GUESS THE PHOTO COMPETITION - ANSWERS 1. Cordoba, Spain Cordoba is a city in Southern Spain and throughout its history has been a Roman and Iberian city as well as the Capital of the Islamic Caliphate. During the 10th Century it is thought to have been the most populous city in the world. 2. Blue Lagoon/ Grindavík/ Reykjavik One of the most popular attractions in Iceland is the Blue Lagoon. This geothermal spa is located in a lava field in Grindavík on the Reykjanes Peninsula. The temperatures in the lagoon are naturally heated to 37-39°C. The water used has a rich concentration in minerals such as silica and sulphur. 3. Eye of Sahara, Mauritania From space this mysterious depression in the Sahara Desert of Mauritania really does look like a human eye. The image to the left is the “pupil” but a visit to Google Earth zoomed out a little will reveal the cliffs that make up the rest of the eye. This natural phenomenon is actually a richat structure caused by the dome shaped symmetrical uplifting of underlying geology now made visible by millennia of erosion. 4. Doong Cave, Vietnam As of 2009 this is the largest cave in the world. Sơn Đoòng Cave in Vietnam has a limestone structure and was discovered in 1991. However, knowledge of the cave was not made public until a scientific survey in 2009. 5. Cave of Crystals, Mexico Cave of the Crystals, (Spanish: Cueva de los Cristales) is a cave connected to the Naica mine in Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico. The central chamber of the cave contains gigantic selenite crystals which are some of the largest ones ever found. The largest crystal is 12m in length, 4m in diameter and weighs 55 tones. The temperature inside the cave is extremely hot where it can reach up to 58 °C with 90-99% humidity. 6. Mt. Hua Shan, China Mount Hua is located near the city of Huayin in the Shaanxi province. The highest point of the mountain reaches an elevation of 2160m. The mountain is renowned for its steep and narrow hiking routes. 7. Las Lajas Sanctuary, Colombia. Las Lajas Sanctuary in Colombia is a Roman Catholic Cathedral and basilica church. Set in a steep valley, this building has been a tourist and pilgrimage destination since the 18th Century. Due to its distinctly European style, many students thought the building was in Italy. 8. The Sun Voyager, Reykjavik, Iceland The Sun Voyager is a stainless-steel sculpture by Jón Gunnar Árnason located in Reykjavik. Built in 1990, it is a common misconception that the structure is a viking ship. In fact the ship points towards the sun setting in the North and as such is regarded as an ode to the sun. 9. Jemaa El-Faa, Morocco The Jemaa el-Fnaa is a square and marketplace located in Marrakech, Morocco. One of the most famous squares in Africa, it hosts orange juice stands, snake charmers and vibrantly dressed water sellers. However, during the night the square lights up and a variety of food stalls take their place. 10. Bridge Village,/ Nongriat, Meghalaya, India Nongriat is a village in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya State, in north-eastern India. It is perhaps best known for its two living root bridges; one an impressive double-decker suspension bridge called Jingkieng Nongriat. These are crafted by hand, as the Khasi people have done in the Khasi Hills for centuries, intertwining and weaving together the aerial roots of banyan trees on opposite sides of a stream-filled gorge. 11. Waterloo, Belgium Waterloo in Belgium is known for being the location of the Battle of Waterloo. On the 18th June, 1815 the battle was between the First French Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Alliance of the Seventh Coalition. The memorial on the top of the hill is a statue of Lion that faces France. 12. Telč, Czech Republic Telč is a town founded in the 13th Century in the Czech Republic. One of the more famous attractions is its town square which features a unique combination of Renaissance and Baroque architecture. 13. Sacromonte/Gypsy caves/ Granada, Spain The Sacromonte Gypsy Caves in Granada spain used to be habited by Gypsies but now are used as the home of people wanting a rent-free lifestyle. The caves also contain a club and a flamenco bar. 14. Taipei/ Taipei 101, Taiwan Taipei 101 is a skyscraper located in the located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. From 2004-2010 this was the tallest building in the world. 15. Lake Titicaca, Peru and/or Bolivia Lake Titicaca is a lake in the Andes on the border of Peru and Bolivia. In regards to the volume of water it is the largest lake in South America. At 23812m this is also the highest navigable lake in the world. 16. Rotorua/geothermal mud, New Zealand The Geothermal Mud Spas in Rotorua, New Zealand feature Geysers and Mud Pools. Visitors can dip their feet in the hot pools. 17. Mt. Roraima, Brazil/Venezuela/Guyana Mount Roraima reaches 2810m and is a triple border of Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana. The tabletop shape of the mountain makes it difficult to access with the cliffs rising up 400m. 18. Ronda, Spain Ronada, Spain is famous for 3 bridges that span the canyon that the town is built upon. The tallest of the 3 pridges Puente Nuevo is 120m high. The American writer Ernest Hemmingway spent many summers in Ronada’s Old town Quarter, La Ciudad. 19. Habitat 67/ Montreal, Canada Habitat 67 is a housing community in Montreal, Canada. The building consist of 354 identical, prefabricated concrete forms arranged in various configurations. 20. Ferdinand Cheval/ Le Palais idéal (the Ideal Palace), France For 33 years, Ferdinand Cheval collected stones along his postal route and with no training in architecture or art, 43 year old Postman Cheval began to build his palace with cement, wire and stones, working at night by an oil lamp. Located in France and inspired by Christian and Hindu influences. twistedsifter/2011/09/ferdinand-cheval-ideal-palace/ His version of a Hindu temple stood next to a Swiss chalet which stood next to the Maison Carrée in Algiers which stood next to a medieval castle, and somewhere in between there was an Arab mosque.
Posted on: Fri, 09 May 2014 04:06:30 +0000