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The ancient site of Tanis lies in the north east of Egypt's Delta region and dates back to the 19th Dynasty, later becoming the seat of power for later pharaohs during the 21st and 22nd Dynasties.
Many of the monuments here are inscribed for Ramesses II but are believed to have been transferred at a later date from his former capital 'Pi-Ramesses', modern Qantir, (one of the nearby villages we travelled through en route here) where little remains today. The cities in the Delta were built along the many branches of the Nile that bisect this region, but with the silting up of some branches over time such settlements became vulnerable and were abandoned, as happened at Pi-Ramesses and later its replacement Tanis in turn.
The site today is located near the modern village of San el Hagar and the surviving ruins largely consist of isolated inscribed blocks, scattered obelisk and architectural fragments and pieces of large scale sculptures. It is nonetheless an impressive spectacle and a great site to explore, the almost caramel colour of the stone and desert adds much to the atmosphere.
More complete are the tomb structures of the 21st & 22nd dynasties, the tomb of Shoshenq III being complete except for its roof and filled with reliefs and sarcophagi. The tomb of Psusennes I (along with Amenemope and Shoshenq II who were also interred there) is located nearby under a surviving section of the ruined plinth of the former temple of Amun, but the tombs themselves can only be glimpsed through openings. These tombs yielded intact treasures when they were investigated by Pierre Montet in 1940 and the contents are now on display in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
My first encounter with Tanis was of course via one of my favourite films, Raiders of the Lost Ark, in which it is the setting for the stunning 'Map Room' and 'Well of Souls' where the Ark of the Covenant is found in the film. Of course none of it was filmed here (or even in Egypt itself) but I was intrigued to see broken obelisks like the one that led Indiana Jones to the target! But the film's claim that the city had been lost up to that point is pure myth, it has been investigated frequently since the early 19th century.
Our trip to Tanis was slightly complicated by the security situation, it is quite remote and the closest we got to the trouble spots in the Sinai, thus we were held back at Tell Basta until an armed escort could accompany us. This didn't cause alarm, being something we had experienced already elsewhere, and a sign of how seriously Egypt takes the safety of its visitors. Nonetheless it was quite humbling having groups of guards making a special trip at short notice just for the two of us!
We didn't spend more than an hour on site here (despite having a very good local guide who was willing to show us more if we'd stayed) as it was getting late and we didn't want to keep our generous escorts waiting.
Mais duas meninas que vão ter um lanche mais alegre todos os dias!! :)
Além de estarem já a contribuir para o ambiente com sacos reutilizáveis...
Rather than throw out your old toothbrush, reuse it and give it new life as something else...it's called recycling!
Visit:
www.squidoo.com/ReuseToothbrushes
...for more info
just lost my pro status :(
output is slowing down
got lots of new projects on the go but too many are in my head and not getting done.
taking a new turn in my life (just got an allotment - dont laugh it will happen to you one day young ruffian)
confused
pissed
so very pissed
feel i have apoint to make but can't think of it. pissed off with mysef for feeeling old. got so many ggod ideas in my head and dont have time to get them out. got a brilaint idea but need a couple of days to get it going. mydogsfinesthour. if i get it done i'll be so proud.
inspired by so many of you. seeing te words freeartfriday on the strteets of newzealand, hearing kind words. trading with so many cool people. strangers. friends ive never met. being something i'm not
bastard devil juice......................................................
do i renew pro account? or fade
This was a great way to use reuse some of the trash we generate. Since all the trash goes into $3.00 trash bags, less is a good thing.
A Bronze Age ditch was reused as a cemetery site in the Late Romano-British period. Here a number of graves were cut into the soft,silty fills of the ditch and bodies were laid to rest there. However, in most cases the original grave cut was revisited and later bodies placed in the same space after the earlier burials had been moved out of the way. In all cases the bones from earlier burials had been carefully moved and replaced within the graves once the new burial had been deposited. Here we can see the excavation of two skulls lying side by side in a grave.
For more information visit www.wessexarch.co.uk/projects/wiltshire/boscombe/boscombe...
Deboxing the Hasbro singing Belle doll. First I cut off the front plastic cover from the backing by using a sharp knife. The box isn't very reusable, as it glued together, so you have to destroy it to get the doll out of the packaging. Then I cut Belle from her ties to the backing. Here she is next to the unfolded instruction sheet.
Detailed photos of the Disney Beauty and the Beast Melodies Singing Belle doll by Hasbro. She is a posable 11 inch doll of Belle in her yellow ball gown, from the upcoming live action Beauty and the Beast movie (March 17, 2017). I bought her from from ToysRUs, for $29.99. She was released on January 1, 2017, and is still available online (with free shipping) and in stores. She sings a portion of 'Something There', voiced by Emma Watson, with accompanying music. It is the same song from the 1991 animated version of Beauty and the Beast. In the Try Me or Demo mode, she sings 10 seconds of the song when you press her belly. When the switch on the back of the doll is moved from the DEMO to the ON position, the doll sings 30 seconds of the song in a single segment.
