A stairway inside the Hotel Meade curves down to the entryway. The building was originally constructed to be a courthouse but when Bannack lost the county seat, it became a hotel. The hotel has undergone considerable reconstructions. Many of the walls have been replastered and repainted and the stairs repaired.

Happy Saturday for Stairs!

🇫🇷 Chapelle Notre Dame de la Vie

sur la ligne de crête de l’ancien passage du Télégraphe(en patois ,le mot vie du latin via signifie route) ;on l’appelle aussi chapelle des trois croix (trois croix rappelant celles du Calvaire, s’élèvent encore près de l’édifice).Elle fut édifiée en 1828 Le retable est orné d’un tableau sur toile représentant la Vierge avec l’Enfant dans ses bras ; en-dessous Saint-François de Sales, Saint Jean-Baptiste et Saint Antoine ; devant l’autel, une statue de la Vierge( Notre-Dame de la Vie) grandeur naturelle, datée de 1874.La chapelle a été récemment restaurée et les murs recrépis.Nous n'avons pas pu la visiter

🇬🇧 Notre Dame de la Vie Chapel

on the crest line of the old Telegraph passage (in patois, the word life from the Latin via means road); it is also called the chapel of the three crosses (three crosses reminiscent of those of Calvary, still rise near the edifice).It was built in 1828. The altarpiece is decorated with a painting on canvas representing the Virgin with the Child in her arms; below Saint-François de Sales, Saint John the Baptist and Saint Anthony; in front of the altar, a life-size statue of the Virgin (Our Lady of Life), dated 1874. The chapel was recently restored and the walls replastered. We were not able to visit it.

🇩🇪 Kapelle Notre Dame de la Vie

auf der Kammlinie der alten Telegraph-Passage (im Patois bedeutet das Wort Leben aus dem Lateinischen „via“ Straße); sie wird auch die Kapelle der drei Kreuze genannt (drei Kreuze, die an die von Golgatha erinnern, erheben sich noch immer in der Nähe des Gebäudes). Es wurde 1828 erbaut. Das Altarbild ist mit einem Gemälde auf Leinwand geschmückt, das die Jungfrau mit dem Kind im Arm darstellt; darunter der Heilige François von Sales, der Heilige Johannes der Täufer und der Heilige Antonius; Vor dem Altar steht eine lebensgroße Statue der Jungfrau (Unsere Liebe Frau vom Leben) aus dem Jahr 1874. Die Kapelle wurde kürzlich restauriert und die Wände neu verputzt. Wir konnten sie nicht besichtigen.

I photographed this architectural wonder while visiting the town of Taos, 70 miles from Santa Fe.

The Taos Pueblo is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. The multistory adobe buildings, located 3 miles northeast of Taos, have been continuously inhabited for over 1000 years.

Archaeologists say that ancestors of the Taos Natives lived in this valley long before Columbus “discovered” America and hundreds of years before Europe emerged from the Dark Ages. The main part of the present buildings were most likely constructed between 1000 and 1450 C.E. and appeared much as they do today when the first Spanish explorers arrived in Northern New Mexico in 1540. The Spanish believed that the Pueblo was one of the fabled golden cities of Cibola. The two structures called Hlauuma (North House) and Hlaukwima (South House) are said to be of similar age and are considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the United States.

Taos Pueblo, like many ancient dwellings, is actually many individual homes, built side by side and in layers with common walls but no connecting doorways. In earlier days, there were no doors or windows, and entry was gained only from the top with ladders extending down into the living quarters.

Taos Pueblo is made entirely of adobe—earth mixed with water and straw then either poured into forms or made into sun-dried bricks. Many of the walls are several feet thick. The roofs of each of the five stories are supported by vigas—large timbers hauled down from the mountain forests. On top of the vigas, smaller pieces of wood—pine or aspen latillas—are placed side by side, and the whole roof is covered with packed dirt.

The outside surfaces of the Pueblo are continuously maintained by replastering with thin layers of mud. Interior walls are carefully coated with thin washes of white earth to keep them clean and bright―hopefully for another thousand years!

"Away from the city heat to Craighead!!!!"

A drawing on a wall in the kitchen of Craighead House near Boiling Springs, PA.

I had to photograph through a protective plastic sheet as the ceiling was being replastered. I hope to return again soon to photograph more of the exciting artwork left by various authors and artists who visited Craighead House over its 100+ year history.

Yes, it's the table again. The tulips again. Me again. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Etcetera.

This isn't textured, btw. I've just had the walls replastered and am too lazy to redecorate. Yet. Plus I'm quite liking the scruffy look. It matches my aura.

B/w version below, because I'm in a bit of a b/w phase really, despite these soft pastels.

TAOS PUEBLO NEW MEXICO

A lower-level entrance to one of the individual homes that comprise the five story Hlauuma (North House). The structure is made from adobe which consists of earth, water and straw. The exterior surface of the building is replastered annually.

St David's Church is situated within a curvilinear churchyard used as a cemetary, its west and south sides are mirrored by the curve of the River Teifi, some 20m-30m distant. A defended enclosure, Caerau, is located some 320m east of the church. During the post-conquest period the church was not a parish church, but a chapelry, beonging to the Deanery of Sub-Aeron. By 1833 the church was a parish church.

The church was rebuilt just before 1810 and again c.1849.

The present church is constructed of slate rubble and consists of four-bay nave, two-bay chancel, south porch, vestry (north of chancel) and tin sheds (either side of vestry). The form of the pre-nineteenth century church is not known. The square font bowl with plain mouldings dated from the earlier thirteenth century and is mounted on a nineteenth century base. It was rebuilt in the earlier nineteenth century on the same site and in the same location as its predecessor. When rebuilt the church comprised only the current nave. The porch was added after 1844. By 1881 the church comprised four-bay nave, porch and west bellcote; the plain nave roof with arch-braced trusses. In 1881 the church was partially rebuilt, to the designs of Middleton and Sons of Westminster and Cheltenham. The east wall was taken down at this time and the chancel added in its place. The vestry was also added. The former north door was replaced with a window and the south wall windows and doors were partially rebuilt. The church was also refloored, reseated, replastered and reroofed. The tin sheds were added in the mid-twentieth century.

Fittings include a small twelfth-century font with square bowl, chamfered below, with lobed corners. Stained glass includes work by Celtic Studios (1967).

The church is now redundant.

Jane Brown2022All Rights Reserved. This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without explicit written permission

I went to the fracture clinic today. A 'plasterer' trimmed my plaster and rebound it, having been instructed not to take it off. I had an xray. The doctor said my bone had shifted, the new plaster needed to be taken off, the bone manipulated back into place and then my arm replastered. another plasterer took the plaster off, manipulated the bone and replastered ...with a purple fibreglass plaster(okay there isn't such a thing as fibreglass plaster - nevertheless it is on my arm!) then another xray - by this time the staff were very friendly as I kept reappearing. Then back to see the doctor who said that the manipulation wasn't as good as the original one because the bones were already healing, but he was satisfied having got me to move my arm and fingers every whichway. Alternatively, i can have an operation and a plate inserted , but there were downsides which he listed ...infection etc. stopping short of lack of funding for the nhs. Needless to say I have opted to continue with my fibreglass plaster.

The parish of Ilketshall St. Andrew has no real village but is a rambling and incoherent collection of houses scattered around commons, separated by winding hedged lanes.

The earliest part of the existing building appears to date from the first half of the 12th. century, as can be seen from the south door, which has features that date to c. 1120 to 1140. The present chancel was built in the early part of the 14th. century, at which time new windows were inserted into the south wall of the nave.

The tower has an octagonal bell stage, and although some round towers were built from scratch in the 13th. and 14th. centuries, it is likely that this top was built onto a Norman tower, probably contemporarily with the body of the nave

In the 15th. century, large windows were inserted in the north wall, and the upper parts of the walls were raised to allow for a ornately carved roof. It is probably that the porch was added at this time.

In 1898, following a serve fire, extensive work was undertaken throughout the church. In the chancel, the floor was tiled, the walls raised and replastered and a new roof was built. In the nave, extensive repairs were undertaken on the roof and a brick and wooden floor laid. Significant parts of the window tracery was replaced throughout the church and some windows were possibly enlarged.

During 2001, during redecoration of the church, workmen uncovered a scheme of 14th. century wall paintings. These wall paintings were probably covered up during the 15th. century. A programme of investigations and tests were carried out, which resulted in conservation treatment taking place in the summer of 2005.

The church was struck by lighting twice, and it took until 2006 for the building to be reopened.

The church received Grade: I listed building status on 1st. September 1953. (English Heritage Legacy ID: 282230).

Noch einmal das Portal der Lehm-Kirche von Taos - hier sieht es weniger wie Kulisse aus, ist aber auch schon die x-te Inkarnation des alten Missionskirchleins.

San Geronimo de Taos

The Pueblo is made entirely of adobe — earth mixed with water and straw, then either poured into forms or made into sun-dried bricks. The walls are frequently several feet thick. The outside surfaces of the Pueblo are continuously maintained by replastering with think layers of mud. Interior walls are carefully coated with thin washes of white earth to keep them clean and bright.

The present San Geronimo, or St. Jerome, Chapel was completed in 1850 to replace the original church which was destroyed in the War with Mexico by the U.S. Army in 1847. That church, the ruins still evident on the west side of the village, was first built in 1619. It was then destroyed in the Spanish Revolt of 1680 but soon rebuilt on the same site. taospueblo.com/about/

Railway in 's-Hertogenbosch in the direction of Nijmegen. In the back commercial and industrial area Soetelieve where an advertising pole is replastered.

A hundred of home they need replastering or, in general, repairing.

But just for the bell-tower they did find money!

We have a lot of Love in A Mist in our garden near the pond. Phill bought this beautiful stone buddha recently and he sits contemplating life whilst watching the fish:-)

This afternoon I go to the hospital to have my arm checked and replastered!

For those who want more info on the flower. It is Love in a Mist (Nigella damascena )

Or walls have been replastered, the drying plaster now looks like Winston Churchill sitting towards!

New skirting boards waiting to be fitted to replastered walls.

Although shrouded in shadows and with its curtains drawn at present, the original Billilla drawing room, built at part of the original house, is an elegantly proportioned room affording views overlooking the garden through a large demilune bay of full-length windows.

As one of the principal rooms of the mansion the former drawing room is not only elegantly proportioned, but also elegantly appointed. Replastered and redecorated at part of the 1907 renovation, the ceiling of the former drawing room is decorated with ornate stylised foliate Art Nouveau mouldings of leaves. Although not original, the room is papered in a soft green wallpaper sympathetic to the era.

The room still has its original black marble fireplace with green insert Arts and Crafts majollica tiles.

After the creation of the new drawing room in 1907, it is likely that the former drawing room, accessed via a reception room off the main hallway, was used as a music room or perhaps even a ballroom for parties when the Weatherly family entertained.

Built in High Victorian style in 1878 for successful gold miner Robert Wright, Billilla mansion was originally a thirteen room mansion erected on seven and a half acres of land.

When economic boom turned to bust in the 1880s, the property was purchased in 1888 by wealthy New South Wales pastoralist William Weatherly who named it Billilla after his land holdings and established a home there for his wife Jeannie and their children Violet, Gladys and Lionel.

The house was substantially altered by architect Walter Richmond Butler in 1907, extending the house beyond its original thirteen rooms and adding the Art Nouveau façade seen today.

After William Weatherly's death in 1914, his wife, who was much younger, remained living there until her own death in 1933. She bequeathed the property to her daughter, Violet, who maintained the home with reduced staff until her own death in 1972.

The property was purchased in 1973 by the Bayside Council who subsequently used Billilla as a historical house with guided tours, a wedding and events venue, a school and finally in 2009 as an artist's precinct in the property's outbuildings. Billilla is a beautiful heritage property retaining many of its original features thanks to its long private ownership still incorporating a stately formal garden and the magnificent historic house.

Billilla, at 26 Halifax Street, Brighton, is one of Melbourne’s few remaining significant homesteads, built on land which had originally been owned by Nicholas Were. The house has a mixture of architectural styles, featuring a Victorian design with Art Nouveau features and has exquisite formal gardens, which retain much of their original Nineteenth Century layout.

Billilla retains many original Victorian elements and a number of outbuildings still stand to the rear of the property including the butler’s quarters, dairy, meat house, stable garden store and coach house.

Billilla was opened to the general public as part of the Melbourne Open House weekend 2022.

Billilla was used as a backdrop in the 1980 Australian Channel 10 miniseries adaptation of Sumner Locke Elliott's "Water Under the Bridge". It was used at the Sydney harbourside home of Luigi, Honor and Carrie Mazzini.

Charminar (Telugu: చార్మినార్, Urdu: چارمینار), built in 1591 AD, is a landmark monument located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The English name is a transliteration and combination of the Urdu words Chār and Minar, translating to "Four Towers"; the eponymous towers are ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches. The landmark has become a global icon of Hyderabad, listed among the most recognized structures of India. The Charminar is on the east bank of Musi river. To the northeast lies the Laad Bazaar and in the west end lies the granite-made richly ornamented Makkah Masjid.

Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty built Charminar in 1591 AD,shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what is now known as Hyderabad. He built this famous structure to commemorate the elimination of a plague epidemic from this city. He is said to have prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a masjid (Islamic mosque) at the very place where he was praying. In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli Qutb Shah prayed: "Oh Allah, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode, like fish in the water.

The mosque became popularly known as Charminar because of the two Urdu words char, meaning four, and minar, meaning tower, combined to form Charminar.It is said that, during the Mughal Governorship between Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi rule, the south western minaret "fell to pieces" after being struck by lightning and "was forthwith repaired" at a cost of Rs 60,000. In 1824, the monument was replastered at a cost of Rs 100,000.

The structure is made of granite, limestone, mortar and pulverised marble. Initially the monument with its four arches was so proportionately planned that when the fort was opened one could catch a glimpse of the bustling Hyderabad city as these Charminar arches were facing the most active royal ancestral streets. There is also a legend of an underground tunnel connecting the Golkonda to Charminar, possibly intended as an escape route for the Qutb Shahi rulers in case of a siege, though the location of the tunnel is unknown.

The Charminar is a square edifice with each side 20 meters (approximately 66 feet) long, with four grand arches each facing a cardinal point that open into four streets. At each corner stands an exquisitely shaped minaret, 56 meters (approximately 184 feet) high with a double balcony. Each minaret is crowned by a bulbous dome with dainty petal like designs at the base.

A beautiful mosque is located at the western end of the open roof and the remaining part of the roof served as a court during the Qutb Shahi times.

There are 149 winding steps to reach the upper floor. Once atop, the solitude and serenity of the beautiful interior is refreshing. The space in the upper floor between the minarets was meant for Friday prayers. There are forty-five prayer spaces.

Charminar has the signature style of Islamic architecture. This great tribute to aesthetics looks sturdy and solid from a distance and, as one moves closer, it emerges as an elegant and romantic edifice proclaiming its architectural eminence in all its detail and dignity. Charminar looks equally spectacular at night when it is illuminated. Apart from being the core of the city’s cultural milieu, it has become a brand name.

Charminar is a beautiful and impressive square monument. Each of the corners has a tall, pointed minaret. These four gracefully carved minarets soar to 48.7 m above the ground, commanding the landscape for miles around. Each minaret has four stories, marked by a delicately carved ring. Unlike the Taj Mahal, Charminar's four fluted minarets are built into the main structure. The top floor, the highest point one can reach, provides a panoramic view of the city.

The actual mosque occupies the top floor of the four-storey structure. Madame Blavatsky reports that each of the floors was meant for a separate branch of learning before the structure was transformed by the Imperial British administration into a warehouse for opium and liqueurs.

A vault that appears from inside like a dome, supports two galleries within the Charminar, one over another, and above those a terrace that serves as a roof, bordered with a stone balcony. The main gallery has 45 covered prayer spaces with a large open space in front to accommodate more people for Friday prayers.

The monument overlooks another beautiful and grand mosque called Makkah Masjid. The area surrounding Charminar is known by same name. A thriving market still lies around the Charminar, attracting people and merchandise of every description.

Charminar (Telugu: చార్మినార్, Urdu: چارمینار), built in 1591 AD, is a landmark monument located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The English name is a transliteration and combination of the Urdu words Chār and Minar, translating to "Four Towers"; the eponymous towers are ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches. The landmark has become a global icon of Hyderabad, listed among the most recognized structures of India. The Charminar is on the east bank of Musi river. To the northeast lies the Laad Bazaar and in the west end lies the granite-made richly ornamented Makkah Masjid.

Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty built Charminar in 1591 AD,shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what is now known as Hyderabad. He built this famous structure to commemorate the elimination of a plague epidemic from this city. He is said to have prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a masjid (Islamic mosque) at the very place where he was praying. In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli Qutb Shah prayed: "Oh Allah, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode, like fish in the water.

The mosque became popularly known as Charminar because of the two Urdu words char, meaning four, and minar, meaning tower, combined to form Charminar.It is said that, during the Mughal Governorship between Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi rule, the south western minaret "fell to pieces" after being struck by lightning and "was forthwith repaired" at a cost of Rs 60,000. In 1824, the monument was replastered at a cost of Rs 100,000.

The structure is made of granite, limestone, mortar and pulverised marble. Initially the monument with its four arches was so proportionately planned that when the fort was opened one could catch a glimpse of the bustling Hyderabad city as these Charminar arches were facing the most active royal ancestral streets. There is also a legend of an underground tunnel connecting the Golkonda to Charminar, possibly intended as an escape route for the Qutb Shahi rulers in case of a siege, though the location of the tunnel is unknown.

The Charminar is a square edifice with each side 20 meters (approximately 66 feet) long, with four grand arches each facing a cardinal point that open into four streets. At each corner stands an exquisitely shaped minaret, 56 meters (approximately 184 feet) high with a double balcony. Each minaret is crowned by a bulbous dome with dainty petal like designs at the base.

A beautiful mosque is located at the western end of the open roof and the remaining part of the roof served as a court during the Qutb Shahi times.

There are 149 winding steps to reach the upper floor. Once atop, the solitude and serenity of the beautiful interior is refreshing. The space in the upper floor between the minarets was meant for Friday prayers. There are forty-five prayer spaces.

Charminar has the signature style of Islamic architecture. This great tribute to aesthetics looks sturdy and solid from a distance and, as one moves closer, it emerges as an elegant and romantic edifice proclaiming its architectural eminence in all its detail and dignity. Charminar looks equally spectacular at night when it is illuminated. Apart from being the core of the city’s cultural milieu, it has become a brand name.

Charminar is a beautiful and impressive square monument. Each of the corners has a tall, pointed minaret. These four gracefully carved minarets soar to 48.7 m above the ground, commanding the landscape for miles around. Each minaret has four stories, marked by a delicately carved ring. Unlike the Taj Mahal, Charminar's four fluted minarets are built into the main structure. The top floor, the highest point one can reach, provides a panoramic view of the city.

The actual mosque occupies the top floor of the four-storey structure. Madame Blavatsky reports that each of the floors was meant for a separate branch of learning before the structure was transformed by the Imperial British administration into a warehouse for opium and liqueurs.

A vault that appears from inside like a dome, supports two galleries within the Charminar, one over another, and above those a terrace that serves as a roof, bordered with a stone balcony. The main gallery has 45 covered prayer spaces with a large open space in front to accommodate more people for Friday prayers.

The monument overlooks another beautiful and grand mosque called Makkah Masjid. The area surrounding Charminar is known by same name. A thriving market still lies around the Charminar, attracting people and merchandise of every description.

Although shrouded in shadows and with its curtains drawn at present, the original Billilla drawing room, built at part of the original house, is an elegantly proportioned room affording views overlooking the garden through a large demilune bay of full-length windows.

As one of the principal rooms of the mansion the former drawing room is not only elegantly proportioned, but also elegantly appointed. Replastered and redecorated at part of the 1907 renovation, the ceiling of the former drawing room is decorated with ornate stylised foliate Art Nouveau mouldings of leaves. Although not original, the room is papered in a soft green wallpaper sympathetic to the era.

The room still has its original black marble fireplace with green insert Arts and Crafts majollica tiles.

After the creation of the new drawing room in 1907, it is likely that the former drawing room, accessed via a reception room off the main hallway, was used as a music room or perhaps even a ballroom for parties when the Weatherly family entertained.

Built in High Victorian style in 1878 for successful gold miner Robert Wright, Billilla mansion was originally a thirteen room mansion erected on seven and a half acres of land.

When economic boom turned to bust in the 1880s, the property was purchased in 1888 by wealthy New South Wales pastoralist William Weatherly who named it Billilla after his land holdings and established a home there for his wife Jeannie and their children Violet, Gladys and Lionel.

The house was substantially altered by architect Walter Richmond Butler in 1907, extending the house beyond its original thirteen rooms and adding the Art Nouveau façade seen today.

After William Weatherly's death in 1914, his wife, who was much younger, remained living there until her own death in 1933. She bequeathed the property to her daughter, Violet, who maintained the home with reduced staff until her own death in 1972.

The property was purchased in 1973 by the Bayside Council who subsequently used Billilla as a historical house with guided tours, a wedding and events venue, a school and finally in 2009 as an artist's precinct in the property's outbuildings. Billilla is a beautiful heritage property retaining many of its original features thanks to its long private ownership still incorporating a stately formal garden and the magnificent historic house.

Billilla, at 26 Halifax Street, Brighton, is one of Melbourne’s few remaining significant homesteads, built on land which had originally been owned by Nicholas Were. The house has a mixture of architectural styles, featuring a Victorian design with Art Nouveau features and has exquisite formal gardens, which retain much of their original Nineteenth Century layout.

Billilla retains many original Victorian elements and a number of outbuildings still stand to the rear of the property including the butler’s quarters, dairy, meat house, stable garden store and coach house.

Billilla was opened to the general public as part of the Melbourne Open House weekend 2022.

Billilla was used as a backdrop in the 1980 Australian Channel 10 miniseries adaptation of Sumner Locke Elliott's "Water Under the Bridge". It was used at the Sydney harbourside home of Luigi, Honor and Carrie Mazzini.

THE EUDUNDA BOILER EXPLOSION

Eudunda, August 18

Last evening at about half-past 6, the township of Eudunda was startled by a loud report, and a shock as though a thunderbolt had fallen or an earthshock had taken place, and in a moment volumes of steam and fragments of brickwork, iron, and timber, were seen flying in all directions from the back portion of Messrs E Davey & Sons' flourmill.

Soon a large crowd of persons gathered in the vicinity, and upon inspection it was found that one of the boilers which supplied steam to the engine had burst. The boiler, which was one of a nest of three, was situated at the outside of the two others, and was lifted clean out of its bed and hurled a distance of about 40 yards, going through in its course a large stack of bran and other mill products. It then passed across the railway line, a portion of which was torn up, and took a slight turn, coming in contact with the dwelling-house of Mr A Hannaford, watchmaker, carrying away the wall, and at last resting with half of its length in the kitchen of the house.

William Charnstrom, the engine driver of the night-shift, whose dead body was found lying beneath a large piece of masonry, weighing about 10 or 15 cwt, was busy with some little job. He had just started the engine for the night, and was standing directly in front of the boiler: close by was Mr E White, foreman miller, who was severely scalded, and a few feet away a young man, O E B Kunoth, who escaped with a shock.

Mr George Davey, representative of the firm, who lives close by, was quickly on the scene giving instructions. Only 10 minutes before Mr Davey had passed through the boiler-house, and spoke to the men, when everything seemed right.

Mr Charnstrom, who was a very old servant of the firm, was widely known and respected, and much sympathy and sorrow is felt for Mrs Charnstrom and the family, which is a large one, many of the children being young. Mr W Charnstrom jun, who had been working at the mill, left here for Quorn the previous day.

Mrs Hannaford, who was just about to pass from the dining-room into the kitchen as the boiler came into the room, was prostrated by the shock.

Large pieces of iron were carried a hundred yards, whilst smaller bits of iron and wood were sent fully 500 yards. The boiler flue is flattened and split and torn in a surprising manner, whilst the back end is clean gone and the front end is torn away from the flue. The portion of the line torn up was soon made fit for the passenger train to pass. Mr Healy and his men working with a will to get it ready. The ascending steam and fire presented a very striking sight.

August 19

The funeral of Mr Charnstrom took place today and was largely attended. [Ref: Advertiser (Adelaide) 20-8-1900]

*EUDUNDA, April 19

When Messrs Edwin Davey & Sons' flourmill was destroyed by fire in February 1919, it was expected by local people that it would soon be rebuilt, but up to a few days ago this expectation was not fulfilled— At one time there was a movement on foot to acquire the property and start a co-operative milling company. However, the price asked by the owners was deemed excessive, and further as Mr Boer the well known miller of Stockwell had acquired a property in Main Street with the intention of erecting a mill thereon those interested in the co-operative scheme withdrew their support.

Mr Boer then made active preparations for erecting his mill. He bought a complete mill at Maffra, Victoria, the owners of which were unfortunate in as much so as that though they had excellent and up to-date machinery, it could not treat the grain grown in the district and produce good flour.

The whole of the machinery and building were trucked to South Australia and stored in the large wheat store Mr Boer had bought here, and preparations were complete to start the new mill immediately when Messrs Davey & Sons made them an offer of the old mill property, which they accepted.

It is gratifying that this has occurred as the old mill as it stood was an eye-sore, and a mill in the main street would not be an improvement to the town, and again the old mill stands in a position in the town most suitable for the purpose. Builders are now renovating the old mill. Experts declare that the old walls are strong enough for the purpose if replastered. It is expected that the mill will be ready for work by November. [Ref: Kapunda Herald (SA) 7-5-1920]

*Mill Merger Embraces Angaston, Stockwell, Eudunda

Mr F Laucke and his sons have acquired the milling interests of Messrs A F Boer, Ltd, in one of the biggest industrial mergers this district has seen for a long time. It involves the important flour mills at Stockwell and Eudunda, which now become part of the enterprise represented by mills at Greenock. Angaston and Strathalbyn. Messrs Condor, Max and Hans Laucke are managing directors at these places.

