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Apr 2, 2024 13 tweets 6 min read Read on X
Art or Reality?

Let us explore Earth's most extraordinary secrets of nature's marvels, where the surreal landscapes defy not only the imagination but science itself! 🧵⤵️ The Door to Hell, a burning natural gas field in Derweze, Turkmenistan. By Tormod Sandtorv - Flickr: Darvasa gas crater panorama, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18209432
Thor's Well in USA

Often referred to as the "drainpipe of the Pacific," Thor's Well is a seemingly bottomless sinkhole that swallows the seawater around it. The sheer force with which the water is drawn in and expelled creates a dramatic spectacle, especially during high tide or stormy conditions. This natural wonder is actually a sea cave that has collapsed, with its roof now gone, allowing water to fill it from the bottom.Credit: Nigel Ten Fleming @TenFleming on X
Danakil Depression in Ethiopia

Known for being one of the hottest places on Earth with temperatures that often soar above 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius), the Danakil Depression is also one of the lowest points on the planet, dipping more than 100 meters below sea level. This desolate landscape is dotted with acid pools, lava lakes, and mineral deposits in neon colors, a result of volcanic activity and salt mining.Credit: @beyzhive on X
Vinicunca in Peru

Also called the Rainbow Mountain, Vinicunca is famous for its multi-colored strata, which are the result of various mineral deposits that have been exposed by erosion. The stunning hues of red, yellow, purple, and green make it seem as if the mountain was painted. This visual phenomenon becomes particularly vibrant after a rainfall.Image
Zhangye Danxia in China

These are the Rainbow Mountains of China, known for their otherworldly colors that mimic a marbled painting. Layers of different colored sandstone and minerals pressed together over 24 million years and then buckled up by tectonic plates have created this natural masterpiece.Credit: Weird Science - @weird_sci on X
Lake Hillier in Australia

This pink-colored lake on Middle Island is one of the most striking natural phenomena. The distinctive color of the lake is due to the presence of the organism Dunaliella salina, which produces a pink pigment as part of its photosynthesis process, and possibly in combination with the presence of halophilic bacteria in the salt crusts.Credit: Nature Is Weird - @NaturelsWeird on X
Pamukkale in Turkey

Known as "Cotton Castle" in Turkish, Pamukkale's terraces are made of travertine, a sedimentary rock deposited by mineral water from the hot springs. The cascading white pools with warm waters are not just a visual delight but also a popular spot for therapeutic bathing.Image
Darvaze Gas Crater in Turkmenistan

Nicknamed the "Door to Hell," this burning natural gas field collapsed into a large cavern, which geologists set on fire to prevent the spread of methane gas, and it has been burning continuously since 1971. The fiery pit is a surreal sight, especially at night.Image
Rainbow River in Colombia

The Caño Cristales, often called the "Liquid Rainbow," gets its multicolored appearance from the unique plant species that line its floor. Different colors, including red, yellow, green, and blue, are visible at different times of the year, thanks to the reproductive process of the plants.Image
Chocolate Hills in Philippines

Over 1,200 uniformly cone-shaped hills dot the landscape of Bohol. During the dry season, the grass-covered hills dry up and turn chocolate brown, giving them their name. Their formation is still a subject of debate, with theories including oceanic volcano eruptions, uplift of coral deposits, and a combination of erosion and weathering.Credit: https://www.matteocolombo.com/media/b696b84e-ae59-4555-82da-20f6612b3c3a-dramatic-light-over-chocolate-hills-bohol-philippines
Sand Pyramids in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Formed through the natural phenomena of erosion, the Sand Pyramids are spire-shaped formations that resemble a landscape straight out of a science fiction novel. They are created as the softer material around the pyramids is washed away by rain, leaving only the harder stone spires.Wikimedia Commons
Red Beach in China

Located in Panjin, this beach is covered with a type of seaweed called Suaeda salsa, which turns bright red in autumn. It's a vibrant and unusual sight, differing from the typical sandy beach, and also serves as a nature reserve for hundreds of species of birds and other wildlife.Image
Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia

The world’s largest salt flat, it was formed as a result of transformations between several prehistoric lakes. It's covered by a few meters of salt crust, which is exceptionally flat. The flatness and the bright white of the salt make it a surreal landscape, and when covered with a thin layer of water, it becomes the largest natural mirror on Earth.Image

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More from @CultureExploreX

Jul 14
Venice doesn’t feel real.

A floating city with no cars, no roads... just water, silence, and 1,500 years of ambition.

It’s not just beautiful. It’s impossible. 🧵

A thread on the haunting, seductive, unforgettable beauty of Venice: The Bridge of Sighs, Venice, Italy.
It began as a refuge, settlers fleeing barbarian invasions, building on marshes no army would cross.

But Venice turned exile into empire.

By the 13th century, it wasn’t just surviving, it was ruling the seas. Venice was built on a foundation of about 10,000,000 underwater wooden logs or 8 to 10 tree logs per sq meter. Trunks function as roots. 1200 years later, those same trunks still support almost all of central Venice. Credit:  Dr. M.F. Khan @Dr_TheHistories
No city flaunted power like Venice.
Not with walls but with domes, gold, and spectacle.

