The Ak Orda Presidential Palace (Kazakh: Ақорда резиденциясы, Aqorda rezïdencïyası, اقوردا رەزىيدەنتسىيياسى, lit. 'the white horde') is the official workplace of the President of Kazakhstan, located in the capital city of Nur-Sultan. The Palace was built within three years, and officially opened in 2004.  It was built by the Mabetex Group, founded  by Behgjet Pacolli, 3rd President of Kosovo and 1st Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo.
Situated on the left bank of the Ishim (Esil) River, it is the president’s place of work and houses the staff of the Presidential Administration; it is not the president’s place of residence.  The palace includes a blue and gold dome topped with a spire.  This golden statue atop the dome includes a sun with 32 rays at its apex, and also includes a steppe eagle flying beneath the sun.
The building's height (including the spire) is 80 meters.  The first floor includes a Grand Central Hall, the Hall of Press Conferences, the Gala Hall, and the Winter Garden.  The second floor includes offices, while the third floor is used for international events, and includes various halls (Marble Hall; Golden Hall; Oval Hall; Oriental Hall, built in the form of a yurt; the Hall of Extended Negotiations).  The fourth floor includes a Dome Hall, meeting hall for the Government of the Republic, and the Library.
The color gold features prominently throughout the complex and twenty-one types of marble were used for the floor patterns.


Akagera National Park is a protected area in eastern Rwanda covering 1,122 km² (433 sq mi) along the international border with Tanzania. It was founded in 1934 and includes savannah, montane and swamp habitats. The park is named for the Kagera River which flows along its eastern boundary feeding into Lake Ihema and several smaller lakes. The complex system of lakes and linking papyrus swamps makes up over a third of the park, which is the largest protected wetland in Eastern-Central Africa.


Akagera National Park was founded in 1934 by the Belgian government, which at the time occupied Rwanda. The park was 2,500 km² (970 sq mi) large and was known for its biodiversity.
Akagera used to have a large population of African wild dogs. At one point, it was known as the 'Parc aux Lycaons' and wild dogs were so abundant, that the Belgian government considered them a pest. However, a disease epidemic diminished the population and the last wild dogs were seen in 1984.
In 1957, black rhinos were introduced from Tanzania. In the 1970s, more than 50 black rhinos lived in the savannah-habitat of the park. Due to widespread poaching, the population declined over the following decades, and the last confirmed sighting was in 2007. In 1986, Masai giraffes were introduced from Kenya. Their population has grown to over 80 individuals in recent years. Around 1990, Akagera was known to have a population of 250 to 300 lions. In the years following the Rwandan Civil War, the entire population was killed by farmers who returned to Rwanda after the War and settled in the park.
In 2009 the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and the African Parks Network entered into a 20-year renewable agreement for the joint management of Akagera. The Akagera Management Company was formed in 2010 as the joint management body for Akagera National Park. Over the next 5 years a $10 million expenditure was carried out in the national park area, with financial help from the Howard Buffett Foundation. The aim was to increase the security of the national park and to reintroduce locally extinct species. Security measures that were taken include: the construction of a western boundary fence which measures 120.0 kilometres (74.6 miles), deploying an air surveillance helicopter, training of an expert rhino tracking and protection team and a canine anti-poaching unit.
In July 2015, seven lions from South Africa were introduced and released in the park, making them the first lions in Rwanda for 15 years. AndBeyond donated five lionesses from Phinda Private Game Reserve and Tembe Elephant Park in KwaZulu-Natal donated two male lions. This effort was described by African Parks as "a ground-breaking conservation effort for both the park and the country" as part of a project aimed at reversing the local extinction of the species in Akagera National Park. Since 2015, the lion population has grown to almost 40 animals and it keeps growing.
In May 2017, a joint operation between the Rwanda Development Board and African Parks saw the reintroduction of 18 Eastern black rhinoceroses from South Africa, which had been absent for 10 years. With the reintroduction of black rhinos and lions, the national park is now home to all of Africa's "big five": lion, African leopard, African bush elephant, rhinoceros, and African buffalo.
During June 2019, Akagera received a further 5 eastern black rhinoceros from 3 different zoos in 3 different countries located across Europe. The zoos include Dvur Kralove zoo from the Czech Republic, Flamingo Land from the UK and Ree Park Safari from Denmark. This relocation is the first of its kind, as something like this between Europe and Africa never happened before. The 2 males and 3 females were safely delivered to the park after a 30 hour journey. These mammals are direct descendants from rhinos taken from Africa during the colonial days.
In November 2021, 30 white rhinos were successfully translocated to Akagera from Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa, in the largest single rhino translocation ever taken. This translocation aimed to extend the species' range and create a new breeding stronghold in Rwanda.
The large mammal population has increased since 2010, from 4000 animals in 2010 to over 13,500 in 2018.


Originally known as Akal Bunga, the building directly opposite the Harmandir Sahib was founded by sixth Sikh Guru, Guru Hargobind, as a symbol of political sovereignty and where spiritual and temporal concerns of the Sikh people could be addressed. Along with Baba Buddha and Bhai Gurdas, the sixth Sikh Guru built a 9-foot-high concrete slab. When Guru Hargobind revealed the platform on 15 June 1606, he put on two swords: one indicated his spiritual authority (piri) and the other, his temporal authority (miri).
In the 18th century, Ahmed Shah Abdali and Massa Rangar led a series of attacks on the Akal Takht and Harmandir Sahib. Takht which is on the first floor was rebuilt in brick between 1770 and 1780, under Sultan-ul-Qaum Jassa Singh Ahluwalia (1718–1783) – the leader of the Sikh Confederacy in Punjab.
Hari Singh Nalwa, a general of Ranjit Singh, the maharaja, decorated the Akhal Takht with gold. On 4 June 1984, the Akal Takht was damaged when the Indian Army stormed Harmandir Sahib under the order of Indira Gandhi, then Prime minister of India, during Operation Blue Star.


Akamas has branded itself as an exclusive destination and tourists who come tend to be seeking more than "sun, sea and sand", being more interested in  culture, biodiversity and specialist sports such as golf or hiking.


Akaroa Harbour, is part of Banks Peninsula in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. The harbour enters from the southern coast of the peninsula, heading in a predominantly northerly direction. It is one of two major inlets in Banks Peninsula, on the coast of Canterbury, New Zealand; the other is Lyttelton Harbour on the northern coast.
The name Akaroa is an alternative spelling of Whakaroa, Whangaroa or Wangaloa from the Kāi Tahu dialect of Māori. Whakaroa means "Long Harbour".
The harbour was used commercially in the mid-19th century for ship-based and shore-based whaling. Cruise ships occasionally enter the harbour, with the passengers visiting Akaroa.
Ōnawe Peninsula is at the head of the harbour, the former site of a Māori pā.


Akaroa Harbour's waterfront has been continually inhabited since the 1840s.
Akaroa, Duvauchelle, Takapūneke, Takamatua, Barrys Bay, French Farm and Wainui lie on the shoreline of the harbour. They are connected to the rest of Canterbury via State Highway 75. French Bay, the site of the French settlement of Akaroa, was originally known as Paka Ariki.


Akashi Castle is located on Mount Akamatsu, a hill in central Akashi, to the north of Akashi Station. The site was the location of a burial mound which was believed to have been the grave of the Nara period poet Kakinomoto no Hitomaro. The location dominates the San'yōdō highway connecting the Kinai region with western Japan and also the main route north to Tanba and Tango Provinces. It is also very near the coast of the Seto Inland Sea,  overlooking the narrows to Awaji island. Considered by the Tokugawa shogunate to be a backup to Himeji Castle, it was the final line of defences for the Kansai region against any attack from the west.
The construction of the castle was by order of Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada from 1617 to 1619, who had assigned Ogasawara Tadazane to the area as daimyō of the newly-created 100,000 koku Akashi Domain. Ogasawara Tadazane's father Ogasawara Hidemasa had married a granddaughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu and was daimyō of Matsumoto Domain. He was killed in action at the Siege of Osaka. It is claimed without clear documentary evidence that Miyamoto Musashi assisted in building the castle as a "Construction Supervisor", as it is recorded that he was in the service of Ogasawara Tadazane at the time.
The castle only took one year to complete, which was relatively fast for the time period. This was done so quickly as a result of the 1615 decree mandating castle per clan, so many castles in the area were dismantled and some materials and buildings were recycled for the construction of Akashi Castle. This included wood from Miki Castle, Takasago Castle, Edayoshi Castle, and Funage Castle and a number of buildings from Fushimi Castle and Funage Castle including yagura towers. Although no tenshu main tower was ever built, Akashi Castle became a large castle with 20 yagura and 27 gates. The Inner bailey had four three-story corner yagura, two of which have survived to the present.
The Ogawasawa clan were transferred to Kokura Domain in 1632, and afterwards the castle was ruled by a succession of fudai daimyō or shimpan clans. Akashi Castle underwent major repairs in 1739, and was largely demolished by the Meiji Government in 1874. The castle site became the Hyogo Prefectural Akashi Park. The castle suffered considerable damage in the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, with some collapsed stone walls and extensive damage to its yagura towers.
Akashi Castle was listed as one of Japan's Top 100 Castles by the Japan Castle Foundation in 2006.
The castle is a ten-minute walk from Akashi Station on the JR West San'yō Main Line.


Two of the remaining yagura towers of Akashi Castle have been designated Important Cultural Properties:
Hitsujisaru Yagura (坤櫓)
Tatsumi Yagura (巽櫓)


Despite the name of the structure, Akbari Sarai was begun during the reign of Islam Shah Suri in the mid 1550s, and not during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The mosque at the sarai dates from the Suri period, though the cells which line the complex, and its gateways, date from the Shah Jahan period in the mid 1600s.
The sarai served as both a station for wayfarers, and also a mail station known as a dāk chowkī. The sarai was administered by an official known as a Shāhnā with several assistant caretakers.  The 180 cells around the courtyard were used as living areas and storage spaces for luggage, weapons, and other gear carried by visitors to the tombs. Fodder for animals, hot and cold water, and bed steads were provided free of charge. The sarai also had a physician, as well as a resident baker, and a water well located outside of the walls of the sarai. As with many sarais, a small bazaar may have run between each gate.
Maharajah Ranjit Singh converted the complex into a cantonment of one of his foreign generals, Musa Farangi, who used to live here with his platoon. The site was severely damaged during the British era, when it was used as a rail depot following the construction of the nearby rail line.


