Big Ben

The Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster - officially named Saint Stephen's Tower - is commonly known as the Big Ben. The tower is one of London's most famous landmarks. Big Ben The clock inside the tower was the world's largest when it was installed in the middle of the 19th century. The name Big Ben actually refers to the clock's hour bell, the largest of the clock's five bells. The other four are used as quarter bells. Big Ben There were two bells cast as the clock tower's hour bell. A first, 16 ton weighing bell was cast by John Warner and Sons in 1856. Since the Clock Tower was not yet completed, the bell was hung temporarily in the Palace Yard. The bell soon cracked so it was recast in 1858 in the Whitechapel Bell Foundry as a 13.5 ton bell. Unfortunately soon after this bell was placed in the belfry in July 1859, it cracked as well. This time, instead of yet again recasting the bell, the crack was repaired and a lighter hammer was used to prevent any more cracks. Clock face View from Parliament Square The hour bell was probably named after Benjamin Hall, the First Commissioner of Works. Some sources however claim the bell was named after Benjamin Caunt, a British heavyweight boxing champion. The Clock The clock was the largest in the world and is still the largest in Great-Britain. The clock faces have a diameter of almost 25ft (7.5m). The hour hand is 9ft or 2.7m long and the minute hand measures 14ft (4.25m) long. The clock is known for its reliability, it has rarely failed during its long life span. Even after the nearby House of Commons was destroyed by bombing during World War II, the clock kept on chiming. The clock's mechanism, designed by Edmund Beckett Denison, has a remarkable accuracy. The clock's rate is adjusted by simply adding small pennies on the shoulder of the pendulum. The Tower The tower was constructed between 1843 and 1858 as the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster. The palace is now better known as the Houses of Parliament. The clock tower rises 316ft high (96m) and consists of a 200ft (61m) high brick shaft topped by a cast iron framed spire. The clock faces are 180ft / 55m above ground level. Views Unfortunately the clock tower is not publicly accessible, but if you're looking for views over London the London Eye and the Shard are currently the best options.

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Eiffel Tower

Once the tallest structure in the world, the Eiffel Tower is probably Europe's best known landmark and Paris's most famous symbol.

You couldn't possibly visit Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower. Even if you do not want to visit this world famous structure, you will see its top from all over Paris. The tower rises 300 meters tall (984 ft); when it was completed at the end of the 19th century it was twice as high as the Washington Monument, at the time the tallest structure in the world. 1889 World Exhibition The Eiffel Tower was built for the World Exhibition in 1889, held in celebration of the French Revolution in 1789. The construction was only meant to last for the duration of the Exposition, but it still stands today, despite all protests from contemporary artists who feared the construction would be the advent of structures without 'individuality' and despite the many people who feared that this huge 'object' would not fit into the architecture of Paris. Today, there is no such aversion anymore among the Parisians, and one could not imagine Paris without the Eiffel Tower, in fact it has become the symbol of the City of Light. Gustave Eiffel The man behind the Eiffel Tower was Gustave Eiffel, known from his revolutionary bridge building techniques, as employed in the great viaduct at Garabit in 1884. These techniques would form the basis for the construction of the Eiffel Tower. He was also known for the construction of the Statue of Liberty's iron framework. The structure took more than two years to complete. Each one of the about 12,000 iron pieces were designed separately to give them exactly the shape needed. All pieces were prefabricated and fit together using approx. 7 million nails. The Tallest Inaugurated March 31, 1889, the Eiffel Tower would be the tallest structure in the world until the completion of the Chrysler Building in 1930.

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Statue of Liberty

For the many immigrants who flocked from Europe to New York, the Statue of Liberty was the first image they saw of the USA. The statue was a gift from the French government for the 100th anniversary of America's Independence.

