The steep walls of the gorge support some rare fauna and flora, including species unique to the gorge. There are a total of 24 rare plant species and two unique trees: the Bristol and Wilmotts's whitebeams. Other notable plants include Bristol rock cress, Bristol onion, spiked speedwell, autumn squill and honewort. Because of its steep sides, there are many parts of the gorge on which trees cannot grow, making way for smaller plants. The gorge is also home to rare invertebrate species. The gorge has a microclimate around 1 degree warmer than the surrounding land. The steep south-west facing sides receive the afternoon sunlight, but are partially sheltered from the prevailing winds. When winds come from the Bristol Channel in the north west they may be funnelled into the gorge, creating harsh and wet conditions.
The steep gorge walls make an ideal habitat for peregrine falcons, with a plentiful supply of food nearby in the form of pigeons and gulls. Peregrines have a history of nesting in the gorge, but having become rare in the British Isles they did not breed and were rarely seen in the gorge after the 1930s. In 1990 Peregrines returned to the gorge, and have successfully bred in most of the following years. On warm days a strong uplift forms in the gorge, on which birds of prey soar while hunting. The gorge also houses large populations of Jackdaw and horseshoe bats, both of which find homes in the caves and bridge buttresses.
Due to its geology and ecology, an area of 155.4 hectares (384.0 acres) of the gorge and surrounding woodland has been protected as a biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the original notification taking place in 1952. The site may in future be protected as a Special Area of Conservation under the European Commission Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC). The Leigh Woods side of the gorge is largely owned by the National Trust. The Downs on the city side of the gorge are owned by Bristol City Council and managed as a large public park. The gorge side is protected in partnership with Bristol Zoo, WWF and English Nature. The council's management of the gorge involves balancing the need to protect its ecology with recreational uses such as rock climbing.
Green-flowered helleborine is found on the western side of the gorge, in a wooded area next to the towpath below Leigh Woods. lady orchid was discovered here in 1990, in Nightingale Valley on the west side of the Gorge; there is some doubt as to whether this was a wild plant or an introduction. fly orchid and bee orchid are found in the gorge, along with their hybrid. A single plant of lesser meadow-rue is present in the gorge. Bristol rock-cress occurs here, and at nearby Penpole Point; in the gorge, there are about 3,000 plants on the Bristol side, and about 2,000 below Leigh Woods. Hutchinsia is found on both sides of the gorge. Bloody crane's-bill grows on the Bristol side of the gorge, where it is believed to be native. Little robin occurs on both sides of the gorge. Spiked speedwell grows on both sides of the gorge: the first British record of this plant was from the gorge, in 1641.


The gorge area was inhabited at least as early as the Iron Age, probably by the Dobunni tribe. In Leigh Woods above Nightingale Valley, a steep dry valley beside the suspension bridge, is Stokeleigh Camp, one of three Iron Age hill forts in the area. Stokeleigh was occupied from 3BC to 1AD, and was also used in the Middle Ages. The camp was protected on two sides by the cliff faces of the gorge and Nightingale Valley, and was also protected by earthworks, and is now a scheduled ancient monument. A second hill fort was situated across Nightingale Valley, but has since been built on, and bridge road cuts through it. The third hill fort was situated on the opposite side of the gorge, in what is now observatory green. Archaeology, plus the configuration of the three forts, suggest they played a role in defending the gorge.
During the Middle Ages and industrial revolution the area which now forms The Downs was used as common grazing land. It was mined for lead, calamine, iron and limestone, and became home to a windmill which produced snuff from the tobacco which had become one of the city's principal imports. In 1777 the windmill burnt out in a storm, and the building was converted into the observatory, which houses a camera obscura. In the 18th and 19th centuries Bristol's economy boomed and Clifton became a desirable place to live. Mansion houses were built overlooking the gorge, but after grazing was stopped, trees grew and obscured the view from these mansions. In the Victorian era, with houses creeping further onto the Downs, an Act of Parliament was passed to protect them as a park for the people of Bristol. In 1754 a bridge to span the gorge was proposed, but it was nearly 80 years before work began on Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge, and a further 30 years before it was completed. Today the bridge is perhaps the best known landmark in Bristol.
Throughout Bristol's history the gorge has been an important transport route, carrying the River Avon, major roads and two railways.  It is the gateway to Bristol Harbour, and provided protection against storms or attack. The Bristol Channel and Avon estuary have a very high tidal range of 15 metres (49 ft), second only to Bay of Fundy in Eastern Canada; and the gorge is relatively narrow and meandering, making it notoriously difficult to navigate. Several vessels have grounded in the gorge including the SS Demerara soon after her launch in 1851, the schooner Gipsy in 1878, the steam tug Black Eagle in 1861 and the Llandaff City. The phrase "ship shape and Bristol fashion" arises from when the main harbour in Bristol was tidal, the bottom of which was rocky. If ships were not of stout construction then they would simply break up as the tide receded, hence the phrase.
A railway, the Bristol Port Railway, was built through the gorge on the east side from Hotwells to Avonmouth between 1863 and 1865. The Portishead Railway was opened on the west side in 1867. The section of the Bristol Port Railway between Hotwells and Sneyd Park junction was closed in 1922, when construction of a major road through the gorge, the Portway, was started. The Portway was opened in 1926. The road is now part of the A4 road, linking Bristol city centre to the M5 motorway, which bypasses the city near Avonmouth. In the late 1990s the wide pavement through nearly all the Avon Gorge was designated to be legally usable by both cyclists and the fewer pedestrians.
Two railways still run through the gorge. On the east side the Severn Beach Line to Avonmouth and Severn Beach uses the remaining part of the Bristol Port Railway through part of the gorge, and through a tunnel under the Downs. On the west side the Portishead Railway was closed by the Beeching Axe in the 1960s, but has since been reopened for freight traffic as far as Royal Portbury Dock, 2.5 miles (4 km) downstream, and funding is now in place to reopen the rest of the line and reintroduce passenger services to Portishead. Between 1893 and 1934, the Clifton Rocks Railway linked the passenger steamer pier at Hotwells with Clifton on the rim of the gorge.
A footpath and National Cycle Network cycleway run alongside the Portishead Railway and along the old towpath.
The gorge's proximity to the urban population of Bristol made it a popular venue for rock climbing from the 1940s – a time when most UK climbing was centred in mountain areas. The first guide to climbing routes in Avon Gorge was published in 1955 by the University of Bristol Mountaineering Club. The same year, British mountaineer Chris Bonington climbed Main Wall putting up Mercavity. The 2017 edition of The Climbers' Club Guide to Avon Gorge by Martin Crocker lists 400 pages of routes and guidance.    Avon Gorge is often criticised as being so over-climbed many of the routes are "polished".


Around 1965, former French downhill olympic champion Jean Vuarnet was given the task of developing the skiing of Morzine and came up with the first plan of a new skiing area on the north side of the Hauts Fort mountain and the Fornet-bowl. Later, lift connections were made to the east and south, creating a vast linked skiing area covering France and Switzerland. Avoriaz as a resort is the brainchild of Gerard Bremont, the son of a leading French industrialist whom Jean Vuarnet asked to invest in the project. Gerard Bremont - at the time a notable member of the French jetset - engaged 3 newly educated and highly talented young architects to design the resort and within a few years Avoriaz and especially the Hotel Dromont and its restaurant and Discothèque was proclaimed the "Saint Tropez de Neige" - the centre of jet-set skiing. At a later stage other former elite skiers such as Isabelle Mir and Annie Famose got involved - the latter today running the famous ski-kindergarten. The two of them jointly giving name to one of the leading ski- and fashion shops, The Mirfamose. Today Avoriaz is no longer a fashionable destination as such but more of a mainstream winter-resort with predominantly self-catering guests staying under more modest conditions. For the Winter 2011/12 ski season Avoriaz has undergone many changes including the development of a brand new area with 8 buildings housing a total of 450 ski apartments including L'Amara, Crozats and L'Electra residences.


Avoriaz is a resort on the main circuit of one of the largest skiing areas in the world, Les Portes du Soleil, named after a pass between France and Switzerland. The Avoriaz part of the skiing area consists of about 130 km of piste. The entire Portes du Soleil offers between 650 and 700 km of piste - nearly all of it linked by more than 200 lifts. The total lift capacity is close to 250,000 persons/h. making it one of the two largest linked lift networks in the world alongside Les Trois Vallées (PdS having slightly more lifts but with slightly less capacity/h). Avoriaz is directly linked to Swiss resort Les Crosets and French resorts Chatel and Morzine. The connection between Avoriaz, and specifically the Lindaret bowl and Chatel has recently been upgraded to a 6-person chair, replacing an old chair and opening up the connection for more skiers and snowboarders. Plans are underway to increase the connections between Morzine and Avoriaz, with the new Prodain lift opened at the end of the 2012/13 season and an extension down the valley into the centre of Morzine planned.
The Avoriaz pistes are divided in 4 sectors: The Lindaret, Haut-Forts, Fornet and Super Morzine. The latter being mainly connection to Morzine and heavily used by ski-schools and beginners.
The Lindaret is a beautiful valley with a number of red and blue runs plus a single black. It also has The Stash - a conceptual snowpark developed by Burton and based on ecological principles. It is the only one of its kind in France. There are a number of restaurants and a small village at the bottom of the valley.
The Fornet area is a large bowl with basically skiing everywhere between huge rocks and crevasses. From one of the ridges around the Fornet bowl one can test the famous La Chavanette - also known as The Swiss Wall, one of the steepest pistes in Europe - it is not part of the Avoriaz system but belongs to neighbouring Swiss resort Les Crosets.
Haut-Forts is the most demanding area with a number of black runs starting at 2,400 and ending at 1,100 metres, some of which are for experts only. The world cup piste - although rated black - is pretty easy though. This area is also ideal for off-piste although caution is advised since this is an area with frequent avalanches. From the Haut-Forts top-station it is possible to ski directly back to Avoriaz by red or blue slopes.


For twenty years, from 1973 to 1993, Avoriaz was host to the Avoriaz International Fantastic Film Festival (French: Festival international du film fantastique d'Avoriaz)—a film festival mainly devoted to science fiction and horror movies. Steven Spielberg's debut, Duel, was the first prizewinner of the festival. Other winners include Peter Jackson, David Cronenberg and David Lynch (twice). There is a quite interesting series of posters covering the 20 festivals. The posters were originally for sale in different sizes, including postcards, but are hard to find today. The posters are on permanent display at the restaurant "Le Bistro" in the resort-centre.
The event was succeeded by the similar Festival International du Film Fantastique de Gérardmer.


