View allAll Photos Tagged Althing
Thingvellir, the ancient place of one of the world's first parliament nowadays is the summer residence of the Icelandic prime minister. It's also a national park where the Eurasian and the American tectonic plates meet which diverge every year a few centimeters. The old Vikings hold their "Althing" there from about 930 on.
Þingvellir (Thingvellir) is a historic site and national park in Iceland, east of Reykjavík. It's known for the Alþing (Althing), the site of Iceland's parliament from the 10th to 18th centuries. On the site are the Þingvellir Church and the ruins of old stone shelters. The park sits in a rift valley caused by the separation of 2 tectonic plates, with rocky cliffs and fissures like the huge Almannagjá fault.
"Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American tectonic plate and the Eurasian.
Þingvellir is associated with the Althing, the national parliament of Iceland, which was established at the site in 930 AD. Sessions were held at the location until 1798."
Hellisfjörður is a depopulated - the last permanent inhabitants left in 1952 - fjord in the Eastfjords of Iceland, but contains some interesting bits of history. In 1901 the Norwegian company Brödrene Bull set up a whaling operation at Sveinsstaðaeyri (where the small pier is), which operated for 12 years, until the Icelandic parliament, Althing, outlawed whaling in 1913. During this time 1243 whales were processed at this site; yes, the accounting was precise. The main benefit from the whales was the blubber, used for street lighting of cities in Europe and other purposes, but the Bull brothers also set up machinery to process the meat and bones. However, this machinery arrived late, so the company resorted to storing the fat-stripped carcasses in the fjord, tethered to land by ropes, while the meat-and-bones operation was being prepared. A visitor to Hellisfjörður in 1901 describes a vision of about a hundred floating giant carcasses peppering the coast, emitting a terrible stench. Some rusty kettles and cog wheels in the grass are all what remains of this amazing history.
Thingvillir National Park where the Althing, an open-air assembly representing the whole of Iceland, was established in 930 and continued to meet until 1798. Over two weeks a year, the assembly set laws and settled disputes. The Althing has deep historical and symbolic associations for the people of Iceland.
Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
The name Þingvellir is derived from the Old Norse Þingvǫllr meaning assembly fields. The site takes its name from Alþing (Althing), the national parliament of Iceland, which was founded at Þingvellir in 930 and held its sessions there until 1798.
Although I did not have the courage to swim between the tectonic plates, I did stop by for a while to cook some dinner and enjoy a beautiful sunset enroute to Gulfoss. I have not travelled anywhere the past few years barring a few places in the US which I hope to post one of these days...
Hope everyone is doing good! Thanks for viewing and have a great week ahead :)
Thingvellir was the site of the Alþing, the annual parliament of Iceland from the year 930 until the last session held at Þingvellir in 1798. Since 1881, the parliament has been located within Alþingishúsið in Reykjavík.
Þingvellir is now a national park in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, about 40 km (25 miles) northeast of Iceland's capital, Reykjavík. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
Þingvellir National Park (þjóðgarðurinn á Þingvöllum [ˈθjouðˌkarðʏrɪn au ˈθiŋkˌvœtlʏm]) was founded in 1930, marking the 1000th anniversary of the Althing. The park was later expanded to protect the diverse and natural phenomena in the surrounding area and was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2004.
Me as Good in the white leather coat on the right.
From november, filming viking 872. Bronseplassen, Norway.
Goder is described in the sagas as the religious and political leader or chief of his district who was called godord (goðorð). In Iceland, every ninth farmer had a duty to accompany his property to the Althing if the estate demanded it, and whoever escaped had to pay the courtier's costs. At the parliament, the most important men met for a discussion and the parliament was the most important hub in Norse society. In addition to court proceedings and judging between right and wrong, the youth held competitions in sports and beer parties were held for friends and relatives, news was told and connections were made and alliances formed. Poets and storytellers contributed to the entertainment.
Goden was the chief of his district and those under him were his courtiers. The relationship between them was free. The magistrate promised good support and he in turn guaranteed his magistrates protection. If they did not agree, the magistrate could choose another good one. The area of goods, good words, was thus not precisely delimited. The good words were hereditary, but could also be sold.
Photo Dejan Dukic.
This Red-throated Loon may well be the one that was nesting at this spot on a small island in Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park on our first day on this trip to Iceland www.flickr.com/photos/luminouscompositions/54497836499/in...