The sarai is in the form of an oblong quadrangle, which covers a total area of 12 acres. The sarai measures 797 feet by 610 feet. The courtyard of the sarai complex is flanked on all sides by a raised terrace where rows of 180 cells known as khanaha are located with a veranda and a common open passage.
The corners of the sarai are flanked by towers. Tower chambers are the most elaborate of all the sarai's cells, and feature and elliptical hall in front with a veranda, with an octagonal room in the back.
The palace has two large gateways in the Mughal style, located to the north and to the south that were built to be visible from a distance. The gateway is two stories, and housed the shāhnā. The main arch serving as a portal to the tomb of Jahangir features a large double storied iwan, flanked by 4 other smaller arched niches featuring ghalib kari, or a network of ribs in stucco and plaster applied to curved surfaces in each archway. The central iwan is decorated with muqarnas. while the façade of the gateway is richly decorated with pietra dura. The decorative elements, the style of the structure, and the size of the bricks indicate that the palace and the gateways to the tomb could have been constructed at the same time.
To the west of the palace in the middle of the cell rows is a mosque with three domes. It is clad in red sandstone with decorations. The interior of the mosque was probably once embellished with frescoes and ghalib kari as well.


During his reign, King Gagik I Artsruni (r. 908-943/944) of the Armenian Kingdom of Vaspurakan chose the island as one of his residences. He founded a settlement and erected a large square palace richly decorated with frescoes, built a dock noted for its complex hydrotechnical engineering, laid out streets, gardens, and orchards, and planted trees and designed areas of recreation for himself and his court. The only surviving structure from that period is the Palatine Cathedral of the Holy Cross (Armenian: Սուրբ Խաչ եկեղեցի Surb Khach yekeġetsi). It was built of pink volcanic tuff by the architect-monk Manuel during the years 915-921, with an interior measuring 14.80m × 11.5m and the dome reaching 20.40m above ground. In later centuries, and until 1915, it formed part of a monastic complex, the ruins of which can still be seen to the south of the church.
Between 1116 and 1895 the island was the location of the Catholicosate of Aghtamar of the Armenian Apostolic Church.  Khachatur III, who died in 1895, was the last Catholicos of Aght'amar. In April 1915, during the Armenian genocide, the monks on Aght'amar were massacred, the cathedral looted, and the monastic buildings destroyed.
On August 28, 2010, a small solar energy power plant was opened on the island, to provide local installations with electricity.


Since 1955, Molde had been playing their home games at Molde idrettspark (at the time called Molde stadion), a municipal-owned multi-use venue. A new stadium was proposed to be located at the waterfront at Reknes. There were many local protests, including complaints about the size of the structure. Construction of the land fillings and preparation of the construction site started in March 1997, before final approval had been granted by the municipality.
The stadium was inaugurated on 18 April 1998, when the stadium was officially opened by Prime Minister and Molde-fan Kjell Magne Bondevik. In the opening match, Molde beat Lillestrøm 4–0 in their first home game of the season, attracting 13,010 spectators. During the season, this was the match in the country with the most spectators not hosted at Rosenborg's home ground Lerkendal. On 27 May, the arena hosted its first international match, with Norway beating Saudi Arabia 6–0 in a 1998 World Cup friendly. On 11 August, CSKA Sofia visited Molde for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup, for which Molde failed to qualify. The all-time spectator record was set on 26 September, when Molde hosted Rosenborg BK in front of 13,308 people.
During the fall of 1999, Molde played two qualification games for UEFA Champions League at the stadium. Following the aggregated victories over CSKA Moscow and Mallorca, Molde qualified for the group stage, where they played Real Madrid, Porto and Olympiacos. Following entry into Champions League, the stadium was converted to an all-seater, with seats being installed on the lower sections of the short end stands. The reduced the attendance capacity permanently, because the club chose to not remove the seats afterwards.
In 2006, an agreement was made where Røkke's company Aker became the stadium name sponsor, with the stadium being renamed Aker stadion. The same season, the club was relegated to the First Division, where the team played in 2007. Despite the relegation, average attendance increased, and Molde won the league. Since 2008, the team has again played in the top flight.
Molde later entered the UEFA Cup four times (renamed to Europa League in 2010), in 2000–01, 2003–04 and 2006–07, 2010–11, playing a total of eight home games, before they in 2012 again played qualification for the Champions League and Ventspils and Basel visited Aker Stadion. Molde were eliminated by Basel, but managed to qualify for the Europa League group stage and played against Heerenveen, Stuttgart, Steaua Bucuresti and Copenhagen at Aker Stadion. In 2015–16, Ajax, Fenerbahçe and Celtic visited Molde during the Europa League group stage, after they've beaten Standard Liège in the Play-off and before Sevilla came to Aker Stadion in the Round of 32 in February 2016. On 19 November 2013, Aker Stadion hosted its second international match, a friendly Norway were defeated 1–0 by Scotland.
Aker Stadion has been proposed used during the annual Moldejazz, Norway's largest jazz festival, but this has been rejected several times by the festival management. The issue was intensified in 2004, when a much smaller arena was used for a quickly sold-out Stevie Wonder concert. On 6 October 2007, StatoilHydro arranged a free concert at the stadium with Ane Brun and Röyksopp to celebrate the completion of their near-by processing plant for the gas field Ormen Lange. In a 2012 survey carried out by the Norwegian Players' Association among away-team captains, Aker Stadion was found to be the league's fourth-best stadium, with a score of 4.27 on a scale from one to five.
The club decided on 4 October 2013 to lay artificial turf on the field, which it hoped would be in place ahead of the 2014 season. The club was especially concerned with the poor surface during March, April, October and November. It also cited the possibility of hosting all trainings at the stadium and that the field could be used 2,000 instead of 130 hours per year. The stadium hosted its second international match on 19 November 2013, when Norway was defeated 0–1 Scotland in a friendly match watched by 9,750 spectators. It was the first time since 2002 that a home Norway game was not played at the national stadium, Ullevaal Stadion. In October 2017, the artificial turf was changed to a newer generation.


The stadium was designed by Kjell Kosberg of Kosbergs Arkitektkontorer. In addition to featuring the stadium, the complex has 2,800 square metres (30,000 sq ft) of commercial space. The whole structure cost NOK 212 million, of which NOK 160 million was for the stadium itself. The stadium is located at Reknes, just west of the city center, on the shore of the Moldefjord. The exterior of the building is clad with two colors of granite, glass and aluminum. The building was financed by Kjell Inge Røkke, although NOK 10 million was paid by the municipality and NOK 2.7 million by Norsk Tipping. In 1999, the structure won the City Prize, that is awarded to the Norwegian building project that is both profitable, innovative and increases the value of the surrounding area. The stadium was also nominated to FIABCI's Prix D' Excellence.
There are four stands in two tiers built as a continual whole and a capacity of 11,167. Prior to 1999, the lower tiers along the short sides had terraces, allowing an initial capacity of 13,308. There are 13 entrances, 52 toilets and 9 kiosks. The stadium has thirteen executive boxes in the north stand, varying in size between 18 to 33 square metres (190 to 360 sq ft). The arena is 17,250 square metres (185,700 sq ft), measuring 150 by 115 metres (492 by 377 ft). It includes a restaurant and café, in addition to a medical clinic. The pitch is 105 by 68 metres (344 by 223 ft) of natural grass, with 4% artificial turf sown in. Floodlight is provided with 176 lamps, mounted at a low 19.5 metres (64 ft). The speaker system has 32 kW.
The stadium is located within walking distance of the city center. There is no public transport that serves the arena, but all city and regional buses serve the city center's bus terminal, which is within walking distance. On game days, Aukra Auto operates a bus service from Aukra, while Nettbuss operates from Eidsvåg, Kleive, Batnfjordsøra and Sjøholt. Tide Sjø operates a fast ferry to Helland and Vikebukt. There are a very limited number of parking spaces at the stadium, and these are limited to holders of VIP tickets.


The stadium has hosted more than 10,000 spectators 38 times, including the international game between Norway and Saudi Arabia, which attracted 13,114 spectators. Molde FK has attracted such attendance thirty-four times in Eliteserien, of which thirteen have been against Rosenborg BK and eight in derbies against Aalesunds FK. In addition, two high-attendance matches have been played in Champions League and one in the Norwegian Cup. The all-time record dates from the 1998 derby with Rosenborg BK, which was followed by 13,308 spectators.
The highest average attendance at Aker Stadion over a league season was 9,817, set in the 2011 season. The lowest average attendance at Aker Stadon came in the 2004 season, when an average of 5,554 spectators watched each game.
The following list includes the attendance for Molde FK during the home domestic league matches. It excludes cup and UEFA tournaments. In 2007, the club played in the 1. divisjon. The table includes average, minimum and maximum attendance, in addition to the attendance rank among the top-league teams.


Akershus Fortress (Norwegian: Akershus Festning, [ɑkəʂˈhʉːs ˈfɛ̂sːtnɪŋ]) or Akershus Castle (Norwegian: Akershus slott [ɑkəʂˈhʉːs ˈslɔtː]) is a medieval castle in the Norwegian capital Oslo that was built to protect and provide a royal residence for the city. Since the Middle Ages the fortress has been the namesake and centre of the main fief and later main county of Akershus, which was originally one of Norway's four main regions and which included most of Eastern Norway. The fortress itself was located within the Akershus main county until 1919, and also within the smaller Akershus sub county until 1842.
The castle has also been used as a military base, a prison and is currently the temporary office of the Prime minister of Norway.


The fortress has never successfully been besieged by a foreign enemy. However it surrendered without combat to Nazi Germany in 1940 when the Norwegian government evacuated the capital in the face of the unprovoked German assault on Denmark and Norway (see Operation Weserübung).
During World War II, people were executed here by the German occupiers, including members of the Pelle group. The fortress was liberated on 11 May 1945, when it was handed over to Terje Rollem on behalf of the Norwegian resistance movement. After the war, eight Norwegian traitors who had been tried for war crimes and sentenced to death were also executed at the fortress. Among those executed were Vidkun Quisling and Siegfried Fehmer.