The Awaji Yumebutai (淡路夢舞台) is a complex of conference center, hotel and memorial in Awaji, Hyōgo, built near the epicenter of the 1995 Great Hanshin Awaji earthquake. It was designed by Tadao Ando,
who had begun planning for the project (as a park) prior to the earthquake.
The hotel is operated as the Westin Awaji Island Resort.


Ayala Bridge, in Filipino "Tulay ng Ayala" and in Spanish "Puente de Ayala", is a steel truss bridge over the Pasig River in Manila, Philippines. It connects the districts of Ermita and San Miguel, passing over the western tip of Isla de Convalecencia. It carries Circumferential Road 1 (C-1) and National Route 180 (N180), linking Ayala Boulevard in Ermita to P. Casal Street in San Miguel.


In the impressively short time of three weeks, the hill was dug out and a large underground chamber of 300 square yards (the size of a tennis court) 13 feet (8m) underground with nearly 2-foot-thick (0,5m) concrete walls and ceiling was built. Above, the sort of buildings used in an ordinary kibbutz - dining room, community hall, children's house etc. were erected. Additionally, a laundry and a bakery were constructed. Here, the very detailed plan regarding the factory can be observed at its best: It had to anticipate every possible threat to the endeavour of establishing a secret ammunition plant. Everything had to be foreseen. An entrance was needed for workers to enter the factory, as well as an opening to lower into it the necessary heavy machines. The question of ventilation was vital, as were plausible cover stories for the workers. These solutions were found: The big hole used to lower the machines was covered by the 10-ton oven of the bakery, while rails to move it were even embedded in concrete to avoid any ray of light. The chimney of the bakery became part of the ventilation system. Its counterpart – one to get fresh air in, the other one to bring the gases and exhaust air out – was hidden in the technical system of the laundry. Its automated industrial washing machine was movable as well and hid the secret entrance to the underground factory.
The washing machine which covered the noise and smell of the factory was in use constantly, and the kibbutz members' clothes were washed so often that they became ragged. To solve this problem the kibbutz opened a laundry service. Surrounding kibbutzim sent their linens to be washed for a small fee. Even the British brought their uniforms to be taken care of. To distance the British personnel, the kibbutz extended its laundry service by a delivery service. Another severe problem, to get all of the brass necessary for the bullets, was solved as well in a smart move: The kibbutz members told the British that they operated a little beauty business producing cases for kosher lipsticks. The British accepted the stated purpose of the side business – which was reinforced by gifts from the Jews of lipstick cases to British officials – and let the kibbutz operate.
Downstairs, forty-five women and men worked in the bullet factory for three years. They worked in two shifts to punch brass, bend and lumber it, cut it to size, fill it with gunpowder and finalise each cartridge by installing a primer (produced elsewhere). Following a strict procedure and control panel for each step of production, the workers strove to avoid injury or worse. Amazingly, at a place were more than 2 million cartridges were filled by hand with gunpowder, the most severe injury was a cut-off fingertip. Since the gunpowder smuggled into the factory was sometimes of poor quality, the workers even had a testing facility underground. To make sure the ammunition was safe and effective, they randomly sampled bullets and shot them in the underground testing room at targets to check for accuracy and precision. Each day, at the precise moment when the train passed by, they were able to use the noise of its passage to disguise their test firing.
Every day the factory workers would go underground very early, and in a span of less than three minutes to avoid detection. Though the air was exchanged six times per hour, there was no air conditioning, and particularly on hot days work conditions were hard. (At temperatures above 40 °C the danger of spontaneous ignition of the gunpowder stopped the production.) Lack of sunlight paled the skin of the workers, putting their cover stories (of working in the fields) at stake and increasing their risk of illness due to lack of vitamin D. According to the recommendation of a medical doctor, additional food was organised for the workers, and a UV lamp was installed underground to tan their skin to avoid suspicion. Every day when leaving the factory the workers had to make sure they carried no trace of their work, such as brass shavings or gunpowder. Everyone went through a thorough inspection of their clothes, hair and shoes before being allowed to exit the factory. To pretend they taking part in ordinary kibbutz life, the workers daily attended lunch with the other kibbutz inhabitants in the dining hall: Each noon they left the factory secretly for lunch, individually or in small groups, to mimic arrival from the surrounding fields.
During the first year of its existence, boxes of completed ammunition were smuggled outside the kibbutz in the false bottom of milk cans, milk being an unsuspicious commodity for a kibbutz. The risk of discovery, and the limited volume this allowed the factory to move, led to a search for a new means of delivery. It was also necessary to allow the distribution of the ammunition to all places in Palestine which were in preparation for defence. A new means of smuggling material both into and out of the factory was instituted: From time to time and nightly, fuel was delivered to the kibbutz by lorry. The lorry driver was known only to the person on guard in the kibbutz. The driver would enter the kibbutz, knock a secret code at the door of the bakery, climb down to the factory, deliver new material and pick up the filled boxes. Since the workers never met the driver, the person was referred to as "an elf", providing the materials needed without being seen. For the Haganah, it was of outmost importance that all secret groups never know each other. In the worst case – in case of capture – they could never betray any group other than their own. The bullets were distributed via the network of Haganah-organised groups. Thus, by providing the munition for the Palmach fighters it played a role in the establishment of Israel.


Aydın Archaeological Museum (Turkish: Aydın Arkeoloji Müzesi) is in Aydın, western Turkey. Established in 1959, it contains numerous statues, tombs, columns and stone carvings from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods, unearthed in ancient cities such as Alinda, Alabanda,  Amyzon, Harpasa, Magnesia on the Maeander, Mastaura, Myus, Nisa, Orthosia, Piginda, Pygela and Tralleis. The museum also has a section devoted to ancient coin finds.


The museum is located in Müze Bulvarı 4, at Ilıcabaşı neighborhood of Efeler, Aydın district. It is closed on Mondays and on the first day of religious holidays until noon.


Documentary evidence shows that a timber hall first existed on this site.
The land was purchased by Hugh de Raymes, a major Suffolk merchant, between 1293 and 1295. He bought the property from the estate of an impoverished neighbour in the hope of increasing his social stature and influence. The sale was delayed by legal complications and the estate was not released until 1296, after Hugh de Raymes's death in 1295: his son Robert took over ownership of the property and it was Robert who moved his household and made Aydon Hall his primary residence. The move was believed to be due to opportunities for Robert in the Scottish Wars of Independence, and it is known that Robert fought in Scotland between 1297 and 1298. Robert is believed to have fought at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298 against the Scottish forces of William Wallace. Upon Robert's return from fighting in Scotland, he began the construction of the first stone structure. Aydon had previously featured a wooden structure with a two-storey chamber block.
The original manor house began construction in 1296. At the time of its initial construction, the manor did not feature any defensive works or fortifications. Shortly after the stone construction began, Robert de Raymes added a two-storey hall range. Initially there was little need for fortifications to exist in Aydon. However, this changed in 1305 when Aydon Hall received permission to add crenellations. It is possible that the crenellations were added only to increase the status of the hall, but it would soon prove necessary to fortify the hall beginning in 1311 and 1312, as Scottish border reivers began to launch raids into English territory. Aydon itself was attacked during this time, successfully repelling at least two known assaults by Scottish forces. These Scottish raiders managed to damage the surrounding area, but were unable to capture Aydon Hall itself.
The military and political situation became dire for the English in Northumberland following the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Aydon Castle was captured by the Scots in 1315 after the governor of the castle surrendered to the besieging forces. Aydon Castle was pillaged, burnt, and severely damaged by the Scots following the surrender of the garrison. The castle was further damaged in 1317 by English raiders seeking to loot whatever the Scots had left. The owner of Aydon Castle, Robert de Raymes, had been captured at Bannockburn and had been financially ruined by the destruction of his home and the 500-mark ransom he had paid for his release. Robert died in 1324 with little to his name. By this time, the estate was considered worthless.


There are two restored barns by the main entrance one of which houses the Tearoom and Giftshop.  This barn dates to the seventeenth century.


Aynhoe Park was acquired by the Country Houses Association in the 1950s, an organisation focused on finding alternative uses for former stately homes.  Under the CHA's ownership the main block and service wings at the estate were converted into multiple retirement apartments, and were used as such until the CHA went into liquidation in 2004. The estate was ultimately acquired by event promoter James Perkins in 2006.
Under Perkins' ownership the estate was reimagined, and remodelled, several times as he sought to make it economically viable through a broad array of activities at the estate.  The service wings were initially converted to office use (use class B1), and the retirement apartments in the main block were converted into a venue for high-end catered weddings, parties, displays and conferences, with 41 en suite rooms providing overnight accommodation for guests at the venue. The venue also offered spa facilities including a pool, a catering kitchen, and licensed bars on the ground floor and in the cellar of the main block.  Musician Noel Gallagher held his 50th birthday party at the venue. A retail shop was also added in the main block that was used for Perkins' art and antique business.  Car parking facilities were expanded for 90+ cars, and an acclaimed deer farm was re-established and remains in operation, selling more than 100 deer per year by 2019.
The service wings were converted into seven self-contained apartments (use class C3) under a planning permission granted in 2013, and three further brand new dwellings were being constructed on the grounds of the estate by 2020.  In 2019, Perkins successfully applied for planning permission to regularise the existing use of the estate as an events venue with integrated hospitality and accommodation, and as a retail space, with separate owner's living quarters in the lower west wing.
The entire estate was sold in mid-2020 to the US furniture group Restoration Hardware, who stated their intention to use the property for retail. Perkins remained at the estate under a short-term lease, leaving after having disposed of his art collection at the estate in a high-profile auction in January 2021.
A virtual tour of the main building and west wing, as each was at the end of 2020, can be found here. A 'flyover' of the property in 2022 can be seen here.


When the last occupants, the family of Charles Foster Bonner, left in 1896, the Hall and Gardens were bought on behalf of the people of Spalding as a memorial of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, and was handed over to the town "free of debt" on 9 August 1902 in celebration of the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.
Now a museum and civic amenity, the house was also used as a primary school for a number of years during the 20th century.
Some of the features of the 5-acre (20,000 m²) gardens were reputedly laid out by William Sands in the early eighteenth century, and are still visible. The gardens include many fine features, including tall yew hedges, an early ice-house, and a fine ornamental lake. At the end of which sits the Spalding War Memorial (opened in 1922) which was designed by Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens and became Grade I listed in 2015.
Other features include a bowling green, tennis courts, aviary and a café. A rustic bandstand, built to commemorate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, was built in 1937 but was destroyed by arsonists in the early 1970s. The Friends of Ayscoughfee still arrange summer concerts on the south lawn during the summer months.
With Heritage Lottery Fund backing, and commitment from South Holland District Council, the Hall was closed in 2003 for a complete sympathetic restoration. The Hall was officially re-opened to the public as a museum and community facility on Friday 30 June 2006, by Dr Jonathan Clark, of the University of York.
The Hall has recently started to develop events, including theatrical performances, craft fairs, etc. and is licensed for civil wedding ceremonies.


