6 Groups of Famous Old Windmills

photo yuankuei

Wind power has been used as long as humans have put sails into the wind. The next step was the use of wind to provide mechanical power. In the 1st century AD the Greek engineer Heron of Alexandria invented a wind-driven wheel to power an organ. The earliest windmills were built in Persia since at least the 9th century and were used to grind corn and pump water.

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8 Largest Pyramids in the World

photo Unitopia

Modern and ancient pyramids come in many forms and sizes. To determine which is the largest pyramid one could compare their heights for example. At a height of 260 meters (85 feet), the Transamerica Pyramid would certainly be a serious candidate.

Many big pyramids however come with a very large base but are not very tall. A better measure of size therefore is probably the volume of a pyramid. The volume of a pyramid can be calculated by the following formula: Length_of_base * Width_of_base * Height * 1/3. This is 54 x 54 x 260 x 1/3 = 252,720 m³ for the Transamerica Pyramid, which isn’t even close enough to be included in our list of biggest pyramids.

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12 Monumental Triumphal Arches

photo 5telios

Triumphal arches are monumental structures with at least one arched passageway and built to honor an important person or to commemorate a significant event. Although triumphal arches have been built by many nations it was the Romans who started the tradition. It is unclear when the Romans first began building triumphal arches but once the tradition became popular they created many triumphal arches that were increasingly elaborate.

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10 Old Medina Quarters to get lost in

photo rishon-lezion

The medina is the old and fortified part of a city that where built by Arabs. Their narrow and maze-like streets confused and slow downed any invading army. Nowdays the medinas are often free from car traffic because of the very narrow streets. The winding streets continue to confuse and slow down the invading tourists.

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10 Prehistoric Cave Paintings

After visiting the Altamira cave paintings in northern Spain, Pablo Picasso famously exclaimed “after Altamira, all is decadence”. He wasn’t kidding. The art in this cave and in many others that dot parts of France, Spain and other regions in the world are among the greatest pieces of art ever created. Like all great art they provide an insight into the way that people thought, even though it was tens of thousands of years ago.

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