On our next-to-last day, ten days later, the weather was much different: unlike the cool and blustery conditions earlier, it was quite warm — and this bird was panting, apparently to regulate its temperature. {As in the Canadian Arctic, climate heating is having marked impacts on Iceland despite its remote location in the North Atlantic Ocean.}
Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park was Iceland’s first, and protects important natural processes in addition to being a highly significant cultural location as the place where the political assembly called the Althing was established in 930. The park is designated by the United Nations as a World Heritage Site.
bei der Gelegenheit viele liebe Grüße an Annette und Jörg ;)
Übrigens, Annette, ich werde verrückt jedesmal, daß ich nach Deinem Link suchen muß... :P)
il castello Althörnitz
ora albergo, nella Sassonia orientale
4 cảm giác đau nhất:
- Thấy buồn mà không khóc được.
- Thấy nhớ nhưng không thể nói.
- Thấy cô đơn mà không ai bên cạnh.
- Thấy đau mà vẫn phải mỉm cười :)
:::i'm sick of it..... i'm tired.. :)
Blick zum Rachel von Althütte aus (Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald)
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althütte_(Spiegelau)
Photo Dejan Dukic.
From november, filming viking 872.
Goder is described in the sagas as the religious and political leader or chief of his district who was called godord (goðorð). In Iceland, every ninth farmer had a duty to accompany his property to the Althing if the estate demanded it, and whoever escaped had to pay the courtier's costs. At the parliament, the most important men met for a discussion and the parliament was the most important hub in Norse society. In addition to court proceedings and judging between right and wrong, the youth held competitions in sports and beer parties were held for friends and relatives, news was told and connections were made and alliances formed. Poets and storytellers contributed to the entertainment.
Goden was the chief of his district and those under him were his courtiers. The relationship between them was free. The magistrate promised good support and he in turn guaranteed his magistrates protection. If they did not agree, the magistrate could choose another good one. The area of goods, good words, was thus not precisely delimited. The good words were hereditary, but could also be sold.
Before Christianity in Iceland in the year 1000, the good was the one who led the bare on the head, and the head was connected to the good's own house and property. Archeology has not found its own, independent courts like the church is the house of Christianity.
September 2016 - [LHR/EGLL] London - Heathrow
'BEE-LINE 2AH' from Brussels in the 'René Magritte' special colours seen on final 27L.
c/n 1797, originally delivered to LTU as D-ALTH in 2002, transferred to SN in 2013.
Þingvellir was the site of the Alþing, the annual parliament of Iceland from the year 930 until the last session held at Þingvellir in 1798. Since 1881, the parliament has been located within Alþingishúsið in Reykjavík.
Þingvellir is now a national park in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, about 40 km northeast of Iceland's capital, Reykjavík. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
Þingvellir National Park was founded in 1930, marking the 1000th anniversary of the Althing. The park was later expanded to protect the diverse and natural phenomena in the surrounding area and was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2004.
Þingvellir was the site of the Alþing, the annual parliament of Iceland from the year 930 until the last session held at Þingvellir in 1798. Since 1881, the parliament has been located within Alþingishúsið in Reykjavík.
Þingvellir is now a national park in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, about 40 km northeast of Iceland's capital, Reykjavík. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
Þingvellir National Park was founded in 1930, marking the 1000th anniversary of the Althing. The park was later expanded to protect the diverse and natural phenomena in the surrounding area and was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2004.
Northern Lights Night Nr.2 at National Park Þingvellir
Þingvellir is now a national park in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, about 40 km northeast of Iceland's capital, Reykjavík. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
Þingvellir National Park (þjóðgarðurinn á Þingvöllum) was founded in 1930, marking the 1000th anniversary of the Althing. The park was later expanded to protect the diverse and natural phenomena in the surrounding area, and was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2004.
Canon EOS R - Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art
Photo Dejan Dukic.
From november, filming viking 872.
Goder is described in the sagas as the religious and political leader or chief of his district who was called godord (goðorð). In Iceland, every ninth farmer had a duty to accompany his property to the Althing if the estate demanded it, and whoever escaped had to pay the courtier's costs. At the parliament, the most important men met for a discussion and the parliament was the most important hub in Norse society. In addition to court proceedings and judging between right and wrong, the youth held competitions in sports and beer parties were held for friends and relatives, news was told and connections were made and alliances formed. Poets and storytellers contributed to the entertainment.
Goden was the chief of his district and those under him were his courtiers. The relationship between them was free. The magistrate promised good support and he in turn guaranteed his magistrates protection. If they did not agree, the magistrate could choose another good one. The area of goods, good words, was thus not precisely delimited. The good words were hereditary, but could also be sold.
Before Christianity in Iceland in the year 1000, the good was the one who led the bare on the head, and the head was connected to the good's own house and property. Archeology has not found its own, independent courts like the church is the house of Christianity.
