Chichen Itza which means at the mouth of the well of Itza , is the 2nd most visited archeological site

of Mexico today. TheKukulkan Pyramid in Chichen-Itza which known as El Castillo (the castle), is one of the new seven wonders of the world elected in 07.07.2007. It is exactly 24 m. high considering the upper platform. Apart from the Kukulkan Pyramid, in Chichen Itza there many other archaeological sites to visit, all carrying traces from Mayan Culture in many ways. Chichen Itza is the most important archaeological vestige of the Maya-Toltec civilization in Yucatn (10th-15th centuries). Its monuments, particularly in the northern group which includes the Great Ball Court, Temple of Kukulkan and Temple of the Warriors, are among the undisputed masterpieces of Mesoamerican architecture because of the beauty of their proportions, the refinement of their construction and the splendour of their sculpted decorations. These monuments exerted an influence throughout the entire Yucatn cultural zone from the 10th to the 15th centuries. Located midway between Mrida and Cancn, Chichen Itza is the northernmost of the major archaeological sites in Yucatn. Covering more than 300 ha, it is also one of the largest and richest in monuments. Above all, it is one of the most significant in historical terms because it illustrates two major periods in pre-Hispanic civilizations in the Mesoamerican zone. The town was established close to two natural cavities (cenotes or chenes), which facilitated tapping the underground water area of the cenote of Xtoloc during the Classic period. The dates for this settlement vary according to subsequent local accounts: one manuscript gives 415-35, while others say 455. The town that grew up around the sector known as Chichen Viejo already boasted important monuments of great interest: the Building of the Nuns, church, Akab Dzib, Chichan Chob, Temple of the Panels and Temple of the Stag. They were constructed between the 6th and 10th centuries in the characteristic Mayan style then popular both in the northern and southern areas of the Puuc hills. The second settlement of Chichen Itza, and the most important for historians, corresponded to the migration of Toltec warriors from the Mexican plateau towards the south during the 10th century. According to the most common version, the King of Tula, Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, or Kukulkan as the Mayans translated the name, reportedly took the city between 967 and 987 after wandering for many years. What is known for certain is that the Toltec invaders subjugated the local population with a ferocity which even five centuries later the chronicles of the 'sacred books' of the Mayans spoke of. The Toltecs imposed the ritual of human sacrifice which until then was rarely, if at all, practised in the region. Following the conquest of Yucatn a new style blending the Mayan and Toltec traditions developed, symbolizing the phenomenon of acculturation. Chichen Itza is a clear illustration of this fusion. Specific examples are, in the group of buildings to the south, the Caracol, a circular stellar observatory whose spiral staircase accounts for its name, and, to the north, the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl, El Castillo. Surrounding El Castillo are terraces where the major monumental complexes were built: on the north-west are the Great Ball Court, Tzompantli or the Skull Wall, the temple known as the Jaguar Temple, and the House of Eagles; on the north-east are the Temple of the Warriors, Group of the Thousand Columns, market and ball courts; on the south-west is the Tomb of the High Priest.

This new architecture, known today as Maya-Yucatec, took from the old local structures the art of stereotomy used on walls and vaults while incorporating certain Toltec elements in the decorations. Besides all the battle scenes, which are depicted in luxurious detail, the most obvious of the influences from central Mexico are the likenesses of the plumed serpent Quetzalcoatl, present on columns and substructures where enormous heads of reptiles create a vigorous decorative motif. Other examples of the Mexican influence are the famous statues of the rain god Chac-Mool, executed in a typical half-reclining pose. The history of Chichen Itza from the end of the 10th to the 15th centuries is complex. The monopolistic authority of military leaders seems to have been mitigated after the city joined the Mayapn League, which included Uxmal. After the 13th century no major monuments seem to have been constructed at Chichen Itza and the city rapidly declined after the fall of Mayapn. In 1556 Bishop Diego de Landa visited the practically abandoned ruins and recorded the legends pertaining to the various monuments. The ruins were not excavated until 1841. Source: UNESCO/CLT/WHC

