Stari Ras

Ras is known in modern Serbian historiography as Stari Ras. It was one of the first capitals of the medieval Serbian state of Raška, and the most important one for a long period of time. It's located in today's region of Raška. The city was right in the centre of the early medieval state. Stari Ras was founded between 8th and 9th centuries and Ras got deserted in the 13 th century.

This medieval town is 11 km west of Novi Pazar and it stands on a hill known as Gradina. There are three archaeological sites within the old Ras complex: the fortress on Gradina, the cave together with the monastery of the Archangel Michael beneath the fortification and the settlement  of Pazarište ( formerly Trgovište ). The Ras fortress is preserved in a ruined state as the oldest example of a military architecture from medieval Raška. Around Ras there is also a group of medieval monasteries and churches that in 1979 were entered into the UNESCO World Heritage List under the common name of Stari Ras and Sopoćani.

The Walled City of Dubrovnik, Croatia

In the Croatian region of Dalmatia along the Adriatic Sea is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Dubrovnik is idyllic yet bustiling with activity. The walls of Dubrovnik are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the citizens of the afterward proclaimed maritime city-state of Dubrovnik, situated in southern Croatia. 

The city is as old as 7th century. In 1979, the old walls of Dubrovnik joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The city is a seaport on the Mediterranean Sea and ancient enough to have other activities apart from soaking in the Mediterranean beaches. Dubrovnik, being an independent state, was the first country to recognize the United States as a sovereign state when it declared independence from the British. Most of its buildings are built using the Baroque style architectural designs. 

Everyone can engage in almost every holiday activity in Dubrovnik. From jeep safari, horseback riding, sailing to the Elafite Islands and a visit to the national park on the Island of Mljet. Tourists will never be short of fun things to do.

The state of Dubrovnik was among the first countries to abolish slave trade in the 15th c. It seems that the country valued freedom even then. 

The city of Dubrovnik is the Eastern European Paradise. It is sort of what Hawaii is to North America.

La Sagrada Familia, Spain

La Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Spain, that has been under contruction since 1882. The main architect of the church was Antoni Gaudi, who died in 1926 when La Sagrada Familia was only about 25% complete.

The design of La Sagrada Familia is believed to be Art Nouveau style, with influences of Spanish Late Gothic, and Catalan Modernism. The ground-breaking for a La Sagrada Familia took place in 1882.  The construction has been funded by donations. As of October 2015 La Sagrada Familia is estimated to be 70% complete. The entrance fees of tourists visiting La Sagrada reach approximately 25 million euros a year. This is the annual budget for construction. The spire of La Sagrada Familia is planned to reach 560 feet when completed.This beautiful attraction was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed it a minor basilica in 2010. The expected completion date for completion of La Sagrada Familia is 2041.

The London Eye, England

The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel located along the river Thames in London, England. Today, it is Europe's tallest Ferris wheel. The London Eye was opened formally by Prime Minister Tony Blair on New York's Eve 1999, but it was not opened for public use until the march of 2000 due to technical issues. By June of 2008, 30.million people had taken a ride on the London Eye. This attraction had several names including - the British Airways Eye, the Coca-cola London Eye and so on.. It has also been known as the Millennium Wheel. The London Eye has 32 air-conditioned and sealed passenger capsules that can hold as many as 25 people. Inside the capsule passengers can move around or sit in the chairs provided. It takes 30 minutes to ride the London Eye, and does not stop to allow passengers on and off. Approximately 3.5 million people visit the London Eye each year and it is U.K.s most popular(paid) tourist attraction. Very interesting thing about  attraction is that is a popular place for proposals. More than 5000 engagements have begun while riding the London Eye.

The London Eye in London is symbolic to its people in the same way that the Eiffel Tower is to the people of Paris.

Christ the Redeemer, Brazil

Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro. It was built as a symbol of Brazilian Christianity. In 1850, the idea of building a religious monument was first suggested by a Catholic Priest- Pedro Maria Boss. The request for financing wasn't approved because Princess Isabel was not a fan of idea.

