Mt. Kirkjufell (463 m) is the
most prominent mountain near the town of Grundarfjörður. It is most beautiful
landmark and photographed mountain in Iceland the icon of the Snaefellsnes
Peninsula. The mountain of Kirkjufell and its waterfall Kirkjufellsfoss,
attracts nature lovers and photographers. Its isolated location jutting out
into the sea makes it a focal point for tourists and seamen alike. The area surrounded
by beaches, lovely walking trail around it as well as a more challenging climb
up to the top where bird and fish fossils can be found. There’s something
exclusive about the shape of Mt. Kirkjufell, green in summer, orange in winter
and white with snow. However, with aurora borealis it provides breathtaking
views. The best time to catch the Northern Lights in Iceland is between
September and January.
Even photographers waiting for many
hours to capture sun rise and sun set view.The mountain is free-standing and referred to as the most beautiful
mountain as you’ll see crowds of visitors with tripods and cameras taking
photos like the one above, i.e. from this angle with the waterfall in front. Kirkjufell
is most favorite for film making location featuring as the "arrowhead
mountain" that the Hound and the company north of the Wall see when
capturing a wight. Kirkjufell is formed with a stack of layers of sedimentary
rocks from glacial and interglacial stages. At the base is Tertiary Lava and
then it alternates between Sandstone, and Quaternary lava. At the top is tuff
and during the last Ice age, erosion shaped it. Their sides are so steep
because it was a high rock pressured between 2 glacier tongues. It is possible
to hike to the top of Kirkjufell but difficult hike with very steep sections.
Do not go by yourself as it is very dangerous, get hire an experienced guide
that can take you through the right tracks.
Antelope Canyon is the most photographed canyon in the American Southwest. It was formed by flash-flooding and erosion, which gave the rock its smooth, wave-like texture.
Bryce Canyon in southwestern Utah is home to brightly colored geological structures called hoodoos, formed by frost, weathering, and erosion.
Fly Geyser is less famous tourist attraction that was accidentally created in 1916 during a well drilling, Water heated by geothermal energy creating the multi-colored mount.
Huacachina is a literal oasis in the Peruvian desert. It's a resort town built around a small, natural lake in the Southwestern Ica Region.
In southwest Spain lie two salty and very pink lakes called Las Salinas de Torrevieja. The color is caused by algae that releases a red pigment under certain conditions.
Lake Natron in Tanzania is famous for its deep red hue, part of the East African Rift Valley, and gets its color from the algae that live on salt in water from nearby volcanoes.
Las Salinas Grandes is a massive salt desert in Argentina. The 2,300-square-mile field is filled with pools of water created by mining companies that harvest salt there.
Lencois Maranhenses Sand Dunes of Brazil look like average sand dunes, and valleys are filled with water since the low-lying lands often flood during the wet season.
Namibia's Dead Vlei, or dead marsh, is surrounded by the highest sand dunes in the world and dotted with dead trees more than 900 years old.
Naturally formed staircase Badab-e Surt, 2 mineral hot springs deposited carbonate minerals on the mountain, leaving behind pools of water and naturally-formed steps.
Petra, in Jordan, was the capital city of the Nabateans, a pagan civilization. The famed city was built from the surrounding red sandstone.
Salar de Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia are covered in a thin layer of water, creating surreal reflections of the sky.
The Cappadocia Valley in Turkey is home to thousand-year-old cave dwellings. Many of the ancient underground homes are still occupied.
The Crystal Caves of Naica, in Mexico, were discovered in 2000. The immense crystals are believed to have grown for about 500,000 years due to the chamber's unique conditions.
The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia Danakil Desert is one of the hottest inhabited places on planet, with temperatures ranging from 95 degrees Fahrenheit to as high as 145 degrees.
The rice terraces of Yunnan, China, are carved into the hillside. Different types of vegetation lend the landscape its alternating hues.
The white gypsum sand dunes at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico look like snow, and cover 275 square miles of desert.
Tsingy de Bernaraha National Park in Madagascar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The forest of limestone needles was made when underground water eroded the existing limestone.
Mina is a small city, also known as “Tent City” is a neighborhood of Makkah in western Saudi Arabia. Mina is located about 5KM to the east of Holy city of Makkah, covers an area of 20KM. Mina stands on the road from Makkah city center to the Hill of Arafat, best known for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Mina is a place, where pilgrims throw stones, remembering the occasion that the Prophet Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) stoned the Shatan (Devil) that came between him and command Allah Talah had set him. The Hajj is the ritual Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah, and Mina tent city is used for five days each year by Hajj pilgrims, and empty for the rest of the time.