Aysgarth Falls are a triple flight of waterfalls, surrounded by woodland and farmland, carved out by the River Ure over an almost one-mile (two-kilometre) stretch on its descent to mid-Wensleydale in the Yorkshire Dales of England, near the village of Aysgarth. The falls are quite spectacular after heavy rainfall as thousands of gallons of water cascade over the series of broad limestone steps, which are divided into three stages:  Upper Force, Middle Force and Lower Force.
The falls are an SSSI.
Aysgarth Falls have attracted visitors for more than 200 years, including John Ruskin, J. M. W. Turner and William Wordsworth visited, all enthusing about the falls' outstanding beauty. All three falls were featured in the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
The Falls are situated in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. There is a visitors' centre with an exhibition, information, items for sale, a café, toilets and a pay-and-display car park.
There are public footpaths through the wooded valley, offering views of the river and falls. Wild flowers appear in the spring and summer, for example snowdrops in January and February, primroses in April and bluebells in May, and birds, squirrels and deer may also be seen. Occasionally salmon can be seen leaping up the falls in autumn. Nearby is St Andrew's Church, which has what is reputed to be the largest churchyard in England. The church has a medieval painted wooden screen rescued from the destroyed Jervaulx Abbey.
The name originates from Old Norse and means the open space in the oak trees.
It was featured on the television programme Seven Natural Wonders as one of the wonders of the North.


The Azadi Stadium (Persian: ورزشگاه آزادی Varzešgâh-è Âzâdi), opened as the Aryamehr Stadium (Persian: ورزشگاه آریامهر Varzešgâh-è Âryâmehr), is an all-seater football stadium in Tehran, Iran. The stadium was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, an American architectural, urban planning, and engineering firm. It was inaugurated on 17 October 1971 by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran; it is currently self-owned by Esteghlal and Persepolis. It is also the home stadium of the Iran national football team. It has a capacity of 78,116 spectators, as the result of conversion to all-seater stadium. The stadium is part of the much larger Azadi Sport Complex, and is surrounded by a rowing river, football training pitches, a weightlifting complex, swimming facilities and indoor volleyball and futsal courts, among many other amenities.
Aryamehr (meaning "Light of the Aryans") was the title of the said Shah; it was renamed after the Iranian Revolution to Azadi (meaning "freedom" in Persian). It is the largest association football stadium in Western Asia. It was built to host the 1974 Asian Games and has hosted the 1976 AFC Asian Cup. The stadium also hosted five finals of Asian Club Competitions: three finals of AFC Champions League in 1999, 2002 and 2018 and two finals of Asian Cup Winners' Cup in 1991 and 1993. Azadi Stadium also hosted WAFF Championship Tournament in 2004 and 2008.
Because of the loud sound of a vuvuzelas, similar to the sound of bees, the stadium is sometimes called a "Bee swarm".


The Azadi Stadium was constructed by Arme Construction Company and designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill for the 1974 Asian Games with international criteria. Its land measurement is 450 Hectares and it is located in West Tehran. It replaced the Amjadieh Stadium as the new home of Iran's national football team.
The stadium was built as part of a much larger complex which included numerous Olympic-sized venues for various sports, laying the groundwork for ambitious plans for Tehran to make a bid to host the Summer Olympics. In August 1975, the Iranian Shah, Tehran's Mayor and the Iranian Olympic Committee submitted a formal letter to the International Olympic Committee, notifying it of Iran's interest in hosting the 1984 Summer Games. The stadium was the focal point for the bid, in which it would have only required slight modifications to become the main Olympic Stadium. But political unrest in the late-1970s saw Tehran drop its bid for Games, leaving the eventual host, Los Angeles, the only city left bidding.
Renovations first began on the stadium in 2002, when the lower level had seats installed and the pitch was replanted along with the installation of an underground heating system. Stadium management also planned to later install seats in the upper level of the stadium. Those renovations were completed in 2003, and brought down the capacity of the stadium to well under 100,000. Later upgrades to the stadium brought it down to its current capacity of 78,116. Despite its reduced capacity, Azadi Stadium has been filled over capacity at times such as the Iran-Japan FIFA World Cup 2006 qualification match in March 2005 which resulted in the deaths of seven people. In 2004 a large jumbotron television was added, replacing the original scoreboard. This giant screen with a total area of about 300 square meters and screen area of 104 square meters (20 m by 7.5 m) is one of the biggest in the world. The stadium hosted two West Asian Football Federation Championship in 2004 and 2008. In 2008, AFC forced Sepahan to play the home matches in AFC Champions League in this stadium after their home stadium Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium was closed for renovation. The stadium also is the regular host for Iran U-23 for the Olympics football qualifying.
In recent years the Iranian Football Federation has repeatedly submitted bids to host the AFC Asian Cup, which Iran last hosted in 1976. But some officials have hinted that rules in Iran banning women from stadiums like Azadi have kept international sports organizations from staging events there. Iranian women have been banned from watching matches at Azadi Stadium since 1982. The ban on women spectators was lifted for an October 2019 match between the Iranian and Cambodian National Teams.


The architect of the stadium were Abdolaziz Farmanfarmaian and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. At the beginning, the stadium had a maximum capacity of 120,000 visitors but was decreased to 84,000 after renovations in 2003. On the big occasions the crowd swells well beyond that. The design of the stadium amplifies the noise across the pitch. Opposing teams often find it difficult to play their best game, when the stadium is full, as the noise level becomes very high. According to Goal.com, Azadi Stadium was voted most intimidating in Asia. The structural engineer and project manager for the building of the stadium was James Raymond Whittle from England.


The Azadi Tower (Persian: برج آزادی, Borj-e Āzādi; "Freedom Tower"), formerly known as the Shahyad Tower (برج شهیاد, Borj-e Šahyād; "Shah's Memorial Tower"), is a monument located on Azadi Square in Tehran, Iran. It is one of the landmarks of Tehran, marking the west entrance to the city, and is part of the Azadi Cultural Complex, which also includes an underground museum.
The tower is about 45 metres (148 ft) tall and is completely clad in cut marble. It was commissioned by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, to mark the 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire and completed in 1971.
After winning a competition, architect Hossein Amanat was tasked to design the tower. His ideas were based upon classical and post-classical Iranian architecture, popular influences on art in the 1960s following the White Revolution. Iran's increasing wealth sparked modernization programs and sent the art industry into a renaissance-like period.


The original show, devised in 1971, was replaced in 1975 by a new one which invited visitors to discover Iran's geographic and natural diversity along with its fundamental historical elements. It exhibited a number of national achievements, technical undertakings, calligraphed poems, and miniature paintings. The project, devised by a Czechoslovak company, required 12,000 metres of film, 20,000 color slides, 20 movie projectors, and 120 slide projectors. The audiovisual programmes were directed by professor Jaroslav Frič (1928–2000). Five computers operated the entire system.


German artist Philipp Geist organized a projection mapping installation named Gate of Words at the Azadi Tower, on the occasion of the German Unity Day. The show was held from October 3 to 5, 2015.
In this project, the artist visualized the topics of freedom, peace, space and time in a poetical manner. Geist developed a light installation made of colored words and concepts in different languages, and abstract painterly compositions of images. The glowing words were in English, German and Persian, moving in sync with live music on the walls of the tower.


Azerbaijan Museum is the major archaeological and historical museum in Tabriz, in the northwest part of Iran (East Azerbaijan Province). It was established in April 1958. The museum consists of three major halls, a side yard, office rooms and a library. It mostly contains objects discovered from excavations in Iranian Azerbaijan, also some artworks and sculptures of artists. Its library contains more than 2500 books, both handwritten and printed, about history, archaeology, art and Iranian culture. Apart from National Museum of Iran in Tehran, Azerbaijan Museum has the largest collection belonging to different periods of Iran's history.
The Azerbaijan museum is the first and oldest museum in the northwestern part of the country, and the exhibits that you can find inside of it include objects from different archaeological sites throughout the country and cover the full chronological span of its history, making the museum one of the most important in Iran and a truly national one.


The museum has three galleries. The first gallery bears the oldest remains from 5th millennium BC until Sassanian dynasty (212-656 AD). The museum's monuments include goddesses, Rhytons, two skeletons (male and female) and a carved slab of marble known as Bism Allah-Stone.
The second gallery consists of two parts: one for Islamic archeology and another part for coins and seals. Part one involves pottery dated from the 10th to the 19th centuries. The coins of this gallery (part two), began with the Achamenid dynasty and end in the Qajar dynasty. The displayed seals and stamps date from the third millennium BC to Islamic eras.
The third gallery includes some sculptures made by Ahad Hosseini. They are made of plaster and represent the sculptor's own image about the fate of mankind in the 20th century.
In the yard of museum some stone figurines, statues, rams and inscriptions are kept.