Following the great fire of 1624, King Christian IV made the decision to relocate and rebuild the entire city of Oslo. The king ordered the new city to be located closer to Akershus Fortress, renaming the city Christiania. The fortress was subsequently modernized and remodeled, with the new appearance being that of a renaissance castle with Italian inspired bastions. The castle primarily functioned as a palace until the turn of the 19th century, with new towers, halls, chambers and gates being added over time.
When the king was absent, the castle functioned as the seat of the Steward of Norway.


Although still a military area, the Akershus Fortress is open to the public between 6:00 and 21:00 daily. As well as the castle, the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum and Norway's Resistance Museum can also be visited. The Norwegian Ministry of Defence and the country's Defence Staff Norway share a joint modern headquarters in the eastern part of the fortress. His Majesty the King's Guard is responsible for guarding the fortress, with stationary guard posts during open hours and mobile patrols at night. One of the stationary guard posts at the entrance is a popular photography spot for tourists visiting the fortress.


The dam provides electricity to Ghana and its neighboring West African countries, including Togo and Benin.
Initially 20% of Akosombo Dam's electric output (serving 70% of national demand) was provided to Ghanaians in the form of electricity, the remaining 80% was generated for the American-owned Volta Aluminum Company (VALCO). The Ghana Government was compelled, by contract, to pay for over 50% of the cost of Akosombo's construction, but the country was allowed only 20% of the power generated. Some commentators are concerned that this is an example of neocolonialism. In recent years the production from the VALCO plant has declined with the vast majority of additional capacity in Akosombo used to service growing domestic demand.


The presence of aquatic weed along the lake and within the tributaries has resulted in even greater detriment to local human health.  The weeds provide the necessary habitat for black-fly, mosquitoes and snails, which are the vectors of water-borne illnesses such as bilharzia, river blindness and malaria. Since the installment of the dam, these diseases have increased remarkably.  In particular, resettlement villages have shown an increase in disease prevalence since the establishment of Lake Volta, and a village's likelihood of infection corresponds to its proximity to the lake. Children and fishermen have been especially hard hit by this rise of disease prevalence. Additionally, the degradation of aquatic habitat has resulted in the decline of shrimp and clam populations. The physical health of local communities has been diminished from this loss of shellfish populations, as they provided an essential source of dietary protein.  Likewise, the rural and industrial economies have experienced the financial losses associated with the decimation of river aquaculture.


The Akron Art Museum features 20,000 square feet (1,900 m²) of gallery space dedicated to the display of its collection of art produced since 1850.  The museum also hosts visiting shows from national and international collections.
1850–1950
Western art created between 1850 and 1950 graces the first floor of the museum's 1899 Italian Renaissance revival style building.  The first two rooms feature examples of turn-of-the-century realism and American impressionism.  Two rooms explore modernism and regionalism in northeast Ohio from 1910 through 1950.  A final room is dedicated entirely to the work of William Sommer, a northeast Ohio artist.  These galleries include paintings by Thomas Wilmer Dewing and Frederick Carl Frieseke.
1950 to Now
Art since 1950 is featured in eight rooms located in the museum's 2007 Knight building.  These galleries reflect the eclectic style of late twentieth-century art through examples of postmodern painting and sculpture, photorealism and Pop Art.  On view are Chuck Close’s Linda, an oversize early painting; Andy Warhol’s silk-screened Single Elvis and Brillo Boxes; and Ohio carver and preacher Elijah Pierce’s animated relief sculpture The Wise and Foolish Virgins and Four Other Scenes.


The 63,000-square-foot (5,900 m²) John S. and James L. Knight Building was designed by the Viennese architectural firm Coop Himmelb(l)au following an international competition.  The firm was chosen in part for its adaptive use of historic buildings, and the Knight Building is the firm’s first project in the Americas.  Ground breaking for the new building was held on May 22, 2004.
Coop Himmelb(l)au’s design integrates additional gallery space, an auditorium and café with the museum’s 1899 building utilizing contrasting, surprising and fanciful visual elements:
The “Crystal”, a three-story glass lobby that serves as the public entry and as the focal visual space connecting the museum's artistic, educational, administrative, and public programming;	the “Gallery Box”, comprising the Arnstein, Haslinger, Bidwell and Isroff Galleries, accommodates the museum's collection and temporary exhibitions; and the “Roof Cloud”, a 327-foot (100 m)-long cantilevered steel and aluminum armature extends over the old and the new, creating a striking landmark for Akron's downtown which a critic once described as "a mechanical alligator snarfing down a Beaux Arts post office."
The expansion dramatically increased the museum's ability to present traveling exhibitions and to organize its own distinctive exhibitions.  The expansion also allows for the display of major, rarely seen works, including Elliot Torrey’s Surf, the first work to enter the Akron Art Institute’s collection in 1923.
“The design embraces the past, rather than replacing or destroying it”, said Coop Himmelb(l)au founder, and principal architect for the project, Wolf D. Prix.  “It uses architecture to create a public space within the city and a private space within our own souls-reinventing both the city and ourselves at the same time.  With such a project, there is a great opportunity to make a living contribution to a city.”


Aktove Canyon is a canyon near the Aktove village, on the Mertvovod river in the Voznesenskyi region of Mykolaiv Oblast of Ukraine. It is a part of the regional landscape park Granite-steppe lands of Buh. It is also a well-known place of pilgrimage. In the past it was a separate reservation "Actove".
Aktove Canyon consists of ancient weathered granite, cut by Mertvovid river on the depth of more than 50 meters. Area of the canyon outreaches 250 hectares. Being a unique complex of granite rocks, boulders and water/steppe ecosystems, canyon is located on one of the oldest parts of Eurasian land.
The canyon is a part of the Buzk's Gard National Nature Park and the regional land park Granite-steppe lands of Buh.


Over the main entrance to the mosque an inscription attributes its completion to Sultan Alaaddin Keykubad I in the year 617 H (1220-221). To the right another inscription credits the same sultan as responsible for both the mosque and the tombs. Another inscription mentions the Syrian craftsman Muhammad ben Khaulan of Damascus. Inscriptions on the facade also show the names of Alaaddin, Izzeddin Keykavus, and the Atabeg who was responsible for work on the mosque during both Alaaddin's and Izzeddin's reigns. Izzeddin was responsible for constructing the main prayer hall of the mosque.


The Al-Ashraf Mosque or the Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay (Arabic: مسجد ومدرسة الأشرف برسباي) is a historical complex of mosque and madrasa located in Cairo, Egypt. The mosque was built during the Mamluk period by the Burji Sultan Al-Ashraf Al-Barsbay. The complex consists of a mosque-madrasa, mausoleum, and Sufi lodgings. The mosque is characterized by its design, which incorporates marble and stained-glass windows.


The al-Attarine madrasa was built between 1323 and 1325 on the orders of the Marinid sultan Abu Sa'id Uthman II. The supervisor of construction was Sheikh Beni Abu Muhammad Abdallah ibn Qasim al-Mizwar. According to the Rawd el-Qirtas (historical chronicle), the sultan personally observed the laying of the madrasa's foundations, in the company of local ulema.
The creation of the madrasa, as with all Islamic religious and charitable institutions of the time, required the endowment of a habous, a charitable trust usually consisting of mortmain properties, which provided revenues to sustain the madrasa's operations and upkeep, set up on the sultan's directive. This provided for the madrasa to host an imam, muezzins, teachers, and accommodations for 50-60 students. Most of the students at this particular madrasa were from towns and cities in northwestern Morocco such as Tangier, Larache, and Ksar el-Kebir.
The madrasa has been classified as historic heritage monument in Morocco since 1915. The madrasa has since been restored many times, but in a manner consistent with its original architectural style. Today it is open as a historic site and tourist attraction.


The madrasa is a two-story building accessed via an L-shaped bent entrance at the eastern end of Tala'a Kebira street. The vestibule leads to the main courtyard of the building, entered via an archway with a wooden screen (mashrabiya). The south and north sides of the courtyard are occupied by galleries with two square pillars and two smaller marble columns, which support three carved wood arches in the middle and two smaller stucco muqarnas stucco arches on the sides. Above these galleries are the facades of the second floor marked by windows looking into the courtyard. This second floor, accessed via a staircase off the southern side of the entrance vestibule, is occupied by 30 rooms which served as sleeping quarters for the students. This makes for an overall arrangement similar to the slightly earlier Madrasa as-Sahrij. The entrance vestibule also grants access to a mida'a (ablutions hall) which is located at its northern side.

At the courtyard's eastern end is another decorated archway which grants entrance to the prayer hall. Most of the Marinid-era madrasas were oriented so that the main axis of the building was already aligned with the qibla (the direction of prayer), allowing the mihrab (niche symbolizing the qibla) of the prayer hall to be allowed with the entrance of the main courtyard. However, the space into which the al-Attarine Madrasa was built evidently did not allow for this layout, and instead the mihrab is off to the side on the southern wall of the prayer hall, on an axis perpendicular to the main axis of the building. The prayer hall itself is rectangular, but a triple-arched gallery on its north side allowed architects to place a square wooden cupola over the main space in front of the mihrab. This unusual but elegant solution to the limited and awkward space available for construction demonstrates the ingenuity and rational approach to design that Marinid architects had achieved by this time.


Although its exterior is completely plain (like most traditional Moroccan buildings of its kind), the madrasa is famous for its extensive and sophisticated interior decoration, which exhibits a rigorous balance between different elements, marking the period of highest achievement in Marinid architecture. The main courtyard demonstrates this in particular. The floor pavement and the lower walls and pillars are covered in zellij (mosaic tilework). While most of the zellij is arranged to form geometric patterns and other motifs, its top layer, near eye-level, features a band of painted calligraphic inscriptions running around the courtyard. Above this, in general, is a zone of extensive and intricately-carved stucco decoration, including another layer of calligraphic decoration, niches and arches sculpted with muqarnas, and large surfaces covered in a diverse array of arabesques (floral and vegetal patterns) and  other Moroccan motifs. Lastly, the upper zones generally feature surfaces of carved cedar wood, culminating in richly sculpted wooden eaves projecting over the top of the walls. Wooden artwork is also present in the pyramidal wooden cupola ceiling of the prayer hall, carved with geometric star patterns (similar to that found more broadly in Moorish architecture). The wood-carving on display here is also considered an example of the high point of Marinid artwork.
The prayer hall also features extensive stucco decoration, especially around the richly-decorated mihrab niche. The entrance of the hall consists of a "lambrequin"-style arch whose intrados are carved with muqarnas. The upper walls of the chamber, below the wooden cupola, also feature windows of coloured glass which are set into lead grilles (instead of the much more common stucco grilles of that period) forming intricate geometric or floral motifs. The marble (or onyx) columns and the engaged columns of the courtyard and prayer hall also feature exceptionally elegant and richly-carved capitals, among the best examples of their kind in this period.

