Where in the World Archives

Great Enclosure, Great Zimbabwe (southeastern Zimbabwe)

December 1969 Issue

Great Enclosure, Great Zimbabwe (southeastern Zimbabwe)


With an outer wall measuring up to 32 feet high in spots, the Great Enclosure is part of a complex of granite structures called Great Zimbabwe, the ruins of which cover almost 1,800 acres in what is now southeastern Zimbabwe. It was built by the Shona tribe, part of the Bantu civilization, from the 11th to 15th centuries. The entrance to the Great Enclosure can be seen in our March mystery photo.

Because the structures among the ruins were built without mortar, it is believed they were intended to symbolize power and prestige rather than serve as a defense against enemies. One large conical tower is thought to have been a granary.

Eleven correct answers were submitted naming the location in the picture, and KARYN KANDELL of Kyoto, Japan, won the drawing. We thank Fred Koehler of Orange, California, for submitting the photo. (Editor's note: Twice as many incorrect answers as correct answers were submitted this time, most of which identified the structure as Newgrange in County Meath, Ireland.)

Correct answers were submitted by:

Cynthia Anchondo, Moreno Valley, CA; Cathy Briner, Eugene, OR; Lynne D'Andrea, Hanover, MA; Susan Greek, Corona, CA; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Samuel Leon Hochman, Fort Lauderdale, FL; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; WINNER:  Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; James Stefan, Sarasota, FL; Anne Tam, Honolulu, HI.
Independence Monument (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

December 1969 Issue

Independence Monument (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)


Photographed during a January 2013 cruise up the Mekong River, the Independence Monument (the structure seen in our February mystery photo) stands in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. An Angkorian-style tower, it was erected in 1958 and commemorates the country's independence from France five years earlier.

Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann designed the monument, under the direction of Prince Norodom Sihanouk. The prince wanted the monument, which resembles a lotus-shaped stupa, to combine “the religious and the secular.” During national celebrations, a ceremonial flame is often lit on a pedestal inside the monument, with flowers lining the stairs.

Nineteen correct answers were submitted naming the location in the picture, and GEORGE C. KINGSTON of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, won the drawing. We thank Linda Beuret of Santa Barbara, California, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Cynthia Anchondo, Moreno Valley, CA; Gary Atwood, Las Vegas, NV; James Bluck, Westfield, NJ; Cathy Briner, Eugene, OR; Lee Chum, Gresham, OR; Maria Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Leslie Hosmer, Mechanicsville, MD; Bert Jeung, San Jose, CA; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; WINNER: George C. Kingston, East Longmeadow, MA; Jane Kolber, Bisbee, AZ; Don Miller, Crown Pointe, IN; Margaret Norman, Gurnee, IL; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Marcia Ritter, St. Louis, MO; Pamela Ross, Louisville, KY; Karen Wagner, Monarch Beach, CA.
Hluboka Castle (Hluboka nad Vitavou, Czechia)

December 1969 Issue

Hluboka Castle (Hluboka nad Vitavou, Czechia)


Considered one of the most beautiful castles in Czechia, Hluboká Castle was the building pictured in our January mystery photo. The architectural style of the original castle, built in the second half of the 13th century, was Gothic, but the style changed with later reconstructions.

After being expanded during the Renaissance period, the castle was rebuilt in the Baroque style in the early 18th century. During the mid-19th century, using Windsor Castle for inspiration, Count Jan Adam of Schwarzenberg had the castle rebuilt to resemble a Romantic Neo-Gothic château. In 1940, Germany's Gestapo seized the castle, but following World War II the government of Czechoslovakia took control of it. Now open to the public, the castle houses several art exhibits belonging to the Aleš South Bohemian Gallery.

