Where in the World Archives

Casas Colgadas (Hanging Houses), Cuenca, Spain

December 1969 Issue

Casas Colgadas (Hanging Houses), Cuenca, Spain




It is unknown who built the Casas Colgadas, or Hanging Houses (pic­tured in our March 2016 mystery photo), but the three clifftop wooden structures overhanging the Huécar River in Cuenca, Spain, were built sometime between the 13th and 15th centuries.

Although only three of these medi­eval buildings still exist, there once were many of these homes overlook­ing the area. The three that remain have been refurbished several times, most recently during the 1920s. In the 1960s, the houses became home to the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español. One of the buildings also houses a restaurant, Mesón Casas Colgadas (Canónigas, s/n, C.P. 16001, Cuenca, Cuenca, Spain; phone 969 22 35 09).

Twenty-four correct answers were submitted, and EDITH SPEIR of Annandale, Virginia, won the drawing.

Correct answers were submitted by the following:

Bob Carper, Harrison, AR; Barbara Crocker, Stockton, CA; J. Edward Diamond, Canton, OH; Diane Powell Ferguson, Scottsdale, AZ; Sidney Ann Fingold, Cambridge, MA; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Georgene Horn, Elkton, MD; Robert & Joanne Kowalczyk, North Dartmouth, MA; Karen Lanoue, Land o' Lakes, FL; Theodore Liebersfeld, Boynton Beach, FL; Mary Ellen Massmann, Thousand Oaks, CA; Stanley Mui, Woodland Hills, CA; Carol Ann Nulk, San Jose, CA; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Joan M. Sawoski, Southampton, PA; WINNER: Edith Speir, Annandale, VA; Cornelia Sulzer, Mill Valley, CA; Marie-Paule Terrier, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Janet Twineham, Silver City, NM; Claire Wait, Sutter Creek, CA; Jocelyn Weisdorf, Pacific Palisades, CA; Cy Young, West Lebanon, NH; Lee Hanle Younge, Big Flats, NY; Peggy Zeigler, San Francisco, CA.
Ha'amonga 'a Maui (trilithon), Tongatapu, Tonga

December 1969 Issue

Ha'amonga 'a Maui (trilithon), Tongatapu, Tonga



No one is exactly sure why the stone trilithon pictured in our February 2016 mystery photo was built, but one story says it’s likely that the Ha’amonga ‘a Maui (Burden of Maui) was a gateway to the king’s royal compound. It stands near the village of Niuto¯ua on the island of Tongatapu in the Polynesian kingdom of Tonga. Another theory says the trilithon was built to symbolize the brotherhood of the king’s two sons.

The structure, comprising coral limestone pillars and a crosspiece of beachrock (naturally cemented carbonate beach sand), was built early in the 13th century, during the reign of the Tu’i Tonga kingdom’s 11th king, Tui’ita¯tui. It stands about 17 feet tall and is 19 feet across and about 4½ feet wide.

Twenty-three correct answers were received, and MARY CHRISTIAN of Naples, Florida, won the drawing. We thank Phil and Dorothy Morris of Honolulu, Hawaii, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by the following:

Peter Aiau, Seattle, WA; Bill Ashley, Washington, D.C.; Russell Benton, Due West, SC; Chuck Bingley, Richmond, VA; WINNER: Mary Christian, Naples, FL; Michael Dixon, Washington, D.C.; Don Eager, Hayward, CA; John Fleckles, Kaneohe, HI; John Haseman, Grand Junction, CO; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Chet Imes, Ottawa Hills, OH; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; Eileen Leach, Hickory, NC; Mel McBeth, Concord, CA; Bennetta McLaughlin, Berkeley, CA; Wendy Ostgaard, Lyons, CO; Donna Peterson, Patch Grove, WI; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Sigrid B. Southworth, Honolulu, HI; Richard Stout, Sun City, AZ; Jill Sullivan, Waynesboro, VA; Subhadra Suresh, Wyoming, OH.
Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

December 1969 Issue

Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia



The height of the huge statue shown in our January mystery photo — more than 131 feet — is a fitting reflection of the power wielded by the person represented. The Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue stands on a bank of the Tuul River, about 35 miles east of Ulaanbaatar, towering over the plains of Mongolia.

Born in 1162, Genghis Khan not only united Mongolia’s nomadic tribes, he succeeded in conquering so many nations that his kingdom eventually spanned the Eurasian continent from what is now Eastern Europe to the Sea of Japan. Before his death in 1227, Genghis Khan encouraged trade and became known for granting religious freedom to all of his subjects.

