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Wikipedia Star Wars locations pages part 3
Ksar
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For the town and commune in Mauritania, see Ksar, Mauritania. For the racehorse, see Ksar (horse).
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Ruins of the ksar at Timimoun, Algeria
Ksar Aït Benhaddou, Morocco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987
Ksar or Ksour (Maghrebi Arabic: قصر qser, plural qsur) is the North African Meghrebi Arabic term for "castle", possibly loaned from Latin castrum.
The Berber (Amazigh) original word for "ksar" used in North Africa by the Berber-speaking populations is aghrem (singular) or igherman (plural). In the Maghreb, the term has a more general meaning of "fortified village,"or "fort". The Berber word igherman might be a cognate word, with an identical meaning, with the word Garamantes, which is the name of the ancient Berber city-states in modern-day Libya.
Ksour in the Maghreb typically consist of attached houses, often having collective granaries and other structures like a mosque, bath, oven, and shops. Ksour / igherman are widespread among the oasis populations of North Africa. Ksars are sometimes situated in mountain locations to make defense easier; they often are entirely within a single, continuous wall. The building material of the entire structure is normally adobe, or cut stone and adobe. The idea of the ksar as a granary is a confused notion of two things, the granary itself, found within a ksar, and the ksar, which is a village, normally with granaries within it. Ksars form one of the main manifestations of Berber architecture.
The word is part of place names across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, — the region called the Maghreb; and is particularly prevalent on the Saharan side of the various ranges of the Atlas Mountains and the valley of the Draa River. The Spanish terms Alcázar and Portuguese Alcácer are derived from this North African Arabic word, and appear in place names and buildings originating as fortresses.
Places named Ksar[edit]
Main article: Qasr (disambiguation)
View of Ksar Hallouf, TunisiaKsar es-Seghir, Moroccan stronghold in the Straits of Gibraltar, between Tangier and Ceuta
Ksar-el-Kebir, location of the Battle of Al Kasr al Kebir, influenced Moroccan, Portuguese and Spanish history
Ksar Nalut, Libya
Ksar Ouled Soltane, Tunisia
See also[edit]
Maghreb placename etymology
Alcázar (also Alcácer or Alcasser)
Ribat
External links[edit]
www.ksour-tunisiens.com Complete documentation of all ksour of southern Tunisia, Herbert Popp & Abdelfettah Kassah
Categories: Ksour
Arabic words and phrases
Berber architecture
Fortification in Africa
Sahara
Villages
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Ksar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For the town and commune in Mauritania, see Ksar, Mauritania. For the racehorse, see Ksar (horse).
Question book-new.svg
This article relies largely or entirely upon a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. (September 2013)
Ruins of the ksar at Timimoun, Algeria
Ksar Aït Benhaddou, Morocco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987
Ksar or Ksour (Maghrebi Arabic: قصر qser, plural qsur) is the North African Meghrebi Arabic term for "castle", possibly loaned from Latin castrum.
The Berber (Amazigh) original word for "ksar" used in North Africa by the Berber-speaking populations is aghrem (singular) or igherman (plural). In the Maghreb, the term has a more general meaning of "fortified village,"or "fort". The Berber word igherman might be a cognate word, with an identical meaning, with the word Garamantes, which is the name of the ancient Berber city-states in modern-day Libya.
Ksour in the Maghreb typically consist of attached houses, often having collective granaries and other structures like a mosque, bath, oven, and shops. Ksour / igherman are widespread among the oasis populations of North Africa. Ksars are sometimes situated in mountain locations to make defense easier; they often are entirely within a single, continuous wall. The building material of the entire structure is normally adobe, or cut stone and adobe. The idea of the ksar as a granary is a confused notion of two things, the granary itself, found within a ksar, and the ksar, which is a village, normally with granaries within it. Ksars form one of the main manifestations of Berber architecture.
The word is part of place names across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, — the region called the Maghreb; and is particularly prevalent on the Saharan side of the various ranges of the Atlas Mountains and the valley of the Draa River. The Spanish terms Alcázar and Portuguese Alcácer are derived from this North African Arabic word, and appear in place names and buildings originating as fortresses.
Places named Ksar[edit]
Main article: Qasr (disambiguation)
View of Ksar Hallouf, TunisiaKsar es-Seghir, Moroccan stronghold in the Straits of Gibraltar, between Tangier and Ceuta
Ksar-el-Kebir, location of the Battle of Al Kasr al Kebir, influenced Moroccan, Portuguese and Spanish history
Ksar Nalut, Libya
Ksar Ouled Soltane, Tunisia
See also[edit]
Maghreb placename etymology
Alcázar (also Alcácer or Alcasser)
Ribat
External links[edit]
www.ksour-tunisiens.com Complete documentation of all ksour of southern Tunisia, Herbert Popp & Abdelfettah Kassah
Categories: Ksour
Arabic words and phrases
Berber architecture
Fortification in Africa
Sahara
Villages
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Ghorfa
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Multi-level ghorfas, as seen at Ksar Ouled Soltane in southern Tunisia. Photographed by Andy Carvin.
A ghorfa (Arabic: غرفة room) is a vaulted room used by the Berber people for storing grain. Ghorfas are often stacked as multi-story structures, sometimes reaching four stories high. Traditionally, ghorfas were grouped together as a ksar, a fortification used by Berber villages in North Africa to store large amounts of grain. Ghorfas were featured prominently in the film Star Wars: The Phantom Menace as the slave quarters of Mos Espa, home to Anakin Skywalker. These scenes in the film show ghorfas from several locations in southern Tunisia, including Ksar Ouled Soltane and Ksar Hadada.
Source[edit]
Lonely Planet Tunisia, 3rd edition
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Palace of Caserta
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UNESCO World Heritage Site
18th-Century Royal Palace at Caserta with the Park, the Aqueduct of Vanvitelli, and the San Leucio Complex
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
La Reggia dal Parco
The view down the cascade to the Palace of Caserta
Country
Italy
Type
Cultural
Criteria
i, ii, iii, iv
Reference
549
UNESCO region
Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription
1997 (21st Session)
The Royal Palace of Caserta (Italian: Reggia di Caserta, Italian pronunciation: [ˌrɛddʒa di kaˈzɛrta]) is a former royal residence in Caserta, southern Italy, constructed for the Bourbon kings of Naples. It was the largest palace and one of the largest buildings erected in Europe during the 18th century. In 1997, the Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, described in its nomination as "the swan song of the spectacular art of the Baroque, from which it adopted all the features needed to create the illusions of multidirectional space".[1]
Contents
[hide] 1 History
2 The park
3 Film locations
4 See also
5 Notes
6 Further reading
7 External links
History[edit]
Map
The construction of the palace was begun in 1752 for Charles VII of Naples, who worked closely with his architect Luigi Vanvitelli. When Charles saw Vanvitelli's grandly-scaled model for Caserta it filled him with emotion "fit to tear his heart from his breast". In the end, he never slept a night at the Reggia, as he abdicated in 1759 to become King of Spain, and the project was carried to only partial completion for his third son and successor, Ferdinand IV of Naples.
The political and social model for Vanvitelli's palace was Versailles, which, though it is strikingly different in its variety and disposition, solves similar problems of assembling and providing for king, court and government in a massive building with the social structure of a small city, confronting a baroque view of a highly subordinated nature, la nature forcée.[2] The Royal Palace of Madrid, where Charles had grown up, which had been devised by Filippo Juvarra for Charles' father, Philip V of Spain, and Charlottenburg Palace provided models. A spacious octagonal vestibule seems to have been inspired by Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute in Venice, while the palatine chapel is most often compared to Robert de Cotte's royal chapel at Versailles.
The king's primary object was to have a magnificent new royal court and administrative center for the Kingdom in a location protected from sea attack.
Vanvitelli died in 1773: the construction was continued by his son Carlo and then by other architects; but the elder Vanvitelli's original project, which included a vast pair of frontal wings similar to Bernini's wings at St. Peter's, was never finished.
The palace has some 1,200 rooms, including two dozen state apartments, a large library, and a theatre modelled after the Teatro San Carlo of Naples.
Main façade of the palace.
The Honour Grand Staircase.
The throne room.
The Diana and Actaeon Fountain at the feet of the Grand Cascade.
The population of Caserta Vecchia was moved 10 kilometers to provide a work force closer to the palace. A silk manufactory at San Leucio resort was disguised as a pavilion in the immense parkland.
A monumental avenue that would run 20 kilometers between the Palace and Naples was planned but never realized.
At the end of World War II, the royal palace served as the seat of the Supreme Allied Commander. In April 1945 the palace was the site of the signing of terms of the unconditional German surrender of forces in Italy. The agreement covered between 600,000 and 900,000 soldiers along the Italian Front including troops in sections of Austria. The first Allied war trial took place in the palace in 1945; German general Anton Dostler was sentenced to death and executed nearby, in Aversa.[3]
The palace has a rectangular plan, measuring 247 x 184 m. The four sides are connected by two orthogonal arms, forming four inner courts, each measuring more than 3,800 m2 (40,903 sq ft). Of all the royal palaces in the world, Caserta is by far the largest in terms of volume, with more than 2 million m³ (70 million cu ft).[4]
Behind the facades of its matching segmental ranges of outbuildings that flank the giant forecourt, a jumble of buildings arose to facilitate daily business. In the left hand arc was built as barracks. Here, later, during World War II the soldiers of the US Fifth Army recovered in a "rest centre". From 1923 to 1943 the palace was the location of the Accademia Aeronautica, the Italian Air Force Academy.
Of all the royal residences inspired by the Palace of Versailles, the Reggia of Caserta is the one that bears the greatest resemblance to the original model: the unbroken balustraded skyline, the slight break provided by pavilions within the long, somewhat monotonous facade. As at Versailles, a large aqueduct was required to bring water for the prodigious water displays. Like its French predecessor, the palace was intended to display the power and grandeur of an absolute Bourbon monarchy. A solecism at Caserta is that above the piano reale, the King's floor, is another floor of equal magnificence. The enfilades of Late Baroque saloni were the heart and seat of government, as well as displays of national wealth. Caserta provided a royal refuge from the dust and factions of the capital, just as Versailles had freed Louis XIV from Paris. The royal palace has more than 40 monumental rooms completely decorated with frescoes (for example, Versailles only counts 22 monumental rooms with frescoes). The inland location was more defensible than the old Royal Palace in Naples, which fronted the Bay of Naples and hence was vulnerable to attack from the sea. To provide the King with suitable protection, troop barracks were housed within the palace.
The wide central entrance carriageway has, today, been incorporated into the city's automobile circulation.
The park[edit]
The garden, a typical example of the baroque extension of formal vistas, stretches for 120 ha, partly on hilly terrain. It is inspired by the park of Versailles, but it is commonly regarded as superior in beauty. The park starts from the back façade of the palace, flanking a long alley with artificial fountains and cascades. There is a botanical garden, called "The English Garden," in the upper part designed in the 1780s by Carlo Vanvitelli and the German-born botanist, nurseryman, plantsman-designer John Graefer, trained in London and recommended to Sir William Hamilton by Sir Joseph Banks.[5] It is an early Continental example of an "English garden" in the svelte naturalistic taste of Capability Brown.
The fountains and cascades, each filling a vasca ("basin"), with architecture and hydraulics by Luigi Vanvitelli at intervals along a wide straight canal that runs to the horizon, rivalled those at Peterhof outside St. Petersburg. These include:
The Fountain of Diana and Actaeon (sculptures by Paolo Persico, Brunelli, Pietro Solari);
The Fountain of Venus and Adonis (1770–80);
The Fountain of the Dolphins (1773–80);
The Fountain of Aeolus;
The Fountain of Ceres.
A large population of figures from classical Antiquity were modelled by Gaetano Salomone for the gardens of the Reggia, and executed by large workshops.
Film locations[edit]
The Caserta Palace has been used as a filming location in a number of movie productions. In 1997 it served as a filming location for Star Wars when it was used as the setting for Queen Amidala's Royal Palace on Naboo in the 1999 film Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. It featured again in the 2002 film Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones as Queen Jamilla's palace.
The same room was also used in Mission: Impossible III as Vatican City. In fact, the square where the Lamborghini is blown up is actually the square inside the Palace.
The main staircase is also used in Angels & Demons as the Vatican's staircase. The mezzo soprano Cecilia Bartoli used the palace as primary location for the film L'art des castrats that accompanies her album Sacrificium, dedicated to the music written for the castrato singers of the baroque period.