Ten correct answers were submitted naming the location in the picture, and MARCIA RITTER of Kirkwood, Missouri, won the drawing. We thank Donna Pyle of Boulder, Colorado, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Maria Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; Barbara McMahon, Williamsburg, VA; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; WINNER: Marcia Ritter, Kirkwood, MO; Pam Ross, Louisville, KY; Jill Sullivan, Waynesboro, VA; Jonathan van Bilsen, Port Perry, ON, Canada.
Reconstructed Wall of Ancient Babylon (Hillah, Baghdad)

December 1969 Issue

Reconstructed Wall of Ancient Babylon (Hillah, Baghdad)


Located in what is now central Iraq, Babylon, founded in 2300 BC, was the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire from 626 to 539 BC. Nebuchadnezzar II, who ruled that empire at one point, is credited with ordering the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Pictured in our December mystery photo is a reconstructed portion of gates of the ancient city of Babylon. The site is near Hillah, capital of Babil Governorate (Babylon Province), about 70 miles south of modern-day Baghdad.

Five correct answers were submitted naming the location in the picture, and CATHY BRINER of Eugene, Oregon, won the drawing. We thank Laurel Glassman of Chevy Chase, Maryland, for submitting the photo.

The photographer was Michel Behar, tour leader of Laurel's group when they visited the Babylon archaeological site in November 2018.

Correct answers were submitted by:

WINNER: Cathy Briner, Eugene, OR; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; Donna Peterson, Patch Grove, WI; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA.
Perlan (Reykjavik, Iceland)

December 1969 Issue

Perlan (Reykjavik, Iceland)


On top of Öskjuhlíð hill, in the center of Reykjavík, Iceland, stands a ring of six tanks each holding up to more than a million gallons of geothermally heated water. Nearly 30 years ago, a huge glass dome was added in their midst, a multipurpose building — Perlan — that now contains a planetarium, an observation deck and a restaurant. Exhibitions are held there, too.

Opened to the public in June 1991, the structure (appearing in our November mystery photo) was designed by architect Ingimundur Sveinsson, but the vision for it came from native artist Jóhannes Kjarval, a painter who first described his idea in 1930. The Perlan website (perlan.is) explains that water is piped through the glass dome's steel framework — cold in the summer and hot in the winter — to keep the temperature inside the building at a comfortable level.

Forty-three correct answers were submitted naming the location in the picture, and EMILÍA JÓNSDÓTTIR ANDERSON of Albertville, Minnesota, won the drawing. We thank Jim Simpson of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Cynthia Anchondo, Moreno Valley, CA; WINNER: Emilía Jónsdóttir Anderson, Albertville, MN; Steven Beningo, Derwood, MD; Ann Burk, Mechanicsburg, PA; Pat Cekoric, Aliquippa, PA; Dave Donald, Vineyard Haven, MA; George C. Eckerson, Fircrest, WA; Joan Felak, Schenectady, NY; Rita K. Fisher, Des Moines, IA; Sue Hardy, Manchester, CT; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Leann Henry, Sylvania, OH; Mike Hess, Alexandria, VA; Pat Hines, Enterprise, OR; Samuel Leon Hochman, Fort Lauderdale, FL; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; David E. Irving, Media, PA; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; Robert Kimsey, Hampton, VA; Carol Lafrenaye, Yorktown, VA; Melanie Lathen, Sebastopol, CA; Mary & John Linnemann, Melrose, MN; Phil Lutzi, St. Pete Beach, FL; William Oakley, Reston, VA; Tom Ohara, San Luis Obispo, CA; Donna Peterson, Patch Grove, WI; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Marcia Ritter, St. Louis, MO; Sandra Robson, Brunswick, OH; Pam Ross, Louisville, KY; Ann Ruwitch, St. Louis, MO; Gregg Schmidt, Fishers, IN; Jim Schroder, Oceanside, CA; Rick Sinding, Princeton, NJ; Jan Smith, Lincoln, NE; Rod Smith, Oskaloosa, KS; Cristina Staats, Boyne City, MI; Jeanne Torre, Los Gatos, CA; Alice Tucker, Honolulu, HI; Jonathan van Bilsen, Port Perry, ON, Canada; Karen Wagner, Monarch Beach, CA; John Weiss, Canton, CT; Barbara Winn, Green Bay, WI.
Monument to the Laboratory Mouse (Novosibirsk, Siberia, Russia)

December 1969 Issue

Monument to the Laboratory Mouse (Novosibirsk, Siberia, Russia)


One hundred and twenty years after the founding of the city of Novosibirsk in Siberia, Russia, a bronze statue of a mouse appeared in front of the city's Institute of Cytology & Genetics. At first glance, the spectacled mouse might be mistaken for a cartoon character, but the sculpture is actually a monument to all animals who have given their lives in the name of science.