The madrasa also features notable examples of Marinid-era ornamental metalwork. The doors of the madrasa's entrance are made of cedar wood but are covered in decorative bronze plating. The current doors in place today are replicas of the originals which are now kept at the Dar Batha Museum. The plating is composed of many pieces assembled together to form an interlacing geometric pattern similar to that found in other medieval Moroccan art forms such as Qur'anic or manuscript decoration. Each piece is chiseled with a background of arabesque or vegetal motifs, as well as a small Kufic script composition inside each of the octagonal stars in the wider geometric pattern. This design marks an evolution and refinement of the earlier Almoravid-era bronze-plated decoration on the doors of the nearby Qarawiyyin Mosque. Another piece of notable metalwork in the madrasa is the original bronze chandelier hanging in the prayer hall, which includes an inscription praising the madrasa's founder.


The souq dates back to the Ottoman era and was built along the axis of the Roman route to the Temple of Jupiter around 1780 during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid I, and later extended during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II. Nowadays it is one of the most popular shopping districts in Syria, being lined with hundreds of clothes emporiums, shops selling traditional crafts and jewelry, cafés, grocery stores, food stalls and ice cream parlors. Before the ongoing Syrian Civil War it was one of Damascus's main attractions and was visited by many foreigners, including Europeans and Gulf Arabs; however it still remains a popular attraction for locals and Syrians.
Although there have been many violent clashes around Damascus and in some of its districts the souq has not been affected in any way by the ongoing war, but peaceful protests and demonstrations have taken place in the nearby Medhat Pasha Souq, which extends from the Al Hamidiyah Souq.
It was one of the treasures featured in the 2005 BBC documentary Around the World in 80 Treasures presented by Dan Cruickshank.


Muadh ibn Jabal built the mosque after meeting with soldiers of the province in the first Friday of Rajab (seventh month of Islamic calendar). Since then people have been holding festival every day on the first Friday of Rajab, by heading to the mosque to pray and conduct other religious rituals. The mosque has been renovated and restored for countless of times throughout the history. Al-Husayn ibn Salama re-built the mosque during the period of 896 to 981. It is said that the local governor of Sulayhid dynasty also carried out construction work in the mosque. It was destroyed during the days of Mehdi bin Ali bin Mahdi al-Re'ai al-Humeiri in 1137, and then the Ayyubid ruler Saif al-Din Atabek restored the building in 1154, adding to the building the southern corridor, the side hallways and a sahn. Sultan al-Nasir Ayyub built its ceilings with plaster and carved with gold and lapis lazuli in 1206.


The current mosque is rectangular shaped with 65.5 x 43 square meters wide. It is surrounded by a wall with 144 serrated balconies. Its general layout consists of an open sahn (35.5 x 25.5 m) with a square column height of about 2m. The qibla, which consists of four bays and adorns the qibla wall, has two mihrabs placed between them. It is considered an artistic masterpiece rich in ornamentation, carves and engraves. It is one of the remaining platforms, dating back to the time of Taghtikin ibn Ayyub in the last quarter of the 12th-century. The minaret occupies a part of the southwestern corner and consists of a cylindrical lower part topped by an octagonal shape above which a hexagon revolves and crowns the minaret from the top of the dome. Alongside the minaret there is a stone tablet written by the name of Sultan Amer ibn Abdul Wahab, in addition to other plates that recorded the successive renovations that took place on this mosque through the different historical periods.
The mosque is open to visit throughout the year.


The hypostyle mosque is built as a free-standing 63 x 57 m rectangle around an inner court with a sanctuary on the qibla side and galleries surrounding the other three sides. The main entrance protrudes from the face of the western wall. There are two other entrances, on the northeastern side and on the southern side. Unlike most other mosques of Cairo, its outer walls are not paneled and have no decoration except a crenellation composed of rectangles with rounded tops. This results in a rather austere appearance which is probably accounted for by the military nature of its setting. Crenellation on the inner walls around the courtyard is of the stepped type.
There are two minarets, both built entirely of stone, one at the northeast corner and one at the northwest portal right above the main entrance; the former is the higher of the two. The top of the latter is unique in Cairo in that it has a garlic-shaped bulb. The upper structure is covered with green, white and blue glazed mosaics (faience). This style has probably been brought by a craftsman from Tabriz   who is known to have come to Cairo during the reign of al-Nasir Muhammad. Contrary to all other Mamluk mosques, the base of both minarets is below the level of the roof of the mosque. This indicates that the minarets were already standing when the walls were made higher in 1335. The heightening of the walls also resulted in a row of arched windows that give the building a special character.
In the 1335 renovation, the mosque was heightened, its roof rebuilt and a dome of plastered wood covered with green tiles was added over the maqsura (prayer niche). For centuries the Qala'un Mosque was considered the most glamorous mosque in Cairo until the dome over the prayer niche collapsed in the sixteenth century and the high marble dado was carried off to Constantinople by the Ottoman conqueror Sultan Selim I. The present dome is modern, carried by granite columns taken from ancient Egyptian temples.

The Mosque of al-Nasir is also called The Mosque of the Citadel. It rests in the South Eastern part of Cairo. Though often overshadowed by mosques more central to the city, the Mosque of the Citadel (also known as the Mosque of al-Nasir) is historically significant in its own right. It was built by Sultan Nasir Mohammed ibn Kalaoun in the year 1318 (718 by the Islamic calendar). The mosque was frequently used by its sponsor as well as his military. When the Ottomans took over the city they looted it and it fell into disrepair. Its restoration began when the British took over Cairo at the end of the 18th century.


The current building is used primarily by the city's Yemenis, Syrians, and Somali populations who constitute the vast majority of Liverpool's Muslim population.


The building consists of two floors with a large courtyard in the centre. The building has many exhibition halls, being used for several purposes, such as the "Old Aleppo Reviaval Hall" which is proposed to commemorate the ancient city of Aleppo through a number of pictures and figures of old Aleppine districts, suqs, mosques and khans, as well as a pattern of the Citadel of Aleppo and the surrounding old quarters.
One of the halls in the ground floor depicts the rehabilitation process of the building.
The building is also home to the main offices of Goethe-Institut and Aga Khan Cultural Services in Aleppo, in addition to the Heritage Archive Centre of the Aleppo Archeological Society (Arabic: مركز أرشفة التراث العائد لجمعية العاديات بحلب).
Al-Shibani school-church is one of the prominent samples of old Aleppine architecture.


The Al. Ringling Theatre in Baraboo, Wisconsin, United States, opened its doors in November 1915 and has been operating continuously ever since. Designed by the architectural firm Rapp and Rapp, it was built by Albert Ringling, one of the circus Ringling Brothers, for $100,000.  Over the years, it has featured performances from vaudeville and silent movies to grand opera starring such notables as Lionel Barrymore and Mary Pickford.
The design of the theater is based on the Orpheum Theatre, built by Rapp and Rapp in Champaign, Illinois in 1914.  The decor of the auditorium is said to have derived from Ange-Jacques Gabriel's opera house of 1763-1770 in the Palace of Versailles but some believe it to be at least equally based on Victor Louis's 1780 Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux.
Originally the theater had a Style 1 Wurlitzer theater pipe organ. Later a 9 rank, 3 manual Barton with a "circus wagon" style console replaced the Wurlitzer.
The Al Ringling Theater was featured in an episode of PBS's History Detectives, where they investigated whether it was the country's first great movie palace.


The Al Ahmad Mosque (Spanish: Mezquita Al Ahmad) is an Islamic place of worship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, opened in 1985. It is the second oldest mosque in Buenos Aires but it is the oldest building with Islamic architecture in Argentina and it was designed by Ahmed and Elia Ham.
It is located on Alberti St. 1541, San Cristobal neighbourhood. It has a minaret from which the muezzin issues the call for the five daily prays, the dome over the prayer hall also highlights. The Mosque is part of the Islamic Center of Argentina. The Al Ahmad Mosque attends a large number of Muslims on Fridays at noon for Friday Prayers (Jummah), the most important Muslim prayer of the week and hear the sermon delivered by the Imam (Prayer Leader).
The nearby Inclán - Mezquita Al Ahmad station of Line H of the Buenos Aires Underground was partially named after the mosque.


Al Alam Palace, one of six residences of the sultan, has a history of over 200 years, and was built under the watch of Imam Sultan bin Ahmed, the 7th direct grandfather of Sultan Qaboos. The existing palace, which has a facade of gold and blue, was rebuilt as a royal residence in 1972. The inner grounds of the palace remain off-limits, but visitors are permitted to stop near the gates and take photographs. Al Alam Palace is surrounded by the Mirani and Jalali Forts built in the 16th century by the Portuguese.
The Palace is used for official functions and receives distinguished visitors. In January 2012, the sultan received Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands at the Al Alam Palace during her state visit to Oman.


Author Peter J. Ochs wrote: "When you visit the main gates of Al Alam Palace, it is unlike any other capital you will ever visit. The palace itself is elegant but humble in design, unlike the grandiose structures of other capitals". Elegantly designed, it features many highly polished marble surfaces. Government buildings in the vicinity are white, with crenellated rooftops and wooden balconies in the traditional Omani style. Though primarily a ceremonial palace, there is a guest villa at the palace with its own pool, spa and walled gardens.


The mosque's date of construction is uncertain and because the mud and stone built structure uses no wood, radiocarbon dating is not possible. It is estimated to date to the 15th century, however some much earlier estimates have been proposed. The site was investigated by the archaeological center of Fujairah in co-operation with the University of Sydney from 1997-98. and Fujairah Archaeology and Heritage Department concluded that the mosque was believed to be built in 1446 AD, along with the two watch towers overlooking the mosque and the village.


