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Palmanova is a town and municipality in northeastern Italy. It is an excellent example of a bastion / star fort of the design favoured in the Late Renaissance era. First built by the Venetians in 1593, the fort-town was designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi. A second phase of construction occurred between 1658 and 1690, with final fortifications completed under the Napoleonic domination of 1806-1813.
The Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Shokaku was constructed between 1937 and 1939, and served between 1927 and 1944.<br/><br/> The Shokaku participated in the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, and was sunk at the Battle of the Philippine Sea in 1944.
Welthauptstadt Germania ('World Capital Germania') refers to the projected renewal of the German capital Berlin during the Nazi period, part of Adolf Hitler's vision for the future of Germany after the planned victory in World War II.<br/><br/> Albert Speer, the 'first architect of the Third Reich', produced many of the plans for the rebuilt city in his capacity as overseer of the project, only a small portion of which was realized between the years 1937 and 1943 when construction took place.
The Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Soryu was constructed between 1934 and 1937, and served between 1927 and 1942.<br/><br/> The Soryu participated in the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, and was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942.
Nicosia is the largest city on the island of Cyprus and its capital, located near the centre of the Mesaoria plain on the banks of the Pedieos River. Its well-preserved walls mark it as a star fort, built by the Venetians in 1567 due to the fears of an Ottoman invasion, which occurred in 1570.
Construction of the first city wall of Chang'an (original name of Xi'an) began in 194 BCE and lasted for four years. The existing wall was started during the Ming Dynasty in 1370. It encircles a much smaller city of 14 square kilometres (5.4 sq mi). The wall measures 13.7 kilometres (8.5 mi) in circumference, 12 metres (39 ft) in height, and 15–18 metres (49–59 ft) in thickness at the base.<br/><br/> Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty.<br/><br/> Xi'an is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, having held that position under several of the most important dynasties in Chinese history, including the Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang. Xi'an is the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and home to the Terracotta Army.
The Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Akagi was constructed between 1920 and 1927, and served between 1927 and 1942. The Akagi participated in the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, and was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942.<br/><br/> The Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Kaga was constructed between 1920 and 1928, and served between 1928 and 1942. The Kaga participated in the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, and was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942.<br/><br/> The Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Soryu was constructed between 1934 and 1937, and served between 1927 and 1942. The Soryu participated in the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, and was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942.<br/><br/> The Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Hiryu was constructed between 1934 and 1937, and served between 1927 and 1942. The Hiryu participated in the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, and was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942.
Palmanova is a town and municipality in northeastern Italy. It is an excellent example of a bastion / star fort of the design favoured in the Late Renaissance era. First built by the Venetians in 1593, the fort-town was designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi. A second phase of construction occurred between 1658 and 1690, with final fortifications completed under the Napoleonic domination of 1806-1813.
The Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Akagi was constructed between 1920 and 1927, and served between 1927 and 1942.<br/><br/> The Akagi participated in the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, and was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942.
The Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Akagi was constructed between 1920 and 1927, and served between 1927 and 1942. The Akagi participated in the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, and was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942.<br/><br/> The Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Kaga was constructed between 1920 and 1928, and served between 1928 and 1942. The Kaga participated in the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, and was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942.<br/><br/> The Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Soryu was constructed between 1934 and 1937, and served between 1927 and 1942. The Soryu participated in the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, and was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942.
The Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) was originally created during the Ming Dynasty, but was designed in its current form by Qing emperor Qianlong (r. 1736 - 1795). It is however Qianlong’s mother, the Qing Dowager Empress Cixi who is most irrevocably linked to the palace, since she had it restored twice during her reign, once in 1860 after it was plundered by British and French troops during the Second Opium War, and again in 1902 when foreign troops sought reprisals for the Boxer Rebellion, an anti-Christian movement.
The Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Hiryu was constructed between 1936 and 1939, and served between 1939 and 1942.<br/><br/> The Hiryu participated in the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941, and was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942.
<i>Nian hua</i> or New Year prints are bold and colourful Chinese woodblock prints, which date back at least to the seventeenth century. Mass-produced, affordable and designed to celebrate most notably the Spring Festival (also known as ‘Chinese New Year’), they are typically full of auspicious symbols for conferring wealth, longevity, happiness and good fortune on the family.<br/><br/> Deities such as stove and door gods, flora and fauna, including the animals of the Chinese zodiac, and well-fed male babies are all common subjects of these posters.<br/><br/> The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) promoted new or ‘revolutionary’ <i>nian hua</i> as early as the second half of the 1920s, because the woodblock print was an attractive, familiar and accessible format, it appealed to the target rural audience, and was easily and widely distributable.