Brief Introduction of Great Wall Great Wall of China was an ancient gigantic defensive project. It's one of the biggest construction tasks ever finished. Great Wall of China is one of the wonders in the world. It winds its way westward above the vast territory of China from the bank of the Yalu River and ends at the foot of snow-covered Qilianshan and Tianshan mountains. It's seldom that we see this kind of a gigantic undertaking in China or elsewhere around the world. The Chinese people call it the Wall of 10,000 li. Its length is far better witnessed on a map or from an aerial photograph. Due to astronauts who looked back from the moon, of all projects created by guy, the Great Wall of China may be the most conspicuous witnessed in space. Military value of the Great Wall Judging from the standpoint of present day warfare, the Great Wall can't be mentioned to become a defense network of any fantastic military value. Nevertheless when man's chief military weapons had been the sword, arrows, bows, ge (hook weapon) and mao (spear), the predicament was fairly different. The Great Wall provides superb defense since it had been created in strategic places. It played an important role then. Several have been instance in ancient when it took an incredibly prolonged time to consider a city or mountain pass. There were even circumstances when people who launched the assault had to retreat with no battle, whenever they saw the strong defense work of the city. Within the Central Plain of China this kind of firm and large defense perform proved to be extremely beneficial to foil the attacks of mobile cavalry, which roamed from one place to another. Being an outcome of steady construction and making improvement through the Ming Dynasty the Great Wall became an ideal defense network, whereby the central Chinese authority could, by way of a variety of administrative and military amounts of organization, attain the essential or grass root military unit, down to each soldier guarding the Great Wall. The Ming Dynasty overthrew the Yuan, acquiring ruling power throughout the nation. The authentic rulers, even so, only retreated to their former positions. They were not destroyed. This made it possible for them to make a come-back. Under these conditions, the Great Wall grew to become a significant protection issue for that Ming Dynasty. The Six Top Questions about The Great Wall Raised by the People Where is the Great Wall of China? The Great Wall starts from the shanghai pass at the seaside in the Hebei province to the Jiayu pass in Gansu province. The sites of the Great Wall stretch across 15 provinces of China, Tianjin, Qinghai, Shandong and Inner Mongolia, etc. How was the Great Wall build? The construction of the Great Wall was mainly depended on human labor. The large stones, earth, wood and bricks were carried on humans back or lifted by the bar. Simple machines were also used to create the Wall, such as varied handcarts, crowbars and wheels. Animals were also used to transport the materials, just because some sections of the Great Wall were built on the crests, it was hard for a man to carry the heavy materials to these places. How long is the Great Wall of China? According to the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and National Bureau of Surveying and Mapping Agency in 2009, the latest data of the length of the Great Wall is 8851.8 km, which is 2000km longer than the past data.

Who built the Great Wall of China? According to records, Emperor Qin shi huang ordered millions of the people to construct the Great Wall, including the workers, famous, soldiers and slaves. Why the Great Wall is built? As early as 7th century BC, Chu dynasty firstly built the Great Wall to stop the invasion from other countries and it opened the curtain of constructing the Great Wall in the history of China. During the Warring States Period, Qi, Wei, Zhao, Qin, Yan and Zhongshan had also built the Great Wall. The Great Wall was the greatest military defense project in the history, and it was also the guarantee of the peace and stability of ancient society and agriculture. Can the Great Wall be seen from the outer space? The Great Wall is great, but you cant see it from the space. The average width of the Great Wall is no more than 10 meters, and it can be easily hidden by the surroundings. It is difficult to see it from 20km high by naked eye, not to say 400km from the spacecraft.

The Colosseum is probably the most famous landmark in Rome. Built in the 1st century AD, this great arena could seat 45,000 spectators and was the largest Roman amphitheater in the world. It hosted gladiatorial combats, spectacles with wild beasts and possibly the execution of early Christians. Throughout the Middle Ages, the Colosseum was believed to be a place of martyrdom and was therefore regarded as a sacred place. History Construction on the Colosseum began under Emperor Vespasian (69-79) and was completed under his son Titus (79-81) in 80 AD. It was built on the site of an artificial lake created by Nero in this valley between Rome's many hills, in front of his Domus Aurea palace. The arena was then known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, after the family name of the emperors who built it. The name "Colosseum" was not used until 7th century, and derives from the colossal statue of Nero that once stood here. After Nero's death, the statue was transformed into a representation of Helios, the sun god. It remained standing until the Middle Ages, when it was probably melted down for its bronze. The amphitheatre was used for gladiatorial combats, mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The inaugural festival of the Flavian Amphitheatre, which was the largest amphitheatre in the world, lasted 100 days, during which over 5,000 wild beasts were killed in the arena. The arena was restored in about 230 AD by Emperor Alexander Severus (222-35). The statistics of those who met their deaths at the Colosseum during another festival, held in 240 AD, are staggering: 2,000 gladiators; 70 lions; 40 wild horses; 30 elephants; 30 leopards; 20 wild asses; 19 giraffes; 10 elks; 10 hyenas; 10 tigers; 1 hippopotamus; and 1 rhinoceros. The Flavian Amphitheatre was damaged by fire and earthquake several times but was continually restored until the end of the 5th century. Gladiatorial combats were outlawed by the Christian emperor Honorius in 407 and fights with wild beasts were banned in 523. After this, the arena went out of use. According to the bishop and church historian Theodoret, Honorius was moved to ban the bloody spectacle of the gladiators because of a simple monk named Telmachus: A certain man of the name of Telemahus had embraced the ascetic life. When the abominable spectacle was being exhibited, he went himself into the stadium, and, stepping down into the arena, endeavored to stop the men who were wielding their weapons against one another. The spectators of the slaughter were indignant, and inspired by the mad fury of the demon who delights in those bloody deeds, stoned the peacemaker to death. When the admirable emperor was informed of this he numbered Telemachus in the army of victorious martyrs, and put an end to that impious spectacle. (Theodoret, Ecclesiastical History 5.26)