Sixty-three correct answers were submitted, and JAMES SIBLEY of Spring, Texas, won the drawing. We thank Rick Sinding of Princeton, New Jersey, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by the following:

Earl Ancell, San Dimas, CA; Nick Anderson, Windom, MN; Gary Atwood, Las Vegas, NV; Deepak Awasthi, Destrehan, LA; Chris Bjurstrom, Yonkers, NY; Lucina Boyle, Mesa, AZ; Cathy Briner, Eugene, OR; Patricia Bunyard, Cambria, CA; Ann Brown, St. Louis, MO; Skip Carpenter, Coronado, CA; John Carver, Chatsworth, CA; Judy Chovan, Friday Harbor, WA; Jill Cohen, Stony Brook, NY; Maria A. Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; Jim Dawson, Belleville, MI; Edwin Tobias Earl, Laguna Beach, CA; Steve & Janet Flexer, Gig Harbor, WA; Heidi Foggatt, Phoenix, AZ; Willie K. Friar, Lafayette, CO; Sherryl Frisch, Wimauma, FL; Kathryn Geiger, Houston, TX; Russell Gluck, Franklin Lakes, NJ; Kenneth Gould, Clearwater, FL; Beverly Green, Greeley, CO; Barb Hartwell, St. Petersburg, FL; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Jonathan A. Hayes, Corvallis, OR; Magali V. Hinojosa, Laredo, TX; Hochman, Samuel Leon, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Jeff Houle, McLean, VA; Thomas Jedele, Tucson, AZ; Stephen Jeffries, Centennial, CO; Andrea Jones, San Francisco, CA; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; George C. Kingston, East Longmeadow, MA; Edith Moates, Norman, OK; C.A. Novotny, Chicago, IL; Patricia Ove, Aurora, CO; Carol Peim, Hendersonville, NC; Sandra L. Pelletier, Capay, CA; Donna Perelman, Boynton Beach, FL; Beth Podol, El Paso, TX; Betty Podol, Reston, VA; Barbara Porter, Seattle, WA; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Gail Riba, Wimauma, FL; Joy Robinson, Palo Alto, CA; Michael Rothenberg, San Jose, CA; WINNER: James Sibley, Spring, TX; Sallie Silver, Oviedo, FL; Gay Stettinius, Hot Springs, AR; Kay Stevens, Santa Barbara, CA; Jill Sullivan, Waynesboro, VA; Les Sury, Woodlawn, ON, Canada; Frances Symons, San Diego, CA; Maria Thompson, New York, NY; Alice & Jerry Tucker, Honolulu, HI; Judy Moore Vandenberg, Houston, TX; Kathy Whitmer, Bellingham, WA; Kathy Wilhelm, Cary, NC; Dave Wiltzius, Livermore, CA; John Zepecki, Morgan Hill, CA.
Stone Flower, Jasenovac memorial, Slavonia, Croatia

December 1969 Issue

Stone Flower, Jasenovac memorial, Slavonia, Croatia



Rising from an open field in an area of eastern Croatia known as Slavonia is the structure pictured in the December 2015 issue, a 79-foot-tall monument known as the Stone Flower. It memorializes the many people who perished in the Jasenovac complex of five concentration camps during WWII. An estimated 77,000 to, possibly, several hundred thousand prisoners — the vast majority Serbs but also Jews, Roma and other non-Catholic minorities — died there at the hands of the Croatian fascist/terrorist Ustaŝa regime.

Twenty years after the end of the war, construction of the monument began on the site, located 60 miles south of Zagreb and along the Sava River. Engineer Bogdan Bogdanović said that his concrete sculpture was intended to represent “overcoming suffering and insanity.” At a memorial museum nearby, a permanent exhibit opened in November 2006.

Eleven correct answers were submitted, and NICK ANDERSON of Windom, Minnesota, won the drawing. We thank Gail Riba of Wimauma, Florida, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by the following:

WINNER: Nick Anderson, Windom, MN; Maria Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; Loren Gardner, San Diego, CA; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Bob Havlen, Albuquerque, NM; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Patricia Rosen, New York, NY; Ivana Skovgaard, Copenhagen, Denmark; Marilyn Stenvall, San Diego, CA; Jill Sullivan, Waynesboro, VA; Darlene Zanto, Anthem, AZ.
Hsinbyume Pagoda, Mingun, Myanmar

December 1969 Issue

Hsinbyume Pagoda, Mingun, Myanmar


Two hundred years ago, Prince Bagyidaw of Burma (today called Myanmar) began building the structure shown in the mystery photo in the November 2015 issue. He dedicated the white pagoda — located in Mingun on the banks of the Irrawaddy River north of Mandalay — to the memory of his first consort and cousin, Princess Hsinbyume (White Elephant), who died in childbirth.

