The 7 Wonders of ultramodern Dubai

There are many reasons why Dubai is grabbing more and more headlines these days. One of them is that the emirate city is experiencing a construction boom, with stunning new buildings going up at a pace that rivals even China’s urban development.

Image by Michael Foley

Dubai’s crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and his team of advisors know full well that Dubai’s oil reserves are finite and may well run dry by 2030. As a result, tourism and commercial development is slated to replace black gold as the main engine of the economy. Here then are 8 structural wonders that will change Dubai forever.

Hydropolis - First Underwater Luxury Resort

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About the size of London’s Hyde Park and some 66 feet beneath the Persian Gulf, the reinforced concrete and steel multi-star hotel off Jumeira Beach will employ Plexiglass walls and a bubble-dome ceiling to allow guests to view marine life. “Sea-view room” anyone?

The hotel will feature 220 suites at a cost of £300 million ($594.34 million) and will be built entirely in Germany, with assembly in Dubai. After several long delays, Hydropolis is set to welcome guests by 2009.

Burj Dubai - World’s Tallest Building

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With construction that began in September 2004, the Burj Dubai, with 2009 as the inaugural date, is already the tallest man-made building on Earth. With a spectacular design inspired by the indigenous desert flowers that often appear as decorative patterns in Islamic architecture, the total cost of the super skyscraper is going to be close to $4.1 billion. When completed it will have used 330,000 cubic meters of concrete, 39,000 metric tons of steel and 142,000 sqm of glass.

The Palm Islands

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The three largest artificial islands in the world are in Dubai, nestled in the Persian Gulf. Named Palm Jumeirah, the Palm Jebel Ali and the Palm Deira, they will add 520 km of beaches to the city and will include residential pockets, as well as leisure and entertainment centers.

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Palm Jumeirah consists of a trunk, a crown with 17 fronds, and a surrounding crescent island. Expected to be ready by mid 2008, Palm Jebel Ali is slightly bigger and should be able to accommodate 1.7 million people by 2020. The largest of them all, Palm Deira, is expected to be finished in 2015.

The World Archipelago

After the construction of three decorative artificial islands, how will Dubai up the ante even further? Well, an archipelago dubbed The World will replicate the world atlas and will include some 300 islands that will be primarily built using sand dredged from the sea bottom.

The total development cost is going to be close to $14 billion. No surprise then that the islands, which range from 250,000 to 900,000 square feet, are being sold to developers for prices that reportedly start at $6.85 million.

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Distance between the islands is going to be around 100m and travel should only be available by boat. With more than 60% of the islands sold by January 2008, there are bound to be some super yachts on the premises sometime in the near future.

Wind-powered rotating skyscraper

Dr. David Fisher is the man behind Dynamic Architecture, the firm that will build the 420 meters (1,378 feet) high wind-powered rotating skyscraper in Dubai. There will be 48 wind turbines installed between each floor (which actually rotates independently) with the express aim of making the entire structure self-sufficient from an energy standpoint.

Instead of traditional ground-up construction, the plan here is to have a nearby factory prefab each floor in segments. The hope is to switch on the turbines by 2010.

The UAE spaceport

With an estimated price tag of at least $265 million, the world’s first spaceport will fall inside the border of a nearby emirate, Ras Al-Khaimah. A quick drive from Dubai, America’s Space Adventures are the wacky developers behind the high profile project slated to target the most affluent tourists. Early renderings indicate that the spaceport will feature a triangular runway (call it a launchpad if you like) and domed passenger terminals.

Wartburg Castle-GERMANY

EISENACH is best known as the site of Schloss Wartburg (Wartburg Castle), most famous for sheltering Martin Luther while he translated the New Testament into German. Founded in 1067, it is also one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Germany. It is reached by a rigorous climb up a 180m (600-ft.) forested slope.

History

Wartburg Castle was founded by Duke Ludwig of Thuringia in 1067 AD. It belonged to the landgraves of Thuringia and once hosted the medieval Minnesinger poets, immortalized by Wagner in Tannhäuser.

