The Seven Wonders of the Medieval Mind
The Seven Natural Wonders of the World
The world’s natural wonders differ from the other grouping of wonders in that they were not made or improved upon by humans. They actually humble humanity. The local native peoples have known these wonders for millenia, however this list came to the notice of the Western world relatively recently. For example, Mount Everest wasn’t identified [...]
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
So this is the famous leaning tower of Pisa. I was impressed by its inclination.This square is considered to be the most ambitious monument of the Tuscan Romanesque. If you ever happen to be close to Pisa in winter or early spring you have to visit this square, the ‘Piazza dei Miracoli’ as they call [...]
The Hagia Sophia
For centuries it stood at the heart of two of the world’s great religions: To Christians it was Hagia Sophia, Church of the Holy Wisdom, mother church of the Orthodox faith and of the thousand-year-old Byzantine Empire. To Muslims, it became Ayasofya Camii, Mosque of Holy Wisdom and jewel of Istanbul. But to people of [...]
The Porcelain Tower of Nanjing
Location: Nanjing, China, out on the banks of the Yangtze. History: The people of China called it Bao’ensi, the “Temple of Gratitude.” European visitors who beheld the structure called it the Porcelain Tower of Nanjing and labeled it one of the wonders of the world. But warfare and subsequent destruction overtook it in the 19th [...]
The Great Wall of China
HISTORY The Great Wall started as earth works thrown up for protection by different States. The individual sections weren’t connected until the Qin dynasty (221-206 B.C.). Qin Shihuangdi, First Emperor of Qin began conscripting peasants, enemies, and anyone else who wasn’t tied to the land to go to work on the wall. He garrisoned armies [...]
The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
Location: Alexandria, Egypt. History: Alexandria, Egypt, represented a melding of cultures in the late first century A.D. Traditions of Greece and Rome overlay the city, the cult of Christianity was gaining ground, and memories of ancient Egypt’s great kingdoms still lingered. It was a place where people seemed to have a talent for combining rather [...]
The Colosseum
The Colosseum is the most famous monument of Ancient Rome. Its original name is Flavian Amphitheatre. It was started by the Emperor Vespasian between 70 and 76 AD, and completed by his son Titus in 80 AD. The Colosseum was dedicated the year after Vespasian’s death by Titus. They celebrated the opening by holding 100 [...]
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is surely Britain’s greatest national icon, symbolizing mystery, power and endurance. its original purpose is unclear to us, but some have speculated that it was a temple made for the worship of ancient earth deities. It has been called an astronomical observatory for marking significant events on the prehistoric calendar. Others claim that it [...]
The Seven Wonders of the Medieval Mind
The medieval mind, just like the classical mind before it, was captivated by the wondrous things people had made. For much of the thousand-year period known as the Middle Ages, most Europeans lived in small, isolated communities; travel was difficult and often dangerous; and knowledge was confined to, and often controlled by men of the [...]
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