Sunday 8 November 2009

Warwick Castle

Warwick is a city on River Avon. A school Tour has given me this opportunity to visit this beautiful city. Due to lack of enough historic-knowledge about United Kindom, I have used WIKIPEDIA (sorry teachers; wikipedia is the easist way) to introduce this medival chateau.

Here you are:

Warwick Castle (pronounced /ˈwɒrɪk/) is a medieval castle in Warwick, the county town of Warwickshire, England. It sits on a cliff overlooking a bend in the River Avon. Warwick Castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1068 within or adjacent to Anglo-Saxon burh of Warwick. It was used as a fortification until the early 17th century, when Sir Fulke Greville converted it to a country house. It was owned by the Greville family, who became earls of Warwick in 1759, until 1978
From 1088, the castle traditionally belonged to the Earl of Warwick, and it served as a symbol of his power. The castle was taken in 1153 by Henry of Anjou, later Henry II. It has been used to hold prisoners, including some from the Battle of Poitiers in the 14th century. Under the ownership of Richard Neville – also known as "Warwick the Kingmaker" – Warwick Castle was used in the 15th century to imprison the English king, Edward IV.
Since its construction in the 11th century, the castle has undergone structural changes with additions of towers and redesigned residential buildings. Originally a wooden motte-and-bailey, it was rebuilt in stone in the 12th century. During the Hundred Years War, the facade opposite the town was refortified, resulting in one of the most recognisable examples of 14th century military architecture.
In the 17th century the grounds were turned into a garden. Warwick Castle was purchased by The Tussauds Group in 1978 and opened as a tourist attraction. It is protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument[1] and a Grade I listed building.

Location:

Warwick Castle is situated on a sandstone bluff at a bend of the River Avon. The river, which runs below the castle on the east side, has eroded the rock the castle stands on, forming a cliff. The river and cliff form natural defences. The castle is in the town of Warwick; when construction began in 1068 four houses belonging to the Abbot of Coventry were demolished to provide room. The castle's position made it strategically important in safeguarding the Midlands against rebellion.[3] During the 12th century, King Henry I was suspicious of Roger de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Warwick. To counter the earl's influence, Henry bestowed Geoffrey de Clinton with a position of power rivalling that of the earl.[4] The lands he was given included Kenilworth – a castle of comparative size, cost, and importance,[5] and rebuilt in stone by Clinton[6] – which is about 8 kilometres (5 mi) to the north. Warwick Castle is about 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) from Warwick railway station and less than 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) from junction 15 of the M40 motorway; it is also close to Birmingham International Airport.[7]






Source: Wikipedia

Tourist atttraction in Persian Gulf

Qeshm Island (Persian Gulf)

Area: 1,491 km2 (576 sq mi)
Length: 135 km (84 mi)
Width: 40 km (25 mi)

Population: 100,000

Location:
Qeshm Island is located a few kilometers off the southern coast of Iran, opposite the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Bandar Khamir. The island, which hosts a 300 square kilometer free zone jurisdiction, is 135 km long, and lies strategically in the Strait of Hormuz, just 60 kilometers from the Omani port of Khosab, and about 180 kilometers from the UAE port of Rashia. The island, at its widest point, located near the center of the island, spans 40 kilometers. Similarly, at it narrowest point, the island spans 9.4 kilometers. The island has a surface are of 1491 square kilometers and is 2.5 times the size of Bahrain. Qeshm city, located at the easternmost point of the island, is 22 kilometers from Bandar Abbas while the closest point of the island is but two kilometers from the mainland.

Temperature:
The average temperature on the island is approximately 27 °C. The warmest months are June through August, and the coldest from October to January. The average rainfall is 183.2 mm.

The island comprises 59 towns and villages and the population is approximately 100,000. The local population is involved in fishing, dhow construction, trade and services. An additional 30,000 are involved in administrative and industrial workforce and students.

Explorer William Baffin was mortally wounded on Qeshm in 1622 during a battle against Portuguese forces.


Source: Wikipeida

Saturday 7 November 2009

Sound of Silence

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDYxgDO5bCI

First Just listen to this song! then think!
It is a beautiful song, therefore, I have decided to share this song with my friends.