The church was built by St. Clement in the year 893 on the foundation of an early Christian basilica, and dedicated to St. Panteleimon. It was here that the Ohrid Literary School, a center of Slavonic literary and cultural activity where more than 3,500 disciples were educated. St. Clement was buried in this church, in the tomb which was built by his own hands.
After the advent of the Ottoman Empire, St. Clement's church was converted into a mosque, known as the Imaret Mosque (Turkish: İmaret Camii), of which only a small enclosure remains. The mosque was built as an endowment and a memorial by Sinan Chelebi, member of the distinguished Turkish family of the Ohrizade. The Imaret Mosque was torn down in 2000 with the reason given that it was constructed over the remains of a church in the Plaošnik area and the former mosque was added to the damaged religious buildings list compiled by the Islamic Religious Community of Macedonia.
Apart from the church's many reconstructions during the time of the Ottoman Empire, it has undergone extensive reconstruction and excavation in the contemporary period. The most recent restoration started on 8 December 2000 and was completed by 10 August 2002. Most of Saint Clement's relics were translated to the church.
Baptistery
On Plaošnik has been discovered the baptistery of the five aisle basilica with hooked crosses (swastikas) on the mosaic floors which date from the period between 4th and 6th century. It is assumed that this early Christian basilica at Plaoshnik upon which the Kliment's monastery was built in the 9th century, was dedicated to St. Paul the Apostle who preached Christianity in Lychnidos (present-day Ohrid) in the 1st century A.D.
On 10 October 2007, a deposit of approximately 2,383 Venetian coins was discovered by archaeologists while excavating the monastery. A prominent archaeologist of the Republic of Macedonia, Pasko Kuzman, stated that the coins are of special significance because they indicate that Ohrid and Venice were commercially linked.


Plas Tan y Bwlch was built by the Oakeley family during the 19th century on the site of a first house probably built in the early 17th century.  Additions designed by the Chester architect John Douglas were made to the house for W. E. Oakley in 1872. The nearby Oakeley Arms Hotel was also once part of the estate but was sold off in the early 20th century.
The Oakeley family owned a huge slate quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog from which slates were carried to Porthmadog by the Ffestiniog Railway which passed through the estate.
Plas Tan y Bwlch is thought to be the first house in North Wales with electric lighting powered from its own hydro-electric station, which was commissioned in the 1890s. A pipeline from the nearby Llyn Mair fed water to a Pelton wheel, which was located in a small power house on the hillside immediately behind the house. It ceased to operate soon after 1928, when the public hydro-electric power station at Maentwrog began supplying the area.  In June 2013 a new hydro-scheme, costing £420,000, and similarly tapping the water from Llyn Mair, was opened. The water falls 60 metres (200 ft) to the turbine, and the scheme is expected to meet most of the Plas' electricity needs.


The Platamon Castle (Greek: Κάστρο του Πλαταμώνα), an important part of the history of Pieria, is a Crusader castle (built between 1204 and 1222) in northern Greece (Macedonia) and is located southeast of Mount Olympus, in a strategic position which controls the exit of the Tempe valley, through which passes the main road connecting Macedonia with Thessaly and southern Greece. The tower (donjon), which overlooks the highway, is an imposing medieval fortress.
Important discoveries are the board of Hellenistic wall, that confirm the suggestion that on this position was the ancient Greek city Herakleion and the gate in the wall of the donjon. The core of the city Herakleion remains to be found, but it is posited that it is located on the northwest side of the castle's hill due to shells and coins found during recent excavations.


The place, which today is occupied by the castle, was used by the city of Herakleion (Ἡράκλειον) in pre-Christian times.
Not only on the top of the castle hill, but also at the foot of the hill, were settlements that were assigned to this ancient city. Around 360 BC Skylax of Karyandar described the place as "the first Macedonian city behind the river Peneios". The Roman historian Titius Livius has a more accurate position determination. "Between Dion and Tembi lying on a rock," he described the place, which is identical with the position of the castle. But even earlier, since the Bronze Age, a settlement of the castle hill has been proved.
In the year 430 BC, The Athenians conquered the place to control from here the Thermaean Gulf to their possessions on the Chalkidiki. At the same time, the country's most popular north-south route runs along the hill. At the beginning of the 3rd century BC, the city and the now established port were destroyed. By what, or by whom, is not exactly known. A short time later the region was conquered by the Romans. In the year 169 BC,  from Thessaly coming, they held their camp in the plain between Herakleion and Leivithra before starting their campaign against Macedonia. Of course the outstanding strategic importance of the hill was not hidden from them. Probably from this time comes the acropolis, the upper town, which was surrounded by a low wall. From the time around Christ's birth to the middle Byzantine epoch, in the 10th century AD, little evidence was found of the events at this time. The name Platamon for the close vicinity of the hill emerges for the first time. With this term Homer referred to a rock surrounded by the sea. In the 12th century, the city of Platamon is described and the castle as such is mentioned for the first time.
In 1204, Franconian knights founded the kingdom of Thessaloniki in the course of their conquest of Constantinople, which also included the castle of Platamon. They finally finished the bulwark, but had to clear it again in 1217 to make way for the Comnenes, a Byzantine aristocracy. The further history of the place remains changing and the castle always finds new masters. At the end of the 14th century the Turks came and were replaced by the Venetians in 1425. They remained until the 400 years of the Turkokratia in Greece began. The last battles took place in the Second World War. New Zealand troops who had moved into this area were bombed.


A footpath leads from the parking lot to the gate of the castle. It is open every day between 08:30 and 15:00. What we call Platamon today included the city of Platamon and the actual castle. The extensive area is designed as a polygon and had irregular towers at irregular intervals. At the foot of the hill, to the left and right of the land, which extends into the sea, are two smaller towers. Only the main tower, the donjon, which is surrounded by its own wall, is located in the western part of the complex. Unfortunately, it is not open to visitors. Here, in fighting, was the last retreat for the inhabitants. For strategic reasons, there is only a relatively narrow gate that can be defended well. Many of the basics of churches, houses, a smithy, pottery and other buildings testify to the life of the past. Partially well-preserved cannons served in the later Middle Ages, the defense of pirates and the general defense of the fortress. To ensure the water supply during a longer lasting siege, there are several cisterns on the site.
The walls have a height of 7.50 to 9.50 m and have a thickness between 1.20 and 2 meters. In the course of the centuries, they have been continually increased, and the individual sections of the building can still be seen today. Except for the destroyed upper part of the defense route in the east, they are well preserved. The wall is accessible in several places for visitors and invites you to enjoy the fantastic view of the surroundings.
Originally the castle complex was surrounded by another, lower wall. It formed the first line of defense in an emergency. The only intact building is the small church Agia Paraskevi. It is richly decorated and offers space for around 30 believers.
Paradoxically, the construction of a railway tunnel through the hill a few years ago has, from the point of view of archaeologists, used the facility more than harmed. During the construction, further ground plans of buildings were discovered which are assigned to the historic city of Herakleion.


Today, the acropolis serves as one of the Olympus Festival venues. In the open air, with good acoustics, theatrical performances and concerts take place here.


Vakalopoulos, Apostolos (1972).  Τα κάστρα του Πλαταμώνα και της Ωριάς Τεμπών και ο τεκές του Χασάν Μπαμπά [The castles of Platamon and Oria at Tempe and the tekke of Hasan Baba] (in Greek). Thessaloniki: Society for Macedonian Studies.


The square was created in about 1735 and was used under King Frederick William I as parade-ground, a sandy field then known as "Exerzierplatz vor dem Brandenburger Tor". In 1844 the Kroll Opera House was built on its west end, and in 1867 it was turned into a city square named "Königsplatz".
In 1873 the Victory Column was erected in the center of the square, at the end of the newly created Siegesallee boulevard. At the east end of the square stood the Palais of the Polish-Prussian count Atanazy Raczyński, before the Reichstag building was built there from 1884 to 1894.
During the Weimar Republic, the square was named "Platz der Republik" to commemorate the abolition of the monarchy. When the Nazis took power in 1933, the square was renamed "Königsplatz". As part of a grandiose plan to create a "Welthauptstadt Germania", the Victory Column was enlarged and moved to its present location in 1939. World War II ended in 1945 and in 1948 the square returned to the name "Platz der Republik". The Kroll Opera, severely damaged in the war, was finally demolished in 1951.
The Berlin Wall ran past the back side of the Reichstag. The square, now a large lawn, was thus far away from traffic and was used as a recreational area for weekend barbecues etc. After German reunification in 1990 the square regained its position of central importance in Berlin. A large German flag was raised on the square in the night from 2 to 3 October 1990.
In 1991 the German Bundestag decided that Berlin would again be the seat of government and parliament. The renovation of the Reichstag building was completed in 1999.


In the fall of 1948, the square saw a huge demonstration protesting against the Berlin blockade. About 300,000 people participated, and mayor Ernst Reuter gave a haunting speech.
A number of concerts had taken place at the Platz der Republik in the late 1980s, including in 1987 David Bowie as part of the Glass Spider Tour, Eurythmics as part of the Revenge Tour and Genesis as part of the Invisible Touch Tour and latterly in 1988 Pink Floyd as part of the A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour and Michael Jackson as part of the Bad World Tour.
On 22 July 2005 an ultralight aircraft crashed on the square, killing the pilot. The police later determined that it was a likely suicide.
Leading up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, in April 2006 the sports company Adidas began to asphalt the square in order to erect the "Adidas World of Football", a miniature version of the Olympiastadion Berlin with about 8,000 seats. It was used to show live coverage of the football games. After the event, Adidas restored the square to its prior condition; this included finding trees all over Germany that matched the trees that had to be removed.