Mr Werner Laucke will assume the Eudunda managership, and Mr Herb Boer will temporarily continue in charge at Stockwell—a post he has held with ability for many years: in fact, the Boer brothers, Herb and Arthur, principals in the firm, have become widely known during their 52 years operation and expansion.

The move will not make any material change in the individual mills, all working to capacity of the available manpower; but it will bring a deserved happiness to that beloved character, Mr F Laucke, Greenock, who will be 79 on March 8 next. Few men have so bravely, industriously and conscientiously shaped their lives to a good purpose, or built such a tribute to their ability.

With him it has ever been a hobby, rather than toil, and he infuses into his relationships with his family the understanding and vision that have made him so great an individual. With a happy twinkle in his eyes, he maintains his interest in the business, is managing director, and treasures a lot of friendships made along the way, which not always was smooth.

Mr Laucke came out in May of 1895 to be head miller in the Angaston mill they now own. It was conducted then by the Daveys, who started the old Penrice mill in the early 50s. It was burned down in 1886, and the present mill was erected in 1887 and subsequently extended. Mr Laucke was head miller for the Daveys at Angaston, Salisbury and Eudunda, in turn.

In June 1899, he bought the Greenock mill from Mr Finck and built it up until December, 1905, when an 80 hp engine was installed and the boiler burst in an explosion which involved him in a loss of around £1,400—a lot of money at that time. Scene of the wreckage was such that his friends despaired of his ever starting a mill again.

Quietly, he set to work to retrieve his loss, and installed the first producer-gas engine in Australia. Through droughts and difficult years, he held to his goal and by his integrity and fair dealing helped many producers to carry on to success. That he knew his profession fully is indicated by the list of shows and other exhibitions whereat he was recognised as an authority on wheat.

As his boys came on they joined him in the business, taking over the Angaston mill in July, 1933. It was converted to electricity in 1937, when a 75 hp motor was installed, displacing the 600 tons of firewood that used to be stored for the boilers. The mill at Strathalbyn (which last year celebrated its centenary) was acquired in 1927, when Mr Laucke became senior partner, and Hans has since extended and built up that section of the firm's interests. [Ref: Leader (Angaston SA) 25-1-1951]

Stiles Hall, Valparaiso, Ind.

Date: 1924

Source Type: Postcard

Publisher, Printer, Photographer: Unknown

Postmark: None

Collection: Steven R. Shook

Remark: Occasionally referred to as the Stiles Hotel, this structure was located on the southeast corner of the present day intersection of Greenwich Street and Union Street and built by Leander Stiles.

The contractors for the building, which consisted of 69 rooms, were Frank P. Thompson, carpenter, and Henry Lemster, mason. The footprint of the structure was 120' x 34'. The ground floor contained 14 rooms, each 11' x 13' in size, one 20' x 31' dining room, a 18' x 20' kitchen, a store room and bedroom off the kitchen, and two closets. The second story had five pairs of rooms, each room being 6½' x 11' feet, and 17 single rooms of 11' x 13' in size. The third story consisted of 22 rooms, each 11' x 13' in size.

The ceilings for each floor were ten feet high and every room was wainscoted. The building also had two cellars, each 15' x 30' in area. The cornice at the top of the building was four feet high and made of heavy galvanized iron. Bay windows extended from the first to third story along the front of the building.

Furniture for the new building was reportedly "first-class in all respects." Leander Stiles contracted with Henrietta LaPell to supply the furniture.

Stiles Hall was considered a relatively modern building when constructed, having steam heat and "modern improvements." During World War I, troops from Company C were housed here. One noted resident of Stiles Hall was Lowell Thomas, a famous writer, broadcaster, and traveler. The hall was operated by the Stiles family under relatively strict rules. Dues to these rules, the hall was popularly referred to as "Libby Prison."

--------

The following news item appeared in the August 24, 1911, issue of The Chesterton Tribune:

VALPARAISO

Mrs. Mary F. Stiles has let the contract for the improving of Stiles Hall on College Hill. Hardwood floors, hot and cold water will be put in and replastering and painting done. Work was started Monday and when completed will be one of the finest rooming houses on the Hill.

The Chesterton Tribune, Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana; August 24, 1911; Volume 28, Number 32, Page 2, Column 1. Column titled "Valparaiso."

Sources:

Porter County Vidette, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana; July 29, 1880; Volume 24, Number 31, Page 3, Column 5. Column titled "The Stiles Block."

Porter County Vidette, Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana; August 5, 1880; Volume 24, Number 32, Page 3, Column 1. Column titled "Local."

Copyright 2023. Some rights reserved. The associated text may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Steven R. Shook.

The controversial hanging site of seven Irish coal miners known as the Molly Maguires, this building served as the Carbon County Prison from 1871 thru January 1995.

From the Old Jail Museum website:

“Historians today feel the Molly Maguire trials were a surrender of state sovereignty.

A private corporation (a coal/railroad company) initiated an investigation through a

private detective agency (Pinkerton Detectives), a private police force (the Coal & Iron

Police) arrested the alleged offenders, and private attorneys (employees of the coal

companies) prosecuted these men. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided

only the courtroom and the gallows.

Before their hanging, the men proclaimed their innocence and today historians

believe many of the condemned men were falsely accused of murder. Before his

hanging one of the man, thought to be Alexander Campbell, put his hand on the dirty

floor of his cell and then placed it firmly on the wall proclaiming, " This handprint will

remain as proof of my innocence." That handprint is visible today for everyone to

view even though past wardens tried to eradicate it by washing it, painting it, and even

taking down part of the wall and replastering it.”

For more information about the Old Jail Museum or the Molly Maguires, visit:

theoldjailmuseum.com/index.html

Charminar (Telugu: చార్మినార్, Urdu: چارمینار), built in 1591 AD, is a landmark monument located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The English name is a transliteration and combination of the Urdu words Chār and Minar, translating to "Four Towers"; the eponymous towers are ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches. The landmark has become a global icon of Hyderabad, listed among the most recognized structures of India. The Charminar is on the east bank of Musi river. To the northeast lies the Laad Bazaar and in the west end lies the granite-made richly ornamented Makkah Masjid.

Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty built Charminar in 1591 AD,shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what is now known as Hyderabad. He built this famous structure to commemorate the elimination of a plague epidemic from this city. He is said to have prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a masjid (Islamic mosque) at the very place where he was praying. In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli Qutb Shah prayed: "Oh Allah, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode, like fish in the water.

The mosque became popularly known as Charminar because of the two Urdu words char, meaning four, and minar, meaning tower, combined to form Charminar.It is said that, during the Mughal Governorship between Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi rule, the south western minaret "fell to pieces" after being struck by lightning and "was forthwith repaired" at a cost of Rs 60,000. In 1824, the monument was replastered at a cost of Rs 100,000.

The structure is made of granite, limestone, mortar and pulverised marble. Initially the monument with its four arches was so proportionately planned that when the fort was opened one could catch a glimpse of the bustling Hyderabad city as these Charminar arches were facing the most active royal ancestral streets. There is also a legend of an underground tunnel connecting the Golkonda to Charminar, possibly intended as an escape route for the Qutb Shahi rulers in case of a siege, though the location of the tunnel is unknown.

The Charminar is a square edifice with each side 20 meters (approximately 66 feet) long, with four grand arches each facing a cardinal point that open into four streets. At each corner stands an exquisitely shaped minaret, 56 meters (approximately 184 feet) high with a double balcony. Each minaret is crowned by a bulbous dome with dainty petal like designs at the base.

A beautiful mosque is located at the western end of the open roof and the remaining part of the roof served as a court during the Qutb Shahi times.

There are 149 winding steps to reach the upper floor. Once atop, the solitude and serenity of the beautiful interior is refreshing. The space in the upper floor between the minarets was meant for Friday prayers. There are forty-five prayer spaces.

Charminar has the signature style of Islamic architecture. This great tribute to aesthetics looks sturdy and solid from a distance and, as one moves closer, it emerges as an elegant and romantic edifice proclaiming its architectural eminence in all its detail and dignity. Charminar looks equally spectacular at night when it is illuminated. Apart from being the core of the city’s cultural milieu, it has become a brand name.

Charminar is a beautiful and impressive square monument. Each of the corners has a tall, pointed minaret. These four gracefully carved minarets soar to 48.7 m above the ground, commanding the landscape for miles around. Each minaret has four stories, marked by a delicately carved ring. Unlike the Taj Mahal, Charminar's four fluted minarets are built into the main structure. The top floor, the highest point one can reach, provides a panoramic view of the city.

The actual mosque occupies the top floor of the four-storey structure. Madame Blavatsky reports that each of the floors was meant for a separate branch of learning before the structure was transformed by the Imperial British administration into a warehouse for opium and liqueurs.

A vault that appears from inside like a dome, supports two galleries within the Charminar, one over another, and above those a terrace that serves as a roof, bordered with a stone balcony. The main gallery has 45 covered prayer spaces with a large open space in front to accommodate more people for Friday prayers.

The monument overlooks another beautiful and grand mosque called Makkah Masjid. The area surrounding Charminar is known by same name. A thriving market still lies around the Charminar, attracting people and merchandise of every description.

Although shrouded in shadows and with its curtains drawn at present, the original Billilla drawing room, built at part of the original house, is an elegantly proportioned room affording views overlooking the garden through a large demilune bay of full-length windows.

As one of the principal rooms of the mansion the former drawing room is not only elegantly proportioned, but also elegantly appointed. Replastered and redecorated at part of the 1907 renovation, the ceiling of the former drawing room is decorated with ornate stylised foliate Art Nouveau mouldings of leaves. Although not original, the room is papered in a soft green wallpaper sympathetic to the era.

The room still has its original black marble fireplace with green insert Arts and Crafts majollica tiles.

After the creation of the new drawing room in 1907, it is likely that the former drawing room, accessed via a reception room off the main hallway, was used as a music room or perhaps even a ballroom for parties when the Weatherly family entertained.

Built in High Victorian style in 1878 for successful gold miner Robert Wright, Billilla mansion was originally a thirteen room mansion erected on seven and a half acres of land.

When economic boom turned to bust in the 1880s, the property was purchased in 1888 by wealthy New South Wales pastoralist William Weatherly who named it Billilla after his land holdings and established a home there for his wife Jeannie and their children Violet, Gladys and Lionel.

The house was substantially altered by architect Walter Richmond Butler in 1907, extending the house beyond its original thirteen rooms and adding the Art Nouveau façade seen today.

After William Weatherly's death in 1914, his wife, who was much younger, remained living there until her own death in 1933. She bequeathed the property to her daughter, Violet, who maintained the home with reduced staff until her own death in 1972.

The property was purchased in 1973 by the Bayside Council who subsequently used Billilla as a historical house with guided tours, a wedding and events venue, a school and finally in 2009 as an artist's precinct in the property's outbuildings. Billilla is a beautiful heritage property retaining many of its original features thanks to its long private ownership still incorporating a stately formal garden and the magnificent historic house.

Billilla, at 26 Halifax Street, Brighton, is one of Melbourne’s few remaining significant homesteads, built on land which had originally been owned by Nicholas Were. The house has a mixture of architectural styles, featuring a Victorian design with Art Nouveau features and has exquisite formal gardens, which retain much of their original Nineteenth Century layout.

Billilla retains many original Victorian elements and a number of outbuildings still stand to the rear of the property including the butler’s quarters, dairy, meat house, stable garden store and coach house.

Billilla was opened to the general public as part of the Melbourne Open House weekend 2022.

Billilla was used as a backdrop in the 1980 Australian Channel 10 miniseries adaptation of Sumner Locke Elliott's "Water Under the Bridge". It was used at the Sydney harbourside home of Luigi, Honor and Carrie Mazzini.

The controversial hanging site of seven Irish coal miners known as the Molly Maguires, this building served as the Carbon County Prison from 1871 thru January 1995.

From the Old Jail Museum website:

“Historians today feel the Molly Maguire trials were a surrender of state sovereignty.

A private corporation (a coal/railroad company) initiated an investigation through a

private detective agency (Pinkerton Detectives), a private police force (the Coal & Iron

Police) arrested the alleged offenders, and private attorneys (employees of the coal

companies) prosecuted these men. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provided

only the courtroom and the gallows.

Before their hanging, the men proclaimed their innocence and today historians

believe many of the condemned men were falsely accused of murder. Before his

hanging one of the man, thought to be Alexander Campbell, put his hand on the dirty

floor of his cell and then placed it firmly on the wall proclaiming, " This handprint will

remain as proof of my innocence." That handprint is visible today for everyone to

view even though past wardens tried to eradicate it by washing it, painting it, and even

taking down part of the wall and replastering it.”