The small, square structure has an area of 53 square metres (570 sq ft) and was built from materials available in the area, primarily stones of various sizes and mud bricks coated in many layers of whitewashed plaster. The roof has four squats, helical domes that are supported by only one centrally placed pillar that also forms the ceiling. Entrance to the mosque is through double-winged wooden doors.
The prayer hall has a small mihrab (the niche in the wall that indicates the direction of Mecca), a simple pulpit, arches, and openings. A central pillar divides the internal space into four squares of similar dimensions. The pillar supports all four domes that can be seen from the exterior.
Inside the prayer hall, a number of small decorative windows allow light and air to enter the mosque. There are also cube-shaped spaces carved into the thick walls where copies of the Quran and other books are stored.
The mosque continues to host daily prayers, and is a tourist attraction.


First appointed to the architectural practice Foster + Partners in 1994, the complex was commissioned by Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal, with construction begun in 1997. The complex is made up of the central office tower, a five-star hotel, a three-storey retail mall, and a banqueting and conference hall. The skyscraper comprises 30 floors of office space, above which, at 200 metres above ground level, an observation deck provides a panoramic view of Riyadh. The 240,000-square-metre Centre was completed in May 2000, with the skyscraper opened to the public in the same month.
The skyscraper, also called the Star Dome, contains one of Saudi Arabia's premier restaurants, "The Globe", located in the sphere above the observation deck, possessing 360 degree views of the city.


Besides being a place of worship, the mosque is one of the premier tourist attractions in Bahrain. It is open from 9am to 4pm and tours are conducted in a variety of languages including English, French, Filipino, Russian and many other languages, special arrangements are encouraged for smooth sailing. The mosque is open to visitors and tourists on all Fridays.


Al Jalali Fort, or Ash Sharqiya Fort, is a fort in the harbor of Old Muscat, Oman. The fort was built by the Portuguese under Philip I of Portugal in the 1580s to protect the  harbor after Muscat had twice been sacked by Ottoman forces. It fell to Omani forces in 1650. During the civil wars between 1718 and 1747, the fort was twice captured by Persians who had been invited to assist one of the rival Imams. The fort was extensively rebuilt later.
At times, Al Jalali served as a refuge or a jail for a member of the royal family. For much of the 20th century it was used as Oman's main prison, but this function ended in the 1970s. Fort al-Jalali was restored in 1983 and converted into a private museum of Omani cultural history that is accessible only to dignitaries visiting the country. Exhibits include cannons, old muskets and matchlocks, maps, rugs and other artifacts.


After the death in 1718 of the fifth Yaruba Imam of Oman, Sultan bin Saif II, a struggle began between rival contenders for the Imamate.
Fort al-Jalali was damaged during this civil war.
The country became divided between Saif bin Sultan II and his cousin Bal'arab bin Himyar, rival Imams. Finding his power dwindling, Saif bin Sultan II asked for help from Nader Shah of Persia.
In 1738 the two forts were surrendered to the Persian forces.
The Persians reembarked for Persia, taking their loot with them.
A few years later Saif bin Sultan II, who had been deposed, again called for help. A Persian expedition arrived at Julfar around October 1742.
The Persians made an unsuccessful attempt to take Muscat, defeated by a stratagem of the new Imam Sultan bin Murshid.
Later in 1743 the Persians returned, bringing Saif bin Sultan II with them. They took the town of Muscat, but the al-Jalali and al-Mirani forts held out and Saif bin Sultan II would not  order them to yield. Omani historians say that the Persian commander, Mirza Taki, invited Saif to a banquet on his ship. Saif became stupefied by wine and his seal was taken from him. It was used to forge orders to the forts' commanders to surrender, a ruse that was successful.


Fort al-Jalali was restored in 1983.
Today little remains of the Portuguese period apart from a few inscriptions in that language.
It has been converted into a museum of Omani cultural history.
It is open to important people such as visiting heads of state, but not to the public.
The fort is made up of two towers with a connecting wall pierced by gun ports for cannon.
The interior is now landscaped with fountains and pools, trees and gardens. The result has been described as "Disneyfication".
In the center of the fort there is a courtyard planted with trees. Around it on various levels are rooms, enclosures and towers accessible through a complex set of stairways that may have once had a defensive purpose. Massive doors with protruding iron spikes protect sections of the fort.
Exhibits include cannons at the gun ports with shot, ropes and firing equipment, as well as old muskets and matchlocks. There are maps and historical illustrations, including a plaque that depicts the winds and the currents in Muscat bay. One room, with a ceiling made from palm-logs, is filled with cultural relics of Oman. The central square tower holds the main museum exhibits including rugs, pottery, jewelry, weapons, household utensils and incense holders. A dining hall overlooks the courtyard for use by the distinguished visitors. An old breeze-maker has been preserved in this room, once manually operated but now mechanized.
The fort plays a role in special events where the royal dhow and yacht sail in through the harbor, fireworks are launched and bagpipers play on the battlements.


Al Qusais or Al Gusais (Arabic: اﻟﻘﺼﻴﺺ) is a large community in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).  It is located in the Deira area of east Dubai.  Al Qusais borders the localities of Hor Al Anz and Al Twar and is further subdivided into residential (Al Qusais) and industrial (Al Qusais Industrial Area) localities.


The Green line (one of the two lines on the Dubai Metro network)
has five of its stations situated in Al Qusais. The 'Etisalat' depot station has a parking area which can house 60 trains. Al Qusais Station, Airport Free Zone, Al Nahda and Stadium are the other metro stations. Terminal 2 of Dubai International Airport is two minutes drive from the Airport Free Zone metro station. Al Qusais also has an extensive bus service and taxi services.


Al Qusais houses several small and large supermarkets and department stores.
Al Mulla plaza is the first large shopping centre in Al Qusais and one of the oldest shopping centre in Dubai. It is an important landmark in the city. The Dubai Police Museum is located at Al Mulla Plaza which opened on November 19, 1987. It comprises three exhibit halls, as well as documenting anti-drug efforts of the police force, and the force's prison systems. On November 19, 1987, the International Council of Museums placed the museum on the record of Arab Museums.[8]


Located in the Amman Street and open 24 hours, this 100-bed hospital incorporates facilities including diagnostic equipment like the Heart Mapping System, Multi Slice CT Scan, MRI and the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory which is equipped with a digital imaging system and a three-dimensional cardiac arrhythmias mapping system (the first of its kind to be installed in Dubai), which enables the mapping and ablation of rhythm disorders of the heart. In addition, the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Department brings for the first time in the region, help to people for regaining the most independent level of functioning after severe injury, trauma, and illness. The Sleep Lab, which analyses sleep related problems is also one of the first facilities in the region.
Aster Medical Centre, Welcare EDC Al Qusais clinic, Al Deyafa Medical centre, Joseph's Clinic, Mini VM polyclinic also provide medical care in the community.


Dubai Police General Headquarters is located opposite Al Mulla Plaza. Al Qusais police station is one of the ten police stations in Dubai and was founded in 1977. It moved to new premises, Beirut Street in 1999. The Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour, Dubai Civil Defence Headquarters is also located in the community.


Al Ras (Arabic: اَلـرَّأْس, romanized: Ar-Ra’s, "The Cape") is a locality in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. It is the westernmost locality in the area of Deira and borders the Dubai Creek to the west and south, and Al Dhagaya and Al Buteen to the east.  Al Ras, literally meaning The Cape, is one of the oldest communities in Deira. It is bounded on the north, south and west by route D 85 (Al Baniyas Road) and to the east by Old Baladiya Street (110th Road).
Important landmarks in Al Ras include the Dubai Gold Souk, Dubai Spice Souk,  Al Ras Hotel, and St. George Hotel. Al Ras Public Library (aka Dubai Public Library) is the oldest public library in Dubai. It was inaugurated by Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum in 1963, but closed for renovations in 2019.
Al Ras metro station on the Green Line of the Dubai Metro serves the area.


Saleh was criticized in 2008 for undertaking such a grand project when the country was suffering from socio-economic problems, wherein 42% of Yemenis lived in poverty and one in five were malnourished, according to United Nations estimates at the time. Several accidents occurred during its construction. The minarets collapsed multiple times, resulting in some deaths. After these occurrences, the site was used to build the Islamic college and the garden next to the mosque. It is also mentioned that Hayel Said, a local businessman, was threatened with reprisals and annulment of his business licenses, if he did not pay for the building of the mosque.
The mosque was the site of fighting during the conflict between Houthi and pro-Saleh forces in December 2017. At the time, rumours circulated in Sanaa that the Houthis intended to repaint the mosque's dome green.
The People's Mosque appears on the Yemeni currency. It is depicted on the face of the 2009 issue 250-rial note.


The mosque was constructed using different types of stone, including black basalt stones as well as limestone in red, white and black. The building is compared in its beauty and architectural elegance with the Masjid al-Haram, in Mecca. It was built in a fusion of "Yemeni architecture and Islamic styles", with many Quranic verses inscribed on the walls. The layout is referred to as "Himyarite architecture".
The building has wooden roofs and seven ornate domes. There are five domes in the main roof, the main dome measuring 27.4 metres (90 ft) in diameter with a height of 39.6 metres (130 ft) above the mosque's roof. The other four domes measure 15.6 metres (51 ft) with height of 20.35 metres (66.8 ft) above the roof level of the mosque. Windows fitted with stained glass are locally referred to as qamariyah. Of the fifteen wooden doors, ten of them are situated on the eastern and western sides, and five open south towards the Islamic college and ablution areas. The doors are 22.86 metres (75.0 ft) in height and include engraved copper patterns. Four of the six minarets are 160 metres (520 ft) in height.
The interior space is 24 metres (79 ft) from floor to ceiling. While the plush carpeting contains intricate patterns, huge chandeliers have colorful and flower-like patterns. The three-storied building that includes the Quran College also contains libraries, and over two dozen classrooms, enough space to accommodate 600 students. Three large rooms are specifically for women; a small hall can accommodate 2,000 women.
The mosque has a modern central air conditioning and sound systems, as well as full security arrangements, including bomb-sniffing dogs. The building stays lit through the night. Thorn Lighting International, through its distributor Al Zaghir, was the lighting contractor. Diah International served as the subcontractor for civil and mechanical engineering; Sodaco Engineering & Contracting also provided services in the building's construction.


