ВУЗ:
Составители:
Рубрика:
The numbers on the clock face are both Roman and Medieval Arabic, which is purer and re-
lated to trigonometry much more closely than the rounded figures we used today.
The day also begins with sunset instead of midnight, consistent with Old Bohemian
standards. Since the clock is outside, unless there's an eclipse you already have a pretty good
idea if it's day or night, but the clock still uses colors to symbolize the passage of day and
night.
The clock also shows the sun and moon moving through the different constellations. All of
this is amazing in a 600-year-old timepiece, but the real show is still to come. At the top of each
hour, the clock puts on a show. On the right, a skeleton representing death turns over an hour-
glass held in one hand. With the other hand he pulls a rope and the doors over the main clock
face open revealing a procession of mechanical apostles led by Saint Paul. A rooster crows and
the figure of a Turk (representing lust), a figure representing Vanity, and a moneylender (repre-
senting greed) animate. It's been a crowd pleaser since the 15th century.
HYPOGEUM
This is one of the earliest examples of architecture, and man reshaping the environ-
ment to suit his needs. The hypogeum is a series of underground caves and chambers with
vaulted ceilings. They are one of several labyrinths carved by members of a "cult of the
dead," and the remains of over 7,000 people have been found inside one of the burial
chambers.
The Bronze Age (~4000 – ~3000 BC) catacombs were discovered by modern man between
1899 and 1902 when workers constructing homes surrounding a British naval base broke
through one of the chambers. They were filled with water, dirt, or both and had to be cleaned
out. Today the hypogeum is in remarkable condition, and an air conditioning system has re-
cently been installed to help preserve the site. Also a drainage system has been added to keep
water from seeping into the walls causing further damage.
• 1913 – The hypogeum is first opened to the public.
• 1992 – The hypogeum is closed to the public.
• 2000 – The hypogeum is reopened to the public after extensive conservation and preser-
vation work.
KRUJЁ CITADEL
This is one of the oldest structures in Albania, built between 500 and 600 after the city
of Albanopolis was abandoned. It is also the site of one of the greatest war victories in
Eastern Europe. It was here that Gjergj Kastriot went from warrior to military legend. He
was better known as "Skënder-beg," a name given to him by his teachers at the military
academy he attended.
In 1450 Sultan Murad II of the Ottoman Empire began a campaign to defeat the Albanian
army, unified under Skënderbeg. 100,000 Ottoman soldiers marched on Krujë citadel, defended
by just 17,500 men. Those men were able to hold out through the summer partly by might, and
partly by superior intelligence. One night Skënderbeg let a flock of goats out of the citadel
through a secret passage. The goats had candles on their horns. The Turks were fooled from a
distance into thinking this was the Albanian army fleeing.
They went to attack, while the real army snuck up behind them and pounded. By fall, the
Ottoman army decided it didn't want to spend the winter in the Albanian highlands, and re-
Страницы
- « первая
- ‹ предыдущая
- …
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- …
- следующая ›
- последняя »