Buddhist symbolism is everywhere in the Hsinbyume Pagoda. Circular terraces at the pagoda's base represent the seven mountain ranges surrounding Mount Meru (which Buddhists once believed to be the center of the universe), and a gold spire on top contains an image of Buddha.

Heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1838, the pagoda was restored by King Mindon in 1874. Today, one of the best ways to reach the site is by boat from Mandalay.

Sixty-three correct answers were submitted, and ROBERT ONO of Davis, California, won the drawing. We thank Diana Thomson of St. Charles, Missouri, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Nanci Alexander, Lexington, KY; Richard Alvernaz, Lakeside, CA; Bud Anderson, Concord, CA; Nicholas Anderson, Windom, MN; Shirley & Victor Becker, Skokie, IL; Jacqueline J. Bell, Belmont, CA; Wendy Bell, Takoma Park, MD; Lynn Bradley, Belleville, IL; Jim Bradshaw, Aiken, SC; Cathy Briner, Eugene, OR; Rus Budde, Palatine, IL; Linda A. Bulgreen, Monterey, CA; Julie Cassen, Charlotte, NC; Maria A. Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; James Dawson, Belleville, MI; Gary Dempsey, Camarillo, CA; H.H. Dibbern, Santa Cruz, CA; Edwin T. Earl, Laguna Beach, CA; Femi Faminu, Los Angeles, CA; Sandra Fassett, Chesterfield, VA; Jennifer Gardner, El Segundo, CA; Robert Gay, Vero Beach, FL; Russell Gluck, Franklin Lakes, NJ; Tim Griffith, Boulder City, NV; Brice Harris, Pasadena, CA; John B. Haseman, Grand Junction, CO; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Ed & Gloria Helmuth, Tulsa, OK; Carl Herzog, Charlotte, VT; John Hicks, Tehachapi, CA; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Willa Ingwer, Aventura, FL; Doranne Jacobson, Springfield, IL; Stephen Jeffries, Centennial, CO; Judith E. Just, Lompoc, CA; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; Susan Kipp, Oyster Bay, NY; Robert Kowalczyk, North Dartmouth, MA; Toni Kull, Hillsboro, IL; Arno Lauterbach, San Jose, CA; Gladys Learned, Geneva, IL; Phil Lutzi, St. Pete Beach, FL; Barbara McIntosh, Roseville, CA; Eleanor Minich, Albuquerque, NM; Gunnar Niemi, Emeryville, CA; Margaret Norman, Gurnee, IL; James B. Oerding, Capay, CA; Nili Olay, New York, NY; WINNER: Robert Ono, Davis, CA; David J. Patten, Saint Petersburg, FL; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Elizabeth Pugh-Zaleski, Surprise, AZ; Doug Rittenhouse, Port Angeles, WA; Marvin Soffer, Boynton Beach, FL; Jill Sullivan, Waynesboro, VA; Subhadra Suresh, Cincinnati, OH; Gail Tsuboi, Moraga, CA; Paula Varner, Tacoma, WA; Carolyn von Kutzleben, Avon, CT; Lorraine Wahlund, Carrington, ND; Karen Watkins, Schenectady, NY; Dave Wiltzius, Livermore, CA; Terri Zabala, Salinas, CA.
Kalyazin Bell Tower, Volga River, Russia

December 1969 Issue

Kalyazin Bell Tower, Volga River, Russia



 
About 200 kilometers north of Moscow, one of the most recognizable sights along Russia’s Volga River is the belfry of St. Nicholas Church, located in the Uglich Reservoir near the relocated town of Kalyazin. Towering 244 feet above the water, this structure was the subject of our October 2015 mystery photo. The church and monastery were completed in 1696, and the bell tower was added from 1796 to 1800.

The original, 12th-century, town of Kalyazin, along with the church, were submerged by the filling of the reservoir in 1939-1940, following Joseph Stalin’s orders to build a hydroelectric dam. When it came time to destroy the tower, city officials decided not to because it had already become a tourist attraction and was being used as a navigational landmark by boaters.