For more information about the Old Jail Museum or the Molly Maguires, visit:

theoldjailmuseum.com/index.html

The Pueblo is made entirely of adobe -- earth mixed with water and straw, then either poured into forms or made into sun-dried bricks. The walls are frequently several feet thick. The roofs of each of the five stories are supported by large timbers -- vigas -- hauled down from the mountain forests. Smaller pieces of wood -- pine or aspen latillas -- are placed side-by-side on top of the vigas; the whole roof is covered with packed dirt. The outside surfaces of the Pueblo are continuously maintained by replastering with think layers of mud. Interior walls are carefully coated with thin washes of white earth to keep them clean and bright. The Pueblo is actually many individual homes, built side-by-side and in layers, with common walls but no connecting doorways. In earlier days there were no doors or windows and entry was gained only from the top. ~ Taos Pueblo website

A prominent feature of the Edinburgh skyline, St. Giles' Cathedral or the High Kirk of Edinburgh is a Church of Scotland place of worship decorating the midpoint of the Royal Mile with its distinctive traditional Scottish crown steeple. The church has been one of Edinburgh's religious focal points for approximately 900 years. Today it is sometimes regarded as the mother church of Presbyterianism.

Wikipedia

St. Giles was only a cathedral in its formal sense (ie. the seat of a bishop) for two periods during the 17th century (1635-38 and 1661-1689), when episcopalianism, backed by the Crown, briefly gained ascendancy within the Kirk (see Bishops' Wars). In the mediaeval period, prior to the Reformation, Edinburgh had no cathedral as the royal burgh was part of the Diocese of St Andrews, under the Bishop of St Andrews whose episcopal seat was St Andrew's Cathedral. For most of its post-Reformation history the Church of Scotland has not had bishops, diocese, or cathedrals. As such, the use of the term Cathedral today carries no practical meaning. The "high kirk" title is older, being attested well before the building's brief stint as a cathedral.

It is the Church of Scotland parish church for part of Edinburgh's Old Town. Five services are held every Sunday, as well as daily services and special services for state and civic occasions. The current Minister (since 1973) of St. Giles' is the Very Reverend Dr Gilleasbuig Macmillan.

As the name implies, it is dedicated to St. Giles, who was the patron saint of cripples and lepers and a very popular saint in the Middle Ages. The oldest parts of the building are four massive central pillars, often said to date from 1124, although there is very little evidence to this effect. In 1385 the building suffered a fire and was rebuilt in the subsequent years. Much of the current interior dates from this period. Over the years many chapels, referred to as 'aisles', were added, greatly enlarging the church and leaving it rather irregular in plan. In 1466 St Giles was established as a collegiate church. In response to this raising of status, the lantern tower was added around 1490, and the chancel ceiling raised, vaulted and a clear storey installed. By the middle of the 16th century (before the Reformation) there were about fifty altars in the church.

St. Giles has both some of the best stained glass windows in Scotland, dating from the 19th and 20th centuries (none survives from the medieval period). The most well-known windows include the: Victorian Windows, Burne-Jones Window, North Window, and the Burns Window. The Victorian windows were commissioned by Sir William Chambers, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, who spearheaded the (extremely intrusive) restoration of St. Giles in 1872. Until this time St. Giles had, since shortly after the Reformation, consisted of several churches within the main edifice, divided by walls and with galleries inserted into the vaults. The restoration reunified the church into a single space. Tragically, an obsession with a barren 'symmetry' led to the actual demolition of parts of the kirk (notably on the south side, where a number of chapels had been added piecemeal during the late Middle Ages). The exterior of the building, except for the tower and crown spire, was refaced in bland grey sandstone ashlar and standardised 'Gothic' ornament alien to Scottish medieval architecture, which paid scant heed to the original, strikingly individual, appearance of the church. Much of the unique character and historic interest of St. Giles (undisputably one of Scotland's most important - and prominent - historic buildings) were thus recklessly destroyed in a 'restoration' chiefly notable for combining ignorance with arrogance. The contrast with a recent (late 20th century) sensitive restoration of the crown spire, which included the regilding of various pinnacles and ornaments, could not be more marked.

Happily, the interior of the church retains more of its ancient character, including a wealth of carved ornament, though the walls and vaults have been only partially replastered. The dark stone rubble of the 'scraped' parts of the walls, which were never meant to be seen by the medieval builders, makes the inside needlessly dark (detestably so on overcast days). The cost of the stained glass windows was underwritten by the Lord Provost and other donors. The Edinburgh firm of Ballantine & Son was commissioned for the work. The windows form a continuous narrative over seven windows starting in the north east corner and finishing on the north-west side. One of the last windows of this plan depicts St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, holding his cross with, on either side of him, St. Columba and King David (erroneously labeled St. David). St. Andrew wears a flowing peacock-blue cassock and his features are modeled after prominent Edinburgh physician James Jamieson. Unusually, this window was funded by a grateful patient who insisted that St. Andrew bore the features of the good doctor. Below St. Andrew are depicted St. Giles, with his hind, and St. Cuthbert. The dedication beneath the St. Andrew window states: James Jamieson Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh and Elder of the Kirk, born 1841, in Bowden, and died 1903.

Thistle Chapel (1911, by Robert Lorimer) is the chapel of The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Scotland's foremost Order of Chivalry. It is a small, but exquisite, chapel with carved and painted fittings of extraordinary detail. The Order, which was founded by James VII in 1687, consists of the monarch and 16 knights. The knights are the personal appointment of the crown, and are normally Scots who have made a significant contribution to national or international affairs. Knights have included Sir Alec Douglas-Home, Lord Mackay of Clashfern and Sir Fitzroy MacLean.

James Graham, the Great Montrose, is buried in St. Giles'.On Sunday 23 July 1637 efforts by King Charles I to impose Anglican services on the Church of Scotland led to the Book of Common Prayer revised for Scottish use being introduced in St Giles'. Rioting in opposition began when the Dean of Edinburgh, John Hannah, began to read from the new Book of Prayer, legendarily initiated by the market-woman or street-seller Jenny Geddes throwing her stool at his head. The disturbances led to the National Covenant and hence the Bishops' Wars; the first part of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which included the English Civil War. In the late 17th century a carillon was made for the cathedral by James Meikle. On the day in 1707 that the Treaty of Union was signed to merge the Parliament of Scotland with the Parliament of England and create the Kingdom of Great Britain, the carilloner in St Giles rang the bells in the tune Why should I be so sad on my wedding day?

Its many monuments and memorials, as well as its sheer size and location, have made it a very popular tourist attraction, drawing special notice during the annual Edinburgh Festival, which centres on the Royal Mile. Notable monuments include those to James Graham, Marquess of Montrose (1612-50), his enemy Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll (1607-61) and Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-94) and, in a frame, a copy of the National Covenant of 1638. The Protestant Reformer, John Knox, was also buried in the church yard, though no grave survives.

Charminar (Telugu: చార్మినార్, Urdu: چارمینار), built in 1591 AD, is a landmark monument located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The English name is a transliteration and combination of the Urdu words Chār and Minar, translating to "Four Towers"; the eponymous towers are ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches. The landmark has become a global icon of Hyderabad, listed among the most recognized structures of India. The Charminar is on the east bank of Musi river. To the northeast lies the Laad Bazaar and in the west end lies the granite-made richly ornamented Makkah Masjid.

Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty built Charminar in 1591 AD,shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what is now known as Hyderabad. He built this famous structure to commemorate the elimination of a plague epidemic from this city. He is said to have prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a masjid (Islamic mosque) at the very place where he was praying. In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli Qutb Shah prayed: "Oh Allah, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode, like fish in the water.

The mosque became popularly known as Charminar because of the two Urdu words char, meaning four, and minar, meaning tower, combined to form Charminar.It is said that, during the Mughal Governorship between Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi rule, the south western minaret "fell to pieces" after being struck by lightning and "was forthwith repaired" at a cost of Rs 60,000. In 1824, the monument was replastered at a cost of Rs 100,000.

The structure is made of granite, limestone, mortar and pulverised marble. Initially the monument with its four arches was so proportionately planned that when the fort was opened one could catch a glimpse of the bustling Hyderabad city as these Charminar arches were facing the most active royal ancestral streets. There is also a legend of an underground tunnel connecting the Golkonda to Charminar, possibly intended as an escape route for the Qutb Shahi rulers in case of a siege, though the location of the tunnel is unknown.

The Charminar is a square edifice with each side 20 meters (approximately 66 feet) long, with four grand arches each facing a cardinal point that open into four streets. At each corner stands an exquisitely shaped minaret, 56 meters (approximately 184 feet) high with a double balcony. Each minaret is crowned by a bulbous dome with dainty petal like designs at the base.

A beautiful mosque is located at the western end of the open roof and the remaining part of the roof served as a court during the Qutb Shahi times.

There are 149 winding steps to reach the upper floor. Once atop, the solitude and serenity of the beautiful interior is refreshing. The space in the upper floor between the minarets was meant for Friday prayers. There are forty-five prayer spaces.

Charminar has the signature style of Islamic architecture. This great tribute to aesthetics looks sturdy and solid from a distance and, as one moves closer, it emerges as an elegant and romantic edifice proclaiming its architectural eminence in all its detail and dignity. Charminar looks equally spectacular at night when it is illuminated. Apart from being the core of the city’s cultural milieu, it has become a brand name.

Charminar is a beautiful and impressive square monument. Each of the corners has a tall, pointed minaret. These four gracefully carved minarets soar to 48.7 m above the ground, commanding the landscape for miles around. Each minaret has four stories, marked by a delicately carved ring. Unlike the Taj Mahal, Charminar's four fluted minarets are built into the main structure. The top floor, the highest point one can reach, provides a panoramic view of the city.

The actual mosque occupies the top floor of the four-storey structure. Madame Blavatsky reports that each of the floors was meant for a separate branch of learning before the structure was transformed by the Imperial British administration into a warehouse for opium and liqueurs.

A vault that appears from inside like a dome, supports two galleries within the Charminar, one over another, and above those a terrace that serves as a roof, bordered with a stone balcony. The main gallery has 45 covered prayer spaces with a large open space in front to accommodate more people for Friday prayers.

The monument overlooks another beautiful and grand mosque called Makkah Masjid. The area surrounding Charminar is known by same name. A thriving market still lies around the Charminar, attracting people and merchandise of every description.

The current building is medieval, with the western end possibly dating back to the 13th century.[7] However, the presence of 6th century inscribed stones, and the dedication to St Tanwg, suggest much earlier use of the site as a church, possibly dating to around 453 AD as part of St Patrick's work to establish links between Ireland and Britain.[8][9]

St Tanwg's was extended to the east, including a tall east window and the addition of a rood screen, in the 15th century.[4] The church was restored in the 17th century when windows were rebuilt and changed.[3] This was also probably when a choir loft was removed and floor beams moved to the back of the church.[3] The initials REP and date 1685, which are cut into a cross incised stone on the west gable, may date this period of alteration.[4] The first recorded incumbent for the parish was Rector Thomas Humphrey in 1662.[10]

The floor of the church was flagged in 1786 and, three years later, some medieval paintings were lost during replastering and repainting of the walls.[3][11] St Tanwg's church had been the parish church for the parish of Llandanwg[b], which included the small town of Harlech, for hundreds of years but between 1839 and 1841 a new parish church (also dedicated to St Tanwg) was built in Harlech.[3][4][5] The old church was abandoned, and the 15th century octagonal font, bell[c] and other furnishings, removed to the new building.[3][4][11] The church soon fell into disrepair, with roof tiles lost, and the roof at the west end falling in. The church was full of sand and was used by fishermen who hung their nets on the altar rail.[11] In 1884 the church was re-roofed for £80 by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, who had raised an appeal for funds.

A prominent feature of the Edinburgh skyline, St. Giles' Cathedral or the High Kirk of Edinburgh is a Church of Scotland place of worship decorating the midpoint of the Royal Mile with its distinctive traditional Scottish crown steeple. The church has been one of Edinburgh's religious focal points for approximately 900 years. Today it is sometimes regarded as the mother church of Presbyterianism.

Wikipedia

St. Giles was only a cathedral in its formal sense (ie. the seat of a bishop) for two periods during the 17th century (1635-38 and 1661-1689), when episcopalianism, backed by the Crown, briefly gained ascendancy within the Kirk (see Bishops' Wars). In the mediaeval period, prior to the Reformation, Edinburgh had no cathedral as the royal burgh was part of the Diocese of St Andrews, under the Bishop of St Andrews whose episcopal seat was St Andrew's Cathedral. For most of its post-Reformation history the Church of Scotland has not had bishops, diocese, or cathedrals. As such, the use of the term Cathedral today carries no practical meaning. The "high kirk" title is older, being attested well before the building's brief stint as a cathedral.

It is the Church of Scotland parish church for part of Edinburgh's Old Town. Five services are held every Sunday, as well as daily services and special services for state and civic occasions. The current Minister (since 1973) of St. Giles' is the Very Reverend Dr Gilleasbuig Macmillan.

