MikeLigalig.com

Passiflora longifilamentosa was discovered in the rainforests of Peru. It is a type of passion flower that are often accompanied by brightly coloured fruits. (WWF/João Batista Fernandes da Silva)


http://ph.news.yahoo.com/

According to the WWF, the Apistogramma cinilabra fish is already potentially endangered. (WWF/Uwe RiÌ,mer)

The Chrionius Challenger snake was found in the Pantepui region of the Amazon. (WWF/Philippe Kok)

Despite only just being discovered, this thimble-sized frog is already thought to be highly endangered. In fact, its Latin name (Allobates amissibilis) means “that may be lost” because it thrives in an area that could soon be opened to tourism. (WWF/Philippe Kok)

The warpaint lizard too shy for battle â€" Gonatodes timidus was discovered in the part of the Amazon that extends into Guyana. Despite the extraordinary 'warpaint' colouring, this lizard is very shy and has a tendency to avoid being seen by humans. (WWF/Philippe Kok)

Strictly herbivorous, the Tometes camunani 'vegetarian piranha' inhabit rocky rapids where their main source of food is found â€" namely, Podostemaceae aquatic herbs (river weed family). (WWF/Tommaso Giarizzo)

The Caqueta titi monkey is one of about 20 species of titi monkey, which all live in the Amazon basin. When the babies feel very content they purr towards each other. (WWF/Javier Garcia)

Experts find 400 new animal species in the Amazon

Conservationists have discovered more than 400 new types of animals after venturing deep into rarely-explored parts of the Amazon rainforest.

New species discovered include a monkey which purred when contented, a flame-patterned but incredibly shy lizard, and a 'vegetarian' piranha which doesn't like the taste of flesh.

Damian Fleming, head of programs for Brazil and the Amazon at WWF, said: "With an average of two new species identified every week for the past four years, it’s clear that the extraordinary Amazon remains one of the most important centres of global biodiversity."

WHAT A SIGHT! A “TY” (thank you) sign below is clearly visible from the Philippine Air Force plane piloted by Capt. Juji Generalao. The sign was done Saturday by the residents of Loon town in Bohol to thank the PAF and other volunteers for bringing relief goods to them. Distribution of relief goods to earthquake victims in various areas in Bohol is continuing. PAF Photo by Capt. Juji Generalao.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/

Two weeks ago, an aerial shot in Loon town, Bohol, shows the word “Help.” CAPT. JUJI GENERALAO OF THE PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE/ CONTRIBUTOR

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/

very, very touching.  hasta ako nakaluha.  viva, bohol!

The pilot of the Air Force plane, Capt. Juji Generalao said his eyes filled with tears when he saw the letters “TY” on the ground but he kept his emotions in check because he did not want to be seen crying by his female copilot.

But when he later got together with the crew, they turned out to be similarly misty-eyed and touched by the gesture of appreciation from Loon residents.

“You know that feeling when you’re very tired and hungry but they all disappeared when you saw that sign? I told myself that even if I am just an ordinary individual, I was able to do something for fellow human beings,” said Generalao.


Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/519227/thank-you-signs-sprout-up-in-bohol#ixzz2jdPcVlPv

The words Daghang salamat (Thank you very much) were written on pieces of white cloths, wood and even cartons that were placed on the highways or hung on the streets for the relief workers to see and appreciate.

“Those signs scattered all over Bohol are so rewarding for us volunteers. It would make us forget all challenges we went through in our operations,” said Anna Maris Igpit, a former Bb. Pilipinas World and a native of Panglao Island.

“I’m so proud that my fellow Boholanos are doing this. It shows how grateful they are for all the help and donations they’ve been getting,” said Igpit, the prime mover of the Oplan Bangon Bohol donation drive for the quake victims.

The Air Force plane had just taken off after delivering relief goods to the quake-devastated town of Loon in Bohol when the pilot saw something that he found genuinely touching.

The town’s residents had arranged the relief goods into the letters “TY” for the pilots and staff to see from the air.

Such expressions of gratitude from earthquake victims could be seen in many Bohol towns in the aftermath of the 7.2-magnitude quake that struck the province on Oct. 15 and left at least 200 people dead.