She has less articulation than Disney Store dolls, with totally stiff arms and legs. Belle has a one piece dress with a three layered sheer overskirt, yellow satin skirt, and a separate white satin underskirt. She is holding a printed cardboard rose in her left hand and plastic heels with bow decorations in front. She has a few freckles on her cheeks, which are not prominent, and brown eyes that are looking forward. She has a pleasant expression and a pretty face, but only slightly resembles Emma Watson. She has ball jointed neck, shoulders and hips, so only five points of articulation. Hasbro also has a more articulated non-singing version of this Belle doll, with a more detailed and accurate dress, called the Enchanting Ball Gown Belle, which also costs $29.99. There is another version of this doll in the Grand Romance two doll set, along with the ballroom Beast, which costs $49.99, and which has a less detailed gown than the Enchanting Ball Gown Belle.
The Disney Store has a non-singing Disney Film Collection Belle doll in her ball gown. She is separately sold for $34.95 each, so about $5 to $10 more than the Hasbro versions. She was released on January 16, 2017 (in North America). I will compare the two brands side by side soon.
Here are my entries for ReUse Project 3. This project is asking people to reuse anything they can get their hands on for a bit of artistic doodling, and the results will be shown in an abandoned building in Israel.
pattern by Gingercake:http://www.gingercake.bigcartel.com/product/love-your-lunch-box-pdf-sewing-pattern
Totobobo reusable respirator mask, tight fitting, it-factor (100+), source of un-comfort, moisture built up. Weight=20g
what do you do with those images you take accidentally, when your camera goes off inadvertently? Or those shots that are blurry or just plain look bad? Do you just delete them? Well, don't "waste" those bytes and pixels anymore! Reduce, reuse and recycle!
With a few clicks in Photoshop, you can make something out of nothing, reclaiming those otherwise wasted pixels and turning it into a work of art!
Okay, so it's NOT really a work of art, but you can still make use of what otherwise might have been deemed a throwaway shot. Here, my camera went off by accident. The original frame is a much wider shot angled oddly and naturally not well focused. I rotated, cropped, played with some levels and filters in Photoshop and "saved" an otherwise wasted frame! ^^
extra credit for those shopping fanatics among us: bonus points awarded if you can name which store that shopping bag comes from.
looks (a little bit) better viewed large.
A reused single deck motor, played the role of a shunter/pilot train. Now, it sits by the car sheds at refern for share parts (amoung other carriages around here).
Final test firing of reusable solid rocket motor FSM-17 on Feb. 25 in Promontory, Utah.
From the NASA news release about the test:
NASA's Space Shuttle Program conducted the final test firing of a reusable solid rocket motor Feb. 25 in Promontory, Utah.
The flight support motor, or FSM-17, burned for approximately 123 seconds – the same time each reusable solid rocket motor burns during an actual space shuttle launch. Preliminary indications show all test objectives were met. After final test data are analyzed, results for each objective will be published in a NASA report.
ATK Launch Systems, a unit of Alliant Techsystems Inc., in Promontory, north of Salt Lake City, manufactures and tests the solid rocket motors.
The test – the 52nd conducted for NASA by ATK – marks the closure of a test program that has spanned more than three decades. The first test was in July 1977. The ATK-built motors have successfully launched the space shuttle into orbit 129 times.
"Today's test was a great deal more than the successful conclusion to a series of highly successful NASA/ATK-sponsored static tests that began more than three decades ago," said David Beaman, Reusable Solid Rocket Booster project manager at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The project, part of the Space Shuttle Propulsion Office, is responsible for motor design, development, manufacturing, assembly, testing and flight performance.
"These tests have built a base of engineering knowledge that continued engineering development of the reusable solid rocket motor system and the continued safe and successful launch of space shuttles," Beaman said. "They have provided an engineering model and lessons learned for additional applications in future launch systems."
The final test was conducted to ensure the safe flight of the four remaining space shuttle missions. A total of 43 design objectives were measured through 258 instrument channels during the two-minute static firing. The flight motor tested represents motors that will be used for all remaining space shuttle launches.
The space shuttle's reusable solid rocket motor is the largest solid rocket motor ever flown, the only one rated for human flight and the first designed for reuse. Each shuttle launch requires the boost of two reusable solid rocket motors to lift the 4.5-million-pound shuttle vehicle.
During space shuttle flights, solid rocket motors provide 80 percent of the thrust during the first two minutes of flight. Each motor, the primary component of the shuttle's twin solid rocket boosters, generates an average thrust of 2.6 million pounds and is just over 126 feet long and 12 feet in diameter.
Image/caption credit: NASA
See all images:
www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/multimedia/photos/2010/phot...
Renoir
it has not been dried yet but it is so cute and i like them...more to come 2morrow...like to make them.....
LaliCup is healthier, more comfortable, reliable, ecological and also much cheaper alternative to traditional feminine hygiene products used in the past centuries. lalicup.com/product-category/menstrual-hygiene/
Blocks with fragments of carved relief can be seen re-used in the footings of later structures such as the mammisi and Coptic church.
The Temple of Hathor at Dendera is one of Egypt's best preserved and most beautiful ancient shrines. This magnificent edifice dates to the Ptolemaic period, late in Egyptian history, though the site long had been the cult centre for the goddess Hathor for centuries before (the earliest extant remains date to c360BC but a temple is recorded here as far back as c2250BC). Most of the main building dates to the reigns of the last Cleopatras and further decoration and building work within the complex continued in the Roman period up to the reign of Trajan.
The dominant structure in the complex is the Temple of Hathor, an enormous structure with a rectangular facade punctuated by the Hathor-headed columns of the hypostyle hall within. This hall is an architectural wonder, a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian design and decoration, which covers every surface and has been recently cleaned, revealing a superb astrological ceiling in all its original vibrant colours.
