Do you know why the Great Wall of China was built?

Prof. Know Why answers:

The Great Wall of China is probably the China's best-known monument and one of its most popular tourist destinations. In 1987 it was designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and in 2007 it was elected one of the New 7 Wonders of the world.

Wonder! –It certainly is, stretching so many miles. But, contrary to the popular belief, the Great Wall of China is not a single, continuous structure. Rather, it consists of a network of walls with watch-towers at intervals that leave the frontier open in places. Estimates of the total length of the monument vary, depending on which sections are included and how they are measured. According to conservative estimates, the Great Wall of China is about 2,400 km long. While, other estimates cite a length of 6,400 km or even longer. From Hebei Province on the gulf of Bo Hai (a gulf of the Yellow Sea) in the east, the Great Wall of China stretches to Jiayuguan in Gansu Province in the west. The top of the walls have space, designed for soldiers to march. The Wall, at its most impressive site around Beijing, measures at least 7.6 m in height and up to 9 m in width, tapering from the base to the top. However, these dimensions vary greatly at other points.

But why was the Great Wall of China built? The natural answer that passes our mind at the first thought is protection or safe-guard from invaders and enemies. Well, that’s true! The Great Wall of China was the greatest manmade military defense structure in ancient China. The Great Wall was built mainly to protect China’s northern border from the Mongolians and other invaders.

But the Great Wall of China was not built at one time. It took several dynasties to complete the work. Based on the technology available at different dynasties, the Great Wall was usually built with local materials, mostly earth and stones. Natural terrain such as mountain ridges was often taken advantage of to form part of the wall.

There were two major periods of construction of the Great Wall, one during the Qin dynasty, and the second during the Ming dynasty. The construction first started more than 3000 years ago during the Warring States period, before China was unified. In 221 B.C., under the first emperor of China, Qin Shihuangdi, sections of earlier fortifications were joined together to form a united defense system against invasions from the north. It was called the “Chang Cheng” (long wall) of Shihuangdi. From then on, all successive Chinese dynasties had a hand in repairing, re-building, lengthening, modifying and preserving the Great Wall. The construction continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), when the Great Wall became the world's largest military structure. Most of the Great Wall that we see today was built in the Ming Dynasty.

There is a long-standing myth about the Great Wall of China that it is visible from outer space. But, actually, it is not visible with the naked eye from outer space. The astronauts have confirmed this. However, some of the wall is recognizable in special radar images, taken by satellites.

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• Do you know why Taj Mahal was built?

Do you know why Taj Mahal was built?

Prof. Know Why answers:

Taj Mahal -the spectacular mausoleum, located on the right bank of river Yamuna in Agra, India, is one of the "new seven wonders of the world". Built entirely of white marble, Taj Mahal, is said to be the “eternal symbol of love”, the world has ever seen! Historians have noted that its architectural beauty has never been surpassed. It appears pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. These changes, people say, depict different moods of a woman. Different people may have different views of the Taj Mahal, but it is best appreciated when the architecture and its adornments are linked to the passion that inspired it -"love"! Perhaps, there is no better and grand monument built ever, in the history of human civilization, dedicated to love!

But, why was the Taj Mahal built? In all, Taj Mahal covers an area of more than 60 acres. It took more than 20,000 workers, comprising of masons, stonecutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome-builders and other artisans from India, Central Asia and Iran, for about 17 years (1631 – 1648) to complete this spectacular work of art. Yes! So was the love of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife that he built this grand piece of history to make their love, immortal! The opulent, domed mausoleum is regarded as the finest example of Mughal art and architecture. So exquisite is the workmanship that the Taj Mahal has been described as "having been designed by giants and finished by jewelers". The Taj Mahal rises on a high red sandstone base topped by a huge white marble terrace on which rests the famous dome flanked by four minarets, each more than 13 stories tall. Within the dome lies the jewel-inlaid cenotaph of the queen.

Arjumand Bano Begum (later known as Mumtaz Mahal) was the woman in whose memory the Taj Mahal was built. Shah Jahan married Arjumand Bano when she was 14 years of age, and the imperial city of Agra was already agog with the stories of her beauty. She became the third wife of Shah Jahan and remained his inseparable companion. As a symbol of her faith and love she bore Shah Jahan 14 children. She breathed her last after delivering their 14th child in 1631 at the age of 38. It is said that it was Mumtaz Mahal who on her deathbed asked Shah Jahan to create a symbol of their love for posterity. Though many historians believe that it was the grief-stricken emperor himself, who decided to build the world’s most memorable symbol of love, Taj Mahal, in the loving memory of his dearest wife.

In Shah Jahan’s later years, he was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb. He spent his days in confinement, by staring at the Taj Mahal from his prison cell window, till he died after eight years in captivity at the age of 74. Later, his grave was also added to the Taj Mahal.

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Do you know why Eiffel Tower was built?

Prof. Know Why answers:

Eiffel Tower or “La Tour Eiffel” in French, situated in the city of Paris in France is one of the few greatest engineering amazements that the world has seen till date. It’s a beauty to watch the Eiffel Tower at night when it’s all illuminated with its lighting effects.

With a height of 324.00m (height with antenna) from the ground and 125m x 125m at the base, Eiffel Tower weighs about 10,000 tons (metal framework weight: 7,300 tons) in total. So what is this Eiffel Tower made up of and how was the foundation laid? Well, the foundation was constituted in stonework and is made of puddle iron. And, how much did it cost to build the Eiffel Tower? – A whopping 7,800,000 gold francs, way back in 1889. The tower was built by Gustave Eiffel, -the man behind the company “Gustave Eiffel & Cie” that got the contract.

Now let’s see, why was this huge structure which is one of the most desired tourist-spot in the world, was created! Eiffel Tower was built as the “theme structure” of the Universal Exposition of 1889, which was held in Paris. It was a huge international fair intended to show off France’s achievements to the world. There were dozens of other sculptures and buildings created also, but the Eiffel Tower was the only one to remain because the military discovered that it was a great antenna for the newly (then) invented technology of radio.

Today, the Eiffel Tower is one of the world's most recognized landmark and stands as an important symbol of Paris, of France, and of travel and exotic destinations in general.

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