 It wasn't until 1920. when a group petitioned for support to build a landmark statue that it became a reality. The design was chosen from several ideas-one wasa depiction of the Christian cross. Another was a statue of Jesus holding a globe, while standing over a pedestal that was to symbolize the world. Construction began in the 1920's, taking nine years to finish. 

Christ the Redeemer is the largest art deco statue in the world, also it is the 5th largest statue of Jesus. This statue is located in the Tijuca Forest National Forest, at the top of the Corcovado Mountain. The statue weighs approximately 635 tonnes. The stones that were used to build Christ the Redeemer came from Sweden. The statue had to be constructed in pieces and carried to the mountain top to be erected. The statue is considered an icon of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil, and also became one of the New Seven Wonders of the World on July 7th, 2007.

Ellis Island

When people today refer to Ellis Island, they generally invoke its legacy in the national saga of immigration to America, standing with the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. So, Ellis island was the gateway for over 12 million immigrants to the United States as the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. 
The island was greatly expanded with land reclamation between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the site of  Fort Gibson and later a naval magazine. 
It is located in Upper New York Bay and most of the Island is located in New Jersey. Ellis Island had several names before it was acquired by Sam Ellis, during the American Revolution. Ellis Island was also nicknamed- 'Heartbreak Island' and also 'The Island of Tears'- because of the amount of those denied immigration.

During and after World War II the Island was used to detain approximately 7,000 Japanese, Italians and Germans, believed to be spies or guilty of sabotage. 1907. was Ellis Island's busiest year. 1,004,756 immigrants were processed there in that year. In order to gain entry to the U.S., immigrants were required to answer 29. questions. Annie Moore, a 15-year old from Ireland, was the first immigrant to pass through at Ellis Island.

Alcatraz, San Francisco.

Alcatraz Island is located in the San Francisco Bay, 2.01 km offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The small island was developed with facillities for a lighthouse, a miliitary fortification, a military prison- 1868, and a federal prison from 1933 until 1963. Beginning in November 1969, the island was occupied for more than 19 months by a group of aboriginal people from San Francisco, who were part of a wave of Native activism across the nation with public protests through the 1970s. In 1972, Alcatraz became a national recreation area and received designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

The entire Alcatraz island was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. In 1993, the National Park Service published a plan entitled Alcatraz Development Concept and Environment Assessemnt. This plan offers visitors to enjoy its scenery and bird, marine, and animal life. Gardens planted by families of the original Army post, have been restored after 40 years. Alcatraz was remembered as the most secure prison of old times, home to most vicious criminals of that time. Families lived on Alcatraz during its prison years. Interesting thing is that prisoners actually did escape from Alcatraz. The average number of prisoners was 260. 

The word Alcatraz -Spanish, means pelican. The first hospital on Alcatraz opened in 1893. Each year, hundreds of athletes participate in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. The event includes a 1.5-mile swim to San Francisco, plus an 18-mile bike ride and 8-mile run. Alcatraz might be haunted.

Skull Tower

The Skull Tower is a tower that was built by a conquering Turkish army in the nineteenth century using the skulls of Serb rebels. Ćele-kula, located in Niš, in southern Serbia ,stood as a cautionary tale to remind the Serbian people of what happens to those who resist the Ottoman Empire. What used to be a gruesome monument is now a sort of reliquary that holds the bones of deceased revolutionaries. After Serbia fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1459, the Serbian people fought in several uprisings to gain their independence. 

The Turkish Grand Vizier of Niš, Hurshid Pasha, wanted to teach the Serbian people a lesson. He ordered the bodies of the rebels to be mutilated and decapitated. There heads were skinned, stuffed with straw, and sent to the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II in Istanbul. When the skulls were returned to Niš, the Turks built the Skull Tower as a deterrent to the Serbian people so they always remember what happens to those who oppose the Ottoman Empire.

