Christianity - Traveling Thru History

Top Historic Sites in Europe, Part 2

Erin — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 09:58:19 +0000

Welcome to Part 2 of my Top Historic Sites in Europe series! I’m glad you came back to check out some more fantastic sites. Europe is a region that has had human activity for over 37,000 years and is just full of history. Last week we looked at 10 famous sites in Europe and why they’re worth visiting. Today we’re looking at 10 more of the amazing places around Europe that you really shouldn’t miss. England – Tower of London The Tower of London has had a lively history in the thousand years it has been standing and has been used for a variety of purposes over the years, ranging from a royal residence, a prison for the elite, an armory, a menagerie, home of the Royal Mint, a public record office, home of the Crown Jewels, and, most recently, a museum. The hill on which the Tower of London sits was first settled in 1066 when the Norman’s, led by William the Conqueror, conquered England. The White Tower, the most prominent building in the fortress and where the fortress draws its name, was built around 1078. The buildings around the White Tower was added during the 1190s by Richard the Lionheart, and a wharf was built in 1285 by Edward I. The Tower of London was the home of England’s royalty until the year 1547. After that, the Tower of London was only used by royalty during the few days before the coronations of Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. By the time Charles II was crowned in 1660, the castle fortress’s royal accommodations were in such disrepair that he opted to forgo the tradition of staying in the Tower of London the night before his coronation, then ending the tradition. After the royal residence was moved from the fortress, the most famous use of the Tower of London began: that of a prison and execution ground for nobility. Though, the Tower prison was a bit more comfy than our modern view of a medieval prison. The prisoners here were mainly members of the royal family and wealthy nobility who were able wander the grounds at times and to also purchase comforts such as tapestries and higher-quality food. There were cases of torture during the Tower’s reign as a prison, but during the roughly 200 years the Tower was used as a prison, there are only 48 documented cases of torture being used. As for executions, only 7 people are known to have been executed inside the fortress walls between 1066 and the First World War. The 112 other known executions took place on a hill adjacent to the fortress, which is known as Tower Hill. And then there are all those who went ‘missing’ from the Tower, but that’s another story. Another famous use for this site is as the home of the Crown Jewels. The Crown Jewels have been housed at the Tower of London since the reign of Henry III in the 13th century. The Jewel House was destroyed in 1669 and the Crown Jewels were moved to Martin Tower, where Colonel Thomas Blood constructed an elaborate, but failed, plot to steal them. The Crown Jewels have been housed in various locations around the Tower of London until 1994, when the Crown Jewels were moved to the Jewel House inside the Waterloo Block, which is behind the White Tower. The most unique and unknown historic fact about the Tower of London is that a Royal Menagerie was once kept inside the fortress. King John first brought lions to the Tower during the late 12th or early 13th century and until 1830, a wide range of exotic animals, such as leopards, hyenas, baboons, wolves, bears, elephants, and tigers, were kept on the grounds. Now, all that is left are wire sculptures of wild animals and six live ravens. These are kept due to a prophecy that says the city of London will fall once ravens leave the Tower. Erin Tracy is the owner and author of this blog, Traveling Thru History, which she uses to share her love of history, culture, and travel with her readers. You can also find stories and pictures of her travels on her Facebook page. Slovakia – St. Elizabeth’s Cathedral Often described as the easternmost Gothic cathedral in Europe, St. Elizabeth’s Cathedral in Košice is Slovakia’s largest church and, together with the nearby St. Michael’s Chapel and Urban’s Tower, a National Cultural Monument. Construction of the cathedral was done in five staves beginning in the late 14th century and finishing in the early 16th century, at which time it was dedicated to a Hungarian saint (today’s Slovakia was part of the Hungarian empire). The cathedral consists of five naves, two towers, and three chapels, and is adorned with some of the finest Gothic stonework, altarpieces, windows, and frescoes. The main St. Elizabeth altar includes one of Europe’s largest sets of Gothic paintings, of which there are 48 total. The church’s architectural significance rests in how the central nave and the transept have the same length, forming a Greek cross. This also creates a large indoor space, and allows for three large decorative gables outside. St. Elizabeth follows the style of many other medieval cathedrals in that it has its own crypt, which houses many famous remains. The most famous are the remains of Francis II Rakoczi, the Hungarian nobleman and national hero who led an 18th century independence uprising against the Habsburgs. The cathedral also boasts several legends. The most popular holds that somewhere within the walls there is a hollow building stone, which, if removed, would cause the entire cathedral to collapse. Another says the only non-zoomorphic gargoyle, that of a woman holding a goblet and a bottle, is the alcoholic wife of a builder who immortalized her thusly in revenge for her tarnishing his name. Yet another legend has it that the St. Matthias lantern has the power to absolve the criminal guilt of anyone who can climb into it. St. Elizabeth’s is very dear to the people of Košice. They view this