Thang-ka, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala. Most Thang-kas were intended for personal meditation or instruction of monastic students. They often have elaborate compositions including many very small figures. A central deity is often surrounded by other identified figures in a symmetrical composition. Narrative scenes are less common but do appear. Thang-ka perform several different functions. Images of deities can be used as teaching tools when depicting the life (or lives) of the Buddha, describing historical events concerning important Lamas, or retelling myths associated with other deities. Devotional images act as the centerpiece during a ritual or ceremony and are often used as mediums through which one can offer prayers or make requests. Overall, and perhaps most importantly, religious art is used as a meditation tool to help bring one further down the path to enlightenment. The Buddhist Vajrayana practitioner uses a Thang-ka image of their yidam, or meditation deity, as a guide, by visualising "themselves as being that deity, thereby internalising the Buddha qualities" Thang-ka hang on or beside altars, and may be hung in the bedrooms or offices of monks and other devotees.
Tibetan Buddhism is the most widespread religion in Tibet. Musical chanting, most often in Tibetan or Sanskrit, is an integral part of the religion. These chants are complex, often recitations of sacred texts or in celebration of various festivals. Yang chanting, performed without metrical timing, is accompanied by resonant drums and low, sustained syllables. Individual schools such as the Gelug, Nyingma, Sakya and Kagyu, and even individual monasteries, maintain their own chant traditions. Each instrument mimics the sound of an animal, the drums being the footsteps of elephants and the horns mimic bird calls.
Thangka Depicting Vajrabhairava, ca. 1740, Sotheby's
Thangka of Buddha with the One Hundred Jataka Tales, Tibet
Thangka of Buddha with the One Hundred Jataka Tales, Tibet, 13th-14th century, 114.3 x 84.4 cm.
With 953 honeycomb-shaped and beautifully carved windows on the outside wall, Hawa Mahal is located in Badi Choupad, Pink City of Jaipur, India. It was constructed in 1799 by the Kachhwaha Rajput ruler, Sawai Pratap Singh, grandson of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh as an extension to Royal City Palace. The building consists of five stores and builds in the form of Krishna's crown as the king was a devotee of Shri Krishna. Windows allow the breeze to blow through the palace making it a perfect summer destination. In contrast to the rich exterior of the Palace, the interior is comparatively simple but gives the visitors the best views of the pink city.
Phulkari word consists of 2 words “Phul” and “Kari” which means flower and works respectively in the region of Punjab, India. It started in the 15th century by the women of Punjab and is known as the folk embroidery of rural Punjab. The embroidery is generally very bright and colorful which brings colors to the lives of people. Even though phulkari means flower work, the embroidery doesn't only limit to flowers but also includes geometric shapes and motifs. Earlier this type of embroidery is only restricted to shawls and odhani but nowadays this is done on large-scale canvases such as sarees and churidar kameez. In preventing the Phulkari embroidery, digital media plays a crucial role as one can learn how to do such embroidery from different tutorials online posted on platforms like Youtube and Facebook. Also, by making Instagram and TikTok reels on such a beautiful handicraft, content creators can educate their audience about the culture and the beauty that resides in this handmade embroidery culture. Also, there are some websites that offer online courses to learn such embroidery techniques. One can read articles and books on the internet. For people who want to buy such stuff, many retailers are now selling it on online platforms either by making their own website or on some other’s portal.
A photo of Itsukushima Shrine taken at high-tide at night.
The fifty foot shrine stands about 500 feet in front of the Itsukushima Shrine on the island of Itsukushima (Miyajima) in Japan. The shine itself is a UNESCO World heritage site and the shrine that stands today is from the 13th century. The gate itself was most recently rebuilt in 1875. It is noted that it at its most beautiful at high tide when the gate and the shrine itself appear to float on the water. At low tide is possible to walk up to and around the gate pictured. The island itself has been considered holy for many hundreds of years. It's thought that the first shrine erected here was in the 6th century. The 13th century style preserved today is an outstanding example of shindenzukuri style of architecture and provides invaluable information as to the evolving spiritual culture of Shintoism and the concept of scenic beauty, which is why it was considered a World Heritage Site in 2001
Helsinki Cathedral viewed from Senate Square
Standing to the north side of Senate Square in Helsinki, Helsinki Cathedral is a Lutheran Cathedral built between 1830 - 1852 and designed by Carl Ludvig Engel (d. 1840). The Building was later altered by Ernst Lohrmann who added the four small domes around the edge and 12 statues to the roof. The building and crypt are popular tourist destinations and were visited by half a million people in 2018. It is however not a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The design of the cathedral is based upon a Greek Cross and the ends are supported by six Corinthian columns. 12 zinc apostles adorn the edge of the roof and are the largest unified collections of zinc statues in the world.
