Eiffel Tower triumphal arch. Arc de Triomphe, Paris
Anyone who has seen the TV series “Outlander” or read Diana Gabaldon’s books is wondering where the magic stones of Craigh na Dun are, with the help of which the main character Claire went back in time.
I hasten to disappoint you, the stones shown in the series are decoration; they were installed in the town of Rannoch Moor, where the time travel scenes were filmed.
However, this does not mean that stone circles did not survive in Scotland. On the contrary, such pre-history monuments are found quite often in the Scottish Highlands, where the book and film take place. True, they are often not as monumental as those shown in the series. All the stones have the following in common: the tallest is in the southwest, and near the stones you can most often find mounds with tombstones made of stones. Today we will talk about three interesting monuments of pre-history, which can well be called prototypes of Craigh na Dun.
KLAVA CARENS – CLAVA CAIRNS – STONES NEAR CULLODEN
Perhaps the most realistic prototype of Craig na Dun in terms of geographical location can be called the Clava Cairsn complex; it is located just 1.6 kilometers south-east of the very place where the battle of Culloden, disastrous for the Scottish army, took place.
True, their appearance does not resemble Craigh-na-Dun. What is more remarkable here is not the vertical stones standing in a circle, but the tombstones stacked like stone circles, towering over the mounds - they are sometimes called Scottish pyramids. And these pyramids are already surrounded by standing vertical stones.
The complex consists of three burial pyramids, together they form one common line, which runs in a dotted line along the southern valley of the Nairn River. The stone circles-tombstones located at the beginning and end of the line are not closed, they have a passage in the center, and through it you can get to the center of the structure. The central circle is solid. At the same time, the mound in the southeast of the complex is curious because its stones are decorated with famous Celtic mystical symbols.
According to scientists, initially the tombstone structures were three meters high. The central circle is surrounded by nine standing stones, the tallest of which faces southwest. By the way, there is a version that after the defeat at Culloden, it was here that many Scottish highlanders took refuge from the British, but, unfortunately, there is no documentary evidence of this. If you compare the location of the complex’s objects with a map of the starry sky, you cannot help but notice that the position of the circles and stones of Clava Cairsn coincides with the astronomical map of the northern part of the northern hemisphere of the sky, so this monument of pre-history is also considered an excellent example of ancient astrology and astronomy.
ANCIENT SANCTUARY NEAR THE VILLAGE OF KILMARTIN
Kilmartin Glen is one of the best preserved monuments of pre-history in the Highlands. The complex is located near the villages of Kilmartin and Argyll. The local sanctuary is about 3,500 years old; there are burials in the form of circles-pyramids with vertically standing stones, and a separate circle of large stones.
The complex's facilities are located at a decent distance from each other, so it will take about an hour to explore the entire Kilmartin Glen. In ancient times, this area was home to the ancient Gaelic kingdom of Dal Riada, and the stones were discovered in 1864 by Canon William Greenwell.
The local circle of vertical stones inevitably evokes associations with Outlander, since they are quite impressive. The stones are set in pairs, with each pair spaced approximately 70 meters apart, and some scientists suggest that the unusual structure was used in ancient times as an observatory to predict eclipses.
Best of all, there are usually few tourists in this area of the Highlands, so... extra people contemplation of the place will not interfere, and perhaps you will walk around the sanctuary in pleasant solitude. You are allowed to climb on the stones and touch them with your hands (just be careful! Otherwise, you might also move back in time), and here, right in the middle of the stones, well-fed Scottish sheep graze. They calmly eat the grass that grows between the sacred stones, but they do not appreciate the company of tourists - they run away when approached so that only their hooves sparkle.
CIRCLE OF STONES NEAR THE FRASEIRS CASTLE
Since Jamie comes from the Fraser clan, I can’t help but note the circle of stones that can be found one kilometer from the Fraser ancestral castle. The castle itself is located near the village of Kemnai, which is five kilometers southwest of the town of Iveruri, a circle of stones is located in an open field and in the old days it also belonged to the Frasers.