The Basilica di San Marco was its crown: five bulbous domes, stolen columns, and a ceiling made of molten heaven.

It wasn’t built just for prayer. It was built to stun as well. The Patriarchal Basilica of Saint Mark (Italian: Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco) in Venice, Italy, was the national treasure of the Republic of Venice until 1797 and since 1807 it has been the Cathedral of Venice. Photo: @harimaolee By Nguyễn Khánh
Read 21 tweets
Jul 13
This cathedral looks like a fairytale. But it was built to scare people, not to inspire them.

A warning in stone. A symbol of domination.

Here’s the untold story of Saint Basil’s Cathedral 🧵👇 St. Basil’s Cathedral (Moscow, Russia) Credit:  Architecture & Tradition @archi_tradition
After Ivan the Terrible conquered Kazan in 1552, he wanted more than a monument.
He wanted to make a statement.

He ordered a cathedral so bold, so strange, that it would leave Russia’s enemies shaking.
And he didn’t hold back. Iván el Terrible entra en Kazán, por Piotr Shamshin.
The site was strategic, the edge of the Kremlin moat.

Before it, Red Square had no real landmark.

This cathedral changed the skyline forever.
It set the tone for how Moscow would be seen — sacred, strange, and unstoppable. Image
Read 21 tweets
Jul 13
Asia isn’t a continent. It’s a mosaic of civilizations, faiths, and empires.

These 24 landmarks capture its soul—with no filters, no gimmicks.

They’ll change how you see the world. 🧵👇 Great Wall of China Credit: @histories_arch
Persepolis – Iran

Imagine walking into the throne room of kings who ruled half the known world. That's Persepolis. Credit: @onationalparks
Angkor Wat – Cambodia

Built to honor Hindu gods and later transformed into a Buddhist temple, it’s a city of stone. Image
Read 27 tweets
Jul 12
“Solomon, I have outdone thee!” — Emperor Justinian.

So why did Renaissance thinkers call his era the "Dark Ages"?

What if they got it completely wrong?
Let’s dismantle the biggest myth in history. 🧵👇 The Hagia Sophia in its current form was rebuilt by Emperor Justinian.
When people hear “Dark Ages,” they picture a world of ignorance, plague, and collapse.

No science. No progress. Just decay.
But that’s not what really happened.

The term “Dark Ages” isn’t just inaccurate, it’s propaganda. San Vitale (Ravenna) Photo by Phantom65 on flickr
In 536 AD, the sky literally darkened. A mysterious fog covered much of Southern Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia.

This foreboding change was recorded by the Byzantine historian Procopius. “For the sun gave forth its light without brightness, like the moon, during this whole year.”

Crops failed.
Plague followed. Millions died.

Scientists now believe massive volcanic eruptions triggered the chaos.

But the era didn’t die, it adapted.Photo by Maggie Evans  freeyork.org/photography/watch-the-explosive-footage-of-a-recent-volcanic-eruption-in-iceland/
Dramatic storm clouds
Sunrise eruption at Volcano Fuego in Guatemala
Read 21 tweets
Jul 8
Italy doesn’t just have art.
Italy is art.

And nowhere is that clearer than in its churches, some built to honor God, others to display power, and a few to do both.

Here are 17 churches in Italy that will make you question what humans are even capable of. 🧵👇 Duomo di Siena, Italy Credit: @ValentyneDreams
1. Duomo di Milano – Milan

It took 579 years to build.

A forest of spires.
3,400 statues.
And on top? A golden Virgin Mary watching over the city.

This is what happens when ambition and spirituality unite. Credit: @Anc_Aesthetics
2. Santa Maria del Fiore – Florence

It changed architecture forever.

Brunelleschi’s dome was an unsolvable puzzle until he solved it without scaffolding.

No one had seen anything like it since the Pantheon. And 600 years later, no one’s matched it. Credit: Travel Destinations, Tips & Inspiration
Read 21 tweets
Jul 6
Most people think of mausoleums as tombs.

But the best of them are something more, Cathedrals of memory, ambition, and love carved in stone.

Here are 22 that left the world in awe and one that hides a deadly secret. 🧵 Baldacchino by Gian Lorenzo Bernini was erected over Saint Peter's tomb, it was designed at the request of Pope Urban VIII around 1624 AD.  Credit: @histories_arch on X  St.Peter's Basilica contains the tombs of many Popes also.
1. Basilica of Saint-Denis – France

Where the French kings go to sleep.

Gothic architecture was born here. Stained glass blazing like fire, tombs of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI beneath your feet. Image
2. Taj Mahal – Agra

Shah Jahan built it for love.
The world never forgot.

Symmetrical gardens, flawless white marble, and haunting beauty.

But don’t miss the tragic twist: he was buried next to her, off-center, breaking perfect symmetry. Credit: @The_Earth______
Read 25 tweets

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