Central Asia

I decided to visit the Babur Gardens in Afghanistan. These gardens are thought to be over 400 years old, the exact origin date is not known. This is a known tomb and was a pilgrimage for many Muslims in the 1600s. As I was walking through the garden I felt very at peace with myself, the plant life was just beautiful, and it took all worries of my upcoming six-page research paper away. It was lush and green; I did not expect it to be as green as I always viewed Afghanistan as a desert area. It was very relaxing to wander around and I would recommend it to anybody going to Afghanistan.



I also visited the capital city of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat. I was surprised to see that it was actually very modern. I guess I thought that everyone in Central Asia was nomadic goat herders and boy was I wrong! All over were people  with lives not unlike mine in America. The city was very beautiful with buildings like the Ertuğrul Gazi Mosque and Oguzkhan Presidential Palace. Founded in 1881 I found the city very similar to American cities. Overall it was a great trip that was an eye open the whole way.

Russia

We're off to Mother Russia! I arrived in the largest city in Russia as the sun was setting. As I flew into Moscow, the heart of the city was lit with the lights of the Kremlin and Saint Basil's Cathedral, both of which I would visit later. The Kremlin is made up of many cathedrals and walls including one of the most famous Saint Basil's in the Red Square. Saint Basil's Cathedral finished its construction in 1560. It was built to commemorate the capture of Kazan from the Mongols in 1552. Originally white with gold domes to match the Kremlin it was redecorated in 1860 which is the present colored designs. It certainly is a site of historical significance relating to Russia as a country and the Russian Orthodox Church.



 I continued on to the Grand Kremlin Palace which is the biggest building in the Kremlin and the official residence of the Russian President although rarely used for that. Construction on this 25,000 square meter building ended in 1849 and housed the imperial family of Moscow's tsar but as times changed it slowly changed uses from a residence to a reception building and museum bringing in people from all over the world, like Ronald Reagan in 1988.

Europe

So much history in this place! Next up was a trip to Europe. I visited many sites but the most interesting were probably, the Colosseum in Rome, Italy and  the Parthenon in Athens Greece. Built in 70 A.D. the Colosseum was built for the entertainment of the Roman people. The Colosseum was used to host gladiator fights where gladiators, condemned criminals, animals or other gladiators entertained the crowds with fights to the death. The Colosseum was also built with a great deal of tunnels underneath it to house these gladiators and animals until the fights, and also with seating for 50,000 so everyone could come see the gruesome show.

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Athens, Greece was a blast! Everything was very cool but the Parthenon was hard to beat. At 45ft and weighing in at 22,000lbs this was the most massive marble temple ever in that time. It sat atop the acropolis with a giant statue of Athena, after which Athens was named, standing inside watching and guarding her city. I also found out that this Greek architecture was used as the basis for some very important buildings of today.

Southwest Asia / North Africa

This trip through SW Asia I visited two sites, The Burj Khalifa and the Pyramids of Giza. When I arrived at the foot of the Burj Khalfia, located in the United Arab Emirates, I was astonished by it's sheer size. It is the tallest building in the world holding the top spot with 2,722ft of gleaming tower to catch the eye of any onlooker from miles away. How was it paid for you ask? Oil. Lots of oil.

Next I arrived in Egypt, a land being ripped apart by social unrest, an unstable government, and crumbling infrastructure, but it was not always this way. Egypt used to be a land of pharaohs, mummies and gods, and everyone else was envious. Built in a period of about 85 years starting in 2630 B.C.,  these pyramids were some of ancient architects greatest feats of the time as well as some of the biggest. The Great Pyramid, which is the tallest and oldest, stands at about 481ft. Even after visiting I was still left with questions. Did the aliens help build them? Is there some other secret meaning behind these monstrous tombs? Are they really cursed? I guess the world may never know.