Sadly there was much iconoclasm here during the early Christian period and most of the reliefs of the walls and pillars have been defaced. Worse still is the damage to the 24 Hathor-head capitals: not one of the nearly a hundred huge faces of the goddess that once smiled down on this hall has been left unblemished, most with their features cruelly chiselled away.
The main temple building is otherwise structurally intact, and extends into further halls and chapels beyond, again with much relief decoration (much of which is again defaced). In one corner is an entrance to a crypt below, an unusual feature in Egyptian temple architecture consisting of several narrow passages adorned with carved relief decoration in good condition.
There are further sanctuaries and chapels above on the roof of the temple, accessed by a decorated staircase and including the room where the famous Dendera Zodiac was formerly located (today its place in the ceiling taken by a cast of the original, now displayed in Paris). The highest part of the roof complex is no longer accessible to tourists, but I can still recall making the ascent there on our first visit in 1992.
Several other buildings surround the main temple, the most impressive of which is the mammisi or 'birth-house'. This consists of a large rectangluar hall surrounded by a colonnade near the entrance to the site and has some well preserved relief decoration on its exterior. Most of this structure dates to the Roman period, but the ruins of its predecessor built under Nectanebo II (Egypt's last native pharoah) stand nearby.
Dendera temple is one of the most rewarding in Egypt and shouldn't be missed. It is one of the most complete and evocative ancient monuments in the country and its recent restoration has revealed a surprisingly extensive amount of colour surviving within (we were amazed by the dramatic contrast with the soot-blackened ceiling we'd beheld on our previous visit in the 1990s). Despite its relative youth (in Egyptian terms at least!) it is easily one of my favourite sites in Egypt.
A stunning photo of Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103), accompanied by a T-38 chase plane, during descent to a touchdown on Runway 17 at Edwards Air Force Base, September 5, 1984. The mission, STS-41D, marked Discovery’s maiden flight.
Very informative & enlightening reading:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-41-D
Credit: Wikipedia
And, disturbingly, the following from it caught my attention:
“Ominously, STS-41-D was the first Shuttle mission in which blow-by damage to the SRB O-rings was discovered, with a small amount of soot found beyond the primary O-ring. Following the Challenger disaster, Morton Thiokol engineer Brian Russell called this finding the first "big red flag" on SRB Joint and O-ring safety.”
Also:
forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=27635.0
Credit: NASA Spaceflight Forum website
I haven’t been able to find even a remotely similar photograph of this mission’s approach/descent. And, despite it looking a lot like the below linked image of STS-5, the hand annotation on the verso identifying it as “STS 41-D” is that of a knowledgeable previous owner/collector. Thus, I’m comfortable with the identification. Then again... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
The borderless photograph is in pristine condition.
Five doors went in to this bookshelf, desk, storage, folding bed project. The end door is held in place by friction. Two bolts press into a piece of wood in the ceiling. I used ideas from the book Nomadic Furniture. The three shelves were cut lengthwise from one door and mounted to the wall on strips of lumber cut to fit inside the open side of the cut up door pieces. That was an idea I saw in Handyman Magazine. The top shelf was open on both sides so I cut a piece of molding to cover it. Then patched all the door hinge cut-outs and lock holes.
So, here it is, the reason I drove across Norfolk: Trunch in all it's glory And it is glorious.
It has so many fascinating details, each one alone would be reason enough to visit, but together, in a fine village, next to the village pub, and with that font canopy, one of only four such in all of England, and one of two in the county.
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The oldest building in Trunch is St. Botolph's Church. It is mainly 14th. and 15th. Century but there are some fragments of stone in the walls which are believed to have been reused from an earlier Saxon church, which was recorded in the Domesday Book. There is much of interest in the church including a Rood Screen, a hammer beam roof and a rare Font Canopy.
trunchhistory.weebly.com/buildings.html
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The large village of Trunch is located about 5 miles from the north Norfolk coast. In the centre of the village, surrounded by a lovely collection of cottages and the more modern Crossroads Inn, is St Botolph's church. Much of what you see of the church is early 15th century, built upon earlier foundations.
Upon entering the church the first feature you will see is the font, which dates to the mid 14th century. Though the font is attractive, it is the carved and painted font canopy that really makes a visit to Trunch worthwhile.
This is a quite remarkable piece of woodwork, one of only four such canopies surviving in the entire country (the others are at St Peter Mancroft in Norwich, Durham Cathedral, and Luton). The canopy is supported on six beautifully carved legs. The carving detail is exquisite; with fanciful animal figures and foliage and a bit of political commentary, in the shape of a pig wearing a bishop's mitre.
In addition to the font canopy, Trunch features a superb 15th century hammer beam roof, a feature of many churches in Norfolk and Suffolk. Here the carvings of angels are beautifully performed. It is worth bringing along a pair of binoculars or a telescope in order to see the carvings properly.
Much easier to see are the medieval misericords (mercy seats) in the chancel. Each carving is unique; some represent angels, and others are more grotesque in nature. In addition there are some beautifully carved pew ends and a painted medieval rood screen that rivals many more famous churches in detail and colour.