Forty-six correct answers were submitted, and JAY GLOVER of Seattle, Washington, won the drawing. We thank Conrad & Alice Houge of South Colby, Washington for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Eugene Anderson, St. Louis, MO; Nanci Alexander, Lexington, KY; Shirley & Victor Becker, Skokie, IL; Michael Bosick, Orlando, FL; Doug Clark, San Diego, CA; Alan Craig, Red Bluff, CA; Linda Crain, Signal Hill, CA; Thomas DeClaire, Webster, NY; T. Myers Elefant, San Jose, CA; Phil Eschbach, Winter Park, FL; Gary Esping, Woodbury, MN; Robert Filman, Menlo Park, CA; Robert Gay, Vero Beach, FL; WINNER: Jay Glover, Seattle, WA; Gerald Gould, Cumming, GA; Ada Green, New York, NY; Robert Havlen, Albuquerque, NM; Milton R. Herzog, Hot Springs, AR; Joe Hockl, Marlton, NJ; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Stephen Jeffries, Centennial, CO; David E. Johnson, Jr., Lawrenceville, NJ; Janice M. Kolbaska, Mt. Prospect, IL; John Lester, Tempe, AZ; Ann Lockwood, Alexandria, VA; Loree Marcantonio, Vancouver, B.C., Canada; Robert McCarron, Cuyahoga Falls, OH; Sandra Spitzer McKelvey, Abington, PA; Michelle Mellen, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA; Phyllis Mueller, San Jose, CA; Barry Muhs, Rochester, NY; Anne Munsell, Los Angeles, CA; Anthony Osretkar, Frederick, MD; Maureen Patrick, Margate, FL; Betty C. Pex, Belmont, CA; Janice Piatt, Scottsdale, AZ; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Gloria & Ron Pyszka, Palo Alto, CA; Patricia Rosen, New York, NY; Sally M. Shimell, Acworth, GA; Rick Sinding, Princeton, NJ; Martha Thacker, Orlando, FL; Denzil Verardo, Elk Grove, CA; Brian Weaver, Burlington, KY; Lilly Ying, Monterey Park, CA; F. John Zepecki, Morgan Hill, CA.
Stone Chariot, Hampi, Karnataka, India

December 1969 Issue

Stone Chariot, Hampi, Karnataka, India



Five hundred years after it was built in the 16th century, visitors to the Vittala Temple complex in Hampi, Karnataka, in southern India, can still see the Stone Chariot, the subject of the September issue’s mystery photo.

Also known as the Kallina Ratha, the shrine was built during the rule of King Krishnadevaraya, considered one of the greatest kings of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is believed that the king got the idea for the shrine’s construction after seeing the 13th-century Konark Sun Temple (also built in the form of a chariot) in the eastern Indian state of Odisha while waging war there.

The shrine was dedicated to Garuda, Lord Vishnu’s mythical mount — half man, half eagle. Garuda’s image has since disappeared from the shrine, and the wheels have been cemented to prevent further damage from visitors' turning them. The elephants “pulling” the chariot replaced the horses that originally stood there.

Forty-five correct answers were submitted, and JAMES B. OERDING of Capay, California, won the drawing. We thank Kathy Wilhelm of Cary, North Carolina, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Nicholas Anderson, Windom, MN; Jill Athey, St. Petersburg, FL; Shirley Becker, Skokie, IL; Jackie Bell, Belmont, CA; Dan Berman, Honolulu, HI; Maria A. Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; Carla DeWent, Grandville, MI; Femi Faminu, Los Angeles, CA; Robert Filman, Menlo Park, CA; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Magali V. Hinojosa, Laredo, TX; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Doranne Jacobson, Springfield, IL; Stephen Jeffries, Centennial, CO; Pam Johnsen, Issaquah, WA; George C. Kingston, East Longmeadow, MA; Sarah Kirtland, New York, NY; Sneha Korgaonkar, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India; Sharad Kumar, Oakland Township, MI; Kathie Larsen, Seattle, WA; Herbert Leifer, Dix Hills, NY; Sylvia Levi, Sherman Oaks, CA; Allan Little III, Atlanta, GA; Catherine Novotny, Chicago, IL; Grant A.A. Oerding, Davis, CA; WINNER: James B. Oerding, Capay, CA; Mary Jo Offerman, Fort Collins, CO; James Oliver, Memphis, TN; Mary Ortendahl, Orinda, CA; Donna Peterson, Patch Grove, WI; Mary Jo Pieroni, Florence, AL; Diane Plank, Berkeley, CA; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Everett Ramsey, New Orleans, LA; Pamela Ross, Louisville, KY; E. Schlenk, Marshalltown, IA; Michael Schmidt, Juneau, AK; Richard W. Smith, Columbia, SC; John Stern, Los Angeles, CA; J. Surgan, Nutley, NJ; May C. Targett, Cleveland, OH; Lorna Tjaden, New Hope, MN; Richard Walker, La Jolla, CA; Brian Weaver, Burlington, KY; Margo Wilson, Scottsdale, AZ.
Bronze bust of Aliaga Vahid, Baku, Azerbaijan

