Huge Pharaonic Statues Unveiled in Egyptian Temple City
Archaeologists on Sunday unveiled two colossal statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III in Egypt’s famed temple city of Luxor, adding to an existing pair of world-renowned tourist attractions. The two monoliths in red quartzite were raised at what European and Egyptian archaeologists said were their original sites in the funerary temple of the king, on the west bank of the Nile.
The temple is already famous for its existing 3,400-year-old Memnon colossi – twin statues of Amenhotep III whose reign, archaeologists say, marked the political and cultural zenith of ancient Egyptian civilization. “The world until now knew two Memnon colossi, but from today it will know four colossi of Amenhotep III”, said German-Armenian archaeologist Hourig Sourouzian, who heads the project to conserve the Amenhotep III temple.
The existing two statues, both showing the pharaoh seated, are known across the globe. The two restored additions have weathered severe damage for centuries, Sourouzian said. “The statues had lain in pieces for centuries in the fields, damaged by destructive forces of nature like earthquakes, and later by irrigation water, salt, encroachment and vandalism”, she said as behind her excavators and local villagers washed pieces of artifacts and statues that have been unearthed over the past months.
Tourists and journalists stand next to a newly displayed statue of pharaoh Amenhotep III and his wife Tiye (Down) in Egypt’s temple city of Luxor on March 23, 2014. Two colossal statues of pharaoh Amenhotep III were unveiled by archaeologists today in their original sites in the funerary temple of the king, on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor, adding to the existing two famous ancient Memnon colossi. (Photo by Khaled Desouki/AFP Photo) Continue reading »
Chinese Villagers Zip Line
This cable ropeway suspended between cliffs is the only access to Yushan village in Hubei Province, Chin, which has a population of just over 200 people. The ropeway was built in 1997; before that villagers faced a walk of several days to get to the next nearest village. The ropeway, which is powered by a diesel engine, is 1,000 metres long and 400 metres above the valley floor. (Quirky China News/Rex Features) Continue reading »
The Crazy Swing At Casa Del Arbol in Ecuador
Located at La Casa Del Arbol or “The Treehouse” in Baños, Ecuador, this small house was built for the stunning view on the Tungurahua Volcano it offers. But the real attraction is the swing attached to one of the tree’s branches. Continue reading »
Otherworldly Pictures Of Northern Iceland
Last July, travel photographer Jesper Anhede spent a week shooting photos in Northern Iceland, one of 10 international trips he made from his home in Hjo, Sweden in 2013.
Anhede found these wild horses in what’s known as the horse valley in northern Iceland. (Photo: Jesper Anhede / Business Insider)
Continue reading »
Travel Company Launches Mile-Low Club with Romantic Submarine Voyage
U.K.-based Oliver’s Travels recently announced the latest in aquatic luxury, launched just in time for Valentine’s Day.
This romantic submarine package, using speciality adapted submarines aptly named Lovers Deep, will send couples into secluded isolation below the sea and caters to every romantic whim, according to The Daily Mail.
Passengers can enjoy stunning marine views while cuddling down below, and they can feast on a unique, aphrodisiac tasting menu with dishes like oysters, caviar and a chocolate fondant with essence of pomegranate. There is even a petal-scattering service and a champagne breakfast in bed. Continue reading »
Lost City Shicheng Found Underwater in China
Qiandao Lake (Chinese: 千島湖, lit. Thousand Island Lake), a man-made lake located in Chun’an County, Zhejiang, China, formed after the completion of the Xin’an River hydroelectric station in 1959. 1,078 large islands dot the lake and a few thousand smaller ones are scattered across it. The lake covers an area of 573 km² and has a storage capacity of 17.8 km³. The islands in the lake cover about 86 km²
The first underwater exploration attempt of the drowned city was in 2001 when it was discovered there were 265 arches in the preserved ruins. Lion City is about the size of 62 football fields. Continue reading »
Inuits from Remote Russia Get Used to being Photographed for the Very First Time
Braving temperatures of -45f to visit a place that is literally located at the end of the earth, Sasha Leahovcenco photographed people who have never had their picture taken before.
Trudging through snow drifts and blizzards, across the deep tundra of the northern Russian region of Chukotka, Leahovcenco traveled to meet a small nomadic tribe of reindeer herders – disconnected from the modern world where the way of life has barely changed for thousands of years. Bringing along a digital printer to the region where it the record high is barely above 90f, Leahovcenco photographed the men, women and children of the hardy native people there – and then to their delight showed them pictures of themselves for the first time in their lives. Continue reading »
2013 National Geographic Photo Contest, “Places”, Week 4
National Geographic invites photographers from around the world to enter the 2013 National Geographic Photography Contest. The grand-prize winner will receive $10,000 (USD) and a trip to National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., to participate in the annual National Geographic Photography Seminar in January 2014.
