Golden Gate, Gdańsk, Poland - SpottingHistory.com

Golden Gate (Złota Brama) is one of the most notable tourist attractions of the Gdánsk. It was raised in 1612–1614 in place of the 13th century Gothic gate. It forms a part of the old city fortifications. The gate was designed by architect Abraham van den Blocke and was constructed by Jan Strakowski. The architectural style of the gate is Dutch manierism. Next to it is the late-gothic building of the Brotherhood of St.George. Both sides of the gate have attiques, with figures symbolizing citizen's qualities. They were designed in 1648 by Jeremias Falck, and reconstructed in 1878 due to the originals being damaged by time and climate.

Destroyed in World War II, it was rebuilt in 1957. The original German inscription has recently been restored: Es müsse wohl gehen denen, die dich lieben. Es müsse Friede sein inwendig in deinen Mauern und Glück in deinen Palästen (Psalm 122).

References:

Wikipedia

Top historic sites in Gdánsk

Nina said 5 years ago

Golden Gare is on of the undeniable symbol of Gdansk. Nevertheless, we can find there much more places and monuments worth of attention. Certainly veru interesting place is located on Marina, restaurant Szafarnia 10. Here you can spend great time with friends and enjoy the Moltawa River form glass terrace . Served there cod cheeks or filet of duck are delicious.

User Reviews

Karan Zakrzewski-Sharma (2 years ago)
Beautiful and marks the start of Gdańsk's most representative street

Oliver Ward (3 years ago)
Gdansk old town, nice atmosphere in the lead up to Christmas.

Oliwia Biros (3 years ago)
The Golden Gate marks the beginning of the Long Street and is a main attraction of the Royal Route. It is also a famous meeting point. Gate was built in the 17th century as part of the old city fortifications. On top of the gate there are eight figures representing different qualities that should be exercised by the citizens.

Brett Gottfried (3 years ago)
Beautiful architecture on this gate. It leads to the entrance of one of the main streets in Old Town. The green is color is very different than most other gates around here

Phibappé Tengelgren (3 years ago)
An iconic architecture in the old town. One of the many gates in Gdansk. When you understand the history of it, it will not just purely a “gate” for taking pictures It was built in the 17th century with the Dutch mannerism style. It was rebuilt after being destroyed by Soviet shelling in WWII.

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Historic Site of the week

Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba

The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, also known as the Great Mosque of Córdoba and the Mezquita is regarded as one of the most accomplished monuments of Moorish architecture.

According to a traditional account, a small Visigoth church, the Catholic Basilica of Saint Vincent of Lérins, originally stood on the site. In 784 Abd al-Rahman I ordered construction of the Great Mosque, which was considerably expanded by later Muslim rulers. The mosque underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, while in 961 Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The last of such reforms was carried out by Almanzor in 987. It was connected to the Caliph"s palace by a raised walkway, mosques within the palaces being the tradition for previous Islamic rulers – as well as Christian Kings who built their palaces adjacent to churches. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard.

In 1236, Córdoba was conquered by King Ferdinand III of Castile, and the centre of the mosque was converted into a Catholic cathedral. Alfonso X oversaw the construction of the Villaviciosa Chapel and the Royal Chapel within the mosque. The kings who followed added further Christian features, such as King Henry II rebuilding the chapel in the 14th century. The minaret of the mosque was also converted to the bell tower of the cathedral. It was adorned with Santiago de Compostela"s captured cathedral bells. Following a windstorm in 1589, the former minaret was further reinforced by encasing it within a new structure.

The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral nave in the middle of the expansive structure. The insertion was constructed by permission of Charles V, king of Castile and Aragon. Artisans and architects continued to add to the existing structure until the late 18th century.

Architecture

The building"s floor plan is seen to be parallel to some of the earliest mosques built from the very beginning of Islam. It had a rectangular prayer hall with aisles arranged perpendicular to the qibla, the direction towards which Muslims pray. The prayer hall was large and flat, with timber ceilings held up by arches of horseshoe-like appearance.

In planning the mosque, the architects incorporated a number of Roman columns with choice capitals. Some of the columns were already in the Gothic structure; others were sent from various regions of Iberia as presents from the governors of provinces. Ivory, jasper, porphyry, gold, silver, copper, and brass were used in the decorations. Marvellous mosaics and azulejos were designed. Later, the immense temple embodied all the styles of Morisco architecture into one composition.

The building is most notable for its arcaded hypostyle hall, with 856 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, granite and porphyry. These were made from pieces of the Roman temple that had occupied the site previously, as well as other Roman buildings, such as the Mérida amphitheatre. The double arches were an innovation, permitting higher ceilings than would otherwise be possible with relatively low columns. The double arches consist of a lower horseshoe arch and an upper semi-circular arch.

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