Judean Desert

The Judean Desert is an array of hills and canyons, falling from the heights of around 1,000 meters in the Judean Mountains, to the Dead Sea.

Though hostile and arid, the Judean desert was settled since before recorded history. Jericho, which was founded over 12,000 years ago (around 9,000 BCE), is one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world, and it is the first city in the world that had walls built to protect it. Another notable place is Ein Gedi, a large oasis that had cities built around it for over 6,000 years. Inside the desert itself there are numerous isolated monasteries, many are still active to this day.

The Judean desert played an important role in the jewish kingdoms in Israel during the biblical times, and also during the greek and roman times.

Because of its’ rough terrain and climate, The Judean desert was known as a hiding place for refugees and rebels. King David fled to the Judean desert with his soldiers after king Saul ordered to have him killed. During the greek and roman times, the Hasmonean dynasty and the roman client king Herod the Great built and fortified many forts, strongholds and even palaces in the Judean desert, most famously, Masada. During the Roman-Jewish wars, the jewish rebels fled to the Judean desert and fortified in the strongholds there. The last free standing jewish stronghold in jewish history, prior to the establishment of the modern state of Israel, was Masada.

This real photos in picture gallery have been taken on 01 of October, 2011.

wikitravel.org

Cities___

Dresden during Advent

Dresden carries visitors away with a synthesis of the arts: fascinating buildings and art treasures, impressive museums, as well as orchestras and choirs of worldwide reputation. Dresden offers attractions in great variety and combines three aspects which complement one another: notable art treasure, architectural sights and a charming landscape.

During the last months of World War II, residents expressed the desire to rebuild the church. However, due to political circumstances in the GDR, the reconstruction came to a halt. The heap of ruins was conserved as a war memorial within the inner city of Dresden, as a direct counterpart to the ruins of Coventry Cathedral, which by German bombing destroyed in 1940 and also serves as a war memorial in the United Kingdom. Because of the continuing decay of the ruins, Dresden leaders decided in 1985 (after the Semperoper was finally finished) to rebuild the Church of Our Lady after the completion of the reconstruction of the Dresden castle.

The reunification of Germany, brought new life to the reconstruction plans. In 1989, a 14-member group of enthusiasts headed by Ludwig Güttler, a noted Dresden musician, formed a Citizens’ Initiative. From that group emerged a year later The Society to Promote the Reconstruction of the Church of Our Lady, which began an aggressive private fund-raising campaign. The organisation grew to over 5,000 members in Germany and 20 other countries.

The project gathered momentum. As hundreds of architects, art historians and engineers sorted the thousands of stones, identifying and labeling each for reuse in the new structure, others worked to raise money. After all, the historic city center was rebuilt.

The Striezelmarkt in Dresden is one of Germany’s oldest documented Christmas markets. The annual market celebrated its 578th anniversary in 2012.

It was first mentioned in 1434, under Friedrich II, an Elector of Saxony, when it was held the Monday before Christmas on the Altmarkt square. Over the centuries it has developed into a huge event with 250 stands, taking up a large part of Dresden city centre and lasting throughout the Advent period. Today the Striezelmarkt attracts 2 million visitors a year from all over the world. ABCnews featured Dresden market as having the most authentic holiday market experience in Europe.

The word Striezelmarkt comes from Strüzel or Stroczel, which was the name of a type of cake sold at the market, now famous as Stollen or Christstollen. Stollen is a light airy fruitcake which is quite low in sugar, today available in many parts of the world. The true Dresden Stollen, however, is produced in the city and distinguished by a special seal depicting the city’s famous king, August the Strong. The shape of the cake is meant to be reminiscent of the entrance to a mine tunnel (the literal meaning of Stollen) reflecting the area’s silver and tin mining history.

At the centre of the Striezelmarkt stands a 20m high spruce, brought from the nearby Tharandt woods and decorated with lights. At the back of the market square there is a painted wooden fairy-tale castle which is also a giant Advent calendar. A door is opened every day by children’s entertainers, with a puppet show, and on Fridays there is a visit by Father Christmas himself.