cathedral as the city’s crown jewel and unofficial symbol. It was the first of its Seven Wonders, as voted by a poll of the city’s residents in 2009. The best time to visit are outside of mass, which times can be found here. On sunny days, climbing to the top of Sigismund Tower rewards visitors with a 360-degree view of the historic Košice downtown and surrounding areas. Peter Korchnak is a Košice native and an author. He blogs at Where Is Your Toothbrush?, a food travel website, and several other outlets while sharing his adventures on Facebook. Latvia – Riga Cathedral Located in the heart of Riga’s Old Town, Riga Cathedral stands proudly for all to see. The Cathedral is the biggest medieval church and one of the oldest religious buildings in Latvia and also the whole Baltic region. While the original foundation stone was laid in 1211, the actual construction wasn’t get underway until 1215. Riga Cathedral was originally envisioned as a basilica, but the design was later changed and a hall church was built instead. One of the most unique construction features for this cathedral is that the materials changed over time from natural stone to brick. At the beginning of the 15th century, the hall church was enlarged by building the western cross-nave and side chapels. The tower of the Cathedral can be first seen in a cosmography dating back to 1559, so it is estimated the tower was added during the early . According to records, Riga Cathedral Tower was the highest spire in the whole city of Riga at that time. The cathedral was damaged by a city-wide fire in 1547 and the Gothic spire burned down entirely. A new tower was built in 1595, and the famous Riga Cathedral Rooster, which visitors today see a replica of, can be dated back to this post-fire reconstruction. The Gothic spire was demolished in 1775 due to structural concerns and was replaced with the Baroque style present-day tower. Riga Cathedral has undergone numerous renovations throughout the 20th century. At one point from the late 1950s, the Cathedral was converted into a concert hall as religious ceremonies were prohibited under Soviet rule. The Cathedral has since been restored to replace the altar and the seating. Today, visitors can appreciate the beautiful brick architecture combining Romanesque, early Gothic, Baroque, and Art Nouveau influences. The Cathedral serves as a busy cultural hub for performance, worship, and art – and don’t forget to wave to the Rooster high atop its perch! Lisa and Eric of Penguin and Pia are a German and Canadian travel couple brought together by Instagram. Now, they travel the world, inspire others to waddle, and tell stories in two languages, which you can follow on their Facebook page. Turkey – Hagia Sophia The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul has quite a history, both culturally and architecturally. It was first a Greek Orthodox patriarchal basilica, then it was a Roman Catholic cathedral, then it was a Greek Orthodox patriarchal basilica, again, then an imperial mosque, and now it is a museum. Hence, if there was one place in Istanbul that combines the different stages of Turkish history, it is definitely the Hagia Sophia. Constructed in 537 AD, Hagia Sophia was once the seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople. For a short period between 1204 and 1261 it was converted into a Roman Catholic cathedral by the invading Crusaders, but after they left it resumed its function as a Greek Orthodox patriarchal basilica. In 1453, Hagia Sophia became an Ottoman mosque and remained a mosque until 1931, when it underwent renovations to make it into a museum. The museum opened in 1935 and, since then, has been a popular site for tourists travelling to Istanbul. Not only is Hagia Sophia located in an area that is perfect for anyone who would like to visit mosques and get an insight into Istanbul’s history, but it is also a truly magical place. One of the most striking features of Hagia Sophia is the massive dome. This feature is striking both the interiorly and exteriorly. Such a feat was considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have literally “changed the history of architecture.” That’s just the exterior. The interior of the dome is striking in its adornment of beautiful mosaics and stunning marble pillars. When visiting Hagia Sophia, visitors can explore two floors. When entering through the Imperial Gate, visitors will be wowed by Byzantine relics and stunning mosaics. Then, as you start making your way into the upper gallery, you will enter the nave and find several mosaics and runic graffiti. This is the best place to have a look at the dome. The dome is one of the most interesting parts of Hagia Sophia and still drives many art historians, architects and engineers crazy as it has a very innovative way compared to what the original architects actually envisioned for the dome. The first few domes placed on top of Hagia Sophia collapsed due to poor design and natural disaster, but ancient architects finally found a way to make this one stay, in spite of natural disasters, which continues to baffle those who study it. Aside from the dome, Hagia Sophia has other unique design elements. Apart from typical elements that you can find in most churches or mosques, such as Christian mosaics and Islamic minarets, the Hagia Sophia hosts some very special features: figurative decorations of Christ, prophets, and historical figures that were added during the second half of the 9th century. The list of things to see at Hagia Sophia is endless you’ll want to set aside several hours to take it all in properly. Clemens Sehi and Anne Steinbach found the online travel magazine, Travellers Archive, which combines detailed travel documentaries and in-depth travel guides to mostly unexplored destinations. You can follow their adventures on Facebook. Bosnia & Herzegovina – Mostar Bridge The Mostar Bridge (a.k.a Old Bridge/Stari...