“When the Sun Comes up”. Photographer Lei Shuchen took this picture on March 5,2012 at the campus of Zhanjiang Normal college in Zhanjiang of Guangdong Province in China. The dormitory building was covered by quilts and clothes due to the sunshine after several day’s raining, the highest temperature had reached 27 ℃ that day. Photo location: Guangdong province, China. (Photo and caption by Lei Shuchen/National Geographic Photo Contest) Continue reading »
“Stairway to Heaven” in Hawaii
The Haʻikū Stairs, also known as the Stairway to Heaven or Haʻikū Ladder, is a steep hiking trail on the island of Oʻahu. The trail began as a wooden ladder spiked to the cliff on the south side of the Haʻikū Valley. It was installed in 1942 to enable antenna cables to be strung from one side of the cliffs above Haʻikū Valley to the other.
A building to provide a continuous communication link between Wahiawā and Haʻikū Valley Naval Radio Station was constructed at the peak of Puʻukeahiakahoe, elevation about 2,800 feet (850 m). The antennae transmitted very low frequency radio signals from a 200,000-watt Alexanderson alternator in the center of Haʻikū valley. The signals could reach US Navy submarines as far away as Tokyo Bay while the submarines were submerged. Continue reading »
Hot Air Balloons at Cappadocia, Turkey
Cappadocia has unreal amazing landscape which makes Balloon flights one of worlds the top 3. The spectacular surrealistic landscapes combined with excellent flying conditions allow the balloons to gently drift over and between fairy chimneys, pigeon houses hewn into the unique rock formations, orchards and vineyards through impressive valleys, each with distinctive rock formations, colors and features and then float up over rippled ravines for breathtaking views over the region. Continue reading »
Classic Gardens in Suzhou
Suzhou in Jiangsu province is a city of rivers and canals, as well as of gardens. Hence it is often called the ‘Venice of the Orient’. It saw its prime periods of garden building between the Ming and Qing dynasties from the 14th and 20th century, during which time there was at one point more than 200 private family gardens. A dozen of them are still in good condition today, including the top four classic gardens: the Fisherman’s Net Garden, Lion Grove, Humble Administrator’s Garden and Lingering Garden. (Photo: china.org.cn) Continue reading »
Tam Coc – Bich Dong
Tam Coc – Bich Dong is a popular tourist destination near the city of Ninh Binh in northern Vietnam.
The Tam Coc (“three caves”) portion is a three-hour excursion by small boat along the Ngô Đồng river, beginning at the village of Van Lam and proceeding through a scenic landscape dominated by rice fields and karst towers. The route includes floating through three natural caves (Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba), the largest of which is 125m long with its ceiling about 2m high above the water. The boats are typically rowed by one or two local women who also sell embroidered goods.
Bich Dong is a pagoda on nearby Ngu Nhac Mountain dating to 1428, comprising three structures: Ha, Trung, and Thuong Pagodas, in ascending order. Guided tours generally cover historical points and end with a pleasant view from the top. Continue reading »
The City that Builts into the Rock
Setenil de las Bodegas is a small town in the province of Cádiz, Spain. Named after its once flourishing wineries – bodegas – Setenil de las Bodegas (which means Setenil of the Wine Cellars) is unique among the pueblos blancos, white villages, of Andalucia and particularly famous for its dwellings built into the rock overhangs. The town extends along the course of the Rio Trejo with some houses being built into the rock walls of the gorge itself, created by enlarging natural caves or overhangs and adding an external wall. Continue reading »
Two Look Books, Two Countries, Two Minds: Akomplice in Brazil Summer Lookbook
Akomplice presents their Summer 2012 lookbook dubbed “Empty and Whole ”. Shot in the remote backdrop of Florianopolis, Brazil. The collection of photos are a visual portrayal of the human mind devoid of the memories that create: control, patterns, and fear. The outcome is freedom to be one with the moment. The ethos behind the collection, which extends to Akomplice as a brand is that one is not to be governed by the past but by the moment, free from the constraints of past triumphs or traumas. To add authenticity to the lookbook and the sentiment it connotes, it was stated that two of the members involved were coming down from an LSD trip.
Furthermore, Akomplice co-founder Mike Smalls had recently returned from 10 days in Abadiania, Brazil where he meditated for 5-10 hours daily. The models, male and female are wearing Akomplice Mens apparel including a range of woven shirts, lightweight jackets, twill patterned shorts, contrast t-shirts and tanks which are juxtaposed against the Brazilian sand dunes. Models were also outfitted in a collection of accessories including premium leather belts, 5 panel hats and card holders. The entire collection is now available at Akomplice retailers worldwide. Continue reading »
Two Look Books, Two Countries, Two Minds: Akomplice in Colombia Summer Lookbook
For the 2012 Summer lookbook, Akomplice co-founder Patrick Liberty set sail for South America to capture a background befitting of the collection. The setting was the Poblado section of Medellin, Colombia which reflects the raw thematic direction of the Summer line. The 2012 Summer offering from Akomplice is expressed by its unique material selections, and diverse offering of hats, contrast pocket tees, and button ups that naturally appeal to the skate, bike, and tattoo communities. Those cultures are precisely who was tapped into for the shoot.
