Bolwoningen Housing

The Bolwoningen housing in Maaspoort, a district of the Dutch city Hertogenbosch were designed in the 1970s as an experimental building. The mastermind behind these livable capsules is Dries Kreij Camp, a famous architect during that time. The houses shaped like golf balls are his attempt at a new social environment that truly stands apart. The Bolwoningen also have some unusual floor plans – the toilets and bathrooms are placed in the middle of the ball while the living room is located upstairs and the bedrooms downstairs. The capsule has a diameter of 5.5 meters, with a front side shaped like an airplane floor and has six round windows. The advantages with this type of structure are that they need no type of foundation, are low maintenance and low energy. They are lightweight, can be easily put together or transported.

Kawa Ijen

The Ijen volcano complex is a group of stratovolcanoes, in East Java, Indonesia. The volcano has a one-kilometer-wide turquoise-colored acid crater lake. The lake is the site of a labor-intensive sulfur mining operation, in which sulfur-laden baskets are carried by hand from the crater floor. The lake has the same acid content as a car battery. Flaming molten sulfur flows inside the volcanic crater. Sulfur will melt at just above 100 C, but the temperatures in the crater do not get high enough for spontaneous combustion - the fires are lit by the miner's dripping torches.

Hemeroscopium House

From the architect. For the Greek, Hemeroscopium is the place where the sun sets. An allusion to a place that exists only in our mind, in our senses, that is ever-changing and mutable, but is nonetheless real. It is delimited by the references of the horizon, by the physical limits, defined by light, and it happens in time. Hemeroscopium house traps, a domestic space, and a distant horizon. And it does so playing a game with structures placed in an apparently unstable balance, that enclose the living spaces allowing the vision to escape. With heavy structures and big actions, disposed in a way to provoke gravity to move the space. And this way it defines the place. The order in which these structures are piled up generates a helix that sets out from a stable support, the mother beam, and develops upwards in a sequence of elements that become lighter as the structure grows, closing on a point that culminates the system of equilibrium. Seven elements in total. The design of their joints respond to their constructive nature, to their forces; and their stresses express the structural condition they have. By the way this structure is set, the house becomes aerial, light, transparent, and the space kept inside flows with life. The apparent simplicity of the structure's joints requires in fact the development of complex calculations, due to the reinforcement, and the prestress and post-tension of the steel rods that sew the web of the beams. It took us a year to engineer but only seven days to build the structure, thanks to a total prefabrication of the different elements and a perfectly coordinated rhythm of assembly. All of our effort oriented to develop the technique that would allow to create a very specific space. And thus, a new astonishing language is invented, where form disappears giving way to the naked space. Hemeroscopium house materializes the peak of its equilibrium with what in Ensamble Studio we ironically call the "G point", a twenty ton granite stone, expression of the force of gravity and a physical counterweight to the whole structure.

Teletornet

Teletornet was built to link all the telephone wires (about 5500 ) in Stockholm in the late 1800s. The tower was the first riveted truss construction in Sweden. Already in 1913 the tower was out of fashion when all the cables had been buried instead of being airborne, which meant that it entirely lost its function. In 1952 it burned so severely that it was later demolished the year after.

Xanadu Houses

The Xanadu Houses were a series of experimental homes built to showcase examples of computers and automation in the home in the United States. The architectural project began in 1979, and during the early 1980s three houses were built in different parts of the US: one each in Kissimmee, Florida; Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin; and Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The houses included novel construction and design techniques, and became popular tourist attractions during the 1980s. The Xanadu Houses were notable for being built with polyurethane insulation foam rather than concrete, for easy, fast, and cost-effective construction. They were ergonomically designed, and contained some of the earliest home automation systems. The Kissimmee Xanadu, designed by Roy Mason, was the most popular, and at its peak was attracting 1000 visitors every day. The Wisconsin Dells and Gatlinburg houses were closed and demolished in the early 1990s; the Kissimmee Xanadu House was closed in 1996 and demolished in October 2005.

