DID YOU KNOW that the Christ Redeemer statue in Brazil was designed by a French sculptor with the name of Paul Lodawski and a local engineer Heitor da Silva Costa was chosen to supervise the entire construction? It was built between 1926 and 1931. After some time, there was also a chapel built at the base of the mountain to house 150 visitors. The monument was inaugurated on October 12th 1931in an extravagant and grand commemoration.

Amazing Fact! The statue was built not out of steel but from reinforced concrete that was considered a more suitable material for the cross shaped statue.

Fredrick Zammit

Do you now that Hagar Qim complex consists of a main temple and three additional megalithic structures beside it? The main temple was built between 3600 and 3200 BC. However, the northern ruins are considerably older.

The outside entrance serves as an interior passage and connects six large chambers. The right apse is constructed as an arch to prevent the upright slabs falling inward. The outside wall, built of huge upright blocks projects inwards, thus

creating an extremely solid building. This entrance passage and first court follow the Maltese megalithic pattern but as building progressed, this design was considerably modified. The north-westerly apse was replaced by four independent enclosures. Hagar Qim shares its basic architectural design with the Mnajdra, Tarxien and Ggantija temple complexes. So hurry up and visit Mnajdra,

Tarxien and Ggantija.

Britney Micallef

TAJ MAHAL

In 1631 Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal Empire’s period of greatest prosperity was grief stricken when his wife Mumtaz Mahal died during the birth of their

14th child . Gauhara began constructing the Taj Mahal in 1632, one year after her death. The court chronichles of Jahan’s grief illustrated the love story that traditionally had as inspiration of Taj Mahal. Jean Claude Bonnici

Tutankhamun Tutankhamun ruled Egypt between 1334 and 1325 BC. He was probably the 12th ruler of Egypt's 18th Dynasty.

Though we know that Tutankhamun died young, we are not certain

about how he died until very recently. Both forensic analysis of his

mummy and clay seals dated with his regnal year support his demise

at the age of 17 or no later then 18. As to how he died, a small

sliver of bone within the upper cranial cavity of his mummy was

discovered from X-ray analysis, suggesting that his death was not

due to illness. It has been suggested that he was possibly

murdered, but it is also just as likely the result of an accident. In

fact, a recent medical examination now seems to indicate that he

may very well have died from infection brought about by a broken

leg.

Yet it is clear that others certainly had eyes on the throne.

Tut's famous gold funeral mask.

Tutankhamun's famous tomb is located in the Valley of the Kings on

the West bank across from modern Luxor (ancient Thebes). It is

certainly less magnificent then other pharaohs of Egypt, yet,

because of it, Tutankhamun has remained in our memory for many

years, and will probably continue to do so for many years to come.

Regardless of all the myths surrounding his tomb's discovery,

including the "curse of the mummy" and other media hype, it is all a

blessing to the boy-king. The ancient pharaohs believed that if

their name was remembered, their soul would live on, so not even

the powerful Rameses the Great's soul can be as healthy as King

Tut's.

When British archaeologist Howard Carter uncovered the

remarkably preserved tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, he created a

worldwide sensation. The only tomb of its era found intact and full

of indescribable treasures, it was also the first major discovery in

the age of easy worldwide communication. That, along with rumors

of a mysterious curse, helped make Tutankhamun the most popular

of the Egyptian pharaohs in the modern world.

Did you know?

That Tutankhamun

became a pharaoh at the

young age of ten.age of ten.age of ten.age of ten.

That he is buried in the

Valley of the Kings in Egypt.

Joseph Gatt