December 1969 Issue

Bronze bust of Aliaga Vahid, Baku, Azerbaijan


Aliaga (Aliagha) Vahid, once known as a "master of satiric poetry" in his native Azerbaijan, is the person portrayed in the August issue's mystery photo. Sculpted in 1990 by Rahib Hasanov, the approximately 10-foot-tall bronze bust stands in a small garden area of the Icheri Sheher (Inner City) section of Baku, Azerbaijan. Embedded in the hair of this unique sculpture are allegorical figures.

Aliaga Vahid was actually a pseudonym for Aliaga Isgandarov, who began writing and publishing poems in his late teens. Later, he helped translate Persian literary works into the Azerbaijani language. He died in 1965 at the age of 70. In May 2015, a 120-year anniversary celebration of Vahid's birth was held at Azerbaijan University of Languages.

Eight correct answers were submitted, and ELISABETH LaROE of Alexandria, Virginia, won the drawing. We thank Alla Campbell of Greensboro, Georgia, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Marlene Duffin, San Jose, CA; Morse (Mike) Kalt, Cary, NC; Aavo Koort, Santa Barbara, CA; WINNER: Elisabeth LaRoe, Alexandria, VA; Julia E. McCabe, Haverford, PA; George C. Shey, Webster City, IA; Helga Smith, New York, NY; Tim White, Friday Harbor, WA.
Göltzsch Viaduct, Saxony/Bavaria, Germany

December 1969 Issue

Göltzsch Viaduct, Saxony/Bavaria, Germany



The mystery photo in the July issue showed the Göltzschtalbrücke (Göltzsch Viaduct), a railway bridge that spans the Göltzsch River valley between the towns of Mylau and Netzschkau, connecting the German states of Saxony and Bavaria.

When it was inaugurated in July 1851, the structure was the world’s tallest railway bridge. Today, the 256-foot-tall, 1,883-foot-long span still holds the record as the largest brick-built bridge in the world, containing over 26 million bricks. The bridge’s masonry was completely restored in the mid-1950s.

The viaduct took five years to build, and at nearby Mylau Castle, a museum that opened in 1883 has a room dedicated to the viaduct’s construction, including building plans, photos, paintings and a scale model of the scaffolding.

Eleven correct answers were submitted, and JANET COLLINS of Lexington, Kentucky, won the drawing. We thank Miyako Storch of Santa Barbara, California, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Sharon Affeltranger, Pacifica, CA; Nicholas Anderson, Windom, MN; WINNER: Janet Collins, Lexington, KY; Robert Filman, Menlo Park, CA; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; George C. Kingston, East Longmeadow, MA; Phil Lutzi, St. Pete Beach, FL; Donna Peterson, Patch Grove, WI; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Jennifer Schultz, Northbrook, IL; Jill Sullivan, Waynesboro, VA.
King William II of Sicily, Monreale, Italy

December 1969 Issue

King William II of Sicily, Monreale, Italy



King William II of Sicily, also known as William the Good (Guglielmo il Buono), is the monarch portrayed by the statue shown in our June 2015 mystery photo. Located in the cloister of Santa Maria la Nuova, the cathedral of Monreale, on the Italian island of Sicily, the statue shows King William handing the Virgin Mary the church he built during the 12th century in the hillside town of Monreale, which, at 1,000 feet above sea level, overlooks Palermo 5 miles away.

Inside the Norman cathedral, which contains elements that show both Byzantine and Islamic influences, elaborate mosaics made with pure gold cover virtually every wall, an area of over 68,000 square feet. Artwork is also evident outside, in the mythical beasts and other whimsical designs found on the 228 double columns and fountain in the former Benedictine abbey’s cloister.

Thirteen correct answers were submitted, and JILL SULLIVAN of Waynesboro, Virginia, won the drawing. We thank Linda Beuret of Santa Barbara, California, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Nicholas Anderson, Windom, MN; Sylvia George, Rockville, MD; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Merle Hutner, Glenview, IL; George C. Kingston, East Longmeadow, MA; Suzanne Maurice, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; Dawn Moore, Kaneohe, HI; Ira Nathan, Shreveport, LA; Donna Peterson, Patch Grove, WI; Beth Powell, Eureka, CA; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; WINNER: Jill Sullivan, Waynesboro, VA.