Waimangu Geyser

The Waimangu Geyser, located near Rotorua in New Zealand, was the most powerful geyser in the world. Its workings were apparently created by the great 1886 Mount Tarawera eruption, which opened a 14km-long fissure down the mountain, through Lake Rotomahana and the Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley. The geyser was first seen erupting in 1900. Its eruptions were observed reaching up to 460 metres in height, and it excited worldwide interest. As a result of a landslide which changed the water table, the geyser became extinct on November 1, 1904. The water expelled by the geyser was black with rocks and mud from the surrounding terrain, so the indigenous Māori people named the geyser Waimangu, meaning 'Black Waters'. The geyser gave its name to the surrounding geothermal region, the Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley.

Old Faithful Inn

The Old Faithful Inn is a hotel located in Yellowstone National Park, USA, with a clear view of the renowned Old Faithful Geyser. The Inn features a multi-story log lobby, flanked by long frame wings containing guest rooms. With its spectacular log and limb lobby and massive (500-ton, 25-meters) stone fireplace, the inn is a prime example of the "Golden Age" of rustic resort architecture. It is also unique in that it is one of the few log hotels still standing in the United States. It was the first of the great park lodges of the American west. Initial construction was carried out over the winter of 1903-1904, largely using locally-obtained materials including lodgepole pine and rhyolite stone. When the Old Faithful Inn first opened in the spring of 1904, it boasted electric lights and steam heat. The structure is the largest log hotel in the world; possibly even the largest log building in the world. In 2007 the AIA conducted a survey to determine the 150 favorite buildings in America; the Old Faithful Inn ranked 36. The Inn, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

Whitehaven Beach

Whitehaven Beach is constantly being named amongst the world's best beaches and is the most photographed beach in Australia. The crystal clear aqua waters and pristine silica sand of Whitehaven stretch over seven kilometres along Whitsunday Island , the largest of the 74 islands in the Whitsundays.

Svínafellsjökull Ice Caves

Ice caves are temporary structures that appear at the edge of glaciers. They look amazingly beautiful from the inside. This particular cave is located on the frozen lagoon of the Svínafellsjökull glacier in Skaftafell, Iceland. The centuries old ice coming down the slopes of Öræfajökull via Svínafellsjökull glacier has metamorphosed into highly pressurized glacier ice that contains almost no air bubbles. The lack of air means that it absorbs almost all visible light, apart from the blue fraction which is then visible to the naked eye. However, this blue ice can be seen only under certain circumstances. It can be seen in winter after long periods of rain when the surface layer of the glacier has been washed away. It can be seen in ice-caves like this one and on floating icebergs that have recently rolled over. This cave in the glacier ice is the result of glacial mill, or Moulin where rain and melt water on the glacier surface are channeled into streams that enter the glacier at crevices. The waterfall melts a hole into the glacier while the ponded water drains towards lower elevations by forming long ice caves with an outlet at the terminus of the glacier. The fine grained sediments in the water along with wind blown sediments cause the frozen meltwater stream to appear in a muddy colour while the top of the cave exhibits the deep blue colour. Due to the fast movement of the glacier of about 1 m per day over uneven terrain, this ice cave cracked up at its end into a deep vertical crevice, called cerrac. This causes the indirect daylight to enter the ice cave from both ends resulting in homogeneous lighting of the ice tunnel. The cave is accessible through a 22-foot entrance on the shoreline. At the end it tapers to a tight squeeze no more than four feet high. Ice caves are in general unstable things and can collapse at any time. They are safe to enter only in winter when the cold temperatures harden the ice. Even so one could hear constant cracking sounds inside the cave. It was not because it was going to collapse but because the cave was moving along with the glacier itself. Each time the glacier moved a millimeter loud sounds could be heard.

Mackerel Ball

Mackerel perform a natural defense mechanism called a bait ball. Giant schools of mackerel rush together and swim in a giant circle. The idea behind to move is to ward off predators with the massive size of the fish ball. Unfortunately for the mackerel, tuna and dolphins don't really care. The tuna and dolphins swarm on the mackerel and pick the ball apart. The ball is so huge that even birds swim down to grab a few bites.

