Isaac Toussie Touches On The Bibliotheca Alexandrina September 15, 2009
Posted by janey in : middle east , comments closedI have always found architecture fascinating. The following historical notions, says Isaac Robert Toussie, have been deemed by many in the field to be quite interesting.
Three hundred years before Christ, the then already ancient city of Alexandria in Ptolemaic Egypt was the site of the largest cultural institution in all classical antiquity, the legendary Library of Alexandria, housing all that was known at the time to Western Civilization. There was reputed to have been some seven hundred thousand volumes altogether, a third of which were later set on fire by the legions of Julius Casesar, with the remaining burned by Christians over three hundred years after Christ.
Today, over fifteen centuries later, Alexandria, Egypt, is once again host to a depository of knowledge, the Alexandrine Library, or Bibliotheca Alexandrina. A joint project between the government of Egypt and UNESCO, it is one of the most important research and study centers in the whole Middle East today, promoting education and science while enshrining cultural memories. To that end, the architect Christoph Kapeller proposed a design that is more open space than building, with an interior of five hundred and twenty-five feet across by two hundred and sixty-three feet high, its fourteen mezzanines helping to create the impression of a giant amphitheater. A tall and slender colonnade helps separate the rooms while evoking the mythic solemnity of an ancient temple. Though this new library was built over the ashes of the old one, the aim had not been to create a historic building or a futuristic building. What was wanted was a timeless structure to house the human heritage. Thus the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is cylindrical, Isaac Toussie states, with a façade bearing marks from the various symbolic systems of communication used by man and the disc-shaped roof intentionally suggestive of a microchip. The building is thick and sloped as if a robust tree had been cut at an angle, close to the roots, says Isaac Toussie.
Inside are two museums, a conference center, a planetarium, and the library proper, with the world’s largest reading room. The planetarium is a sixty-foot sphere suspended above a concave garden. There are also workshops for the restoration of manuscripts and various research facilities for the study of calligraphy, information sciences, and local municipal affairs. Back outside, the broad public square that was provided to give the whole complex an area for people to relax and socialize also serves to tie together the various structural elements of the site, including a pool planted with local vegetation that acts as a natural cleansing and filtering system for the water.
Architecture is critical to real estate values, particularly in boom times when panache and sizzle have a strong allure, Isaac Toussie says.
The instant article has submitted by me, Isaac Toussie, for informational purposes only. The reader is urged to do his/her own investigation of the thoughts and facts contained herein and should in no way rely on same.
The Dead Sea: The World’s Most Ancient Natural Spa June 8, 2009
Posted by janey in : middle east , comments closedDid you know that the Dead Sea is considered the largest and oldest natural spa in the world? The body of water is said to have a unique composition of twenty-one minerals, which naturally give the human body a world of wonders. Taking a dip in the Dead Sea can provide hair and skin nourishment, chronic pain relief and mineral infusion. Some of the minerals contained in the Dead Sea include, but are not limited to, magnesium, zinc and calcium. Thousands of people from all over the world make sure to take a stop at the Dead Sea for different reasons year after year. In fact, many travelers squeeze in a day of wellness in their Israel trip to experience total mind and body rejuvenation that only the Dead Sea and the surrounding wellness centers or spas offer. These spas and wellness centers offer a myriad of treatments that the dense number of tourists can choose from. Some of these treatments include hot stone massages, reflexology, shiatsu or Swedish massages and the ever reliable foot scrubs. There are many Dead Sea hotels eagerly waiting for these tourists to accommodate them should they wish to stay in the area for a night or two. How convenient!