This weekly challenge is hosted by Dawn from ‘The Day After’ who invites participants to post pictures of any windows that they find curious, inviting, photogenic, or in some way tell a story. Visit her blog to see more windows and/or to join in with the challenge.
Office Building near Tower Hill
More Modern Glass (and a black cab)
Reflections in the city
and finally The Shard – lots of windows in that building!
Event Type: General Blogging
Start Date: Tuesdays, recurring weekly
Description: Every Tuesday I offer the “A to Z challenge”, walking step by step through the alphabet.
If you would like to join in then please click here
Estação de Caminhos de Ferro do Rossio – located in Rossio Square, Lisbon, Portugal
This unusual building will attract your attention – it is built in the neo-manueline style and quite beautiful. The intertwined horseshoe portals at the front of the building are probably the most impressive features.
But just admire the detail around those doors and windows.
And as I often say, don’t forget to look up!
“Nothing is so beautiful as Spring”
~ Gerard Manley Hopkins
If you would like to see what others have come up with for this challenge then go to the Daily Post @ WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge
These are just a tiny few of the spring flowers I have had the joy to see and photograph over the past two weeks in the south-west and south-east. More spring beauties can be found on my Earth Laughs in Flowers blog as I begin a month of magnolias, camellias, peonies and azaleas and rhododendrons.
Ailsa of “Where’s My Backpack?” is looking at things in detail this week. Getting CLOSE-UP. If you would like to join in with her challenge then please do. Everyone is welcome.
On a visit this week to the British Museum I was thrilled to get close up to some very interesting objects.
(click on collage to enlarge)
Hieroglyphics from the Egyptian Rooms and Enlightenment Gallery. Excessive Zimbabwean currency notes from the Money Room, an Anglo-Saxon helmet from Early Medieval Europe, a beautiful ceramic bowl from Algeria and colourful painted decoration which was once painted above the column capitals of the Parthenon.
(Above) Man’s Cloth – recycled foil bottle-neck wrappers, copper wire by El Anatsui, Ghana, 1988 – 2001 (A traditional narrow-strip woven silk kente cloth of Ghana)
(Above) A close-up of a gold cape from Mold, Wales made from a single sheet of gold (c 1900 – 1600 BC)
I can’t believe that it has taken me until now to visit this astonishing museum and can’t wait to return to London and continue exploring the range of cultures, periods and objects it contains.
Event Type: General Blogging
Start Date: Tuesdays, recurring weekly
Description: Every Tuesday I offer the “A to Z challenge”, walking step by step through the alphabet.
If you would like to join in then please click here
(A special post today as this is the 200th on this blog!)
The Qutb Minar is in Delhi, India.
Originally the minar had only 4 storeys, faced with red and buff sandstone. The uppermost storey which was damaged in 1368 during Firuz Tughluq’s reign was replaced by him by 2 storeys, using marble but leaving the lower portion of the 4th storey in original red sandstone.
The minar narrows from the bottom to the top. It has a diameter of 14.3 meters at the bottom, while at the top it is only 2.7 meters
With a height of 72.5 m and 379 steps, it is the highest stone tower in India and a perfect example of minar known to exist anywhere.
Verses of the holy Quran in Naskh style on the walls of Qutb Minar
The mosque is in ruins today but indigenous corbelled arches, floral motifs, and geometric patterns can be seen among the Islamic architectural structures. Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, constructed by Qutub-ud-Din Aibak, dates back to the year 1198. (below and header photo)
Alai Darwaza is the name given to the southern gateway of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. Ala-ud-Din Khalji got the gateway constructed in the year 1311. It boasts of being the first gateway with a horseshoe arch and true dome. Along with that, it was also the first structure, which employed Islamic principles of construction and decoration.
All the artisans employed for the construction of Qutb Minar were Hindus and even the raw material for the monument was obtained from existing Hindu and Jain temples. Since human and animal figures are not allowed in Islam, the motifs illustrating them were later disfigured.
TRAVEL WORDS 