Sydney Opera House at Sunset. View across Circular Quay from Four Seasons Hotel
Inaugurated in 1973, The Sydney Opera House is Australia's most famous building and one of the Worlds most famous sites. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007. It is an icon of 20th century architecture and is a stunning sculpture set amongst a fantastic waterscape. As a daring experiment in architecture when building began in 1958 its influence on design and architecture since is unparalleled. It is a functional performing arts centre hosting 1600 performances a year and privy to eight million visitors annually. It is a marvel of engineering at the time and featured one of the first uses of computers to perform structural analysis however the project was completed 10 years late and 1357% over budget. It stands from completion as a key feature of the Sydney Harbour Skyline and one of the most recognisable buildings in the world. Its shape is synonymous with Australia and features as one of its most significant tourism draws.
The temple was built in 1665 during the Koxinga dynasty (Ming dynasty). In 1685, soon after the Taiwan was annexed by the Qing dynasty, the first Taiwan Regional Chief Administrator Chou Chang and Taiwan Prefecture Magistrate Chiang Yu-ying began their efforts to have the temple renovated and reconstructed into Taiwan Prefecture Academy. Since then, the compound has been renovated and expanded several times. After 1895, Taiwan was under Japanese rule, the temple was once again used as a public school and military barracks and was considerably damaged. The temple has been renovated several times over the past 300 years, most recently between 1987 and 1989, during the time of Republic of China (Taiwan). Today the temple serves as a popular tourist attraction and also preserves ancient Confucian ceremonies, which are conducted on a regular basis. The temple also includes storerooms for the ritual implements and musical instruments that are used in these ceremonies.
Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the one-mile-wide (1.6 km) strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula—to Marin County, carrying both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1 across the strait. Before the bridge was built, the only practical short route between San Francisco and what is now Marin County was by boat across a section of San Francisco Bay hence many wanted to build a bridge to connect San Francisco to Marin County. However, many experts said that the ferocious winds and blinding fogs would prevent construction and operation. Eventually, the proposal of construction of the bridge was made in a 1916 San Francisco Bulletin article by former engineering student James Wilkins. Eventually, the bridge was completed in May 27th, 1937 and has become of the biggest attractions and landmark of San Francisco.
The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications that were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against various nomadic groups from the Eurasian Steppe. Several walls were built from as early as the 7th century BC, with selective stretches later joined together by Qin Shi Huang (220–206 BC). Apart from defense, other purposes of the Great Wall have included border controls, allowing the imposition of duties on goods transported along the Silk Road, regulation or encouragement of trade and the control of immigration and emigration. The frontier walls built by different dynasties have multiple courses. Collectively, they stretch from Liaodong in the east to Lop Lake in the west, from the present-day Sino–Russian border in the north to Tao River (Taohe) in the south; along an arc that roughly delineates the edge of the Mongolian steppe. Today, the defensive system of the Great Wall is generally recognized as one of the most impressive architectural feats in history.
This is a photo of a monument in Taiwan identified by the ID DA09602000348.
This is the picture of the Golden Gate Bridge, taken at vista point in San Francisco.
This is the picture of Golden Gate Bridge, taken at vista point in San Francisco.
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the one-mile-wide strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula—to Marin County, carrying both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1 across the strait. Before the bridge was built, the only practical short route between San Francisco and what is now Marin County was by boat across a section of San Francisco Bay hence many wanted to build a bridge to connect San Francisco to Marin County. Although San Francisco was the largest American city still served primarily by ferry boats. Because it did not have a permanent link with communities around the bay, the city's growth rate was below the national average. Back then, experts said that ferocious winds and blinding fogs would prevent construction and operation. As a result, the proposal of the construction of the bridge was not made until 1916. Today, the bridge is the biggest attraction and landmark in the city of San Francisco.