Most famously, the Wartburg is where Martin Luther hid out as "Knight George" upon his return from the Diet of Worms in 1521. Here he completed his translation of the Bible. During his stay here, he said he "fought the Devil with ink" and is said to have experienced dark periods of depression.

In 1777, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe spent five weeks in the Wartburg Castle translating the Bible into German. Goethe once said, "The Germans weren't a people until Luther."

In 1817, the Wartburg was the rallying site of the Burschenschaften, students who protested the continued division of Germany into a host of tinpot principalities. More recently, Adolf Hitler engaged in a battle with local authorities to take down Wartburg Castle's cross and replace it with a swastika. Hitler was a big fan of the Wartburg, declaring it "the most German of German castles."

Today, the castle is a regional museum. Wartburg Castle was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999 for its association with Luther and for its role as "a powerful symbol of German integration and unity."

What to See

The Wartburg is a melting pot of several different eras, making it an excellent representative of German architecture: the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Historicist styles are all featured.

The oldest part is the late 12th-century Palas at the left-hand end of the second courtyard, one of Europe's few surviving Romanesque palaces. Several structures were added in the Romantic style in the 19th century as part of a thorough restoration.

To see the interior of the Palas, you must take a guided tour. The highlight is the 200 carved capitals, a third of them original masterpieces of Romanesque sculpture. The finest are those on the central columns.

The 14th-century Burgkapelle (Castle Chapel) features three Romantic-era fresco cycles by Mortiz von Schwind illustrating the life of St. Elisabeth and the history of the castle. In the Festsaal (Festival Hall) is a mural depicting the triumph of Christianity over paganism.

The museum in the Neue Kemenate is devoted mainly to Reformation artifacts, including paintings, sculptures, weapons, furniture and tapestries. There are several great works by Cranach, including the pendants of Hans and Margarete Luther, Martin's parents.

From here you cross the courtyard to the wood-beamed interior of the Wehrgang (sentry walk), which leads to the Lutherstube, the room occupied by Martin Luther while he translated the Bible into German. On the wall hangs a portrait of Luther disguised as Junker Jörg (Knight George), by Lucas Cranach.

Unfortunately none of the furnishings are original to Luther's time, with the odd exception of a whale vertebrae that lies on the floor. But the stove and desk approximate what Luther's room would have looked like during his 10-month stay.

Behind the stove is a hole going through to the bare masonry behind the wall: there was once a large stain here, which visitors associated with the legend that Luther threw an inkpot at the devil. Past souvenir hunters have chipped away the entire wall at the spot.

The entrance ticket also includes a climb up the external wooden stairs of theSüdturm (South Tower), from which there's an excellent view over the castle and the Thuringian Forest.

Quick Facts

Site Information

Names:	Wartburg Castle; Schloss Wartburg
Location:	Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany
Categories:	Castles and Palaces; Historical Sites; World Heritage Sites
Faith:	Christianity
Denomination:	Lutheran
Status:	museum
Architecture:	Romanesque, Renaissance

Visitor Information

Coordinates:	50.966157° N, 10.306334° E (view on Google Maps)
Address:	Wartburg, 99817 Eisenach, Germany
Phone:	(+49) 36 91/25 00
Website:	www.wartburg-eisenach.de
E-mail:	info@wartburg.de
Hours:	Apr-Oct: castle gates open 8:30am-8pm; guided tours 8:30am-5pm Nov-Mar: castle gates open 9am-5pm; guided tours 9am-3:30pm
Tours:	Admission to the Great Hall is by guided tour only, included in admission price.
Cost:	adults €8; disabled €7; students €5; children under six free
Photography:	Permitted
Public transport:	Bus 10 or 13 from Eisenach Hauptbahnhof, or a 30-minute hike through the woods from Eisenach
Parking:	Parking lot (€5 per car) at the base of the castle, then a walk of 500 feet uphill.
Accessibility:	Most of the castle is handicapped accessible. A shuttle is available from the parking lot to the castle.

Half-timbered building containing the Luther Room at Wartburg Castle.

The Palas and other buildings at the south end of Wartburg Castle

West side of the restored 12th-century Romanesque Palas

Entrance to Luther's room (Lutherstube) at the Wartburg

Luther's room while he translated the Bible into German.