More than 120,000 air conditioned tents provide temporary shelter to over 3 million pilgrims during Hajj days. The Mina valley where Jamarat Bridge is located, pilgrims perform stoning to Shatan (Devil) between sunrise and sunset on the last day of Hajj. These tents cover every open space, as maximum as a naked eye can see, neatly arranged row after row. The tents measure 8 x 8 meters and are constructed of fiberglass coated with Teflon in order to ensure high resistance to fire.
In the ancient times, pilgrims brought their own tents which they would erect in the flat plains of Mina. In 1990s, the Saudi government installed permanent cotton tents relieving pilgrims of the burden of having to carry their own camping equipment. However, a massive fire that swept through the tent city killing nearly 400 pilgrims in 1997, then the current permanent fire-proof city was built. Once the Hajj is over, the tents would be dismantled, everything packed and taken back. During the Syrian Civil War, the international community pressured Saudi Arabia to use its unoccupied tent city to house war refugees.
The tents are segregated into a number of camps, as each of which possess its own exterior wall, and is linked to other camps by pathways. The camp provides the facility of a kitchen, bathrooms, and ablution facilities. For the pilgrims ease, every tent is color-coded by country and numbered, and all the haji’s are supposed to have badges with their color and number on it, in case they get lost. In past few years, Saudi government investing huge amout of money to improve the infrastructural projects to ease the daunting and physically demanding rituals of the annual pilgrimage. A comprehensive fire safety network containing of heat-sensitive water sprinkler are linked to an alarm system was implemented to avoid the repeat of 1997 tragedy.
Lahore is popularly acknowledged as the city of gardens, some of the gardens are newly constructed but the main beauty of the city is with its historic gardens which are still well maintained and give a charismatic visual appeal to the visitors. Shalamar Gardens, sometimes called Shalimar Gardens were laid out as a Persian Paradise Garden. It is actually a Mughal garden complex located in Lahore Pakistan. The Shalimar Gardens are located near Baghbanpura along the Grand Trunk Road approximately five kilometers northeast of the main Lahore city. In 1637, the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan (who was known for his love for nature and construction) ordered to construct a garden in the Lahore, the capital of Pakistan province of Punjab. It took 4 years to complete in 1941, measure 658 meters cover an area of sixteen hectares. In 1981, Shalimar Gardens was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Lahore Fort, under the UNESCO Convention concerning the protection of the world's cultural and natural heritage sites in 1972. The Mughal garden is symbolized by enclosing walls, a four-sided layout of paths and features, and huge amplitude of flowing water.
Moreover, Shah Jahan father “Emperor Janghair” also built a Shalimar Garden in Kashmir. Hence Lahore Shalimar Garden is mainly influenced by Kashmir Shalimar Garden. The gardens have been laid out from south to north in three levels of terraces, The upper level or the third terrace named Farah Baksh meaning Bestower of Pleasure. The middle level or the second terrace named Faiz Baksh meaning Bestower of Goodness. The lower level terrace named Hayat Baksh meaning Bestower of Life. Shalimar Garden is one of top tourist attraction in the city which has historic relevance. This extreme collage of nature and constructional artwork was accomplished under the project management of Khalilullah Khan who was a renowned noble of the Emperor’s court. Shalimar Gardens draws inspiration from Central Asia, surrounded by a high brick wall, which is famous for its intricate fretwork.
This garden was made on the concept of a Persian paradise garden, from the canal, rise 410 fountains, which discharge into wide marble pools. It is a credit to the creativity of Mughal engineers that even today scientists are unable to fully comprehend the water systems and thermal engineering from architectural blueprints. The surrounding area is rendered cooler by the flowing of the fountains, which is a particular relief for visitors during Lahore's blistering summers, with temperature sometimes exceeding 49 °C. The fountains are the major highlight of the place which gives an enthralling feeling when they’re all in full swing. Amazingly, the garden has water through the fountains discharges itself into the exceptionally tremendous white marble pools. It was well engineered in ancient times and all the credit for such an impressive fountain system goes to the Royal Engineers and the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for coming up with this masterpiece of work. The incredible engineering feat was so brilliant that even the contemporary engineers of these days find it hard to comprehend the associated water system of the fountains even by referring the architectural blueprints of thermal engineering.