The inner part of the circle is about 20 meters in diameter, the tallest stone, as is customary, faces southwest, and inside the circle you can find traces of a Scottish pyramid. In the nineteenth century, excavations were carried out here, during which the stones began to collapse, and after that it was a pleasant decision not to touch the circle. Yes, when the Moon rises in the sky, it moves strictly between the two highest stones of the circle.
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Yulia Malkova- Yulia Malkova - founder of the website project. In the past, he was the editor-in-chief of the elle.ru Internet project and the editor-in-chief of the cosmo.ru website. I talk about travel for my own pleasure and the pleasure of my readers. If you are a representative of hotels or a tourism office, but we do not know each other, you can contact me by email: [email protected]
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The purpose of the ancient stone circles that are found in Scotland is one of the oldest mysteries in archaeology. The columnist talks about new theory their origin.
Megaliths are scattered throughout Scotland - stone piles of various shapes, often representing vertically standing boulders or wind-cut slabs forming circles.
Two of these stone circles - Stenness on the Orkney Islands and Callanish on the Isle of Lewis - are considered to be among the oldest in Britain. Their age is about 5 thousand years. And there are many more such circles in Scottish villages.
Since some of the stones weigh ten tons or more, it is obvious that their transportation was fraught with enormous difficulties.
But the true reason for the appearance of stone circles and the choice of their location remains a mystery for many centuries.
However, one group of scientists claims that the answer to this question is already known.
Researchers have found evidence that the megaliths were oriented towards cosmic bodies, that is, they are located in such a way as to quickly find the Sun, Moon and stars in the sky and observe them.
But maybe that's not all.
Illustration copyright Chmee2/CC by 3.0 Image caption The Callanish stone circle was built five thousand years agoStenness and Callanish were built about five thousand years ago, during the Neolithic era, also known as Stone Age. At that time, communities had already begun to lead a sedentary lifestyle and engage in agriculture.
Soon after this, Neolithic people began to create places to remember the dead. Megaliths became one of these places.
Tom suggested that the vertically mounted stones served as observatories
The hypothesis that these memorials were erected taking into account the then ideas about astronomy is not new.
A scientist named Alexander Thom began studying the stones scattered throughout Great Britain in the 1930s and devoted several decades to the study.
Paying attention to the geometric correctness of these structures, even if they consisted of boulders of different shapes, Tom suggested that the vertically installed stones served as observatories - places from which it was most convenient to observe the stars.
Now, more than half a century later, scientists have returned to considering this idea, as evidenced by the results of a new study published in August 2016 in the international scientific journal in archeology Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
The article examines Thom's hypothesis about the link between megaliths and astronomy in more detail and reassesses the reasons for the construction of stone circles in Scotland.
Illustration copyright Thinkstock Image caption Megaliths of Stenness on the Scottish Orkney IslandsFirst, scientists looked at the relationship between stone structures and astronomical events. They then compared the data with the terrain and altitude.
“We found that the skyline around these structures had only two different shapes - this in itself is incredible - and that the Sun and Moon were always located in this terrain at very specific points,” says lead researcher Gail Higginbottom from the University of Adelaide (Australia) - This pattern is typical for all these monuments.
According to them, the Universe obeys certain cycles and consists of opposites
Higginbottom concludes that the area where the stones were placed was chosen to show the extreme points of sunrise and sunset of the Sun and Moon.
Even in predominantly flat areas, people sought out high places to observe the most interesting movements of the Sun or Moon.
At the same time, Stenness and Callanish are considered the most ancient of such structures, the date of their appearance can be determined with sufficient high degree probabilities. The remaining stone rings were built according to this principle already in the Bronze Age.
A team of scientists led by Higginbottom applied this “astronomical” formula to a total of more than a hundred Scottish stone circles, and in each of them similar patterns in the contours of the horizon line were noticed.
“Thus, we seem to be dealing with a tradition that probably began with the construction of these two stone structures and was observed [for two thousand years],” the researcher claims.
In other areas of life of prehistoric people, we did not see anything that would confirm such a mathematical perception of the world
Although it is impossible to know exactly why megaliths were erected, Higginbottom believes that in this way people could designate those places that were “a permanent image of their perception of the Universe.”
This means that they were aware of certain cycles of the Sun and Moon, which in turn ensured their connection with nature.