 The Turks embedded 952 skulls, into 56 rows and Sinđelić's skull was placed on the top of the 15 ft tower, The Serbs eventually won independence in 1830. In 1948, Skull Tower was declared Cultural Monument of Exceptional Immportance and came under the protection of the Socialist Republic of Serbia.

Gardoš Tower

Gardoš Tower or Millennium Tower, and also known as Kula Sibinjanin Janka is a memorial tower located in Belgrade, Serbia.

This Tower is a visual and historical symbol of Zemun. It was built and officially opened on August 20, 1896. to celebrate a thousand years of Hungarian settlement in the Pannonian plain. As part of Old Town core of Zemun, and also located in the middle of the Zemun fortress, Tower is protected both as Spatial Cultural-Historical Unit of Great Importance, and as a Protected Monument of Culture. 

It was part of the massive contruction effort which included buildings in Budapest as well as four millennium towers on four directions of  the world. The Tower was built on the ruins of the medieval fortress on Gardoš hill Taurunum, which barely survived today. According to the legend in this tower died famous Hungarian hero from the battles against the Turkish soldiers, Janoš Hunyadi, known as Sibinjanin Janko as well and after him the tower got its name. The Tower was built as a combination of various styles, mostly influenced by the Roman elements. Only angular towers and parts of the deffending wall are still left there. 

There is a magnificent and certainly unforgettable view of Zemun and Danube from the Tower. The Gardoš Tower is by itself an essential and dominant element of the Zemun silhouettes and the best view you can take from the Danube and the Belgrade fortress.

Bač, Serbia

Bač is a town and municipality in South Bačka District of Vojvodina, Serbia. The Bačka region was named after the town of Bač. The current name of the town was first recorded in 1094. Bač is one of the oldest towns in Vojvodina. The archeological research showed that an ancient Roman settlement existed in this area. Bač was first mentioned in 535 AD, in a letter written by Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian. In 873 AD , this town was mentioned as Avar fortress, inhabited by Avars and Slavs. 

The focal point of valorisation and outstanding significance is The Bač Fortress. This fortress is classified as a ''water town'', with a defence system adapted to marshy land. It consists of a fortified castle and suburb, located on the river Mostonga meander. A plane where the fortress is located is a significant archaeological site. Under the foundations of visible walls there had been a settlement from Neolithic period- six millenniums ago and that existed also through the Bronze age and Iron age. There are also Celtic traces and traces of life in the Classical period during III and IV centuries. The first building phase goes back to the period between 1338-1342 and the Hungarian King Charles Robert of Anjou. From the mid 15th century, intensive building activities start, adapting to new warfare techniques and reinforcing the southern boundary againts the Turkish invasions. In 1529 the Turks conquered the fortress. The Turks were using the fortress until the year of liberation, 1686. In 1704, during the Rakoczy rising, the fortress was blasted, never to be restored again. However, Bač fortress still remains the best preserved medieval fortress in Vojvodina. The ruins of the fortress in it's present state, consist of a base in the form of an irregular pentagon, four lateral, and one central tower 18 meters high, which is partially reconstructed. 

Justiniana Prima

Justiniana Prima, or Caričin grad (Empress's Town) was a Byzantine city that existed from 535 to 615. Currently is an archaeological site, near today's Lebane, Leskovac, district in southern Serbia. Emperor Justinian I, decided to raise a city in his area of birth in honour of his own name. The city of Justiniana Prima lies on the gentle slopes which descend from the mountain of Radan towards the Leskovac basin, where key traffic routes pass. 
It was built on a plateau which ends with a rocky terrace at the confluence of the two small rivers. Empress's Town was founded by Justinian I in the 6 th century, at the site of the local fortress of Bederiana and its supported by the remains of a monumental basilica in the lower town. Very interesting thing about this town is that there have been archaeological excavations for nearly 150 years with the participation of French researchears. This city was destroyed in 615 by invading Avars coming from north of the Danube. Caričin grad is an exceptional monument to classical urbanism and architecture. This town is a reflection of the achievements of early Byzantine civilization.