The Palace featured in Beautiful But Dangerous starring Gina Lollobrigida in 1955 and in the opening scenes of the film Anzio from 1968 starring Robert Mitchum.
See also[edit]
List of Baroque residences
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Unesco site evaluation.
2.Jump up ^ Siegfried Giedion (1941) Space, Time and Architecture pp 133ff.
3.Jump up ^ Anthony Cave Brown (1984). The last hero: Wild Bill Donovan. Vintage Books.
4.Jump up ^ "Royal Palace of Caserta guide, page 6, box: "I numeri della Reggia di Caserta"".
5.Jump up ^ Alice M. Coats, "Forgotten Gardeners, II: John Graefer" The Garden History Society Newsletter No. 16 (February 1972), pp. 4–7.
Further reading[edit]
Attlee, Helena (2006). Italian Gardens - A Cultural History (paperback). London: Frances Lincoln. pp. 240 pages. ISBN 978-0-7112-3392-8.
Hersey, George. Architecture, Poetry, and Number in the Royal Palace at Caserta, (Cambridge: MIT Press) 1983. Caserta interpreted through the Neapolitan philosopher Giambattista Vico
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Palace of Caserta.
Official website
Reggia Palace of Caserta
History and Information in Italian and English
CBC Archives CBC Radio reports on signing of the terms of an unconditional surrender of German forces on the Italian Front at the Palace on May 2, 1945.
Photo Gallery by Leonardo Bellotti ‹See Tfd›(Italian)
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Royal Palace of Caserta
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Coordinates: 41°04′12″N 14°19′33″E
Categories: Palaces in Italy
Royal residences in Italy
Buildings and structures in Campania
Art museums and galleries in Italy
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Neoclassical architecture in Italy
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Matmata, Tunisia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For the French rock band, see Matmatah. For the town in New Zealand, see Matamata. For the turtle, see Mata mata.
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2008)
Matmata (Arabic: مطماطة Maṭmāṭah) is a small Berber speaking town in southern Tunisia. Some of the local Berber residents live in traditional underground "troglodyte" structures. In 2004 it had a population of 2,116.[1]
The structures typical for the village are created by digging a large pit in the ground. Around the perimeter of this pit artificial caves are then dug to be used as rooms, with some homes comprising multiple pits, connected by trench-like passageways.
Contents
[hide] 1 History 1.1 Ancient history
1.2 Modern rediscovery
2 In popular culture
3 References
4 External links
History[edit]
Troglodyte house
Ancient history[edit]
The origin of this extraordinary place is not known, except from tales carried from generation to generation. The most improbable account says that underground homes were first built in ancient times, when the Roman empire sent two Egyptian tribes to make their own homes in the Matmata region, after one of the Punic wars, with permission to kill every human being in their way. The dwellers of the region had to leave their homes and to dig caves in the ground to hide from those invaders, but they left their underground shelters in the night to attack invaders, which appeared to be very effective in sending the killer groups away from Matmâta. A myth was made those days, that monsters emerge from beneath the ground and kill land usurpers. In any case, the underground settlements remained hidden in very hostile area for centuries, and no one had any knowledge of their existence until 1967.
The way of survival in those severe conditions was difficult: since Tunisia is famous for prolific olive oil production, the men went searching for work north of the villages every spring, when the olive season began, getting back home in autumn, when the season was over. They were usually paid in olive oil, which they traded for other goods (in present days for money), and thus provided enough food, clothes and other things for normal life of their families.
Panorama of the Berber town of Matmata, January 2011.
Modern rediscovery[edit]
It was not generally known until 1967 that there were regular settlements in this area besides wandering nomadic tribes.
A welcoming sight in Tunisia
That year, intensive rains that lasted for 22 days inundated the troglodyte homes and caused many of them to collapse. In order to get help from the authorities, a delegation was sent to the community center of the region in the town of Gabès. The visit came as a surprise, but help was provided, and the above-ground settlement of Matmâta was built. However, most of the people continued their lives in re-built underground homes, and only a few of the families moved to the new surface dwellings.
Today, Matmata is a popular tourist attraction, and most of the population lives on tourism and folklore exhibitions in their homes.
In popular culture[edit]
The Hotel Sidi Driss which featured as Luke Skywalker's home on the planet Tatooine in the Star Wars movies. Note the remaining set pieces incorporated into the walls.The Hotel Sidi Driss in Matmata was used in 1976 as a filming location for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in which it featured as the home of Luke Skywalker, his Aunt Beru Lars and Uncle Owen Lars on the planet Tatooine. The hotel is designed as a traditional Berber troglodyte underground building. It featured again in the 2002 prequel film Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.[2][3]
One of Call of Duty 2's missions and multiplayer maps takes place in Matmâta as part of North African Campaign.
Matmâta is also set to star in the upcoming film La soif noire, an adaptation of the book from Swiss author Hans Ruesch starring Antonio Banderas and Freida Pinto.[4]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Recensement de 2004 (Institut national de la statistique)". Ins.nat.tn. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
2.Jump up ^ Carvin, Andy (25 January 2006). "The real Star Wars?". Associated Press. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
3.Jump up ^ Daniel Jacobs and Peter Morris (2001). "Jedi Stomping Ground". Tunisia (6th ed. ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 319. ISBN 9781858287485.
4.Jump up ^ "Matmata accueille bientôt une grosse production" (in French). La Presse de Tunisie. September 24, 2010.
External links[edit]
Look up troglodyte in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Matmata.
Sidi Driss Hotel on Wookieepedia: a Star Wars wiki
A travel report from Matmata
A below-ground level view of The Hotel Sidi Driss (the Lars Homestead on Tatooine).
The Real Star Wars? - Associated Press article, videos and photo gallery about Matmata by Andy Carvin
Matmata has many of the best examples of troglodyte architecture in the world.
Visitors' guide to Hotel Sidi Driss
Coordinates: 33°32′33.5″N 09°58′0.5″E
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Ajim
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Ajim
Ajim is located in Tunisia
Ajim
Location in Tunisia
Coordinates: 33°43′N 10°45′E
Country
Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia
Governorate
Medenine
Population (2004)
• Total
24,166
Time zone
CET (UTC1)
Ajim (Arabic: أجيم Aǧīm) is a commune and port located on the Island of Djerba off the west coast of Tunisia. It is Djerba's main fishing port and the closest city to the African continent. It had a population of 24,166 at the 2004 census. The city and surrounding areas were used as a filming location for Star Wars. Tourists can visit buildings featured in the original movie, including Obi-Wan Kenobi's house and the Mos Eisley Cantina.
Topographic Map & Satellite View[edit]
Djerba topographic map in French.
Djerba satellite view.
References[edit]
http://theswca.com/travel/tunisia/ajim/ajim.html
Coordinates: 33°43′N 10°45′E
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Communes of Tunisia
Djerba
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Tozeur
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Tozeur
Tuzer / ⵜⵓⵣⴻⵔ / توزر
Habib Bourguiba Avenue, Tozeur
Tozeur is located in Tunisia
Tozeur
Location in Tunisia
Coordinates: 33°55′N 8°8′E
Country
Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia
Governorate
Tozeur Governorate
Population (2004)
• Total
32,400
Time zone
CET (UTC1)
Sahara around Tozeur
Tozeur (Arabic: توزر, Berber: Tuzer / ⵜⵓⵣⴻⵔ) is an oasis and a city in south west Tunisia. The city is located North West of Chott el-Djerid, in between this Chott and the smaller Chott el-Gharsa. It is the capital of the Tozeur Governorate.
With hundreds of thousands of palm trees, Tozeur is a large oasis. The dates that are exported from Tozeur are very well known. In ancient times, before the advent of motorized vehicles, the oasis was important for the transportation through the Sahara, which took place in caravans. The name of the city in antiquity was Tusuros, it was an important Roman outpost.
In the medina (old city) of Tozeur, one can find traditional architecture, fashion and workmanship. Like elsewhere in Tunisia, the local population is generally very hospitable towards tourists, and there are also many tourist facilities. From Tozeur one can make trips on a camel, explore the Sahara Desert and get to know the Chott el-Djerid, where one can see Fata Morgana mirages.
Contents
[hide] 1 Architecture
2 Weather
3 Transport
4 Economy
5 Banking and Money
6 Sport
7 Famous people
8 Trivia
9 External links
Architecture[edit]
Tozeur, in common with the surrounding Jerid region, is noted for its yellow/brownish brickwork as well as its fascinating patterns in simple and rich geometric designs form the façades of most buildings in the old city and the new tourist zone.
A local in traditional Berber clothing in the Medina
The unique brickwork of the old streets in the medina quarter
Another example of brick artistry in Tozeur's old city
The old town of Ouled El Hwadef is an exquisite example of the local brickwork. Mandated by the local government, the narrow streets, walls and facades were decorated with bricks, resulting in one of the most distinct and beautiful architectural styles of Tunisia. This work took more than 10 years to complete and the result is a must-see.
Weather[edit]
Although the weather is pleasant most of the year, the summer months can be extreme. Temperature can reach 45° outside. The average yearly weather is :
Month
Avg. High
Avg. Low
Avg. Precip.
January 58.5°F / 15°C 39.4°F / 4°C 0.90in / 21 mm
February 62.6°F / 17°C 41.7°F / 5.5°C 0.70in / 15 mm
March 67.5°F / 20°C 45.9°F / 8°C 0.90in / 21 mm
April 74.5°F / 24°C 51.3°F / 11°C 0.50in / 13 mm
May 83.7°F / 29°C 58.6°F / 15°C 0.50in / 13 mm
June 92.7°F / 34°C 65.7°F / 19°C 0.40in / 10 mm
July 98.2°F / 37°C 70.3°F / 21°C 0.00in / 0 mm
August 97.2°F / 36°C 70.7°F / 21.5°C 0.30in / 10 mm
September 88.9°F / 32°C 65.8°F / 19°C 0.90in / 21 mm
October 78.3°F / 26°C 57.2°F / 14°C 0.80in / 20 mm
November 67.6°F / 20°C 47.1°F / 8.5°C 0.70in / 16 mm
December 59.7°F / 15°C 40.5°F / 5°C 1.10in / 29 mm
The best time to visit the region would be in the fall or the winter, where hotels are not full and the city is the middle of its palm dates harvest. In fact the international festival of oases takes place during this time of the year (Nov/Dec.).
Transport[edit]
Tozeur–Nefta International Airport
The city is served by buses, taxis, railway, louage (shared or group taxi), and Tozeur – Nefta International Airport with national and international services from London, Paris, Rome and few other European countries (international flight services are mostly during the summer tourism season). Tozeur lies on the edge of the Sahara desert. Tourism activity is more lively in the fall and winter months with Douz Festival among others in late December
The city has plenty of car rental agencies (AVIS, HERTZ, etc...) where one can rent a car without prior reservation. Visitors are advised to plan ahead especially during the peak tourism season (Summer and Fall)
Within the city limits, there is a reasonable taxi service (24 hrs a day) that is priced reasonably. Taxis can take you anywhere if you do not feel like walking.
Otherwise walking within the city limits, the old city to the tourist zone is possible and in fact fun to see.
Economy[edit]
Medina entrance
Although still the largest part of the local economy, dates and farming are becoming less appealing to the young, preferring the 'fun' and unstable business of tourism and contact with westerners.
Tourism is heavily developed and promoted, and Tozeur is considered a center of "desert tourism" (Arabic: السياحة الصحراوية). This becomes very evident if one visits the city during the "International Festival of Oases" (Arabic: المهرجان الدولي للواحات بتوزر) in November/December of every year.
Tozeur market
The government initiated two large scale projects:
1.Tapping of deep aquifers by wells, this led to a series of severe problems
Depletion of most natural springs (Tozeur is very famous for these springs, which counted more than 2500 few decades ago)
Abandonment of the traditional irrigation canals. Tozeur's oasis has been irrigated based on an open surface canal system designed in the 13th century by the famous engineer Ibn Chabbat. This traditional irrigation system is currently being replaced by an 'eyesore' system of concrete pipes. Moreover, water, that was traditionally free to farmers, is now being sold to offset the cost of these projects and pipes. It is important to note here, that the traditional system of irrigation canals supported a delicate ecological system of endemic fishes and small animals, most of them either gone now or severely endangered with no protection.
1.The second part of these local projects is the initiation of new (young) oases around town. Very poor planning, corruption, and disregard to local traditions meant a futile effort at best. These oases' productivity is very low and their future highly unstable.
Dar Cherait Museum
This situation is slowly leading to the decay of the old oasis (due to salinity, poor planning, lack of skilled workers, etc...) with productivity plummeting and the health and future of the oases questionable.