Osaka Dontobori District

Rollercoaster facades and eateries with huge moving mechanic lobsters and squids. They also have world's largest covered mall, which is so long that you cannot see the end of it.

Rocas Baimbridgen

A flamingo lagoon with a perfect observation slope Not only a visual stunning rock formation, but also a very important feeding site for millions of flamingos. The stark, rocky island teems with life at times with its brackish lagoon waters. The way the rock slopes it should also be a perfect observation point to see the great birds.

Smokey Mountain Slum

Garbage dump with 30 000 inhabitants Smokey Mountain is a large rubbish dump in Manila, Philippines. Consisting of over two million metric tons of waste, it has operated for more than 40 years and is known for decomposing at such high temperatures that it will catch fire, a fact from which the location derives its name. Indeed, fires at Smokey Mountain have caused many deaths. Smokey Mountain has a large squatter community, and it is estimated that 30,000 people live near the site, and make their living from picking through the rubbish at Smokey Mountain. According to a UN-Habitat report, over 20 million people in the Philippines live in slums, and in the city of Manila alone, 50% of the over 11 million inhabitants live in slum areas.

Kabaw

While the old Kabaw village is almost all in shambles, and its inhabitants relocated to dull, new houses, the old village still has areas indicating how live once was. Most interesting, however, are the ghurfas or ksar, the granary built by the local Berbers, dating 700 years back in time. The inner courtyard has a tomb built around a local religious leader. In April, there is a festival in Kabaw, known as the Qasr Festival. Here Berber culture comes alive, but it is also a time for important events like weddings.

M'Zab Valley

Five walled city with nice city planning and small architectural gems. A traditional human habitat, created in the 10th century by the Ibadites around their five ksour (fortified cities), has been preserved intact in the M’Zab valley. Simple, functional and perfectly adapted to the environment, the architecture of M’Zab was designed for community living, while respecting the structure of the family. It is a source of inspiration for today’s urban planners. the M'Zab Valley has conserved practically the same way of life and the same building techniques since the 11th century, ordered as much by a specific social and cultural context, as by the need for adaptation to a hostile environment, the choice of which responded to a historic need for withdrawal and a defensive imperative. Each of these miniature citadels, surrounded by walls, is dominated by a mosque, the minaret of which functions as a watchtower. The mosque is conceived as a fortress, the last bastion of resistance in the event of a siege, and comprises an arsenal and a grain store. Around this building, which is essential for communal life, are houses built in concentric circles up to the ramparts. Each house constitutes a cubic cell of standard type, illustrating an egalitarian society founded on the respect for the family structure, aiming at the preservation of its intimacy and autonomy.

St Louis City Museum

It’s a huge playground, made almost entirely of recycled components, where every piece of art and architecture is interactive. At any given time of day (and up until 1:00 A.M. in the summer) adults and children play in underground cabins, on roped circles of sturdy wire suspended high above the building, and even in a “skateless” skate park (on the building's third floor) with ramps and ropes. The museum is frequented by such celebrities as Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers. The Museum also hosts concerts. The City Museum is an insurance nightmare, but also is indisputably a legendary St. Louis institution. It was founded in 1993 by St. Louis sculptor and entrepreneur Bob Cassilly (1949– ) and his second wife, Gail, who envisioned an artistic structure right in the heart of downtown St. Louis with a revolving set of unique, hands-on exhibits. It's more mayhem than museum.