Playa Blanca (Spanish for "White Beach") is the southernmost town of the Spanish island of Lanzarote. It is the newest resort on the island, and is part of the municipality of Yaiza.
Approximately a 40-minute drive (45 km) from the airport, it has a state school, a private school (teaching the English educational curriculum), a notary, the bustling Rubicon Marina, church, harbour with ferries to Corralejo on the northern tip of Fuerteventura and an industrial area on the entrance to the town. A public library was opened in April 2012.
The bus and coach station ("Estacion de Guaguas") is the northern edge of the commercial area of the town, at the corner of Av. de las Canarias and Calle los Calamares. Direct or connecting services are available from here to all parts of the island. The building is also the location of the local police station and the local government administration (Ayuntamiento).
In early October 2008, Playa Blanca became the first town on the Island to have a dedicated local bus service, rather than through buses only. The price is a flat-rate €1.30 per journey for an adult, regardless of distance traveled around the town. The route follows a continuous loop from Faro Park in the west of the town, to Las Coloradas in the east. Frequency is every half an hour throughout the day and evening.
The coastline around Playa Blanca is essentially one large 9 kilometre wide bay which is then broken up into three smaller, but still large, bays. From East to west these are Playa Dorada, Playa Blanca and Playa Flamingo. This basic geography means that the beaches in and around Playa Blanca are sheltered and ideal for swimming and sunbathing.
The Atlantic Ocean is to the east, west and south. From the inland edge of the town to the interior, the landscape is level and volcanic. The main road route to Playa Blanca is the LZ2, heading north from the town then eastwards to the capital Arrecife. The second significant road route is the LZ 702 mountain road heading north-east from Playa Blanca via Maciot and Femes, connecting to the LZ72 at an interchange near Uga.
The residents are an eclectic mix of American, British, Canadian, Canarian, German, Irish, and Spanish.


Marina Rubicon, one of the biggest ports on the Canary Islands, is situated about a 15-minute promenade walk from the town itself. It has 550 berths with finger system for monohull and multihull boats of up to 50 meters, in addition to an area for large length on the dock (up to 90 m) and a courtesy dinghy-dock located in anteport. All berths have turrets with water and electricity. The floating boarding pontoons have an aluminium structure, covered in tropical wood and anchored using berthing dolphins. It has markets twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays (both in the morning). The goods sold range from handcrafted gifts to local wines.
Two hundred meters to the east of Marina Rubicon, Castillo de las Coloradas stands on the headland of Punta del Aquila. This watchtower was built between 1741 and 1744. It offered good protection through its robust circular construction and through its drawbridge. Its bell was sounded to warn that pirates were approaching the coast.


In the centre of the town is a small beach called Playa Blanca (White Beach). It is a mix of sand and rocks, and is the quietest of the resort's 3 main beaches. There are lifeguards here. In the evening, there are groups practising Canarian Wrestling (children).
Half an hour's walk to the west of the town along the sea-front walkway, is the Playa Flamingo beach. Although it is outside of the town centre, there are still a number of shops and restaurants. This is the nearest sandy beach to the newer developments around Montaña Roja and the lighthouse at Pechiguera, such as Faro Park, Carlos Park and Shangrila Park. Playa Flamingo was virtually destroyed in November 2005, during Hurricane Delta. The sea wall was eventually rebuilt in early 2011. There are no lifeguards on this beach.
Playa Dorada is literally translated as The Golden Beach, and is to the east of the town centre. The sea around Playa Dorada is generally very calm because it is encased within a manmade cove. It is a 10-minute walk from the centre of Playa Blanca and is well served by shops and cafes att Centro Comercial Papagayo behind it. This is the most popular beach in Playa Blanca for enjoying water based activities. Banana boats, pedalos and parascending are available here. There are lifeguards on this beach
Perhaps the most well known of all the beaches around Playa Blanca are the Papagayo coves. In reality this is a collection of smaller beaches that are separated by high cliffs, forming a number of sheltered bays. This area has been protected and is now a national park which can be accessed by a rather bumpy dirt road. There is a small fee for all cars entering of €3 (price correct of 2012). The coves can also be accessed on foot, via Los Coloradas. Signs point from next to the Papagayo Arena hotel, traversing over a sandy path down to the first of the coves.


There are three ferry lines to choose from in which to make the journey. Firstly there is the Fred. Olsen Express ferry, called the 'Bocayna Express' which makes the trip in 20 minutes. The second ferry is the Naviera Armas, called the 'Volcan de Tindaya', which makes 7 daily crossings each way, each one being of 35 minutes duration. The third is the 'Princesa Ico Glass Bottomed Boat'.

There has been emotive local discussion for some time about enlarging the harbour to allow it to take larger cruise liners such as the Queen Elizabeth 2 which has visited the port, but which had to moor just off the coast.


Playa Blanca is overlooked by the dormant volcano Montana Roja.  The walk up to and around the rim of the mountain is not too difficult and there are views over Playa Blanca, to the North of the island and across to Fuerteventura. Within the crater itself, many people have arranged rocks into names and messages.
To the north and east of Playa Blanca, there is a protected area named Los Ajaches. It is a triangular area of some 3,000 hectares bounded by: the mountain village of Femes, the small coastal fishing village of Playa Quemada and the Papagayo beaches.  The highest point is the Ajache Grande (aka Hacha Grande) at 562 metres, which affords views of the whole island and also of Fuerteventura. There are defined paths when entering the area from Femes. The walks start from the goat farm up on the ridge behind Emilianos Restaurant. This is on the right as you enter the village from Playa Blanca.  Los Ajaches was declared "Natural space" of the Canaries on June 19, 1987. The volcanic landscape of Los Ajaches has an impressive beauty. It includes areas of scientific interest with the presence of fossils of the Pliocene period.
Just a 20-minute drive north of Playa Blanca is El Golfo. The beach at El Golfo is within a half-submerged cone of a volcano, which over time has been eroded by the sea, leaving behind only the striated wall of the crater. At the foot of the crater wall is Lago Verde, a half-moon-shaped lagoon of a striking green colour, said to be caused by the volcanic minerals and micro-organisms that are believed to be unique in this lake. The beach itself is made of black volcanic pebbles spattered with fragments of the semi-precious olivine. The scenery is further enhanced by the large finger of rock which sits just off the beach and causes the sea to crash around it. This was used as a filming location for the 1966 adventure film One Million Years B.C.
The lagoon is adjacent to El Golfo village, separated only by a steep cliff with loose scree. El Golfo’s fish restaurants are plentiful and serve a selection of fresh fish and meat dishes.
About 8 km north of Playa Blanca is the Laguna de Janubio, a large, saltwater lagoon, location of the Salinas de Janubio, the only still operating commercial salt works on the island. At its height the Salinas produced around 10,000 tons of sea salt per year, with the water originally being pumped into the lagoon by wind power, which has been replaced by electrically driven pumps.
The main part of the salt production was used in the fish industry for preservation and processing but with the invention of the refrigerator, the production decreased considerably and reaches around 2,000 tons per annum today. A small part of the production is still sold as high quality table salt. Each year, during the Corpus Christi festival in June, tons of dyed salt are traditionally used in the creation of magnificent decorations in the streets and squares of Arrecife, the capital.


The sun shines 300 days per year in Playa Blanca. It is located east of the Canary Islands, closest to Africa, with little rainfall and an average annual temperature of around 21°C.
Because Playa Blanca lacks high mountains, there are few clouds to provide a natural barrier, resulting in lower evaporation and a more manageable humidity level.
Rain is extremely rare, resulting in a dry climate with an average of 16 days of rain per year, most of which falls between December and February.
Lanzarote's coldest month is February, with an average high temperature of 18.2°C and a low temperature of 16.6°C.
The windiest months in Lanzarote are July and August, followed by April and June. In September, the winds usually die down a little. During the summer, daytime temperatures rarely rise above 32°C. Playa Blanca also has little wind because it is protected by a cove.


Plaza de Toros de La Ribera is a bullring in Logroño, Spain. It is currently used for bull fighting, with a retractable roof, has also hosted basketball and 2010 Davis Cup tennis. The stadium holds 11,046 spectators. It was opened in 2001.


Since Rome, the area now known as Plaza de la Merced was, as it is today, an open public space.
During the Arabic rule of the city, the plaza fell outside of the city's exterior wall, and was located near the entrance la Puerta de Granada through which Ferdinand and Isabel entered in 1487 upon conquering the city.
In the 15th century the square operated as a public market. For this reason, it was previously called Plaza del mercado (Market square).
In 1507 Mercedarian friars arrived in the plaza, acquiring a plot of land on which they built a church, the plaza then takes its name from the friars order. The temple stood there until 1931.
In the 1820s it was named Plaza Riego after the General Riego who had resided in building located in the Plaza.


Monumento a Torrijos (Monument to Torrijos) is a 19th-century monument located in the center of the plaza. Spanish architect Rafael Mitjana designed the monument in honor of General José María Torrijos and 48 of his companions who were shot to death on order of Ferdinand VII . The base of the monument houses the remains of the men.


The statue was built by Francisco López Hernández and installed in 2008. The bronze statue measures 1.4 meters in height, and depicts Picasso sitting on a marble bench taking notes with a pencil. The statue occupies part of a bench, allowing visitors to sit next to it.


The house in which Pablo Picasso was born is located at number 15 of the plaza. The house now operates as a museum, and the building is the headquarters of the Pablo Ruiz Picasso Foundation.


Plymouth Hoe, referred to locally as the Hoe, is a large south-facing open public space in the English coastal city of Plymouth. The Hoe is adjacent to and above the low limestone cliffs that form the seafront and it commands views of Plymouth Sound, Drake's Island, and across the Hamoaze to Mount Edgcumbe in Cornwall. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon word hoh, a sloping ridge shaped like an inverted foot and heel (a term that survives in a few other placenames, notably Sutton Hoo).


Until the early 17th century large outline images of the giants Gog and Magog (or Goemagot and Corineus) had for a long time been cut into the turf of the Hoe exposing the white limestone beneath. These figures were periodically re-cut and cleaned. No trace of them remains today, but this likely commemorates the Cornish foundation myth, being the point, Lam Goemagot – the Giant's Leap - from which the Giant was cast into the sea by the hero Corin.
Plymouth Hoe is perhaps best known for the probably apocryphal story that Sir Francis Drake played his famous game of bowls here in 1588 while waiting for the tide to change before sailing out with the English fleet to engage with the Spanish Armada. The British Library holds a 1591 Spry map of Plimmouth from this era.
A Tudor fortress guarded the neck of water between the eastern Hoe and Mount Batten and some sheer granite and limestone cannon points remain, however in the late 1660s, following The Restoration, a massive star-shaped stone fortress known as the Royal Citadel, was constructed to replace it. Its purpose was to protect the port and probably also to intimidate the townsfolk who had leaned towards Parliament during the Civil War. It remains occupied by the military.
From 1880 there was a popular bandstand on the Hoe. It was removed for scrap metal during the Second World War and never rebuilt. A three tier belvedere built in 1891 survives; it was built on the site of a camera obscura, probably built in the 1830s, which showed views of the harbour. Below this site was the Bull Ring (now a memorial garden), and a grand pleasure pier, started in 1880, which provided a dance hall, refreshment, promenading and a landing place for boat trips. The pier was destroyed by German bombing in World War II.
There is an imposing series of Victorian terraces to the west of the naval memorial which previously continued to the Grand Hotel and, until it was destroyed by bombing, the grand clubhouse of the Royal Western Yacht Club. The club then merged with the Royal Southern and occupied that club's older premises which it had created from the regency public steam baths by the basin at West Hoe before the rejuvenated club moved in the late 1980s to Queen Anne Battery.