Thingvellir National Park, site of the original parliament, which is known as the most sacred place in Iceland due to its geological and historic significance. The Althing, or General Assembly, was established here in 930 CE and is the world’s oldest existing parliament. Not only historically significant, the site is located on the meeting point of the American and European continental plates.
Il est connu pour l'Alþing (Althing), lieu où se tenait le parlement islandais du Xe au XVIIIe siècle.Le parc est situé dans une vallée de rift due à la séparation de 2 plaques tectoniques, avec des falaises rocheuses et des fissures comme l'immense faille de l'Almannagjá.
Place where the Icelandic parliament was held from the 10th to the 18th century. the park is located in a rift valley due to the separation of 2 tectonic plates, with rocky cliffs and fissures like the immense Almannagja fault.
See more on Iceland : marienomartin.myportfolio.com
The Goðafoss waterfall also has a historical heritage closely linked to that of medieval Iceland and this is what gave it its name of "waterfall of the gods".
Falls of the gods
Towards the end of the 10th century, Christianity began to spread on the island and came into competition with paganism. To avoid any conflict between
the Icelandic people, in the year 1000 the Althing decided to adopt an official religion.
He left the decision to the pagan law-teller Þorgeir Þorkelsson, who was considered wise and righteous by pagans and Christians alike.
After retiring for a day and a night, he decides that Iceland must become a Christian.
Þorgeir then returns home in the north and passing in front of the fall of Godafoss, he decides to set an example by throwing the idols of the old gods (Odin and Thor in particular) into the water, hence the name of Goðafoss! (Godafoss)
At Þingvellir - literally "Parliament Plains" - the Alþing general assembly was established around 930 and continued to convene there until 1798. Major events in the history of Iceland have taken place at Þingvellir and therefore the place is held in high esteem by all Icelanders. Today Þingvellir is a protected national shrine. According to the law, passed in 1928, the protected area shall always be the property of the Icelandic nation, under the preservation of the Alþing. Þingvellir is notable for its unusual tectonic and volcanic environment in a rift valley.
People at the Þingvellir overlook near the information centre on a rainy day in Iceland. Þingvellir (Thingvellir) is a historic site and national park in Iceland, east of Reykjavík. It's known for the Alþing (Althing), the site of Iceland's parliament from the 10th to 18th centuries.
Parliamentary meetings were held in the Thingvellir area starting in 930 A.D., during the time of the Vikings, with the last meeting held in 1798. See the flag pole in the background for the site of parliamentary meetings.
"Þingvellir (Thingvellir) is the National Park where the Althing, an open-air assembly representing the whole of Iceland, was established in 930 and continued to meet until 1798. Over two weeks a year, the assembly set laws - seen as a covenant between free men - and settled disputes. The Althing has deep historical and symbolic associations for the people of Iceland." [source: whc.unesco.org/en/list/1152/ ]
In this view, facing north, on the left is North America (the tectonic plate), and on the right is Europe.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Þingvellir (Icelandic: About this sound ] (help·info), Thing Fields), anglicised as Thingvellir (or, mistakenly, Pingvellir, is a place in the administrative district of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, near the Reykjanes peninsula and the Hengill volcanic area. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. It lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It is at the northern end of Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
Alþingi (Althing in English), the Icelandic Parliament, was established at Þingvellir in 930, and remained there until 1798. Þingvellir National Park (or Thingvellir National Park) was founded in 1930, marking the 1,000th anniversary of the Althing. It was later expanded to protect natural phenomena in the surrounding area, and became a World Heritage Site in 2004
Source; Wikipedia
Op 27 juli 2016 was ik even in Althen wezen kijken, dit omdat ik toch in de buurt was. Een leuk trein die voorbij kwam was de 182 912 die met een sleep GATX ketelwagens onderweg was richting Hannover.
"Þingvellir, anglicised as Thingvellir was the site of the Alþing, the annual parliament of Iceland from the year 930 until the last session held at Þingvellir in 1798.[2] Since 1881, the parliament has been located within Alþingishúsið in Reykjavík.[3]
Þingvellir is now a national park in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, about 40 km (25 miles) northeast of Iceland's capital, Reykjavík. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.[4]
Þingvellir National Park (þjóðgarðurinn á Þingvöllum [ˈθjouðˌkarðʏrɪn au ˈθiŋkˌvœtlʏm]) was founded in 1930, marking the 1000th anniversary of the Althing. The park was later expanded to protect the diverse and natural phenomena in the surrounding area and was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2004."
Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park is where the Althing, an open-air assembly representing the whole of Iceland, was established in 930 and continued to meet until 1798. Over two weeks a year, the assembly set laws - seen as a covenant between free men - and settled disputes. The Althing has deep historical and symbolic associations for the people of Iceland. The property includes the Þingvellir National Park and the remains of the Althing itself: fragments of around 50 booths built from turf and stone. Remains from the 10th century are thought to be buried underground. (whc.unesco.org/en/list/1152)
I headed northeast out of Reykjavik towards the Geyser geothermal area. Along the road there was a sign for a waterfall so I decided to stop and take a look. The trail to the waterfall passed though a canyon but now and then you could get a view of the open country like this. I found out later this was in Þingvellir (Icelandic "Þing": parliament, "vellir": plains) National Park, both a natural and historical park.
The Althing, the national parliament of Iceland, was established at Þingvellir in 930, and held its sessions there until 1798. Þingvellir National Park was founded in 1930, marking the one-thousandth anniversary of the Althing. It was later expanded to protect natural phenomena in the surrounding area, and became a World Heritage Site in 2004.
Source and more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Eingvellir
©All photographs on this site are copyright: ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®
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Photograph taken at an altitude of One hundred and forty seven metres at 15:40pm on Thursday 8th November 2018, off Þingvallavegur 36 in the Þingvellir National Park (Thingvellir National Park) in Iceland. Situated East of Reykjavik, this is the location where the Alþing (Althing) parliamentary general assembly met between 930 CE and 1798. It has been home to a church for over One thousand years.
The park sits in a rift valley caused by the separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates with cliffs and fissures such as the Almannagjá fault.
Here we are looking over a body of water known as Þingvallavatn (Þingvallavatn lake). The lake has a surface area of 84 km² and a depth of 114m and lies partially with the national park.The only outflow from lake Þingvallavatn is the river Sog.
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Nikon D850 Focal length 55mm. Hand held with Nikkor VR vibration reduction enabled on Normal setting. Shutter speed 1/320s Aperture f/14.0 iso100 RAW (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L 8256 x 5504 FX). Colour space. Adobe RGB. AF-C focus 51 point with 3-D tracking. Manual exposure. Matrix metering. Auto 0 white balance (8030K). Nikon Distortion control on. Vignette control Normal.
Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR. Phot-R ultra slim 77mm UV filter. Nikon EN-EL15a battery. Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module.
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LATITUDE: N 64d 15m 19.40s
LONGITUDE: W 21d 7m 43.70s
ALTITUDE: 147.0m
RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 89.3MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 33.30MB
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PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.01 (16/01/2018) LD Distortion Data 2.017 (20/3/18)
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB SATA storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit (Version 1.2.11 15/03/2018). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit (Version 1.4.7 15/03/2018). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 1.3.2 15/03/2018). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park is where the Althing, an open-air assembly representing the whole of Iceland, was established in 930 and continued to meet until 1798. Over two weeks a year, the assembly set laws - seen as a covenant between free men - and settled disputes.
The Althing has deep historical and symbolic associations for the people of Iceland. The property includes the Þingvellir National Park and the remains of the Althing itself: fragments of around 50 booths built from turf and stone. Remains from the 10th century are thought to be buried underground. (whc.unesco.org/en/list/1152)
This is from Thingvellir (Þingvellir) Park in Iceland. The Sturlunga Sagas written about 900 years ago mention a man-made redirection of the river to this valley, resulting these falls. It tumbles over a fissure between the North American and the European tectonic plates. Öxará Foss translates to waterfall on the Oxara (or Ax) River.
Web sites using this photo
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This photograph was published in an online article in ''MAPQUEST TRAVEL ENTITLED: '' 10 Adrenaline-Charged Adventure Travel Destinations '' by ANNA FLEET IN 2021
It was previously Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on November 15th 2018
CREATIVE RF gty.im/1066492306 MOMENT OPEN COLLECTION**
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**** This frame was chosen on Sunday February 25th 2021 to appear on FLICKR EXPLORE (Highest Ranking: #396. This is my 197th photograph to be selected.
I am really thrilled to have a frame picked and most grateful to every one of the 38.388+ Million people who have visited, favourite and commented on this and all of my other photographs here on my FLICKR site. *****
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©All photographs on this site are copyright: DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®
No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) ©
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Photograph taken at an altitude of One hundred and forty six metres at 15:30pm on Thursday 8th November 2018, off Þingvallavegur 36 in the Þingvellir National Park, the only UNESCO world heritage site on the Icelandic mainland. It is situated East of Rekjavik in the municipality of Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland and is known historically for the Alþing (Althing), the site of Iceland's parliament from the 10th to 18th centuries.