The overall region, not only Tozeur, is seeing a large influx of unemployed workers and their families (some of them native to the Tozeur area, but migrated in search of jobs decades earlier), that are migrating from the once rich Phosphate region of Metlaoui, Gafsa, Oum Lerrayess, etc... in hope of work in the Tourism sector. The phosphate mines are no longer productive and the government opted to sell them to European investors, who chose to let go of thousands of workers as the first step to rehabilitating them.
Unfortunately this influx caused problems to Tozeur, where the unemployment rate and crimes skyrocketed.
Overall the region, and Tozeur in particular, is going through a tough time. The region is embracing the very unstable tourism economy and shying away from its traditional agricultural based economy that provided security for centuries. If history is any indication for the region, during the first Gulf War the sector suffered tremendously with a loss of large number of workers and an increase in unmployment. The same happened twice during September 11, 2001 attacks and the current Iraq war.
Banking and Money[edit]
The city is served by all Tunisian banks. One can find easily banks, ATMs, and money exchange offices. Most Western money is accepted directly (albeit not legal, one needs to exchange his money first). Most credit cards, like VISA, MasterCard, Diners Club International, are also honored in hotels, restaurants, and artisans shops.
Sport[edit]
Tozeur has a football club who plays in the Second Professional Federation Of Football in Tunisia, the team is called (LPST). In 2010/2011 season the club almost made it to the First Professional Federation of Football.
Famous people[edit]
Echebbi statue at Ras al-Ain (Tozeur)Aboul-Qacem Echebbi (Arabic: أبو القاسم الشابي) (b. Tozeur, February, 1909; d. October 9, 1934), is a famous Tunisian poet and known and respected throughout the Arab world for his elegant style and powerful words. The current Tunisian anthem is based on one of his poems.
Abu Yazid Mukhallad ibn Kayrâd (أبو يزيد مخلد بن كيراد), from the Berber Zenata tribe, nicknamed Saheb Al Himar (Arabic: صاحب الحمار) who led a mostly Berber revolution against the Fatimid ruler (Arabic: محمد القائم بأمر الله). The revolution, almost a success, was finally crushed (Arabic: الخليفة المنصور بالله). Sahib Al Himar was finally caught hiding in a cave. He was ordered executed, skinned and stuffed with cotton. His mutilated body was put on display at the southern main entrance to El Mahdia (Arabic: المهدية), a Tunisian coastal city. Ironically, Saheb-Alhimar started his revolution by implanting his spear in the very same door few years earlier.
Ibn Chabbat (ابن شباط) AKA Mohamed Ben Ali Ben Mohamed Ben Ali, (October 16, 1221-June 17, 1285 in Tozeur), is a writer, historian, engineer and a respected Tunisian social figure in the 13th century. Ibn Chabbat's main contribution and legacy is an open surface canals system for equitable water distribution in the oasis that is still in use nowadays.
Trivia[edit]
Tozeur was used as a filming location for the Star Wars saga and Raiders of The Lost Ark (specifically Sidi Bouhlel canyon outside the town and the salt-flats of nearby Nefta). Lucasfilm also built an entire set a few kilometers North-West of Tozeur in the middle of the desert. This set acted as Mos Espa in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The buildings are still there and can be visited. The English Patient (9 Oscars) with Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas was partially filmed outside Tozeur.
In May 1984 the Italian singers Alice and Franco Battiato represented Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "I treni di Tozeur" ("The Trains of Tozeur"), whose lyrics contain several references to Tozeur, the historic train Le Lézard rouge and Tunisian history in general. This song became a chart hit throughout Continental Europe and Scandinavia and made the name of this town more famous in Europe.
External links[edit]
Portal icon Tunisia portal
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tozeur.
Lexicon of the Orient article
Arabic Atlas of Islamic History
Star Wars locations in Tunisia
Coordinates: 33°55′N 8°08′E
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Categories: Populated places in Tozeur Governorate
Oases of Tunisia
Communes of Tunisia
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Nafta, Tunisia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Nefta)
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, particularly as acronyms for two international trade treaties, see Nafta (disambiguation).
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2007)
Nefta
Nefta
Oasis Town
Nefta
The original oasis of Nefta is known as "the basket" as it is located down the hills
Nickname(s): Kairouan of the South
Nafta, Tunisia is located in Tunisia
Nefta
Coordinates: 33°53′N 7°53′ECoordinates: 33°53′N 7°53′E
Country
Tunisia
Elevation
55 m (180 ft)
Time zone
CET
Nefta (or Nefta;
33°53′N 7°53′E) is a town and oasis in Tunisia, close to the Algerian border, and just north of the Chott el Djerid.[1]
Contents
[hide] 1 Religious significance
2 The town
3 History
4 Gallery
5 Access
6 References
7 External links
Religious significance[edit]
Nefta is considered by most Sufis to be the spiritual home of Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam; many religious buildings are located in the district El Bayadha. 10 miles past Nefta, towards Algeria, is a daily market that sells Tunisian "desert roses", crystalline formations of rock that resemble roses in shape.
Nefta is a pilgrimage center to which pilgrims travel throughout the year. There is a Folk Festival in April and a Date Festival in November/December.
Nefta is the religious center of the Bled el Djerid, the "Land of Palms", with more than 24 mosques and 100 marabouts. The marabouts still attract pilgrims from all over southern Tunisia and even from Algeria. This great veneration of the marabouts reflects the continuing vigor of Sufism, the movement which grew up in the 12th century around Sufi Abu Madian (d. 1197). The name of the Sufis came from the simple woolen garment (suf) they wore. They believed that the adherents of Islam, a religion of the desert, should show particular modesty of behavior and asceticism, and were much given to mysticism, the veneration of holy men, spiritual contemplation and meditation. Sufism is also marked by religious forms taken over from the pre-Islamic, animistic religions of the Berber population which orthodox Islam seeks to repress - belief in spirits, witchcraft, fortune-telling, the efficacy of amulets, etc. Regional variants of Sufism were propagated by holy men, who frequently founded their own brotherhoods, with centers for the teaching of disciples. They are credited with numerous miracles and revered for their holiness, and their tombs (marabouts) are places of pilgrimage, attracting varying numbers of pilgrims according to their reputation. In the past these holy men were also appealed to as judges in the conflicts which frequently occurred between the nomadic tribes and the settled population of the oases. Nefta is the last stronghold of this Sufism, and is sometimes called, with some justification, the "Kairouan of the South". The marabouts venerated here are scattered about throughout the old town of Nefta and the oasis.
The town[edit]
Nefta is divided into two parts by a small oued and a depression at its northern end. To the east of the oued is the new town, with the old souk quarter at its southwestern corner; to the west, on the slopes of a hill, is the old town. The main road from Tozeur runs through the new town as Avenue Habib Bourguiba, which then crosses the oued and skirts the old town. At its western end a street branches off on the right, ascends the hill, goes round the old town and the sand-bowl, and returns to Avenue Habib Bourguiba. Nefta is a town of cube-shaped, flat-roofed houses huddled closely together, with Tozeur-style decoration. In some of the streets the upper stories of the houses, borne on round- headed arches, project over the street, forming a kind of tunnel which offers protection from the sun. It is planned to restore the old town in the very near future.
History[edit]
Nefta is believed to have been settled originally by shepherds who came from the kingdom of Napata. The Romans and later the Byzantines built forts in the oasis (Nepte) to provide protection against raids by desert nomads. In Byzantine times Nefta and Tozeur were Episcopal Sees. In the mid-7th century Nefta was conquered by the Arabs and, in spite of fierce resistance, converted to Islam. In subsequent centuries it prospered as an important staging-point for caravans (for a time the most important in Tunisia). Its decline began in the 15th century as a result of more frequent raids by nomadic tribes and the general falling off in the caravan trade. With the coming of the French in 1881, however, Nefta experienced a renewal.
Gallery[edit]
Steel engraving drawn by Thomas Allom, engraved by Thomas Higham. 1851
The old city of Nefta
Mosque in Nefta
The old town of Nefta
The Corbeille (Basket) in Nafta
Access[edit]
Nefta lies on GP 3 (Gafsa-Nefta), 25 km/16 mi southwest of Tozeur (airport; regular services to and from Tunis, Monastir, and Djerba) and 113 km/70 mi southwest of Gafsa. From the bus station (Gare Routière) in Avenue Habib Bourguiba, there are regular bus services to Tozeur and Gafsa and a once-daily service to Douz and Hazaoua, the frontier post for the crossing into Algeria. The 4 km/2.5 mi from there to the frontier must be done either on foot or in a louage (communal taxi). From the Algerian frontier post there are buses to El Oued.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Nefta Four hundred kilometres southwest of the Tunisian capital of Tunis at travelvideostore.com
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nefta.
NEFTA: Oasis of many tombs at lexicorient.com
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Categories: Oases of Tunisia
Populated places in Tozeur Governorate
Communes of Tunisia
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Matmata, Tunisia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For the French rock band, see Matmatah. For the town in New Zealand, see Matamata. For the turtle, see Mata mata.
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2008)
Matmata (Arabic: مطماطة Maṭmāṭah) is a small Berber speaking town in southern Tunisia. Some of the local Berber residents live in traditional underground "troglodyte" structures. In 2004 it had a population of 2,116.[1]
The structures typical for the village are created by digging a large pit in the ground. Around the perimeter of this pit artificial caves are then dug to be used as rooms, with some homes comprising multiple pits, connected by trench-like passageways.
Contents
[hide] 1 History 1.1 Ancient history
1.2 Modern rediscovery
2 In popular culture
3 References
4 External links
History[edit]
Troglodyte house
Ancient history[edit]
The origin of this extraordinary place is not known, except from tales carried from generation to generation. The most improbable account says that underground homes were first built in ancient times, when the Roman empire sent two Egyptian tribes to make their own homes in the Matmata region, after one of the Punic wars, with permission to kill every human being in their way. The dwellers of the region had to leave their homes and to dig caves in the ground to hide from those invaders, but they left their underground shelters in the night to attack invaders, which appeared to be very effective in sending the killer groups away from Matmâta. A myth was made those days, that monsters emerge from beneath the ground and kill land usurpers. In any case, the underground settlements remained hidden in very hostile area for centuries, and no one had any knowledge of their existence until 1967.
The way of survival in those severe conditions was difficult: since Tunisia is famous for prolific olive oil production, the men went searching for work north of the villages every spring, when the olive season began, getting back home in autumn, when the season was over. They were usually paid in olive oil, which they traded for other goods (in present days for money), and thus provided enough food, clothes and other things for normal life of their families.
Panorama of the Berber town of Matmata, January 2011.
Modern rediscovery[edit]
It was not generally known until 1967 that there were regular settlements in this area besides wandering nomadic tribes.
A welcoming sight in Tunisia
That year, intensive rains that lasted for 22 days inundated the troglodyte homes and caused many of them to collapse. In order to get help from the authorities, a delegation was sent to the community center of the region in the town of Gabès. The visit came as a surprise, but help was provided, and the above-ground settlement of Matmâta was built. However, most of the people continued their lives in re-built underground homes, and only a few of the families moved to the new surface dwellings.
Today, Matmata is a popular tourist attraction, and most of the population lives on tourism and folklore exhibitions in their homes.
In popular culture[edit]
The Hotel Sidi Driss which featured as Luke Skywalker's home on the planet Tatooine in the Star Wars movies. Note the remaining set pieces incorporated into the walls.The Hotel Sidi Driss in Matmata was used in 1976 as a filming location for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in which it featured as the home of Luke Skywalker, his Aunt Beru Lars and Uncle Owen Lars on the planet Tatooine. The hotel is designed as a traditional Berber troglodyte underground building. It featured again in the 2002 prequel film Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.[2][3]
One of Call of Duty 2's missions and multiplayer maps takes place in Matmâta as part of North African Campaign.
Matmâta is also set to star in the upcoming film La soif noire, an adaptation of the book from Swiss author Hans Ruesch starring Antonio Banderas and Freida Pinto.[4]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Recensement de 2004 (Institut national de la statistique)". Ins.nat.tn. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
2.Jump up ^ Carvin, Andy (25 January 2006). "The real Star Wars?". Associated Press. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
3.Jump up ^ Daniel Jacobs and Peter Morris (2001). "Jedi Stomping Ground". Tunisia (6th ed. ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 319. ISBN 9781858287485.
4.Jump up ^ "Matmata accueille bientôt une grosse production" (in French). La Presse de Tunisie. September 24, 2010.