A prominent landmark on the Hoe is Smeaton's Tower. This is the upper portion of John Smeaton's Eddystone Lighthouse, which was originally built on the Eddystone Rocks, located 14 miles (22.5 km) to the south, in 1759. It was dismantled in 1877 and moved, stone by stone, to the Hoe where it was re-erected.
Smeaton's Tower overlooks Tinside Lido, a 1930s outdoor pool or lido which sits upon the limestone shoreline at the base of the cliff. Most of the works to create the swimming areas and Madeira Road were carried out to make work for the local unemployed during the Depression.
A statue of Sir Francis Drake by Joseph Boehm (a copy of the original in his home town of Tavistock) was placed here in 1884 to commemorate him. There are also several war memorials along the northern side of the Hoe. The largest commemorates the Royal Naval dead of the two world wars; its central obelisk is by Robert Lorimer and was unveiled in 1924, while the surrounding sunken garden was added by Edward Maufe in 1954. The Armada Memorial was opened in 1888 to celebrate the tercentenary of the Spanish Armada.
The Hoe also includes a long broad tarmacked promenade (currently a disabled motorists car park) which serves as a spectacular military parade ground and which is often used for displays by Plymouth-based Royal Navy, Royal Marines, the Army garrison, as well as for travelling funfairs and open-air concerts.
Set into the shape of the southern sea facing fortifications of the Royal Citadel is the Citadel Hill Laboratory of the Marine Biological Association of the UK, which also houses the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science. Below and to the east, perched on the rocky foreshore is the clubhouse of the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club.


The Hoe is a popular area for Plymothians and visitors. There is always a great deal of activity on the water, including frequent warship movements, ferries going and coming from France and Spain, fishing trawlers and a swarm of larger and smaller sailing boats. The Fastnet yacht race ends here. The annual two-day British Firework Championships attracts tens of thousands of spectators.
For forty years, there has been controversy about development on the edges of the Hoe green space. The erection of two discount hotel chain buildings, at the southern end of Armada Way and the other at the Sound end of Leigham Street, contrast with their Victorian surroundings. The former Grand Hotel has been converted into apartments and the long derelict yacht club site has now been filled by a modern block of flats.
The Plymouth Dome, a turreted and domed building, built into a small old quarry site above Tinside as an historical theme tourist attraction, failed to obtain sufficient funding and closed in 2006, despite having been visited by 2.3 million people. Between 2013 and 2016 it was a restaurant owned by celebrity chef Gary Rhodes.


Plymouth Hoe has become notorious for the practice of tombstoning, which involves leaping feet-first into the sea from any accessible high point. This has caused a number of serious injuries and deaths, leading to the dismantling of seafront diving boards and closure of parts of the waterfront to discourage the activity.


The place where the complex Po-i-Kalan is located is the site of a few completely ruined buildings from the past. In pre-Islamic era there was a central cathedral for fire-worshippers. Since 713, at the site south of the Ark, several edifices of main cathedral mosque were built then razed, restored after fires and wars, and moved from place to place. In 1127, the Karakhanid ruler Arslan-khan completed construction on the cathedral mosque with the minaret. The greatness of the structures so amazed Genghis Khan, he mistakenly believed the mosque to be a khan's palace. Nevertheless, the building of the mosque was not spared by the fire, and for many years after the conflagration it lay in ruins. All that remained intact of the original building was the minaret Kalan (Minara-yi-Kalan).
After the death of Shaibani-khan in 1510, most local rulers (emirs and sultans) only partially recognized the central government. The capital of the Shaibanid state was in Samarkand. In 1512 the nephew of Shaibani-khan, the young prince Muizz ad-Din Abu-l Gazi Ubaidullah, became sultan of Bukhara. He inherited the power from his father Mahmud-sultan, who was the cadet brother of Shaibani-khan and his faithful companion-in-arms. Until 1533, Ubaidullah-sultan was a successful governor of Bukhara, when he was enthroned as a khan of the entire Shaibanid state, i.e. Khan of Maverannahr (Ma wara'u'n-nahr). In spite of this he refused to move his residence to Samarkand, the state capital. Moreover, he later made Bukhara the capital of the Shaibanid state. Afterwards, the state governed by Ubaidullah (Ubaidulla) received a new name, the Bukhara Khanate. Thus Ubaidullah-khan (gov. 1533-1539) became the first khan of the Bukhara Khanate. While Ubaidullah-khan was the khan of Maverannahr, his son Abdul-Aziz-khan was the khan of Bukhara. They considered Bukhara to be their family lot. They were patriots of Bukhara and cared for success of the city.
The fact that the governor of Bukhara in 1514 built such a grand mosque that could rival with the symbol of the royal Samakand, the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, shows a tendency to eventually make Bukhara the capital of the Shaibanid state. By the construction of the Kalan Mosque, Ubaidullah-sultan started the formation of a new capital, rather than fighting for domination over Samarkand, which was always hostile to the Shaibanids.


In terms of design, the Mir-i-Arab has a rectangular courtyard with four inwards facing iwans, each one situated uniquely at the center-point of one of the rectangular edges.  The exterior of the Mir-i-Arab spans 73 x 55 meters while the internal courtyard has dimensions of 37 x 33 meters. The interior of the structure also holds its own mosque and mausoleum in addition to the lecture halls that the four iwans function as. One particularly notable element of the madrasah structure is its ornate two-story facade covered by glazed mosaic tiles inspired again by late Timurid artwork. This facade directly faces the Kalan Mosque and is further flanked on either side by blue domes, adding to the aggrandizing affect of the Poi Kalan ensemble.


Po Toi O (Chinese: 布袋澳; lit. 'Cloth Pouch Bay') is a small fishing village at Clear Water Bay Peninsula, Sai Kung, New Territories, Hong Kong.
The village is situated at a bay shaped like a sack, thus earning its name Po Toi (meaning a "sack").


Po Toi O is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy.


Po Toi O was historically a multi-clan village with surnames Cheung (張), Chan (陳), Chong (莊) and others.


This small fishing village has two seafood restaurants and is popular with tourists.
There is a Hung Shing Temple in Po Toi O. The temple was probably built in 1663. A Kung So (公所) building adjacent to the temple was built in 1740 and was used to deal with village affairs and served as a school until the 1930s. The temple is a Grade III historic building.


Parts of the Hollywood movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life were filmed here.
Australian celebrity chef Kylie Kwong visited Po Toi O for an episode of the TV series Kylie Kwong: Simply Magic. The episode was called "Hong Kong Island Hideaway".
In the 2018 ITV TV miniseries Strangers, an apartment owned by a murder victim in Po Toi O proves important to the plot.


Po Toi O can be reached by land using Po Toi O Chuen Road (布袋澳村路). The village is served by green minibus 16 - Po Lam, Tseung Kwan O to Po Toi O.


The Point Lowly lighthouse was constructed in 1883 to guide ships safely through Spencer Gulf en route to Port Augusta and Port Pirie in South Australia. It was upgraded several times before being deactivated in 1993. It was reactivated in 1995 and is a tourist attraction for the Whyalla area and an icon of the Point Lowly area.


The lighthouse at Point Lowly was constructed in 1883 to guide ships traversing Spencer Gulf, en route to the northern ports of Port Augusta and Port Pirie. The lighthouse and its cottages pre-date the establishment of Whyalla and are the oldest European heritage structures in the Whyalla area.
The original tower was 15 metres in height and was made from local sandstone. The optical apparatus had an eight side catadioptric lens which revolved once every 80 seconds and gave a 2-second flash every 10 seconds. Supplies were brought to the lighthouse by boat from Port Pirie on the eastern shore of Spencer Gulf.
The structure was raised by 7.6 metres to its current height in 1909.  The original mineral-oil fueled wick burner light was replaced by a kerosene vaporising light unit during the upgrade.
In 1973, the light was demanned. This followed the installation of a battery-powered Stone Chance Power Beam Beacon on the balcony.
In 1979, the lens and lamp were upgraded and the light was connected to mains electricity.
In 1980, it was listed on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate.
In 1983, the lighthouse and cottages received heritage listing.
In 1993, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority deemed the light to be unnecessary and the light was deactivated.
In 1994, the lighthouse and its attendance buildings and 2.14 hectares (5.3 acres) of land has been listed as a state heritage place on the South Australian Heritage Register since 11 November 1999.
In 1995, the light was reactivated after community appeal and remains under the control of the local government area of the City of Whyalla.


The Point Lowly Lighthouse is a popular icon of the upper Spencer Gulf region. It features in tourism literature, on billboards and was adopted as a logo by the community action group, Save Point Lowly.
A 2.14 hectares (5.3 acres) reserve which includes the lighthouse, cottages and associated structures has been listed on the South Australian Heritage Places database since 15 December 1994. Its significance is reported as follows: blockquote>The Point Lowly Lightstation is important for its association with the maritime history of South Australia in the 1880s, a time when several lighthouses were built to protect increasing shipping traffic in the Colony's waters. The lighthouse is also associated with the development of Port Pirie, Whyalla and BHP's mining operations in the area. Originally constructed of stone in 1883, the lighthouse was extended in height in 1908. The use of concrete in this extension represents both an early use of concrete and the first use of structural concrete in a lighthouse in South Australia. (HSA: SL 6/99)
The lighthouse cottages are available as rental accommodation, sleep up to 29 people and are managed by Whyalla City Council.'VisitorsGuide.com.au  They are often used by recreational divers and marine scientists who visit the region's cuttlefish aggregation each winter. Flinders University Underwater Club  Between July and September 2014, the Whyalla City Council will be conducting an assessment of the buildings' condition, restoration needs, costs, resource and operating requirements. The council will investigate options to incorporate the cottages into a single business unit for visitation, tourism, education and cultural services and will consider potential outsourcing.


Point Mugu State Park is a state park located in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in Southern California. The rugged, nearly impassible shoreline of the western Santa Monica Mountains gives way to tidal lagoons and coastal sand dunes at Mugu Rock. The western edge of the park adjoins Mugu Lagoon which is a protected area within Naval Air Station Point Mugu.
Point Mugu SP consists of distinct landside and beachside areas with different ecosystems and their own parking lots, separated by the Pacific Coast Highway. During low tide, the parks are joined by a walkway under an adjoining bridge. The park may be accessed from the eastern part of the Santa Monica Mountains from a National Park Service park, Rancho Sierra Vista in Newbury Park, California that includes the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center, and from the western part of the Santa Monica Mountains by the Pacific Coast Highway.