“This indicates that, in their understanding, the Universe obeys certain cycles and consists of opposites: light and dark, north and south, day and night,” she said.
However, this hypothesis has many opponents.
Illustration copyright Thinkstock Image caption Sunset view from Callanish on the Isle of LewisKenneth Brophy from the University of Glasgow (Scotland) agrees that the construction of stone circles was influenced by an element of astronomy. However, in his opinion, current scientific and mathematical concepts cannot be used to understand the motives of the builders of that time.
"It's too much modern look on the world, says Brophy. “They should be studied from the point of view of the balance of power in the society of that time and not get carried away by mysterious mathematical calculations.”
“In other areas of life of prehistoric people, we did not see anything that would confirm such a mathematical perception of the world.”
Brophy is convinced that these circles are ritual in nature and are intended to become evidence of power.
Essentially, these are very large houses for the dead and spirits
Their construction sites were chosen due to their special history, which attracted people.
For example, he said, research suggests that Callanish was built in such a way that one stone circle could be seen from the second, “as if by design of the set designer.”
The stones themselves also speak volumes. Callanish is built from stones with beautiful veining and patterns, demonstrating the amazing properties of the Earth.
"People didn't look at the sky," says Brophy. "They wanted to picture the Earth."
In addition, it is obvious that public rituals were performed in megaliths, primarily the commemoration of the dead.
In some places, in particular in the famous English stone structure Stonehenge, signs of burials and cremations are found.
Gordon Noble, a researcher at the University of Aberdeen (Scotland), who specializes in Neolithic archeology, notes that the layout of many Scottish megaliths is similar to the layout of ordinary residential buildings.
However, stone circles, apparently, were built not for the living, but for the dead. “They are essentially very large houses for the dead and spirits,” he explains.
Apparently, death was a very significant phenomenon for these pagans of the Neolithic period.
Illustration copyright Thinkstock Image caption Callanish is one of the oldest stone circles in Britain"It appears that the dead continued to influence daily life" says Noble.
In his opinion, it is possible that people devoted more time to building houses for the dead than for themselves.
Although some of these structures - such as the recumbent stone circles in north-east Scotland - do appear to have links to astronomy, Noble agrees with Brophy that astronomy alone does not explain how they were built.
"I don't think if you needed to build something to mark a certain lunar cycle, you would use boulders that size," he says. "It wouldn't be necessary."
Noble argues that stone circles served not only for ritual purposes, but also to demonstrate status.
It is even possible that these stones began to symbolize the dead themselves.
Communities could compete with each other, erecting ever higher structures and thereby demonstrating their power.
Regardless of how or why megaliths were erected, it is clear that they were sacred to their builders.
“People then did not feel as safe as modern inhabitants of the Western world,” explains Higginbottom. “In those days, there was still a belief in a magical connection between objects and phenomena. People believed that by constructing these monuments, they were connecting death and nature.” .
It is even possible that these stones began to symbolize the dead themselves, whose physical shell was decaying, but the stones stood as “spectators of this magnificent celestial spectacle and the changing of the seasons,” says Higginbottom.
Pantheon. Among the famous buildings of Paris is also the Arc de Triomphe, located on Place Charles de Gaulle. Monumental and majestic, it was erected by order of Napoleon in honor of the victories of his great army.
History of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris
Napoleon signed the decree on the construction of the Arc de Triomphe on February 18, 1806. The arch should become a new symbol of the invincibility of the French army.
After Chalgrin's death, the work was continued by the architects L. Gu, J. N. Huyo and G. A. Blouet, each of whom tried to convey some of his own ideas in the building. The models for the Arc de Triomphe, despite the fact that it was built under the leadership of different people, still remained ancient Roman structures, only the French arch, according to the plans, was supposed to become much more majestic.
On August 15, 1807, the first foundation stone was laid. Construction began, which, however, was interrupted more than once, mainly for political reasons.
In 1814, Napoleon abdicated the throne. But the arch was not ready yet. Its supports rose only half the planned height. The Bourbon Empire was restored, there was no need to exalt Napoleon, so construction stopped.