WikiWeb_Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater_1

The theatre was built at the request of magnate Daniel Mailov and funded by magnate Zeynalabdin Taghiyev. In 1910, famous Russian soprano Antonina Nezhdanova visited Baku giving several concerts at various clubs and performance venues. At a ball organized on the occasion of Nezhdanova's departure at the local casino, she was asked whether she would like to visit Baku again. Her response was negative followed by a concern that in a city of so many wealthy people no one would fund the construction of a decent opera theatre where singers could fully demonstrate their musical talent. Daniel Mailov who had grown to admire both Nezhdanova's voice and persona during her tour decided to use this opportunity and offered her to revisit Baku in one year to attend the opening of a new opera theatre, which he would order to build in her honour. According to an urban legend, Mailov and his brother were not invited to a housewarming ball of a famous opera singer from Baku whose new house (now the head office of SOCAR) was one of the most outstanding pieces of architecture in the city. The Mailovs therefore decided to erect a building of their own outdoing the "tactless" singer.
The Russian architect and civil engineer of Armenian descent Nikolai Bayev designed the architectural sketch of the theatre. However the construction of such grandiose building in a year was unheard of at the time and required many safety measures to be taken. The Mailovs decided not to wait for the approval of the City Council but were ordered to stop the construction as it violated building regulations. Soon Bayev managed to convince the city legislature and received its approval. Azeri magnate Zeynalabdin Taghiyev who had earlier sponsored the construction of the Taghiyev Theatre (present-day Azerbaijan State Musical Comedy Theatre) expressed his doubts that the new theatre could be fully constructed in such a short period of time. Daniel Mailov laid a bet: if the Mailovs did not manage to get the theatre built on time, they would offer it to Taghiyev as a gift; if the theatre was indeed built by 1911, Taghiyev would have to cover all the building expenses.
The three-shift work at the site involving 200 workers ensured speedy construction of the building. All works were completed in less than 10 months. The total costs for construction exceeded 250,000 rubles. The city mayor Peter Martynov accompanied by architects and engineers examined the newly built theatre and confirmed its safety. As promised, Taghiyev paid all the expenses. The official opening of the Mailyovs' Theatre was scheduled on 28 February 1911. Daniel Mailov notified Nezhdanova of the ceremony by telegramme beforehand, and the renowned soprano became the first singer to perform at the new opera house. Most of Baku's multiethnic elite attended the event; among the ones not present was the opera singer who had not invited the Mailovs to his housewarming ball.
In 1916, the theatre acquired a resident organization (Pavel Amirago's opera troupe) and began to function on a permanent basis. In 1920, it became a state theatre known as the Opera and Ballet Theatre. In 1925, the Azerbaijani Opera Troupe, the Russian Opera Troupe and the Drama Troupe united to become the official resident organization, and in 1927 the theatre was named after writer Mirza Fatali Akhundov. In 1959, it received the status of an academic theatre.
In 1985, the newly renovated theatre mysteriously burned down. In 1987, all the restoratory works were finished and the theatre reopened its doors.
Singers who have been associated with opera company include, Azer Zeynalov, Javid Samadov, and Shovkat Mammadova.


WikiWeb_Azerbaijan State Theatre of Young Spectators_4

"The theater, education and morality";
"We love the theater";
"The first student card, the joy of the first acquaintance with the theater";
"The personalities in the Heights";
"Martyrs are immortal, homeland is indivisible";
"I want to talk about theater".


WikiWeb_Azerbaijan State Theatre of Young Spectators_6

Yasin Garayev, Aghakhan Salmanli, Almaz Mustafayeva, Atabala Safarov, Naiba Allahverdiyeva, Gurban Ismayilov and others.


WikiWeb_Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Temple_4

The temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. As at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Vaishnavaite community, a Brahmin sub-caste. The temple rituals are performed six times a day: Ushathkalam at 7 a.m., Kalasanthi at 8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 12:00 p.m., Sayarakshai at 6:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 7:00 p.m. and Ardha Jamam at 8:00 p.m. Each ritual has three steps: alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Azhagiya Manavalan and Kamalavalli. During the last step of worship, nagaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion instrument) are played, religious instructions in the Vedas (sacred text) are recited by priests, and worshippers prostrate themselves in front of the temple mast. There are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple.
Serthi Sevai, the annual home coming festival is celebrated in the temple annually during the Ayilyam star in the Tamil month of Panguni. The festival is a part of the Panguni Uthiram festival of Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple, when the festival idol of Srirangam temple, Namperumal, is brought to the Nachiyar temple and the images of Nachiyar and Namperumal are adorned in the Serthi hall of the temple. Special rituals are performed during the occasion. The other major festivals celebrated in the temple are Dolostava, Vasanthothsava (spring festival) and Navaratri.
The temple is believed to be the birthplace of Thiruppaan Alvar, one of the Alvar saints belonging to the 6th-8th centuries. In Srirangam Ranganthaswamy temple, a yearly birth festival of Thiruppaan is celebrated with Viswaroopa darshan of Ranganatha at the sanctum on the occasion of his birthday. The festive idol of Thiruppaan is taken from the temple to Srirangam. Thiruppaan is accorded with grand honours called "Keezha Padi Honours". A Parivattam (silk turban) is tied on the Alvar's head, adorned with a garland, a shawl is wrapped around his shoulders and sacred sandal paste is handed to him, all of which are believed to bring a smile on the face of the Alvar. An hour later, the image of the Alvar is taken to Nammalvar shrine and then to the goddess shrine, with the chanting of Nalayira Divya Prabandham with the verses of the Alvar's work Amalanaathipiraan. In the Azhagiya Manavala Perumal temple, a 10-day festival is celebrated in parallel that includes Araiyar sevai, Veda Paaraayanam (reciting of Vedas), special thirumanjanam (ablution) and procession inside the temple.


The compound slag cone of Azhdahak, figures as a large strewn structure up to 1600m in diameter and about 370m high. The total area of volcano lavas, partly eroded and overlapped by the streams of Tar is around 8 square km. The cone is formed with slags, lapilli, sands, ashes, debris, lava boulders, slag, twisting, composite and spindle-shaped volcanic bombs.


A great number of petroglyphs  – rock-carvings  has been found in the surroundings of Azhdahak. Most images depict men in scenes of hunting and fighting, as well as astronomical bodies and phenomena: the Sun, the Moon, constellations, the stellar sky, lightning, etc.


The beauty of the Azhdahak surroundings have long attracted tourists. However, the probability of running across each other different hiking groups is insignificant. It depends on the remoteness from the civilization, orientation complexities, that aggravate with weather condition factors, such as: thunder and lightning, hail and snow, fog with visibility down to 2-3m.


Azkuna Zentroa  (Basque for Azkuna Centre), previously known as Alhóndiga Bilbao ([aˈlondiɣa βilˈβao]), is a multi-purpose venue located in the city of Bilbao, Spain. It was designed by French designer Philippe Starck in collaboration with Thibaut Mathieu and was opened to the public in stages between 18 May and 24 October 2010. The venue, labeled as a "Culture and Leisure Centre", consist of a cinema multiplex, a fitness centre, a library, showrooms, an auditorium, shops, and a restaurant. In March 2015 its name was officially changed to Azkuna Zentroa in tribute to the late mayor of Bilbao Iñaki Azkuna.
Originally a corn exchange (alhóndiga in Spanish), it was designed by Basque architect Ricardo Bastida and inaugurated in 1909. However, in the 1970s, a new warehouse was planned and the Alhóndiga was abandoned. Several projects were suggested, ranging from public housing, a museum of modern art, or even demolishing the entire building, but all were scrapped. Finally, in 1994 it was decided to renovate it and build a sports and culture centre. The Basque Government decided to declare the building "Public Property of Cultural Interest" in 1999.


The palace is 6400 m², and its architecture is an excellent example of Damascene traditional houses. The structure consists of several buildings and three wings: the harem, the selamlek and the khademlek. The harem is the family wing, which contains the private residences of the family and includes the baths, which are a replica of the public baths in the city on a smaller scale. The selamlek is the guest wing, and it comprises the formal halls, reception areas and large courtyards with traditional cascading fountain, while in the northern part of the palace were the servant quarters and the center of housekeeping activities.
One of the palace's most interesting parts is the hammam, or baths. It is composed of a succession of small rooms and narrow corridors leading to the main steam room in the heart of the building. Near the hammam is the main marble-floored reception hall, and behind it is a second, smaller courtyard with a number of rooms now used to display various traditional crafts such as glass, copper and textiles.
Used in the building of this palace were several types of stones including limestone, sandstone, basalt, and marble, chosen to provide a natural decoration. The ceilings have painted wooden panels that display natural scenes.
Dr. Andrew Petersen, director of Research in Islamic Archaeology at the University of Wales Lampeter states that the use of ablaq (alternating courses of white limestone and black basalt) in this building is “A characteristic of the monumental masonry of Damascus.”


Aznavour Centre hosts educational and cultural events: concerts, exhibitions, conferences.


Aznavour Centre will also have a huge educational and cultural part focusing on three areas: cinema, music and French language.


Although the site has a long history of use—occupied in the Final Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Early Iron Age—the most visible remains are the houses and communal buildings of Archaic date (600-500 BC). The public buildings of Archaic date cluster close to the peak on the west and south sides of the South Acropolis and cover a total area of over 0.60 hectares. Each produced evidence of destruction and abandonment in the early 5th century BC. This destruction marks the end of the city's life and a long period of occupation. The Archaic rebuilding expanded the settlement to its maximum size (c. 15 hectares), created a zone of communal buildings on the upper west slope of the South Acropolis, and formalized what can be called civic architecture—generally supra-household communal spaces accommodating a variety of possible activities and configurations of groups.

Among the Archaic remains is a multi-room structure called the Communal Dining Building, which the excavators have interpreted as a possible andreion—a dining hall used for corporate syssitia, the communal mess of the city's male citizenry organized in hetairiai; and the Monumental Civic Building, a large hall, about 200 square metres in internal area, with a stepped bench built against the walls on the interior, and an adjoining two-room shrine.

Both the Communal Dining Building and Monumental Civic Building were supplied by adjacent service complexes, comprising multiple store rooms (with food provisions stored in decorated pithoi) and kitchens equipped with large stone-lined hearths. The Service Building of the Monumental Civic Building also contained a well-preserved olive press facility—the earliest documented lever-and-weights press, or beam press, in the post-Bronze Age Aegean. Although an Archaic beam press has been reported from excavations at the Greek city of Klazomenai, the evidence for olive pressing at Azoria includes a press bench, press beds, sockets for wooden beams, a press weight, roller-crusher and mortar block, a collection basin, a small trapetum mortarium, a hearth and cooking stand, oil-separation vessels, and quantities of press cake (crushed olive pits, collected after grinding and pressing for use as fuel for hearths).
Pots inscribed in Greek (both inscriptions and graffiti) are found within the building. An interesting find from the olive-press room is a reused pithos rim with its handles inscribed with the Eteocretan inscription ΞΡΤΑΚ.

The Communal Dining Building had at least three store rooms (with remains of grapes, olives and grains), three kitchens, and three dining rooms (extant). The floor of the building is littered with food debris, drinking and dining wares, and large decorated krater stands, and bronze armor. A separate room had a ground altar with burned food debris, evidently used for regular chthonic sacrifices. It has been argued that in Cretan cities, the activities of the domestic or private symposium, typical of Archaic Athenian contexts, were transferred to supra-household communal but segregated feasting venues such as the andreion.
The shrine of the Monumental Civic Building is equipped with a curbed hearth and altar on which were found a variety of terracotta votive female figurines (stylistically dated to 8th and 7th centuries BC), votive stands and vessels, and food offerings. The finds from the main hall of the Monumental Civic Building—roasted leg joints of sheep and goat; chick peas and legumes (found preserved in pots on the floor); drinking and dining wares; stone kernoi (offering tables) carved into the top step of the bench, and a Minoan-style kernos lying face down on top of the bench—indicate that it was used for public banquets and formal cult activities; it may have had ceremonial functions similar to those associated with magistrates' buildings (prytaneion) commonly identified in Greek city-states such as the neighboring poleis of Lato and Dreros.