Times Square NYC

Times Square is a major commercial intersection and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets. Times Square is sometimes reffered to as The Crossroads of the World, The Center of the Universe, the heart of The Great White Way, and ''the heart of the world''. Brightly attractive with billboards and advertisements. It is one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections and also it is the hub of the Broadway Theater District and a major center of the world's entertainment industry.
Times Square is one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, drawing an estimated 50 million visitors annually. More than a third of a million people pass through Times Square daily. 

Times Square NYC has been a popular NY attraction for over a century. It is here that Good Morning America is broadcast live to the nation. Times Square acquired its name in 1904 when Albert Ochs, publisher of the New York Times, moved the newspaper's operations to a new skyscraper on what was then known as Longacre Square. The name stuck, even after the New York Times moved their headquarters across Broadway in 1913. Now Times Square is known around the world as a symbol of the American spirit. This is an popular tourist destination for over 100 years and it is a home to hundreds of good NYC hotels like: Inexpensive, luxury and boutique hotels.

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. This immense mausoleum was built between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage. Before his accession to the throne, Shah Jahan was popularly known as Prince Khurram. He fell in love with the beautiful Arjumand Bano Begum, and then he married her,making her his third wife. Arjumand Bano Begum was christened by Shah Jahan as Mumtaz Mahal- meaning the ''Chosen One of the Palace'' or ''Jewel of the Palace''. Shah Jahan lost his wife, when she was giving birth to their 14th child. The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design traditions of Persian and earlier Mughal architecture. The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the Taj Mahal. Tomb is large, white marble structure and it consists of a symmetrical building with an iwan ( an arch-shaped doorway ) topped by a large dome and finial- element marking. 

Taj Mahal was built in stages, with the plinth and the tomb taking up roughly 15 years. Building of minarets, mosque, jawab and gateway took about 5 years to be completed. In contruction of  Taj Mahal different types of marbles were used  and brought over from many different regions and contries-Rajasthan, Punjab, China, Tibet, Shrilanka, Arabia ..Depending on what time of the day it is and whether or not there's moon at night, Taj Mahal appears to be of different color every time. Some even believe that this changing pattern of colors depict different moods of a woman. Taj Mahal attracts 2-4 million visitors annually with over 200,000 from overseas. Number of visitors increased to about 3 million in 2015. Price for entrance is much lower for indian citizens, but more expensive for foreigners. Most tourists visit this mausoleum in October, November and February. Polluting traffic is not allowed near the complex, so the tourists have to eather walk from the parking lots or catch an electric bus. The complex is opened from 06:00 to 19:00 weekdays, except for Friday, when the complex is open only for prayers at the mosque between 12:00 and 14:00. Also Taj Mahal is open for night viewing on the day of the full moon and two days before and after.

Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is a wrought iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel,whose company designed and built the tower. It was constructed in 1889 as the entrance to the 1889 World's Fair, and it wasn't intended to be permanent. The Eiffel Tower was going to be demolished in 1909, but it was saved because it was repurposed as a giant radio antenna. The Tower was completed on March 31, 1889, and it was the world's tallest man-made structure for 41 years, until the completion of the Chrysler Building in New York in 1930. It is 324 metres tall including antennas and weights 10,100 tonnes. Well, it was the tallest structure in France until the construction of a military transmitter in the town of Saissac in 1973, and its taller at 343 metres. The Eiffel Tower is possible to climb to the top, but there are 1, 665 steps. Most people take the lift.