8 years have passed. The idea arose again to continue the construction of the arch, but now it had a different purpose. The triumphal arch was supposed to reflect the solemnity of France's victory over. In 1830, they decided to return to the idea that the arch should still glorify the achievements of the French army during the Republic and under Napoleon. This decision turned out to be final. Six years later, on July 29, 1836, the grand opening took place.
On December 15, 1840, a funeral cortege carrying Napoleon's ashes, delivered from the island of St., was carried under the arch. Elena. Later, Thiers, Gambetta, Victor Hugo, Lazar Carnot, MacMahon, Generals Foch and Joffre, General Leclerc, and Marshal Lattre de Tassigny were honored with a solemn funeral ceremony with a stop under the arches of the Arc de Triomphe.
Features of the structure of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris
The Arc de Triomphe is located at the end of the Champs Elysees on a hill, in the center large area, which received the name in honor of the famous commander Charles de Gaulle. 12 streets branch off from this square.
The facades of the Arc de Triomphe face the Champs Elysees, descending to the Place de la Concorde, to the Tuileries Garden and to. On the other side of the arch is the Avenue de la Grande-Arme, the perspective of which ends with skyscrapers and the Grand Arch of the La Défense quarter.
The arch has a classic U-shape. The impressive size is impressive. The height of the arch is 50 meters, width is 45 meters.
The arch has one central opening. There are two more small openings on the north and south sides.
The Arc de Triomphe is crowned with a 5-meter frieze, the bas-reliefs of which tell the story of the great deeds of the French army. At the very top of the arch there is an attic - a kind of built-on wall. It is engraved with a list of 30 major battles Napoleonic army.
On each side of the arch there are relief images of the battles of Austerlitz and Aboukir.
At the top there is an observation deck, very popular among tourists. Inside the arch itself there is a small museum of the history of the arch itself.
In 1920, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier appeared at the foot of the arch, in honor of those killed in the war of 1914-1918, and the Eternal Flame was lit over the grave. The inscription on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier reads: “Here lies a soldier who gave his life for his Motherland, 1914-1919.”
In 1986, the Arc de Triomphe turned 150 years old. Over the course of a century and a half, it has deteriorated quite badly: the bas-reliefs have cracked, the connections between the stones have weakened. To avoid accidents due to possible falling stones, protective nets were installed here. The examination showed that the cause of the “illness” of the arch was pollution and the effects of rain, which caused uneven settlement of the monument. To save this symbol of national greatness, a number of measures were proposed: strengthening the upper part of the monument and facades, restoring sculptures, strengthening the foundation by injecting concrete, filling the space between stones, etc. The cost of all these operations amounted to 35 million francs. Part of this amount is allocated by the Ministry of Culture, and part comes in the form of donations from individuals and organizations. The complete restoration of the Arc de Triomphe was completed by 1990.
The Arc de Triomphe is perhaps known all over the world. This is one of the national symbols of France. Nowadays, official events are held near the Arc de Triomphe: holidays, parades, processions.
Arc de Triomphe in Paris (France) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.
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The majestic Arc de Triomphe - famous architectural monument and simply a symbol of Paris, located on Place Charles de Gaulle.
Construction of the arch began by order of Emperor Napoleon after the Battle of Austerlitz in 1806. The construction of one foundation took about two years; the arch acquired its final form only in 1836, when Bonaparte was already resting on the island of St. Helena in his grave. A century later, in 1921, the remains of the Unknown Soldier who died in the First World War were buried under the arch's arches.
Interesting fact: when Paris awaited the visit of Empress Marie-Louise in 1810, the arch was not yet ready. Then, on the stone foundation, a “decoration” of the future arch was created from boards and canvas.
The two main sculptural groups face the center - the famous “La Marseillaise” by Ryud (“Departure of the Volunteers of 1792”) and “Triumph of 1810” by Cortot with Napoleon in the center. On the sides of the arch are bas-reliefs of the triumphal victories of the imperial army. You can also find our compatriots from the side of Wagram Street (victory at Austerlitz).
Arc de Triomphe
Today, the tradition of lighting the Memorial Flame is directly connected with the majestic arch. The arch is decorated with stunning bas-reliefs by F. Ryud. Inside the monument there is a museum of the same name; in addition, anyone can climb observation deck, offering a beautiful view of Paris.