As the name implies, it is dedicated to St. Giles, who was the patron saint of cripples and lepers and a very popular saint in the Middle Ages. The oldest parts of the building are four massive central pillars, often said to date from 1124, although there is very little evidence to this effect. In 1385 the building suffered a fire and was rebuilt in the subsequent years. Much of the current interior dates from this period. Over the years many chapels, referred to as 'aisles', were added, greatly enlarging the church and leaving it rather irregular in plan. In 1466 St Giles was established as a collegiate church. In response to this raising of status, the lantern tower was added around 1490, and the chancel ceiling raised, vaulted and a clear storey installed. By the middle of the 16th century (before the Reformation) there were about fifty altars in the church.

St. Giles has both some of the best stained glass windows in Scotland, dating from the 19th and 20th centuries (none survives from the medieval period). The most well-known windows include the: Victorian Windows, Burne-Jones Window, North Window, and the Burns Window. The Victorian windows were commissioned by Sir William Chambers, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, who spearheaded the (extremely intrusive) restoration of St. Giles in 1872. Until this time St. Giles had, since shortly after the Reformation, consisted of several churches within the main edifice, divided by walls and with galleries inserted into the vaults. The restoration reunified the church into a single space. Tragically, an obsession with a barren 'symmetry' led to the actual demolition of parts of the kirk (notably on the south side, where a number of chapels had been added piecemeal during the late Middle Ages). The exterior of the building, except for the tower and crown spire, was refaced in bland grey sandstone ashlar and standardised 'Gothic' ornament alien to Scottish medieval architecture, which paid scant heed to the original, strikingly individual, appearance of the church. Much of the unique character and historic interest of St. Giles (undisputably one of Scotland's most important - and prominent - historic buildings) were thus recklessly destroyed in a 'restoration' chiefly notable for combining ignorance with arrogance. The contrast with a recent (late 20th century) sensitive restoration of the crown spire, which included the regilding of various pinnacles and ornaments, could not be more marked.

Happily, the interior of the church retains more of its ancient character, including a wealth of carved ornament, though the walls and vaults have been only partially replastered. The dark stone rubble of the 'scraped' parts of the walls, which were never meant to be seen by the medieval builders, makes the inside needlessly dark (detestably so on overcast days). The cost of the stained glass windows was underwritten by the Lord Provost and other donors. The Edinburgh firm of Ballantine & Son was commissioned for the work. The windows form a continuous narrative over seven windows starting in the north east corner and finishing on the north-west side. One of the last windows of this plan depicts St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, holding his cross with, on either side of him, St. Columba and King David (erroneously labeled St. David). St. Andrew wears a flowing peacock-blue cassock and his features are modeled after prominent Edinburgh physician James Jamieson. Unusually, this window was funded by a grateful patient who insisted that St. Andrew bore the features of the good doctor. Below St. Andrew are depicted St. Giles, with his hind, and St. Cuthbert. The dedication beneath the St. Andrew window states: James Jamieson Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh and Elder of the Kirk, born 1841, in Bowden, and died 1903.

Thistle Chapel (1911, by Robert Lorimer) is the chapel of The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Scotland's foremost Order of Chivalry. It is a small, but exquisite, chapel with carved and painted fittings of extraordinary detail. The Order, which was founded by James VII in 1687, consists of the monarch and 16 knights. The knights are the personal appointment of the crown, and are normally Scots who have made a significant contribution to national or international affairs. Knights have included Sir Alec Douglas-Home, Lord Mackay of Clashfern and Sir Fitzroy MacLean.

James Graham, the Great Montrose, is buried in St. Giles'.On Sunday 23 July 1637 efforts by King Charles I to impose Anglican services on the Church of Scotland led to the Book of Common Prayer revised for Scottish use being introduced in St Giles'. Rioting in opposition began when the Dean of Edinburgh, John Hannah, began to read from the new Book of Prayer, legendarily initiated by the market-woman or street-seller Jenny Geddes throwing her stool at his head. The disturbances led to the National Covenant and hence the Bishops' Wars; the first part of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which included the English Civil War. In the late 17th century a carillon was made for the cathedral by James Meikle. On the day in 1707 that the Treaty of Union was signed to merge the Parliament of Scotland with the Parliament of England and create the Kingdom of Great Britain, the carilloner in St Giles rang the bells in the tune Why should I be so sad on my wedding day?

Its many monuments and memorials, as well as its sheer size and location, have made it a very popular tourist attraction, drawing special notice during the annual Edinburgh Festival, which centres on the Royal Mile. Notable monuments include those to James Graham, Marquess of Montrose (1612-50), his enemy Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll (1607-61) and Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-94) and, in a frame, a copy of the National Covenant of 1638. The Protestant Reformer, John Knox, was also buried in the church yard, though no grave survives.

Charminar (Telugu: చార్మినార్, Urdu: چارمینار), built in 1591 AD, is a landmark monument located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The English name is a transliteration and combination of the Urdu words Chār and Minar, translating to "Four Towers"; the eponymous towers are ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches. The landmark has become a global icon of Hyderabad, listed among the most recognized structures of India. The Charminar is on the east bank of Musi river. To the northeast lies the Laad Bazaar and in the west end lies the granite-made richly ornamented Makkah Masjid.

Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty built Charminar in 1591 AD,shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what is now known as Hyderabad. He built this famous structure to commemorate the elimination of a plague epidemic from this city. He is said to have prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a masjid (Islamic mosque) at the very place where he was praying. In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli Qutb Shah prayed: "Oh Allah, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode, like fish in the water.

The mosque became popularly known as Charminar because of the two Urdu words char, meaning four, and minar, meaning tower, combined to form Charminar.It is said that, during the Mughal Governorship between Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi rule, the south western minaret "fell to pieces" after being struck by lightning and "was forthwith repaired" at a cost of Rs 60,000. In 1824, the monument was replastered at a cost of Rs 100,000.

The structure is made of granite, limestone, mortar and pulverised marble. Initially the monument with its four arches was so proportionately planned that when the fort was opened one could catch a glimpse of the bustling Hyderabad city as these Charminar arches were facing the most active royal ancestral streets. There is also a legend of an underground tunnel connecting the Golkonda to Charminar, possibly intended as an escape route for the Qutb Shahi rulers in case of a siege, though the location of the tunnel is unknown.

The Charminar is a square edifice with each side 20 meters (approximately 66 feet) long, with four grand arches each facing a cardinal point that open into four streets. At each corner stands an exquisitely shaped minaret, 56 meters (approximately 184 feet) high with a double balcony. Each minaret is crowned by a bulbous dome with dainty petal like designs at the base.

A beautiful mosque is located at the western end of the open roof and the remaining part of the roof served as a court during the Qutb Shahi times.

There are 149 winding steps to reach the upper floor. Once atop, the solitude and serenity of the beautiful interior is refreshing. The space in the upper floor between the minarets was meant for Friday prayers. There are forty-five prayer spaces.

Charminar has the signature style of Islamic architecture. This great tribute to aesthetics looks sturdy and solid from a distance and, as one moves closer, it emerges as an elegant and romantic edifice proclaiming its architectural eminence in all its detail and dignity. Charminar looks equally spectacular at night when it is illuminated. Apart from being the core of the city’s cultural milieu, it has become a brand name.

Charminar is a beautiful and impressive square monument. Each of the corners has a tall, pointed minaret. These four gracefully carved minarets soar to 48.7 m above the ground, commanding the landscape for miles around. Each minaret has four stories, marked by a delicately carved ring. Unlike the Taj Mahal, Charminar's four fluted minarets are built into the main structure. The top floor, the highest point one can reach, provides a panoramic view of the city.

The actual mosque occupies the top floor of the four-storey structure. Madame Blavatsky reports that each of the floors was meant for a separate branch of learning before the structure was transformed by the Imperial British administration into a warehouse for opium and liqueurs.

A vault that appears from inside like a dome, supports two galleries within the Charminar, one over another, and above those a terrace that serves as a roof, bordered with a stone balcony. The main gallery has 45 covered prayer spaces with a large open space in front to accommodate more people for Friday prayers.

The monument overlooks another beautiful and grand mosque called Makkah Masjid. The area surrounding Charminar is known by same name. A thriving market still lies around the Charminar, attracting people and merchandise of every description.

The current building is medieval, with the western end possibly dating back to the 13th century.[7] However, the presence of 6th century inscribed stones, and the dedication to St Tanwg, suggest much earlier use of the site as a church, possibly dating to around 453 AD as part of St Patrick's work to establish links between Ireland and Britain.[8][9]

St Tanwg's was extended to the east, including a tall east window and the addition of a rood screen, in the 15th century.[4] The church was restored in the 17th century when windows were rebuilt and changed.[3] This was also probably when a choir loft was removed and floor beams moved to the back of the church.[3] The initials REP and date 1685, which are cut into a cross incised stone on the west gable, may date this period of alteration.[4] The first recorded incumbent for the parish was Rector Thomas Humphrey in 1662.[10]

The floor of the church was flagged in 1786 and, three years later, some medieval paintings were lost during replastering and repainting of the walls.[3][11] St Tanwg's church had been the parish church for the parish of Llandanwg[b], which included the small town of Harlech, for hundreds of years but between 1839 and 1841 a new parish church (also dedicated to St Tanwg) was built in Harlech.[3][4][5] The old church was abandoned, and the 15th century octagonal font, bell[c] and other furnishings, removed to the new building.[3][4][11] The church soon fell into disrepair, with roof tiles lost, and the roof at the west end falling in. The church was full of sand and was used by fishermen who hung their nets on the altar rail.[11] In 1884 the church was re-roofed for £80 by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, who had raised an appeal for funds.

Lee, Russell, 1903-1986, photographer.

Spanish-American women replastering an adobe house. This is done once a year. Chamisal, New Mexico

1940 July.

1 negative : safety ; 3 1/4 x 3 1/4 inches or smaller.

Notes:

Title and other information from caption card.

Digital file made from the original print, not the original negative.

Transfer; United States. Office of War Information. Overseas Picture Division. Washington Division; 1944.

Subjects:

United States--New Mexico--Taos County--Chamisal.

Format: Safety film negatives.

Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.

Repository: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, DC 20540, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

Part Of: Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection (Library of Congress)

More information about the FSA/OWI Collection is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.fsaowi

Persistent URL: hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsc.00257

Call Number: LC-USF34- 037082-D

The current building is medieval, with the western end possibly dating back to the 13th century.[7] However, the presence of 6th century inscribed stones, and the dedication to St Tanwg, suggest much earlier use of the site as a church, possibly dating to around 453 AD as part of St Patrick's work to establish links between Ireland and Britain.[8][9]

St Tanwg's was extended to the east, including a tall east window and the addition of a rood screen, in the 15th century.[4] The church was restored in the 17th century when windows were rebuilt and changed.[3] This was also probably when a choir loft was removed and floor beams moved to the back of the church.[3] The initials REP and date 1685, which are cut into a cross incised stone on the west gable, may date this period of alteration.[4] The first recorded incumbent for the parish was Rector Thomas Humphrey in 1662.[10]

The floor of the church was flagged in 1786 and, three years later, some medieval paintings were lost during replastering and repainting of the walls.[3][11] St Tanwg's church had been the parish church for the parish of Llandanwg[b], which included the small town of Harlech, for hundreds of years but between 1839 and 1841 a new parish church (also dedicated to St Tanwg) was built in Harlech.[3][4][5] The old church was abandoned, and the 15th century octagonal font, bell[c] and other furnishings, removed to the new building.[3][4][11] The church soon fell into disrepair, with roof tiles lost, and the roof at the west end falling in. The church was full of sand and was used by fishermen who hung their nets on the altar rail.[11] In 1884 the church was re-roofed for £80 by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, who had raised an appeal for funds.

Taos Pueblo is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark.

Situated in the valley of a small tributary of the Rio Grande, this adobe settlement – consisting of dwellings and ceremonial buildings – represents the culture of the Pueblo Indians of Arizona and New Mexico.

This Pueblo Indian settlement in northern New Mexico, consisting of ceremonial buildings and facilities, and multi-storey adobe dwellings built in terraced tiers, exemplifies the living culture of a group of present-day Pueblo Indian people at Taos Pueblo. As one of a series of settlements established in the late 13th and early 14th centuries in the valleys of the Rio Grande and its tributaries that have survived to the present day, Taos Pueblo represents a significant stage in the history of urban, community and cultural life and development in this region. Taos Pueblo has been continuously inhabited and is the largest of these Pueblos that still exist, with its North and South Houses rising to heights of five stories. Taos Pueblo and the people of the Pueblo itself claim an aboriginal presence in the Taos Valley since time immemorial.

Taos Pueblo, whose culture and community are active and thriving, shows many similarities to settlement sites of the ancestral Pueblo people that are preserved in nearby places such Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde. It is nevertheless unique to this region and not derived from Mesoamerican precedents.

Taos Pueblo is a remarkable example of a traditional type of architectural ensemble from the pre-Hispanic period of the Americas unique to this region and one which, because of the living culture of its community, has successfully retained most of its traditional forms up to the present day.