With the help of the locally heralded streetwear and skate sanctuary, Poisen, Patrick assembled an authentic group of brand protagonists to document the lookbook over the course of 5 days. Shot by a local Colombian photographer and inspired by the disposition of the people of Medellin, the 2012 Summer lookbook captures the evolution of Akomplice. The lookbook puts the curated collection on display and depicts it in the germane environment of Medellin that has adopted Akomplice as its own. Continue reading »
Balloonists Take To The Skies To Launch The Bristol
Hot air balloons take to the skies over Bristol city centre on August 6, 2012 in Bristol, England. The early morning flight of over twenty balloons over the city was organised as a curtain raiser for the four-day Bristol International Balloon Fiesta which starts on Thursday. Now in its 34th year, the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is Europe’s largest annual hot air balloon event in the city that is seen by many balloonists as the home of modern ballooning. (Photo by Matt Cardy) Continue reading »
A Foldable Backpack Inspired by an Armadillo
Dutch design studio Lijmbach, Leeuw & Vormgeving, a product design agency founded by Herman Lijmbach and Jasper de Leeuw, designed a foldable backpack inspired by an armadillo. The prototype was released a while back and finally, but now the backpack is available for purchase. If ever there was a product that could make you feel like a real-life ninja turtle, this is it.
The production version is slightly different from the prototype in that it now fits a laptop up to 15.6 inches and includes two compartments for smartphones and other small items. The bag, finished in glossy white, is polypropene block-copolymer (PP-C), an extremely strong technical plastic that is also lightweight. Inside, it’s lined with durable EPDM foam with features straps to secure your laptop or tablet. Its smart locks secure your possessions with an audible “snap.”
It also meets all airline requirements, so you can take it with you just about anywhere. Continue reading »
Journey in the Search for the American Dream
Photographer Pavel Prokopchik plans to travel across the USA trying to capture the essence of the American life today. He’d like to find out what “The American Dream” means to people in the USA today. The project he has in mind is one that will shape itself as it proceeds, and is essentially elastic, where unexpected meeting can easily deviate him from my original route. Continue reading »
New NASA Discovery Reveals Unprecedented Blooms Of Ocean Plant Life Beneath Arctic Ice
Thanks to a NASA-sponsored expedition to the Arctic Ocean in the summers of 2010 and 2011, scientists have found an area underneath the sea ice, which is richer in microscopic marine plants, essential to all sea life, than any other ocean region on the Earth.
The expedition, called ICESCAPE (Impacts of Climate on EcoSystems and Chemistry of the Arctic Pacific Environment), explored the waters in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas along Alaska’s western and northern coasts using optical technologies. According to scientists, the findings would help reveal a new consequence of the Arctic’s warming climate and provide a vital clue to understanding the impacts of a changing climate and environment on the Arctic Ocean and its ecology.
Sunsets started to tease the Arctic horizon as scientists on board the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy headed south in the Chukchi Sea during the final days collecting ocean data for the 2011 ICESCAPE mission. (NASA/Kathryn Hansen) Continue reading »
Paris versus New York
Playfully pitting Paris and New York against each other, graphic designer Vahram Muratyan has created a visual homage to two evocative cities. Continue reading »
The other Side of Bengaluru – India’s IT capital
Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) has become synonymous with a booming technology sector that has created vast wealth for many. Yet the rapid growth of the technology industry in the city known as ‘India’s Silicon Valley’ has barely touched the lives of the 2 million people who live in poverty. Simon Murphy documented their daily experiences.
A boy cycles past a shrine to the Virgin Mary on his way to school in Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore). According to the country’s official census, just 2.3% of India’s population is Christian, compared with 80.5% Hindu and 13.4% Muslim. Continue reading »
Window of the World: Europe Made in China
“Window of the World” is photo project by Pablo Conejo, a photographer from Spain, that shows you the most amazing architecture and landscape replicas of Europe, made in China.
Following the replicas subject around China I came across a themed park called “Window of the World”, located in Shenzhen. There are about 130 reproductions of the World’s most famous architectural icons. Among these monuments visitors can find a 108 metres tall Eiffel Tower, a Taj Mahal, a Vatican, a Niagara Falls, a Versailles Palace, a Mont Rushmor, a Christ the Redeemer and so on.
“Germany” Continue reading »
50 Of The World’s Best Breakfasts
1. A full English Breakfast – it must have beans, sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, hash browns and toast. Of course, it should all be knocked back with a cup of tea, but black pudding is optional as far as I’m concerned. Continue reading »