There are 12 niches in the screen, each painted with a depiction of a single figure - 11 disciples plus St Paul. Much of the costume detail is well preserved, but the faces of the figures were destroyed during the upheavals of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.
www.britainexpress.com/counties/norfolk/churches/Trunch.htm
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William Earl Warren had the lordship of this town, (fn. 1) of which 3 freemen were deprived; one of them belonged to Herold, late King of England, another to Ralph Stalre, and the 3d to Ketel, who held 90 acres of land, and 14 borderers belonged to it, with 5 carucates among them; there was a church endowed with 10 acres, &c. 3 acres of meadow always valued at 30s. and there were also 5 freemen of Edric in King Edward's time, who had 34 acres of land, with 2 carucates, 2 acres and an half of meadow, always valued at 7s. 4d. (fn. 2)
This town also belonged to the Earl Warren's capital manor of Gimmingham, and paid suit and service to it. In the 34th of Henry III. Maud de Norwich granted by fine, to Richer, son of Nicholas, a messuage, 48 acres of land, a mill, and the sixth part of another in this town, Swathefeld and Bradfeld. In the 15th of Edward I. the Earl Warren claimed a weekly mercate, on Saturday, in this manor; and on the death of John Earl Warren, in the 21st of Edward III. the mercate was valued at 10s. per ann. the manor came after to the Earl of Lancaster, (as is before observed,) and so to John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, and King Henry IV. and is still in the Crown, as part of the dutchy of Lancaster.
The tenths were 4l. 10s. deducted 15s.
The Church is dedicated to St. Botolph, and is a regular pile, with a nave, 2 isles, and a chancel covered with lead, and has a tower with 4 bells.
In the chancel, on a little monument,
Lancelotus Thexton cappellanus Regis Edw. VI. sacre theologie baccalaureus, et rector de Trunch obt. 25. Febr. 1588, and this shield of arms, quarterly, in the first and fourth a cross between four lions heads erased, gules, in the 2d and 3d, ermine, fretty, azure.
In a window here, argent, a fess between two chevrons, sable.
On a gravestone
Hic jacet Magr. Robt. Cantell, quo'd. rector isti. ecclie, qui. obt. 1 Sept. Ao. Dni. 1480.
Gravestones
In memory of Thomas Worts, gent. who died November 13, 1693, aged 45, with his arms, three lions rampant, - - - — William Worts. gent. who married Elizabeth, daughter of Riches Brown of Fulmodeston, Esq. died August 25, 1694, aged 60, with the arms of Worts impaling Brown; two bars, between three spears heads, - - -
¶The patronage of the church was granted to the priory of Castleacre, by William Earl Warren, the first on his founding that priory. In the reign of Edward I. the rector had a manse, and 13 acres of land valued at 16 marks, Peter-pence 13d. and the prior of Castleacre had a pension or portion of tithe valued at 40s. the present valor is 10l. 13s. 4d. and pays first fruits, &c. the Norwich registers say that William, the second Earl Warren, granted the patronage, and Eborard Bishop of Norwich, confirmed it; and that Simon the Bishop confirmed the pension in 1268.
www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-hist-norfolk/vol8...
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Trunch is the largest of the villages between North Walsham and the sea; but as all the industrialisation and tawdry caravan sites are hard against the coast, and Trunch is several miles inland, it has avoided these excesses and retains a great rural charm. It has a magnificent church with lots of fascinating treasures, as well as a shop, a green, a pub run by an ex-professional footballer, and generally all the typical features you expect to find in a large village in deepest rural Norfolk.
The church is perhaps the most interesting of all round about; and, while the large village lends it an urban quality that lacks the charm of, say, the churches of neighbouring Edingthorpe and Crostwight, it has by no means the Victorianised sterility of those at Bacton or Happisburgh.
St Botolph is a big church, and its tight graveyard makes it rather hard to photograph. The whole piece seems to have been rebuilt in the early 15th century, although the chancel may be a little later, and there is a hint of Decorated about the nave. The tower is quite simple, even slight. It builds boldly enough, but at the top of the second stage fades into a simple bell stage, understated, elegant and probably intended. This is not a building that shouts at you. A curiosity is the massive priest porch surrounding the door in the chancel. These are very unusual, although there is another, smaller one at neighbouring Knapton.
The great treasure, of course, is the marvellous font canopy. It is particularly fascinating because of its date, coming in the early 16th century right on the eve of the English protestant reformation. Like all church furnishings at this time - the tombs at Oxborough, for instance - it gives us a hint of what the English renaissance might have been like if it had been allowed to flower. Here, the massive structure tumbles with intricacy; fruit and flowers, leopards and lions peep around the silvery oak of the six octagonal columns which are fluted with interlocking chains of detail. The glory is the massive crown of canopied niches, with the haunting ghosts of crucifixion groups still apparent on three of the faces. The whole thing is at once in perfect harmony with the west end of the church, but exists because it was believed to be beautiful rather than known to be useful.There is only one other font canopy in Norfolk, at St Peter Mancroft in Norwich; Outside of the county there is another at Durham Cathedral, and a fourth at the parish church in Luton - but that is it.
Above the canopy is a rich 15th century hammerbeam roof, by no means as dramatic as that at nearby Knapton, but more beautiful, I think. In the space beneath the tower there is what appears to be a gallery like the plough guild gallery at Cawston. This is not as elaborate, but its oak has silvered and it is painted beautifully with trailing rose foliage.