Ramot Polin

The background to building this neighborhood, as well as several other neighborhoods in Jerusalem - including additional sub-neighborhoods in Ramot and in Gilo, was to settle wide parts of Jerusalem through new building after the Six-Day War. This phenomenon was characterized by urban and architectural trials by many Israeli architects, building designers, and engineers to design new shapes of residential, community, and local structures. In charge of planning the project of Ramot Polin, which is one of those settling projects, was the Israeli architect Zvi Hecker for both the neighborhood and the architectural planning. Hecker, who is known as an experienced architect in unique, innovative geometrical shapes, included in his plan several architectural proposals that were very innovative at the time. Ramot Polin was built in 1972–1975 It is an unusual prefabricated apartment complex with 720 non-rectangular components.The apartments were expanded later,incorporating more cubic rather than pentagonal components. The design idea of the neighborhood may seem to be purely geometrical, but it has been likened to a chemical structure. The Ramot Polin complex has been named one of the "World's Strangest Buildings" and has been described as a "housing project for honeybees". The entire neighborhood is organized upon a hill in central Ramot in a shape resembling a five-fingered hand or three-branched leaf. Each finger, which represents a different level of the building that lasted until the mid-1980s, is a series of 5-6 "L"-shaped apartment buildings incorporated in each other, creating a wide zigzag. In each of these 'fingers', there is an inner courtyard, which was designed to remember the traditional courtyards of the older Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem.

Dragon Descendants Museum

The main purpose of the exhibition space inside the tremendous golden dragon is to broaden the knowledge concerning the close relationship between Thais and the Chinese, as well as to present this long-running history in an enjoyable way. The 35-meter high and 135-meter long gigantic fiberglass dragon building in the shrine of Suphan Buri city pillar is known as the Dragon Descendants Museum. The museum was founded in the year 1996 when Banhan Silpa-archa was the prime minister of Thailand to commemorate the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. There was an official grand opening on the 24th of December 2008, and after that, the museum became the province’s new and magnetic cultural attraction. The museum inside the dragon building is arranged into twenty one display rooms , presenting 5,000 years of Chinese history, philosophy, beliefs and its close relationship with Thailand. In addition, there is an interesting exhibition showing the background of Thais with a dash of Chinese.

Rehabilitation Center Dombai

A part from the location and when it was built, we haven't found out much more about this building, if you do, drop us a line. But even without so much info, the repetetive facade with the balconies are very fascinating to look at.

El Peñon de Guatape

The stone rises from the bottom of the hydroelectric dam of Peñol-Guatapé. This monolith was spotted as a border landmark between country farms and the two cities. At its highest part, on the rear (southeast side), it has an elevation of 2,135 metres over sea level. with an average temperature of 18 °C. The "Peñol" has 185 cubic metres of rock mass and it is 385 metres long, with an approximate weight of 10,000,000 tonnes. It has some rock breaks, one of which was used for the construction of the 650 stairs that can be used to go to the top.

Kubuswoningen

Kubuswoningen, or cube houses, are a set of innovative houses built in Rotterdam and Helmond in The Netherlands, designed by architect Piet Blom and based on the concept of "living as an urban roof": high density housing with sufficient space on the ground level. Blom tilted the cube of a conventional house 45 degrees, and rested it upon a hexagon-shaped pylon. His design represents a village within a city, where each house represents a tree, and all the houses together, a forest. Three test versions were first constructed in 1974, and in 1977 18 houses were constructed in Helmond. The many houses required for a "woonwoud" (English: living woods) were never realized. The houses in Rotterdam were designed in 1977 in a plan of 55, of which 39 were built. The cube houses in Helmond surrounded a theater, Theater 't Speelhuis, which was destroyed by a large fire on 29 December 2011. The houses in Rotterdam are located on Overblaak Street, and beside the Blaak Subway Station. There are 38 small cubes and two so called 'super-cubes', all attached to each other. As residents are disturbed so often by curious passers-by, one owner decided to open a "show cube", which is furnished as a normal house, and is making a living out of offering tours to visitors. The living room of the "show cube" in Rotterdam. The houses contain three floors: ground floor entrance first floor with living room and open kitchen second floor with two bedrooms and bathroom top floor which is sometimes used as a small garden The walls and windows are angled at 54.7 degrees. The total area of the apartment is around 100 square meters, but around a quarter of the space is unusable because of the walls that are under the angled ceilings. In 2009, the larger cubes were converted by Personal Architecture into a hostel run by Dutch hostel chain Stayokay.