Point Mugu State Park features 5 mi (8.0 km) of oceanfront beaches, palisades, chaparral-covered mountains, two major canyons with seasonal rivers, grassy valleys highlighted with oaks, sycamores, and the occasional native walnuts trees. A major landmark, the Boney Mountain State Wilderness Area features pinnacles visible from many areas of the park.


Opportunities for camping, hiking, swimming, mountain biking, picnicking, wildlife viewing, and horseback riding exist within the park. Horseback riding is available from the National Park Service entrance. Like all California State Parks, dogs are permitted when leashed in campsite areas. No dogs are allowed whether on or off-leash on the backcountry trails, i.e., any trail that is not paved. The western terminus of the Backbone Trail, a multi-use long-distance trail extending nearly 70 mi (110 km) across the Santa Monica Mountains, is the Ray Miller trailhead at La Jolla Canyon in Point Mugu State Park. Sycamore Cove, La Jolla Beach and Mugu Beach have parking and sandy beaches. Views of dolphins, seals, pelicans, and whales are possible all along Pacific Coast Highway. No fishing as of 2011.


Point Sur Lighthouse is a lightstation at Point Sur 24.6 miles (39.6 km) south of Monterey, California at the peak of the 361-foot (110 m) rock at the head of the point. It was established in 1889 and is part of Point Sur State Historic Park. The light house is 40 feet (12 m) tall and 270 feet (82 m) above sea level. As of 2016, and for the foreseeable future the light is still in operation as an essential aid to navigation. Point Sur is the only complete turn-of-the-20th-century lightstation open to the public in California.  Three-hour walking tours guided by volunteers are available on Wednesdays and weekends throughout the year.


The lighthouse has had four different light sources during its history. First, it had an oil wick lamp, and then an oil vapor lamp. Three different fuels were used: whale oil, lard oil, and kerosene. Electricity wasn't introduced to the surrounding area and light house until the 1950s.
Since Point Sur was a major point used for navigation, it was equipped with first-order Fresnel lens, the largest made at the time. The lens was more than 6 feet (2 m) in diameter and 9 feet (3 m) tall. It weighed 4,330 pounds and included 16 panels of prisms, each with a bulls-eye in the center surrounded by concentric rings of prismatic glass. Its light beam could be seen to the horizon, which for the Point Sur light, at 270 feet (82 m) feet high, is 23 miles (37 km).
The entire structure, including the pedestal and clockworks was 18 feet (5 m) tall and weighed 9,570 pounds (4,341 kg). Each ring projects the light beyond the previous one.


In dense fog, the light beam might not be visible, so the lighthouse had a foghorn to alert ships. A coal-powered foghorn was installed when the light was used, but this labor-intensive system was replaced as soon as better technology was available. A steam-driven fog signal was installed by the turn of the century. It was fired by wood harvested from the redwoods of Big Sur. The steam boiler used about 100 cords of wood per year.
Diaphone horns were placed on top of the fog-signal room from 1935 to 1960. The two horns produced a two-tone "bee-oh" sound. In 1972, the "Super Tyfon Double Fog Signal," named after the giant Typhon from Greek mythology, was put into use. This system consisted of two compressed air horns sounding simultaneously, and could be heard up to 3 nautical miles (6 km) away. The modern electric tone fog signal was a 12 volt high frequency fog signal with a sound range of half a nautical mile. The high frequency was very effective in fog.


The station’s staff was a head keeper and three assistant keepers. The families of the keepers lived at the station. The station had separate residences for the head keeper and the assistant keepers.
The lighthouse keepers and their families were relatively isolated at Point Sur. The station included all facilities needed for them to be self-sustaining. There was a well in the sand flats at the base of the rocks and a pump that filled a 53,000 US gallons (200,627 l) cistern (later replaced by a water tower) at the station. A barn and a blacksmith shop was built. A carpenter shop held supplies for the keepers to do their own maintenance. The lamp tower, oil room, and fog signal room were all combined into one building because of limited space. The Old  Coast Road connected the  station to Monterey, but it was a nearly a full day's trip via wagon until the northern portion of the macadam Cabrillo-San Simeon Highway was completed in 1924.


The park contains California's only complete turn-of-the-20th-century lighthouse open to the public. (The nearby Point Pinos Lighthouse is also open to the public, but is significantly older.) Walking tours are held year-round on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, and also on Thursdays during July and August. Tours are first-come, first-served; visitors are advised to arrive a half-hour before the tour.


In 1793, British explorer George Vancouver described the "small, high, rocky lump of land nearly half a mile from the shore." Point Sur has been a hazard to ships since California was first settled, and increased shipping traffic during the California Gold Rush beginning in 1849 caused many wrecks. In 1874, the United States Lighthouse Service (USLS) board stated,
Vessels leaving San Francisco for the south having proceeded as far as Pigeon Point Light, take their departure for Point Sur, some sixty miles distant, the great indentation of Monterey Bay intervening. Vessels to the southward bound to San Francisco having arrived at Piedras Blancas, take their departure for Point Sur again about the sixty miles distance. Hence, Point Sur is a most important point and should be the sight of a light house. In considering the various points on the California coast where lighthouses are still required Point Sur claims the place of greatest importance."


In 1886, Congress finally appropriated $50,000 (equivalent to $1.51 million in 2021) for construction of a lighthouse at Point Sur. Funding ran out and construction was stopped for several months until Congress appropriated another $50,000 in 1887.


In 1888, Joseph Post won the government contract to construct the road from the coastal road to the base of Point Sur.
The point was originally over 360 feet (110 m) above sea level, and was only 10 to 12 feet (3.0 to 3.7 m) wide at the top. Twenty-five men were hired to build the road, lighthouse, and adjacent buildings.
The workers leveled the top to create room for the necessary buildings. They quarried sandstone and   granite. To transport the rock and building materials to the base of the point, they built 500 feet (150 m) of railway track and a corduroy road (made from wooden planks) across the narrow, sandy neck of land that connected the point to the mainland. They built a 395-step staircase from the base to the peak. They also built a tramway to carry supplies from the base of the rock to the peak.
By the end of the first year, all the rock had been quarried and construction of many buildings was well underway. The Lighthouse Board hoped the construction would be completed by the end of 1888, but an additional $10,000 was needed. In 1887–88, Congress paid $69,100.69 to three individuals to finish the station. The light station was completed and the lantern lit on August 1, 1889.


Life on Point Sur was very isolated. The Old Coast Road that connected the Big Sur coast to Monterey was often impassable during bad weather.
The U.S. Lighthouse Service provided a horse and wagon to get mail and supplies from Pfeiffer's Resort (now part of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park). Each family was allotted a garden area for fresh vegetables. Bulk supplies such as coal, firewood, animal feed, and some food came on a 'lighthouse tender' about every four months. One function of these long, broad ships was to service remote lightstations inaccessible by land. The tender would anchor south of the lightstation and send in a 20-foot whaler towing a skiff, both loaded with supplies. The sacks and barrels were hoisted in cargo nets to a platform at the base of the rock. They were then secured to a flat railcar and winched up to the dwelling area using a steam-driven donkey engine.
Like most remote lightstations, Point Sur was very self-sufficient. As the years passed, life became increasingly less isolated at Point Sur after the completion of the northern portion of Highway 1 in 1924, connecting Big Sur with Monterey to the north. Prior to the construction of Highway 1, the California coast south of Carmel and north of San Simeon was one of the most remote regions in the state, rivaling nearly any other region in the United States for its difficult access.


Two years later, the U.S. Coast Guard assumed responsibility for all aids-to-navigation. Lighthouse Service employees were absorbed into the new program, and allowed to become either members of the U.S. Coast Guard or remain civil service employees.


The site is now registered as California Historical Landmark #951. In 1991, the old lighthouse and a 37-acre (15 ha) area  was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as Point Sur Light Station.  In 2004, the Coast Guard transferred the building and land to California Department of Parks and Recreation.


The original Fresnel lens was moved in 1978 to the Allen Knight Maritime Museum of Monterey, where it was an exhibit. The Maritime Museum ceased operation and was renamed the Museum of Monterey.  The museum no longer wanted to retain the Fresnel lens as part of its collection. Interested individuals and groups began efforts to return the lens to the Point Sur Light Station. The lens is still owned by the United States Coast Guard who had to approve returning the lens. The nonprofit Central Coast Light Keepers collected more than $100,000 in donations to pay to return the lens. The project was approved in late 2017. The lens was disassembled, restored, and placed in storage until it can be moved to the lighthouse and reassembled in the lighthouse tower.


Notable shipwrecks occurring near Point Sur:
April 20, 1875 – Ventura
April 22, 1894 – SS Los Angeles. The only witnesses were the survivors. The captain of the ferry Eureka met survivors at the Pacific Coast Steamship company's wharf in Los Angeles and discouraged them from talking to reporters.
December 5, 1909 -Majestic
October 3, 1915 – Catania
July 21, 1916 – Shna-Yak
September 23, 1921 – G.C. Lindquer
September 16, 1922 – Thomas Wand
March 4, 1923 – Babinda
April 4, 1930 Panama
March 30, 1930 – Rhine Maru
November 25, 1933 – Lupine
February 13, 1935 – USS Macon (ZRS-5)
May 24, 1946 – Frank Lawrence
October 24, 1947 – Sparrows Point
May 14, 1956 Howard Olsen


James Nightwine (1889–1890)
John F. Ingersoll (1890–1901)
Ora O. Newhall (1901–1908)
John W. Astrom (1908–1927)
William Mollering (1927–1931)
Thomas Henderson (1932–1938)
Charles R. Coursey (1938–1944)


In 1967, the lighthouse (including the lantern room) and its surrounding buildings, were used as a filming location for an episode of the WWII-themed TV series, The Rat Patrol, entitled "The Two If By Sea Raid" (airdate: 12/18/67), standing in for a Nazi-held lighthouse on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa.
The lighthouse was rumored to be haunted and the location was investigated by the Travel Channel Ghost Adventures paranormal reality TV show.


