Post

How to get URL link on X (Twitter) App

On the Twitter thread, click on or icon on the bottom
Click again on or Share Via icon
Click on Copy Link to Tweet
Paste it above and click "Unroll Thread"!
More info at Twitter Help

World Scholar

@WorldScholar_

Jan 17 • 22 tweets • 6 min read • Read on X

Scrolly

Look Up.

This is what a great ceiling looks like.

It's St. Mary's Basilica in Kraków, Poland, built 700 years ago.

But that's just one breathtaking example, so here are 21 more... 🧵

1. Sainte-Chapelle, Paris, France (1248)

2. Sistine Chapel, Vatican City (1481)

3. St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England (1710)

4. Gran Hotel Ciudad, Mexico City, Mexico (1899)

5. Strahov Monastery Library, Prague, Czech Republic (1679)

6. Sainte-Cecile Cathedral, Albi, France (1480)

7. Museum of Palazzo Grimani, Venice, Italy (1575)

8. St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland (1883)

9. La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain (1882-)

10. Shah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran (1629)

11. Theatine Church, Munich, Germany (1690)

12. Cathedral of Cremona, Italy (1529)

13. Tila Kari, Samarkand, Uzbekistan (1660)

14. Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire, England (1351)

15. The Mezquita, Córdoba, Spain (1607)

16. Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran (1619)

17. The Room of the Giants, Palazzo Te, Italy (1536)

18. Marienmünster Church, Dießen am Ammersee, Germany (1739)

19. Peacock Room, Castello di Sammezzano, Italy (1889)

20. Burgos Cathedral, Burgos, Spain (1567)

21. Basilica di Sant'Andrea delle Fratte, Rome, Italy (1826)

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

More from @WorldScholar_

World Scholar

@WorldScholar_

Jan 13

This is not a microchip — it's the Forbidden City, in China.

What makes it so special?

600 years ago, it had exactly 9,999 rooms, not a single structure you see here was built with a nail and 40% of the Forbidden City is still "forbidden"... 🧵

The true scale is unprecedented.

That's because it's larger than the White House, Buckingham Palace and Vatican City combined but took just 14 years to build.

So it's amazing but what actually is it?

It's the largest palace complex in the world.

It has 90 palaces that have been home to 24 different Chinese emperors, over its lifespan.

And it was even briefly under the control of Anglo-French forces, in 1860, during the Arrow War.

Read 23 tweets

World Scholar

@WorldScholar_

Jan 11

This is not the ceiling of the Taj Mahal, Notre-Dame or La Sagrada Familia.

It's the Palau de la Música Catalana, in Barcelona

But that's only one architectural wonder of Spain, so here are 21 more... 🧵

1. Casa Battló, Barcelona (1906)

A masterpiece by Antoni Gaudí.

The building’s facade mimics the scales of a dragon.

2. Aqueduct of Segovia (50 BC)

A Roman marvel, built entirely without any form of mortar or concrete.

It supplied water to the city from the Frío Rive for almost two millenias, and was in use until 1973.

Read 22 tweets

World Scholar

@WorldScholar_

Jan 6

This may look like an ordinary church, but in reality, it holds an extraordinary secret.

It was built without a single nail, has multiple dragon heads — and is over 800 years old.

It sounds impossible, but this is only where the story begins... 🧵

The Borgund Stave Church, in Norway is one of the most remarkable wooden buildings in existence

It was built in 1180 and is an interesting example of medieval architecture: it has weathered timbers, tiered roofs...

and of course multiple dragon heads, near the top.

But what makes it even more extraordinary is not its exterior, influenced by the Christians and Pagans, but its actual structure:

Not a single iron nail was used to build it.

It may sound simple or boring at first, but makes complete sense. The secret lies in the material: Wood

Read 19 tweets

World Scholar

@WorldScholar_

Jan 4

The Alhambra isn't really a palace — it's more like a small city.

It was built on Roman ruins and is home to a fountain of 12 lions that can actually tell the time.

So the Alhambra is quite incredible, but that's just the tip of the iceberg... 🧵

There's something interesting about the Alhambra.

That's because it's one of the few examples of Moorish architecture, ever built in Europe.

We begin in Roman ruins, in the 9th century but then nothing happens...until the 13th century, where the story really begins...

The word "Alhambra" literally translates to "the red one" in Arabic, linking back to the rammed earth that was used to build its outer walls.

It contained iron oxide, which gave it that iconic reddish charm.

Read 19 tweets

World Scholar

@WorldScholar_

Jan 1

You've seen incredible forts before, but not like this.

This is Bourtange Fort in the Netherlands, built just 431 years ago.

And it's a breathtaking example of what we call a "star fort." Here's everything you need to know... 🧵

For centuries, traditional medieval castles, with their towering walls and battlements were ideal for protecting yourself against an invading army.

But in the 15th century, a new problem arose in warfare: gunpowder.

Now, castles proved vulnerable to the destructive power of cannon fire.

This sparked the beginning of a new era in building forts and there was no better period than the Renaissance.

You had Michelangelo, who first used the idea of star forts in the groundworks of Florence.