A Tower of Silence or Dakhma is a circular, raised structure used by Zoroastrians for exposure of the dead. There is no standard technical name for such a construction. The common <i>dakhma</i> or <i>dokhma</i> (from Middle Persian <i>dakhmag</i>) originally denoted any place for the dead. Similarly, in the medieval texts of Zoroastrian tradition, the word astodan appears, but today denotes an ossuary.<br/><br/> In the Iranian provinces of Yazd and Kerman, the technical term is <i>deme</i> or <i>dema</i>. In India, the term <i>doongerwadi</i> came into use after a tower was constructed on a hill of that name. The word <i>dagdah</i> appears in the texts of both India and Iran but, in 20th century India, signified the lowest grade of temple fire (cf. Fire temple). The term 'Tower of Silence' is a neologism attributed to one Robert Murphy, who, in 1832, was a translator of the British colonial government in India.
George Catlett Marshall, Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American soldier and statesman famous for his leadership roles during World War II and the Cold War. He was Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Secretary of State, and the third Secretary of Defense.<br/><br/> He was hailed as the 'organizer of victory' by Winston Churchill for his leadership of the Allied victory in World War II. Marshall served as the United States Army Chief of Staff during the war and as the chief military adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.<br/><br/> Marshall's name was given to the Marshall Plan, subsequent to a commencement address he presented as Secretary of State at Harvard University in the June of 1947. Marshall received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953 for the plan, which was aimed at the economic recovery of Western Europe after World War II.
George Catlett Marshall, Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American soldier and statesman famous for his leadership roles during World War II and the Cold War. He was Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Secretary of State, and the third Secretary of Defense.<br/><br/> He was hailed as the 'organizer of victory' by Winston Churchill for his leadership of the Allied victory in World War II. Marshall served as the United States Army Chief of Staff during the war and as the chief military adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.<br/><br/> Marshall's name was given to the Marshall Plan, subsequent to a commencement address he presented as Secretary of State at Harvard University in the June of 1947. Marshall received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953 for the plan, which was aimed at the economic recovery of Western Europe after World War II.
George Catlett Marshall, Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American soldier and statesman famous for his leadership roles during World War II and the Cold War. He was Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Secretary of State, and the third Secretary of Defense.<br/><br/> He was hailed as the 'organizer of victory' by Winston Churchill for his leadership of the Allied victory in World War II. Marshall served as the United States Army Chief of Staff during the war and as the chief military adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.<br/><br/> Marshall's name was given to the Marshall Plan, subsequent to a commencement address he presented as Secretary of State at Harvard University in the June of 1947. Marshall received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953 for the plan, which was aimed at the economic recovery of Western Europe after World War II.
A hand-drawn map giving a detailed picture of Canton at the end of the Second Opium War.<br/><br/> The old city is beautifully rendered with the great palaces, pagodas, and the city's many gates all marked. To the north of the city walls lie the imposing hill forts, and to the south is the new city which, before the outbreak of hostilities, housed the residence of the Governor Ye Mingchen.<br/><br/> Beyond the city walls to the right are depicted the north and east parade grounds, together with numerous hospices, and a leper colony. Just to the south west of the new city walls, the old and new factory areas are shown. The old area bears the flags of France, Great Britain, and America, however, it is named 'jardin public' (public gardens), with the new factory area marked to the west on Sheeman (Shamian) Island. Across the Pearl River from Sheeman is Honam Island.
The Kaaba (or Qaaba; Arabic: الكعبة‎ al-Kaʿbah; English: The Cube) is a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam.<br/><br/> The Qur'an states that the Ka'ba was constructed by Abraham (Ibrahim in Arabic), and his son Ishmael (Ismail in Arabic), after the latter had settled in Arabia. The building has a mosque built around it, the Masjid al-Haram. All Muslims around the world face the Ka'ba during prayers, no matter where they are. This is called facing the Qiblah.