External links[edit]
Look up troglodyte in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Matmata.
Sidi Driss Hotel on Wookieepedia: a Star Wars wiki
A travel report from Matmata
A below-ground level view of The Hotel Sidi Driss (the Lars Homestead on Tatooine).
The Real Star Wars? - Associated Press article, videos and photo gallery about Matmata by Andy Carvin
Matmata has many of the best examples of troglodyte architecture in the world.
Visitors' guide to Hotel Sidi Driss
Coordinates: 33°32′33.5″N 09°58′0.5″E
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Categories: Populated places in Tunisia
Berbers in Tunisia
Communes of Tunisia
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This page was last modified on 1 September 2013 at 13:24.
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Seville
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Seville (disambiguation).
"Sevilla" redirects here. For the association football club, see Sevilla FC.
Seville
Sevilla
Clockwise from top: Seville Cathedral and Giralda, Plaza de España in the Maria Luisa Park, Metropol Parasol, the Isabel II ("Triana") bridge and the Torre del Oro.
Flag
Coat of arms
Motto: NO8DO (It [Seville] has not abandoned me)
Seville is located in Andalusia
Seville
Location in Andalusia
Seville is located in Spain
Seville
Location in Spain
Coordinates: 37°22′38″N 5°59′13″WCoordinates: 37°22′38″N 5°59′13″W
Country
Spain Spain
Autonomous Community
Andalusia Andalusia
Province
Flag of Diputacion de Sevilla Spain.svg Seville
Comarca
Sevilla
Government
• Type
Mayor-council
• Body
Ayuntamiento de Sevilla
• Mayor
Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez (PP)
Area
• City
140 km2 (50 sq mi)
Elevation
7 m (23 ft)
Population (2011) (INE)
• City
703,021
• Rank
4th
• Density
5,002.93/km2 (12,957.5/sq mi)
• Metro
1,519,639
Demonym
Sevillan, Sevillian
sevillano (m), sevillana (f)
hispalense
Time zone
CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)
CEST (UTC+2)
Postcode
41001-41080
Website
www.sevilla.org
Seville (/səˈvɪl/; Spanish: Sevilla, IPA: [seˈβiʎa], locally: [seˈβiʝa]) is a Spanish city, it is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir. The inhabitants of the city are known as sevillanos (feminine form: sevillanas) or hispalenses, after the Roman name of the city, Hispalis. Seville has a municipal population of about 703,000 as of 2011, and a metropolitan population of about 1.5 million, making it the fourth-largest city in Spain and the Daryl 258 30th most populous municipality in the European Union. Its Old Town, the third largest in Europe with an area of 4 square kilometres (2 sq mi), contains three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Alcázar palace complex, the Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies. The Seville harbour, located about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the Atlantic Ocean, is the only river port in Spain.
Seville was founded as the Roman city of Hispalis, and was known as Ishbiliya[1] (Arabic:إشبيلية) after the Muslim conquest in 712. During the Muslim rule in Spain, Seville came under the jurisdiction of the Caliphate of Córdoba before becoming the independent Taifa of Seville; later it was ruled by the Muslim Almoravids and the Almohads until finally being incorporated into the Christian Kingdom of Castile under Ferdinand III in 1248.[2] After the discovery of the Americas, Seville became one of the economic centres of the Spanish Empire as its port monopolised the trans-oceanic trade and the Casa de Contratación (House of Trade) wielded its power, opening a Golden Age of arts and literature. In 1519, Ferdinand Magellan departed from Seville for the first circumnavigation of the Earth. Coinciding with the Baroque period of European history, the 17th century in Seville represented the most brilliant flowering of the city's culture; then began a gradual economic and demographic decline as silting in the Guadalquivir forced the trade monopoly to relocate to the nearby port of Cádiz.
The 20th century in Seville saw the horrors of the Spanish Civil War, decisive cultural milestones such as the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 and Expo'92, and the city's election as the capital of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia.
Contents
[hide] 1 Name 1.1 Etymology
1.2 Motto
2 History 2.1 Early periods
2.2 Moorish era
2.3 Castilian rule
2.4 The Golden Age
2.5 18th century
2.6 19th and 20th centuries
3 Geography 3.1 Topography
3.2 Climate
4 Government 4.1 Status
4.2 Districts and Neighbourhoods
5 Main sights 5.1 Landmarks
5.2 Museums
5.3 Parks and gardens
6 Culture 6.1 Festivals
6.2 Gastronomy
6.3 Music
7 Economy 7.1 Infrastructure
7.2 Research and development
8 Transportation 8.1 Bus
8.2 Metro
8.3 Tram
8.4 Train
8.5 Bicycle
8.6 Airport
8.7 Port
8.8 Roads
9 Education
10 Famous natives
11 Sport
12 In fiction
13 Gallery
14 Twin towns and sister cities 14.1 Partnerships
15 Titles
16 See also
17 References
18 External links
Name[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Spal is the oldest known name for Seville. It appears to have originated during the Phoenician colonisation of the Tartessian culture in south-western Iberia, and according to Manuel Pellicer Catalán meant "lowland" in the Phoenician language (similar to the Hebrew Shfela).[3][4] During Roman rule, the name was Latinised as Hispalis. After the Moorish invasion, this name evolved into Ishbiliyya (Arabic أشبيليّة); since "p" does not exist in Arabic, the Latin place-name suffix -is was substituted for its direct Arabic equivalent -iyya, and stressed "a" /æ/ turned into "i" /i/, due to the phonetic phenomenon called imela.[5] Seville's English and Spanish names derive from Ishbiliyya.
Motto[edit]
"NO8DO" is the official motto of Seville. It is popularly believed to be a rebus signifying the Spanish "No me ha dejado", meaning "It [Seville] has not abandoned me", with the eight in the middle representing a madeja, or skein of wool. Legend states that the title was given by King Alfonso X, who was resident in the city's Alcazar and supported by the citizens when his son, later Sancho IV of Castille, tried to usurp him from the throne. In reality, the motto is most likely an abbreviation of the Latin In Nomine Domini ("in the name of the Lord"), though the popularity of the rebus and its accompanying legend has obscured these origins.[6] The emblem is present on the municipal flag and features on city property such as manhole covers, and Christopher Columbus's tomb in the Cathedral.
History[edit]
Main article: History of Seville
Seville is approximately 2,200 years old. The passage of the various civilisations instrumental in its growth has left the city with a distinct personality, and a large and well-preserved historical centre.
Early periods[edit]
The mythological founder of the city is Hercules (Heracles), commonly identified with the Phoenician god Melqart, who the myth says sailed through the Strait of Gibraltar to the Atlantic, and founded trading posts at the current sites of Cádiz and of Seville.[7]
The Giralda view from the Patio de Banderas (Courtyard of Flags), historic square with remains of Roman, Moorish and Castilian periods.
The city was known from Roman times as Hispalis. Important archaeological remains also exist in the nearby towns of Santiponce (Italica) and Carmona.
Existing Roman features in Seville include the remnants of an aqueduct, a temple in Mármoles Street, the columns of La Alameda de Hércules, the remains exposed in situ in the underground Antiquarium of the Metropol Parasol building and the remains in the Patio de Banderas square near of the Seville Cathedral. The walls surrounding the city were originally built during the rule of Julius Caesar, but their current course and design were the result of Moorish reconstructions.[8]
Following Roman rule, there were successive conquests of the Roman province of Hispania Baetica by the Vandals and the Visigoths during the 5th and 6th centuries.
Moorish era[edit]
Coin of the Almoravids, Seville, Spain, 1116.
Seville was taken by the Moors, Muslims from the North of Africa, during the conquest of Hispalis in 712. It was the capital for the kings of the Umayyad Caliphate, the Almoravid dynasty first and after the Almohad dynasty (from Arabic الموحدون al-Muwahhidun, i.e., "the monotheists" or "the Unitarians"), from the 8th to 13th centuries.
The Moorish urban influences continued and are present in contemporary Seville, for instance in the custom of decorating with herbaje and small fountains the courtyards of the houses. However, most buildings of the Moorish aesthetic actually belong to the Mudéjar style of Islamic art, developed under Christian rule and inspired by the Arabic style. Original Moorish buildings are the Patio del Yeso in the Alcázar, the city walls, and the main section of the Giralda, bell tower of the Seville Cathedral.[9]
Castilian rule[edit]
See also: Siege of Seville
In 1247, the Christian King Ferdinand III of Castile and Leon began the conquest of Andalusia. After conquering Jaén and Córdoba, he seized the villages surrounding the city, Carmona Lora del Rio and Alcalá del Rio, and kept a standing army in the vicinity, the siege lasting for fifteen months. The decisive action took place in May 1248 when Ramon Bonifaz sailed up the Guadalquivir and severed the Triana bridge that made the provisioning of the city from the farms of the Aljarafe possible. The city surrendered on 23 November 1248.[10]
The city's development continued after the Castilian conquest in 1248. Public buildings constructed including churches, many of which were built in the Mudéjar style, and the Seville Cathedral, built during the 15th century with Gothic architecture.[11] The Moors' Palace became the Castilian royal residence, and during Pedro I's rule it was replaced by the Alcázar (the upper levels are still used by the Royal Family as the official Seville residence).
Street in Santa Cruz (Jewish quarter)
Hall of Ambassadors in the Alcázar of Seville.
In 1391, Archdeacon Ferrant Martinez closed all the synagogues in Seville, converting them to churches, as in the case of Santa María la Blanca, and also appropriated the Jewish quarter's land and shops (sited in modern-day 'Barrio Santa Cruz'). Thousands were killed during the pogrom, while others were forced to convert. The Plaza de San Francisco was the site of the 'autos de fé'. At first, the activity of the Inquisition was limited to the dioceses of Seville and Cordoba, where Alonso de Hojeda had detected converso activity. The first Auto de Fé took place in Seville on 6 February 1481, when six people were burned alive. Alonso de Hojeda himself gave the sermon. The Inquisition then grew rapidly. By 1492, tribunals existed in eight Castilian cities: Ávila, Cordoba, Jaén, Medina del Campo, Segovia, Sigüenza, Toledo and Valladolid.[12]
The Golden Age[edit]
Following the 1492 Christopher Columbus expedition to the New World (from Palos de la Frontera's port), the results from his claiming territory and trade for the Crown of Castile (incipient Spain) in the West Indies began to profit the city, as all goods imported from the New World had to pass through the Casa de Contratacion before being distributed throughout the rest of Spain. A 'golden age of development' commenced in Seville, due to its being the only port awarded the royal monopoly for trade with the growing Spanish colonies in the Americas and the influx of riches from them. Since only sailing ships leaving from and returning to the inland port of Seville could engage in trade with the Spanish Americas, merchants from Europe and other trade centers needed to go to Seville to acquire New World trade goods. The city's population grew to nearly a million people.[13]
Seville in the 16th century
In the late 16th century the monopoly was broken, with the port of Cádiz also authorised as a port of trade. The Great Plague of Seville in 1649 reduced the population by almost half, and it would not recover until the early 19th century.[14] By the 18th century its international importance was in decline. After the silting up of the harbour by the Guadalquivir (river), upriver shipping ceased and the city went into relative economic decline.
The writer Miguel de Cervantes lived primarily in Seville between 1596 and 1600. Because of financial problems, Cervantes worked as a purveyor for the Spanish Armada, and later as a tax collector. In 1597, discrepancies in his accounts of the three years previous landed him in the Royal Prison of Seville for a short time. Rinconete y Cortadillo, a popular comedy among his works, features two young vagabonds who come to Seville, attracted by the riches and disorder that the 16th-century commerce with the Americas had brought to that metropolis.
18th century[edit]
Royal Tobacco Factory, today rectorate of the University of Seville.
During the 18th century Charles III of Spain promoted Seville's industries. Construction of the Real Fábrica de Tabacos (Royal Tobacco Factory) began in 1728, with additions to it over the next 30 years.[citation needed] It was the second largest building in Spain, after the royal residence El Escorial. Since the 1950s it has been the seat of the rectorate of the University of Seville.
Many operas have been set in the city, including those by such composers as Beethoven (Fidelio), Mozart (The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni), Rossini (The Barber of Seville) and Bizet "(Carmen)".[15]
Seville became the dean of the Spanish provincial press in 1758 with the publication of its first newspaper, the Hebdomario útil de Seville, the first to be printed in Spain outside Madrid.