Two fire serpents, Xiuhcoatl, take up almost this entire zone. They are characterized by the flames emerging from their bodies, the square shaped segments that make up their bodies, the points that form their tails, and their unusual heads and mouths. At the very bottom of the surface of the stone, are human heads emerging from the mouths of these serpents. Scholars have tried to identify these profiles of human heads as deities, but have not come to a consensus. One possible interpretation of the two serpents is that they represent two rival deities who were involved in the creation story of the fifth and current "sun", Queztalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca. The tongues of the serpents are touching, referencing the continuity of time and the continuous power struggle between the deities over the earthly and terrestrial worlds.
In the upper part of this zone, a square carved between the tails of the serpents represents the date Matlactli Omey-Ácatl ("13-reed"). This is said to correspond to 1479, the year in which the Fifth Sun emerged in Teotihuacan during the reign of Axayácatl, and at the same time, indicating the year in which this monolithic sun stone was carved.


Between the 1980s and the 2000s, parts of the top slab of the arch collapsed, significantly widening the arch. A large slab of rock on the outer edge of the cavity collapsed in April 2012, further increasing the size of the window. Another rock fall occurred in March 2013. Four months later a geological and geotechnical report was prepared by consultant Peter Gatt, who represented local firm Geoscience Consulting Ltd, and it determined that the arch was "relatively stable and will continue to remain so for a number of years", and that there was no "imminent" risk of collapse, although it warned that rock falls will continue and it might be hazardous for people to go close to the arch.
Further rock falls and fissures were reported in subsequent years. Fishermen avoided going near the arch with their boats, and warning signs were put up to discourage people from walking on top. However, many people still went on the arch regularly, and videos were uploaded on YouTube of people cliff diving from the window as rocks were falling down.
In March 2016, Gatt warned that the illegal use of explosives at the nearby Inland Sea could have an effect on the already weak structure of the nearby Azure Window. These comments were made in the wake of an investigation by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority which revealed that explosive material was "probably used" to do rock cutting in the tunnel leading to the Inland Sea. It was suspected that the illegal cutting was aimed at widening the entrance to allow larger boats to sail through.
In December 2016, an emergency order was published prohibiting people from going on the arch, trespassers facing a fine of €1500. However, this law was not enforced, and visitors were still walking on top of the arch days before it collapsed in March 2017.


The arch collapsed at about 9:40 am local time (8:40 am UTC) on 8 March 2017 after a period of heavy storms, leaving nothing visible above the water. The pillar gave way first, causing the top part of the arch to collapse along with it. The pillar likely shattered into large chunks of rock as it collapsed. The collapse was said to have been inevitable.
The collapse was reported in both local and international media. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Leader of the Opposition Simon Busuttil both tweeted about the collapse of the Azure Window, and it also became the subject of many Internet memes on Maltese social media. The Environment and Resources Authority called the collapse a major loss to Malta's natural heritage. The Church's Environment Commission said that the collapse should make the Maltese people reflect on their national heritage. The San Lawrenz local council urged the government to establish a management plan for the entire Dwejra area, which includes several other notable features despite the loss of the Azure Window.
On the day of the collapse, police appealed to the public not to visit the area. Diving in the area was temporarily banned, although this was not enforced and footage of the remains of the arch underwater emerged a few days after the collapse. The remains of the arch have formed a number of features which have been called a "divers' paradise", although Transport Malta and the Environment and Resources Authority still advised the public to keep away from the area until surveys and inspections are carried out.
Following the collapse, Gatt said that following his report, he had requested the arch and pillar to be monitored over a long period of time, in a bid to study the area and establish whether the pillar supporting the arch was moving, "but there wasn't any follow-up and the condition of the pillar remained unknown."


The B&O Railroad Museum possesses the oldest and most comprehensive American railroad collections in the world. Dating from the beginning of American railroading, the collection contains locomotives and rolling stock, historic buildings, railroading artifacts, and an extensive archives and research library that document the impact of American railroading and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad on American economics, culture, and history.
The collection is being made available through an online searchable database.


The museum's rolling stock collection include both originals and replicas, some of which were built by the B&O for its centennial "Fair of the Iron Horse" in 1927. Collection highlights include:
Baltimore and Ohio 4-4-0 #25 William Mason built in 1856, used in The Great Locomotive Chase, and later in Wild Wild West. Operated until October 2014, retired from service due to thin crown sheet.
Baltimore & Ohio 0-4-0 "Tom Thumb" 1927 replica. Had been refurbished by the Strasburg Rail Road and restored to operating condition for 2004 "Fair of the Iron Horse." Only operated a handful of times, at most, after refurbishment. On display in the roundhouse, in non-operational condition. In need of Federally mandated boiler inspection to operate again. Last operated circa Christmas 2013.
Baltimore & Ohio 0-4-0 #8 "John Hancock" built in 1836.
Baltimore & Ohio 4-2-0 #13 "Lafayette" 1927 replica. In the past, it was occasionally fired up and operated by the museum for demonstration purposes, currently on display in the roundhouse, in non-operational condition. In need of federally mandated boiler inspection to operate again. Last operated circa October 2015
Cumberland Valley 2-2-2T #13 "Pioneer". On loan. built in 1851.
Baltimore & Ohio 4-6-0 #305: (Built in 1869 at Mt. Clare, Mother Hubbard design based on Ross Winans' design. Previously #217.)
Baltimore & Ohio 4-6-0 #147 "Thatcher Perkins" built in 1863.
Baltimore & Ohio 0-8-0 #57 "Memnon" built in 1848.
Baltimore and Ohio 2-8-0 #545 A.J. Cromwell: built in 1888.
Baltimore and Ohio 2-6-0 #600 "J. C. Davis" : built at Mt. Clare in 1875, which won first prize at the 1876 Centennial Exposition.
St. Elizabeth's Hospital 0-4-0T #4: one of the last Porter steam locomotives built, built in 1950 for use at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington DC. Later ran at Ft. Eustis then in storage at Cass Scenic Railroad. Arrived at B&O Museum in 1980s. Restored to operating condition in 2002 and re-restored in 2005 after suffering damage in a roof collapse. Out of Service for a 1,472-day inspection, last operated circa Fall 2015. Coal burner.
Clinchfield Railroad 4-6-0 #1 built in 1882. The engine was used for excursions from 1968 until 1979.
Baltimore and Ohio 0-4-0 "Grasshopper", built in 1832 by Phineas Davis and Israel Gartner, one of the oldest surviving American locomotives
Baltimore and Ohio 4-6-2 #5300 "President Washington" built in 1927.
Baltimore and Ohio 2-8-2 #4500, USRA Light Mikado and the world's first USRA locomotive, built in 1918.
Chesapeake and Ohio 4-6-0 #377 built in 1902.
Chesapeake and Ohio 4-6-4 #490: The last surviving C&O "Streamlined" Hudson built in 1946.
Chesapeake and Ohio 2-8-4 #2705 built in 1943.
Chesapeake and Ohio 2-6-6-6 #1604: One of two surviving "Allegheny"-class locomotives built in 1941.
American Freedom Train 4-8-4 #1 (Reading #2101) built in 1945. One of three steam engines used on American Freedom Train of 1975–1976. Used on Chessie System Steam Specials in 1977–1978.
Greenbrier, Cheat and Elk River Shay #1 built in 1905.
Central Railroad of New Jersey 4-4-2 #592 built in 1901, one of five surviving Camelback type locomotives.
Potomac Electric Company (PEPCO) Fireless 0-4-0 #43
Pere Marquette SW1 #11. built in 1942. Operational.
Central Railroad of New Jersey #1000: first commercially successful diesel built in 1925.
Baltimore & Ohio EA #51: first streamlined diesel built in 1937. Recently completed cosmetic restoration.
Baltimore & Ohio RDC #1961. built in 1956. Operational.
Western Maryland BL2 #81 built in 1948 and Slug #138T built in 1941.
Baltimore & Ohio GP30 #6944 built in 1962. Operational.
Baltimore & Ohio GP40 #3684. built in 1966.
Baltimore & Ohio GP9 #6607. built in 1956. Operational.
Western Maryland RS3 #195 built in 1953
Baltimore & Annapolis 70 tonner #50 built in 1950
Baltimore & Ohio (Octoraro) S1 #3
Canton Railroad Baldwin VO-1000 #32. built in 1944
Baltimore & Ohio GP7 #6405. built in 1953. Operational.
Chessie System GP38 #3802. built in 1967 chosen by Trains Magazine as "All American Diesel". Operational.
Baltimore & Ohio #10 (electric)
Pennsylvania Railroad #4876: GG1 electric, not currently on display in the museum itself. This locomotive crashed into Washington D.C.'s Union Station in 1953 in the 1953 Federal Express train wreck.
MARC F7A APCU #7100: built in 1951, rebuilt in 1981. Used as a cab car and for supplying HEP.
Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad ("Ma & Pa") inspection car and Railway post office car
Forty and Eights "Merci" boxcar.  One of 49 French boxcars gifted to the US in 1949.
B&O Royal Blue Line 1890s-era coach
Chessie System GP15T 1507. Built in 1982 and was just recently acquired. To be restored.


B&W Hallerne (English: The B&W Halls) is a former industrial complex located on the island of Refshaleøen in Copenhagen, Denmark. Built in the early 1960s by Burmeister & Wain, the complex consists of two large halls which were used to build ships until 1996. Currently, the facilities are used for culture and entertainment activities.
On 2 September 2013, Danish public broadcaster DR announced that it had chosen B&W Hallerne as the host venue for the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. The contest was held at the Section Hall 2, which was converted into a music venue with a capacity for 11,000 spectators. The surrounding buildings and areas were transformed into "Eurovision Island" which was used for additional services related to the contest.