The benching, unfortunately, is pretty much all 19th century, but along with the font canopy and roof the medieval screen survives. Like the canopy, this is richly ornamented in relief, including a bold dedicatory inscription in diagonal ribbons across the top part of the dado. The twelve figures (11 disciples and St Paul) are boldly placed and coloured, but their faces have been completely vandalised by the 16th century reformers. Low down on the north side of the doorway is a rare surviving carved consecration cross, suggesting that this screen was already installed in the newly built church of the 15th century. The screen had detached buttressing running vertically at intervals in front of it, as at Ludham. They have been almost entirely destroyed, but you can still see the fixings between the panels. It must have been magnificent.
The return stalls in the chancel are pretty much all Victorian, but they retain medieval misericords, and also you can see quatrefoil holes set into a sounding chamber to amplify the singing. There is a very curious memorial above the priest door, featuring the instruments of the passion. I have no idea how old it is.
All of these features would be enough, but part of the attraction of St Botolph is the sense of harmony, the way everything works together. You can add to these the sedilia, the magnificent organ, and the modern design of the glass in the east window. It is a peaceful, inspiring space.
Cottages and houses hem in the graveyard, and in the corner is the modern pub. Incidentally, I don't really know if the bloke who runs it is an ex-professional footballer. But, like many rural Norfolk landlords, he seems to be a cheerful 40-something cockney who serves a decent pint and cheap food - a recommended stop for churchcrawlers.
Simon Knott, April 2005
www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/trunch/trunch.htm
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And the pub is still good.
Shopping in bulk and reusing bags and plastic bottles helps you buy a pinch or a pound of your favorite coffees, granolas, olives, nuts, flours, olive oils, miso, chocolate, rice, beans, and the list goes on.
Check out my blog on HOW TO: louisapickering.blogspot.com/2014/03/how-to-reuse-plastic...
.....to 'create' the easiest-peasiest petticoat in the whole wide world ;-) omg, I can hardly believe I'm showing you this but it just made me giggle LOL
In a previous life with my Mum, my 'new' petticoat was a nightdress. Now, I rarely sleep in any nightclothes (our lovely wool duvet makes it totally unnecessary) and the nightdresses which I own are all cotton ones. I couldn't possibly sleep in this satiny little number because a) it would make me waaaay too hot and b) the static would drive me crazy! (I am a rather static-y sort of person for some reason!).
But I realised t'other day that I could really do with some petticoats and so that's what this has now become ~ and all I had to do was cut off the shoestring straps ROFL I've kept the straps, btw, 'cos you never know, they may come in useful for.....well, something at some time ;-D It's an utter and total 'cheat', I know, but hey at least I made use of it LOL
The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall is a royal reception hall in Dusit Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. It was commissioned by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in 1908. The building was completed in 1915, five years after Rama V's death in 1910. It is now employed from time to time for state occasions.
Until October 2017, when it indefinitely closed to the public, the hall was open to visitors as a museum and housed the Arts of the Kingdom exhibition, which showcased handicrafts produced under the sponsorship of the Queen Sirikit Institute.
One year after the completion of the Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall in 1906, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) commissioned the construction of a grand European-style reception hall for use by the royal court inside Dusit Palace. The king named the hall Phra Thinang Ananta Samakhom. The name was the same as a throne hall built by his father King Mongkut (Rama IV) in 1859, in the Grand Palace. The old throne hall was later demolished by order of Chulalongkorn and the name was later reused for the new edifice.
Chulalongkorn laid the foundation stone of the throne hall on the 40th anniversary of his first coronation 11 November 1908. Design of the throne hall, to be built in Italian Renaissance and neoclassical style, was first given to the Prussian C. Sandreczki. Later, two Italian architects Mario Tamagno and Annibale Rigotti took over much of the work, with engineering work by Carlo Allegri and G.E. Gollo. Marble from Carrara, Italy and other foreign materials were used. Italian sculptor Vittorio Novi, who would later also work on the Mahadthai Udthit Bridge (สะพานมหาดไทยอุทิศ), was employed with his nephew Rudolfo Nolli. Construction took eight years and was completed in 1915 during the reign of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI). The throne hall was used for royal ceremonies and receptions, as well as a gallery for the king's art collection mostly purchased on his two trips to Europe.
During the four days of the 1932 Revolution (24–27 June), the Khana Ratsadon (or the People's Party) used the throne hall as its headquarters. The party also held several princes and royal ministers as hostages inside the hall as it carried out its coup. The events transformed the country's political system from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional democracy. After the revolution, the hall was taken over by the constitutional government and the country's first parliament, the National People's Assembly of Siam was first convened here on the 28 June 1932. Henceforth the hall was used as the seat of the legislative branch until 1974 when the new Parliament House was opened to the north. After the move, the structure was returned to the royal court and once more became a part of the Dusit Palace. Today many ceremonies are held in the throne hall, the most visible being the state opening of parliament, where the king gives a speech from the throne, opening the legislative session of the National Assembly of Thailand.
The throne hall is a two-storey construction with a large dome (49.5 m high) in the centre, surrounded by six smaller domes. The domes and walls are covered with paintings by Galileo Chini and Carlo Riguli depicting the history of the Chakri Dynasty, from the first to the sixth reign.
In front of the hall is the Royal Plaza with the equestrian statue of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).