The Pointe-Claire Windmill (French: Moulin à vent de Pointe-Claire) is a windmill in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada. It is the oldest windmill on the island of Montreal and one of 18 remaining windmills in Quebec.
Like most mills in New France it was built to a French design, a cylindrical stone tower with a movable roof which could be turned by a tail pole to face the sails to the wind. The mill had two doors, to provide an exit regardless of which ways the sails faced. The walls are four French feet (1m32) thick at the base. The interior is 12 French feet in diameter by 24 high. The mill originally contained elevated platforms beneath gun slits for defence. The surrounding shoreline was fenced with pointed wooden stakes. However, the site was never attacked.


1709: construction began in spring for the Society of Saint-Sulpice by stone mason Jean Mars, and Léonard Paillé dit Paillard and his son Charles for other parts of the construction.
1710: construction complete in the autumn, including a small wooden house for the miller.
1824: major renovation
1837: sold to Amable de Saint-Julien, farmer at Rigaud
1866: sold to the Fabrique de Saint-Joachim-de-la-Pointe-Claire
1866: sold to the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal
1885 (approximately): new sails
1954: restoration, conical roof
1967: new sails
1983: classified a monument of Quebec.


Pointe-Taillon National Park (Parc national de la Pointe-Taillon) is a provincial park in Quebec, Canada. It is located on the north shore of Lac Saint-Jean, northwest of Saguenay (city), northwest of Alma, near the village of Saint-Henri-de-Taillon, on the banks of Lac Saint-Jean. The park covers an area of 97.5 km (60.58 mi) has as a 45 km (28 mi) cycling network.
The park's mission is to protect a representative sample of the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean lowlands. In addition to having one of the most famous beaches on the lake, the park protects the marshes located between the Péribonka River and the lake. As there are no roads in the park, the best way to explore it is by bicycle or hiking. The park has several peat bogs typical of the boreal forest as well as an abundant population of moose and beavers.
The park is managed by the Quebec government through the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (SÉPAQ).


The park is in itself a sandy point with almost flat relief. The point was formed by a post-glacial delta formed 7,000 at 5,000 years ago from the deposits of the Péribonka River. The center of the point is a huge bog and the edges include many swamps and wetlands.


Nicknamed when it started "Pointe Savane", Pointe Taillon bears his name in honor of Louis-Olivier Taillon, who was Premier of Quebec 4 days in 1886 and a second time between 1892 and 1896. Between 1890 and 1930, the point was opened to agriculture. The municipality of Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc was incorporated in 1916. At the peak, in 1925, the point had 307 inhabitants. The Île Bouliane, owned by Frenchman Paul-Augustin Normand, was a prosperous farm with more than 125 employees who won numerous agricultural awards.
In 1926, the closing of the gates of the central of Isle-Maligne caused the flooding of the best agricultural land on the peninsula and the purchase of the land by Alcan. A reforestation program was undertaken in 1948 and 1956. In 1977, the government acquired the land, and the park was officially created on 6 November 1985. On 22, the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, announced that public consultations would be held to include the islands of Lac Saint-Jean west of Alma and Saint-Gédéon. In January 2017, the park area increased from 92.2 km (57.3 mi) to 97.5 km (60.58 mi) by adding land to the park in Saint-Henri-de-Taillon, Saint-Gédéon and Alma including thirty islands and islets on Lac Saint-Jean.


Pointe-Taillon Park offers more than 15 km (9.3 mi) of beaches on Lac Saint-Jean. It also offers 45 km (28 mi) of cycle paths, of which 16 km (9.9 mi) are part of the Route verte. Several short hiking trails start from this one. Four rustic campsites, three accessible by bicycle and only one by boat, allow you to stay in a park.


Pokagon State Park is an Indiana state park in the northeastern part of the state, near the village of Fremont and 5 miles (8 km) north of Angola. It was named for the 19th-century Potawatomi chief, Leopold Pokagon, and his widely known son, Simon Pokagon, at Richard Lieber's suggestion. The 1,260-acre (5.1 km²) park has an inn, camping facilities, and a staff of full-time naturalists. Pokagon receives nearly 640,000 visitors annually.


The park is bordered by Lake James on the west and south and Snow Lake on the north. Various wetlands can be seen throughout the park, and the Potawatomi Nature Preserve makes up a large portion of its east side. Over 10 miles (16 km) of hiking trails wind through the park.
The Wisconsin Glacier, the last of the ice age's four glaciers that covered Indiana, created the rolling terrain found in Pokagon. Glaciation's influence can be seen in many of the features of the park, including Lake Londiaw (a kettle lake), Hell's Point (a kame), and various glacial erratics.
The toboggan run is a popular destination during the winter. Visitors can reach speeds of 35–40 miles per hour (55–65 km/h) on the quarter-mile (400 m) long track.


Pokagon State Park was created in 1925. Through fundraising efforts, the citizens of the county purchased the first 580 acres (2.3 km²), much of it farmland, on the shores of Lake James. The county citizens donated this land to the Department of Conservation, State of Indiana, which added two additional parcels the following year, bringing the park up to 707 acres (2.9 km²). In 1927, the newly christened Potawattomi Inn opened its doors.  In 1934, Pokagon Boy's Camp opened in what is now the State Park's group camping area; many of the camp's buildings have been repurposed for their current uses.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.


In 1934, chapter 556 of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) arrived at Pokagon. During the ensuing eight years, the CCC constructed many of the best-known buildings at Pokagon including the Gate House, the Spring Shelter, the Saddle Barn, the first three incarnations of the toboggan run, and, not least, the CCC Shelter, a National Register of Historic Places site. Behind the Beach House, the land quickly rises to a bluff overlooking the lake.
The CCC also planted trees—sometimes in precise lines—and created roads and trails. They even published their own newsletter, the Pokagon Chieftain. The CCC was instrumental in transforming Pokagon into the rustic park it is today.
Presently the park contains 1,260 acres (5.1 km²). Efforts were made to secure a property across the street from Pokagon. It was officially transferred in June 2007. It will be managed by Pokagon State Park and called Trine State Recreation Area.


Located across the eastern half of the park, it is accessible from three separate trails, (#3, #6, #9). This is a varied environment of marsh, hardwood forests, pine forest and sand hills.


Located outside the park on its northeastern corner, the preserve is accessible from Trail 8.  A 1.5-mile (2.4 km) loop trail covers the old meadows.  The area is become covered by gray dogwood and other pioneer woody plants.  The area features yellow birch, red maple, blue beech, and skunk cabbage. The remnants of an old apple orchard may still be visible.  Access is also available from State Road 127.


The common fish found in Lake James include: yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, rock bass, and spotted gar.
Beavers, coyotes, and foxes can be found in this park.
Pokagon and its surrounding lakes are the home for a variety of birds. Common birds such as ducks, geese, gulls, and purple martins can be found when the lake is not frozen. Migrating birds such as loons, grebes, and double-crested cormorants can also be observed by visitors, typically during autumn.  Hawks and red-headed woodpeckers can be seen year around, as can barred and great horned owls. Several bald eagles were sighted on the lake in 2006. Other birds that can be observed by visitors including brown creepers, veeries, several types of warblers, bluebirds, Carolina wrens, Baltimore orioles, and pileated woodpeckers.
Amphibians include: mud puppies, salamanders, and frogs
The common reptiles include: the garter snake, the eastern massasauga, the hognose snake, the northern water snake, plus the painted turtle, snapping turtle, and the soft shell turtle. All of which are available to see at the nature center.


Pontoon boats
Paddleboats
Rowboats
Toboggan (weekends only, in season)
Ski rental (winter)
Horse-back riding (seasonal)


Polar Bear Peak is a 6,614-foot (2,016 m) mountain in the U.S. state of Alaska, located in Chugach State Park. Situated in the Chugach Mountains, it lies at the head of South Fork Eagle River, 5 mi (8.0 km) ESE of Eagle Lake, and 22 miles (35 km) ESE of downtown Anchorage. The peak was named in 1963 by members of the Mountaineering Club of Alaska because a snow patch on its north face resembles a Polar bear skin.


Beginning at approximately 1000 ft., Polar Bear Peak becomes a predominantly alpine zone, characterized by exposed rock, extremely scant vegetation, a variety of lichens, and snow pack (including year-round snowfields and glaciers).


Like many Alaskan mountains, Polar Bear Peak may be frequented by rock ptarmigan, Dall sheep, mountain goats, and other alpine animals. Despite the lack of vegetation, a variety of insects thrive at high elevations throughout Alaska. Overhead, one may spot a hawk or eagle.


Ponta de São Lourenço (Portuguese for the "Point of Saint Lawrence") is the easternmost point of the island of Madeira. It is inside the town of Caniçal and forms a part of the municipality of Machico.  Its terrain are made up of rocks and herbaceous vegetation. Since 1982, the headland is a nature reserve, where it has the conservation of its endemic plants including Matthiola maderensis, Echium nervosum, and Andryala glandulosa, and it has fauna, including birds, insects, and molluscs. One of them is Monachus monachus, a seal. Marine fauna are in the waters surrounding the headland.
Northeast of the islet is Porto Santo, and southeast is Bugio and the Deserted Islands. Nearby are a few islets with the easternmost being Ilhéu do Farol (Farol Islet), where its nearby lighthouse is located.
The headland's highest point is Pico do Furado. There is a path which takes about an hour to walk from the headland entrance. To the west is the New Port of Madeira.
The headland's geology consists of pyroclastic rocks as well as basalt dykes (dikes) and some coasts being eroded. The group dates back to the Late Pleistocene, about 100,000 years ago.


Ponta de São Lourenço, along with the islets of Ilhéuda Cevada and Ilhéu do Farol at the eastern end, have been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International for their seabird colonies, including the largest Caspian gull colony in Madeira.


It is difficult to attribute a valid chronology, because there are few comparable architectural structures; this structure was constructed between the 9th and late 12th centuries, during the Arab occupation of the Iberian peninsula. It is likely to have been destroyed at the end of the 12th century, when they abandoned the settlement.
The structure was successively confused with a bridge. It was referred to as a bridge in the 1254 foral (charter), in the design of the coat-of-arms of D. Duarte (dating to 1500), referring to as "the piers constructed by the Moors", in the Memórias Paroquiais.
In 1956, there was a decision by the Junta Autónoma de Estradas to recuperate the structure.


The remnants of the structure are situated on the right margin of the Guadiana River, alongside the walls of the old city of Mértola, near the Porta da Ribeira.
The vestiges of port and fortified wharf of which, only six piers in a curvilinear pattern, with half reinforced with talhmares, remain. There are no vestiges on the other margin of the river, and the depth of the river is such that it is difficult to mount other piers. In addition to protect the margin, the construction permits (in case of need) the passage to the other bank by barge, used in defense and access to water.
It is an aqueduct to support the village, comparable to ones found in Fez and Síria. It is a rare example of port and fortified wharf, constructed during the Muslim occupation, reusing the material remaining from the Roman residency.