19th and 20th centuries[edit]
The Isabel II bridge, better known as the Triana Bridge
Between 1825 and 1833 Melchor Cano acted as chief architect in Seville, most of the urban planning policy and architectural modifications of the city were made by him and his collaborator Jose Manuel Arjona y Cuba.[16]
Industrial architecture surviving today from the first half of the 19th century includes the ceramics factory installed in the Carthusian monastery at La Cartuja in 1841 by the Pickman family, and now home to the El Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo (CAAC),[17] which manages the collections of the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Sevilla.[18] It also houses the rectory of the UNIA.[19]
In the years that Queen Isabel II ruled directly, about 1843–1868, the Sevillian bourgeoisie invested in a construction boom unmatched in the city's history. The Isabel II bridge, better known as the Triana bridge, dates from this period; street lighting was expanded in the municipality and most of the streets were paved during this time as well.[20]
By the second half of the 19th century Seville began an expansion supported by railway construction and the demolition of part of its ancient walls, allowing the urban space of the city to grow eastward and southward. The Sevillana de Electricidad Company was created in 1894 to provide electric power throughout the municipality,[21] and in 1901 the Plaza de Armas railway station was inaugurated. The Museum of Fine Arts (Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla) opened in 1904.
The "Fountain of Hispalis (Roman Seville)" and the Alfonso XIII Hotel, built for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929, in Puerta de Jerez.
In 1929 the city hosted the Ibero-American Exposition, which accelerated the southern expansion of the city and created new public spaces such as the Plaza de España and the Maria Luisa Park. Not long before the opening, the Spanish government began a modernisation of the city in order to prepare for the expected crowds by erecting new hotels and widening the mediaeval streets to allow for the movement of automobiles.[22]
Seville fell very quickly at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. General Queipo de Llano carried out a coup within the city, quickly capturing the city centre.[23] Radio Seville opposed the uprising and called for the peasants to come to the city for arms, while workers' groups established barricades.[23] De Llano then moved to capture Radio Seville, which he used to broadcast propaganda on behalf of the Franquist forces.[23] After the initial takeover of the city, resistance continued among the working-class areas for some time, until a series of fierce reprisals took place.[24]
Alamillo Bridge, built for the Universal Exposition of Seville
Under Francisco Franco's rule Spain was officially neutral in World War II, and like the rest of the country, Seville remained largely economically and culturally isolated from the outside world.[citation needed] In 1953 the shipyard of Seville was opened, eventually employing more than 2,000 workers in the 1970s. Before the existence of wetlands regulation in the Guadalquivir basin, Seville suffered regular heavy flooding; perhaps worst of all were the floods that occurred in November 1961 when the river Tamarguillo overflowed as a result of a prodigious downpour of rain, and Seville was consequently declared a disaster zone.[citation needed]
Trade unionism in Seville began during the 1960s with the underground organisational activities of the Workers' Commissions or Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), in factories such as Hytasa, the Astilleros shipyards, Hispano Aviación, etc. Several of the movement's leaders were imprisoned in November 1973.[citation needed] On 3 April 1979 Spain held its first democratic municipal elections after the end of Franco's dictatorship; councillors representing four different political parties were elected in Seville. On 5 November 1982, Pope John Paul II arrived in Seville to officiate at a Mass before more than half a million people at the fairgrounds. He visited the city again 13 June 1993, for the International Eucharistic Congress.
In 1992, coinciding with the fifth centenary of the Discovery of the Americas, the Universal Exposition was held for six months in Seville, on the occasion of which the local communications network infrastructure was greatly improved: the SE-30 beltway around the city was completed and new highways were constructed; the new Santa Justa train station had opened in 1991, while the Spanish High Speed Rail system, the Alta Velocidad Española (AVE), began to operate between Madrid-Seville. The Seville Airport, (Aeropuerto de Sevilla), was expanded with a new terminal building designed by the architect Rafael Moneo, and various other improvements were made. The monumental Puente del Alamillo (Alamillo Bridge) over the Guadalquivir, designed by the architect Santiago Calatrava, was built to allow access to the island of La Cartuja, site of the massive exposition.
Some of the installations remaining at the site after the exposition were converted into the Scientific and Technological Park Cartuja 93.
Metropol Parasol by the German architect Jürgen Mayer
Geography[edit]
Topography[edit]
Schindler Tower next to the Guadalquivir.
Seville has an area of 140 km2 (54 sq mi), according to the National Topographic Map (Mapa Topográfico Nacional) series from the Instituto Geográfico Nacional – Centro Nacional de Información Geográfica, the country's civilian survey organisation (pages 984, 985 and 1002). The city is situated in the fertile valley of the Guadalquivir River. The average height above sea level is 7 metres (23 feet). Most of the city is on the east side of the river, while Triana, La Cartuja and Los Remedios are on the west side. The Aljarafe region lies further west, and is considered part of the metropolitan area. The city has limits on the north with La Rinconada, La Algaba and Santiponce; on the east with Alcalá de Guadaira; on the south with Dos Hermanas and Gelves and on the west with San Juan de Aznalfarache, Tomares and Camas.
Skyline of Seville from the top of the Giralda
Climate[edit]
Seville has a subtropical climate, precisely hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa).[25] The annual average temperature is 25 °C (77 °F) during the day and 13 °C (55 °F) at night.
After the city of Cordoba (also in Andalusia), Seville has the hottest summer in the European continent (among all cities with a population over 100,000 people), with average daily highs in July of 35.3 °C (96 °F). Average minimum temperatures in July are 19.4 °C (67 °F) and every year the temperature exceeds 40 °C (104 °F) on several occasions. The coldest temperature extreme of −8.2 °C (17 °F) was registered by the weather station at Seville Airport on 28 January 2005. A historical record high (disputed) of 50.0 °C (122 °F) was recorded on 4 August 1881, according to the NOAA Satellite and Information Service.[26] There is a non-accredited record by the National Institute of Meteorology of 47.2 °C (117 °F) on 1 August during the 2003 heat wave, according to a weather station (83910 LEZL) located in the southern part of Seville Airport, near the abandoned military zone. This temperature would be one of the highest ever recorded in Spain and Europe after the European record of 48.0 °C (118 °F) recorded in Athens on 10/07/1977.
Winters are mild: January is the coolest month, with average maximum temperatures of 15.9 °C (61 °F) and minimum of 5.2 °C (41 °F).
Precipitation varies from 400 to 800 mm (15.7 to 31.5 in) (23.5–31.5 in) per year, concentrated in the period October to April. December is the wettest month, with an average rainfall of 95 millimetres (3.7 in). On average there are 52 days of rain, 120.75 days of sun and four days of frost per year.
Average number of days above 32 °C (89.6 °F) is 88, average number of nights below 0 °C (32 °F) is 6. Average morning relative humidity: 84%, average evening relative humidity: 46%.
[hide]Climate data for Seville
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Average high °C (°F)
15.9
(60.6) 17.9
(64.2) 21.2
(70.2) 22.7
(72.9) 26.4
(79.5) 31.0
(87.8) 35.3
(95.5) 35.0
(95) 31.6
(88.9) 26.6
(79.9) 20.1
(68.2) 16.6
(61.9) 24.9
(76.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)
10.6
(51.1) 12.2
(54) 14.7
(58.5) 16.4
(61.5) 19.7
(67.5) 23.9
(75) 27.4
(81.3) 27.2
(81) 24.5
(76.1) 19.6
(67.3) 14.8
(58.6) 11.8
(53.2) 18.8
(65.8)
Average low °C (°F)
5.2
(41.4) 6.7
(44.1) 8.2
(46.8) 10.1
(50.2) 13.1
(55.6) 16.7
(62.1) 19.4
(66.9) 19.5
(67.1) 17.5
(63.5) 13.5
(56.3) 9.3
(48.7) 6.9
(44.4) 12.7
(54.9)
Precipitation mm (inches)
65
(2.56) 54
(2.13) 38
(1.5) 57
(2.24) 34
(1.34) 13
(0.51) 2
(0.08) 6
(0.24) 23
(0.91) 62
(2.44) 84
(3.31) 95
(3.74) 533
(20.98)
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 1 mm)
6 6 5 7 4 2 0 0 2 6 6 8 52
Mean monthly sunshine hours
179 183 224 234 287 312 351 328 250 218 186 154 2,898
Source: World Meteorological Organization[27] Agencia Estatal de Meteorología[28]
Government[edit]
Seville is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia. The historical edifice of the Palace of San Telmo is now the seat of the presidency of the Andalusian Autonomous Government. The administrative headquarters are in Torre Triana, in La Cartuja. The Hospital de las Cinco Llagas (literally, "Hospital of the Five Holy Wounds") is the current seat of the Parliament of Andalusia. Since 2012 the government of the autonomous community has been a coalition between the leftist Spanish Socialist Workers' Party or Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) and the United Left, or Izquierda Unida (IU); its president is Jose Antonio Griñán Martínez. Elections to the autonomous community are held every four years.
Status[edit]
Palace of San Telmo, seat of the presidency of the Andalusian Autonomous Government.
Seville is the capital of the Autonomous Community of Andalusía, according to Article 4 of the Statute of Autonomy of Andalucía of 2007, and is the capital of the Province of Seville as well.
The Common Council of Seville has 33 councillors and a mayor, with elections every four years. Since 2011, the government of the city has been by the conservative People's Party or Partido Popular (PP), and Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez has been mayor. The City Hall is on the Plaza Nueva, in the El Arenal neighbourhood. The administration of the City is decentralized into 11 districts.
Districts and Neighbourhoods[edit]
Main article: Districts and Neighbourhoods of Seville
Plateresque façade of the Seville City Hall
Seville has 11 districts, further divided into 108 neighborhoods.
Casco Antiguo
Distrito Sur
Triana
Macarena
Nervión
Los Remedios
Este-Alcosa-Torreblanca
Cerro-Amate
Bellavista-La Palmera
San Pablo-Santa Justa
Main sights[edit]
Main article: Sights and landmarks of Seville
The Alcázar, the Cathedral, and the Archivo General de Indias (General Archive of the Indies) are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Landmarks[edit]
South façade of the Cathedral of St. Mary of Seville.
The Giralda
The Cathedral of St. Mary was built from 1401–1519 after the Reconquista on the former site of the city's mosque. It is among the largest of all medieval and Gothic cathedrals, in terms of both area and volume. The interior is the longest nave in Spain, and is lavishly decorated, with a large quantity of gold evident.
Courtyard of the Maidens in the Alcázar of Seville
The Alcázar facing the cathedral was developed from a previous Moorish Palace. Construction was started in 1181 and continued for over 500 years, mainly in the Mudéjar style, but also in the Renaissance style.
General Archive of the Indies
Torre del Oro (The Gold Tower) and the Guadalquivir River.
The Torre del Oro was built as a watchtower and defensive barrier on the river. A chain was strung through the water from the base of the tower to prevent boats from traveling into the river port.
The City Hall was built in the 16th century in high Plateresque style by master architect Diego de Riaño. The façade to Plaza Nueva was built in the 19th century in Neoclassical style.
The Palace of San Telmo, formerly the University of Sailors, and later the Seminary, is now the seat for the Andalusian Autonomous Government. It is one of the most emblematic buildings of baroque architecture, mainly to its world-renowned churrigueresque principal façade and the impressive chapel.
The Royal Tobacco Factory is housed on the original site of the first tobacco factory in Europe, a vast 18th century building in Baroque style and the purported inspiration for the opera Carmen.
Metropol Parasol (popularly known as The Mushrooms).
The Metropol Parasol, in La Encarnación square, is the world's largest wooden structure.[29] A monumental umbrella-like building designed by the German architect Jürgen Mayer, finished in 2011. This modern architecture structure houses the central market and an underground archaeological complex. The terrace roof is a city viewpoint.[30]
The General Archive of the Indies, is the repository of extremely valuable archival documents illustrating the history of the Spanish Empire in the Americas and the Philippines. The building itself, an unusually serene and Italianate example of Spanish Renaissance architecture, was designed by Juan de Herrera.
The Plaza de España, in Maria Luisa Park (Parque de Maria Luisa), was built by the architect Aníbal González for the 1929 Exposición Ibero-Americana. It is an outstanding example of Regionalist Revival Architecture, a bizarre and loftily conceived mixture of diverse historic styles, such as Art Deco and lavishly ornamented with typical glazed tiles.[31][32]
The neighbourhood of Triana, situated on the west bank of the Guadalquivir River, played an important role in the history of the city and constitutes by itself a folk, monumental and cultural center.
On the other hand, La Macarena neighbourhood is located on the northern side of the city center. It contains some important monuments and religious buildings, such as the Museum and Catholic Church of La Macarena or the Hospital de las Cinco Llagas.