Bohol says ‘Thank you’

‘Salamat’ signs warm volunteers’ hearts

By Carmel Loise Matus
Inquirer Visayas
Sunday, November 3rd, 2013


WHAT A SIGHT! A “TY” (thank you) sign below is clearly visible from the Philippine Air Force plane piloted by Capt. Juji Generalao. The sign was done Saturday by the residents of Loon town in Bohol to thank the PAF and other volunteers for bringing relief goods to them. Distribution of relief goods to earthquake victims in various areas in Bohol is continuing. PAF Photo by Capt. Juji Generalao.

wow!  great news. 

The Bright Spots award aims to show how governments in OGP countries are working with citizens to sharpen governance, harness new technologies to increase public participation, and improve government responsiveness.

The OGP summit in London held on Oct. 31- Nov. 1 is the third since OGP was launched in September 2011 in  New York. The Philippines, represented by President Aquino, was invited as one of eight countries to serve in the OGP Steering Committee.


more at http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/11/03/1252407/coa-project-wins-londons-bright-spots-award

The CPA received the highest number of votes from the over 1,000 summit participants and the general public, beating six other bright ideas from Chile, Estonia, Georgia, Indonesia, Montenegro and Romania.

The COA delegation was headed by COA Commissioner Heidi Mendoza, Director Aida Ayaso Talavera, and Vivien Suerte-Cortez, CPA project manager.

To date, four pilot audits with ordinary Filipinos participating in it are in progress. These are the CAMANAVA flood control project of the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Education’s public-private partnership for school building Phase 1, Quezon City’s solid waste management program, and Marikina City’s operation of barangay health centers.

The Bright Spots prize, given for the first time at this year’s OGP summit,  recognizes the most inspiring examples of how open and accountable government is changing people’s lives.

COA project wins London’s Bright Spots award

By Michael Punongbayan
The Philippine Star
November 3, 2013

MANILA, Philippines - The Citizen’s Participatory Audit (CPA), Commission on Audit (COA) Chairman Grace Pulido-Tan pet project which allows ordinary Filipinos to participate in the audit of public funds, was declared winner of the Bright Spots competition at the closing plenary of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) summit in London Friday afternoon.

The CPA project launched in November last year explores ways in which citizens can be directly engaged in the audit process for government projects and contribute to ensuring greater efficiency and effectiveness in the use of public resources.

“I really did not expect it at all. I was extremely happy flying to Amsterdam because I was short-listed as a finalist. To me, it was a feat in itself. When my name was called as the winner of the Outstanding Volunteer Award, I remember I was in a daze,” Eduque said.

“When my name was called again at the end of the night as the first recipient of the IFC Choice Award, the feeling was indescribable,” she added. 

So shocked was Eduque that she tripped when she was about to receive the Outstanding Volunteer Award.

“I tripped and I told myself ‘Okay this is God telling me get back to reality, focus.’ So there I was focusing because my mom made me wear high heels and stockings, so naturally I was slipping all around place,” she said.


http://www.philstar.com/headlines/

“The Filipino spirit is so resilient and it’s really this unique aspect of bayanihan. No matter how little or how much they have, they still find it in themselves to help others,” she said.

Eduque has been involved in philanthropic activities for eight years, proof that she has been addicted to reaching out to people. But little did she know that she would receive international recognition for something she enjoys doing.

Apart from outstanding volunteer, Eduque also won the first-ever International Fundraising Conference (IFC) Choice Award, making her the youngest and the first Filipino to ever receive the honor.

The awards recognized Eduque’s efforts in Habitat for Humanity.

But far more important than the violent scene was the Filipino spirit that Eduque saw in the depressed area.

“There was this huge fight there and people were stabbing each other. They (residents) said ‘Alex enter the house’ so they could guard you,” she said.

“The fact that they are willing to go out of their way (to protect you) even if they do not have anything, that should be a wake-up call,” she added.

Eduque also narrated how a family of eight invited her to lunch even if they had to make do with just one tuyo (dried fish).

The 23-year-old advocate was recently named Outstanding Volunteer by international charity group Resource Alliance in Amsterdam, one of two awards she received for her work among the poor.

Habitat for Humanity promotes human dignity by building decent shelters for the poor.

Eduque and the rest of Habitat for Humanity were helping fire victims in Baseco, Tondo rebuild their homes when the incident happened. She remembered not taking a call from her mom that day as she was overwhelmed by the ice pick chase.