The Poolbeg power station is situated adjacent to the now-decommissioned Pigeon House generating station, where electricity was first generated in 1903 (with the distinction of being the first in the world to generate three phase power).
The name “Pigeon House” comes from a caretaker’s lodge built there in 1760. At the time the site was a wooden platform known pragmatically as “The Piles”, at the seaward end of the Ballast Office Wall embankment. The lodge was intended to provide rest and storage facilities for workers as they built the Great South Wall, a massive sea wall project that began in 1761 and would take three decades to complete.
The first caretaker, John Pidgeon, was appointed in 1761. Pidgeon opened an eatery to provide refreshments for the workers and the growing number of travelers arriving into Dublin Bay. “Pigeon’s House” as it was known became one of the most popular restaurants in Dublin.
Around 1793, as the Great South Wall was nearing completion, a hotel opened at the site, the Pigeon House Hotel.
The hotel did not last long for after the 1798 Rebellion, the area was transformed into a military fort, the Pigeon House Fort. The hotel building was converted into the officers’ accommodation within the fort, which then grew over the next hundred years to include an armory, a hospital, and trenches crossed by drawbridges.
Between 1878 and 1881, a sewage pipe was installed along the former Ballast Office Wall (now the landward half of the Great South Wall). In 1897, the military complex was sold to the Dublin Corporation and developed into a sewage processing facility, as well as the city’s first major electrical power generating station. It was used for power generation until it was decommissioned in 1976, and the Poolbeg plant is still known locally as the Pigeon House.
The modern Poolbeg station was named after the Poolbeg lighthouse which formed the outer end of the Great South Wall. The lighthouse, completed in 1767 when construction of the Great South Wall was just beginning, stood originally at the edge of a natural tidal pool at the entrance to Dublin Harbor known as “Poole Begge”, which was surrounded at low tide with sand bars.
The Poolbeg power station was constructed in two separate phases, beginning in the 1960s.  The ESB decided to construct the station in 1965 and the initial development was completed in 1971 with the construction of Units 1 and 2 at a cost of 20 million Irish pounds. The original Pigeon House generators remained on standby duty until 1976. Unit 3 was completed in 1978 at a cost of 40 million pounds.
The combined cycle station was constructed in the 1990s. CG14 was commissioned in 1994, CG15 in 1998 and ST16 in 2001.


The identical units 1 and 2 have a design output of 120 MW each. They both have turbo-alternators manufactured by Brown Boveri and 'drum type' boilers by Fives Penhoet, France.
Unit 3 has a design output of 271 MW. It uses a turbo-alternator manufactured by Alstom, France and a 'once through' type Boiler by M.A.N Germany.
Uniquely among power stations run by the Electricity Supply Board, all three units in the thermal plant can currently fire on oil or gas. Gas is supplied to the site by the Bord Gáis network. Oil is stored in five tank in the site's oil farm, with a maximum capacity of 140,000 tonnes.
The CCGT plant has two Siemens V94.2A gas turbines (units CG14 and CG15), a HRSG and a steam turbine (ST16).
When it opens in 2017, the adjacent Dublin Waste-to-Energy facility will supply the power plant with steam.


In 2006, the ESB advised of its intention to withdraw approximately 1,300 MW of total Irish electricity capacity over the next five years. This effectively reduced the installed capacity of fully dispatchable electricity generation in the country from 6,437 MW to 5,150 MW by the end of 2010. This 1300 MW closure, was aimed at the older inefficient power stations in Ireland, the 60% average generation availability between 2002 and 2005 that was produced by the 3 thermal units, units which amount to 461 MW of combined electricity capacity at Poolbeg Generating Station Dublin were to close, while the newer 460 MW combined cycle fossil gas turbine at Poolbeg would remain operational.


The thermal station chimneys completed in 1971 are among the tallest structures in Ireland and are visible from most of Dublin city. Number 1 chimney is 207.48m (680 ft 9in) high. Number 2 chimney is 207.8m (681 ft 9in) high. The chimneys are featured prominently in the video for the song "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" by U2. Dublin City Councillor and historian Dermot Lacey began a process to list the chimneys for preservation to safeguard their future after the Station was to close in 2010. This was later refused by the Council Planning Department.
They were subsequently listed as protected structures in July 2014.


The Port Campbell National Park is a national park in the south-western district of Victoria, Australia. The 1,750-hectare (4,300-acre) national park is situated approximately 190 kilometres (120 mi) south-west of Melbourne and approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) east of Warrnambool. The park is located adjacent to the Great Otway National Park and the Bay of Islands Coastal Park.


The Port Campbell National Park was dedicated on 5 May 1964, initially with 700 hectares (1,700 acres), in order to protect the limestone formations on and near the coastline adjacent to the Great Ocean Road. By 1981 the park had grown to 1,750 hectares (4,300 acres); extending from the eastern side of Curdies Inlet at Peterborough to Point Ronald at Princetown. In 2002, the Port Campbell Professional Fishermen's Association unsuccessfully attempted to block the creation of a proposed marine national park at the Twelve Apostles location, but were satisfied with the later Victorian Government decision to not allow seismic exploration at the same site by Benaris Energy; believing it would harm marine life.


The Port Campbell National Park features an array of sheer cliffs overlooking offshore islets, rock stacks, gorges, arches, and blow-holes. As part of the Shipwreck Coast, it hosts several tourist attractions; including The Twelve Apostles, the London Arch (formerly London Bridge), Loch Ard Gorge, the Gibson Steps, and The Grotto.
The park is subject to salt-laden air, and the cliff-tops are particularly exposed to the harsh weather conditions from the Southern Ocean. However, fragile grasslands and heath-lands are still able to develop, supporting plant species such as sun orchid and spider orchid. In protected areas, plant life includes beard-heath, bower spinach, coast daisy bush, daisies and cushion bush. The wilder terrain hosts an assortment of she-oaks, dogwoods, correa, messmate, trailing guinea-flower, woolly tea-tree and scented paperbark.
The fauna in the park is largely ornithological; and includes honeyeaters, southern emu and fairy wrens, swamp harriers, rufous bristlebird, peregrine falcons, pelicans, ducks, black swans and egrets. Penguins, terns and dotterels are located along the shoreline, with hooded plovers nesting in exposed locations. Australasian gannets, wandering albatrosses and short-tailed shearwaters live out at sea. Land animals in the park include southern brown bandicoot, swamp antechinuse and echidna.


The Port de Venasque (8,018 feet (2,444 m)) is a mountain pass in the Pyrenees. It lies on the border between France and Spain and is a popular border crossing point for mountaineers and walkers. It can be reached in about two to three hours from the Hospice de France, South of Bagnères-de-Luchon in France.


The Port of Ploče (Croatian: Luka Ploče) is a seaport in Ploče, Croatia, near the mouth of the Neretva river on the Adriatic Sea coast. It was formally opened in 1945 after a railway was built as a supply route to connect the site with industrial facilities in the Sarajevo and Mostar areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was then part of Yugoslavia. As of 2010, it ranked as the second largest cargo port in Croatia—after the Port of Rijeka—with a cargo throughput of 4.5 million tonnes, consisting mostly of general cargo and bulk cargo, including 20,420 TEU Containers. In 2008, the Port of Ploče recorded 2,555 ship arrivals. It is managed by the Port of Ploče Authority.
The Port of Ploče recorded a steady growth and development from 1945, but suffered a sharp decline between 1991 and 1996 due to the Croatian War of Independence and the Bosnian War. In the late 2000s, Luka Ploče d.d., the primary concessionaire of the Port of Ploče, embarked on an ambitious investment plan, aiming for a substantial increase in the volume of port operations. Funding was secured in 2007, and Luka Ploče d.d. plans to invest €91 million in port infrastructure and around €180 million in port equipment by 2014.


In 1936, it was decided to develop the Port of Ploče, as the site at the mouth of the Neretva on the Adriatic coast represented the natural outlet for the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was then part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Preparations included the construction of a railway between Metković and Ploče, as an extension of the railway from Sarajevo. The railway was completed in 1942, three years after construction of the port commenced in 1939. The works were delayed by the onset of World War II, but they were intensified in 1945 after modernization of the Sarajevo–Ploče narrow gauge railway.
The port officially started operating on July 15, 1945, handling imports of coal and cereal and exports of bauxite and timber. The railway was rebuilt to standard gauge in 1966, and electric traction was installed in 1969 to increase the port's throughput, which reached one million tonnes within a few years. Development of the port was sustained until 1991, when the Croatian War of Independence and the Bosnian War brought about a five-year decline, affecting not only the port's accessibility but also its primary market. In 1996, Croatia and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina signed the Ploče Agreement, regulating unhindered passage of goods between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Port of Ploče and stipulating that such cargo should be duty-free. Enforcement of the agreement is related to the duration of the Neum Agreement.
In 2006, Luka Ploče d.d. started developing a new bulk cargo terminal, a new container terminal and a distribution center, implementing IT systems throughout port facilities and operations, and enhancing logistical support to increase the competitiveness of the Ploče transport route. Funding of €91 million was approved on November 20, 2006, consisting of a €58.8 million loan from the World Bank, a €11.2 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and a provision of €21 million by Croatia. By August 2010, €44.2M of the total had been spent, and the new container terminal was opened.
The Port of Ploče Authority was established by the Government of Croatia on February 13, 1997, to oversee construction, maintenance, administration, protection and promotion of the Port of Ploče. Since 1998, the general and bulk cargo operations of the port have been operated by Luka Ploče d.d. and development has resumed. In 2009, after negotiations with the Port of Ploče Authority, Luka Ploče was granted a 32-year extension of the concession contract for the cargo handling operations of the port. The contract requires the port authority to improve port infrastructure and Luka Ploče to invest in new cargo handling equipment. The Croatian government considers the Port of Ploče to be one of six seaports of national interest.