Plaza de España, panoramic view.
Museums[edit]
Navigation Pavilion, of the Expo 92, today the Navigation Museum.
Museum of Fine Arts of Seville
The most important art collection of Seville is the Museum of Fine Arts of Seville. It was established in 1835 in the former Convent of La Merced. It holds many masterworks by Murillo, Pacheco, Zurbarán, Valdés Leal, and others masters of the Baroque Sevillian School, containing also Flemish paintings of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Other museums in Seville are:
The Archaeological Museum, which contains collections from the Tartessian and Roman periods, placed in América square at María Luisa Park.
The Museum of Arts and Traditions, also in América square, in front of the Archaeological museum.
The Andalusian Contemporary Art Center, placed in La Cartuja.
The Naval Museum, housed in the Torre del Oro, next to the Guadalquivir river.
The Carriages Museum, in Los Remedios neighbourhood.
The Flamenco Art Museum
The Bullfight Museum, in La Maestranza bullring
The Palace of the Countess of Lebrija, a private collection that contains many of the mosaic floors discovered in the nearby Roman town of Italica.
The "Centro Velázquez" (Velázquez Center) located at the Old Priests Hospital in the turistic Santa Cruz neighbourhood.
The Antiquarium at Metropol Parasol, an underground museum that exhibits in situ Roman and Muslim remains.
The Castillo de San Jorge (Castle of St. George) remains, below the Triana market, next to Isabel II bridge. It was the last seat for the Spanish Inquisition.
The Museum and Treasure of La Macarena, where the collection of the Macarena brotherhood is exhibited. This exhibition gives visitors an accurate impression about the Seville Holy Week.
Parks and gardens[edit]
Monument dedicated to Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer in María Luisa Park
Pergola in María Luisa ParkThe Parque de María Luisa (María Luisa Park), is a monumental park built for the 1929 World's Fair held in Seville, the Exposición Ibero-Americana. The so-called Jardines de las Delicias (literally, Delighting Gardens), closer to the river, are part of the Parque de María Luisa.
The Alcázar Gardens, within the grounds of the Alcázar palace, consist of several sectors developed in different historical styles.
The Gardens of Murillo and the Gardens of Catalina de Ribera, both along and outside the South wall of the Alcázar, lie next to the Santa Cruz quarter.
The Parque del Alamillo y San Jerónimo, the largest park in Andalusia, was originally built for Seville Expo '92 to reproduce the Andalusian native flora. It lines both Guadalquivir shores around the San Jerónimo meander. The impressive 32-meters-high bronze sculpture, "Birth of the New World" (popularly known as Columbus's Egg, el Huevo de Colón), by the Georgian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli,[33] is located in its northwestern sector.
Birth of the New World in the Alamillo and San Jerónimo ParkThe American Garden, also completed for Expo '92, is in La Cartuja. It is a public botanical garden, with a representative collection of American plants donated by different countries on the occasion of the world exposition.
The Alcázar Gardens
Culture[edit]
Festivals[edit]
Jesus of the Great Power (Juan de Mesa, 1620), in the Holy Week Madrugá
The Semana Santa (Holy Week) and the Feria de Sevilla (Seville Fair), also known as Feria de Abril (April Fair), are the two most well-known of Seville's festivals. Seville is internationally renowned for the solemn but decorative processions during Holy Week and the colourful and lively fair held two weeks after. During the Feria, families, businesses and organisations set up casetas (marquees) in which they spend the week dancing, drinking, and socialising. Traditionally, women wear elaborate flamenco dresses and men dress in their best suits. The marquees are set up on a permanent fairground in the district of Los Remedios,[34] in which each street is named after a famous bullfighter.
Gastronomy[edit]
Andalusian Gazpacho
The tapas scene is one of the main cultural attractions of the city: people go from one bar to another, enjoying small dishes called tapas. Local specialities include fried and grilled seafood (including squid, choco (cuttlefish), swordfish, marinated dogfish, and ortiguillas), grilled and stewed meat, spinach with chickpeas, Jamón ibérico, lamb kidneys in sherry sauce, snails, caldo de puchero, and gazpacho. A sandwich known as serranito is the typical and popular version of fast food.
Typical desserts from Seville include pestiños, a honey-coated sweet fritter; torrijas, fried slices of bread with honey; roscos fritos, deep-fried sugar-coated ring doughnuts; magdalenas or fairy cakes; yemas de San Leandro,[citation needed] which provide the city's convents with a source of revenue; and tortas de aceite, a thin sugar-coated cake made with olive oil. Polvorones and mantecados are traditional Christmas products, whereas pestiños and torrijas are typically consumed during the Holy Week.
Bitter Seville oranges grow on trees lining the city streets. Formerly, large quantities were collected and exported to Britain to be used in marmalade.[citation needed] Today the fruit is used predominantly as compost locally, rather than as a foodstuff. According to legend, the Arabs brought the bitter orange to Seville from East Asia via Iraq around the 10th century to beautify and perfume their patios and gardens, as well as to provide shade.[35] The flowers of the tree are a source of neroli oil, commonly used in perfumery and in skin lotions for massage.
Music[edit]
Flamenco dancers
Seville had a vibrant rock music scene in the 1970s and 1980s[citation needed] with bands like Triana, Alameda and Smash, who fused Andalusia's traditional flamenco music with British-style progressive rock. The punk rock group Reincidentes and indie band Sr Chinarro, as well as singer Kiko Veneno, rose to prominence in the early 1990s. The city's music scene now features rap acts such as SFDK, Tote King, La Mala Rodríguez, and Dogma Crew. Seville's diverse music scene is reflected in the variety of its club-centred nightlife.
The city is also home to many theatres and performance spaces where classical music is performed, including Teatro Lope de Vega, Teatro La Maestranza, Teatro Central, the Real Alcazar Gardens and the Sala Joaquín Turina.
Despite its name, the sevillana dance, commonly presented as flamenco, is not thought to be of Sevillan origin. However, the folksongs called sevillanas are authentically Sevillan, as is the four-part dance performed with them. Seville, and most significantly, the western district of Triana, was a major centre of the development of flamenco.
Economy[edit]
Avenida de la Constitución in Christmas
Seville is the most populated city in southern Spain, and has the largest GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of any in Andalusia,[36] accounting for one quarter of its total GDP.[36] All municipalities in the metropolitan area depend directly or indirectly on Seville's economy, while agriculture dominates the economy of the smaller villages, with some industrial activity localised in industrial parks. The Diputacion de Sevilla (Deputation of Seville), with provincial headquarters in the Antiguo Cuartel de Caballería (Old Cavalry Barracks) on Avenida Menendez Pelayo, provides public services to distant villages that they can not provide themselves.[37] The University of Seville and the University Pablo de Olavide are important centres of learning in western Andalusia as they offer a wide range of academic courses; consequently the city has a large number of students from Huelva and Cádiz.
The economic activity of Seville cannot be detached from the geographical and urban context of the city; the capital of Andalusia is the centre of a growing metropolitan area. Aside from traditional neighborhoods such as Santa Cruz, Triana and others, those further away from the centre, such as Nervión, Sevilla Este, and El Porvenir have seen recent economic growth. Until the economic crisis of 2007, this urban area saw significant population growth and the development of new industrial and commercial parks.[38]
During this period, infrastructure available in the city contributed to the growth of an economy dominated by the service sector,[39] but in which industry still holds a considerable place.[40]
Infrastructure[edit]
Schindler Tower in the technological and scientific complex Cartuja 93.
Guadalquivir River, Isabel II Bridge and Cajasol Tower on the Isla de La Cartuja, designed by the architect César Pelli (Under construction)
The 1990s saw massive growth in investment in infrastructure in Seville, largely due to its hosting of the Universal Exposition of Seville in 1992. This economic development of the city and its urban area is supported by good transportation links to other Spanish cities, including a high-speed AVE railway connection to Madrid, and a new international airport.
Seville has the only inland port in Spain, located 80 km (50 mi) from the mouth of the Guadalquivir River. This harbour complex offers access to the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and allows trade in goods between the south of Spain (Andalusia, Extremadura) and Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The port has undergone reorganisation. Annual tonnage rose to 5.3 million tonnes of goods in 2006.[41]
Cartuja 93 is a research and development park.[42] employing 15,000 persons. The Cajasol Tower skyscraper is under construction in the park for the Spanish bank Cajasol's headquarters and offices. The tower was started in March 2008 and is expected to be finished in early 2013. With a height of 180.5 metres (592 feet) and 40 floors, it will be the tallest building in Andalusia.
Seville has conference facilities, including the Congress Palace. Its Parque Tecnológico y Aeronáutico Aerópolis (Technological and Aeronautical Park) is focussed on the aircraft industry. Outside of Seville are nine PS20 solar power towers which use the city's sunny weather to provide most of it with clean and renewable energy.
Seville harbour.
Heineken brewery in Seville
Research and development[edit]
Palmas Altas Campus, Abengoa's headquarters
The Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas en Sevilla (CSIC) is based in the former Pavilion of Peru in the Maria Luisa Park. In April 2008 the city council of Seville provided a grant to renovate the building to create the Casa de la Ciencia (Science Center) to encourage popular interest in science.[43] The internationally recognised company Neocodex has its headquarters in Seville; it maintains the first and largest DNA bank in Spain and has made significant contributions to scientific research in genetics.[44] Seville is also considered an important technological and research centre for renewable energy and the aeronautics industry.[45][46]
The output of the research centres in Sevillan universities working in tandem with city government, and the numerous local technology companies, have made Seville a leader among Spanish cities in technological research and development. The Parque Científico Tecnológico Cartuja 93 is a nexus of private and public investment in various fields of research.[47]
Principal fields of innovation and research are: telecommunications, new technologies, biotechnology (with applications in local agricultural practices), environment and renewable energy.
Transportation[edit]
Bus[edit]
Seville is served by the TUSSAM (Transportes Urbanos de Sevilla) bus network which runs buses throughout the city. The Consorcio de Transportes de Sevilla communicates by bus with all the satellite towns of Seville.
Two bus stations serve transportation between surrounding areas and other cities: Plaza de Armas Station, with destinations north and west, and Prado de San Sebastián Station, covering routes to the south and east. Plaza de Armas station has direct bus lines to many Spanish cities and with Lisbon, in Portugal.
Metro[edit]
1º de Mayo Station of the Seville Metro.
The Seville metro ("Metro de Sevilla" in Spanish) is a light metro network serving the city of Seville and its metropolitan area. The system is totally independent of any other rail or street traffic. All stations were built with platform screen doors.
It was the sixth Metro system to be built in Spain, after those in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao and Palma de Mallorca. Currently, it is the fifth biggest Metro company in Spain by number of passengers carried (more than 12,000,000 in 2009).
Tram[edit]
Seville Tram.
Old tram on display in San Francisco Square
MetroCentro is a surface tramway serving the centre of the city. It began operating in October 2007.
The service has just five stops: Plaza Nueva, Archivo de Indias, Puerta de Jerez, Prado de San Sebastián and San Bernardo, all as part of Phase I of the project. It is expected to be extended to Santa Justa AVE station, including four new stops: San Francisco Javier, Eduardo Dato, Luis de Morales and Santa Justa. This extension was postponed although the City Council had made expanding the metro lines a priority.[citation needed]
Santa Justa Station
Train[edit]
The Santa Justa Train Station is served by the AVE high-speed rail system, and is operated by the Spanish formerly state-owned rail company Renfe. A five-line commuter rail service (Cercanías) joins the city with the Metropolitan area. Seville is on the Red Ciudades AVE, a net created with Seville next to 17 major cities of Spain with high-speed rail.
Bicycle[edit]
Sevici Bicycle station
The Sevici community bicycle program has integrated bicycles into the public transport network. Bicycles are available for hire around the city at low cost and green bicycle lanes can be seen on most major streets. The number of people using bicycles as a mean of transport in Seville has increased substantially in recent years, multiplying tenfold from 2006 to 2010.[citation needed] These are unique results in comparison with other cities; now more than 7% of all trips in the city are made by bicycle.[citation needed]
The city council signed a contract with the multinational corporation JCDecaux, an outdoor advertising company. The public bicycle rental system is financed by a local advertising operator in return for the city signing over a 10-year licence to exploit city-wide billboards. The overall scheme is called Cyclocity[48] by JCDecaux, but each city's system is branded under an individual name.