Juzcar Blue Village

The small village of Juzcar, in Spain’s Malaga region, has recently been painted blue as part of a global promotion for the Sony Pictures film “The Smurfs 3D”. Juzcar is a peaceful, traditional “pueblo blanco” village, located in the Genel Valley region of Andalucia. It boasts a population of just 250, and yet Sony has selected it as the perfect location for the world premiere of its new film “The Smurfs 3D”. Locals were delighted, especially since the news meant their small village would become a temporary tourist attraction, but their fame and fortune came at a price: Sony requested that the entire settlement, including its historic church be painted blue, to resemble the smurfs’ fantasy village. In preparation for the big premiere on June 16, 12 unemployed locals armed with various painting tools used 4,200 liters of paint to turn Juzcar into a real life Smurf village. There have been no complaints regarding the sudden transformation, and considering tourists have already begun arriving, the locals are more than happy with the change. Although Sony has agreed to turn the village to its former white glory, locals are now considering leaving the town as it is now, hoping Juzcar could become a permanent tourist spot.

Carmel Statues

A number of modern statues teaching people how to live Carmel is a town just north of Indianapolis in USA, a town that is heavily influenced by new urbanism. A couple of years ago they bought a number of statues that where placed around the town, sort of teaching the citizens of Carmel how to live their white middle class lives. “There, Now You Can Grow” – A little girl, with a straw hat hanging from her neck and wearing overall, waters nearby flowers. “First Ride” – A young, smiling girl takes off on a bike as her father watches and lets go for the first time. “Confirming Predictions” – A gray-haired businessman, focused on his newspaper, sits comfortably on a bench. “Sidewalk Concert” – A street musician closes his eyes as he plays a sweet song on his violin, leaving his case open for spare change.“Holding Out,” depicts a woman carrying a bag of groceries in one arm and two additional shopping bags in the other. · “Oh, It’s You, Welcome” – a smiling police officer assisting passers by · “Unconditional Surrender” – image of sailor kissing nurse from VJ day · “My World” – A little girl with a book · “Who’s in Charge?” – a boy riding on his father’s shoulders · “Big Sister” – Girl trying on sister’s shoe · “One Man’s Search” – boy sitting on a bench reading wearing a school sweater, which will be customized to carry the Carmel High School emblem · “Things To Do” – Seated woman writing a list, which will be customized to show design notes · “Elemental” – couple with umbrella, which will be customized to show the couple carrying an antique mirror and shopping bag. · Ambassador of the Streets” – Woman walking a dog

Huacachina

Huacachina is a village in the Ica Region, in southwestern Peru. It is located in the Ica Province, near the city of Ica in the Ica District. Huacachina has a population of 115 (1999). The oasis features on the back of the 50 Nuevo Sol note. Huacachina is built around a small natural lake in the desert. Called the "oasis of America," it serves as a resort for local families from the nearby city of Ica, and increasingly as an attraction for tourists drawn by the sports of sandboarding and taking dune buggy rides on sand dunes that stretch several hundred feet high. Legend holds that the lagoon was created when a beautiful native princess was apprehended at her bath by a young hunter. She fled, leaving the pool of water she had been bathing in to become the lagoon. The folds of her mantle, streaming behind her as she ran, became the surrounding sand dunes. And the woman herself is rumored to still live in the oasis as a mermaid.

Concattedrale Gran Madre di Dio

This Church the "Great Mother of God" is the Co-Cathedral of Taranto. It was conceived considering the close link with the maritime tradition of Taranto. The façade, in fact, represents a kind of canopy that reflects in the pools of the courtyard to symbolize the sea. These perforated reinforced concrete structures reach 50 meters in height and contain the stairs to the use of the tower hidden in the structures of the wing. The interior has three aisles from the essential character in the coating in white plaster, green and ocher. Even in the decorations, there is the hand of the architect, Gio Ponti in fact to give prepared and the Annunciation painted on canvas, the seats for the dignity of the Chapter and stalls for the rest of the canons. The same baptismal font in the chapel of the same name in the middle of the aisle, was designed by Ponti.

Coats Coat Coat Store

Ovesrstocked with a large supply of men’s spring and winter coats, a clothier in Copenhagen, Denmark, adopted a unique sales scheme. He erected a scaffolding around his store building and completely covered it from roof to sidewalk with more than a thousand overcoats. The novel display attracted prospective customers in such droves that police were summoned. Although the police ordered the proprietor to remove the display, he succeeded in selling all the overcoats.

