, this city appeared in 1130 and for three centuries was considered the main shrine of the Shona people. About 18,000 people could simultaneously live behind the high stone walls of the city. Today the city walls represent one of the most amazing monuments of Great Zimbabwe. They are built without the use of any mortar, and their height reaches five meters.

4. Mohenjo-daro, Pakistan

A city belonging to the Indus civilization with the gloomy name of Mohenjo-Daro (which translates as “Hill of the Dead”) appeared in the Indus Valley in the territory of modern Pakistan more than four and a half thousand years ago. He is a contemporary Egyptian pyramids and one of the first cities in South Asia. The city flourished for almost a thousand years, but eventually its inhabitants abandoned it. Archaeologists suggest that the Aryan invasion was to blame.

5. Bagerhat, Bangladesh

This city, located at the confluence of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, was built in the 15th century. During its heyday, there were 360 ​​mosques here. But after the death of the founder, Bagerhat fell into decay, and it was almost completely swallowed up by the jungle. Today, part of the city has been cleared, and excursions are held here for tourists.

6. National Park Mesa Verde, USA

IN national park Mesa Verde (Colorado) has many ruins of ancient cities that were built by the Anasazi Indians in the 6th-13th centuries. The largest building in the park is considered to be the magnificent “Rock Palace”, which attracts more than 700 thousand tourists every year. The city was abandoned by its inhabitants around 1300. The reasons why people abandoned their homes are still unclear, but it has been suggested that the prolonged drought is to blame.

7. Vijayanagar, India

Vijayanagar was once the capital of a powerful empire that occupied the entire south of the Indian subcontinent. Today, on the site of the City of Victory (as the name Vijayanagar is translated) is the village of Hampi. True, here today, in addition to the majestic ruins, there are also many active Hindu temples, including famous temple Pampapathi, which is even older than Vijayanagara itself.

8. Ani city, Türkiye

Ani is the capital of the ancient Armenian kingdom, located on the territory of modern Turkey. Once the population of this ancient city exceeded 100 thousand people, and due to the abundance of temples it was known as the city of 1001 churches. The ruins of many Armenian churches of the 11th-13th centuries and the Seljuk palace have survived to this day. But all these monuments are in terrible condition - homeless people live in them, and careless tourists have picnics on their territory. The authorities do not show due attention to the protection of this historical monument.

9. Thebes, Egypt

The first human settlements in the territory of this city date back to 3200 BC. In 2000 B.C. About 40,000 people lived in Thebes, making it the most big city that time. The status of big city Thebes retained control of the world until 1000 BC. Even today, the ruins remaining from its former splendor are amazing. The most famous monuments of Thebes are the Temple of Luxor, the Temple of Karnak (which is the largest temple complex Ancient Egypt) and the tomb of Tutankhamun.

10. Carthage, Tunisia

Throughout its long history, Carthage was the capital different states. At first it was a Phoenician state, which was also called Carthage. In 146 BC. both the state and the city were completely destroyed by the Romans, but pretty soon the Romans themselves rebuilt Carthage. After the fall of Rome, Carthage became the capital of the Vandal kingdom. The final fall of the great city occurred in the 7th century, when the city was destroyed by the Arabs. But still, many ruins, mainly from the Roman period, have survived to this day.

11. Persepolis, Iran

The founder of the magnificent city of Persepolis was the Persian king Cyrus the Great. The city was founded around 560 BC. Over the centuries, the city changed hands, while maintaining its status as a capital and great city. But during the Arab conquest, Persepolis was completely reduced to ruins. The most famous monument city ​​is the huge Apadana Palace.

12. Ephesus, Türkiye

It was in this city in the 6th century BC. The legendary Temple of Artemis was built, one of the seven wonders of the world. The city flourished as long as the sea was nearby. But when it retreated far from the city walls, trade gradually died out, and with it the magnificent city, leaving behind only ruins.