The lifts travel a combined distance of 103,000 km a year. 300 workers, 18,038 pieces of wrought iron and 2.5 million rivets were needed to built The Eiffel Tower.Is the MOST-VISITED PAID MONUMENT IN THE WORLD: 6.98 million people in 2011. Since its opening almost 250 million people have visited the tower. During World War II, when Hitler visited Paris, the french cut the lift cables, so that Hitler would have to climb the steps if he wanted to reach the top. The Eiffel Tower was originally intended for Barcelona, Spain, but the project was rejected. Repainting the tower happens every seven years and it requires 60 tonnes of paint. Very interesting thing about the tower is that during cold weather the tower shrinks by about six inches. The tower has three levels for visitors, with restaurants on the first and second. The top level's upper platform is 276 metres above the ground. 
There are over 30 replicas of the Eiffel Tower around the world. Very outstanding fact about thus monument is that it was almost temporarily relocated to Canada in 1967.  If the Eiffel Tower was built today, it would cost about US$31 million.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge is prehistoric monument located in Wiltshire,England, about 2 miles (3km),  west of Amesbury and 8 miles (13km) north of Salisbury. This monument is over 5,000 years old.  It is older than all the pyramids of Egypt. The design of monument was changed, with stones added and removed over 1,500 years. Archaeologists believe that contruction of the site was carried out in the three main stages, which have been labeled- Stonehenge I, Stonehenge II and Stonehenge III. 
The first Stonehenge is built, an earthwork enclosure about 100 meters across enclosed by a circular ditch and two banks. Stones are raised in the centre of the enclosure using larger sarsens in two concentric arrangements and smaller 'bluestones' in a double arc between them. Many roman objects are left at Stonehenge, suggesting the site may be a place of ritual importance to Romano-British people. 14th-19th centuries-appears national interest like writers,artists and antiquarians take more interest in Stonehenge. Period 1915-1918 local landowner Cecil Chubb buys Stonehenge from the Antrobus family and gives it to the nation. 
In 1964.the last stones were consolidated. The purpose of Stonehenge's existence is debated issue. It may have been used as a memorial to commemorate leaders of the nearby tribes; as a site of miracle healing; a burial ground; or an astronomical observatory to mark the winter solstice. Whatever it's purpose, it was built with a sophisticated understanding of mathematics and geometry. Mistery of this monument is that nobody knows how the colossal stones were transported and of cource, reasons why was this site built. Eatherway,Stonehenge is the world's most beautiful prehistoric monument.

The Tower of Hercules ( la Torre de Hercules )

The Tower of Hercules is in fact a lighthouse, but one whose origins and physical existence date back to Roman times. The Tower of Hercules has served as a lighthouse and landmark at the entrance of La Coruña harbour in north-western Spain since the late 1st century. The Tower, was directed by architect Eustaquio Giannini in the 18^th century, who augmented the Roman core with two octagonal forms. The Tower is built on a 57. metre high rock, and it rises a furher 55 meters, of which 34 meters correspond to the Roman masonry and 21 meters to the restoration. Immediately, next to the base of the Tower, is a small rectangular Roman building. The site also features a sculpture park,  the Monte dos Bicos, rock carvings from the Iron Age and a Muslim cemetery. Many legends from the Middle Ages to the 19^th century surround the Tower of Hercules. According to myth, the hero Hercules kill the giant Gerion after three days and three nights of continuous battle and then buried the head of Gerion with his weapons and ordered that a city be built on the site. The city was to be called "Crunya". The lighthouse stands a top the buried head of Hercules' slain enemy. Another version gives account of Hercules after hearing of the tyrant Gerion. Hercules seeks out Gerion and the same tale of battle is told. 

The Roman foundations of the building were revealed in excavations conducted in the 1990s. The Tower of Hercules is the only fully preserved Roman lighthouse that is still used for maritime signaling, and it is testimony to the elaborate system of navigation in antiquity and it provides an understanding of the Atlantic sea route in Western Europe. The Tower of Hercules was restored in the 18th century.

 The tower is the oldest known still-functioning Roman lighthouse in the world. Sitting on the "Coast of Death", it remains a sentinel from days long past. The Romans who settled this region of Spain believed it to be the end of the world. The transition for life and death, in the Roman culture.