Ecuador - Mitad del Mundo

"Mitad del Mundo", means "Middle Of the World" in Spanish.


The monument is located in 10 km north of Quito, Ecuador.


This building is interestingly located in a positition in such a way that it shows one of the point through which the equator goes in the country.


Also inside the pyramid monument, there is an ethnic musuem of ecuadorian culture.


The monument is 30 meters long, with a 4.5 diameter, 5-ton globe on it.


If you are interested about historical events about this monument,
click on the link below:

http://www.equaguia.com/mitaddelmundo/historical.html

Peru - Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu ("Old Peak") , located above Urubamba Valley, is almost the most famous site in Peru.

It is also called the "Lost city of the incas" since it has been build by Incas many years ago.

The old city, which some believe it has started to build in about 1440, was a place for its people to live until the Spanish conquest of Peru in 1532.

The city was forgotten for several years until 1191, when Hiram Bingham (a Yale archaeologist ) rediscovered it.

After then, the lost city came back to international attention.

In 2003, about 400,000 tourists visited Machu Picchu!

And that surely worried UNESCO that the great quantity of people visiting the site would gradually destroy the monuments.

However, Peruvian authorities believe that there is no problem even if so many tourists visit the city.

Argentina - La Casa Rosada

'La Casa Rosada', means 'The Pink House' in Spanish language.


The building, in Buenos Aires, is being used as 'Casa de Gobierno ' (" The house of government").


Nice structure (Italian-styled) and particularly the color of the building is amazing.


The building is constructed in 1873.


An interesting explanation for the building color is that previously they have used cow's blood to paint the building to prevent damages caused from humidity.


It is also noticeable that Madonna had once tried to go up on the building's balcony to sing "Don't cry for me, Argentina" song in a film called Evita.


However, She did not get the permission to do so until the filming was over!

Mexico - Castillo de Chapultepec

In Mexico City, "Castle of Chapultepec" is located on top of Chapultepec Hill.

It has been used for different purposes such as presidential residence, military, and observatory.

The monument is located now in the middle of Chapultepec park and is being used as National Museum of History.

Viceroy Bernardo de Gálvez has ordered the construction of Castle of Chapultepec on 1785 as his country house. The building is at the top of the Chapultepec Hill, 2,325 meters above sea level.

Chapultepec Castle has been abandoned during Mexican War of Indpendence and then it has been used as a Military Academy.

The shape of the building had changed in 1865, when Mexican Emperor Maximillian of Habsburg decided to set his residence there.

At last, on 3rd of February in 1939, Chapiltepec Castle became known as National Museum of Historyby the announcement from President Lázaro Cárdenas.

Spain - Puerta de Alcalá

The Puerta de Alcalá, is a monument in Madrid, Spain.


'Puerta de Alcalá' means 'Alcalá's Gate' in Spanish.


The monument is almost in the centre of the city, close to Plaza de la Independencia ("Independence Square").

King Carlos III has ordered to build 'Alcalá's Gate' and the gate's building process started on 1778.


Francesco Sabatini, has been the italiant artichect in charge of building of the gate.


The building is made of granite and has 5 arcs, including 3 round and 2 flat arcs.


it is also noticable that many Spanish singers sang songs about this monument.