Ala Moana Beach Park is a free public park on the island of Oahu, U.S. state of Hawaii, located between Waikiki and downtown Honolulu. This 100-acre (0.40 km²) park has a wide gold-sand beach that is over a half-mile (800 m) long.
Protected by a shallow reef offshore, it is one of the most popular open ocean swimming sites in Hawai’i, with an estimated 4 million visitors annually. However, there are sharp corals, so most people prefer the east end of the beach (the one that's closer to Diamond Head) where the ocean bottom is sandy and has no reef or rocks. The middle section and west end of the beach has rocks on the nearshore ocean bottom, which makes entering the ocean trickier. Lifeguards are stationed on the beach daily.
Ala Moana's ocean bottom drops quickly, so novice swimmers should use caution. Big grassy areas, banyans and palm trees make the park a good place to picnic, barbecue, play various ball games or go running. There are lifeguards, showers, restrooms, phones, tennis courts, picnic tables, food concessions and a music pavilion. Ala Moana Beach Park is a favorite among Honolulu residents. It is right next to "Magic Island" where many cultural events are held.
The park is closed from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. Police enforce the closure with citations and arrests.
Like almost all of Honolulu's city parks, Ala Moana Beach Park had many homeless people during the day and night, until the city started closing the park for the night in 2006. Fodors travel guide rated it a "high crime area" at night after dark partly on this basis.


Ala Moana Regional Park as we know it today rests on reclaimed land that was once swampy marshland.  In the 1920s Ala Moana Beach Park was a wetland with bulrushes, kiawe trees, and coconut palms that the city used as a garbage dump.  The land appears to have been included in land transferred to the US government following annexation.  The federal government then deeded the land back to the Territory of Hawaii and then the city of Honolulu in 1927, with the condition that the property be used wholly as a public park.
In 1931, the Parks Board designated the land as Moana Park and initiated development.  The Hawaiian Dredging Company deposited their dredgings much of which was coral reef to fill in the marsh.  The park added a sport pavilion, lawn bowling green, Banyan court, and bridal path bridge.  The pavilion includes murals painted by and bas relief sculptures made by Marguerite Louis Blasingame.  The bowling green was designed by Henry Sims Bent.
Dredging created two ponds and drainage canals, which allowed runoff of natural water.  The bridges and entry portals were also designed by Henry Sims Bent.
There was no beach; swimming was discouraged because of the presence of two nearby sewage outfalls.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt dedicated the park in 1934.
The Sports Pavilion, Banyan Garden, tennis courts, and murals by Robert Lee Eskridge were completed in 1937 as part of the New Deal efforts by the Civil Works Administration and the Federal Emergency Relief Administration.  While the Federal government provided the labor, local resources were required for construction materials.  Construction of the walls and terraces used a technique called concrete boulder construction.  This allowed use of inexpensive materials and tools and local workers with limited construction experience.
During World War II (1941-1946), the park was used as a staging area and military battery.  The military constructed barracks, an armory, and temporary fortification to support a heavier presence of personnel and weapons
.
Originally named Moana Park, the Parks Board changed the park’s name to Ala Moana, “path [to the] sea” in 1947. Originally named Moana Park, the Parks Board changed the park’s name to Ala Moana, “path to the sea in 1947.
The beach was created in 1954. The deep swimming area fronting the beach is a former boat channel that was dredged through the coral reef in the late 1920s to join Kewalo Basin with the Ala Wai Harbor.
In 1955, Hawaiian Dredging Company closed the west end of the channel with a landfill, now Kewalo Basin Park. Originally dredged for boat traffic, the channel is 20 to 30 feet deep and 1,000 yards long.  From 1957 to 1961, concession stands and bathrooms were added.  Henry Kaiser suggested the creation of a “magic island” of hotels, theaters, and swimming pools.  The existing park would have been made into a parking lot.
The land was constructed in 1962 through the reclamation of thirty acres of shallow reef.  Named Magic Island by the developers, the peninsula was the first phase of a resort hotel complex that called for two more islands to be constructed on the reef off Ala Moana Beach Park. After public outcry, the project stopped after the development of Magic Island, leaving the State with a man-made peninsula, which they converted into a public park.  In 1972 the State officially renamed Magic Island ‘Aina Moana, or “land [from the] sea,” to recognize that the park is made from dredged coral fill, but residents still call it Magic Island.
McCoy Pavilion was added to the Diamond Head side of the courtyard in 1975 and is named after Charles Lester McCoy, who presided over the creation of the park in the 1930s.  McCoy’s widow donated $1.2 million for construction after her death.  McCoy Pavilion is currently used for special events such as the annual Greek Festival  and the Hawaiian Scottish Festival and Highland games.
The park was added to the Hawaii State Register of Historic Places in 1988.


The Ala Wai Canal is an artificial waterway in Honolulu, Hawaii which serves as the northern boundary of the tourist district of Waikiki. It was created in 1928 to drain the rice paddies and swamps which would eventually become Waikiki. It also serves as a primary drainage corridor for the rivers and streams that run through central and east Honolulu.
The canal runs from just northwest of Kapahulu Avenue along the length of Waikiki, then turns southwest to empty into the Pacific Ocean. Bridges cross the canal at McCully Street, Kalākaua Avenue, and Ala Moana Boulevard. Ala Wai Boulevard runs parallel to the west side of the canal in Waikiki.


Before the canal existed, Waikiki consisted of wetlands which were fed by streams running from the Makiki, Palolo, and Manoa valleys to the sea. In the early 1900s, Lucius Pinkham, then President of the Territorial Board of Health, proposed to construct a drainage canal to drain the wetlands, which he considered "unsanitary." Although the canal proposal was approved by the Board of Health, final approval did not occur until Pinkham became Governor of Hawaii.
Construction of the canal by Walter F. Dillingham's Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company, began in 1921 and was completed in 1928. When the city was issuing permits for new buildings in Waikiki they required builders to build above sea level. Dillingham sold the spoil he had dredged in creating the canal so builders could increase the elevation of the newly-created land. The canal is routinely dredged to this day.
The creation of the canal shunted the flow of the streams directly into the ocean, which resulted in the creation of several square miles of new real estate. Among those who benefited from the development were people who, though of modest means, had obtained and maintained small rice and bean farms.
The reclamation of these lands were considered pivotal in the eventual development of Waikiki as a tourist center.
As originally designed, the canal's two-mile long waterway had two outlets, one on either end, which allowed sediment to be flushed into the ocean. Engineers decided not to build the eastern outlet, near Kapiolani Park and the Waikiki Natatorium when they determined that contamination from that end would be deposited on the beach at Waikiki.


One major concern raised by federal flood experts seeking to sell a gigantic USACE project is that heavy rain could cause the canal to overflow, potentially inundating the area from Diamond Head to Ala Moana and Moiliili with up to five feet of water. To prevent such a disaster, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has examined various measures, including digging a deeper channel, widening the McCully bridge, and adding walls along the canal.
Another major issue is the pollution in the canal brought about by urbanization. In addition to runoff from streets and growing neighborhoods, mercury was detected in the canal. The mercury was attributed to the boat paint used in the Ala Wai Harbor. A 1976 Department of Health report also said that canal water regularly violated federal limits on fecal coliform counts, an indicator of high bacteria levels.
The canal has been dredged at least three times, in 1967, 1978 and 2002. Most of the dredged sediment was deposited in the ocean, except for some sediment from the 2002 dredging, which was deemed too toxic and instead used for landfill at Honolulu International Airport.
In March 2006, heavy thunderstorms and rains overwhelmed the sewers around the Ala Wai Canal, causing a pressurized sewage line to break. Days later, and after the spill was made public, then Mayor Mufi Hannemann decided to divert nearly 48 million US gallons (180,000 m³) of untreated sewage into the Ala Wai Canal in an attempt to avoid having the sewage back up into hotels and residences. This diversion caused partial overflowing of the canal in some areas, and the sewage then tainted Waikiki and nearby beaches. The beaches near the Ala Wai Canal, including beaches in the Waikiki and Ala Moana districts were closed temporarily due to health concerns. In the weeks after the incident, beaches were eventually reopened, but it took several months before the Ala Wai Canal was determined to be safe and free from major health concerns. One person died from septic shock after falling into the Ala Wai Harbor near the mouth of the canal, with his death being attributed by some to the higher levels of bacteria present after the flood.
Despite the canal repeatedly falling short of meeting safety standards for paddling and recreational use, there has been no move to prohibit such use. Hundreds of paddlers and boaters make it one of the most used inland waterways in the state.
In 2022, researchers from the Department of Oceanography, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, published a paper  detailing the toxic levels of flesh-eating bacteria in the canal. Additionally, with the current worldwide environmental changes, the scientists' work, "suggest a 2- to 3-fold increase in average V. vulnificus density in the Ala Wai Canal by 2100".


WikiWeb_Alabama Department of Archives and History_0

The Alabama Department of Archives and History is the official repository of archival records for the U.S. state of  Alabama. Under the direction of Thomas M. Owen its founder, the agency received state funding by an act of the Alabama Legislature on February 27, 1901. Its primary mission is the collecting and preserving of archives, documents and artifacts relating to the history of the state.  It was the first publicly funded, independent state archives agency in the United States.  It subsequently became a model for the establishment of archives in other states.  Today the agency identifies, preserves, and makes accessible records and artifacts significant to the history of the state and serves as the official repository for records created by Alabama's state agencies.


Architecturally, the building is Greek Revival in style with some Beaux-Arts influences.  The central core of the building, as well as the east wing to the rear of the structure, is three stories over a below-grade basement.  The north and south wings are two-stories over a raised basement. The current front facade is approximately 350 feet (110 m) wide and 119 feet (36 m) tall from ground level to the top of the lantern on the dome.