The post Top Historic Sites in Europe, Part 2 first appeared on Traveling Thru History.

What Makes You So Different From A Terrorist?

Erin — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 04:46:41 +0000

There is something that has been weighing on my mind recently and I don’t think I’ll be able to stop thinking about it until I write about it. Or maybe not. Hopefully this doesn’t open a firestorm. I may lose some friends and some followers, but I can’t stay silent about this anymore. Some things just need to be said. I’m sure most people have a Facebook account and have seen all the negative posts people are making about Muslims and Islam. If you don’t have a Facebook page, perhaps you’ve seen these types of posts on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Google+ , Youtube and various other websites. And if you still don’t know what I’m been talking about, I wish I could be like you. For the past year or so we’ve been seeing an upsurge in the animosity towards Muslims and the Islamic faith. Yes, this has been happening for over a decade now, but recently it has changed. Now that we’re bringing more refugees to the US and increasing the Muslim presence in our country, the rhetoric has changed. Friends of mine who I’d believed were peace-loving and kind-hearted people have been posting statuses saying we should destroy Islam and get rid of all the Muslims. Some say we should lock them up or shoot them. Others are posting that we should kick all of the Muslims out of America and yet more are celebrating others who call for the death or incarceration of Muslims. The most shocking posts have been the ones where people I know are themselves posting that all Muslims should be executed and Islam should be wiped from the earth. Are you kidding????!? And these are just the posts I’m seeing from my friends. My Christian, God-fearing, bible-following and “Christ-like” friends. And along with my Christian friends, yes, these types of posts are also coming from my Agnostic, Buddhist, Jewish, Atheist, non-denominational, Hindu and Pagan friends. What is wrong with all of you?!?!?!?! Do you not realize you are behaving just like the people you say are destroying the world? Do you not realize that by calling for the eradication of Islam and the destruction of Muslims that you are supporting the very ideology that you wish to destroy? It isn’t the ideology of Islam, but the ideology of hate. You condemn these people for their desire for death and destruction, yet you are calling out for the same. Radical Muslims say, “Death to America.” Many Americans are saying, “Death to Muslims.” What’s the difference? What makes you so different from them? Is it because you’ve never actually killed anyone? Neither have most of them. Middle Eastern terrorist groups are made of more than just Muslims. Granted, Muslims probably make up for a large portion of their numbers, but there are certainly plenty of people of other religions who just want to cause mayhem in those groups. Certainly there are non-denominational members, Christian members, Jewish, Atheist, Buddhist and Pagan members. Terrorist can come from any religious background. Before I go any further, I wish to clarify that I am, in fact, a devout and faithful Christian. I’m not a follower or studier of Islam. I believe in God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and strive to follow the teachings of the Savior. I’m not perfect, I fall short so many times, but I’m doing my best. Except for right now. Right now I feel upset and want to yell at a lot of people. When I read these status updates about how we need to kick all the Muslims out of the US or that we need to round them all up and put them in Guantanamo or that Muslims need to be shot on sight or that we should just bomb Iran, Iraq and Syria off the planet it just breaks my heart and baffles my mind. How can anyone think that 100% of Muslims are evil? Do we think 100% of all Catholic clergy are child molesters? Do we think 100% of all Baptists rejoice in the deaths of the military? Do we think 100% of Jews are penny-pinchers? Do we think 100% of Hindus perform human sacrifices? Do we think 100% of all Pagans practice witchcraft? Do we think 100% of Atheists are devil worshipers? Do we think 100% of all Christians practice what they preach? I’m pretty sure most of you answered NO to all of those. There is no situation on EARTH where 100% of any group of people have the same ideals. Most Catholic clergymen are good and devout men. Most Baptists disavow the Westboro group. Jews have a wide variety of practices when it comes to spending and saving. Hindus moved away from human sacrifice almost 200 years ago and it is only rural and radical sects who violate the laws banning such practices. Most Pagan beliefs and ceremonies revolve around a human connection with nature, not witchcraft or black magic. Atheists do not worship the devil, they do not even believe in the devil. That would be the Satanists. And as for the Christians, we Christians are just as bad as everyone else when it comes to not always living what we believe. There always has been and always will be a variety of beliefs and actions across each religious group, so why do we allow that to some and not others? I mean, seriously, there are quite a few Christian serial killers, bombers, arsonists, murderers and radicals. Timothy McVeigh (Oklahoma City bomber) was raised Catholic. Eric Robert