Bávaro starts at a crossroad Verón, after the town of Higüey and the small village of Otra Banda, and extends 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north until the crossroad for Macao Beach. Other beaches to the North include Uvero Alto beach, Roco Ki beach, La Vacama beach. Bavaro has 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) of sea shore.
At the center of Bávaro is the crossroad of Friusa. Beyond the crossroad Verón, on the right side is an important road to Cabeza de Toro, most eastern tip of the island of Hispaniola, and the Dominican Republic as well. The next crossroad, El Coco Loco, leads to the Friusa Centar and further points to the north.


Tourism in Bávaro has been developing at a rapid pace. The best examples are Los Corales, Cocotal and El Cortecito, among other options. All are just minutes away from the Punta Cana International Airport, where most visitors fly in.


The next crossroad, Plaza Bavaro, is full of gift shops, and can take you to discothèque Mangu and Areito, as well as to the White Sands golf course.
Office of Politur (Turistic Policia or Tourist Police) is next to the bus station, close to Friusa. On the part of the road from Plaza Bavaro to Friusa, there are hospitals and shopping malls with bars and restaurants. Bavaro ends at the crossroad to Macao Beach, where the Hotel RIU is located.


The Bèze Abbey (French: Abbaye Saint-Pierre, Saint-Paul de Bèze), was a monastery founded in 629 AD in Burgundy, France.
It was destroyed several times during the next three centuries by Frankish warlords, Saracens, Normans and Hungarians.
At the end of the 10th century the abbey was re-founded and entered a golden age for the next two centuries.
By the 13th century the spiritual life of the abbey had declined and the monks were mainly concerned with temporal matters.
The abbey lost most of its monks during the Hundred Years' War and the Black Death of the 14th century.
In 1429 it was fortified with stone walls, a moat and towers, two of which have survived.
The abbey was again devastated by feuds in 1513, by the French Wars of Religion (1562–98) and by the Thirty Years' War (1618–48).
In 1662 a final revival began when the monastery came under the Congregation of Saint Maur.
Most of the surviving buildings date from the reconstruction by this congregation in the 18th century.
At the start of the French Revolution in 1789 the monastery was dissolved and the property taken over by the state.
It was sold, and the church and main buildings demolished so the stone could be used for building.
The owners of the property added an orangerie and laid out a park in the 19th century.
Today the private owners have made the grounds and buildings open for visitors for a small fee.


The Abbey of Saint-Pierre & Saint-Paul in Bèze, Côte-d'Or, was the fourth of the Merovingian abbeys of the diocese of Langres, after Moûtiers-Saint-Jean, Saint-Bénigne and Saint-Seine.
The abbey was founded by Amalgaire, Duke of Lower Burgundy, brother of Waldalenus, Duke of Upper Burgundy and father of Saint Donatus of Besançon.
Amalgaire founded the abbey in the reign of Chlothar II (r. 613–629) in the autumn of 629.
The abbey's location was called the "Fountain of Bèze", after a karst spring that is the source of the Bèze river.
The Chronique de Bèze from the first 3rd of the 12th century, describes foundation of the abbey on an unoccupied site.
The Chronicle says:
He found a place between the Saône and Tille, where there sprang an important river called Bèze, with very clear waters, drinkable and rich in all sorts of fish. This river was not like the others which, along their course, increase by receiving streams; from its source, it is a great river. There are all kinds of herbs that can serve as food in case of scarcity ... The land is fairly good and bears abundant fruit if it is cultivated. The meadows are quite rich; it is possible to raise flocks. Forests surround this place; they are sufficient to provide timber and all that is necessary to man.
Amalgaire's wife Aquilina gave him two sons and one daughter, born between 595 and 605.
His son Adalric would succeed him while his son Waldelene was educated as a monk at the Luxeuil Abbey under the Rule of Saint Columbanus.
His daughter Adalsinde also became a nun.
Waldelene became the first abbot at Bèze.
Amalgaire also founded a monastery at Bregille on the right bank of the Doubs for his daughter Adalsinde, who became its first abbess.
This monastery was given the existing Church of Saint Martin at Bregville.
Amalgaire gave the Bèze Abbey a rich endowment of 31 domains with forests, vineyards and buildings, cultivators and winegrowers.
He gave it vineyards in the Gevrey-Chambertin region that today are the source of the famous Chambertin-Clos de Bèze red Burgundy wine.


The monks of Bèze followed the Rule of Saint Columbanus, which Waldalène brought from Luxeuil Abbey.
The first buildings were a rectangular stone structure surrounded by wood and earth outbuildings with thatched roofs.
After the death of Amalgaire around 655 civil war raged in Burgundy and the country was ravaged by rival bands of Neustrian and Austrasian Franks.
The reign of Chlothar III (r. 657–673), son of Clovis II (r. 639–657), had just started in Austrasia in late 657 when civil disturbances made Brégille untenable.
Adalsinde and her brother Adalric begged her brother Waldelène and his monks to give her and her nuns refuge in Bèze, and in return transferred to him the priests of Saint Martin.
Bèze was also ruined, its property titles destroyed and its monks scattered.
When peace was restored Waldalene made haste to repair the losses of his monastery.
To proceed faster he used credit from the new Duke of Burgundy, Sichelm.
A diploma was issued by Chlothar III in 658 or 664 that confirmed the donations made by Amalgaire.
Duke Adalric lost his duchy some time between 658 and 664.
The king entrusted the lord Gengoul with the protection of the abbey.
The duke, or his son Adalrich, Duke of Alsace, was restored to possession of the monastery of Bèze by the royal precept of 665.
Adalric abused his authority to ransack the abbey.
Later Adalric deserted King Theuderic III of Neustria (r. 673–691) and joined his enemies, who chose Dagobert II (r. 676–679) as King of Austrasia.
The war between Theuderic of Neustria and Dagobert of Austrasia once more devastated Bèze.
Waldalène had to rebuild the abbey from ruins.
In 676 Theuderic, now victorious, gave Waldalène all of Adalric's property.
Adalric settled permanently in Alsace after the troubles of 675–676.
Waldalène died in 680.
The abbey flourished under the three abbots that followed, Bercand or Bercang, around 680, Ferréol around 700 and Syranne around 720.


In 1215 the abbot Albert received a letter from Pope Innocent III on the subject of damages caused by a fire which had forced the abbot to send the monks to Cluny.
In 1219 the abbey finally accepted an offer that had first been made in 1049 and sold its Clos de Bèze vineyard to the canons of Langres.
Over time the rule was relaxed and the monks became more concerned with temporal than spiritual matters.
In 1253 the abbot Geoffroy II was the first to hold the feudal title "Baron de Bèze".
Around 1280 the abbot Girard III built a school outside the village for children who were not destined for the church.
The building on the Place de Verdun still stands.
The archives tell of disputes between the abbot and the bishop of Langres, disputes between the monks and the people of Bèze, disputes with the local lords, disputes over feudal dues and rights of use.
In 1307 a dispute between the Bèze Abbey and some burgesses of the abbey was heard first by the Jours de Troyes, then escalated to the king's Parlement.
The Hundred Years' War began in 1337.
The Black Death appeared in Marseille, then spread throughout France in 1348–49.
Some thought the world was ending, and others thought God was punishing France for her sins.Guillaume de Chanac became abbot in 1352.
He later became bishop of Chartres and a cardinal.
In 1389 a complaint was lodged by 15 officers and monks of the abbey against the abbot Thiéry de Charmes concerning maladministration of the neighboring school.
The award, issued by the court of Langes on the Saturday before Pentecost, meticulously itemized the rights and duties of the abbot.
These included the requirement to supply wine to the master and clerics of Bèze to drink after vigils.
Simon de Torcenay was abbot from 1423 until his death in 1444.
He repaired the buildings and strengthened the fortifications.
In 1425 he built the first forges on the Bèze.
He was a "warrior monk" and fortified the abbey with walls surrounded by a moat and accessed over a drawbridge
He built a second line of walls to fortify the village.
Around 1428 Claus de Werve made a polychromed limestone statue of the Virgin and Child for the abbey, which was installed in the Church of Saint-Martin at Bézouotte and has survived.
Construction of the fortified enclosure began in 1429.
The Chaux tower in the south and the Oysel tower in the north still stand, and carry the arms of Simon de Torcenay.
In 1433 there was a risk of rebellion by the lords of Château-Vilain, Grancey and Vergy against the Duke of Burgundy.
On 10 May 1433 the duke addressed letters patent to the monks and people of Bèze telling them to remain faithful to the king of France and refuse entry to any stranger or enemy.
That year he invited the abbot Simon de Torcenay, his  councilor and chamberlain, to attend a solemn ceremony of a chapter of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
Bèze was devastated by the war between the Duchy of Burgundy and Franche-Comté, in which the Swiss invaded in 1513.
During the French Wars of Religion the Bishop of Langres supported Henry IV of France but Bèze was occupied by forces of the Catholic League.
In 1592 there were only six monks and two novices left.
With the introduction of the "commende" system the abbot was appointed by the king and had sole responsibility for managing the property.
Abbots, living outside the abbey, kept most of the income and granted the monks the bare minimum.
In 1615 the lay lord Charles de Ferrières was appointed abbot.
In 1636, as a precaution, the relics of the Abbey of Bèze were deposited with the Abbey of Saint-Bénigne in Dijon.
They were brought back from there 22 years later.
During the Thirty Years' War in 1636 the Austrian army of Matthias Gallas ravaged the Vingeanne valley.
Swedish mercenaries, nominally allies of France, destroyed what was left.
The abbey was ruined, with only a few monks left, each living in a small house they had built for themselves.


The tower was built in 1883 for the Society for the Beautification of Pforzheim (Verschönerungsverein Pforzheim) as an octagonal cast-iron tubing skeleton structure made from iron girders and pipes by the Louis Kühne Company of Dresden. The tower height is 24.75 meters (81.2 feet) and the top can be reached by climbing over 125 steps on a spiral staircase in the tower center winding around four pipes in the square. On the matter of stability, the Deutsche Bauzeitung wrote in 1885 that "...the tower can easily be shifted into rather large fluctuations by only one visitor."
The tower belonged to the Society until 1933, then to the Black Forest Association until 1974, since when it has been the property of the city of Pforzheim. The last renovation took place after the "Lothar" storm of 25 December 1999.


The square is one of the nodal points of the Zürich tram system, with lines 2, 5, 8, 9 and 11 passing through it, as well as regional bus lines 161 and 165, on the boundary between Lindenhof and Enge quarters. The Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft (ZSG; Lake Zurich shipping company) has the terminus of its route to Rapperswil here, and there is also a stop for the Limmat tour boats towards Zürichhorn.