This file has been extracted from another file: Empire State Building, New York, NY.jpg
The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City and is located on the west side of Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, between 33rd Street to the south and 34th Street to the north. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname of the state of New York. The building has a roof height of 1,250 feet (380 m) and stands a total of 1,454 feet (443.2 m) tall, including its antenna. Bethlehem Engineering Corporation originally intended to build a 25-story office building on the Waldorf–Astoria site. The company's president paid $100,000 of the $1 million down payment required to start construction on the building was then unable to secure additional funding. Hence, the land was resold to Empire State Inc. The company announced the construction of an 80-story building on the site, to be taller than any other buildings in existence to the public in August 1929. The Empire State Building officially opened on May 1, 1931, forty-five days ahead of its projected opening date, and eighteen months from the start of construction.
Immovable Culture Heritage,Movable Cultural Heritage
This is a picture taken by a user on their Nokia phone in 2007
Al-Aḥsāʾ (Arabic: الْأَحْسَاء, al-ʾAhsā), also known as al-Ḥasāʾ (الْحَسَاء) or Hajar (هَجَر), is a traditional oasis historical region in eastern Saudi Arabia whose name is used by the Al-Ahsa Governorate, which makes up much of that country's Eastern Province. The oasis is located about 60 km (37 mi) inland from the coast of the Persian Gulf. Al-Ahsa Oasis composed four main cities two and 22 villages. Two of these four main cities are Al-Mubarraz and Al-Hofuf, which are two of the 15 largest cities in Saudi Arabia.
Hagia Sophia (Turkish: Ayasofya; Koinē Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, romanized: Hagía Sophía; Latin: Sancta Sophia, lit. 'Holy Wisdom'), officially known as the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (Turkish: Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi)[3] and formerly as the Church of Holy Wisdom (Greek: Ναός της Αγίας του Θεού Σοφίας, romanized: Naós tis Ayías tou Theoú Sofías),[4] is a Late Antique place of worship in Istanbul, designed by the Greek geometers Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles.[5] Built in 537 as the patriarchal cathedral of the imperial capital of Constantinople, it was the largest Christian church of the eastern Roman Empire (the Byzantine Empire) and the Eastern Orthodox Church, except during the Latin Empire from 1204 to 1261, when it temporarily became a Roman Catholic cathedral. In 1453, after the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire, it was converted into a mosque. In 1935, the Republic of Turkey established it as a museum. In 2020, it was reconverted into a mosque.
This is an image of a girl dancing in the Indian Classical Dance form Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam is a major Hindu form of Indian classical dance that originated in Tamil Nadu. The Natya Shastra by Bharata Muni and Abhinaya Darpana (Mirror of Gesture) by Nandikeshvara are considered to be the original sources one of Bharatanatyam (an Indian classical dance form). The dance form is also briefly mentioned in Kannada text Manasollasa written by Someshwara III. It has flourished in the temples and courts of southern India since ancient times.[1][2][3] It is one of eight widely recognized Indian classical dance forms and it expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism, collectively Hinduism.
Weifang World Kite Museum (Chinese: 潍坊世界风筝博物馆) is a museum in the Kuiwen District of Weifang, China. First opened in 1989, it has twelve galleries with models and kites from China's ancient past to modern times and kites from around the world. Weifang is renowned as the "World Capital of Kites". -- Wikipedia
The Archaeological Site of Olympia was located in the Ilia region in the west of the Peloponnese, a valley of the Alpheios River. This site was built in honor of the Greek God Zeus from the 10th century BC (World Heritage Journeys, n.d.). It includes the principal temples of Zeus and Hera, athletic premises for the preparation of the Olympic Games, and other ancient sanctuaries, buildings, and monuments (Visit Greece, n.d.). The famous sporting event, The Olympic Games was originated from here. In 1989 this site was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its historical importance to human beings
Ancient Olympia, Greece. Photo taken with Nokia N8 (12 Megapixel).
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris sur l'Île de la Cité à Paris, France.