Pinay named world’s most outstanding volunteer

By Alexis Romero
The Philippine Star
Updated October 30, 2013


23-year-old Alexandra Eduque of Habitat for Humanity displays her Outstanding Volunteer and IFC Choice awards handed out in Amsterdam recently. JOEY VIDUYA
                                                             
MANILA, Philippines - The sight of a person chasing another with an ice pick may be disturbing to some but when Habitat for Humanity volunteer Alexandra Eduque saw it actually happening, she was thrilled.

“I cannot remember everything because it happened long ago. But if I remember right, they were chasing each other with ice picks because someone stole salt from a store or something as petty as that,” Eduque said in an interview yesterday.

“For me, it was a thrill. Oh my God! What I saw from the movies just happened!” she added.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development is using its cash-for-work (CFW) program to help the residents of Loon, Bohol rebuild their lives, DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman said yesterday.

The municipality of Loon was among the towns most severely affected by the Oct. 15 quake.


more at http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/11/03/1252402/aftershocks-hit-visayas

The quake was also felt at Intensity 4 in Tagbilaran City and San Isidro in Bohol; Intensity 3 in Dumaguete City and Intensity 1 in Hibok-Hibok.

Two hours later, a 4.3 magnitude aftershock shook Bohol province.

The aftershock, which occurred at 12:08 a.m. yesterday, was located 26 kilometers northeast of Tagbilaran City.

It was felt at Intensity 5 in Mandaue City; Intensity 2 in Cebu City and Intensity 1 in Lapu-Lapu City, all in Cebu province.

Phivolcs describes an Intensity 5 quake as “strong.”

Aftershocks hit Visayas

By Evelyn Macairan
The Philippine Star
November 3, 2013

MANILA, Philippines - Strong aftershocks have been recorded in Central Visayas over two weeks after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Bohol, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said yesterday.

A 5.2 magnitude aftershock was recorded at around 10 p.m. Friday, with its epicenter traced some 34 kilometers northeast of Tagbilaran City.

It was felt at Intensity 5 in Talibon, Bohol; Mandaue City and Cebu City.

Quote from: Lollapalooza on November 03, 2013, 12:59:07 PM







went to beach this morning with my uncles and cousins... hastang inita...

this is the life!  work and play, and ready for monday.

parehaag nawong gyod uy.

Quote from: Lollapalooza on November 03, 2013, 01:12:25 PM
mora'g joke joke joke maning balita-a hehehehehe

hinaot mabasa ni ni pikoy.  dapit ra ba ni sa ila.  hain na ba to nga igo ra mang nagpaibog kadiyot...

Quote from: hubag bohol on November 03, 2013, 01:05:25 PM
Bugay ka nga mibasa ani, gihingut-an pa jud...

aha!  bugay diay ang mobasa sa imong post ha?

James Joyce Totally Looks Like Mr. Gumby

Miley Cyrus Totally Looks Like This Giraffe

Quote from: Lorenzo on November 03, 2013, 11:42:26 AMParaphrase, paraphrase, and cite ... !

truly, otherwise, be a philippine senator and not a doctorate degree holder.

Quote from: hubag bohol on November 03, 2013, 08:53:33 AM
Kabahin sa namantala, igo ra bayang nagmatinud-anon ang tig-asoy kon unsa’y nahitabo.

kaha?  it's in the angling, the presentation of a story that may be true.  look at how it is presented against the backdrop of the recent earthquake to make it more interesting.  tiaw bay nasaypan nga aftershock.  hampasabol!

this would have been news only if someone was killed.  otherwise, what's the news value of infidelity?  mao nga puguso ang presentation.  had there been floods instead of an earthquake, the angling would have also tilted to flooding.  uh-huh.  tabloid ra gyod.

moral lesson: news basta laing tawo ang mobuhat, ampo nga ikaw di masakpan.

bugoy pod kang ga-post ani.

When they were kids, Johnny and Luther Htoo were bulletproof and invulnerable to land mines â€" or so went the story that briefly made them famous as hundreds of guerrillas followed and even worshipped them in the southeastern jungles of Myanmar.



Today, well over a decade later, their "God's Army" is no more, and the twins' greatest accomplishment may be that both are still alive.