Located in Zurich on what was then swampland between the Limmat and Lake Zurich around Sechseläutzenplatz on small islands and peninsulas, dwellings  were set on piles to protect against occasional flooding by the Linth and Jona tivers. Zürich–Enge Alpenquai is located on the Lake Zurich lakeshore in Enge, a locality in the municipality of Zürich. There were neighbouring settlements at Kleiner Hafner and Grosser Hafner on what were then a peninsula and an island at the outflow of the lake to the Limmat, within an area of about 0.2 square kilometres (50 acres) within the city of Zürich. As well as being one of the fifty-six Swiss sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site (Prehistoric Pile Dwellings Around the Alps), the settlements are also listed in the Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance as a "Class Object". Despite the dredging for the construction of the Seequai between 1916 and 1919, an area of as much as 2.8 hectares (7 acres) with two cultural layers was preserved.  Pile shoes were found at different levels in the cultural layers. A rich bar decoration of ceramics was found only in the lower layer, while the decoration on cannelure groups was limited to the upper layer, as well as some graphite-decorated fragments. So-called Potin lumps, the largest weighing 59.2 kilograms (131 lb), were found at Alpenquai in 1890. They consist of about 18,000 coins originating from the Celtic Eastern Gaul, others are of the Zürich type, that were identified with the local Helvetii tribe, and date to around 100 BC. The find is unique so far, and from the scientific research, it appears that the melting down of the lumps was not completed, therefore the aim was to form cultic offerings. The site of the find was at that time at least 50 metres (164 ft) from the lake shore, and probably in water at a depth of 1 metre (3 ft) to 3 metres (10 ft).


Büyük Han (lit. Great Inn) (Greek: Μεγάλο Πανδοχείο Megálo Pandocheío) is the largest caravansarai on the island of Cyprus and is considered to be one of the finest buildings on the island. Located in the capital of Cyprus, it was built by the Ottomans in 1572, the year after they had seized Cyprus from the Venetians. In the centre of the open courtyard is a mosque with a fountain for pre-prayer ablutions. It became the first city prison under British administration. After spending most of the 1990s being restored, the inn has been revived as a thriving arts centre, consisting of several galleries and workshops. There are also several courtyard cafes and souvenir shops.


The entrance to the cave was always known locally, with the first written mention coming from 1669. The cave was visited by two European monarchs: on 7.9.1804 the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II and on another occasion Alois I, Prince of Liechtenstein. During 1867-1873, the part named Předsíně was explored by the archaeologist Jindřich Wankel, who discovered a Palaeolithic settlement from around 100,000 - 10,000 BCE. Later, a statuette of a bronze bull was found, and starting in 1872 a large Hallstatt culture site had been excavated. The site contained animal and material offerings, crops, textiles, ceramic and sheet-metal vessels, jewellery, glass and amber beads.
According to Wankel, the skeletons of one man and forty young women were found. Some women were beheaded, some missing legs or hands. On a small "altar" a skull and severed hands were placed. Wankel's romantic interpretation was that he had discovered the grave of a nobleman, accompanied by ritually killed women. Other theories suggest the death of people hiding in the cave during a war or from an explosion of a gas or dust. Later research identified seventeen skeletons as men; the people ranged from children up to adults of 50–60 years old.
In 1920, when water was pumped out, another cave was discovered, the "Nová býčí skála" (The New Bull Rock Cave), with the Jedovnický brook (Jedovnický potok) running through it. During World War II, the Nazis built an underground factory in the cave, damaging the entrance area. After the war, a few more caves have been discovered (Sobolova (Barová), Májová, Prolomená and Proplavaná). In 1992, exploration of the brook was completed.
The cave contains a Neolithic picture, a geometrical shape resembling a grill with a size of 30x40 cm, painted in charcoal on the cave wall. The carbon was dated with the C14 radio-carbon method to be 5,200 years old. The pattern resembles the decorations on some ceramic vessels from that period.


The current church was raised on the foundation of a church built in 1613-15, dedicated to Saint Paraschiva and commissioned by the vornic Ioan Ursu Bărboi. In 1669 this church became a monastery under the authority of Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos. The church was seriously damaged in 1821 and demolished in 1829. Between 1841 and 1843, the logofăt Dimitrie Sturdza and his family members, with financial assistance from Vatopedi and the efforts of Metropolitan Grigore Irinopoleos, had the current church built on the site of the old one. The architect Andrei Caridi was assisted by the Greek master builders Atanasie and Gheorghe. The resulting church resembles certain Athonite buildings in form and dimension, and is the city's only church in the shape of a Greek cross.
The church was shaken by the 1977 earthquake, and from 1980–88, the exterior was restored and the interior paintings and furnishings cleaned. Metropolitan Teoctist Arăpaşu began this project, and on 27 November 1988, by then Patriarch of All Romania, he re-consecrated the church. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments.
Today, in addition to hosting religious services, the church is the headquarters of the local branch of the Romanian Orthodox Women's Society and of the Romanian Orthodox Brotherhood; the latter undertakes philanthropic and cultural activities. Art exhibitions, awards ceremonies, book signings and similar activities take place on the premises. Moreover, every Lazarus Saturday since 1990, thousands of pilgrims have gathered at the church, carrying icons of Christ and making their way toward the Metropolitan Cathedral.


The church is rectangular in plan and made of valuable stone blocks alternating with rows of brick. To the east, north and south, there are small semicircular apses beneath the top of the walls, flanked by pilasters that rest on bases. The wide central dome, with Neo-Gothic and Romanesque elements, sits above a square base, and is surrounded by four much smaller domes with octagonal bases. The main entrance features an imposing portal held up by eight Doric columns. Above this is a classical facade that also features Doric columns.
The church's spacious Byzantine interior is composed of three naves: a central one and two lateral ones, divided by columns of Carrara marble topped by Corinthian capitals. Looking inside, a harmony of arches can be observed: each pair of columns is linked by two or even four arches in perfect symmetry. The iconostasis is carved from wood and gilt. The walls are covered in paintings of saints (including military ones), Biblical scenes, the Madonna and Child and the Four Evangelists.
An inscribed tablet records various phases in the church's history. Inside is the crypt of the noble Sturdza family (which includes the grave of Prince Ioan Sturdza), bathed in candlelight, next to that the poet Alecu Russo. The Bărboi Church is also where writer Ion Creangă served as deacon and lived in the parish house from 1863-65.
The bell tower, built in 1726-33 by masons from Padua, has four levels; clocks rest in the uppermost one (uniquely for the city) and bells in the middle two. The lowest level has an exterior of quality stone, well worked and preserved; the other levels have a plaster exterior. It is through the lowest level that one enters the church grounds; the gate is made of decorated cast iron. The tower once contained the library of the writer Costache Conachi.
The 19th-century parish house is based on traditional Moldavian monastic houses. It has two floors and a simple plan, with rooms arranged symmetrically about a central hallway. Starting in 1834, it housed Moldavia's first girls' school, founded by Mihail Sturdza.


Błędów Desert (Polish: Pustynia Błędowska), is an area of sands between Błędów (part of Dąbrowa Górnicza in Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union) and the villages of Chechło and Klucze in Poland. The area lies mainly on the Silesian Highlands in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. The Błędów Desert is Central Europe's largest accumulation of loose sand in an area away from any sea, deposited thousands of years ago by a melting glacier. It occupies an area of 32 km² (12 sq mi). The sands have an average depth of 40 m, up to 70 m at the maximum. The Biała Przemsza River divides the desert in two from east to west.
The Błędów Desert was not created naturally, but rather as a result of human activity which lowered the water table to such a degree that the ground could no longer support plant life. Beginning in the Middle Ages, area forests were aggressively cleared to meet the needs of local mining and metal working endeavors. This clearcutting exposed approx. 150 km² of sand, which once reached as far south as Szczakowa.
According to legend, the desert was created by the Devil, who wanted to bury the nearby Olkusz silver mine in sand.
The desert was used as a military proving ground from the beginning of the 20th century. During the Second World War, the German Afrika Korps used the area to train soldiers and to test equipment before deployment in Africa. Military exercises continue in the area, including an airborne assault operation involving US, Canadian, and Polish forces in 2014.
In the centuries since its appearance, much of the Błędów Desert has been grown over. In 2013 and 2014 conservation efforts have restored some of the desert sands.


Four main market gateways also serve as a directory for its customers. Each gate has a designated area to sell specialty items. For example, the southern gate is divided among garments, textiles, and clothing along with shoes, jewelry, and cosmetic products. The Northern gate is where people can find a variety of fresh fruits, fish and poultry. This is also where the food vendors are set up to sell common Vietnamese dishes like pho, broken rice, bun bo hue, bun thit nuong, banh beo, grilled seafood and desserts. The Eastside also offers edible goods that are packaged such as dried seafood and poultry, roasted peanuts, candied fruit, coffee beans, tea, fish sauce, herbs, and spices. On the opposite side, the Western gate offers predominantly arts and ceramics.


Ben Thanh Market is also very lively at night. At 6 pm UTC+07.00, vendors set up brightly lit stalls on two sides of the big streets Phan Boi Chau and Phan Chu Trinh. The stalls offer similar items to the day market but with a greater emphasis on food. Some street stalls expand into sit down restaurants offering tables and seats. Many locals gather to the area after work and it's also suitable for tourist as they offer western-style menus in English.


The Tan Son Nhat International Airport is located within the city limits and only 7 kilometers from the market. From Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the market can be easily accessed by taxis (Vinasun/Mai Linh), Grab, motorbike, bike, or bus. Directly across from Ben Thanh Market is the Saigon bus station.
Apart from being a major hub for the network of city buses serving Hồ Chí Minh City, Bến Thành Market is a hub for several lines of the planned Hồ Chí Minh City Metro; Line 1, under construction, will connect Bến Thành with Suối Tiên Park and Long Binh in District 9. Other lines will connect Bến Thành with Tham Luong in District 12, and with Cholon and Binh Tan District.


WikiWeb_BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta_0

The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Atlanta, Georgia is a traditional Hindu mandir, or place of worship, inaugurated on 26 August 2007 by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, a denomination of the Swaminarayan branch of Hinduism headed by Mahant Swami Maharaj. The mandir located in the Lilburn suburb of Atlanta, was constructed in accordance with ancient Hindu architectural scriptures, and is the largest mandir of its kind outside of India. The mandir is made of 34,450 pieces of hand-carved Italian marble, Turkish Limestone and Indian pink sandstone, situated on landscaped grounds spread over 30 acres. The mandir complex also includes a large assembly hall, family activity center, classrooms, and an exhibition on the key tenets of Hinduism.