Frescos in the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall were accomplished by Galileo Chini and Carlo Riguli, who were the royal artists serving King Rama V. There are paintings on every ceiling and wall of the dome depicting the history of the Chakri Dynasty. The northern dome exhibits the picture of King Rama I leading his armies back to Thailand after defeating the Khmer and later crowned as the first king of the Chakri dynasty. The eastern dome shows the contribution of King Rama II and King Rama III to arts by ordering constructions of the royal temples. The southern dome displays King Rama V's abolition of slavery. Pictures of King Rama IV (King Mongkut) surrounded by priests of various faiths are shown on the western dome, depicting the king's advocacy of all religions. Mural paintings in the middle hall narrate the royal duties of King Rama V and King Rama VI. Other parts of the hall are decorated with King Rama V's and King Rama VI's monograms, including a variety of royal emblems such as the Garuda emblem. On the balcony of the middle hall, art nouveau paintings are decorated on the walls with pictures of European women holding flower garlands.
The throne previously hosted the Arts of the Kingdom exhibition, which showcased handicrafts produced under the sponsorship of the Queen Sirikit Institute. It indefinitely closed to visitors since 1 October 2017. The Arts of the Kingdom exhibition will be relocated to Ayutthaya Province
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometres (605.7 sq mi) in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated population of 10.539 million as of 2020, 15.3 percent of the country's population. Over 14 million people (22.2 percent) lived within the surrounding Bangkok Metropolitan Region at the 2010 census, making Bangkok an extreme primate city, dwarfing Thailand's other urban centres in both size and importance to the national economy.
Bangkok traces its roots to a small trading post during the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the 15th century, which eventually grew and became the site of two capital cities, Thonburi in 1768 and Rattanakosin in 1782. Bangkok was at the heart of the modernization of Siam, later renamed Thailand, during the late-19th century, as the country faced pressures from the West. The city was at the centre of Thailand's political struggles throughout the 20th century, as the country abolished absolute monarchy, adopted constitutional rule, and underwent numerous coups and several uprisings. The city, incorporated as a special administrative area under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration in 1972, grew rapidly during the 1960s through the 1980s and now exerts a significant impact on Thailand's politics, economy, education, media and modern society.
The Asian investment boom in the 1980s and 1990s led many multinational corporations to locate their regional headquarters in Bangkok. The city is now a regional force in finance and business. It is an international hub for transport and health care, and has emerged as a centre for the arts, fashion, and entertainment. The city is known for its street life and cultural landmarks, as well as its red-light districts. The Grand Palace and Buddhist temples including Wat Arun and Wat Pho stand in contrast with other tourist attractions such as the nightlife scenes of Khaosan Road and Patpong. Bangkok is among the world's top tourist destinations, and has been named the world's most visited city consistently in several international rankings.
Bangkok's rapid growth coupled with little urban planning has resulted in a haphazard cityscape and inadequate infrastructure. Despite an extensive expressway network, an inadequate road network and substantial private car usage have led to chronic and crippling traffic congestion, which caused severe air pollution in the 1990s. The city has since turned to public transport in an attempt to solve the problem, operating eight urban rail lines and building other public transit, but congestion still remains a prevalent issue. The city faces long-term environmental threats such as sea level rise due to climate change.
The history of Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, dates at least to the early 15th century, when it was under the rule of Ayutthaya. Due to its strategic location near the mouth of the Chao Phraya River, the town gradually increased in importance, and after the fall of Ayutthaya King Taksin established his new capital of Thonburi there, on the river's west bank. King Phutthayotfa Chulalok, who succeeded Taksin, moved the capital to the eastern bank in 1782, to which the city dates its foundation under its current Thai name, "Krung Thep Maha Nakhon". Bangkok has since undergone tremendous changes, growing rapidly, especially in the second half of the 20th century, to become the primate city of Thailand. It was the centre of Siam's modernization in the late 19th century, subjected to Allied bombing during the Second World War, and has long been the modern nation's central political stage, with numerous uprisings and coups d'état having taken place on its streets throughout the years.
It is not known exactly when the area which is now Bangkok was first settled. It probably originated as a small farming and trading community, situated in a meander of the Chao Phraya River within the mandala of Ayutthaya's influence. The town had become an important customs outpost by as early as the 15th century; the title of its customs official is given as Nai Phra Khanon Thonburi (Thai: นายพระขนอนทณบุรี) in a document from the reign of Ayutthayan king Chao Sam Phraya (1424–1448). The name also appears in the 1805 revised code of laws known as the Law of Three Seals.
At the time, the Chao Phraya flowed through what are now the Bangkok Noi and Bangkok Yai canals, forming a large loop in which lay the town. In the reign of King Chairacha (either in 1538 or 1542), a waterway was excavated, bypassing the loop and shortening the route for ships sailing up to Ayutthaya. The flow of the river has since changed to follow the new waterway, dividing the town and making the western part an island. This geographical feature may have given the town the name Bang Ko (บางเกาะ), meaning 'island village', which later became Bangkok (บางกอก, pronounced in Thai as [bāːŋ kɔ̀ːk]). Another theory regarding the origin of the name speculates that it is shortened from Bang Makok (บางมะกอก), makok being the name of Spondias pinnata, a plant bearing olive-like fruit. This is supported by the fact that Wat Arun, a historic temple in the area, used to be named Wat Makok. Specific mention of the town was first made in the royal chronicles from the reign of King Maha Chakkraphat (1548–1568), giving its name as Thonburi Si Mahasamut (ธนบุรีศรีมหาสมุทร). Bangkok was probably a colloquial name, albeit one widely adopted by foreign visitors.
