Architecture

Thursday, 22 October 2026
18 facts about Hagia Sophia
18 facts about Hagia Sophia
The most significant work of Byzantine architecture
The Hagia Sophia's Temple, now an Istanbul mosque, was initially built as the Church of Divine Wisdom. It was the highest-ranking temple in the Byzant ...

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Villa Tugendhat
The villa was the main location in the 2007 film “Hannibal Rising.”
It served as the home of the villain, Vladis Gutas.
Lighthouse of Alexandria
Around the 9th century, the lower part of the lighthouse was adapted into a mosque.
Windsor Castle
When George III came to the throne in 1760, he reversed the trend in Windsor.
Initially, the atmosphere in the castle remained very informal, local children played there, and the ...
Schönbrunn Palace
Beginning in September 1945, the palace became the headquarters of the British occupation forces, whose Viennese sector included the two neighboring districts 12 and 13.
This prevented the looting of the palace property. Soviet troops who occupied the area in the Battle ...
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia combines the features of a basilica - an elongated building founded on a rectangular or Latin cross plan - and a central building - based on a circular plan.
The basilica type is characteristic for the Christian architecture of the Latin circle and the centr ...
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is covered with copper, which initially made its color dull brown, however, its color changed over time due to atmospheric corrosion.
Atmospheric corrosion of this metal and humid air resulted in the deposition of patina on the Statue's coating. It provides the Statue with its now characteristic color, green.
Malbork Castle
After the Swedish Deluge, the castle was still the seat of the starosta and local administration, but it lost its military importance.
The Swedes destroyed, plundered, and looted the castle.
Krak des Chevaliers
Before the Crusades began, there was a Muslim castle here, built in 1031 for the Emir of Aleppo.
It was a watchtower occupied by the Kurdish military colony, Hosn Al Akrad, i.e. the Kurdish stronghold. It was probably an insignificant fort at that time, guarding an important route.
Petra
The Royal Tombs compose a great complex of over a dozen of large tombs that may have been built for the rulers.
This complex includes a tomb with underground vaulted corridors and a spacious inner chamber containing the urn. In Byzantine times, that tomb was converted into a church.
Krak des Chevaliers
The name "Krak des Chevaliers" means "fortress of the knights".
The castle once had the Arabic name Hisn al-Akrad - 'the fortress of the Kurds', and today Qal at al-Hisn - 'the citadel of the fortress'.