The Tower of Belém and the Monument of the Discoveries in Lisbon, Portugal

On March 28, 2024March 28, 2024 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn PortugalLeave a comment

There are many neighborhoods in Lisbon that have sites of particular interest and Belém is certainly one of them. Lisbon is a port city and during the height of Portugal’s history when many explorers left Portugal from the ports of Belém to discover routes throughout the world. During that time, often referred to as the Age of Discoveries, ships would depart from the Tagus River and out to the Atlantic Ocean to either go south towards Africa or west to the Americas. Of the many sites to see in Belém, the Tower of Belém and the Monument of the Discoveries on the shore of the Tagus River are certainly among them.

The Tower of Belém was actually originally built on an island in the middle of the Tagus River, but after the earthquake of 1755, the river was diverted, and the tower now sits on the shoreline of the river. Depending on the tide, the tower is either surrounded by water or sand and during our visit the tide was out and people were able to walk around the base of the tower. It was built as a fortification and is the ceremonial gateway to Lisbon and is considered a symbol of Portugal’s prominence and power during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Not far from the tower is the Monument of the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos), which is a popular spot for tourists to take photographs on the shore of the river. Built in 1939 and opening in 1940, the monument also celebrates the Age of Discovery when Portuguese ships and explorers left to trade with Asia. The monument depicts a ship with all of the various explorers looking forward towards the bow of the ship as it sails forward to explore the world.

Crowds Queuing for the Inside of the Tower

There are several places to visit when spending time in Belém and these two are literally the tip of the iceberg, but they are definitely worthwhile even if just to enjoy a nice walk along the river. We had just landed in Lisbon about three hours before taking a car from our hotel to visit Belém, which was a perfect way to start our time in Lisbon. There was a long queue to enter the tower, so we decided just to walk around the outside, although it was definitely impressive even just from the outside. We spent about four hours in Belém on our first day, but we did return for a second day later during our stay.

The Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt

On January 31, 2022January 31, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Egypt3 Comments

There are few images that are more iconic than the Great Sphinx on the Giza Plateau just outside of Cairo, Egypt. It is obviously one of the most popular tourist locations when visiting Cairo and you should certainly expect there to be crowds when you go to see the sphinx. A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion’s body and head of a pharaoh. It is believed to have been sculpted out of limestone in the time of pharaoh Khafre between 2558 and 2532 BC, which makes it the oldest sculpture used as a monument in Egypt. It is sometimes hard to gauge the size of the sphinx in pictures, but it stands 66 feet high (20 meters), 240 feet long (73 meters), and is 62 feet wide (19 meters).

Iconic View of the Great Sphinx and Pyramids

The View from Behind the Sphinx with People to Provide Perspective

The Great Sphinx was carved directly into the bedrock that also served as the quarry from which the pyramids were built. The stone from which the body was carved was softer than that of the head, which has caused the body to deteriorate more quickly than the head. The body has been repaired over time and you will likely see work being done to continue to repair during your visit. There are a number of shafts underneath the enormous statue, but they are believed to be the result of treasure hunters and tomb robbers and nothing to do with the ancient Egyptians who created the Great Sphinx.

Full View of the Front of the Great Sphinx

Seeing the statue from the front with the pyramids in the background is certainly the most common image that people associate with the sphinx. With that said, seeing the Great Sphinx from other angles is certainly quite fascinating and does help with getting a perspective of how large it truly is. In addition to the crowds, there are also a long line of stalls with vendors selling items for tourists and you shouldn’t be surprised if you don’t have children and others coming up to you either begging or trying to sell you items as well. There is no doubt that seeing the Great Sphinx in person is something that you will never forget.

Another View from Behind the Sphinx with Cairo in the Background

The Tradition of Arches as Monuments

On October 8, 2021October 8, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Photo Challenge5 Comments

Manmade arches have been used to commemorate both people as well as historical events all throughout history. Many of them draw tourists to see their grandeur, architecture, and beauty in cities around the world. One of the most famous, of course, is the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but there are many others as well. If you visit the Colosseum in Rome, you will find the Arch of Constantine with its three arches. One of the more interesting arches that we’ve seen was Patuxai (Victory Gate) in Vientiane, Laos. All of them are truly fascinating to see and to understand the history that they memorialize.