The importance of Bangkok/Thonburi increased with the amount of Ayutthaya's maritime trade. Dutch records noted that ships passing through Bangkok were required to declare their goods and number of passengers, as well as pay customs duties. Ships' cannons would be confiscated and held there before they were allowed to proceed upriver to Ayutthaya. An early English language account is that of Adam Denton, who arrived aboard the Globe, an East India Company merchantman bearing a letter from King James I, which arrived in "the Road of Syam" (Pak Nam) on 15 August 1612, where the port officer of Bangkok attended to the ship. Denton's account mentions that he and his companions journeyed "up the river some twenty miles to a town called Bancope, where we were well received, and further 100 miles to the city...."
Ayutthaya's maritime trade was at its height during the reign of King Narai (1656–1688). Recognition of the city's strategic location guarding the water passage to Ayutthaya lead to expansion of the military presence there. A fort of Western design was constructed on the east side of the river around 1685–1687 under the supervision of French engineer de la Mare, probably replacing an earlier structure, while plans to rebuild the fort on the west bank were also made. De la Mare had arrived with the French embassy of Chevalier de Chaumont, and remained in Siam along with Chevalier de Forbin, who had been appointed governor of Bangkok. The Bangkok garrison under Forbin consisted of Siamese, Portuguese, and French reportedly totalling about one thousand men.
French control over the city was further consolidated when the French General Desfarges, who had arrived with the second French embassy in 1687, secured the king's permission to board troops there. This, however, lead to resentment among Siamese nobles, led by Phetracha, ultimately resulting in the Siamese revolution of 1688, in which King Narai was overthrown and 40,000 Siamese troops besieged Bangkok's eastern fort for four months before an agreement was reached and the French were allowed to withdraw. The revolution resulted in Siam's ties with the West being virtually severed, steering its trade towards China and Japan. The eastern fort was subsequently demolished on Phetracha's orders.
Ayutthaya was razed by the Burmese in 1767. In the following months, multiple factions competed for control of the kingdom's lands. Of these, Phraya Tak, governor of Tak and a general fighting in Ayutthaya's defence prior to its fall, emerged as the strongest. After succeeding in reclaiming the cities of Ayutthaya and Bangkok, Phraya Tak declared himself king (popularly known as King Taksin) in 1768 and established Thonburi as his capital. Reasons given for this change include the totality of Ayutthaya's destruction and Thonburi's strategic location. Being a fortified town with a sizeable population meant that not much would need to be reconstructed. The existence of an old Chinese trading settlement on the eastern bank allowed Taksin to use his Chinese connections to import rice and revive trade.
King Taksin had the city area extended northwards to border the Bangkok Noi Canal. A moat was dug to protect the city's western border, on which new city walls and fortifications were built. Moats and walls were also constructed on the eastern bank, encircling the city together with the canals on the western side. The king's palace (Thonburi Palace) was built within the old city walls, including the temples of Wat Chaeng (Wat Arun) and Wat Thai Talat (Wat Molilokkayaram) within the palace grounds. Outlying orchards were re-landscaped for rice farming.
Much of Taksin's reign was spent in military campaigns to consolidate the Thonburi Kingdom's hold over Siamese lands. His kingdom, however, would last only until 1782 when a coup was mounted against him, and the general Chao Phraya Chakri established himself as king, later to be known as Phutthayotfa Chulalok or Rama I.
Rama I re-established the capital on the more strategic east bank of the river, relocating the Chinese already settled there to the area between Wat Sam Pluem and Wat Sampheng (which developed into Bangkok's Chinatown). Fortifications were rebuilt, and another series of moats was created, encircling the city in an area known as Rattanakosin Island.
The erection of the city pillar on 21 April 1782 is regarded as the formal date of the city's establishment. (The year would later mark the start of the Rattanakosin Era after calendar reforms by King Rama V in 1888.) Rama I named the new city Krung Rattanakosin In Ayothaya (กรุงรัตนโกสินทร์อินท์อโยธยา). This was later modified by King Nangklao to be: Krungthepmahanakhon Bowonrattanakosin Mahintha-ayutthaya. While settlements on both banks were commonly called Bangkok, both the Burney Treaty of 1826 and the Roberts Treaty of 1833 refer to the capital as the City of Sia-Yut'hia. King Mongkut (Rama IV) would later give the city its full ceremonial name:
Rama I modelled his city after the former capital of Ayutthaya, with the Grand Palace, Front Palace and royal temples by the river, next to the royal field (now Sanam Luang). Continuing outwards were the royal court of justice, royal stables and military prison. Government offices were located within the Grand Palace, while residences of nobles were concentrated south of the palace walls. Settlements spread outwards from the city centre.
The new capital is referred to in Thai sources as Rattanakosin, a name shared by the Siamese kingdom of this historical period. The name Krung Thep and Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, both shortened forms of the full ceremonial name, began to be used near the end of the 19th century. Foreigners, however, continued to refer to the city by the name Bangkok, which has seen continued use until this day.
Most of Rama I's reign was also marked by continued military campaigns, though the Burmese threat gradually declined afterwards. His successors consistently saw to the renovation of old temples, palaces, and monuments in the city. New canals were also built, gradually expanding the fledgling city as areas available for agriculture increased and new transport networks were created.