The current capitol building was built from 1850 to 1851, with Barachias Holt as supervising architect. Holt, originally from Exeter, Maine, was a master mechanic by trade.  Following his work on the capitol, he created a successful sash, door, and blind factory in Montgomery.
The new building used the brick foundations and general layout of Button's previous structure, with modifications by Holt.  The modifications included a full three-story building over a basement and a three-story front portico, this time without a pediment.  Holt's dome was a departure from the previous work also; his wood and cast iron dome was supported on a ring of Corinthian columns and topped with a simple twelve-sided glazed lantern. John P. Figh and James D. Randolph were the principal contractors. Figh had previously completed extensive brickwork on the William Nichols-designed campus for the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. Randolph was in charge of the carpentry work, which was likely accomplished by subcontractors.  Nimrod E. Benson and Judson Wyman were the building supervisors.
The new capitol building was first occupied by the Alabama Legislature on October 1, 1851.  The clock over the portico was installed in February 1852. The clock, along with a bell, was purchased by the City of Montgomery and presented to the state in 1852.  In proportion to the capitol building, the clock appears as a square white box with black dials and crowned with a gabled roof. The dials are 10 feet (3.0 m) in diameter with 4-foot (1.2 m) minute hands and a 3-foot (0.91 m) hour hands.  It has been criticized as architecturally inappropriate on various occasions since its initial installation.
With the secession of Alabama and six other Deep South states and subsequent formation of the Confederacy in February 1861, the building served as its first capitol until May 22, 1861. A commemorative brass marker in the shape of a six-pointed star is set into the marble floor of the front portico at the precise location where Jefferson Davis stood on February 18, 1861, to take his oath of office as the only President of the Confederate States of America.
In 1901 delegates met at the Capitol to draft the Constitution of Alabama. Convention chair John B. Knox said they were there to end "the menace of negro domination." The new constitution enshrined "White Supremacy by Law" and consolidated power at the Capitol and away from local governments.
In 1961 Governor John Patterson flew a seven-starred version of the Stars and Bars over the capitol for several days in celebration of the centennial of the Civil War. His successor, George Wallace, raised the Confederate Battle Flag over the dome on April 25, 1963, as a symbol of defiance to the federal government; this was the date of his meeting with U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to discuss desegregation of the University of Alabama .
The flag continued to be flown over the capitol for almost 30 years. Several African American legislators and members of the state chapter of the NAACP were arrested in 1988 after attempting to remove the flag. In 1991 the flag was removed during renovations to the dome, and its return was barred by a 1993 state court decision. It ruled that an 1895 state statute allows only the national and state flags to be flown over the capitol building.
The building served as home to the Alabama Legislature until 1985, when it moved to the new Alabama State House. Officially, this move was temporary, since the Alabama Constitution requires that the Legislature meet in the capitol. In 1984, a constitutional amendment was passed that allowed the Legislature to move to another building if the capitol were to be renovated.  The renovation started in 1985 and was completed in 1992 by the architecture group Holmes and Holmes. When the capitol was reopened, the Governor of Alabama and numerous other state offices moved back into the building, but the legislature remained at the State House.
On May 7, 2009, the legislature reconvened in the capitol building for the first time since September 20, 1985, due to flooding in the State House. This required some adapting, as the capitol did not have desks in the House chamber, and those in the Senate chamber were 1861 replicas. Neither chamber has a computerized voting system.  The capitol building's heating and air conditioning is supplied from the State House. Because the electricity had been turned off in the State House due to the flooding, there was no air conditioning in the capitol.


The areas that are open for tourists are the entry stairhall, the old Governor's Office, the old State Supreme Court, the old Supreme Court Library, the rotunda, the old House of Representatives, and the old Senate Chamber.  Its buildings and grounds are maintained by the Alabama Historical Commission.


WikiWeb_Alabama State University Historic District_1

Alabama State University traces its beginnings to 1867, when former slaves Joey Pinch, Thomas Speed, Nickolas Dale, James Childs, Thomas Lee, John Freeman, Nathan Levert, David Harris, and Alexander H. Curtis founded a school for African Americans in Marion, Alabama.  This school, the Lincoln Normal School, was the direct predecessor for the State Normal School and University for the Education of Colored Teachers and Students, established in 1873 by the Alabama Legislature.  In 1887 the school moved to Montgomery, renamed the Alabama Colored Peoples University. Classes were initially held at Beulah Baptist Church.  The name was changed to State Normal School of Colored Students in 1889, following legal wrangling regarding state funding.
Land for a permanent campus at the current location was purchased in 1889, with the first permanent building, the wood-frame Tullibody Hall, erected in 1890.  This Tullibody Hall burned in 1904 and was rebuilt in brick in 1906.  Following the death of the first president, William Burns Paterson, in 1915, the school became organized as a four-year teacher training high school and junior college.  In the 1920s additional land was purchased and the state appropriated $50,000 for the construction of dormitories and dining facilities.  The school became a full four-year institution in 1928, had a name change to State Teachers College in 1929, and conferred its first bachelor's degree in teacher education in 1931. The majority of buildings within the historic district date from this mid-20th century period, 1916 through 1945.  The name of the university changed several more times over the next few decades: to Alabama State College for Negroes in 1948, Alabama State College in 1954, and in 1969 assumed the current title of Alabama State University.


The complex has many other spaces. These include a forecourt, located outside the east church and north of the colonnaded walkway; a necropolis just west of the forecourt; tombs of Tarasis the Elder and Younger, carved into the cliff side next to the necropolis; a spring complex that directed water around and under buildings, both to keep them dry and to provide a reliable water source to the community; a bath house, located far east, past the east church; and a lower terrace in the valley that was used for agriculture.


Alameda Avenue originates immediately west of the Plaza Baquedano, as a continuation of Providencia Avenue, and runs in a generally southwesterly direction until its junction with Chile Route 68. The south section of the initial stretch of the avenue is dominated by a cluster of tower blocks called Remodelación San Borja. On the opposite side of the Alameda, the city blocks are characterized by a continuous building frontage. This urban design is broken by the Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral. The corner of the Alameda and Portugal Avenue is home to the headquarters of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
Heading west, the avenue skirts the southern edge of the Cerro Santa Lucía. The following stretch of the Alameda consists of almost unbroken blocks of mostly office and commercial buildings interspersed with some historical buildings, including
the Biblioteca Nacional de Chile, San Francisco Church, Club de la Unión and behind it the building housing the Santiago Stock Exchange, as well as the old building serving as headquarters for the University of Chile, which faces the Paseo Ahumada. West of the just mentioned street and a half block north of the Alameda is located the Edificio Ariztía.
West of San Francisco Church, the Alameda's median widens to accommodate a park. The avenue bisects a large rectangular area lined with walls of government buildings, whose core portion is home to the Palacio de la Moneda. West of Amunátegui Street stands the Torre Entel, a landmark communication tower. The Norte-Sur axis of the Autopista Central passes underneath Alameda. From here the average height of the buildings decreases significantly.
Between Brasil Avenue and Cumming Avenue, it borders the Barrio Concha y Toro.
Leaving the central district at Matucana Avenue, the Alameda enters into Estación Central. The Santiago Estación Central railway station and the main campus of the University of Santiago are located here.
Crossing Las Rejas Avenue, the avenue forms the boundary between Estación Central to the south and Lo Prado to the north. The Alameda terminates at a partial Y interchange.


La Alameda's principal monuments are dedicated to the military heroes in Chile's history.  Near the La Moneda Palace are the statues of José de San Martín, Manuel Bulnes Prieto, and Bernardo O'Higgins.
Near the intersection of the Autopista Central and La Alameda, there is erected the statue to the heroes of the Battle of La Concepción.  A beautiful mosaic was constructed at the edge of Santa Lucía Hill in honor of the poet Gabriela Mistral; there are also dozens of other monuments to persons of national and international importance along the central floe of La Alameda.


The mosque is architecturally a blend of Islamic and Hindu architecture. The mosque has high domes and minarets. Two of its minarets were damaged; one minaret collapsed killing a few people and the other was officially brought down owing to stability concerns. The Panchaganga Ghat where the mosque is situated is where five streams are said to join. In October lamps are lighted on top of a bamboo staff as a mark of guidance to the ancestors.


Alamo Square Park includes a playground and a tennis court, and is frequented by neighbors, tourists, and dog owners. On a clear day, the Transamerica Pyramid building and the tops of the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge can be seen from the park's center. The San Francisco City Hall can be seen directly down Fulton Street. The area is part of the city's fifth Supervisorial district and is served by several Muni bus lines, including the 5, 21, 22, and 24. In 2016 it was closed for a $4.3 million renovation lasting seven months.


The Alamo Square neighborhood is characterized by Victorian architecture that was left largely untouched by the urban renewal projects in other parts of the Western Addition. The Alamo Square area contains the second largest concentration of homes over 10,000 square feet (930 m²) in San Francisco, after the Pacific Heights neighborhood.
A row of Victorian houses facing the park on Steiner Street, known as the "Painted Ladies", are often shown in the foreground of panoramic pictures of the city's downtown area. A number of movies, television shows and commercials have been filmed in or around Alamo Square. The park features heavily in the 1978 horror film The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and the 2012 romantic comedy The Five-Year Engagement. The opening sequence of the American sitcom Full House (1987-1995) features a romp in Alamo Square Park with the famous row of Victorians in the background.
There are many architecturally significant mansions on the perimeter of the park, including the William Westerfeld House, the Archbishop's Mansion, the residences of the Russian and German Imperial consuls in the early 1900s, and the mansions on the block diagonally across from the Painted Ladies. In 1984, the Alamo Square Historic District was created by the Board of Supervisors, stating:
The Alamo Square Historic District is significant as a continuum of distinguished residential architecture by distinguished architects spanning the period from the 1870s to the 1920s. The towered Westerfield House, the renowned "Postcard Row" with its background of the downtown skyline, and the neighboring streetscapes are as identified worldwide with San Francisco as the cable cars and Coit Tower. With a variety of architectural styles, the District is unified in its residential character, relatively small scale, construction type, materials (principally wood), intense ornamentation (especially at entry and cornice), and use of basements and retaining walls to adjust for hillside sites... With a high degree of integrity to its original designs, the District clearly serves as a visual reminder of how businessmen lived two to four generations ago.


The demographics of the neighborhood are characteristic of other urban neighborhoods that have undergone gentrification: many young people and upper-middle-class homeowners, in addition to a diverse older population. Divisadero Street, which divides Alamo Square from North Panhandle, is home to a number of small businesses including a growing collection of hip and popular restaurants and bars, catering to the young tech professionals who are contributing to the booming San Francisco startup economy, and who value Alamo Square's weather, conveniently central location and easy access to transportation options.
Efforts on the part of Alamo Square and North Panhandle residents and merchants have led to restrictions on chain stores on the corridor.
Neighborhood groups include the Alamo Square Neighborhood Association and the Haight-Divisadero Neighborhood Merchants Association.