Populated since the Bronze Age, Toledo (Toletum in Latin) grew in importance during Roman times, being a main commercial and administrative centre in the Roman province of Tarraconensis. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Toledo served as the capital city of Visigothic Spain, beginning with Liuvigild (Leovigild), and was the capital of Spain until the Muslims conquered Iberia in the 8th century.<br/><br/> Under the Caliphate of Cordoba, Toledo enjoyed a golden age; it became a very large cosmopolitan city with an overwhelming Muladi (Iberian Muslim) population. This extensive period is known as La Convivencia, i.e. the co-existence of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Under Arab rule, Toledo was called Tulaytulah. After the fall of the Caliphate, Toledo was the capital city of one of the richest Taifas of Al-Andalus.<br/><br/> Its population was overwhelmingly Muladi, and, because of its central location in the Iberian Peninsula, Toledo took a central position in the struggles between the Muslim and Christian rulers of northern Spain. The conquest of Toledo by Alfonso VI of Castile marked the first time a major city in Al-Andalus had fallen to Christian forces; it served to sharpen the religious aspect of the Christian reconquest.
The Republic of Venice (Italian: Repubblica di Venezia, Venetian: Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia) or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797.<br/><br/> It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia, Venetian: Serenìsima Repùblica Vèneta or Repùblica de Venesia) and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in reference to its title as one of the 'Most Serene Republics'. The Republic's modern reputation is widely based on its preference for economic supremacy over military might, despite its long history of war and conquest.
A hand-drawn map of the International Settlement and French Concession together with Nanshi, the Chinese Walled City, Shanghai, 1907.
Hagia Sophia (from the Greek 'Holy Wisdom'; Latin: Sancta Sophia or Sancta Sapientia; Turkish: Aya Sofya) is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the cathedral of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople of the Western Crusader established Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1934, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935.
Hormuz Island (also spelled Hormoz) is an Iranian island in the Persian Gulf. It is located in the Straits of Hormuz and is part of the Hormozgān Province. It has an area of 42 km² (16 square miles).<br/><br/> Hormuz Island was once part of the Portuguese Empire. The island was conquered by the Portuguese explorer Afonso de Albuquerque in the Capture of Ormuz. There is a historic Portuguese fortress on Hormuz Island, the Fort of Our Lady of the Conception. The island was then captured by a combined Anglo-Persian force in 1622 in the Capture of Ormuz.
Published by Bellin and Schley for Prevost's' Histoire Generale des Voyages', this map is cartographically based on a 1702 map of the same issued by Scheuchzer and Kaempfer, which itself is most likely based on Japanese maps.<br/><br/>Centered on Edo Castle, this map depicts the whole of Edo as it existed, with numerous streets shown but not named. Edo Castle itself is fancifully depicted as a French style formal garden. Possibly due to the cartographers inability to translate Japanese, the only three named locations on the map are Edo Castle, Japan Bridge, and the Faubourg de Sinagawa.<br/><br/>From the establishment of the Tokugawa bakufu's headquarters at Edo, although Kyoto remained the formal capital of the country, the de facto capital was now Edo; it was the center of political power. Edo grew from what had been a small, little-known fishing village in 1457 to a metropolis with an estimated population of 1,000,000 by 1721, the largest city in the world at the time.<br/><br/>The city was laid out as a castle town around Edo Castle. The Sumida River (then called the Great River, 大川), ran along the eastern edge of the city. The 'Japan Bridge' (日本橋, Nihon-bashi) marked the center of the city's commercial center.
The Kaaba (or Qaaba; Arabic: الكعبة‎ al-Kaʿbah; English: The Cube) is a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The Quran states that the Kaaba was constructed by Abraham (Ibrahim in Arabic), and his son Ishmael (Isma'il in Arabic), after the latter had settled in Arabia. The building has a mosque built around it, the Masjid al-Haram. All Muslims around the world face the Kaaba during prayers, no matter where they are. This is called facing the Qiblah.<br/><br/> One of the Five Pillars of Islam requires every Muslim to perform the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime if able to do so. Multiple parts of the Hajj require pilgrims to walk seven times around the Kaaba in a counter-clockwise direction (as viewed from above). This circumambulation, the Tawaf, is also performed by pilgrims during the Umrah (lesser pilgrimage). However, the most dramatic times are during the Hajj, when about 6 million pilgrims gather to circle the building on the same day.