At the time of the city's foundation, most of the population lived by the river or the canals, often in floating houses on the water. Waterways served as the main method of transportation, and farming communities depended on them for irrigation. Outside the city walls, settlements sprawled along both river banks. Forced settlers, mostly captives of war, also formed several ethnic communities outside the city walls.
Large numbers of Chinese immigrants continued to settle in Bangkok, especially during the early 19th century. Such was their prominence that Europeans visiting in the 1820s estimated that they formed over half of the city population. The Chinese excelled in trade, and led the development of a market economy. The Chinese settlement at Sampheng had become a bustling market by 1835.
By the mid-19th century, the West had become an increasingly powerful presence. Missionaries, envoys and merchants began re-visiting Bangkok and Siam, bringing with them both modern innovations and the threat of colonialism. King Mongkut (Rama IV, reigned 1851–1868) was open to Western ideas and knowledge, but was also forced to acknowledge their powers, with the signing of the Bowring Treaty in 1855. During his reign, industrialization began taking place in Bangkok, which saw the introduction of the steam engine, modern shipbuilding and the printing press. Influenced by the Western community, Charoen Krung Road, the city's first paved street, was constructed in 1862–1864. This was followed by Bamrung Mueang, Fueang Nakhon, Trong (now Rama IV) and Si Lom Roads. Land transport would later surpass the canals in importance, shifting people's homes from floating dwellings toward permanent buildings. The limits of the city proper were also expanded during his reign, extending to the Phadung Krung Kasem Canal, dug in 1851.
King Mongkut's son Chulalongkorn (r. 1868–1910) was set upon modernizing the country. He engaged in wide-ranging reforms, abolishing slavery, corvée (unfree labour) and the feudal system, and creating a centralized bureaucracy and a professional army. The Western concept of nationhood was adopted, and national borders demarcated against British and French territories. Disputes with the French resulted in the Paknam Incident in 1893, when the French sent gunboats up the Chao Phraya to blockade Bangkok, resulting in Siam's concession of territory to France.
With Chulalongkorn's reforms, governance of the capital and the surrounding areas, established as Monthon Krung Thep Phra Mahanakhon (มณฑลกรุงเทพพระมหานคร), came under the Ministry of Urban Affairs (Nakhonban). During his reign many more canals and roads were built, expanding the urban reaches of the capital. Infrastructure was developed, with the introduction of railway and telegraph services between Bangkok and Samut Prakan and then expanding countrywide. Electricity was introduced, first to palaces and government offices, then to serve electric trams in the capital and later the general public. The King's fascination with the West was reflected in the royal adoption of Western dress and fashions, but most noticeably in architecture. He commissioned the construction of the neoclassical Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall at the new Dusit Palace, which was linked to the historic city centre by the grand Ratchadamnoen Avenue, inspired by the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Examples of Western influence in architecture became visible throughout the city.
By 1900, rural market zones in Bangkok began developing into residential districts. Rama VI (1910–1925) continued his predecessor's program of the development of public works by establishing Chulalongkorn University in 1916, and commissioned a system of locks to control waterway levels surrounding the developing city, he also provided the city's first and largest recreational area, Lumphini Park. The Memorial Bridge was constructed in 1932 to connect Thonburi to Bangkok, which was believed to promote economic growth and modernization in a period when infrastructure was developing considerably. Bangkok became the centre stage for power struggles between the military and political elite as the country abolished absolute monarchy in 1932. It was subject to Japanese occupation and Allied bombing during World War II. With the war over in 1945, British and Indian troops landed in September, and during their brief occupation of the city disarmed the Japanese troops. A significant event following the return of the young king, Ananda Mahidol, to Thailand, intended to defuse post-war tensions lingering between Bangkok's ethnic Chinese and Thai people, was his visit to Bangkok's Chinatown Sam Peng Lane (ซอยสำเพ็ง), on 3 June 1946.
As a result of pro-Western bloc treaties Bangkok rapidly grew in the post-war period as a result of United States developmental aid and government-sponsored investment. Infrastructure, including the Don Mueang International Airport and highways, was built and expanded. Bangkok's role as an American military R&R destination launched its tourism industry as well as sex trade. Disproportionate urban development led to increasing income inequalities and unprecedented migration from rural areas into Bangkok; its population surged from 1.8 to 3 million in the 1960s. Following the United States' withdrawal from Vietnam, Japanese businesses took over as leaders in investment, and the expansion of export-oriented manufacturing led to growth of the financial market in Bangkok. Rapid growth of the city continued through the 1980s and early 1990s, until it was stalled by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. By then, many public and social issues had emerged, among them the strain on infrastructure reflected in the city's notorious traffic jams. Bangkok's role as the nation's political stage continues to be seen in strings of popular protests, from the student uprisings in 1973 and 1976, anti-military demonstrations in 1992, and successive anti-government protests by the "Yellow Shirt" and "Red Shirt" movements from 2008 on.
Administratively, eastern Bangkok and Thonburi had been established as separate provinces in 1915. (The province east of the river was named Phra Nakhon (พระนคร.) A series of decrees in 1971–1972 resulted in the merger of these provinces and its local administrations, forming the current city of Bangkok which is officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) was created in 1975 to govern the city, and its governor has been elected since 1985.