Alaniya National Park (Russian: Национальный парк «Ала́ния»), is a heavily glaciated, mountainous section of the northern slope of the Central Caucasus Mountains. It covers the southern third of the Irafsky District of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. The park was created to have a dual purpose of serving as an ecological refuge - it has very high levels of biodiversity and vulnerable species, such as the near-endangered west Caucasian tur – and also an area of high cultural heritage and potential for recreational tourism. The park contains widespread archaeological ruins from several notable past civilizations, including the Bronze Age Koban people (1200–300 BCE), and the Alans people (100 BCE – 1234 AD). It is from the Alans that the name "Alaniya", and indirectly the term "Aryan", is ultimately derived. Because altitudes in the park can span almost 4,000 meters vertical in very short distances, the slopes and valleys display strong 'altitude zoning'. These climatic zones range from alpine glaciers and peaks in the high, southern sections, to steppe grasslands in the northern reaches.


The park sits at a central point of the Caucusus, which are themselves the continental divide between Asia and Europe. Alaniya NP is approximately two-thirds of the distance between the Black Sea to the west and the Caspian Sea to the east. The southern border of the park, at the top of the mountain ridge, runs along the border with the Republic of Georgia. To the west is the Kabardino-Balkaria Reserve (another mountain-peak protected area), and to the east is the North Ossetian Reserve.
Altitudes range from a high at Mount Uilpata of 4,646 metres (15,243 ft), to 800 meters in the Urukh River valley below. Most of the ground cover is glacier, rock and scree at the higher altitudes. Modern glaciation is approximately 80 square kilometres (8,000 ha; 19,768 acres; 31 sq mi). At mid-level altitudes, approximately 20% of the park is forested. At the lowest levels, and in the valleys to the north, are grasslands and scattered forest.
The park has more than 70 rivers and streams, mostly fed by glaciers.  The few lakes are small in size and also fed by glaciers and snow runoff.  The 45 lakes cover an area of only 11 hectares in total, while the 5 alpine marshes cover a total area of 103 hectares.  The main ridge and side ridge is composed of granites, gneisses, and schists, with the younger sedimentary rocks gathered in large fan-shaped folds.  There are mineral springs in the upper valleys, waterfalls, and forest glades on terraces. Named glaciers include the Masota, Tana, Karuaugom, Songuti, Bart, Fastagstete, and Tasmazov.
The primary river valley through the park is the Urukh River, fed by the Karaugom Glacier and numerous glacial tributaries. The Karaugom Glacier is 1.3 km long, and 26.6 km in area.  In elevation, the glacier reaches from 3,440 meters at the top to 1,830 meters at the bottom of the tongue – a height of 1,610 metres (1 mi).  A recent study associated the glacier's with a rise in temperatures in the Central Caucusus of 0.05 degrees C per year, and an average glacial retreat of 8 meters per year.  Moreover, the Karaugom descends to a lower altitude than any other glacier in the Caucusus, well into the forested zone.


The highest altitudes, above 1,800 meters are alpine and sub-alpine in character. At mid-level altitudes, approximately 20% of the park is forested, with pine, rhododendron, yellow birch, juniper and wild rose being common. At the lowest levels, and in the valleys to the north, are grasslands and river plain plant communities. Over 1,000 species of plants have been identified in the park, 200 of which are endemic to the Caucasus.
At the uppers level of the Haresskogouschelya river valley, at the 2,400-meter level, is the "Chifandzar Swamp".  This peatland is approximately 3 hectares in size, dominated by sphagnum, sedge and northern flowers such as the golden buttercup.  With a depth of 3 meters, it is believed that the Chifandzar is 5,000 years old.


The area of Alaniya NP has been inhabited for thousands of years.  Because it features fertile territory on an important trade route through the Caucuses, it has been a home for many succeeding groups who have left archaeological remains of their presence.  The Bronze Age Koban culture inhabited the area from about 1100 BC through 400 BC, when they are believed to have been destroyed by the Scythians. The Koban people established workshops of skilled metal-workers, taking advantage of the mineral resources of the mountainous area. The Koban also developed terrace agriculture, beginning a tradition of soil erosion in the area that eventually left large patches of the terraced land infertile.
In the early years of the first millennium, the area was settled by the Alans people. The Alans, a warlike, nomadic tribe who spoke an Iranian language, had been nomadic throughout Europe before eventually settling in the Northern Caucasus around 700 CE. They built a powerful kingdom in the Alaniya area.  When they were militarily overcome by the Mongols in about 1300 CE, they retreated into the hills, remaining relatively isolated until 500 years later.  These Alans were the medieval ancestors of the current Ossetian people.  The present-day people in the western areas of North Ossetia (known historically as Digoria) sometimes speak the Digor dialect; they were one of the last groups brought officially into Ossetia.
The mountainous area of Irafsky District has experienced a long-term population decline and out-migration for the past 200 years. As to the park itself, the present administrative unit was preceded by a protected forestry reserve established in 1958. In the years following and through the creation of full national park status in 1998, the assembly of linked protection zones was created. Today, the park is protected by the Department of Forestry and Protection, with full-time patrols by car, horse and foot to enforce environmental laws.


For all types of visitors to the recreational zones, permits are issued in the city of Chikola, with allowances for cars and pets. To venture into the security zone on the border, permits must be obtained from one the frontier offices (see the park's website for details); a 1- to 30-day turnaround time may be necessary.
Transportation to the park is typically by train or plane to Vladikavkaz, then by bus or taxi to Chikola. There are hostels in Dzinaga and Rostelmash, and a hotel at the "gates of heaven" location in the park. There are also accommodations at the climbing camp "Coma-Art"; contact directly for information.
The park is well known for mountain climbing. Climbs from the simple to 6B in the Russian classification; the two highest peaks are Uilpata (4649 m) and Laboda (4313.7 m).


Alappuzha Beach is a beach in Alappuzha town and a tourist attraction in Kerala, India. Beach has an old pier which extend to sea is over 150 years old. Alappuzha beach host many events annually like Alappuzha beach festival, Sand art festival and many more.


The Alaska Highway (French: Route de l'Alaska; also known as the Alaskan Highway, Alaska-Canadian Highway, or ALCAN Highway) was constructed during World War II to connect the contiguous United States to Alaska across Canada. It begins at the junction with several Canadian highways in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and runs to Delta Junction, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon. When it was completed in 1942, it was about 2,700 kilometres (1,700 mi) long, but in 2012, it was only 2,232 km (1,387 mi). This is due to the continuing reconstruction of the highway, which has rerouted and straightened many sections. The highway opened to the public in 1948. Once legendary for being a rough, challenging drive, the highway is now paved over its entire length. Its component highways are British Columbia Highway 97, Yukon Highway 1, and Alaska Route 2.
An informal system of historic mileposts developed over the years to denote major stopping points. Delta Junction, at the end of the highway, makes reference to its location at "Historic Milepost 1422". It is at this point that the Alaska Highway meets the Richardson Highway, which continues 155 km (96 mi) to the city of Fairbanks. This is often regarded, though unofficially, as the northwestern portion of the Alaska Highway, with Fairbanks at Historic Milepost 1520. Mileposts on this stretch of highway are measured from the port of Valdez on Prince William Sound, rather than the Alaska Highway. The Alaska Highway is popularly (but unofficially) considered part of the Pan-American Highway, which extends south (despite its discontinuity in Panama) to Argentina.


The official start of construction took place on March 9, 1942, after hundreds of pieces of construction equipment were moved on priority trains by the Northern Alberta Railways to the northeastern part of British Columbia near Mile 0 at Dawson Creek. Construction accelerated through the spring as the winter weather faded away and crews were able to work from both the northern and southern ends; they were spurred on after reports of the Japanese invasion of Kiska Island and Attu Island in the Aleutians. During construction the road was nicknamed the "oil can highway" by the work crews due to the large number of discarded oil cans and fuel drums that marked the road's progress. The construction crew had also passed through an Indigenous village known as Champagne (Shadhala-ra) which they used to set up camp. Unfortunately, disease had spread and nearly wiped out the entire indigenous population of the village. After the war, the survivors left the village to find work rendering this location a ghost town.
On September 24, 1942, crews from both directions met at Mile 588 at what became named Contact Creek, at the British Columbia-Yukon border at the 60th parallel; the entire route was completed October 28, 1942, with the northern linkup at Mile 1202, Beaver Creek, and the highway was dedicated on November 20, 1942, at Soldier's Summit.
The road was originally built mostly by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a supply route during World War II. In 1942, the Army Corps of Engineers assigned more than 10,000 men, about a third of whom were black soldiers, members of three newly formed Negro regiments. There were four main thrusts in building the route: southeast from Delta Junction, Alaska, toward a linkup at Beaver Creek, Yukon; north then west from Dawson Creek (an advance group started from Fort Nelson, British Columbia, after traveling on winter roads on frozen marshland from railway stations on the Northern Alberta Railways); both east and west from Whitehorse after being ferried in via the White Pass and Yukon Route railway. The Army commandeered equipment of all kinds, including local riverboats, railway locomotives, and housing originally meant for use in southern California.
Although it was completed on October 28, 1942, and its completion was celebrated at Soldier's Summit on November 21 (and broadcast by radio, the exact outdoor temperature censored due to wartime concerns), the "highway" was not usable by general vehicles until 1943. Even then there were many steep grades, a poor surface, switchbacks to gain and descend hills, and few guardrails. Bridges, which progressed during 1942 from pontoon bridges to temporary log bridges, were replaced with steel bridges where necessary. A replica log bridge, the Canyon Creek bridge, can be seen at the Aishihik River crossing; the bridge was rebuilt in 1987 and refurbished in 2005 by the Yukon government as it is a popular tourist attraction. The easing of the Japanese invasion threat resulted in no more contracts being given to private contractors for upgrading of specific sections.
Some 100 miles (160 km) of route between Burwash Landing and Koidern, Yukon, became nearly impassable in May and June 1943, as the permafrost thawed, no longer protected by a layer of delicate vegetation. A corduroy road was built to restore the route, and corduroy still underlays old sections of highway in the area. Modern construction methods do not allow the permafrost to thaw, either by building a gravel berm on top or replacing the vegetation and soil immediately with gravel. The Burwash-Koidern section, however, is still a problem as the new highway built there in the late 1990s continues to experience frost heave.
Pincers on Japan and Look to the North, both 1944 productions, were National Film Board of Canada documentaries that depicted the construction of the Alaska Highway.