Luther lives in Sweden. Johnny remains at an unofficial refugee camp inside Thailand, not far from where the brothers were sent after they surrendered to Thai authorities in 2001. Now 25, Johnny has hopes of reuniting with family in New Zealand, and Luther has questions about their former comrades that may never be answered.


more at http://news.yahoo.com/myanmar-gods-army-twins-reunite-seek-comrades-090640804.html

"The dog wasn't with a family," Battalion Chief Thayer Smith told ABCNews.com today. "It was out swimming in the water and as the crews were rescuing people they rescued that dog."

The dog, as all other animals rescued yesterday, was taken in by the local humane society, which set up temporary operations at flooding locations, according to Smith. Unclaimed pets are then taken to the local animal shelter where they can be tracked and picked up by their owners.


more at http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/photo-austin-firefighters-rescue-dog-flash-floods-170949395--abc-news-topstories.html

The photo was taken by department photographer Preston Colber who went along with the crews as they traveled door to door in the city's Pleasant Valley Road area to rescue residents from their flooded homes.

Harvey and Cooper, who were on their day off after working a 24-hour shift and not available for comment, spotted the dog stranded in about 12 feet of water from the nearby Onion Creek.

A picture that shows the dedication of firefighters in Texas has emerged amidst the devastation of the flash floods that swept across the state Thursday.



The Austin Fire Department posted a photo on its Facebook page of firefighters Matt Harvey and Michael Cooper pulling a dog out of the flood waters and to safety Thursday morning.

i enjoyed this, hahaha!

grabeh!  arang kalami na lang gyod nimong mopauli after a hard day's work kun kini ang imong ulian.

matawo o mairo, puro cute!  a blessed all souls' day, loll!

“We have started the survey in Cebu, but there is no immediate danger in the province,” he said.

Compared to numerous sinkholes that appeared in Bohol after the magitude 7.2 quake rocked the province, only one turned up in Cebu.

After the powerful earthquake struck the provinces in mid-October, a 15-meter wide sinkhole destroyed at least five houses.

The MGB is keeping an eye on Cebu because “all of Mactan” is limestone underneath.


http://www.philstar.com/

“We will recommend immediate evacuation in areas deemed dangerous,” said Jasareno.

The MGB chief noted that 80 percent of Bohol is made up of limestone, causing natural depressions like sinkholes to cave in as limestone deposits underneath erode.

The agency intends to complete the survey of sinkholes in Bohol by the end of the year.

It has already begun surveying sinkholes in Cebu City.

Radar imagery showed  that the sinkhole has a length of 100 meters and a depth of five to 10 meters.

“The sinkhole is located in the school grounds but is not directly under the school building,” said Jasareno.

The MGB, however, recommended the immediate evacuation of residents of Barangay Poblacion 1 in Tagbilaran City after a 5-meter by 4-meter sinkhole with a depth of two meters appeared in the barangay.

Some of the sinkholes, Jasareno said, pose no immediate danger to residents unless the capping or the topsoil of the sinkhole weakens.

“These sinkholes may still widen and deepen but this will happen in geologic time, many years not in our lifetime,” he said.

He said a particularly large sinkhole that has not yet caved in was discovered in a school ground in Panggangan Island through the use of ground penetrating radar.

More sinkholes reported in Bohol

By Czeriza Valencia
(The Philippine Star) | Updated November 2, 2013


Photo taken Oct. 30 shows residents in Catigbian, Bohol standing next to a 100-meter-deep sinkhole which appeared following the magnitude 7.2 earthquake. JOVEN CAGANDE

MANILA, Philippines - Amid reports that sinkholes have appeared in southwestern Bohol, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) yesterday said 20 sinkholes have been confirmed so far and more could turn up.

“Based on our geological mapping, there are still more,” said MGB director Leo Jasareno. “There are numerous sinkholes in the province based on our map interpretation.”

Most the sinkholes have an area of four meters by five meters and a depth of two meters and are located in the middle of barangays.

