Old Maps, Expeditions and Explorations: 25 extraordinary places you won't believe exist--but they do

Friday, May 10, 2013

Pink lakes, purple fields, crazy caves and enchanted forests. No wonder traveling is one of the best forms of recreation – even looking at these pictures takes your mind to faraway places…

25 extraordinary places you won't believe exist--but they do

Abkhazia

My favourite is the story of 19th century 'negotiations' between an up-coming Russia and a declining Ottoman Turkey in which Russia demanded the cession by Ottoman -Turkey of the province of Abkhazia. The Turkish delegates who had been summoned to the Czar's palace had little idea of their empire, where Abkhazia was or how big a loss it would represent to Ottoman Turkey. It's actually 8,600 sq kilometers, or 40% of a Wales for those who prefer more traditional area measurements. However there was a map of Abkhazia hanging on the Czar's palace walls, alongside a similarly-sized map of the palace gardens - no scale to either map, although the latter was probably at a somewhat larger scale. Based on these 2 maps the Ottoman delegation concluded they were ceding an insignificant piece of territory.- Dr Hillary Shaw

Old Maps, Expeditions and Explorations

Friday, May 10, 2013

25 extraordinary places you won't believe exist--but they do

Pink lakes, purple fields, crazy caves and enchanted forests. No wonder traveling is one of the best forms of recreation – even looking at these pictures takes your mind to faraway places…

No comments:

7 Mysterious Prehistoric Sea Monsters