December 1, 2016

Hey guys, I am at the Taj Mahal it is the crowning jewel of the Islamic religion. It was built in Agra, India for Mumtaz Mahal the favorite wife, who died during childbirth, of Mughal emperor Shan Jahan. Construction began in 1632 and required more than 20,000 workers to build the white marbled masterpiece. The Taj Mahal has 16 rooms and two floors with eight rooms on each floor. People bring gems and flowers to the Taj Mahal as a offering. Nearly 45,000 people visit the Taj Mahal a day at peak tourist season.Te white marble is starting to yellow due to pollution, the government has issued a "no pollution zone" around it to help slow the yellowing. The Taj Mahal's dome symbolizes the religions religious diversity, the building also includes a mosque. Thanks for reading talk to you soon.

December 3, 2016

Hey guys, The St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia was built by Ivan the Terrible in 1554. The church was built in honor of the military victories in the 1550's. The stories of Ivan's terrible temper are quite grotesque one of which includes him blinding the Italian architect that way the design of the church could never be copied. The church is sacred because it was also dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The Cathedral is made up of nine different chapels. The original was said to be white with gold domes before it was painted in the 17th century to the beautiful colors we see today. The St Basil Cathedral was at risk for being destroyed to make more room in the square. An architect sent a telegram to Stalin saying he would rather kill himself then see it get torn down. The Cathedral was speared and remained a landmark. Thanks for reading talk to you guys soon next I am going to the Dome of Rock.

December 5, 2016

Hey guys, The Dome of Rock is a shrine located in the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was built in 691 CE at the order of Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik. The original dome collapsed in 1016 an it was rebuilt in 1021. The dome is sacred because the stone is where Abraham was going to sacrifice his son. The Dome of Rock is one of the holiest sites on Earth. Jerusalem which is on sacred land to many religions, there have been many fights over who the land belongs to. The dome has also been fought over by many religions. Thanks for reading talk to you soon.

December 7, 2016

Hey guys, The Bodh Gaya is sacred site of Buddhism. It is said to be the place where Buddha obtained Enlightenment under what became known as a Bodhi tree. The Bodh Gaya is located in Bihar, India. It is the most sacred site in all of the Buddhism religion. To Buddhist the Bodh Gaya is the most important of the main four pilgrimage sites. It has been names the UNESCO World Heritage site. The temple did not come into use until 18th Century (Historically). Thanks for reading, next up Indonesia.

December 9, 2016

Hey guys, The Pura Besakih is a temple in Bali, Indonesia. It is the largest and the holiest temple in the Hindu religion. It is part of a complex of 23 temples. The temple represents the megalithic stepped pyramids, and it is used as a Hindu place of worship. The temple was spared from the lava of the volcano Mount Agung and it was taken as a sign from the Gods that Pura Besakih is a sacred place. The temple has many sets of stairs that ascend into courtyards and brick gateways. The entire temple is designed on one axis to lead the spiritual person upward closer to the mountain. The symbolic center is the lotus throne in the main sanctuary is the ritual focus of the entire complex. This has been an amazing trip, thank you for being apart of it.