The Colosseum or Coliseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy. Built of travertine limestone, tuff, and brick-faced concrete, it was the largest amphitheatre ever built at the time and held 50,000 to 80,000 spectators. The Colosseum is situated just east of the Roman Forum. Construction began under the emperor Vespasian in AD 72 and was completed in AD 80 under his successor and heir, Titus. Further modifications were made during the reign of Domitian. These three emperors are known as the Flavian dynasty, and the amphitheatre was named in Latin for its association with their family name. The Colosseum could hold an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 spectators at various points of its history over the centuries, having an average audience of some 65,000; it was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. Wikipedia
The Pantheon is a former Roman temple, now a Catholic church, in Rome, Italy, on the site of an earlier temple commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus. It was completed by the emperor Hadrian and probably dedicated about 126 AD. Its date of construction is uncertain, because Hadrian chose not to inscribe the new temple but rather to retain the inscription of Agrippa’s older temple, which had burned down. The building is cylindrical with a portico of large granite Corinthian columns under a pediment. A rectangular vestibule links the porch to the rotunda, which is under a coffered concrete dome, with a central opening to the sky. Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon’s dome is still the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43 metres. It is one of the best-preserved of all Ancient Roman buildings, in large part because it has been in continuous use throughout its history and, since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been in use as a church dedicated to “St. Mary and the Martyrs” but informally known as “Santa Maria Rotonda”. Wikipedia
These are a few sample pictures from our travels in 2017. These are a selection of pictures taken in Greenland, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Wales, Scotland and England. Please check back for Photographic additions in one or all of the visited Countries.
Greenland is an interesting country ans has just recently started receiving the tourist trade. I bought a fun t-shirt in Greenland on our first visit that says “Lost in Greenland” such fun!
Venice is great for photography; the Gondolas, the canals, Rialto Bridge and the historic Buildings. Burano Italy is just a water taxi away from Venice famous for its colorful houses, and beautiful lace work. Santorini and Mykonis are beautiful Greek Islands, and very popular with the tourist crowd. Many Chinese women come to Santorini to pose in their wedding gowns.
Wales, Ireland and the Islands off Scotland have many interesting Neolithic sites such as Skara Brae and several Henge sites, Standing Stones of Stennes, and Ring of Bodgar near Kirkwell Orkney.
Even from Port of Rashid the Burj Khalifa can be seen
HDR of Burj Khalifa at sunset
Panorama of Burj Khalifa at sunset
The BurjKhalifa is all lite up at night
On the 124thn floor looking up the rest of the way
Inside the Burj Khalifa looking at the reflection of the ground
Sun star on the Burj Khalifa
Water display in front of the Burj Khalifa
Burj Khalifa during the day
What a city!
A lot could be said about Dubai, but it probably has all been said before. I want to focus on some of the buildings that one can see in Dubai. The first one of course will be the Tallest building in the World–the Burj Khalifa. It is an amazing building to view and to go into. The high-speed elevator will zip one to the 124th floor in less than one minute.
I feature a few pictures of the Bruj Khalifa with different views, day and night, and from the ground and from the 124th floor.
For an amazing picture from the 124th floor look at-Joe McNally’s Instagram photo http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/20/joe-mcnally-burj-khalifa-skyscraper-photo-picture_n_2917817.html–The picture I wish I had taken when I was there!
Burj Facts
1. Burj Khalifa is located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
2. It’s 828 metres tall (2,717 feet).
3. The exact height was not revealed until final stages of the construction.
4. It was officially opened on Jan 4, 2010.
5. It was previously known as Burj Dubai.
6. Burj means Tower in Arabic language.
7. It’s renamed after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi.
World records
8. Tallest building – previously Taiwan’s Taipei 101 (509m).
12. Building with most floors (160) – previously USA’s World Trade Center (110).
13. Highest elevator installation.
14. Highest outdoor observation deck (~440m)
15. Highest mosque at 158th floor.
16. Highest (insert here) which requires another long list to be completed ;p
17. Fastest elevators at speed of 64km/h, or 18m/s.
18. It would take just a minute to reach from ground level to top floor.
Architecture facts
19. Burj Dubai has more than 162 floors.
20. It has 49 office floors.
21. It houses 1044 residential apartments.
22. It has a floor area of 334,000 square metres.
23. There’s 57 lifts in the tower.
24. There’s 28,261 of glass-panels on the exterior of the tower.
25. Its top spire can be seen from 95km afar.
26. The architecture features a triple-lobed footprint, an abstraction of the Hymenocallis flower.
27. The Y-shaped floor plan aims to maximize views of the Gulf.
28. Over 1,000 pieces of art from prominent Middle Eastern and international artists will adorn the tower and the surrounding Emaar Boulevard.
Environmental facts
29. The tower’s peak electricity demand is estimated at 50MVA, equivalent to roughly 500,000 100-watt light bulbs.
30. It’s expected to use an average of 946,000 litres of water each day.
31. During peak cooling conditions, the tower will require around 12,500 tons of cooling, equivalent to the cooling capacity of about 10,000 tons of melting ice.
Construction facts
32. Construction began in September 2004.
33. The tower’s architect and engineer is Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (Chicago).
34. The main constructor is Emaar Properties, a joint venture by Korea’s Samsung C&T, Belgium’s Besix and UAE’s Arabtec.
35. The construction project manager is Turner Construction Company.
36. Bill Baker is the chief structural engineer.
37. Adrian Smith is consulting design partner.
38. It took some 22 million man-hours to be completed.
39. On downside, foreign construction workers were pay as little as $4 per day.
40. Over 45,000 cubic-metres of concrete, weighing more than 110,000 tonnes, were used.
41. Concrete used was enough to lay a 2,065km-long pavement; and equivalent to the weight of 100,000 elephants.
42. Total weight of aluminium used is equivalent to that of five A380 aircraft.
43. Total length of stainless steel bull nose fins used is equal to 293 times the height of France’s Eiffel Tower.
44. The foundations were dug to depths of 50m.
Financial figures
45. Total cost estimated at US$1.5 billion.
46. The price for the offices spaces reached as high as US$4,000 per sq ft.
47. Residential spaces as high as US$3,500 per sq ft.
48. The building is part of the a 490-acre flagship development called Downtown Burj Khalifa.
Random stuff
49. Burj Khalifa is about twice the height of Empire State Building (443m).
50. It’s taller than Hong Kong’s Victoria Peak (552m).
51. It’s the first world’s tallest structure in history to include residential space.
52. It will feature the world’s first Armani Hotel, which occupies 15 of the lower 39 floors.
53. The exterior temperature at the top of will be 6°C cooler than its base (some say 10°C).
54. Jan 4, its opening date, was the birthday of Sir Isaac Newton.
55. Around 12,000 people are expected to live and work in the tower when it’s fully occupied.
56. The tower’s official website is www.burjkhalifa.ae.