Telemachus is the only Colosseum martyr of whom there is any evidence. The long-held belief that scores of Christians met their deaths here in the 1st to 3rd centuries has no evidence to support it and may only be a legend. However, it is perfectly possible there were martyrdoms here, since Christians are known to have been executed in other Roman amphitheatres, such as the one at Lyon and in the Circus of Nero on Vatican Hill (see St. Peter's Basilica). The belief that Christians were martyred here was a fairly early one, as reflected by the response of Pope Gregory the Great (590-604) to the Byzantine emperor's request for some Roman relics: among the relics given was a bag of sand from the Colosseum floor. The Colosseum fell into disrepair shortly after its closure in 523. In 526, the barbarian Totila and his forces destroyed parts of it in order to take the valuable bronze clamps that held the stones together. After that, Romans freely helped themselves to the great arena's stones in order to build their houses. In this period the Colosseum was also used as a Christian burial ground. Early Christian tombs have been found in three areas around the amphitheatre: in the foundations on the north and east sides and on the exterior ground near the present entrance. In the Middle Ages, the Colosseum was situated on the most important pilgrim route in Rome, which led from St. Peter's to the Lateran, and a small suburb grew up around it. In this period the great arena was thought to be a Romantemple to the Sun because of the Colossus statue of Nero-turned-Helios that stood next to it. In the 13th century, the Colosseum was fortified and occupied by the Frangipani family and the suburb around it became a prosperous area of Rome. However, the area later fell prey to malaria and was abandoned. Looting of the stone continued on-and-off until the 18th century, when Pope Benedict XIV (1740-58) declared the Colosseum sanctified by the blood of early Christian martyrs and added Stations of the Cross to the arena. After this it was restored and excavated, a work that continues to the present day. Romantic travelers of the 18th and 19th centuries were smitten with the great ruin of the Colosseum. Among these were Charles Dickens, who wrote in 1846: It is the most impressive, the most stately, the most solemn, grand, majestic, mournful sight, conceivable. Never in its bloodiest prime can the sight of the gigantic Colosseum, full and running over with the lustiest life, have moved one heart, as it must move all who look upon it now, a ruin. God be thanked: a ruin! What to See The exterior of the Roman Colosseum is made entirely of travertine, stretching 527 m around and four stories high. The arches of the second and third stories were originally filled with statues. There were 80 entrances, with the two principal ones reserved for the emperor and his entourage.

The interior is made of brick, tufa and marble; little of the marble survives today. The central area, the arena, was covered with a great wooden floor and canvas to make it waterproof. Over this was a layer of sand to absorb blood - in fact "arena" derives from the Latin word for sand. The floor is now exposed down to its underground passages, where beasts and gladiators awaited their fate, and crossed by a modern walkway. The arena was surrounded by a 5m-high wall to protect spectators from attacks by wild beasts. At the top of the wall was the podium, on which the imperial party and other VIPs had their seats. Near the site of the imperial box is a cross, which replaces an earlier one set up to commemorate the Christians who were believed to have been martyred here. Above this was the cavea, or seating area. This was divided into three tiers: the lowest for knights; the middle for wealthy citizens; and the top for the general population. In total the Colosseum could hold up to 45,000 spectators. The base of the Colossus statue of Nero, after which the amphitheatre is named, can be seen between the Colosseum and the nearby Temple of Venus and Roma.

Literally carved directly into vibrant red, white, pink, and sandstone cliff faces, the prehistoric Jordanian city of Petra was "lost" to the Western world for hundreds of years. Located amid rugged desert canyons and mountains in what is now the southwestern corner of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Petra was once a thriving trading center and the capital of the Nabataean empire between 400 B.C. and A.D. 106. The city sat empty and in near ruin for centuries. Only in the early 1800s did a European traveler disguise himself in Bedouin costume and infiltrate the mysterious locale. In 1985, the Petra Archaeological Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, and in 2007 it was named one of the new seven wonders of the world. Indiana Jones Location Several scenes from the Hollywood blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Last Crusadewere filmed in Petra. The movie's fictional Canyon of the Crescent Moon was modeled on the eastern entrance to Petra, a 250-foot-high (76-meter-high) sandstone slot canyon known as the Siq that leads directly to Al Khazneh (the Treasury)perhaps the most stunning of Petra's dozens of breathtaking features. In the film's climactic final scenes, actors Harrison Ford and Sean Connery burst forth from the Siq and walk deep into the labyrinths of the Treasury in their quest to find the Holy Grail. But, as usual, archaeological fact bowed to Hollywood fiction when Indy came to Petra.