Airport[edit]
Boeing 717-2BL at San Pablo Airport
San Pablo Airport is the main airport for Seville and is Andalusia’s second airport. The airport handled 4,051,392 passengers and just under 5,000 tonnes of cargo in 2009.[49] It has one terminal and one runway.
It is one of many bases for the Spanish low cost carrier Vueling, and from November 2010 Ryanair will base two aircraft at the airport.[50]
Port[edit]
Seville is the only commercial river port of Spain, and the only inland city in the country where cruise ships can arrive in the historical centre. On 21 August 2012, the Muelle de las Delicias, controlled by the Port Authority of Seville, hosted the cruise ship Azamara Journey for two days, largest ship ever visited the town. This vessel belongs to the shipping company Royal Caribbean and can accommodate up to 700 passengers.[51]
Roads[edit]
Seville has one ring road, the SE-30, which connects with the dual carriageway of the south, the A-4, that directly communicates the city with Cádiz, Cordoba and Madrid. Also there is another dual carriageway, the A-92, linking the city with Estepa, Antequera, Granada, Guadix and Almeria. The A-49 links Seville with Huelva and the Algarve in the south of Portugal.
Education[edit]
View of Pablo de Olavide University campus.
Seville is home to three public universities: the University of Seville, founded in 1505, originally was a tobacco factory and the one in which Carmen worked in the opera Carmen, the Pablo de Olavide University, founded in 1997 and the International University of Andalusia, founded in 1994.[52]
Additionally, there is the School of Hispanic American Studies, founded in 1942, the Menéndez Pelayo International University, based in Santander, which operates branch campuses in Seville.[53]
Famous natives[edit]
Maria Antonietta of Spain, Queen consort of Sardinia (1729–1785)
Physician Avenzoar
The family of the Arabic historian and sociologist Ibn Khaldun
Renaissance composer Cristóbal de Morales, Francisco Guerrero
16th-century novelist Mateo Alemán
Playwrights Lope de Rueda and Hermanos Alvarez Quintero
Historian of New Spain Bartolomé de Las Casas
Baroque painters Diego Velázquez, Valdés Leal and Murillo
Explorer and astronomer Antonio de Ulloa
Renaissance poet Gutierre de Cetina
Romantic poet Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
Plaza de La Alfalfa, Seville by Sevillian artist Joaquín Turina y ArealBullfighters Juan Belmonte, Curro Romero, Ignacio Sánchez Mejías and Joselito el Gallo
20th-century poets: Vicente Aleixandre (Nobel Laureate)
Antonio and Manuel Machado
Luis Cernuda
Composer Joaquín Turina
Cartoonist William Haselden
Actors Juan Diego, Paco León
Actresses Soledad Miranda, Verónica Sánchez, Carmen Sevilla, Paz Vega, Azucena Hernández
Miss España 2003 (representing Andalusia), beauty queen and model Eva Maria González
Singers Isabel Pantoja, Juanita Reina, Lole y Manuel, Paquita Rico, El Caracol, Falete, Pastora Soler
Comedian Manuel Summers
Navy officer Miguel Buiza Fernández-Palacios who became Captain General of the Spanish Republican Navy
Association footballers José Antonio Reyes, Fernando "Nando" Muñoz, Ricardo Serna, Sergio Ramos, Jesús Navas, Antonio Puerta, Carlos Marchena
Olympic swimmer Fátima Madrid
Politicians Felipe González, President of the Government of Spain from 1982 to 1996, and Alfonso Guerra, vice-president from 1982 to 1991
Diego Velázquez
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
Isidoro de Sevilla
Joaquín Turina
Vicente Aleixandre
Antonio Machado
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer
Maria Antonietta of Spain
Antonio de Ulloa
Bartolomé de las Casas
Mateo Alemán
Felipe González
Sport[edit]
La Cartuja Olympic Stadium
Seville is the hometown of two rival association football teams: Sevilla Fútbol Club and Real Betis Balompié, both in Spain's highest division, the Liga BBVA. Both teams have only won the league once each: Betis in 1935 and Sevilla in 1946.[54] Only Sevilla has won European competitions, winning consecutive UEFA Cup finals in 2006 and 2007.[55] Sevilla's stadium, the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, was a venue during the 1982 FIFA World Cup[56] and four years later hosted the 1986 European Cup Final.[57] Seville's Olympic Stadium on the Isla de La Cartuja was the venue for the 2003 UEFA Cup Final.[58]
San Pablo Arena
Seville housed the tennis Davis Cup final in 2004 and 2011, and the 7th Athletics World Championships. The city unsuccessfully bid for the 2004[59] and 2008 Summer Olympics,[60] for which the 60,000-seat Estadio de La Cartuja was designed to stage. Seville has one important basketball club, the CB Sevilla, that plays in ACB League. Seville's Guadalquivir river is one of only three FISA approved international training centres for rowing (sport) and the only one in Spain, where they have held the World Rowing Championships in 2002 and European Championships will be held in 2013.
In fiction[edit]
The picaresque novel Rinconete y Cortadillo by Miguel de Cervantes takes place in the city of Seville.
The novel La Femme et le pantin, ("The Woman and the Puppet") (1898) by Pierre Louÿs, adapted for film several times, is set mainly in Seville.
Seville is the setting for the legend of Don Juan (inspired by the real aristocrat Don Miguel de Mañara) on the Paseo Alcalde Marqués de Contadero
Seville is the primary setting of many operas, the best known of which are Bizet's Carmen (based on Mérimée's novella), Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Verdi's La forza del destino, Beethoven's Fidelio, Mozart's Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro, and Prokofiev's Betrothal in a Monastery.
Seville is the setting of the novel "The Seville Communion" by Arturo Pérez-Reverte.
Seville is both the location and setting for much of the 1985 Doctor Who television serial The Two Doctors.
Seville is also used as one of the locations in Dan Brown's "Digital Fortress".
Seville is one of the settings in Jostein Gaarder's book "The Orange Girl" ("Appelsinpiken").
Arthur Koestler's book Spanish Testament is based on the writer's experiences while held in the Seville prison, under a sentence of death, during the Spanish Civil War.
Robert Wilson's police novel The Hidden Assassins (2006) concerns a terrorist incident in Seville and the political context thereof, with much local colour. Note also his title The Blind Man of Seville (2004).
The Plaza de España in the Parque de María Luisa appears in George Lucas' Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones as well as in Lawrence of Arabia as the British Army HQ in Cairo, while the courtyard was the King Alfonso XIII Hotel.
The Plaza of the Americas also appeared in Lawrence, substituting for Jerusalem, and in Anthony Mann's El Cid. It would also serve as the Palace of Vladek Sheybal's Bashaw in The Wind and the Lion (1975) (including the memorable attack scene by the US Marines.)
The Plaza de España in the Parque de María Luisa appears in the movie The Dictator, starring Sacha Baron Cohen, as the palace of the dictator Aladeen.
Gallery[edit]
Casa de Pilatos
Casa de Pilatos garden
Casa de Pilatos garden
The 'Adriática' building (1914-1922) on the Avenida de la Constitución designed by José Espiau y Muñoz
Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza - panoramic view
Museum of Fine Arts of Seville
Interior of the Alcázar
The Chapel of El Carmen, next to the Triana bridge
Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza
Metropol Parasol
Archbishop's palace
Fountain in front of the Giralda
Plaza de España
Plaza de España
Guadalquivir river over the city of Seville
Palacio de San Telmo, now headquarters of the Presidency of Andalusia
The courtyard of the cathedral, as seen from the Giralda
The roof of the cathedral as seen from the Giralda tower
The tomb of Christopher Columbus, inside the Cathedral of Seville
Isabel II bridge, a.k.a. Triana bridge (Puente de Triana)
Telefónica Building
Archivo de Indias
Puente del V Centenario
Plaza del Altozano in Triana
Barqueta Bridge at night
Torre Triana in La Cartuja
Seville Fair
Carriage at the Seville Fair
Avenida de la Constitución
Street in Jewish Quarter
Casa de los Pinelos in Jewish Quarter
Lope de Vega Theater
Alameda de Hércules
Salvador Church
Schindler Tower
Plaza del Triunfo
Twin towns and sister cities[edit]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Spain
Seville is twinned with the following cities:[61]
Georgia (country) Sighnaghi, Georgia (1999)
France Angers, France, since 2000[61]
Philippines Baler, Philippines
Bolivia Tarija, Bolivia
Spain Barcelona, Spain[62]
Argentina Buenos Aires, Argentina[63]
United States Columbus, United States[61][64]
Mexico Guadalajara, Mexico[61]
Cuba Havana, Cuba[63][65][66]
United States Kansas City, United States[61][67][68]
Morocco Rabat, Morocco[69]
Western Sahara Tifariti, Western Sahara
Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (2009)
Venezuela Caracas, Venezuela (2012)
Partnerships[edit]
Poland Kraków, Poland (2002)[61][70]
Titles[edit]
Seville has been given titles by Spanish monarchs and heads of state throughout its history.[71]
Very Noble, by King Ferdinand III of Castile after his reconquest of the city.
Very Loyal, by King Alfonso X of Castile for supporting him against a rebellion. See also the Motto "NO8DO".
Very Heroic, by King Ferdinand VII of Spain by Royal Document on 13 October 1817 for support against the French invasion.
Invictus (Invincible in Latin), by Queen Isabella II of Spain for the city's resistance against General Van Halen's asedium and bombing in 1843.
Mariana, by General Francisco Franco in 1946 for the city's devotion to the Virgin Mary.
See also[edit]
Portal icon Spain portal
Seville Statement on Violence
Seville Public Library
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Salma Khadra Jayyusi; Manuela Marín (1992). The Legacy of Muslim Spain. BRILL. p. 136. ISBN 978-90-04-09599-1. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
2.Jump up ^ Christian-Muslim Relations. A Bibliographical History. Volume 4 (1200–1350). BRILL. 3 August 2012. p. 9. ISBN 978-90-04-22854-2. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
3.Jump up ^ SPAL: Revista de prehistoria y arqueología de la Universidad de Sevilla. Secretariado de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Sevilla. 1998. p. 93. Retrieved 8 February 2013. "La presencia de fenicios en la antigua Sevilla parece constatada por el topónimo Spal que en diversas lenguas semíticas significa "zona baja", "llanura verde" o "valle profundo""
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–57). "article name needed". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Seville.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sevilla.
Seville in the Official Website of Tourism in Spain
‹See Tfd›(Spanish) Official website of the city council.
Seville travel guide from Wikivoyage
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Guilin
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2011)
Guilin
桂林 · Gveilinz
Prefecture-level city
桂林市 · Gveilinz Si
View of Xi River and Elephant Trunk Hill
Location of Guilin City jurisdiction in Guangxi
Administrative divisions of Guilin
Guilin is located in China
Guilin
Location in China
Coordinates: 25°16′N 110°17′ECoordinates: 25°16′N 110°17′E
Country
People's Republic of China
Region
Guangxi
Area
• Total
27,809 km2 (10,737 sq mi)
Elevation
153 m (502 ft)
Population
• Total
4,747,963
• Density
170/km2 (440/sq mi)
Time zone
China Standard (UTC+8)
Postal code
541XXX
Area code(s)
0773
Licence plate prefixes
桂C for Guilin's city proper, Yangshuo, and Lingui; all others 桂H
Website
guilin.gov.cn
Guilin
Chinese name
Chinese
桂林
Postal Map
Kweilin
[show]Transcriptions
Zhuang name
Zhuang
Gveilinz
Guilin (Chinese: 桂林; Zhuang: Gveilinz) is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China, situated on the west bank of the Li River, and bordering Hunan to the north. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city. The city has long been renowned for its unique scenery of Karst topography and is one of China's most popular tourist destinations.[1]
Contents
[hide] 1 History
2 Administrative divisions
3 Geography 3.1 Climate
4 Demographics
5 Economy
6 Transportation 6.1 Air
6.2 Rail
7 Colleges and universities 7.1 Public
8 Scenic spots
9 Cuisine
10 Quotes
11 International relations 11.1 Twin towns — Sister cities
12 Gallery
13 See also
14 References
15 Further reading
16 External links
History[edit]
Question book-new.svg
This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2013)
In 314 BC, a small settlement was established along the banks of the Li River.
During the Qin Dynasty's (221-207 BC) campaigns against the state of Nanyue, the first administration was set up in the area around Guilin.[2]
In 111 BC, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Shi An County was established, which could be regarded as the beginning of the city.
In 507 AD, the town was renamed Guizhou.