Notre Dame Cathedral Paris, which means “our lady of Paris” in French, is located in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. The building started in the 12th century and spent 300 years to its completion, it was considered one of the best French Gothic architectures in the world and one of the most notable monuments in all of Europe. Inside the Notre Dame Cathedral, there are lots of precious collections of artwork on display, and many historical events took place here. For example, Henry VI was made king of France here in 1431; Napoleon was crowned emperor inside Notre Dame in 1804, and Joan of Arc, was beatified by Pope Pius X there in 1909. It has witnessed French history for over 800 years and is now still being used for Sunday Mass of the Roman Catholic Church.
Blue and white jar Jingdezhen 1271 1368.jpg
Blue and White Porcelain meaning blue flowers in Chinese, is one of the most famous porcelain in China. It was first founded in the Tang dynasty, its technology came to maturity in the Yuan dynasty and reach its peak in the Qing dynasty. Blue and White Porcelain not only loved by Chinese people but also were popular in the world. In ancient times, Blue and White Porcelain was exported to many countries, stunning the world with its high quality and exotic aesthetics. Many countries imitated it to create their own porcelain, and in ancient Europe, it was equivalent to gold and be collected as artwork. Blue and White Porcelain had its influence on the whole world thus needed to be promoted and persevered.
Panel with a Phoenix and Birds in a Rock Garden
The eight treasures at the top of this panel, which are auspicious motifs derived from Buddhism, reinforce the meaning of the main image—a phoenix surrounded by smaller birds, symbolizing a virtuous monarch or leader welcomed by followers. This massive panel was hung over a wall to demonstrate the owner’s power and luxury, reflected in the rich colors and extraordinary craftsmanship.
Scroll Cover with Animals, Birds, and Flowers
A classic example of Song tapestry, this elegant scroll cover resembles a famous uncut piece (now in Liaoning Provincial Museum, China). This tapestry entered the Museum’s collection as the handscroll cover for the masterpiece Old Trees, Level Distance by Guo Xi (ca. 1020–ca. 1090). The placement of the animals in the pattern illustrates a strong connection with tapestries from Central Asia, which may have served as the source for the introduction of the tapestry technique to China.
Textile with Aquatic Birds and Recumbent Animal
The free arrangement of animals on a rhythmic background of geometric leafs is typical of Eastern Central Asian textiles of the eleventh to the thirteenth century. The design is also seen on Chinese tapestries of the period. A similar example was excavated from the burial pagoda of a Buddhist monk, Haiyun (1203–1257), in Beijing, attesting to the strong ties between Chinese and Central Asian textiles at the time.
Gold thread accentuates the eyes and single curved horn of this spotted deerlike animal, and the flamelike emanations coming off its body announce its supernatural status. It runs through an abstracted landscape with clouds overhead and a low groundline.
The mandarin duck corresponds to the seventh rank of civil officials. By the end of the seventeenth century, Qing dynasty norms had developed and taken hold in the iconography of rank badges. At that time the animals and birds on badges were depicted looking at a sun disk, said to represent the emperor. It is seen in the upper right of this badge.
This medallion was a badge for a civil official of the third rank in the Ming dynasty. Originally square, it has been cut, perhaps to serve as the cover for a round box. Ming-dynasty rank badges were usually woven or embroidered as part of an official’s robe; later, in the Qing dynasty, separate badges were applied to their garments.
Kesi is a type of Chinese silk tapestry weaving technique that first appeared during the Tang dynasty (618 -907) under Sogdians and the Uyghurs, a Turkic ethnic group culturally affiliated with the general region of Central Asia (Kares, 2008). The technique became popular and widely adopted in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 – 1279), reaching its popularity peak in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Kesi has been known as the 'silk silt tapestry', a textile that depicts animals, flowers, and human figures in very fine detail by translating paintings into the fabric, with lightness and clarity of pattern retained. From a distance, kesi appeared to be paintings; as a viewer moves closer, she will see the investment of labour appearing in a three-dimensional appearance, with textured brushstrokes expressed.
Virunga National Park is a national park in the Albertine Rift Valley in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was created in 1925. In elevation, it ranges from 680 m in the Semliki River valley to 5,109 m in the Rwenzori Mountains.
Gunung Leuser National Park is a national park covering 7,927 km2 in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, straddling the border of North Sumatra provinces, a fourth portion and three-fourths portion, respectively. The national park, settled in the Barisan mountain range, is named after Mount Leuser (3,119 m), and protects a wide range of ecosystems. An orangutan sanctuary at Bukit Lawang is located within the park. Together with Bukit Barisan Selatan and Kerinci Seblat National Parks, it forms a World Heritage Site, the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra.