WikiWeb_BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta_4

In February 2000, with the blessings of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, a 29-acre plot of land was purchased in the Atlanta suburb of Lilburn. The Shilanyas Vidhi, a Vedic ceremony that dates approximately 8,000 years, was performed on June 13, 2004, where stones were placed in the foundation of the future temple. Led by Pramukh Swami Maharaj and senior BAPS swamis, several thousand people participated in the ceremony. The spiritual significance of the Shilanyas Vidhi is to purify the land and bless those working on the temple's construction.
The shilanyas, or first stone laying, ceremony was commemorated by four days of celebrations and special events, including  spiritual programs conducted for senior citizens, children, and youth. Each day, a yajman pujan was performed and discourses on the Taitreya Upanishad were held.


WikiWeb_BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Houston_0

The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir of Houston, Texas is a traditional Hindu temple built by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. It is in unincorporated Fort Bend County, Texas, within the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) of Stafford and with a Stafford mailing address.
The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, which is headed by Mahant Swami Maharaj, is a denomination of the Swaminarayan branch of Hinduism. It consists of a 11,500-square-foot (1,070 m²), 73-foot (22 m) tall open-air temple and a 25,620-square-foot (2,380 m²) surrounding deck. By July 2004 the cost to build the temple was $7 million at that time. The temple materials were carved out of Italian marble and Turkish limestone by 3,000 craftsmen in various parts of India. The pieces were shipped to Houston, and construction began in March 2002. 175 volunteers, including some individuals resident in India, came to the Houston area to help build the temple. Most of the labor was donated. Up until the opening, some finishing touches to the structure were made. The marble and limestone add up to 33,000 pieces. The mandir was built in 28 months.
The mandir is the largest of its kind in Texas and was constructed according to guidelines outlined in ancient Hindu scriptures. The grounds spread over 22 acres and in addition to the mandir, include a haveli and the Understanding Hinduism exhibition. The haveli is a cultural center in which weekly congregations are held. The Understanding Hinduism exhibition provide visitors with a foundation of the key tenets of Hinduism. The mandir is open daily for worship and to visitors.


WikiWeb_BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Houston_4

Construction commenced in 2002 with the celebration of the first carved stone-laying ceremony. The mandir was officially inaugurated on 25 July 2004 in the presence of Pramkuh Swami. The mandir is composed of 33,000 pieces of marble and limestone that have been hand-carved in India by 2,400 artisans. Shipped to Houston in 150 containers, the marble pieces were fitted together in tongue-and-groove fashion like a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. The entire structure, including the 4-foot foundation, does not contain a single piece of iron or steel.

The mandir is 73 feet high, 125 feet long and 95 feet wide. The 11,500 square foot base is surrounded by a 25,620 square foot deck. The detail in the columns and walls include carvings of deities, dancers, musicians, elephants, horses, flowers and geometric designs.
Prior to his trip to Houston to inaugurate the mandir, Pramukh Swami penned a letter for all devotees. Swamishri explained that Swaminarayan took birth to redeem innumerable jivas and grant them ultimate liberation. Further, the mandir and the guru play a central role in this mission.
Pramukh Swami arrived for the eighth time to Houston on 20 July 2004. On 21 July, he sanctified the spires and flags which would be mounted at the top of the mandir. The brass and gold leafed spires symbolize nectar and the flags symbolize victory and attainment. On 24 July, a shobha yatra (colorful procession) of all the murtis took place along a seven-mile route through the streets of Houston. The procession itself was 1.3 miles long. The procession included a total of eight floats.
On 25 July 2004, the mandir was officially inaugurated. The murtis were installed in the shrines, after which they were consecrated by Pramukh Swami.


WikiWeb_BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Houston_7

Alongside BAPS centers throughout North America, the BAPS mandir in Houston holds an annual walkathon in support of various charities. Participants work to raise funds for BAPS Charities initiatives and local beneficiaries. In 2011 and 2012, over 700 walkers participated in the walks respectively. Proceeds went towards the American Diabetes Foundation and the Stafford MSD Education Foundation. In 2013, the number of participants increased to 1000. The 100 Club's Survivor Fund for firefighters was added as a beneficiary.


WikiWeb_BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London_0

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (also commonly known as the Neasden Temple) is a Hindu temple in Neasden, London, England. Built entirely using traditional methods and materials, the Swaminarayan mandir has been described as being Britain's first authentic Hindu temple. It was also Europe's first traditional Hindu stone temple, as distinct from converted secular buildings. It is a part of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) organisation and was inaugurated in 1995 by Pramukh Swami Maharaj. The temple complex also consists of a permanent exhibition entitled "Understanding Hinduism" and a cultural centre housing an assembly hall, gymnasium, bookshop, and offices.


WikiWeb_BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London_1

The mandir is the focal point of the complex. Designed according to the Shilpa-Shastras, a Vedic text that develops Hindu architecture to metaphorically represent the different attributes of God, it was constructed almost entirely from Indian marble, Italian marble, Sardinian granite and Bulgarian limestone. No iron or steel was used in the construction, a unique feature for a modern building in the UK.
From the conceptual design and vision of Pramukh Swami, the architect C. B. Sompura and his team only used stone for its construction. It is a shikharbaddha mandir: seven tiered pinnacles topped by golden spires crowd the roofline, complemented by five ribbed domes. The temple is noted for its profusely carved cantilevered central dome, believed to be the only one in Britain that does not use steel or lead. Inside, serpentine ribbons of stone link the columns into arches, creating a sense of levitation.
Light cream Vartza limestone from Bulgaria was chosen for the exterior, and for the interior, Italian Carrara marble supplemented by Indian Ambaji marble. The Bulgarian and Italian stone were shipped to the port of Kandla, Gujarat, where most of the carving was eventually completed by over 1,500 craftsmen in a workshop specially set up for the project. More than 26,300 individually numbered stone pieces were shipped back to London, and the building was assembled like a giant three-dimensional jigsaw.
The mandir was inaugurated on 20 August 1995 by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS, the organisation behind the temple.
The entire mandir complex represents an act of faith and collective effort. Inspired by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, more than 1,000 volunteers worked on the building, and many more contributed and solicited donations, or organised sponsored walks and other activities; children raised money by collecting aluminium cans and foil for recycling.
The mandir serves as the centre of worship. Directly beneath each of the seven pinnacles seen from the outside is a shrine. Each of these seven shrines houses murtis (sacred images of the Deities) within altars. Each murti is revered like God in person and devoutly attended to each day by the swamis (monks) who live in the temple ashram.
Beneath the mandir is the permanent exhibition, "Understanding Hinduism." Through 3-D dioramas, paintings, tableaux, and traditional craftwork, it provides an insight into the wisdom and values of Hinduism. Visitors can learn about the origin, beliefs and contribution of Hindu sages and how this ancient religion is being practised today through traditions such as the BAPS Swaminarayan Sampraday.
The mandir is open to all people regardless of religion or nationality. Entrance is free, except for the £2 fee to see the Understanding Hinduism exhibition.


BBC Pacific Quay is BBC Scotland's television and radio studio complex at Pacific Quay, Glasgow, Scotland. Opened by then Prime Minister Gordon Brown on 20 September 2007, the studios are home to BBC Scotland's television, radio and online services and the headquarters of the BBC in Scotland.


Television studio facilities based at BBC Pacific Quay were rebranded as "Street @ BBC Scotland" in 2018.
There are three main television studios based at BBC Pacific Quay:
Studio A is the largest television studio at the complex, with 8,417 sq ft (782 m²) of studio floor space. It can easily accommodate studio audiences of up to 320.
Studio B is the small to medium-sized studio, with 2,594 sq ft (241 m²) of studio floor space. Small studio audiences of up to 100 can be accommodated in Studio B.
Studio C is the smallest studio, with 1,938 sq ft (180 m²) of studio floor space. It is the home to BBC Scotland's flagship news programme Reporting Scotland, and is also used for local news, politics and current affairs programming for BBC Scotland. Because of this, it is usually not available for use by other productions.
In addition, the Quay stage studio is used to host musical performances in front of a studio audience; acts have included KT Tunstall, Texas and The Fratellis. The central feature of the complex is used to record interviews, host political programming and transmit webcasts such as Authors Live.
The complex also houses facilities needed for television productions, such as nine dressing rooms, large green rooms, audience lounge, make up, wardrobe, production offices and full studio technical support services.
The complex also houses six radio studios used for BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio nan Gàidheal and other radio stations.


Known as the salad bowl or white cauldron, the silver futuristic building was designed by the architect of the BMW Headquarters, the Viennese professor Karl Schwanzer. The roughly circular base is only 20 meters in diameter, the flat roof about 40 metres. The entrance is on the ground floor and consists of a cloakroom (in basement) and reception. First, the visitor ascends on a spiral upward in the building to visit the exhibits. Slideshows and smaller, in-depth exhibits are located on four "islands" inside the building. After "looping" the actual exhibition visitors reach the upper floor, where there are individual exhibits, a small cinema hall and several interactive exhibits that explain the technology further. An escalator leads visitors finally back into the ground floor.
The design reverses the spiral from top to bottom and the order of the "operation principle" Frank Lloyd Wright built in Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.


The tower was officially opened to the public on 19 May 1966, by Postmaster General Tony Benn (then known as Anthony Wedgwood Benn) and Billy Butlin, with HM the Queen visiting on 17 May 1966.
As well as the communications equipment and office space, there were viewing galleries, a souvenir shop and a rotating restaurant on the 34th floor; this was called The Top of the Tower, and operated by Butlins. It made one revolution every 23 minutes.
In its first year the Tower hosted just under one million visitors and over 100,000 diners ate in the restaurant.


According to chronicles, the Avar fortress, which existed in 873 in Bač, predated the later fort. It was inhabited by both Avars and Slavs. The Hungarian King Stephen I founded Bács County, and at the turn of the first millennium Bač (Hungarian: Bács) was already a well built and fortified town, connected to the Danube by the river Mostonga. During the Árpád dynasty, Bač became not only the ecclesiastical seat of the Archdiocese of Kalocsa, but a royal city, where nobles and rulers came to their councils and assemblies. In the twelfth century Bač fortress is first mentioned in written sources.
At the head of Bács county there were ispáns appointed by the king. Until the Mongol invasion in 1241, the ispáns were the managers of the area. They collected donations, set up military and civilian commanders. In addition to the governors of the fort there were also lower prefects, judges, and military personnel. Since the twelfth century, the custom of annual royal visits to the fort was established.