Another view of the Lutherstube.

View of Thuringia from the Wartburg

Entrance (and exit) at the north end of the castle complex.

Neuschwanstein Castle - GERMANY

The Neuschwanstein Castle is one most visited castles in Germany and one of the most popular tourist destination in Europe.

The castle is located in Bavaria, near the town of Fussen. It was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, also known as the “Fairytale King”.

King Ludwig was a great admirer and supporter ofRichard Wagner, the world - renowned composer.Neuschwanstein Castle was built in his honor and many rooms in the castle's interior were inspired by Wagner's characters. The third floor particularly reflects Ludwig's admiration of Wagner's operas. The Singers Hall, which occupies the entire fourth floor of Neuschwanstein also contains characters from Wagner's operas.

Neuschwanstein literally means “New Swan Castle” referencing of “the Swan Knight” one of the Wagner’s characters.

The Neuschwanstein Castle really looks like a fairytale castle. Neuschwanstein is a castle of the paradox. It was built in the 19th century in Bavaria, in a time when castles no longer had strategical and defensive purposes. While Neuschwanstein's look is that of a medieval castle, it was equiped inside with state of the art technology at that time. For example on every floor of the castle there were toilets with automatic flushing system, as well as an air heating system for the whole castle. Water was supplied by a nearby spring situated at only 200 meters above the castle.

Neuschwanstein's positioning is also a fairytale one. It is located in the Alps in Bavaria, Germany, in a magnificent landscape, on the top of a hill. Neuschwanstein overlooks the Hohenschwangau valley. If you come to visit this castle, you will be amazed by the extremely beautiful landscape that surrounds it. Also, Neuschwanstein lies very close to the town of Fussen, which is also a popular tourist destination in Germany.

The construction of the Neuschwanstein castle began in 1869, and originally it was projected to last three year. But Ludwig II wanted the castle to be perfect, so the immense building was not finished even at Ludwig's death in 1886.

Neuschwanstein castle has a very beautiful inner garden surrounded by a walled courtyard. It even has an artificial cave. Neuschwanstein's interior is as beautiful as its outside. Though only 14 rooms were finished before Ludiwg II's sudden death in 1886, these rooms were majestically decorated. The two story throne room was designed in Byzantine style, with wall paintings depicting angels. Ironically, there is no throne in the Throne Room, as Ludwig died before it was completely finished.

This fairytale look of the Neuschwanstein castle inspired Walt Disney to create the Magic Kingdom. Today, Neuschwanstein is the most visited castle in Germany, and one of the most popular tourist destination in the world. Every year over 1.300.000 people crosses its gate.

Interesting facts

Neuschwanstein is a castle of paradox. It was a very controversial building at its time, and there are many interesting facts about it. Here we will list some of these facts about Neuschwanstein.

1. Neuschwanstein means "New Swan Stone". The name of the castle derives from one of Wagner's opera's character, theSwan Knight.
2. The Neuschwanstein Castle was built for only one person – the King Ludwig II. Neuschwanstein is so immense though, that in some days it is visited by up to 6000 tourists.
3. Ludiwg slept only 11 nights in the castle
4. Ludiwg was Richard Wagner's patron, and many rooms of the castle were inspired by Wagner's operas. Despite of this, Wagner never visited the castle, as he died before its completion.
5. The castle is one of the most photographed buildings in the world, even if photography is not permitted inside of the castle.
6. There is no throne in the castle, as the Throne Hall was not completed before Ludwig's death.
7. The Sleeping Beauty Castle’s design in Disneyland was inspired by Neuschwanstein Castle.
8. Fourteen carpenters worked for more than four years to make the woodwork in the bedroom.
9. Despite its medieval look, it was built in the 19th century, and it served no defensive purposes.
10. The original name of the castle was New Hohenschwangau Castle. It was renamed as Neuschwanstein castle just after Ludwig II's death
11. The designer of the castle was Christian Jank. He was not even an architect but a theatrical designer.
12. In 2012, the Neuschwanstein Castle will appear on a €2 commemorative coin.