Rudolph (Olympic Park bomber) was a member of the Church of Israel. The Army of God is a Christian group with many members who have committed mass shootings, sent bombs or murdered. Heck, a lot of mob, mafia and cartel leaders are devout Christians, too. These people are all radicals and terrorists. Does this mean ALL Christians are terrorists? By your reasoning, yes. And I’m pretty sure that assertion is making you quite upset. But all I’m doing is applying your own logic. My point is, not all Muslims are terrorists and wish to destroy America. Not all followers of Islam are radicals. Not all of those who worship in a mosque are conspiring to take your life away. So many of these people are peace-loving and hate what the radicals are doing to their beloved religion. Don’t you hate it when you hear about another Christian doing something awful in the name of God? And now I have some questions I want you to consider. Do you realize that when you call for Islam to be destroyed that you are mirroring the radical Muslims’ calls for the destruction of Christianity? Do you realize that when you post that all Muslims should be eradicated that you are echoing the radical Muslims’ cry for the annihilation of the Western world? (as well as Hitler’s rally for the murder of the Jews?) Do you realize that when you call for the deaths of all Muslims, that you are calling for the deaths of babies, toddlers, young children and so many others who have never hurt a person in their lives? Do you realize that the venom you spew about how evil Islam is and how it needs to be crushed is hate speech? Do you realize that when you say all of this you are acting just like THEM? The radical Islamic terrorists are saying the exact same things about you as many of you are saying about them. Do you not realize this? Something that crossed my mind is that a lot of these things were said by people in the days leading up to the Holocaust. So many in Germany blamed the Jews for everything that was going wrong in their country. It started with making them wear something that denoted who they were, then there were calls to kick them all out, then it evolved to putting them in special ‘zones.’ After that, all humanity was lost. Are we heading in that direction again with the Muslims? As a Christian, it is so shocking to me that my fellow Christians are saying such horrible things. How can you call yourself a Christian and say the awful things you do? Do you believe that Jesus Christ would be calling for the murder and destruction of a single person, let alone an entire group of people? Do you believe that “Thou shalt not kill” only applies to the actual act of murder by you and not for the support and rejoicing of it? Do you believe that “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” only applies to your actual neighbor? Do you believe that the God of peace, love, grace and truth would have His followers petitioning for hate, murder, anger and destruction? Do you believe that the instruction to “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” only applies to those of the same faith? Do you really believe you are behaving in a Christ-like manner when you speak in such a way? Whatever happened to love and compassion? Whatever happened to following the example of the Savior? And if you aren’t a Christian, these questions apply to you as well: How does being hateful to those who may or may not hate you make them not hate you? How is calling for the destruction of an entire religious group any different from what Hitler wanted with the Jews? How is inciting hate and fear going to solve the problem? How is behaving in an antagonistic manner going to stop other people from becoming militant extremists? Cuz, really, I bet there are quite a few that join the radical cause because they see all the hate many are spewing their way and start to believe the radical preachings that they must destroy us before we destroy them. But, of course, I do believe there are those out there who just want to destroy us because of the warped view of what their religion teaches. If there should be calls to destroy anyone, it should be those who are actively trying to destroy us. Not those who are just living their lives. Or those who have come to the United States to get away from the militant extremists. Or those who are living in fear in their home countries because of those same extremists. Or those like Malala, the young Islamic peace activist who terrorists almost killed because she went to school and spoke out against them. Those people, those are the ones we need to protect. I’m not saying we should just sit back and let the Islamic extremists blow America to bits. Or that we should give up trying to get rid of terrorism around the world. Or that we shouldn’t conduct thorough background checks before letting refugees into the country. What I AM saying is that not every Muslim is a terrorist and we need to stop acting like they are. And I’m also saying that before you write your next “we should blow every Muslim off the planet” post or make your next “Muslims are the scum of the earth” comment or share that hate-filled blog post, perhaps you should think about what you’re doing. Because, honestly, you’re saying the same things the terrorists are and, from where I’m sitting, you’re not much different from them.

The post What Makes You So Different From A Terrorist? first appeared on Traveling Thru History.