In 2010, Luka Ploče d.d. achieved a cargo transport volume of 4.5 million tonnes (2010), consisting mostly of general cargo and bulk cargo, including 20,420 TEUs. It reported a net profit of 15.6 million kuna (€2.1 million), a fourfold increase from the 3.8M kuna (€0.5M) achieved in the previous year. Total income in 2010 reached 157.5 million kuna (€21.0 million), up from 151.2 million kuna (€20.1 million) in 2009. The company had 816 employees in 2010. It is listed on the Zagreb Stock Exchange with a share capital of 169.19 million kuna (€22.56 million). As of September 2011, Ivan Pavlović is president of the management board, and the company is owned by the Croatian government (11.11 percent), the Croatian Pension Insurance Fund (8.86 percent) and other stockholders, none of which owns more than 8.5 percent of the stock.
In 2009, after negotiations with the Port of Ploče Authority, Luka Ploče was granted a 32-year extension of its concession contract for the cargo handling operations of the port. The contract requires the port authority to improve port infrastructure and Luka Ploče to invest in new cargo handling equipment. Those investments were compensated by extension of the concession period for individual terminals to 45 years. A further increase in cargo volume was reported in the first half of 2011, compared with the same period of 2010.


As of September 2011, only part of the development plan defined by the Port of Ploče Authority in 2006 is completed—the new container terminal opened in 2010, but construction of the new bulk cargo terminal, originally scheduled for completion by 2010, is now planned for 2011–2014. The 5 million tonne-per-year bulk cargo terminal will expand the port area by 20 hectares (49 acres). The new bulk cargo terminal is planned to accommodate ships with a draught of up to 18.5 metres (61 feet), and 200,000 tonnes deadweight (DWT), i.e. Capesize vessels. It aims to attract large quantities of transport for the ArcelorMittal, GIKIL, Birač Zvornik and Aluminij industrial plants in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are the main users of the port. The ArcelorMittal plant in Zenica alone is expected to ship 1.5 million tonnes of ore and coal, as it would save US$15–20 million in shipping costs.
Further investments beyond construction of the new terminal were planned since 2007 for bulk cargo terminal equipment worth €80M, cargo terminal equipment worth €11 million, replacement of equipment in pre-2007 port facilities valued at €26 million and reconstruction of the liquid cargo terminal worth €70 million. These investments were originally scheduled for 2007–2014, but the pace of development is slower than expected, and delays of a year to two had been observed by 2010. The required superstructure is planned to be funded through build-operate-transfer contracts and public–private partnerships. The investments made since 2007 and those planned as of 2011 are aimed at increasing the port's throughput from 8 to 10 million tonnes of cargo per year.


The figure includes Luka Ploče d.d. data specified in its published 2010 consolidated financial statement. Figures pertaining to the Port of Ploče Authority itself and other port operators are not included.
The figure includes figures reported by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics and includes two harbors comprising the Port of Ploče, i.e. Ploče and the Metković cargo port. Arrivals in the individual harbors are specified in the article text.


The Porta Asinaria is a gate in the Aurelian Walls of Rome. Dominated by two protruding tower blocks and associated guard rooms, it was built between 271 and 275 AD, at the same time as the Wall itself. It was not rebuilt or fortified in the time of Honorius and not restored by Theoderic as most of the other gates.
It is through this gate that East Roman troops under General Belisarius entered the city in 536, reclaiming the city for the Byzantine Empire from the Ostrogoths.
By the 16th century it had become overwhelmed by traffic. A new breach in the walls was made nearby to create the Porta San Giovanni. At this point, the Porta Asinaria was closed to traffic.


Porta Settimiana is one of the gates of the Aurelian walls in Rome (Italy).
It rises at the northern vertex of the rough triangle traced by the town walls – built by Emperor Aurelian in the 3rd century – in the area of Trastevere an up through the Janiculum.
The gate marks the beginning of Via della Lungara and is the only gate, on the right bank of the Tiber (the other ones are Porta Portuensis, no more existing, and Porta San Pancrazio), that rises just in the place where it was built, despite its restorations and rebuildings.


There are several theories about the meaning of the name.
An etymology related to its location north of the Temple of Janus (septentrio and Ianus in Latin) looks plausible.
The most recent hypotheses take into account the possibility that the name comes from the proximity to a monument of the age of Septimius Severus: maybe it was an arch of the aqueduct bringing water to the thermal baths dedicated to the Emperor; maybe the entrance of the Horti Getae, the gardens owned by the Emperor's son Publius Septimius Geta, the brother of Caracalla and co-Emperor for few months; maybe a real gate giving access to the quarter of Trastevere, within walls that had no military importance at that time. In this case, the gate should be dated back to at least 60 years before the building of the Aurelian walls.
During the Middle Ages there was a proliferation of legends: according to one of them, Augustus, before becoming Emperor, had raised seven hymns while making a pilgrimage to the Temple of Janus (”septem Iano laudes”).


A passage of Livy, that nonetheless does not mention the gate explicitly, could indicate that it was built during the monarchy; however, at that time there was no wall on the right bank of the Tiber (the first one was built in 87 BC), but just a fortress protecting Pons Sublicius; therefore the citation appears to be totally unreliable.
No trace or information about the former architectural structure has survived; maybe it just consisted of a postern or so. The gate has been mentioned (but not with certainty) as the meeting point between Lucius Cornelius Cinna and Gaius Marius with his army during the Social War, and no other antique document mentions it up to a document written in 1123.
The important arterial road, running between the river and the Janiculum, that started from Porta Settimiana and led to Porta Santo Spirito and then to St. Peter's Basilica (now Via della Lungara), was formerly called Via Santa ("Holy Street"), due to its important role for the access of pilgrims. The street and the gate are mentioned in some documents dating back to the end of the 14th century, disposing to keep both of them clean and free of debrises from the flood of the river and to throw no garbage, so that the road were adequate to its name and function. After a restoration by Pope Nicholas V in 1451, in 1498 - due to the remarkable importance that the street had acquired - Pope Alexander VI rebuilt the gate and enlarged it, probably raising it from its former level and giving it the present aspect. On that occasion an inscription, referring to Septimius Severus according to some contemporaries, was lost; it probably was an important clue for the reconstruction of the history of the gate.
In 1643, during the building of the Janiculum walls by Pope Urban VIII, almost the entire stretch of Aurelian walls on the right bank of the River was torn down and the gate was included within the new walls, thus losing any military and access function.
The last renovation, carried out by Pope Pius VI in 1798, maintained a military aspect - included with the guelph battlements - scarcely justifiable for a gate fully integrated into a city quarter.


The porte Désilles (or mémorial Désilles) is a memorial gate in the French city of Nancy. It is located on place du Luxembourg, on the northern extension of cours Léopold and the esplanade du Souvenir-Français, at the junction of rue Désilles, rue de Metz and rue de la Craffe. It was built between 1782 and 1784 to designs by the architect Didier-Joseph-François Mélin on the initiative of the Comte de Stainville, commander in chief of Lorraine.  It was to terminate the view at the end of cours Léopold and open a view out onto the route de Metz, as well as to provide a monument to citizens of Nancy who had died in the American Revolutionary War. Its name was initially porte Saint-Louis, then porte Stainville, and finally took its present name in memory of André Désilles and his death in the Nancy affair. It was made a monument historique on 15 January 1925.


Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is an area of HM Naval Base Portsmouth which is open to the public; it contains several historic buildings and ships. It is managed by the National Museum of the Royal Navy as an umbrella organization representing five charities: the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust, the National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth, the Mary Rose Trust, the Warrior Preservation Trust Ltd and the HMS Victory Preservation Company. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Ltd was created to promote and manage the tourism element of the Royal Navy Dockyard, with the relevant trusts maintaining and interpreting their own attractions. It also promotes other nearby navy-related tourist attractions.


The following ships and historic vessels are displayed at the dockyard:
HMS Victory, the flagship of Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. She has been open to the public for nearly 200 years, and has been in her current dry dock since 1922.50°48′7″N 1°6′35″W
HMS Warrior, the world's first armour-plated, iron-hulled warship when she was launched in 1860. She was opened to the public in 1987.50°47′53.88″N 1°6′33.84″W
HMS M33, a First World War monitor. She was opened to the public on 7 August 2015.50°48′6.7″N 1°6′38.34″W
The remains of the Mary Rose, a warship of the Tudor navy, which sank in 1545 and was salvaged in 1982. One-third of the hull survives and has been on display in a museum since May 2013. From 1983 to 2009, the ship was displayed in a temporary structure on the same site. The museum also displays thousands of artefacts recovered from the shipwreck.50°47′59″N 1°6′24″W
HM Coastal Boat 4, a First World War torpedo boat. HM Coastal Motor Boat 4 is the torpedo boat used when Lieutenant Augustus Agar earned a Victoria Cross for carrying out a raid on Soviet warships in Kronstadt and sinking the cruiser Oleg.
The National Museum of the Royal Navy is host to many original Naval artefacts, including one of the original sails from the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The Trafalgar Experience is an interactive walk-through gallery detailing the Battle of Trafalgar, ending with a panorama painted by William Lionel Wyllie.
Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust (the "Trust")is responsible for the maintenance and the upkeep of all historic buildings within the heritage footprint of the Historic Dockyard, and operates an ongoing programme of conservation. In addition, The Trust founded the Memorial Flotilla, the finest collection of small boats involved in late 19th and 20th century conflicts, as well as the International Boatbuilding Training College (IBTC), in Boathouse 4, where traditional boat building skills are taught.  A large volunteer force is engaged on the restoration and operation of the Trust’s historic collection of boats. The Trust is also managing the regeneration of the 30 acre site at Priddy's Hard, Gosport. The first development phase is due for completion in the summer of 2021, with the restoration of the ramparts and seven listed buildings, to include a new Coastal Forces Museum, micro-brewery, pub
restaurant and holiday let. Thirty new homes will also be built this year with a further major development phase to follow in the near future.


