St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow

St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, was built by Ivan the Terrible between 1555 and 1561. According to legend, the builder of this cathedral was blinded so that such a beautiful structure could never be built again. The cathedral is vividly colorful and contains redbrick towers that add to its beauty. The church’s design consists of nine chapels, each mounted with its individual dome that marks the assault on the city of Kazan.

The design of St. Basil’s Cathedral provides strong religious symbolism and is based on architectural designs found in Jerusalem. Eight of the domes make a circular formation around the ninth dome, which looks like a star when viewed from the top. There is a deep contrast between the interior and the exterior of the St. Basil’s Cathedral. The interior contains modest decorations and the corridors are narrow, leaving little space for seating worshippers.

Several times throughout its history, this cathedral has suffered damage due to fires, looting, and other incidents. In one legend, the French ruler Napoleon even wanted to take St. Basil’s Cathedral back to France with him, but due to the lack of such technology, he ordered his army to destroy it so that no one else could occupy it. His army had prepared to attack the church and had also lit up the gunpowder, but a mysterious rain shower prevented any explosions from occurring.

Abu Simbel Archaeological Site

Abu Simbel is the name given to two huge rock temples located in south Egypt about 290 km south west of Aswan. This is an archeological site and it is now registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are also called the Nubian Monuments. The history of these temples dates back to the 13th century when they were carved out of a mountainside. The entire monument was relocated in 1960 on an artificial hill.

The reason the monuments were shifted is because they were gradually drowning in Lake Nasser. This lake was a huge artificial reservoir that was made by the Nile River and Aswan Dam. The Abu Simbel attracts a lot of tourists every year as it is the most visited spot in Egypt.

The temple took almost 20 years to complete. It is a dedication to three different gods, namely the Ra-horakhty, Ptah and Rameses. The Abu Simbel is considered one of the most beautiful and sacred temples in all of Egypt. Every statue in the temple has Ramesses II on a throne and he is donning the double crown of both the Upper and the Lower Egypt. One of the statues at the entrance once got damaged due to earthquake.

The entire temple is marked as a courtyard and enclosed on the north and south side by walls. The Abu Simbel is known for its beauty, mystery and architectural knowledge. Most of the visitors who are on the expedition to explore Egypt come to visit this Temple.

St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice

Saint Mark’s Basilica is a cathedral located on St. Mark’s Square in the city of Venice, Italy. It is one of the attractive cathedrals in the city and it is famous for its uniqueness in terms of the design and the magnificent interior as well as being an example of the Byzantine architecture. Many years ago, however, it did not serve as a cathedral. In fact, it was a chapel for the Venetian City and its rulers. Since the 11th century onwards, the cathedral was known by the nickname “Church of Gold,” or “Chiesad’Oro” in Italian.

The entire cathedral of St. Mark has had both European and Italian artists working on it. That is one of the reasons why it displays the beauty and designs from both cultures. St. Mark’s Basilica is known for its artistic, iconographic as well as religious content and some have described it as being a masterpiece of Gothic sculpture and art. The entire top ceiling is covered with beautiful mosaic colors of gold and bronze, giving it a very bright and lit effect.

The current basilica is the third cathedral that was built on the place because it is where Saint Mark’s body was located. It is divided into three main segments – the lower segment, the upper segment, and the domes. The interior of the cathedral depicts the Greek cross and every arm is divided into three naves.

Florence and Its Cityscape

The city of Florence is the capital of Tuscany, a region in central Italy. The city is situated on the river Arno and is known for its interesting history, art and architecture. Over a period of five years, from 1865 to 1870, it was also declared the capital of Italy. The City of Florence has been a part of the World Heritage Site since 1982.

Florence is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Italy mainly because of its cityscape. One reason why area is so special is that from the 16th century to present day it has lured many artistic masters like Leonardo da Vinci.

Some of the major attractions of the city are the Duomo cathedral, the Florentine skyline and the Loggia dei Lanzi, to name a few. The Palazzo Vecchio Tower bell tower is another icon that has outstanding tourist appeal. The Ponte Vecchio, of the 14th century is another landmark that adorns the city of Florence.

Florence is certainly known for its artistic past. Almost all great Italian artists spent time in this city. The entire area lights up during the evening like a beautiful painting on canvas. Most visitors to Florence come mainly to experience the history, the museums, and the culture normally associated with this centrally located Italian location

Moscow Kremlin

The Moscow Kremlin, also called the Kremlin, is a castle that is situated at the heart of Moscow. It has four palaces and four cathedrals and it is the official residence of the president of Russia.

The great Kremlin Palace is one of the biggest castles in all of Russia. It has a very stunning combination of yellow and white with a green rooftop. The golden color adds an appearance of wealth to the entire palace. The palace was initially built in 1462 during the rule of Ivan the Terrible, but was rebuilt in 1837 by King Nicholas I because of the extensive damage that was done to it during wartime. During the 18th century, the construction came to a halt as the entire Russian capital moved to St. Petersburg. It was in the 1740s when an Italian architect was hired by Queen Elizabeth to complete the Kremlin and the construction began once again.

The Kremlin Palace was built to extend the Russian autocracy. The best architects were hired to perform the splendid job and they came up with a fine piece of art. The dimensions of the palace are massive. The total length of the palace is 125 meters and the height is 47 meters. It covers a total of 25,000 square meters. The whole building has nine churches from the 14th through 17th centuries with more than 700 rooms in it. The west side of the palace was for the royal family. Just like many other palaces, this one is also off limits to public viewing.