Taos Pueblo is authentic in terms of its location and setting, forms and designs, materials and substance, uses and functions as well as spirit and feeling. The Pueblo has been continuously occupied and cared for by the traditional and culturally-based community. Adobe requires regular maintenance through periodic replastering, which is undertaken as needed by tribal members using traditional materials and methods. Some European-style framed doors and windows were introduced in the 20th century, but these remain limited in scale. The community maintains controls to protect its traditions, including the prohibition within the walled area of electrical power lines and piped water supply. An increasing number of Pueblo residents have homes outside the walled area; however, the old village still serves as the most important focus for intra-village interaction and cultural activities.

whc.unesco.org/en/list/492

Rathaus in Rauris/Austria

Here is detail of one window www.flickr.com/photos/39557588@N00/99159677/in/set-720575...

Voglmair House

1. Use: Village hall, home 2. Exterior: 3-story, facing the street, a 3-axis structure from the Middle Ages. On the ground floor, a Gothic portal with pointed arch, at the apex a floral ornament, two windows with segmental arches. At both the southeast and northeast corners, a 2-story corner oriel on three consoles. On the upper floors, Gothic-shaped window frames. 3-axis south and west facade. 4-axis north facade. On the 1st floor, a single-story flat oriel on two triple-segmented consoles and a middle two-part console. At both the southwest and northwest corners, a windowless corner oriel extending to the full height of the building. On the northeast side of the northwest oriel, a small, embrasure-shaped opening. Saddle roof, damaged exterior plaster. Wooden windows dating from the 19th century. After a fire in the 18th century, the building's size was reduced, resulting in the loss of its original overall form. 3. Interior: On the ground floor, vaulted hall with lunettes. Straight stairways from the cellar to the upper floors. Hall on the first floor features a round-arched, barrel-vaulted ceiling, each with seven lunettes and plastered groin vaulting. Dating from the beginning of the 16th century, 2nd-floor hall with flat ceiling. Corner room facing southeast with wooden ceiling. In the attic space, wall above the hall with interior plastering. 4. Condition: No structural problems, no noticeable damage worth mentioning. In need of renovation. 5. Aesthetics: In spite of its reduction in size resulting from a fire in the 18th century, the building is still of dominating significance and has a great impact on the overall visual impression of the town: historic monument! 6. Potential Renovations: Interior work is possible as long as the artistically significant construction details are preserved. Partial replastering of the facade with flat, troweled plaster, renovation of the wooden windows (double-winged with two horizontal sashes). The street-side wooden gateway must be left untouched

Charminar (Telugu: చార్మినార్, Urdu: چارمینار), built in 1591 AD, is a landmark monument located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The English name is a transliteration and combination of the Urdu words Chār and Minar, translating to "Four Towers"; the eponymous towers are ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches. The landmark has become a global icon of Hyderabad, listed among the most recognized structures of India. The Charminar is on the east bank of Musi river. To the northeast lies the Laad Bazaar and in the west end lies the granite-made richly ornamented Makkah Masjid.

Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty built Charminar in 1591 AD,shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what is now known as Hyderabad. He built this famous structure to commemorate the elimination of a plague epidemic from this city. He is said to have prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a masjid (Islamic mosque) at the very place where he was praying. In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli Qutb Shah prayed: "Oh Allah, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode, like fish in the water.

The mosque became popularly known as Charminar because of the two Urdu words char, meaning four, and minar, meaning tower, combined to form Charminar.It is said that, during the Mughal Governorship between Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi rule, the south western minaret "fell to pieces" after being struck by lightning and "was forthwith repaired" at a cost of Rs 60,000. In 1824, the monument was replastered at a cost of Rs 100,000.

The structure is made of granite, limestone, mortar and pulverised marble. Initially the monument with its four arches was so proportionately planned that when the fort was opened one could catch a glimpse of the bustling Hyderabad city as these Charminar arches were facing the most active royal ancestral streets. There is also a legend of an underground tunnel connecting the Golkonda to Charminar, possibly intended as an escape route for the Qutb Shahi rulers in case of a siege, though the location of the tunnel is unknown.

The Charminar is a square edifice with each side 20 meters (approximately 66 feet) long, with four grand arches each facing a cardinal point that open into four streets. At each corner stands an exquisitely shaped minaret, 56 meters (approximately 184 feet) high with a double balcony. Each minaret is crowned by a bulbous dome with dainty petal like designs at the base.

A beautiful mosque is located at the western end of the open roof and the remaining part of the roof served as a court during the Qutb Shahi times.

There are 149 winding steps to reach the upper floor. Once atop, the solitude and serenity of the beautiful interior is refreshing. The space in the upper floor between the minarets was meant for Friday prayers. There are forty-five prayer spaces.

Charminar has the signature style of Islamic architecture. This great tribute to aesthetics looks sturdy and solid from a distance and, as one moves closer, it emerges as an elegant and romantic edifice proclaiming its architectural eminence in all its detail and dignity. Charminar looks equally spectacular at night when it is illuminated. Apart from being the core of the city’s cultural milieu, it has become a brand name.

Charminar is a beautiful and impressive square monument. Each of the corners has a tall, pointed minaret. These four gracefully carved minarets soar to 48.7 m above the ground, commanding the landscape for miles around. Each minaret has four stories, marked by a delicately carved ring. Unlike the Taj Mahal, Charminar's four fluted minarets are built into the main structure. The top floor, the highest point one can reach, provides a panoramic view of the city.

The actual mosque occupies the top floor of the four-storey structure. Madame Blavatsky reports that each of the floors was meant for a separate branch of learning before the structure was transformed by the Imperial British administration into a warehouse for opium and liqueurs.

A vault that appears from inside like a dome, supports two galleries within the Charminar, one over another, and above those a terrace that serves as a roof, bordered with a stone balcony. The main gallery has 45 covered prayer spaces with a large open space in front to accommodate more people for Friday prayers.

The monument overlooks another beautiful and grand mosque called Makkah Masjid. The area surrounding Charminar is known by same name. A thriving market still lies around the Charminar, attracting people and merchandise of every description.

the wall is being replastered

The church was built from 1908 to 1911. According to the church history, each member of the church who was 12 or older was asked to give $45 a year and six wagonloads of Fencepost limestone to help construct the building. The nickname The Cathedral of the Plains was bestowed by former presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan after he visited the town in 1912. Its 48 historic stained-glass windows were installed in 1916, by Munich Studios in Chicago, at a cost of $3,700, and now valued at more than $1 million. The church was added to the National Register in 1971.

In 1994, the church began a series of restoration efforts. More than $265,000 was spent on weatherproofing the exterior, replastering and repainting the interior and updating the sound, electrical and heating systems. A marble floor was put in the sanctuary for $60,000, replacing the old carpeting and linoleum floors. The church roof was reshingled in 2006 for $137,000. In 2011, the church replaced the parking lot and sidewalks for $225,000, and spent $70,000 on repairing the plaster ceilings and walls that had cracked with age. A plastic covering was installed in the mid-1980s to protect each stained glass window from Kansas storms. It had grown opaque through the years and replaced with tempered glass in 2013.

After approval by the Vatican in early March 2014, Bishop Edward Weisenburger of the Diocese of Salina dedicated St. Fidelis Church as a Minor Basilica on Saturday, June 7, 2014

kansasadventures.com/Eight-Wonders-of-Kansas/the-cathedra...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_St._Fidelis

Taos Pueblo is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark.

Situated in the valley of a small tributary of the Rio Grande, this adobe settlement – consisting of dwellings and ceremonial buildings – represents the culture of the Pueblo Indians of Arizona and New Mexico.

This Pueblo Indian settlement in northern New Mexico, consisting of ceremonial buildings and facilities, and multi-storey adobe dwellings built in terraced tiers, exemplifies the living culture of a group of present-day Pueblo Indian people at Taos Pueblo. As one of a series of settlements established in the late 13th and early 14th centuries in the valleys of the Rio Grande and its tributaries that have survived to the present day, Taos Pueblo represents a significant stage in the history of urban, community and cultural life and development in this region. Taos Pueblo has been continuously inhabited and is the largest of these Pueblos that still exist, with its North and South Houses rising to heights of five stories. Taos Pueblo and the people of the Pueblo itself claim an aboriginal presence in the Taos Valley since time immemorial.

Taos Pueblo, whose culture and community are active and thriving, shows many similarities to settlement sites of the ancestral Pueblo people that are preserved in nearby places such Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde. It is nevertheless unique to this region and not derived from Mesoamerican precedents.

Taos Pueblo is a remarkable example of a traditional type of architectural ensemble from the pre-Hispanic period of the Americas unique to this region and one which, because of the living culture of its community, has successfully retained most of its traditional forms up to the present day.

Taos Pueblo is authentic in terms of its location and setting, forms and designs, materials and substance, uses and functions as well as spirit and feeling. The Pueblo has been continuously occupied and cared for by the traditional and culturally-based community. Adobe requires regular maintenance through periodic replastering, which is undertaken as needed by tribal members using traditional materials and methods. Some European-style framed doors and windows were introduced in the 20th century, but these remain limited in scale. The community maintains controls to protect its traditions, including the prohibition within the walled area of electrical power lines and piped water supply. An increasing number of Pueblo residents have homes outside the walled area; however, the old village still serves as the most important focus for intra-village interaction and cultural activities.

whc.unesco.org/en/list/492

Charminar (Telugu: చార్మినార్, Urdu: چارمینار), built in 1591 AD, is a landmark monument located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The English name is a transliteration and combination of the Urdu words Chār and Minar, translating to "Four Towers"; the eponymous towers are ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches. The landmark has become a global icon of Hyderabad, listed among the most recognized structures of India. The Charminar is on the east bank of Musi river. To the northeast lies the Laad Bazaar and in the west end lies the granite-made richly ornamented Makkah Masjid.

Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty built Charminar in 1591 AD,shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what is now known as Hyderabad. He built this famous structure to commemorate the elimination of a plague epidemic from this city. He is said to have prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a masjid (Islamic mosque) at the very place where he was praying. In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli Qutb Shah prayed: "Oh Allah, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode, like fish in the water.

The mosque became popularly known as Charminar because of the two Urdu words char, meaning four, and minar, meaning tower, combined to form Charminar.It is said that, during the Mughal Governorship between Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi rule, the south western minaret "fell to pieces" after being struck by lightning and "was forthwith repaired" at a cost of Rs 60,000. In 1824, the monument was replastered at a cost of Rs 100,000.

The structure is made of granite, limestone, mortar and pulverised marble. Initially the monument with its four arches was so proportionately planned that when the fort was opened one could catch a glimpse of the bustling Hyderabad city as these Charminar arches were facing the most active royal ancestral streets. There is also a legend of an underground tunnel connecting the Golkonda to Charminar, possibly intended as an escape route for the Qutb Shahi rulers in case of a siege, though the location of the tunnel is unknown.

The Charminar is a square edifice with each side 20 meters (approximately 66 feet) long, with four grand arches each facing a cardinal point that open into four streets. At each corner stands an exquisitely shaped minaret, 56 meters (approximately 184 feet) high with a double balcony. Each minaret is crowned by a bulbous dome with dainty petal like designs at the base.

A beautiful mosque is located at the western end of the open roof and the remaining part of the roof served as a court during the Qutb Shahi times.

There are 149 winding steps to reach the upper floor. Once atop, the solitude and serenity of the beautiful interior is refreshing. The space in the upper floor between the minarets was meant for Friday prayers. There are forty-five prayer spaces.

Charminar has the signature style of Islamic architecture. This great tribute to aesthetics looks sturdy and solid from a distance and, as one moves closer, it emerges as an elegant and romantic edifice proclaiming its architectural eminence in all its detail and dignity. Charminar looks equally spectacular at night when it is illuminated. Apart from being the core of the city’s cultural milieu, it has become a brand name.

Charminar is a beautiful and impressive square monument. Each of the corners has a tall, pointed minaret. These four gracefully carved minarets soar to 48.7 m above the ground, commanding the landscape for miles around. Each minaret has four stories, marked by a delicately carved ring. Unlike the Taj Mahal, Charminar's four fluted minarets are built into the main structure. The top floor, the highest point one can reach, provides a panoramic view of the city.

The actual mosque occupies the top floor of the four-storey structure. Madame Blavatsky reports that each of the floors was meant for a separate branch of learning before the structure was transformed by the Imperial British administration into a warehouse for opium and liqueurs.

A vault that appears from inside like a dome, supports two galleries within the Charminar, one over another, and above those a terrace that serves as a roof, bordered with a stone balcony. The main gallery has 45 covered prayer spaces with a large open space in front to accommodate more people for Friday prayers.

The monument overlooks another beautiful and grand mosque called Makkah Masjid. The area surrounding Charminar is known by same name. A thriving market still lies around the Charminar, attracting people and merchandise of every description.

It is believed there was a church on the site in the 12th. century. The current church was built in the early 14th. and the first Rector was appointed in 1312.