The park sits in a Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
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Nikon D850 Focal length 65mm. Hand held with Nikkor VR vibration reduction enabled on Normal setting. Shutter speed 1/10s Aperture f/13.0 iso100 RAW (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L 8256 x 5504 FX). Colour space. Adobe RGB. AF-C focus 51 point with 3-D tracking. Manual exposure. Matrix metering. Auto 0 white balance (8030K). Nikon Distortion control on. Vignette control Normal.
Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR. Phot-R ultra slim 77mm UV filter. Nikon EN-EL15a battery. Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module.
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LATITUDE: N 64d 15m 20.60s
LONGITUDE: W 21d 7m 41.50s
ALTITUDE: 146.0m
RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 92.1MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 46.20MB
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PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.01 (16/01/2018) LD Distortion Data 2.017 (20/3/18)
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB SATA storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit (Version 1.2.11 15/03/2018). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit (Version 1.4.7 15/03/2018). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 1.3.2 15/03/2018). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
An icy sunset over Althing, Icelands parliament from the 10th to the 18th century.
Happy Christmas to all my Flickr friends and visitors, thank you for your visits and support during 2017!
Hallgrímskirkja, Church of Hallgrímur) is a Lutheran (Church of Iceland) parish church in Reykjavík, Iceland. At 74.5 metres tall, it is the largest church in Iceland and among the tallest structures in the country. Known for its distinctively curved spire and side wings, it has been described as having become an important symbol for Iceland's national identity since its completion in 1986 The church is named after the Icelandic poet and cleric Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614–1674), author of the Passion Hymns.
Situated on the hilltop Skólavörðuholt near the centre of Reykjavík, the church is one of the city's best-known landmarks and is visible throughout the city. State Architect Guðjón Samúelsson's design of the church was commissioned in 1937. He is said to have designed it to resemble the trap rocks, mountains and glaciers of Iceland's landscape, in particular its columnar basalt "organ pipe" formations (such as those at Svartifoss). The design is similar in style to the expressionist architecture of Grundtvig's Church of Copenhagen, Denmark, completed in 1940, which has been described as a likely influence, alongside the expressionist Kirche am Hohenzollernplatz in Berlin, Germany (completed in 1933).
Architecturally, Hallgrímskirkja consists of three parts: The tower with the distinctly curved side wings which house service facilities, a nave in more traditional architecture, and a sanctuary at the other end of the nave, whose cylindrical shape has been described as evoking Viking war helmets.
It took 41 years to build the church: construction started in 1945 and ended in 1986, but the landmark tower was completed long before the whole church was finished. The crypt beneath the choir was consecrated in 1948, the steeple and wings were completed in 1974, and the nave was consecrated in 1986. At the time of construction, the building was criticized as too old-fashioned and as a blend of different architectural styles. The church was originally intended to be less tall, but the leaders of the Church of Iceland wanted a large spire so as to outshine Landakotskirkja (Landakot's Church), which was the cathedral of the Catholic Church in Iceland.
The church houses a large pipe organ by the German organ builder Johannes Klais of Bonn. It has electronic action; the pipes are remote from the four manuals and pedal console. There are 102 ranks, 72 stops and 5275 pipes. It is 15 metres tall and weighs 25 metric tons. Its construction was finished in December 1992.
Einar Jónsson donated the statue of Jesus to the church in 1948, which stands right next to the entrance to the nave. Jesus receives the Holy Spirit after being baptized in the Jordan.
The church is also used as an observation tower. An observer can take a lift up to the viewing deck and view Reykjavík and the surrounding mountains.
The statue of explorer Leif Erikson (c.970 – c.1020) by Alexander Stirling Calder in front of the church predates its construction. It was a gift from the United States in honor of the 1930 Althing Millennial Festival, commemorating the 1000th anniversary of the convening of Iceland's parliament at Þingvellir in 930 AD.
Thingvellir, which lies in a broad rift valley between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, was the original site of the Icelandic parliament beginning in 930 AD. Thingvellir became Iceland's first national park in 1930 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I posted an alternate view of this spot last autumn.
A church has existed at Thingvellir since shortly after 1000 AD when Iceland converted to Christianity. The current church seen here was built in 1859.
For more information on Thingvellir and its history see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Eingvellir and nat.is/Churches/thingvellir_church.htm.
Öxarárfoss in Þingvellir National Park, Iceland.. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. It lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Althing, the national parliament of Iceland, was established at Þingvellir in 930, and held its sessions there until 1798, with memebers travelling for days to attend meetings. Game of Thrones fans may know that Öxarárfoss was an on-set location for Game of Thrones, as the approach to the Eyrie.