See photos of Dresden (including historic centre, Zwinger Palace, the Elbe river, the Semperoper, view over Altmarkt during Striezelmarkt, Dresden Academy of Fine Arts), in this travel photo gallery from Verde Wanderer. Pictures taken at 13 of December, 2013.

wikipedia.org

Cities___

Historic Centre of Warsaw

Live stream Warsaw Zachodnia railway station

Real time view.

The medieval capital of Poland was the southern city of Krakow, but Warsaw has been the capital of the country since 1596, and has grown to become Poland’s largest city and the nation’s urban and commercial center. Completely destroyed during World War II, the city managed to lift itself from the ashes. Today, almost every building in Warsaw dates to the postwar era – with what little remains of the old structures being confined largely to the restored districts of Stare Miasto (the ‘old city’) and Nowe Miasto (‘new city’), as well as selected monuments and cemeteries.
After the war, a five-year reconstruction campaign by its citizens resulted in today’s meticulous restoration of the Old Town, with its churches, palaces and market-place. It is an outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th century.

See photos of Warsaw, including historic centre, in this travel photo gallery from Verde Wanderer. Pictures taken at 10 of December, 2013.

Cities___

Helmstedt, Germany

Helmstedt is a town located at the eastern edge of the German state of Lower Saxony. It is the capital of the District of Helmstedt. In former times the city was also called Helmstädt.

Helmstedt developed in the vicinity of the Benedictine St. Ludger’s Abbey that was founded around 800 by Saint Liudger as a mission station. Helmstedt was first mentioned in 952; it became a city in 1247. It belonged to the Abbacy of Werden until 1490, when it was bought by the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg. From 1576 to 1810, the University of Helmstedt was located here.

From the late 1940s to 1990, the town was the site of a major border crossing between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic. The main rail and autobahn route between West Germany and Berlin, across the GDR, began at the Helmstedt–Marienborn border crossing, also known as Checkpoint Alpha. The West Berlin was only allowed to use this route.

Helmstedt webcam – christmas live stream

What is happening now in the town, watch now.
Blick auf den Marktplatz.

A pictures to Helmstedt photo gallery added 12 of April, 2013 and 15 of December, 2013.

Cities___

Pompeii Ruins. Antique apocalypse.

Tourists visiting the southern Italy, Naples, they have the opportunity to enjoy spectacular views, including the majestic mountains, located just a few kilometers from the city limits. The mountain has a height of 1281 meter does not look intimidating, if you do not know her name – Mount Vesuvius. It is the only active volcano in mainland Europe and one of the most dangerous volcanoes known to humankind.

Locals advise you to go to the coast of the Bay of Naples to the east of Naples. There are three ancient cities – Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae, there a life stopped in one day 24 August 79, when the volcano picked up steam in full force. After the first volcanic shock followed by a second wave of pyroclastic flows, which completed the burial. Pompeii and Stabiae were under a layer of ash and pumice depth of 8 meters. Herculaneum was about 20 meters of layer of ash, rocks and mud.

Among the victims of the eruption were many slaves who were left to guard the owners property. Elderly and sick people were unable to leave the city, they are perished. There were those who thought that will be able to ride out the disaster in their own home. They also are perished.

People remembered only in the XVIII century about the dead cities, when was the new eruption of Vesuvius. Workers came upon the ancient Roman coins in this area. For a time, the territory became a haven for prospectors and hunters rarities in the form of statues and other historical relics.

Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli began full excavation of Pompeii. It was he who found the bodies of people and animals, buried under a layer of volcanic ash. There were cavities. These cavities were filled by gypsum, this method allowed to reconstruct the poses dying victims of the eruption.

About Vesuvius, in 2014 was 70 years since its last major eruption. Anyway, scientists are convinced – the longer he remains silent, the more powerful will be his next shake.

Pictures taken in July, 27, 2015.