The church itself is 120 feet (36.5m) long by 25 feet (7.66m) wide. It is chiefly built of flint, but has limestone finishing and some infill of stone and brick. The roof is lead covered, and the remainder of the roof slate, with the nave being of the Westmoreland green variety. The inside of the Church was redecorated in the spring of 2003 and hidden under the Victorian replastering could be seen areas of medieval plaster tinted a pastel green colour, with the rail at the top of the wall picked out in Wedgewood blue, surmounted by a white ceiling. The tower is some 76 feet (23.1 m) high and internally is constructed of crag. For most of it's history the tower contained four bells. The bells were rung as far back as the 1550's but were only rung intermittently during the 20th. century. The four original bells and their frame were refurbished for the millennium but in September 2007 the 'Bells Restoration Project' was launched. A sum of £137,000 was raised to completely replace the bell frame and increase the peel from four to six, with several new bells being cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. As the project was nearing completion four of the bells, including a 1729 bell from the original set were stolen from the bell-hangers premises. The bells were quickly replaced and rung in the church for the first time on 10th. December 2010.

The church is approached though a lych gate which was erected in 1937 to celebrate the coronation of King George VI.

The church gained Grade: II* listed building status on 16th. March 1966. (English Heritage Legacy ID: 285191).

FIPRESCI (International Film Critics) PRIZE Cannes -2009

Un Certain Regard: Intermediar / Police, Adjective by Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania

Jury Prize, Cannes 2009: POLITIST, ADJECTIV (Police, Adjective) by Corneliu PORUMBOIU

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Romanian film director Corneliu Porumboiu (b. 1975) is a familiar name at the Cannes Festival.

As with previous subtle Romanian stunners, “Police, Adjective” - a minimalist and sardonic tour-de-force, is set in the non-descript, dilapidated suburban wasteland of the post-Communist country. Except for a few modern-looking automobiles, everything from computers to desks to the drab fluorescent office lighting appears as if it hadn’t been changed in 30 years. Nearly every Romanian building needs a replastering or a paint job, all of which contributes to the film’s general sense of unease and lingering feeling of oppression.

The film also uses the extended long takes that many have associated with recent films from Romania. Here, they may test the patience of some viewers-there were several walkouts during the film’s second soldout press screening-but the cumulative affect evokes the tedium and futility of Cristi’s police investigation, not to mention his world. Near the film’s conclusion, there’s a scene in which a take runs for what seems like an eternity, observing Cristi sitting next to a woman clicking away at a typewriter. Neither the camera, nor Cristi moves, and yet, there’s something compelling and ironic as the shot persists in real-time. After a while, if one is tuned into the film’s sense of prevailing ennui, it actually becomes funny - in an absurdist way reminiscent of fellow Romanian writer Eugene Ionesco.

read more in Anthony Kaufman (May 17, 2009):

www.indiewire.com/article/lingua_romania_police_adjective...

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Corneliu Porumboiu (born September 14, 1975 in Vaslui) is a Romanian film director and screenwriter. His 2006 feature 12:08 East of Bucharest won him the Camera d'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival. He is the son of well-known football referee Adrian Porumboiu.

[edit] Filmography as Director

* Pe aripile vinului (2002)

* Călătorie la oraş (2003) (won Second Prize of the Cinéfondation in 2004)

* Visul lui Liviu (2004)

* 12:08 East of Bucharest (2006) (A fost sau n-a fost?)

* Police, Adjective (2009)

The church was built from 1908 to 1911. According to the church history, each member of the church who was 12 or older was asked to give $45 a year and six wagonloads of Fencepost limestone to help construct the building. The nickname The Cathedral of the Plains was bestowed by former presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan after he visited the town in 1912. Its 48 historic stained-glass windows were installed in 1916, by Munich Studios in Chicago, at a cost of $3,700, and now valued at more than $1 million. The church was added to the National Register in 1971.

In 1994, the church began a series of restoration efforts. More than $265,000 was spent on weatherproofing the exterior, replastering and repainting the interior and updating the sound, electrical and heating systems. A marble floor was put in the sanctuary for $60,000, replacing the old carpeting and linoleum floors. The church roof was reshingled in 2006 for $137,000. In 2011, the church replaced the parking lot and sidewalks for $225,000, and spent $70,000 on repairing the plaster ceilings and walls that had cracked with age. A plastic covering was installed in the mid-1980s to protect each stained glass window from Kansas storms. It had grown opaque through the years and replaced with tempered glass in 2013.

After approval by the Vatican in early March 2014, Bishop Edward Weisenburger of the Diocese of Salina dedicated St. Fidelis Church as a Minor Basilica on Saturday, June 7, 2014

kansasadventures.com/Eight-Wonders-of-Kansas/the-cathedra...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_St._Fidelis

**

**

*HISTORY AND PICS OF CHARMINAR-HYDERABAD.*

History Of Char Minar

Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb

Shah,

the 5th ruler of the Qutb Shahi

dynastybuilt

Charminar in 1591

[2] shortly after he had

shifted his capital from

Golkondato what is now

known as Hyderabad.

[3] He built this famous

structure to commemorate the elimination of a plague epidemic from this

city. He is said to have prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging

his city and vowed to build a

masjid(Islamic mosque) at

the very place where he was praying. In 1591 while

laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli Qutb shah prayed: "Oh

Allah,

bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all

castes, creeds and religions make it their abode, like fish in the water."

Charminar was given to a contractor by the name of Sanamvenkata Balaya to

construct it and today one can see the city as evidence of the prayer being

answered. The Mosque became

popularly known as Charminar because of its four (Persian/Hindi char =

four) minarets (Minar (Arabic

manara) = spire/tower).[4]

The structure is made of granite, lime, mortar and, some say, pulverised

marble, was at one time the heart of the city. Initially the monument with

its four arches was so proportionately planned that when the fort was

opened one could catch a glimpse of the bustling Hyderabad city as these

Charminar arches were facing the most active royal ancestral streets. There

is also a legend of an underground tunnel connecting the palace at Golkonda

to Charminar, possibly intended as an escape route for the Qutub Shahi

rulers in case of a siege, though the exact location of the tunnel is

unknown.[5] Construction

Of Char Minar

Night view of Char Minar

Charminar has the signature style of Islamic

architecture

.[6] This great tribute to

aesthetics looks sturdy and solid from a distance but as one moves closer,

it emerges as an elegant and romantic edifice proclaiming its architectural

eminence in all its detail and dignity. Charminar looks equally spectacular

at night when it is illuminated. Apart from being the core of the city’s

cultural milieu, it has become a brand name.

Charminar is a beautiful and impressive square monument. Each side measures

20 m, and each of the corners has a tall, pointed minaret. These four

gracefully carved minarets soar to a height of 48.7 m above the ground,

commanding the landscape for miles around. Each minaret has four stories,

marked by a delicately carved ring around the minaret. Unlike the Taj

Mahal,

Charminar's four fluted minarets of Charminar are built into the main

structure. Inside the minarets 149 winding steps guide the visitor to the

top floor, the highest point one can reach, which provides a panoramic view

of the city.[7]

The actual mosque occupies the top floor of the four-storey structure.

Madame Blavatsky reports that each of the floors was meant for a separate

branch of learning - before the structure was transformed by the Imperial

British administration into a warehouse for opium and

liqueurs.[8]

A replica of the Charminar built in the

Bahadurabadlocality of

Karachi , Pakistan in 2007

A vault that appears from inside like a dome, supports two galleries within

the Charminar, one over another, and above those a terrace that serves as a

roof, bordered with a stone balcony. The main gallery has 45 covered prayer

spaces with a large open space in front to accommodate more people for

Friday prayers.

It is said that, during the Mughal Governorship between Qutb Shahi and Asaf

Jahi rule, the south western minaret "fell to pieces" after being struck by

lightning, but "was forthwith repaired" at a cost of Rs

60,000.[2]In

1824, the monument was replastered at a cost of Rs 100,000.

The monument overlooks another beautiful and grand mosque called Makkah

Masjid .[9]The

area surrounding Charminar is also known by same name. A thriving

market still lies around the Charminar, attracting people and merchandise

of every description. In its heyday, the Charminar market had some 14,000

shops; today the famous markets known as Laad Baazar and Pather Gatti, near

the Charminar, are a favourite of both tourists and locals alike for

jewellery, especially known for exquisite bangles and pearls respectively.

In 2007, Hyderabadi

Muslimsliving

in

Pakistan constructed a

small-scaled quasi replica of the Charminar at the main crossing of the

Bahadurabad neighborhood

in Karachi .[10]The

"replica"'s poor quality of construction, decoration, lack of

proportions, however, are all at a stark contrast to the grandeur, beauty

and proportionality of the ancient original in Hyderabad. It stands as a

telltale of the general decline in Islamic art, architecture and fortunes

in the past few centuries.

An artistic monument of Charminar made of 50 Kilograms of Chocolate and 3

days of labor, was on display at The

Westin,

Hyderabad, India.

Lindtchocolatier

Adelbert Boucher created the scaled model of Charminar which

was on display on September 25 and 26, 2010.

[11]

THE LITTLE CHURCH IN A FIELD

1053AD

St Hubert's Idsworth STANDING alone amid the fields of Old Idsworth and Heberden's Farms is the little Chapel of St Hubert, for many centuries dedicated to St Peter but rededicated to St Hubert, patron saint of hunters, probably in the late 19th century (after the discovery of the wall painting in 1864). According to legend, St Hubert was converted while hunting on Good Friday by seeing an image of the crucified Christ between the antlers of a stag. He later became Bishop of Maastricht and Liege and died in 727. It is thought that the chapel could well have been used as a hunting chapel in its early days.

The chapel stands some distance from the road, adjoining the site of the old Manor House of Idsworth, of which only the stables, coach house and walled garden remain, the house having been demolished when the railway was built in the mid 19th century. It overlooks a valley in which a stream (lavant) now flows only in occasional winters but which was the site of a village from about the 9th to the 14th centuries.

Idsworth is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, unlike the neighbouring manor of Chalton, which was held personally by Earl Godwin, Earl of Wessex and premier Earl of England, until his death in 1053, when the manor passed to his son, (later King) Harold, who held it until his death at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Idsworth began as a chaplaincy of the manor of Chalton but by the 12th century had become independent and later became the dominant of the two manors.

The chapel is believed to have been built by Earl Godwin, who died in 1053, which perhaps explains why this is the latest date normally given to its origin. However, Roman coins and pottery have been found in the adjoining field and it has been suggested that the chapel could well have been built on the foundations of a much earlier building. The oldest part is the nave (later widened), which was built in the new Norman style which Edward the Confessor was then introducing into England. An early English Chancel, a bell turret and a porch were all added later.

St Hubert's Chapel is beautiful in its simplicity rather than its richness, yet some of its contents are rich beyond price. For example, on the North wall of the Chancel is a mural, discovered in 1864 and dated at circa 1330.

Idsworth C14 Painting

Unusual for its completeness and quality, it consists of two parts separated by a horizontal zigzag line. It is generally agreed that the lower picture depicts the presentation of the head of St John the Baptist, on a salver, to Salome (the contorted figure in the foreground) at King Herod's feast (clearly visible in the centre), and that the separate scene at the left-hand end represents St John being thrown into prison. The hunting scene in the upper picture is less easily interpreted and an earlier view that it represents St Hubert converting or curing a lycanthrope (a man who through a form of insanity believed himself to be a wolf) has been discounted in a number of modern treatises on the subject. It is generally considered that the right-hand end of the upper picture depicts the arrest of St John and that the remainder portrays the discovery of a "hairy anchorite", a hermit who, according to legend, in penance for sins of inchastity and murder, undertook to walk on all fours until he knew he was forgiven. In the early 14th century this legend could well have been identified with events in the early life of St John the Baptist, thus providing a thread of continuity through both tiers of the mural.

Click on these links for a detailed and scholarly discussion of these paintings:

Herod’s Feast, with Salome’s Dance

The Legend of the Hairy Anchorite

A new fresco in 14th century style, was commissioned and painted in 2000 to celebrate the millennium. This depicts ‘Christ in Majesty’ together with images inspired by the vision of St Peter and also a rich variety of other symbols and contemporary images.

Idsworth Fresco 2000

The Chancel

The Ceiling was replastered and decorated in 1913. There are 13 medallions set within a framework of diamond panels with ribs in cable pattern, rising from pleasing frescoes of grapes, leaves and a bird at the top of each wall. Two crowns on each side surmount the frescoes. The medallions appear to show: -- The Good Shepherd, four eagles receiving light from a cloud above them, a Cross of Lorraine superimposed by cross keys, the Dove of the Holy Spirit, a Phoenix rising from the flames, three fishes arranged in a triangle with the head of each superimposed over another's tail, a Bishop, a Chalice, the Lamb of St. John holding a flag and staff, a peacock, St. Hubert and the stag, the mother pelican pecking her breast to produce drops of blood to feed her three chicks, and a medieval three-masted ship.

Two braces, boxed in wood, cross the Chancel overhead, and since they partially mask the crowns, these were probably a later addition.

The Altar consists of the stone mensâ of the medieval altar, raised from the floor and placed on stonework in 1913.

Idsworth Window RoundelThe East window is of plain glass with one adornment, a small circular inset picturing St. Hubert's conversion and based on a Dürer engraving, but with the addition of a tiny representation of the chapel itself, in the upper left-hand quadrant, just to the right of the horse's head. This roundel was the gift of the architect of the 1913 restoration (see below).