The “knitting project” in the 28-inch-tall mouse's hands is a double helix strand of DNA. Including the pedestal on which the sculpture stands, the monument stands slightly over 8 feet tall.

Artist Andrey Kharkevich, who created the statue, said the “images of a laboratory mouse and a scientist are combined because they are connected to each other and serve one cause.”

Fifty correct answers were submitted naming the location shown in the picture in the October 2020 issue, and RUSSELL GLUCK of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, won the drawing. We thank Alan Lichtenstein of Commack, New York, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Ralph Barrett, Knoxville, TN; Lucyna Boyle, Mesa, AZ; Connie Branch, Evansville, IN; Cathy Briner, Eugene, OR; Mary Carlson, Mission Viejo, CA; Dale & Janet Chitwood, Leesburg, FL; John Cogswell, Powell River, BC, Canada; Bonnie Cosgrove, San Diego, CA; Maria Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; Anne Ellison, Champaign, IL; Barbara L. Fenby, Marlborough, MA; Sherryl Frisch, Wimauma, FL; Deborah Futch, Winter Haven, FL; Janice Gay, Vero Beach, FL; WINNER: Russell Gluck, Franklin Lakes, NJ; Kenneth Gould, Clearwater, FL; Gwyn Groves, Barrington, RI; Thomasina Gurule, Jamestown, TN; Michelle Hale, Mechanicsburg, PA; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Hal Howard, Portland, OR; Stephen Jeffries, Centennial, CO; Andrea Jones, San Francisco, CA; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; Stan C. Kimer, Raleigh, NC; Jason Kornmueller, Lake Forest, CA; Mary Lao, San Francisco, CA; James Libby, Sun Lakes, AZ; Earl Mack, San Ramon, CA; Greg Mannion, Fountain Hills, AZ; Robert Morton, St. Louis, MO; Viki Nedrow, Chelan, WA; Margaret Norman, Gurnee, IL; Elaine Novak, Sacramento, CA; Carol Peim, Hendersonville, NC; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, CA; Paul Ranelli, Duluth, MN; Carolyn Rawles, Corvallis, OR; Marcia Reynolds, Orange, CA; Gail Riba, Wimauma, FL; Marcia Ritter, St. Louis, MO; Pamela Ross, Louisville, KY; Eileen Schattner, Alhambra, CA; Jennifer Schultz, Northbrook, IL; Gladys Sheldon, Oconomowoc, WI; Teresa Thorpe, McKinney, TX; Jonathan van Bilsen, Port Perry, ON, Canada; Paula Varner, Tacoma, WA; Karen Wagner, Monarch Beach, CA.
Brouq Nature Reserve (Qatar)

December 1969 Issue

Brouq Nature Reserve (Qatar)


Visitors to Qatar's Brouq Nature Reserve who have seen “2001: A Space Odyssey” may be surprised to see something resembling the huge obelisk that appears in the 1968 film. However, the Qatar sculpture includes four “obelisks,” not just one. All four are visible in our September mystery photo.

Erected in 2014 and spanning a distance of about one kilometer, the 4-part sculpture known as “EAST-WEST/WEST-EAST” is made up of 4-inch-thick steel plates that stand between 48 and 55 feet high. Despite the differences in height, artist Richard Serra ensured that the tops of the plates would be level with each other, allowing for differences in topography. At the tip of the Zekreet Peninsula, the reserve is located about 45 miles of the country's capital, Doha — a 1- or 1½-hour drive away.