The Gardens have 5 water cascades including the great marble cascade and Sawan Bhadoon. There are several different types of trees in Garden, some of varieties of trees were planted like Almond, Apple, Apricot, Cherry, Gokcha, Mango, Mulberry, Peach, Plum, Quince Seedless, Sapling of Cypress, Shrubs, Pomegranate, Sour and sweet orange. Futhermore, a lot of other varieties of odoriferous (fragrant) and non-odoriferous and fruit giving plants adding the beauty of this Garden. The Shalimar Gardens are not just all about greenery and fountains but it also has a range of buildings with stunning architecture which is worth having a look at. The buildings were constructed for different purposes that serve the Royal family and the visitors of the time as well.
The building structures in the Shalimar Gardens includes, Sawan Bhadun Pavilion, Aiwan (The Grand Hall), Hammam (The Royal Bath), Naqar Khana, Aramgah (The Resting Place), Begum Sahib Khawabgah (Bedroom of the Emperor’s wife), Diwan-e-Khas-o-Aam (Hall for the ordinary and special visitors to the Emperor), Baradaries (The summer pavilions for enjoying nearby fountain coolness), 2 Gateways and minarets situated at the corners of the garden. Hence whenever you plan to visit Lahore, the don’t miss out Shalimar Garden, although it is an exceptional place and lots of work needed to be done for its proper preservation and timely maintenance work.
There is a very stimulating
attraction for all those who want to explore the military history of the
Netherlands. The Fort Pampus, situated outside Amsterdam in the municipality of
Muiden. Pampus is an artificial Island, part of Defence Line of Amsterdam belongs
to the municipality of Gooise Meren. A late 19th century sea fort is
also located in the IJmeer near Amsterdam. In 1996 UNESCO designated the entire
Defence Line with its 42 forts a World Heritage Site. The construction work
started in 1887 and creating the island and fort prerequisite the sinking of
3,800 piles and the importation of 45,000 cubic meters of sand. It took the
Dutch eight years and ƒ 800,000 to construct the fort. The oval shape fort
built of bricks and concrete. There are three floors in the main building,
while on the ground floor were the troops quarters, kitchen, laundry, coal
fired steam engines, dynamos, telegraph, first aid station and magazines.
It is an island transformed in a
fortress that served for various purposes before and after the First and Second
World War. The fort is on a man-made island situated on what was the Pampus
shallows or sandbank in the then Zuiderzee. There is a well-known Dutch expression
"laying for Pampus" used to describe people that are lying down
knocked out. It stems from the time ships had to wait for high tide at Pampus
before they could enter the harbor of Amsterdam. Moreover, an 8 meter dry moat
surround the building, and north and south tunnels connect the ground floor of
the building to the concrete counterscarp. The fascinating fact about this
network of defense is that the Dutch managed to use the traditional water
controlling system, consisting of flooding, canals and locks, for fighting the
enemy.
The fort was commissioned in
1895. It was armed with four Krupp 240 mm L35 guns deployed in two
hydraulically operated cupolas of two guns each. Electric lifts brought shells
and cartridges up from the magazines on the ground floor. These guns fired a
shell of 280 kg for a range of up to 8KM. Each gun had a crew of an NCO and six
gunners, who could get off one shot every six minutes. Pampus was one of only
four forts in the Defence Line armed with large caliber guns. Pampus also had
two positions for 57mm quick-firing guns for close-in defence. The counterscarp
held four M90 Gardner machine guns on garrison mounts for the defence of the
moat. Pampus had facilities for a permanent garrison of 200 men. In 1926 the
fort received emplacements for three anti-aircraft guns. The fort never saw
action and the completion in 1932 of the Afsluitdijk lost its strategic role
and in 1933 the military abandoned it, after having removed the anti-aircraft
guns.
There were some plans in 1950’s to
site an anti-aircraft battery there, but the fort was declared surplus in 1952 and
was transferred to the civilian authorities for disposal. Then in June 1985,
the government scouted the fort with an eye to restoring the island and makes
it accessible to the public. Although, the
Foundation bought the fort in 1990, and in 1992 the fort received a caretaker.
Since then the fort has been occupied continuously. There is still one gun at
Pampus, an 88 mm from a German minesweeper that was wrecked during storm in
1917. The gun was installed at the harbour of Pampus on 4 February 2003. Fort
Pampus was restored in 2007 and opened to the public that was able to admire
and discover all of the historical features of the building. It is open to the
public from April to October, Tuesday to Sunday. The island is approximately
three kilometers from the coast and the Muiden ferry takes around 20 minutes to
get there. There are also direct ferries from Amsterdam, and one can reach the
fort by private vessel.