13. Palenque, Mexico

In the III-VIII centuries, Palenque had great political and cultural significance for the Mayan civilization. Many magnificent stone buildings dating back to 600-800 have survived to this day, including the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Cross and the Temple of the Inscriptions. The city fell into disrepair long before Columbus arrived, probably as a result of tribal wars.

14. Pompeii and Herculaneum, Italy

The two died as a result of the volcanic eruption. the cities are probably some of the most famous disappeared cities. When on August 24, 79 AD. A catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius began, most of the inhabitants of Pompeii died suddenly, and then the city was completely buried under a multi-meter layer of volcanic ash. The residents of Herculaneum were luckier - many of them managed to leave the city before it disappeared under the hot ash.

15. Petra, Jordan

In ancient times, the city of Petra stood at the crossroads of important trade routes, which brought it untold wealth. But over time, the Romans mastered waterway, which greatly weakened overland trade. Gradually, the inhabitants abandoned the city, and it was swallowed up by the sands of the Arabian Desert. Today you can see perfectly preserved magnificent ancient buildings here.

16. Angkor, Cambodia

Angkor was the capital of the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th centuries. Today it is one of the largest historical landmarks in the world. The area of ​​this temple city exceeds 400 sq. km, and the magnificence of the sculptures of its Hindu temples is absolutely stunning.

17. Ciudad Perdida, Colombia

The name Ciudad Perdida is translated from Spanish as " lost city" This city is almost 700 years older than the famous Machu Picchu. In 1972, Ciudad Perdida was discovered by chance by local tomb robbers. When the trade in archaeological treasures from this city became widespread, the Colombian authorities finally became interested, and the city was discovered after a full-scale exploration. In this area there is constant fighting between government troops and various armed groups, so tourists take quite a risk when going even along the officially proposed routes, which are guarded by the Colombian military. The road to Ciudad Perdida itself is also quite difficult and requires good physical preparation.

18. Machu Picchu, Peru

The ancient city of Machu Picchu received the title of New Wonder of the World in 2007. The city appeared around 1440 and flourished until the mysterious and sudden disappearance of all its inhabitants in 1532. The city escaped the attack of the conquistadors and destruction, but for some reason the inhabitants abandoned it.

19. Chichen Itza, Mexico

Chichen Itza is one of the largest cities of the Mayan civilization. It was founded in the 7th century, and in 1194 the inhabitants left it for unknown reasons. The Spanish conquerors destroyed a huge number of Mayan manuscripts, so archaeologists are unable to find out the real reason for the decline of the great city.
Today, crowds of tourists are drawn to the beautifully preserved pyramids and temples of Chichen Itza.

20. Xanadu, Mongolia

Xanadu is the summer residence of the legendary Mongol Khan Kublai Khan, better known in the West as Kubla Khan. In 1275, Marco Polo described this place as a magnificent marble palace decorated with gold. But only ruins have survived to this day.

Abandoned ancient city in the jungle - a well-known book cliche, something from Kipling’s “The Jungle Book” and stories about Mowgli. It is difficult to imagine that a traveler, lost in the tropical forests, can suddenly come across the beautiful ancient ruins that remain from a huge and once rich city. But this is exactly what happened to the French traveler and biologist Henri Muot in 1860.

1.

Shocked by the beauty and grandeur of the buildings, entwined with the roots and branches of trees, Henri Muo wrote about his discovery in his autobiography “Journey to the Kingdoms of Siam, Cambodia, Laos and other areas of central Indochina,” adding his own maps and illustrations. These notes opened the grandiose temple city of Angkor to Europeans.

2.

Apparently, the name "Angkor" comes from "nagara" - "city" in Sanskrit, and "ongko" - which in Khmer colloquialism meant "ancient capital".

3.

To be fair, it must be said that Europeans visited Angkor before Muo - it is known that the Portuguese were here in the 16th century, and in the 19th century, shortly before Muo, the French missionary Charles-Emile Bouillevo, who also described his journey in a book that, unfortunately, remained , unnoticed. This temple city was never completely abandoned, remaining home to a small number of ordinary residents and monks during the years of decline.