Ten correct answers were submitted naming the location shown in the picture in the September 2020 issue, and CAROL PEIM of Hendersonville, North Carolina, won the drawing. We thank Lucyna Boyle of Mesa, Arizona, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Joan Barrett, Tucson, AZ; Maria Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; Sherryl Frisch, Wimauma, FL; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; Phil Lutzi, St. Pete Beach, FL; WINNER: Carol Peim, Hendersonville, NC; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Eileen Schattner, Alhambra, CA; Jennifer Schultz, Northbrook, IL.
House-Museum of the Farmer & the Monument to Fertility (Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain)

December 1969 Issue

House-Museum of the Farmer & the Monument to Fertility (Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain)


Rising to a height of 49 feet from the center of Lanzarote — fourth largest of Spain's Canary Islands — is a unique sculpture that is part of the island's Casa-Museo del Campesino y Monumento a la Fecundidad (House-Museum of the Farmer and the Monument to Fertility). Attractions include a museum of local handcrafts and a restaurant inside an underground volcanic cave.

Created from old water tanks by Jésus Soto in 1968 (following a design by native artist César Manrique), the sculpture is an example of the type of art César began creating in the mid 1960s in an effort to safeguard the island's natural heritage and culture.

Twelve correct answers were submitted naming the location shown in the picture in the August 2020 issue, and KAREN WAGNER of Monarch Beach, California, won the drawing. We thank Rick Sinding of Princeton, New Jersey, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Cynthia Anchondo, Moreno Valley, CA; Maria Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; Donna Peterson, Patch Grove, WI; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Pam Ross, Louisville, KY; Jennifer Schultz, Northbrook, IL; Eric Tobin, Doylestown, PA; Jonathan van Bilsen, Port Perry, ON, Canada; WINNER: Karen Wagner, Monarch Beach, CA; James A. White, Omaha, NE.
Mausoleum of Habib Bourguiba (Monastir, Tunisia)

December 1969 Issue

Mausoleum of Habib Bourguiba (Monastir, Tunisia)


The eventual occupant of the mausoleum pictured in our July mystery photo was still alive at the time it was completed in 1963. In fact, Habib Bourguiba, president of Tunisia from 1957 to 1987, lived until April 2000. Flanked by two 82-foot-tall minarets, the mausoleum — located on the western side of the Sidi el-Mézeri cemetery in the former president's hometown of Monastir — is topped by a gilded dome that sits between two green domes.

Bourguiba is often referred to as the “father of Tunisian independence.” During his presidency, a legal minimum age for marriage was established, and women were given the right to be educated, vote and hold public office.

Ten correct answers were submitted naming the location shown in the picture, and ARNE PEDERSEN of Little Silver, New Jersey, won the drawing. We thank Helga Smith of New York, New York, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Maria Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; James Hansen, Weeki Wachee, FL; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; WINNER: Arne Pedersen, Little Silver, NJ; Donna Peterson, Patch Grove, WI; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Karen Schaeffer, Tigard, OR; Eileen Schattner, Alhambra, CA; Jill Sullivan, Waynesboro, VA.
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Cape Town, South Africa)

December 1969 Issue

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Cape Town, South Africa)


An unusual museum opened at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa, in September 2017: the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa.

From an idea by British designer Thomas Heatherwick, densely packed, 187-foot-tall concrete grain silos, originally constructed in 1921, were carved out to make a number of galleries and a large central atrium. The ovoid atrium — pictured in our June mystery photo — features angled cross-sections of the silos. The 9-story museum also has educational areas, a sculpture garden, a restaurant and a shop. On top of the museum is a 5-story hotel.

Seven correct answers were submitted naming the location shown in the picture, and SIGRID SOUTHWORTH of Honolulu, Hawaii, won the drawing. We thank Thom Wilson of Scottsdale, Arizona, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Lucyna Boyle, Mesa, AZ; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Avi Ivan, West Hollywood, CA; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; Beth Powell, Eureka, CA; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; WINNER: Sigrid B. Southworth, Honolulu, HI.