The statue was designed by a young French sculptor, Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, who was striving to build a statue like the great Colossus that once stood at the Greek island Rhodes. The statue's face was modeled after his mother's and the story goes that the body was modeled after a prostitute. The crown of Lady Liberty, as the statue is often affectionately called, has seven spikes, symbolizing the Seven Seas across which liberty should be spread. In her left hand she holds a tablet with the Declaration of Independence and in her right hand a torch, symbolizing Enlightenment.

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Tower of David Museum, Jerusalem

The Tower of David Museum of the History of Jerusalem, located in the ancient fortress that guards the entrance to historic Jerusalem, is dedicated to telling the story of the dramatic events that have made Jerusalem unique in world civilization. The visitor crosses the drawbridge and enters the guardrooms, picturesque courtyards and turreted fortifications of this 3000-year-old archaeological site for a fascinating tour of the rich and colorful history of the city. Central to the Museum's mission is communicating an understanding of the varied character of Jerusalem, its spiritual significance and the complex realities it faces. Jerusalem is rediscovered through the Museum's fascinating and panoramic exhibit; through special exhibitions and events; and through an array of educational programs and innovative learning experiences for children and adults. A variety of modern multi-media techniques and reconstructions make up the permanent exhibition that recounts the city’s past in an exciting and accessible manner. Visitors progress along a time line of history to learn about the customs, events and people who have left their imprint on the city and on civilization. Additionally, the Museum itself is a fascinating archaeological site, a citadel whose fortifications were built and rebuilt and offers lasting testimony to Jerusalem's turbulent and spiritual past. As a leading cultural institution in Jerusalem, the Tower of David presents special exhibitions that highlight unique aspects of the history, art and traditions of the city, both historical and contemporary. These innovative exhibits draw on the Museum's spectacular setting to combine the magnificence of the ancient fortress and its momentous history with a modern presentation of artistic and cultural themes. The Museum also sponsors lectures as well as special events focusing on music, dance and drama which are enhanced by the location and its special ambience.

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The Western Wall and the Western Wall Tunnels, Jerusalem

Jews around the world turn their eyes to the Western Wall, also know as the Wailing Wall, which is the closest location to the place where the temple used to stand where Jews can pray. The wall we know today was a part of the temple's western wall, hence its name. Believers leave notes in the cracks between the wall's stones. The base of the section seen today is from the period of the second temple, which was destroyed in the year 70AD. It's upper parts were added during later periods. The height of the Western Wall is 18 meters, and it consists of 24 stone layers, when the lower layers are made up of larger stones. A significant part of the Western Wall is still buried beneath the surface (19 layers of stones). It is possible that the lower layers are from the period of the first temple. The height of the buried part of the Western Wall is almost as high as the visible part. Today, the Wailing Wall is a part of the wall surrounding the Muslim Mosques on Temple Mount. The Western Wall is where every Jewish boy or girl would like to have thier Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah. Watching a youg boy reading from the Torah for his Bar Mitzvah near this ancient wall is always an emotional moment. The Western Wall Tunnels The closest point to where the Temple's Holy of the Holies used to stand, where Jews can still pray, is not the Western Wall which is visible today, but in a part called the Western Wall Tunnels. In 1968, when the works for cleaning the area of the Western Wall began after the liberation of Jerusalem, an entrance to a tunnel 488 meters long was discovered. The tunnel passes close to the foundations of the Temple Mount's Western Wall. Visiting the Western Wall Tunnels takes the visitor to some of the oldest parts of the wall, and the most exciting part is where you can see the largest stone which was discovered in the wall. This stone, 13.6 meters long, 4.5 meters wide and 3.5 meters high, weighs 570 tons. Inside the Western Wall Tunnel is one of the gates that used to lead to the Temple, which is known as the Warren Gate. This gate, which used to be opened, was blocked by the Wakf to prevent entrance to the Solomon Stables compound. At the closest point to the Holy of the Holies, a synagogue was built, where people can pray. The exit point of the Western Wall Tunnel is in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City, and the way back is with an armed escort. The opening of this exit is what caused the Western Wall Tunnel events in September 1996.

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