Idsworth St Peter

On the splays each side of the window, frescos of St. Peter and St. Paul are easily discernible. St. Peter is shown holding the keys of Heaven, and St. Paul with a staff over his shoulder holding aloft a book. On the soffit of the arch are two angels. These paintings are also dated at circa 1330.

Idsworth St Paul

On the wall to the North side of the East window some remains of a mural are faintly visible, but unfortunately the figures are not discernible. On the other side, in a niche in the wall, is a Piscina, the bottom being shaped like a basin with a drain hole in the centre. The water used for cleaning the chalice was poured into this after the service of Holy Communion.

Hanging here is a painting of the Royal Coat of Arms of George III surrounded by the inscription, "The Chapel was repaired in 1793-- Thomas Padwick, Chapel Warden. This Chapel was repaired in 1825-- Thomas Smith, Chapel Warden."

The Nave

Idsworth NaveThe Nave seats about fifty and consists of box pews and narrow, rather uncomfortable benches. In the North wall of the Nave is a small arch, now blocked, only twenty-one inches wide. It is visible from inside and out and might have been an entrance to a much smaller chapel or building. Above the Nave are three tie beams, the centre one conspicuous as the ceiling clings to the line of the roof. The one below the bell turret is partly embedded in the ceiling which at this point reaches down to the beam to form the enclosure for the bell. The third beam is behind the organ in the gallery.

The pulpit is of the early seventeenth century with carved brackets to the back panel. The tester, or canopy, is of later date, probably eighteenth century. The pulpit at one time stood in front of the small blocked archway in the North wall but, in the course of a major restoration by the Clarke-Jervoise family, under the expert hand of the architect, H.S. Goodhart-Rendel, it was restored to what was believed to have been its original position on the South wall, as evidenced by the adjacent inscription "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet . . . . " (Isaiah 58:1). At the same time a vestry was added and the organ was moved to the newly replaced gallery. These restorations and improvements are commemorated by a stone tablet by the door in the West wall.

Among other things of great antiquity are the original Norman light in the North wall and the bench behind the Font. The Font itself, octagonal with quatrefoiled panels is dated 1400, the base having been broken, probably during the Civil War.

The entrance to the Chapel is through the West door. Although the North and West walls are eleventh century,Idsworth Nave from Alter the arched entrance is probably fourteenth century. An eighteenth century porch has been added. The Chancel and Nave were the same width until the sixteenth century when the Nave was widened Southwards.

On the outer side of the North wall of the Chancel is a window with two uncusped lights, anciently blocked, the inner side having the murals previously described.

The earliest walling on the North side is of regularly set flint work, while the South wall is of coarser rubble and sandstone quoins, on one of which (at the SW corner) is what has been assumed to be an incised sun-dial. It has recently been suggested (1995) that this is not a sundial but a much rarer "mass dial" or "scratch dial" in which the priest inserted a bent twig, with one end in the central hole and the other end pointing to the time of the next mass or other service. www.homeshed.plus.com/bcichurches_netobjects/html/history...

Taos Pueblo is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark.

Situated in the valley of a small tributary of the Rio Grande, this adobe settlement – consisting of dwellings and ceremonial buildings – represents the culture of the Pueblo Indians of Arizona and New Mexico.

This Pueblo Indian settlement in northern New Mexico, consisting of ceremonial buildings and facilities, and multi-storey adobe dwellings built in terraced tiers, exemplifies the living culture of a group of present-day Pueblo Indian people at Taos Pueblo. As one of a series of settlements established in the late 13th and early 14th centuries in the valleys of the Rio Grande and its tributaries that have survived to the present day, Taos Pueblo represents a significant stage in the history of urban, community and cultural life and development in this region. Taos Pueblo has been continuously inhabited and is the largest of these Pueblos that still exist, with its North and South Houses rising to heights of five stories. Taos Pueblo and the people of the Pueblo itself claim an aboriginal presence in the Taos Valley since time immemorial.

Taos Pueblo, whose culture and community are active and thriving, shows many similarities to settlement sites of the ancestral Pueblo people that are preserved in nearby places such Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde. It is nevertheless unique to this region and not derived from Mesoamerican precedents.

Taos Pueblo is a remarkable example of a traditional type of architectural ensemble from the pre-Hispanic period of the Americas unique to this region and one which, because of the living culture of its community, has successfully retained most of its traditional forms up to the present day.

Taos Pueblo is authentic in terms of its location and setting, forms and designs, materials and substance, uses and functions as well as spirit and feeling. The Pueblo has been continuously occupied and cared for by the traditional and culturally-based community. Adobe requires regular maintenance through periodic replastering, which is undertaken as needed by tribal members using traditional materials and methods. Some European-style framed doors and windows were introduced in the 20th century, but these remain limited in scale. The community maintains controls to protect its traditions, including the prohibition within the walled area of electrical power lines and piped water supply. An increasing number of Pueblo residents have homes outside the walled area; however, the old village still serves as the most important focus for intra-village interaction and cultural activities.

whc.unesco.org/en/list/492

Taos Pueblo is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark.

Situated in the valley of a small tributary of the Rio Grande, this adobe settlement – consisting of dwellings and ceremonial buildings – represents the culture of the Pueblo Indians of Arizona and New Mexico.

This Pueblo Indian settlement in northern New Mexico, consisting of ceremonial buildings and facilities, and multi-storey adobe dwellings built in terraced tiers, exemplifies the living culture of a group of present-day Pueblo Indian people at Taos Pueblo. As one of a series of settlements established in the late 13th and early 14th centuries in the valleys of the Rio Grande and its tributaries that have survived to the present day, Taos Pueblo represents a significant stage in the history of urban, community and cultural life and development in this region. Taos Pueblo has been continuously inhabited and is the largest of these Pueblos that still exist, with its North and South Houses rising to heights of five stories. Taos Pueblo and the people of the Pueblo itself claim an aboriginal presence in the Taos Valley since time immemorial.

Taos Pueblo, whose culture and community are active and thriving, shows many similarities to settlement sites of the ancestral Pueblo people that are preserved in nearby places such Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde. It is nevertheless unique to this region and not derived from Mesoamerican precedents.

Taos Pueblo is a remarkable example of a traditional type of architectural ensemble from the pre-Hispanic period of the Americas unique to this region and one which, because of the living culture of its community, has successfully retained most of its traditional forms up to the present day.

Taos Pueblo is authentic in terms of its location and setting, forms and designs, materials and substance, uses and functions as well as spirit and feeling. The Pueblo has been continuously occupied and cared for by the traditional and culturally-based community. Adobe requires regular maintenance through periodic replastering, which is undertaken as needed by tribal members using traditional materials and methods. Some European-style framed doors and windows were introduced in the 20th century, but these remain limited in scale. The community maintains controls to protect its traditions, including the prohibition within the walled area of electrical power lines and piped water supply. An increasing number of Pueblo residents have homes outside the walled area; however, the old village still serves as the most important focus for intra-village interaction and cultural activities.

whc.unesco.org/en/list/492

Although shrouded in shadows and with its curtains drawn at present, the original Billilla drawing room, built at part of the original house, is an elegantly proportioned room affording views overlooking the garden through a large demilune bay of full-length windows.

As one of the principal rooms of the mansion the former drawing room is not only elegantly proportioned, but also elegantly appointed. Replastered and redecorated at part of the 1907 renovation, the ceiling of the former drawing room is decorated with ornate stylised foliate Art Nouveau mouldings of leaves. Although not original, the room is papered in a soft green wallpaper sympathetic to the era.

The room still has its original black marble fireplace with green insert Arts and Crafts majollica tiles.

After the creation of the new drawing room in 1907, it is likely that the former drawing room, accessed via a reception room off the main hallway, was used as a music room or perhaps even a ballroom for parties when the Weatherly family entertained.

Built in High Victorian style in 1878 for successful gold miner Robert Wright, Billilla mansion was originally a thirteen room mansion erected on seven and a half acres of land.

When economic boom turned to bust in the 1880s, the property was purchased in 1888 by wealthy New South Wales pastoralist William Weatherly who named it Billilla after his land holdings and established a home there for his wife Jeannie and their children Violet, Gladys and Lionel.

The house was substantially altered by architect Walter Richmond Butler in 1907, extending the house beyond its original thirteen rooms and adding the Art Nouveau façade seen today.

After William Weatherly's death in 1914, his wife, who was much younger, remained living there until her own death in 1933. She bequeathed the property to her daughter, Violet, who maintained the home with reduced staff until her own death in 1972.

The property was purchased in 1973 by the Bayside Council who subsequently used Billilla as a historical house with guided tours, a wedding and events venue, a school and finally in 2009 as an artist's precinct in the property's outbuildings. Billilla is a beautiful heritage property retaining many of its original features thanks to its long private ownership still incorporating a stately formal garden and the magnificent historic house.

Billilla, at 26 Halifax Street, Brighton, is one of Melbourne’s few remaining significant homesteads, built on land which had originally been owned by Nicholas Were. The house has a mixture of architectural styles, featuring a Victorian design with Art Nouveau features and has exquisite formal gardens, which retain much of their original Nineteenth Century layout.

Billilla retains many original Victorian elements and a number of outbuildings still stand to the rear of the property including the butler’s quarters, dairy, meat house, stable garden store and coach house.

Billilla was opened to the general public as part of the Melbourne Open House weekend 2022.

Billilla was used as a backdrop in the 1980 Australian Channel 10 miniseries adaptation of Sumner Locke Elliott's "Water Under the Bridge". It was used at the Sydney harbourside home of Luigi, Honor and Carrie Mazzini.

Charminar (Telugu: చార్మినార్, Urdu: چارمینار), built in 1591 AD, is a landmark monument located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The English name is a transliteration and combination of the Urdu words Chār and Minar, translating to "Four Towers"; the eponymous towers are ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches. The landmark has become a global icon of Hyderabad, listed among the most recognized structures of India. The Charminar is on the east bank of Musi river. To the northeast lies the Laad Bazaar and in the west end lies the granite-made richly ornamented Makkah Masjid.

Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty built Charminar in 1591 AD,shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what is now known as Hyderabad. He built this famous structure to commemorate the elimination of a plague epidemic from this city. He is said to have prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a masjid (Islamic mosque) at the very place where he was praying. In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli Qutb Shah prayed: "Oh Allah, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode, like fish in the water.

The mosque became popularly known as Charminar because of the two Urdu words char, meaning four, and minar, meaning tower, combined to form Charminar.It is said that, during the Mughal Governorship between Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi rule, the south western minaret "fell to pieces" after being struck by lightning and "was forthwith repaired" at a cost of Rs 60,000. In 1824, the monument was replastered at a cost of Rs 100,000.

The structure is made of granite, limestone, mortar and pulverised marble. Initially the monument with its four arches was so proportionately planned that when the fort was opened one could catch a glimpse of the bustling Hyderabad city as these Charminar arches were facing the most active royal ancestral streets. There is also a legend of an underground tunnel connecting the Golkonda to Charminar, possibly intended as an escape route for the Qutb Shahi rulers in case of a siege, though the location of the tunnel is unknown.

The Charminar is a square edifice with each side 20 meters (approximately 66 feet) long, with four grand arches each facing a cardinal point that open into four streets. At each corner stands an exquisitely shaped minaret, 56 meters (approximately 184 feet) high with a double balcony. Each minaret is crowned by a bulbous dome with dainty petal like designs at the base.

A beautiful mosque is located at the western end of the open roof and the remaining part of the roof served as a court during the Qutb Shahi times.

There are 149 winding steps to reach the upper floor. Once atop, the solitude and serenity of the beautiful interior is refreshing. The space in the upper floor between the minarets was meant for Friday prayers. There are forty-five prayer spaces.

Charminar has the signature style of Islamic architecture. This great tribute to aesthetics looks sturdy and solid from a distance and, as one moves closer, it emerges as an elegant and romantic edifice proclaiming its architectural eminence in all its detail and dignity. Charminar looks equally spectacular at night when it is illuminated. Apart from being the core of the city’s cultural milieu, it has become a brand name.

Charminar is a beautiful and impressive square monument. Each of the corners has a tall, pointed minaret. These four gracefully carved minarets soar to 48.7 m above the ground, commanding the landscape for miles around. Each minaret has four stories, marked by a delicately carved ring. Unlike the Taj Mahal, Charminar's four fluted minarets are built into the main structure. The top floor, the highest point one can reach, provides a panoramic view of the city.

The actual mosque occupies the top floor of the four-storey structure. Madame Blavatsky reports that each of the floors was meant for a separate branch of learning before the structure was transformed by the Imperial British administration into a warehouse for opium and liqueurs.

A vault that appears from inside like a dome, supports two galleries within the Charminar, one over another, and above those a terrace that serves as a roof, bordered with a stone balcony. The main gallery has 45 covered prayer spaces with a large open space in front to accommodate more people for Friday prayers.

The monument overlooks another beautiful and grand mosque called Makkah Masjid. The area surrounding Charminar is known by same name. A thriving market still lies around the Charminar, attracting people and merchandise of every description.