Mark Wahlberg totally looks like this TB guy

Vladimir Putin Totally Looks Like This Dog

John Kerry Totally Looks Like Herman Munster

Dog Totally Looks Like Falcor

Sean Connery Totally Looks Like Padre Pio

Art Totally Looks Like Reality

This Guy's Outfit Totally Looks Like This Girl's

Husky Puppy Totally Looks Like Marilyn Manson

Mark Zuckerberg Totally Looks Like Linquini

Adam Ant Totally Looks Like Johnny Depp

Britney Spears Totally Looks Like Sharon Tate

Tilda Swinton Totally Looks Like Robert Louis Stevenson

Copperhead Totally Looks Like Miley Cyrus

Joseph McCarthy Totally Looks Like Ted Cruz

Alex Jones Totally Looks Like The Penguin

Jim Carrey Totally Looks Like Yahoo Serious

This Mannequin Totally Looks Like Justin Bieber

Mitt Romney Totally Looks Like Frankenstein Action Figure

Macaulay Culkin Totally Looks Like Miley Cyrus

Ezra Pound Totally Looks Like King Charles

This Person Looks Like an Ice Cream Cone

Lady Gaga Totally Looks Like Shredded Cheese

Miley Cyrus Totally Looks Like Zack Morris

Jim Morrison Totally Looks Like Vitruvian Man

Rasputin Totally Looks Like Daniel Bryan

Stop! Thief!




http://memebase.cheezburger.com/

It's My Head in a Box

I'm a Barbie Girl, In a Barbie World

"That's a Really Good Scary Face, Sweetie"

I'm Too Cool for This

Are You Pho Real?

Terrorizing Gotham With Trans Fat

D'aww

You Came to the Wrong Neighborhood

She Wanted to Be the Wolf

Anything Your Heart Desires Will Come to You

These Incredibly Lazy Costumes are Also Impressively Accurate

Sir Patrick Stewart Wins Halloween

at least, floral ang design sa iyang payong...

He said sinkholes already existed in most areas of Bohol, Cebu and Baguio City, but were just not apparent.

In a lay person‘s view, he said, a sinkhole is a visible, deep depression on the ground. But in geology, “it is a vacuum beneath the ground or top soil waiting for an occurrence (earthquake or heavy rain) to rupture.”

According to the US Geological Survey Web site, “sinkholes are common where the rock below the land surface is limestone, carbonate rock, salt beds, or rocks that can naturally be dissolved by groundwater circulating through them. As the rock dissolves, spaces and caverns develop underground.”


http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/

Llamedo said the Tagbilaran sinkhole opening measures about 3 meters by 4 meters  and has a depth of 5 meters.

He said the cave roof was very thin “at 0.5 meters” which might collapse either by additional pressure and weight by settlement or continuous ground shaking caused by the aftershocks.

“There is very high [probability] that the sinkholes will increase in size, so residents are urged to immediately evacuate to safer ground,” he told the Inquirer.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje has said the provinces of Bohol and Cebu, along with Baguio City, have foundations of solid limestone, which have weathered and carved out naturally through time, making these prone to sinkholes.

Llamedo urged local officials to undertake forced evacuations where necessary, monitor the sinkholes, put up signs alerting the public to their existence and to cordon off open sinkholes.

Filling the sinkholes with concrete would not be advisable before the MGB gets a complete picture of the extent of a sinkhole, he said.

Llamedo explained that their GPR equipment has the capability to produce an image of the diameter, depth, cave pillar and extent of the sinkholes.

The DENR issued a Geohazard Threat Advisory on October 28, recommending the preemptive evacuation of 200 families whose houses were built on the cave roof of the sinkhole found in Tagbilaran City that ate up the interior road of Purok 7.

The regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas has identified nearly 100 other sinkholes in nine other municipalities in Bohol apart from the one in Tagbilaran.

These are in the towns of Baclayon, Corella, Alburquerque, Panglao, Dauis, Balilihan, Batuan, Loon and Carmen, said Ed Llamedo, the regional DENR information officer.

He said these sinkholes had been existing as long as 5.3 million years ago but surfaced only after the October 15 earthquake that killed more than 200 persons and destroyed or damaged roads and bridges, churches  and many public and private buildings as well as houses. The destruction has been tentatively estimated at P5 billion.

The name Bohol is derived from the local word “bo-ho,” which means hole.

Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto said an eight-member team from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau was assessing the sinkholes with the use of ground-penetrating radar or GPR to identify those that pose a threat to the public.