Guilin prospered in the Tang and Song dynasties but remained a county. The city was also a nexus between the central government and the southwest border, and it was where regular armies were placed to guard that border. Canals were built through the city so that food supplies could be directly transported from the food-productive Yangtze plain to the farthest southwestern point of the empire.
In 1921, Guilin became one of the headquarters of the Northern Expeditionary Army led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen.
In 1940, the city acquired its present name.[3][4]
In 1981, Guilin was listed by the State Council as one of the four cities (the other three being Beijing, Hangzhou and Suzhou) where the protection of historical and cultural heritage, as well as natural scenery, should be treated as a priority project.[5][6]
Administrative divisions[edit]
Guilin administers 17 county-level divisions:
Six districts: Xiufeng District (秀峰区), Xiangshan District (象山区), Diecai District (叠彩区), Qixing District (七星区), Yanshan District (雁山区), Lingui District (临桂区).
Nine counties: Yangshuo County (阳朔), Lingchuan County (灵川), Xing'an County (兴安), Quanzhou County (全州), Yongfu County (永福), Ziyuan County (资源), Guanyang County (灌阳), Pingle County (平乐), Lipu County (荔浦).
Two autonomous counties: Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County (恭城瑶族自治县), Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County (龙胜各族自治县).
Geography[edit]
Guilin is located in northern Guangxi, bordering Liuzhou to the west, Laibin to the southwest, Wuzhou to the south, Hezhou to the southeast, and within neighbouring Hunan, Huaihua to the northwest, Shaoyang to the north, and Yongzhou to the east. It has a total area of 27,809 square kilometres (10,737 sq mi). The topography of the area is marked by karst formations. The Li River flows through the city.
Hills and Mountains: Diecai Hill (zh:叠彩山), Elephant Trunk Hill, Wave-Subduing Hill (zh:伏波山), Lipu Mountains, Kitten Mountain, the highest peak of Guangxi, and Yao Hill (zh:尧山)
Cave: Reed Flute Cave, Seven-Star Cave
Climate[edit]
Guilin has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with short, mild winters, and long, hot, humid summers. Winter begins dry but becomes progressively wetter and cloudier. Spring is generally overcast and often rainy, while summer continues to be rainy though is the sunniest time of year. Autumn is sunny and dry. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from 7.9 °C (46.2 °F) in January to 28.0 °C (82.4 °F) in July, and the annual mean is 18.84 °C (65.9 °F). The annual rainfall is just above 1,900 mm (75 in), and is delivered in bulk (~50%) from April to June, when the plum rains occur and often create the risk of flooding. There are 1,487 hours of bright sunshine annually.
[hide]Climate data for Guilin (1971−2000)
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Average high °C (°F)
11.5
(52.7) 12.7
(54.9) 16.5
(61.7) 22.7
(72.9) 27.1
(80.8) 30.4
(86.7) 32.6
(90.7) 32.8
(91) 30.3
(86.5) 25.6
(78.1) 20.2
(68.4) 15.2
(59.4) 23.1
(73.6)
Average low °C (°F)
5.4
(41.7) 7.0
(44.6) 10.4
(50.7) 15.9
(60.6) 20.1
(68.2) 23.4
(74.1) 24.8
(76.6) 24.5
(76.1) 21.9
(71.4) 17.3
(63.1) 12.1
(53.8) 7.3
(45.1) 15.8
(60.5)
Precipitation mm (inches)
63.4
(2.496) 96.7
(3.807) 136.7
(5.382) 247.4
(9.74) 351.7
(13.846) 346.9
(13.657) 231.3
(9.106) 173.3
(6.823) 81.8
(3.22) 65.7
(2.587) 63.6
(2.504) 42.8
(1.685) 1,901.3
(74.853)
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)
15.1 15.5 18.6 20.2 19.0 17.5 16.1 14.8 8.2 9.7 8.7 9.1 172.5
% humidity
74 76 80 81 81 82 79 78 73 71 67 67 75.8
Mean monthly sunshine hours
66.9 50.0 51.6 72.6 109.5 131.1 199.4 204.1 193.4 157.1 134.4 117.2 1,487.3
Percent possible sunshine
20 16 14 19 27 32 48 51 53 44 41 36 33.4
Source: China Meteorological Administration[7]
Demographics[edit]
Population: 4,747,963[8]
Urban population: 975,638[citation needed]
Ethnic groups: Zhuang, Yao, Hui, Miao, Han and Dong
Economy[edit]
Airport of GuilinThe GDP per capita was ¥19435 (ca. US$2858) in 2009, ranked no. 125 among 659 Chinese cities.[citation needed]
Local industry: pharmaceutical goods, tires, machinery, fertilizer, silk, perfume, wine, tea, cinnamon, herbal medicine
Local agricultural products: Shatian Pomelo, summer orange, Fructus Momordicae, ginkgo, moon persimmon, Lipu Taro, Sanhua Alcohol, pepper sauce, fermented bean curd, Guilin Rice Noodle, water chestnut, grain, fish and dried bean milk cream in tight rolls
Until 1949 only a thermal power plant, a cement works, and some small textile mills existed as signs of industrialization in Guilin.[2] However, since the 1950s Guilin has electronics, engineering and agricultural equipment, medicine, rubber, and buses, and it also has textile and cotton yarn factories. Food processing, including the processing of local agricultural produce, remains the most important industry. More recent and modern industry feature high technology and the tertiary industry characterized by tourism trading and service.[9]
Transportation[edit]
Air[edit]
Airport: Guilin Liangjiang International Airport
Budget airlines also operate from the Guilin Liangjiang International Airport - Spring Airlines provides connections to local destinations within China while AirAsia connects passengers to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Rail[edit]
Hunan–Guangxi Railway
Train: Guilin Train Station
Colleges and universities[edit]
Public[edit]
Guilin University of Technology (桂林理工大学)
Guilin Medical University (桂林医学院)
Guilin University of Electronic Technology (桂林电子科技大学)
Guangxi Normal University (广西师范大学)
Note: Institutions without full-time bachelor programs are not listed.
Scenic spots[edit]
Li River connects Guilin and Yangshuo County
Longsheng Rice Terrace (Ping An)
Da Zhai
North entrance in Seven Star Park
Reed flute cave
Scenic spots around Guilin include:
Jingjiang Princes City, a royal complex dating from the Ming Dynasty that lies near the center of modern Guilin
Reed Flute Cave
Silver Cave (银子岩溶洞)
Li River
Yangshuo
Seven-Star Cave and Seven Star Park (七星公园)
Camel Mountain (骆驼山) and Elephant Trunk Hill
Piled Festoon Hill (堆花彩山)
Crescent Hill (月牙山)
Fubo Hill (伏波山)
Nanxi Hill (南溪山)
Erlang Gorge (二郎山峡谷）
Huangbu (Yellow Cloth) Beach (黄埔滩)
Moon Hill
Longsheng Rice Terrace
Daxu Ancient Town (大圩古市镇)
Xingping Ancient Town (兴坪古镇)
Duxiu (Solitary Beauty) Peak (独秀峰)
Liusanjie Landscape Garden (刘三姐景观园)
Yao Hill (zh:尧山)
Cuisine[edit]
Guilin cuisine is known for its snacks and the use of spices, especially chili. Guilin chili sauce (桂林辣椒酱), used widely in cooking by locals, is made of fresh chili, garlic, and fermented soybeans, and is considered one of the city's Three Treasures (桂林三宝). The other two of the Three Treasures are Guilin Sanhua Jiu (桂林三花酒), a variety of rice baijiu, or liquor distilled from rice; and Guilin pickled tofu (桂林豆腐乳).
Guilin rice noodles (桂林米粉) have been the local breakfast staple since the Qin dynasty and are renowned for their delicate taste. Legend has it that when Qin troops suffering from diarrhoea entered this region, a cook created the Guilin rice noodles for the army because they had trouble eating the local food. Specifically, the local specialty is noodles with horse meat, but this dish can also be ordered without the horse meat. Zongzi (粽子; pinyin: zòngzi), a dumpling made from glutinous rice and mung bean paste wrapped in a bamboo or banana leaf is another popular delicacy in Guilin.
Quotes[edit]
"I often sent pictures of the hills of Guilin which I painted to friends back home, but few believed what they saw." - Fan Chengda (Chinese Song Dynasty scholar)[10]桂林山水甲天下 - "Guilin's scenery is best among all under heaven." - popular Chinese saying[11]
International relations[edit]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in China
Twin towns — Sister cities[edit]
Guilin is twinned with:
Japan - Nishikatsura, Yamanashi, Japan[12]
Japan - Kumamoto City, Japan[13]
New Zealand - Hastings, New Zealand
Poland - Toruń, Poland[14]
United States - Orlando, United States[15]
The Guilin relationship with the New Zealand city Hastings started in 1977, after a research scientist, Dr Stuart Falconer identified a number of common areas of interest between the two cities, including horticulture and their rural-urban mix.[16]
Gallery[edit]
Guilin Li River 1
Guilin Scenery
Guilin landscapes
Songs and Performances in Guilin
Seven Star Park
Pagodas in Fir Lake in downtown Guilin
Distant view of Guilin
Gulin Street
Gulin Pagodas
See also[edit]
Shenmue II
Chinese alcoholic beverage
Li Zongren
Transportation in Macau
Bai Chongxi
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Foster, Simon (2012). Frommer's China. John Wiley & Sons. p. 612. ISBN 9781118223529.
2.^ Jump up to: a b "Guilin (China) Encyclopaedia Britannica". Encyclopaedia Britannica (Online). Retrieved 11 July 2013.
3.Jump up ^ http://www.justchina.org/china/guilin/guilin-history.asp
4.Jump up ^ http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/guangxi/guilin/
5.Jump up ^ http://www.greatwall-of-china-beijing.com/guilin-travel.html#.UUc8KxeG1Lo
6.Jump up ^ http://www.chinatourguide.com/guilin/guilin_history.html
7.Jump up ^ "中国地面国际交换站气候标准值月值数据集（1971－2000年）". China Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
8.Jump up ^ http://www.geohive.com/cntry/cn-45.aspx China Census 2010
9.Jump up ^ "Guilin Economy; china Window". Retrieved 11 July 2013.
10.Jump up ^ http://www.chinavista.com/travel/guilin/main.html
11.Jump up ^ http://en.glut.edu.cn/english/011guilin%20tour/001%20guilin%201.htm
12.Jump up ^ http://www.pref.yamanashi.jp/english/profile/documents/2008yamanashifactsandfigures.pdf
13.Jump up ^ http://www.kumamoto-if.or.jp/info/s_detail.asp?LC=e&PageID=3&l_id=3
14.Jump up ^ "Miasta bliźniacze Torunia" [Toruń's twin towns]. Urząd Miasta Torunia [City of Toruń Council] (in Polish). Retrieved 2013-08-22.
15.Jump up ^ http://www.cityoforlando.net/international/global_connex/asia.htm
16.Jump up ^ http://www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/sister-city
Further reading[edit]
Guilin (China) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Guilin.
Guilin Government Official website ‹See Tfd›(Chinese)
Guilin travel guide from Wikivoyage
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Categories: 314 BC establishments
Populated places established in the 4th century BC
Guilin
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Hardangerjøkulen
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This article relies largely or entirely upon a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. (November 2010)
Hardangerjøkulen
HardangerjøkulenFromHårteigen.jpg
Location
Eidfjord and Ulvik, Hordaland, Norway
Coordinates
60°32′N 7°25′ECoordinates: 60°32′N 7°25′E
Area
73 km2 (28 sq mi)
Hardangerjøkulen's highest point (1,863 m above sea level).
Hardangerjøkulen is the sixth largest glacier in mainland Norway, and is located in Eidfjord and Ulvik municipalities.
Hardangerjøkulen's highest point is 1,863 m (6,112 ft) above sea level, and is the highest point in Hordaland. Its lowest point is 1,050 m (3,440 ft) above sea level.
The glacier is easily accessed from the north in the winter, from the railway station Finse on Bergensbanen. In the winter the highest point can be accessed from Finse using only skis.
Recent history[edit source]
The 1980 movie Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back used Hardangerjøkulen as a filming location, for scenes of the ice planet Hoth, including a memorable battle in the snow.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hardangerjøkulen
See also[edit source]
List of glaciers in Norway
List of highest points of Norwegian counties
References[edit source]
Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate on Hardangerjøkulen (NVE)
Stub icon This Hordaland location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
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Categories: Glaciers of Norway
Geography of Hordaland
Mountains of Hordaland
Ulvik
Eidfjord
Highest points of Norwegian counties
Hordaland geography stubs
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