4.

Angkor as the capital of the Khmer Empire arose at the beginning of the ninth century - here was the residence of King Jayavarman II, and after that of his descendants. This city is considered the oldest metropolis - while European capitals numbered several thousand inhabitants; according to various estimates, up to a million people lived in Angkor! Water supply was organized in the city, crafts and industry (including metallurgy) were developed.
During the heyday of the city, unique temples dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu arose. Angkor Wat is a gigantic temple complex measuring 1500 m long and 1300 m wide, built of sandstone. Scientists suggest that the work used the power of elephants. Angkor Wat consists of five lotus-shaped towers, rectangular galleries, and around there is a rectangular moat with water, whose width is 190 m.
In the center of Angkor is the Bayon Temple, a Buddhist sanctuary that once consisted of 54 towers (37 have survived). Each tower has four faces, looking in the direction of the four cardinal directions. The galleries of the temple are decorated with bas-reliefs and figures carved from stone - there are hundreds and thousands of them, they are dedicated to religious scenes, less often - to military campaigns.

5.

The hands of Hollywood filmmakers have also reached Angkor. Thanks to this, one of the local churches unofficially bears the name of Angelina Jolie. The ruins of Ta Prohm, fused with jungle trees, became the location for the filming of the film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and tourists associate them primarily with the famous movie star. Cambodians don’t mind - the name has stuck and helps in their simple souvenir business.

6.

As befits the old ones historical monuments, Angkor silently keeps its secrets. Studying the city leads scientists to believe that it may have been created as a giant map of the starry sky - the location of the temples coincides with the pattern of the Draco constellation. The stone sculptures of Angkor also hide their mysteries. On the bas-reliefs you can find figures of stegosaurs, which became extinct hundreds of millions of years before the appearance of humans.

One should not forget about the lost cities when enjoying the beauty and cultural treasures of India.
These cities fell as a result of wars and natural disasters, but still survive to this day.
Let's enjoy the journey and see the surviving art, temples and museums.

Virupaksha Temple in Hampi.
The dynasties of princes Harihara and Bukka Raya founded Vijayanagara in 1336. This mighty city was the capital of the empire. The golden years of this Indian region were between 1509 and 1529. The city was surrounded by hills on three sides, and the Tungabhadra River flowed on the fourth. Like many other powerful empires, the empire eventually fell to the Deccan Sultan in 1565. Agricultural wealth brought great material benefits to the empire due to international trade. The ruins of the city currently have the status World Heritage, and surround modern Hampi in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.

Tree in the courtyard of the Vittala Temple.

Puhar.
The seven-story building in the photo is now the Sillappathikara Art Gallery. Puhar is a town in Nagapattinami district in the southeastern state of Tamil Nadu. In ancient times, this city was called the prosperous capital of kings. Situated at the mouth of the Kaveri River, the city served as a large shopping center, in which goods brought from afar were unloaded. The legendary city is mentioned in many songs, poetry, and heroic epics. The history of the city is well described in the epics Silapathikaram and Manimekalai. Scientists believe that the destruction of the city was caused by a tsunami.

Muziris.
Muziris is the Greco-Roman name for the ancient port city, located on the Malabar coast (South India). Excavations in 2004 proved that trade with Western Asia, the Middle East and Europe was conducted from this port. It is believed that the city was destroyed by an earthquake in the 13th century AD.

Lothal.
The ancient city of Lothal, or rather its remains, can be found in the state of Gujatat. Known since 2400 BC, this lost city is one of India's most important archaeological assets. It was discovered in 1954 and excavated between 1955 and 1960. The city was also large commercial port.

Kalibangan.
Kalibangan is located on south coast Ghaggar in the Rajasthan region. Known as the site of the earliest system of plowing an agricultural field (c. 2800 BC). Scientists have concluded that the city was destroyed by an earthquake in 2600 BC, but after that a 2nd stage of settlement occurred, which was unsuccessful due to the gradual and irreversible drying of the river.