If any engineering intervention is required to make an area safe, Chatto said, it would have to wait for a map of the sinkholes to be completed  by the first quarter of 2014.

“Don’t worry… Bohol is a very safe place to stay,” he told reporters on Friday. “Let us listen to the scientists and experts.”

Scores of sinkholes found in Bohol

By Carmel Loise Matus
Inquirer Visayas
Friday, November 1st, 2013


A family of four died in this sinkhole in Antequera, Bohol. Contributed Photo Paula Cacho

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippinesâ€"Close to 100 sinkholes have been discovered in nine towns and one city in Bohol, whose name is derived from the local word for hole,  following the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that devastated the province on October 15.

Not all of these sinkholes posed a threat to the public unless houses or other structures were built directly on top of or very near them, environment officials said.

This was the reason why 200 families in the Poblacion Uno area of Tagbilaran City, the provincial capital, were asked to evacuate. Their homes were found to have been built on the roof of a newly discovered sinkhole.

The Tombs of Petra
Jordan


Sandstone Rock-cut tombs (Kokhim) in Petra


Obelisk Tomb and the Triclinium


The Silk Tomb


Uneishu Tomb

Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the southern Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system. Another name for Petra is the Rose City due to the color of the stone out of which it is carved.

Established possibly as early as 312 BCE as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most-visited tourist attraction. It lies on the slope of Jebel al-Madhbah (identified by some as the biblical Mount Hor) in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.


wikipedia/

St. Peter's Tomb
St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican


The floor above Saint Peter's tomb (traveltripvacation.com )


St. Peter's baldachin, by Bernini, in the modern St. Peter's Basilica. St. Peter's tomb lies directly below this structure. (wikipedia)

Other noteworthy tombs

Merry Cemetery
Săpânţa, Maramureş, Romania





The Merry Cemetery (Romanian: Cimitirul Vesel) is a cemetery in the village of Săpânţa, Maramureş county, Romania. It is famous for its colorful tombstones with naïve paintings describing, in an original and poetic manner, the persons that are buried there as well as scenes from their lives. The Merry Cemetery became an open-air museum and a national tourist attraction.


more at http://carmel.pasi.ro/the-merry-cemetery-sapanta-maramures-romania.html

Bonus:

Here is another one that didn't quite make the list:

City of the Dead
Northern Ossetia, Russia


City of the Dead in Northern Ossetia. Image: dziadek.mroz [Flickr]


Image: dziadek.mroz [Flickr]

In the remote, rugged Gizel valley of Northern Ossetia, Caucasus, Russia, there is a set of stone buildings that from a distance look like a regular village - but with one important detail: it is not for the living. A closer look inside the buildings with slanted slate roof reveal something gruesome: mummified bodies dressed in their best clothes and shoes with hair tidily combed.

Local legends have it that in the 18th century, a plague swept through Ossetia. The clans built quarantine houses for sick family members, who were provided with food, but not freedom to move about, until death claimed their lives. A slow and painful way to go, indeed.


http://www.neatorama.com/

Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal from a distance. Image: Christopher Chan [Flickr]


The Taj Mahal in Agra, India. Image: micbaun [Flickr]


The tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Image: William Donelson [wikipedia]

No article on tombs is complete without the Taj Mahal, a magnificent mausoleum in Agra, India. The Taj Mahal was built in 1631 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who was devastated when his wife Mumtaz Mahal died during childbirth. Grief stricken, he ordered that the most beautiful mausoleum be built.

Taj Mahal is an amazing architectural wonder: the marble tomb in the center of the complex is flanked on four corners by minarets. The massive central dome, called the onion dome because of its shape, is striking in its symmetrical perfection. Finials and calligraphy are everywhere.

Inside the Taj Mahal is even more ornate: Precious and semi-precious gemstones are inlaid into the the intricately carved marble panels that serve as walls. The caskets of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan are decorated with gems and inscribed with calligraphy, reciting the 99 names of God.

The story of the Taj Mahal actually didn't end with the completion of its buildings: shortly after its completion, Shah Jahan fell ill and a power struggle amongst his four sons ensued. The victor, Aurangzeb, locked the king in the Fort of Agra, where he remained until he died. Legend has it that he spent the remainder of his life gazing at the Taj Mahal, the tomb of his beloved wife, from the window of his prison.