Voronet Monastery

The main church of Saint George at Voroneț Monastery is possibly the most famous church in Moldavia. It is known throughout the world for its exterior frescoes of bright and intense colours, and for the hundreds of well-preserved figures placed against the renowned azurite background. A legend tells us that Stephen the Great, in a moment of crisis during a war against the Ottoman Turks, came to Daniel the Hermit at his skete in Voroneț and asked for advice. After he won the battle against the Turks, keeping his promise to the monk, the Prince built a new church, dedicated to Saint George, the "bringer of victory in battle".

Tateyama Alpine Route

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is a unique and spectacular route through the Northern Japan Alps, which is traversed by various means of transportation, including cablecars, trolley buses and a ropeway. The route is particularly famous for the high snow walls that line some of its roads in spring. The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route was completed in 1971, and connects Toyama City in Toyama Prefecture with Omachi Town in Nagano Prefecture. The section between Tateyama Station and Ogizawa is closed to private vehicles. The route is open from mid April through November.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple

The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Ranganatha, a reclining form of Hindu deity, Vishnu located in Srirangam, India . Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, this temple is glorified in the Divya Prabandha, the early medieval Tamil literature canon of the Alvar saints from the 6th–9th centuries and is counted as the first and foremost among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu. It is one of the most illustrious Vaishnava temples in South India rich in legend and history. Its location, on an island in Cauvery river, has rendered it vulnerable to natural disasters as well as the rampaging of invading armies – Hindu, Muslim and European – which repeatedly commandeered the site for military encampment.The main entrance, known as the Rajagopuram (the royal temple tower), rises from the base area of around 13 cents (around 5720 sq ft) and goes up to 72 m, moving up in eleven progressively smaller tiers. The annual 21 day festival conducted during the Tamil month of Margazhi (December–January) attracts 1 million visitors. Srirangam temple is often listed as the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world, the still larger Angkor Wat being the largest existing temple. The temple occupies an area of 156 acres (631,000 m²) with a perimeter of 4,116m making it the largest temple in India and one of the largest religious complexes in the world.

Lencois Maranhenses National Park

The Lençóis Maranhenses National Park located in Maranhão state, in northeastern Brazil, is one of the most marvelous and unique places in the world. An area encompassing about 1000 square kilometers of white silky sands intercepted at regular intervals by endless cool oases of turquoise lakes. At first glance Lençóis Maranhenses looks like an archetypal desert. Lying just outside the Amazon basin, the region is subject to a regular rain season during the beginning of the year. The rain water accumulates in the valleys in between sand dunes and forms clear blue and green lagoons that reach their fullest between July and September. The area is also surprisingly home to a variety of fish which, despite the almost complete disappearance of the lagoons during the dry season, have their eggs brought from the sea by birds. Mangroves, deserted beaches, buritis - a graceful kind of palm tree - and the Preguiças River help compose the park's diversity.

Karaweik Hall

Karaweik Hall is a palace on the eastern shore of Kandawgyi Lake, Yangon, Burma. The barge was designed by Burmese architect U Ngwe Hlaing, who based it on the Pyigyimon royal barge. Construction began in June 1972 and it was finished in October 1974. The barge is a two-storied construction of concerete and stucco, reinforced by iron rods, with a pyatthat-topped roof, and two reception halls and a conference room. It houses a buffet restaurant today.

Holi Festival

Every year, thousands of Hindus participate in the festival Holi. The festival has many purposes. First and foremost, it celebrates the beginning of the new season, spring. Originally, it was a festival that commemorated good harvests and the fertile land. Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring's abundant colors and saying farewell to winter. It also has a religious purpose,commemorating events present in Hindu mythology. Although it is the least religious holiday, it is probably one of the most exhilarating ones in existence. During this event, participants hold a bonfire, throw colored powder at each other, and celebrate wildly. Rangapanchami occurs a few days later on a Panchami (fifth day of the full moon), marking the end of festivities involving colours. The main day, Holi, is celebrated by people throwing scented powder and perfume at each other.