In reality, the Treasury is nothing more than a facade with a relatively small hall once used as a royal tomb. "You can't really say that anything in Indiana Jones is accurate," Haifa University archaeologist Ronny Reich said. "I was once asked in the United States if one of the responsibilities of Israeli archaeologists is to chase down Nazis. I told them, 'Not any more. Now we just chase down pretty women.'" A giant urn carved above the entrance to the Treasury bears the marks of hundreds of gunshots. Bedouin tribesmen living in and among the ancient ruins say the damage was caused when local men would open fire with rifles, seeking the loot thought to be inside the urn (actually made of solid stone). There are dozens of tombs and other carved or constructed structures and sites within Petra. Advanced Society The Nabataeans, before they were conquered and absorbed into the Roman Empire, controlled a vast tract of the Middle East from modern-day Israel and Jordan into the northern Arabian peninsula. The remains of their innovative networks of water capture, storage, transport, and irrigation systems are found to this day throughout this area. Scholars know the Nabataeans were in Petra since at least 312 B.C., says archaeologist Zeidoun Al-Muheisen of Jordan's Yarmouk University. Al-Muheisen, who has been excavating in Petra since 1979 and specializes in the Nabataean period, says no one has yet found any archaeological evidence dating back to the fourth century B.C. The earliest findings thus far date back only to the second and first centuries B.C. But more clues remain beneath the surface. "We have uncovered just 15 percent of the city," he says. "The vast majority85 percentis still underground and untouched." Numerous scrolls in Greek and dating to the Byzantine period were discovered in an excavated church near the Winged Lion Temple in Petra in December 1993. Researchers at the American Center of Oriental Research in Amman, the capital, are now analyzing the scrolls and hope they will shed light on life in Petra during this period. Once Rome formally took possession of Petra in A.D. 106, its importance in international trade began to wane. The decay of the city continued, aided by earthquakes and the rise in importance of sea trade routes, and Petra reached its nadir near the close of the Byzantine Empire's rule, around A.D. 700. Visitors today can see varying blends of Nabataean and Greco-Roman architectural styles in the city's tombs, many of which were looted by thieves and their treasures thus lost. Today, local Bedouins selling tourist souvenirs hawk their wares not far from the place where Arabs believe Moses struck a rock with his staff, causing water to burst forth: "A knife for the wife? A gun for the son?"

Location: Machu Picchu is located at 120 kilometers (75 miles) North-West of Cusco city, at 2,400 meters (7,900 ft.) above sea level. The only ways to get there is by train (4 hours) or walking. It isn't a road from Cusco to Machu Pichu only a railroad along the narrow Vilcanota canyon. The topography is amazing, steep mountains covered by tropical forests, it's incredible how the Incas built temples and trails on the slopes of these mountains. Climate: It's tropical, warm and sunny days and cool nights. It's very rainy between December and March, but it's still wonderful. Bring a rain-jacket or umbrella, and you will be fine. Landscapes: Machu Picchu is 1,000 meters (3,300 ft.) lower than Cusco city, that's why the environment here is different. The cloud-forest that covers the steep mountains around the citadel is habitat of an interesting wildlife that includes the Andean bear and the cock-of the rock bird. The ruins and the surroundings are part of a national park to protect the archaeological remains and the environment.

History: The Inca citadel of Machu Pichu is one of the worlds archaeological jewels and the main tourist destination in Peru. Since it was found by the North American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911, it has not stopped to surprise the world. The archeologists believe it was built in the second half of the 15th century, but the function of it is still a mystery. It has been proved that many people lived there, but only important people as noblemen, priests and nuns. After the Spanish conquest, the Incas fled and abandoned the citadel, and nobody else heard about it, not even the Spaniards who never got there. The citadel is divided in 3 areas, two neighborhoods, and an agricultural sector, that is a vast network of terraces and channels for its irrigation. The urban sector is divided in 2 neighborhoods, in one of it are many temples, ritual chambers and also the royal bedroom. In the second one are many houses for the noblemen and their servants. Between both neighborhoods is a big plaza. The sceneries are outstanding, the citadel was built on top of a hill and it's surrounded by big mountains. At feet of the mountains flows the Urubamba river, and the sound of its water can be hear all around the citadel. Perhaps the main attraction of the citadel is the degree of technology that its builders achieved in stone work. The joins between the stones in some of its buildings are so snug that its impossible to insert even the tip of a needle between them. The most fascinating stone is the "Intihuatana" (hitching post of the sun), which served as an astronomical calendar. Nevertheless, more interesting is the energy and peace you feel when you get in this mysterious place.