Sri Harmandar Saheb Ji, commonly known as The Golden Temple situated in Amritsar, Punjab is the holy place for Sikhs. Amritsar means the 'pool of the nectar of immortality. The name comes from the Sarovar(pool) around the Golden Temple. The city of Amritsar was built around this pool which was excavated in 1577. Initiated by the fifth guru of Sikhs, Guru Arjan Sahib, the architecture of Sri Harmandar Saheb Ji became the central place of worship for Sikhs and its construction began in 1581. The Temple was first covered in gold in 1830 by Maharaja Ranjit Singh with 162kg of gold in 7 to 9 layers. Further, between 1995 to 1999, the temple was covered by more than 500kg of gold in 24 layers by skilled artists.
Gunung Leuser National Park is a national park covering 7,927 km² in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, straddling the border of North Sumatra provinces, a fourth portion and three-fourths portion, respectively.
Aerial photo of Kustaanmiekka from the south
Aerial photo of the southern end of the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress.
Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. Yellowstone was the first national park in the U.S. and is also widely held to be the first national park in the world. The park is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially the Old Faithful geyser, one of its most popular. While it represents many types of biomes, the subalpine forest is the most abundant. It is part of the South Central Rockies forests ecoregion. While Native Americans have lived in the Yellowstone region for at least 11,000 years, aside from visits by mountain men during the early-to-mid-19th century, organized exploration did not begin until the late 1860s. Management and control of the park originally fell under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of the Interior, the first Secretary of the Interior to supervise the park being Columbus Delano. However, the U.S. Army was eventually commissioned to oversee management of Yellowstone for a 30-year period between 1886 and 1916. In 1917, administration of the park was transferred to the National Park Service, which had been created the previous year. Hundreds of structures have been built and are protected for their architectural and historical significance, and researchers have examined more than a thousand archaeological sites. Yellowstone National Park spans an area of 3,468.4 sq mi (8,983 km2), comprising lakes, canyons, rivers, and mountain ranges. Yellowstone Lake is one of the largest high-elevation lakes in North America and is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest supervolcano on the continent. The caldera is considered a dormant volcano. It has erupted with tremendous force several times in the last two million years. Well over half of the world's geysers and hydrothermal features are in Yellowstone, fueled by this ongoing volcanism. Lava flows and rocks from volcanic eruptions cover most of the land area of Yellowstone. The park is the centerpiece of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest remaining nearly-intact ecosystem in the Earth's northern temperate zone. In 1978, Yellowstone was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Yellowstone National Park is a nearly 3,500-sq.-mile wilderness recreation area atop a volcanic hot spot. Mostly in Wyoming, the park spreads into parts of Montana and Idaho too. Yellowstone features dramatic canyons, alpine rivers, lush forests, hot springs and gushing geysers, including its most famous, Old Faithful. It's also home to hundreds of animal species, including bears, wolves, bison, elk and antelope.
Suomenlinna is a sea fortress off the coast of Helsinki, Finland. Building of the fortress first began in 1748 when Finland was under Swedish rule. Its purpose was to strengthen Sweden’s defences in the Baltic Sea after Sweden had suffered areal losses to the Russian Empire in years prior. The long history of Suomenlinna can be divided into three distinct eras. Between 1748 and 1808 both Finland and the fortress were under Swedish rule. In 1808, however, Sweden lost the fortress to the Russian Empire in the Russo-Swedish war. Between 1808 and 1918 Finland and the fortress were therefore occupied and ruled by the Russian Imperial Government. During the Russian era Suomenlinna was poorly taken care of due to lack of funding but the fortress continued to serve as a strategic location in the defence of its new masters. With the Russian Revolution and Finland’s independence efforts taking place in 1917, Suomenlinna entered its third era to date as the newly founded Finnish Government took over Suomenlinna in 1918. Today, Suomenlinna is an important historical site, popular tourist destination, and has been on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1991. Modern Suomenlinna is also the home to around 800 permanent residents.
The Petäjävesi Old Church as seen on a sunny fall day.