Haida Gwaii Villages

Totem poles are usually made of cedar or spruce. Traditional carving tools are adzes (sharp blades tied to wooden handles), two larger ones used to remove big pieces of wood and an elbow adze (so-named because its shape looks like a human elbow) for final shaping, which compresses the wood fibers and helps make the wood water-resistant. Due to United States and Canadian policies and practices of acculturation and assimilation, the Natives sharply reduced their production of totem poles at the end of the 19th century. Symbols on totem poles are primarily the symbols of the clans they belong to. At the highest level, everyone is either of the eagle or raven clan, with subclans such as beaver, fox, bear, and frog. The raven has a straight beak, while the eagle has a curved one. The human figure on top is the village watchman, who warned of approaching danger or a thief in the village. If you see someone hanging upside down, they owe a debt to the village. Once the debtor paid up, the pole would be chopped down, taken into the forest to rot and a new one erected. Red ears and mouth signify a stingy person. See also the totem poles in Ketchikan, Alaska.

Ghadames

Ghadamès, known as 'the pearl of the desert', stands in an oasis. It is one of the oldest pre-Saharan cities and an outstanding example of a traditional settlement. Its domestic architecture is characterized by a vertical division of functions: the ground floor used to store supplies; then another floor for the family, overhanging covered alleys that create what is almost an underground network of passageways; and, at the top, open-air terraces reserved for the women.

City of Manazan

Dating back to the Byzantine Empire, the City of Manazan features an entire rock face, carved to create a vertical village of tiny rooms. Naturally protected from invaders and the elements, this rock-cut village has survived through centuries of war and regime change in Central Anatolia. Although seemingly impractical, Manazan stretches up five stories and across 3km of cliffs, and was a fully functioning city centuries ago. The intricate series of caves and tunnels housed churches, storage facilities, family homes and even cemeteries, all high above the ground on the cliff face. Today, the city is no longer inhabited, but locals from Taskale still use the temperate caves to store wheat, cheese and other grains, and the region is actively developing the area for greater revenue from tourism. In Turkey alone, there are aproximatly 40.000 cave dwellings.

Casa Loma

Casa Loma is the former estate of Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, a Toronto financier, industrialist and military man. Much of his fortune was made through investments in hydro electricity and railway industries. Sir Henry hired noted architect E.J. Lennox to build him and his wife a medieval castle on a brow overlooking Toronto. Begun in 1911, it took 300 men nearly 3 years to complete and cost $3,500,000; for a time, it was the largest residence in North America. Sir Henry enjoyed Casa Loma for a mere 10 years before financial loss forced him to abandon his castle home. Today, the mansion is owned by the City of Toronto and run by The Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma, which uses its share of the proceeds for charitable projects.

Antogo Lake Fishing

Once a year, the people of the Dogon (also check out their architecture, they're awesome) rush the sacred Antogo Lake in Mali. In a flurry of activity, the Dogon grab at the water feverishly hoping to snatch a fish. The lake itself is a rarity in a country comprised mostly of the Sahara desert and the dry steppes of the Sahel, which undoubtedly lends to its importance and sacredness. Although the lake is sacred, it is small and murky, and within minutes the Dogon fisherman empty the lake of all its inhabitants. Throughout the year, it is illegal to fish in the lake. However, after the ban is lifted, fishermen file into the lake to grab whatever they can during the short-lived Antogo fishing frenzy. The frenzy occurs during the dry season in Mali, which allows the fish to be easily caught in the shrunken lake. The ritual is strongly based on ancestor worship, and along with other rituals in Dogon culture, women are prohibited from participating. Although women cannot join in the festivities, legend holds that a young woman discovered the lake and its miraculous fish, starting the chain of ritual fishing in the desert pool. Regardless, the Antogo festival is a spectacle like no other opening day for fishing across the world. The elders of the Dogon villages decide the date of the fishing frenzy each year but it generally falls in the dry season in the early summer months.