The Sephardim (Hebrew for "Jews of the Iberian Peninsula") were issued with the Spanish royal Alhambra Decree in 1492, whereby they were given the choice of exile from Spain, or conversion to Catholicism, or failing to do either, execution. Of Spain's estimated 200,000 Jews at that time, around half converted; many by coercion, others because of social and financial pressures preventing their departure, and a few out of genuine religious conviction. They became Spain's Jewish-origin New Christians or conversos (i.e. "converts" to Catholicism).
Of the other half of Spain's Jews who did not convert, and instead chose exile, some sailed south (becoming the North African Sephardim), others went east (becoming the Eastern Sephardim), but most crossed the border west to Portugal.
In Portugal, Jewish life was interrupted only a few years later, when there too they were issued with the Portuguese decree against the Jews in 1496. While in theory, the Jews now in Portugal who chose not convert to Catholicism also had the option to be expelled (or executed) by 1497, the Portuguese king, not wanting a similar Jewish flight and brain drain as happened in Spain, in practice blocked Portugal's ports of exit, and subsequently reasoned that those who stayed behind agreed to become Christians by default. Thus the Jews in Portugal were forced to convert to Catholicism in 1496 after the decree and, all but a few who did manage to flee, became Portugal's Jewish-origin New Christians or conversos.
For the next few centuries, the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal continued to investigate the conversos and their descendants on suspicions that they continued to practice Judaism in secret.  Many in fact did continue to practice Judaism behind closed doors, while publicly professing to be Catholics; in Spanish and Portuguese these were called Marranos.
The persecutions and trials by the inquisition against conversos lasted well into the late 1800s. Furthermore, the legal distinction between so-called Old Christians and New Christians was maintained for centuries, with a person's pedigree always on record.
Both those who actively maintained Jewish practices in secret, and also some sincere conversos who had converted fully to Catholicism, were at times hounded, persecuted and executed on charges of being Marranos.  This was often a pretext for the confiscation of their property.  Many of them wished to have freedom of religion again and to be free from this institutionalized antisemitism. Amsterdam, then one of the greatest cities in the world, offered both of these things.
In this historical context, a substantial migration of conversos from the Iberian Peninsula to Amsterdam took place from the 1600s to the early 1800s.  Once in Amsterdam, many returned to Judaism openly and publicly. They called themselves Portuguese Jews, even those who came directly from Spain. They wanted to avoid being identified with Spain, which was at war with the Dutch Republic at the time during the Eighty Years' War. This branch of Judaism is also known as the Western Sephardim.
The Sephardic Jews in Amsterdam were known as the "first modern Jews" because they were the first to distinguish between religious and secular spheres of their individual and collective lives. Their religious life was focused primarily on the synagogue, the religious calendar of Jewish life, and an eagerness to provide a Jewish education for their children.
During the Holocaust, the facility was slated to become a deportation center for Jews, but Leo Palache and a team of volunteers managed to dissuade the Nazis from this plan. Instead, the building concealed Jewish ritual items for deported Jews in the sanctuary ceiling and attic floor.
The World War II diary of executive director Salomon Coutinho was discovered in Amsterdam and details the synagogues works and efforts to protect the building during the War.


On December 12, 1670, the Sephardic Jewish community of Amsterdam acquired the site to build a synagogue and construction work began on April 17, 1671, under the architect Elias Bouman. On August 2, 1675, the Esnoga was finished. The design is based on the plans for King Solomon's temple.
The inscription above the entrance is from Psalm 5:8: "In the abundance of Thy loving kindness will I come into Thy house". The sign also contains "1672", the year the building was intended to be completed, and "Aboab", the name of the chief rabbi who initiated the construction project.
The building is free-standing and rests on wooden piles; the foundation vaults can be viewed by boat from the canal water underneath the synagogue. The entrance to the main synagogue is off a small courtyard enclosed by low buildings housing the winter synagogue, offices and archives, homes of various officials, the rabbinate, a mortuary, and noted Etz Hayim library.  The interior of the synagogue is a single, very high rectangular space retaining its original wooden benches. The floor was covered with fine sand, in the old Dutch tradition, to absorb dust, moisture and dirt from shoes and to muffle the noise. Only five synagogues in the world had a sand floor, and this was the only one with such a floor surviving outside the Caribbean region.
During the 1955–1959 renovation, the former Etz Hayim seminary auditorium was redesigned as a winter synagogue;  central heating and electric lighting were added. The benches were taken from a synagogue originally built in 1639 and the Hechal dates from 1744.The ark is made from a solid piece of jacaranda wood from Brazil and the main sanctuary does not have any internal electric system; two chandeliers that hold 1000 candles are lit when necessary.


In November 2021 Yitzhak Melamed, professor of philosophy at Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a world renowned expert on Baruch Spinoza, requested to visit the synagogue to film Melamed conducting research in the library’s archives.
Serfaty banned Melamed from visiting the community’s synagogue and library due to his research of the “heretic.” Responding to the professor in a letter, Serfaty not only forbade Melamed to film in the building but declared the professor a person non-grata, essentially even denying Melamed to participate in prayer services in the Esnoga.
"The chachamim and parnassim of Kahal Kados Torah excommunicated Spinoza and his writings with the severest possible ban, a ban that remains in force and cannot be rescinded. You have devoted your life to the study of Spinoza’s banned works and the development of his ideas,” Serfaty writes.
"Your request to visit our complex and create a film about this Epicouros [heretic]… is incompatible with our centuries-old halachic, historic and ethical tradition and an unacceptable assault on our identity and heritage,” Serfaty adds.
Serfaty concludes the letter by barring Melamed entirely from the Esnoga synagogue. “I therefore deny your request and declare you persona non grata in the Portuguese Synagogue complex,” he writes.
Pinchas Toledano, the Hakham-Emeritus (Chief Rabbi-Emeritus) of the Esnoga and the former Chief Rabbi of the Beth Din in The Netherlands stands behind Serfaty. In a letter to Melamed, Toledano writes: "I hereby inform you that ten professors from all over the world, including Israel, came to a symposium on December 6, 2015. The Spinoza case has been widely discussed. Myself, as the Chacham of the congregation, gave a lecture on the subject and the conclusion was that the cherem (ban, ed.) imposed on him by our previous rabbis must be maintained. In light of the above, there is no opportunity to discuss Spinoza with you in our complex.”
On November 30, 2021 the board of the Esnoga, sent a letter to its members. In the letter, they stated that both Serfaty and Toledano don't agree to retract their words. However, the board didn't fire them.
On December 2 the board of the Esnoga sent a second letter to its members, with attached a letter to Melamed with an invitation to do research and film in the Esnoga complex.


The Portuguese Synagogue has one of the oldest Jewish libraries in the world, filled with original and rare texts and constantly called upon for academic and rabbinical research. It was founded in 1616 and has been housed in the historical complex of the Portuguese Jewish community of Amsterdam since 1675. In 1889 the private library of the then librarian David Montezinos was donated to Ets Haim and the library is known since then as Ets Haim/Livraria Montezinos. In the 1940s, the library's contents were shipped to Germany by the Nazis and the books were returned to the Netherlands after the war; the books were sent to Israel in 1979 and returned to Amsterdam in 2000. In 2014, in partnership with the National Library of Israel, a majority of the manuscripts were digitized, making the catalog available online and free.


The interior of the Portuguese Synagogue is of the longitudinal Iberian-Sephardic type. The Holy Ark is situated in the South East Corner of the building and faces Jerusalem. On the other side of the room, opposite of the ark, is a tebah.
The Women's Gallery is supported by twelve stone columns, each which represents one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. In addition to these columns, there are four large brass chandeliers that hold a total of a thousand candles. All of the candles are lit in the synagogue during worship services. The light of these candles shine together through the 72 windows that exist in the building.
Around the building, there are numerous offices, archives, the rabbinate, the mortuary, and the Ets Haim. The Ets Haim (Tree of Life) is the library that contains valuable collections of Sephardic manuscripts.


The Potholes Reservoir is part of the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. It is formed by the O'Sullivan Dam and located in central Washington, in the United States. The reservoir is fed by water from Moses Lake, part of the Crab Creek basin.
The area features several lakes (typically 30-70 yards wide and 10–30 feet deep). These lakes, known as "potholes" were created through both natural and man made processes. The potholes were initially carved out during the Pleistocene by flood waters originating from Glacial Lake Missoula. Subsequent damming of the area by the Columbia Basin Project raised the water table high enough to allow these topographical depressions to become lakes.


On the shore of the reservoir is Potholes State Park, a 640-acre (2.6 km²) member of the Washington State Park System.  It has 6,000 feet (1,800 m) of shoreline on the reservoir.


Praia Santa Eulália is a beach within the Municipality of Albufeira, in the Algarve, Portugal. The beach is 2.7 miles (4.3 km) east of the town of Albufeira and is 20.5 miles (33.0 km) west of the regions capital of Faro. In 2012 Praia Santa Eulália has been designated a blue Flag beach.


Praia Santa Eulália is a popular rosie beach  in the eastern outskirts of the resort town of Albufeira. This well kept beach has blue flag status(2012). The beach is wide with fine golden sand and backed by golden cliffs with a number of nooks and crannies provided by the various rock formations. To the west side of the beach a seasonal watercourse runs down to the sea which is completely dry for the majority of the time. The sea is safe and clean and has an average summer seawater temperature of 20–22 °C (68–72 °F).


To the back of the beach there is a large car park of which some there are allocated parking bays for disabled drivers displaying a European blue badge. Parking can prove very difficult during the busy summer months. From the car park there is a boardwalk down to, and along the beach which provides easy access for wheelchair users.


The beach has good access for the disabled having boardwalks running east and west along the back of the beach from the central car park. During the summer season the beach is patrolled by lifeguards. There are Loungers, parasols and Pedalo's which can be hired. There is also a selection of beach bars, shops and restaurants on or close to the beach. There are showers and toilets available loa Just of the beach many types of water sports can be enjoyed, such as Windsurfing, water skiing sailing or cruising. On the cliffs above the beach is the 5 star Grande Real Santa Eulália Resort & Hotel Spa. This hotel has been awarded a prestigious Green Key, which is a European Union eco-label award.


Praia da Adraga is a North Atlantic beach in Portugal, near to the town of Almoçageme, Sintra. It has been recommended in British newspapers. It is a "Blue Flag beach" with access for handicapped persons, It has an excellent restaurant and a very good emergency service system, although it is hard to reach by public transportation.
Because of its beauty it has been the subject of many photographs and many blogs.


Pure shores: 10 top Portuguese beaches The Independent, June 6, 2004  "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2006-08-03. accessed August 3, 2006. It is also claimed that the BBC and Sunday times have recommended it (not verified).


Praia da Oura is a blue flag beach within the Municipality of Albufeira, in the Algarve, Portugal. The beach is in the eastern district of Albufeira in the neighbourhood called Areias de São João (Saint John's Sands). Its flanked by Praia dos Aveiros to the west and Praia de Santa Eulália to the eastern side. The beach is approximately 900 metres (3,000 ft) in length and is 450 metres (1,480 ft) wide at low tide.


The beach is in a small bay and has fine gold sand and some rock formations. The central section is very popular in the summer but the eastern end of the beach, also known as the Praia dos Bicos, is quieter and has less facilities. The rear cliffs at the eastern end feature some jagged rock formations called the Pedra dos Bicos  and are topped with pine woodland with small meadows. The central and western end of the beach are dominated by several large beach resort developments and with a short promenade   which runs across the back of this section of beach.