Museum of Northern Ostrobothnia, Oulu, Finland

The museum of Northern Ostrobothnia was established in 1896. The basic exhibition will tell you the history of the city of Oulu and its surroundings. Between the years 1911-1929 the museum operated in an old wooden villa Villa Ainola, which was destroyed in a fire on July 9th, 1929. Some of the collections of the museum were also destroyed. Soon after the fire the current museum building was started to be built on the site of the old villa. The new stone house was completed in 1931. The building was designed by a Finnish architect Oiva Kallio.

The basic exhibition extends in the all other floors of the building except the bottom floor, which is dedicated to the changing exhibitions and an exhibition for the children. The exhibition for the children is which is based on the Doghill books by Finnish children's author Mauri Kunnas. The ground floor hosts a large scale model of Oulu city centre in the year 1938 before the bombings of the World War II.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Arsi Häggman (4 years ago)
Suprisingly kids enjoyed here much. Partly because of toy museum with activities and Doghill "Koiramäen lapset" exhibition.

Adrian Agus Setiawan (4 years ago)
interesting facts about Oulu and Finland history, could use some renovations to attract kids and students0

dan ben (5 years ago)
Fantastic and fascinating museum. We really enjoyed our time here and learnt a lot about the local area and history

Alan Pembshaw (5 years ago)
An excellent cultural museum centring on Oulu and its surrounding area from the stone age to the present. Has a great model of Oulu in the mid 1930s when the city had only about 20000 people. If you have time to visit here, also go to the Art Museum on the other side of the park. Well worth a visit.

Bobsmei Bontilao (5 years ago)
A big exhibit of Finnish history of the region. From the stone age to the present. A view of the way of life of the region and hoe Oulu came to be. Truly an educational tour and a must visit for all history-loving tourist and locals alike.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Luiyo

Historic Site of the week

Lorca Castle

Castle of Lorca (Castillo de Lorca) is a fortress of medieval origin constructed between the 9th and 15th centuries. It consists of a series of defensive structures that, during the Middle Ages, made the town and the fortress an impregnable point in the southeast part of the Iberian Peninsula. Lorca Castle was a key strategic point of contention between Christians and Muslims during the Reconquista.

Archaeological excavations have revealed that the site of the castle has been inhabited since Neolithic times.

Muslim Era

It has not been determined exactly when a castle or fortress was first built on the hill. The first written documentation referring to a castle at Lorca is of Muslim origin, which in the 9th century, indicates that the city of Lurqa was an important town in the area ruled by Theudimer (Tudmir). During Muslim rule, Lorca Castle was an impregnable fortress and its interior was divided into two sections by the Espaldón Wall. In the western part, there was an area used to protect livestock and grain in times of danger. The eastern part had a neighbourhood called the barrio de Alcalá.

After Reconquista

Lorca was conquered by the Castilian Infante Don Alfonso, the future Alfonso X, in 1244, and the fortress became a key defensive point against the Kingdom of Granada. For 250 years, Lorca Castle was a watchpoint on the border between the Christian kingdom of Murcia and the Muslim state of Granada.

Alfonso X ordered the construction of the towers known as the Alfonsina and Espolón Towers, and strengthened and fixed the walls. Hardly a trace of the Muslim fortress remained due to this reconstruction. Muslim traces remain in the foundation stones and the wall known as the muro del Espaldón.

The Jewish Quarter was found within the alcazaba, the Moorish fortification, separated from the rest of the city by its walls. The physical separation had the purpose of protecting the Jewish people in the town from harm, but also had the result of keeping Christians and Jews separate, with the Christians inhabiting the lower part of town.

The remains of the Jewish Quarter extended over an area of 5,700 square m, and 12 homes and a synagogue have been found; the synagogue dates from the 14th century and is the only one found in the Murcia. The streets of the town had an irregular layout, adapted to the landscape, and is divided into four terraces. The synagogue was in the central location, and around it were the homes. The homes were of rectangular shape, with various compartmentalized rooms. The living quarters were elevated and a common feature was benches attached to the walls, kitchens, stand for earthenware jars, or cupboards.

Modern history

With the disappearance of the frontier after the conquest of Granada in 1492, Lorca Castle no longer became as important as before. With the expulsion of the Jews by order of Ferdinand and Isabella, Lorca Castle was also depopulated as a result. The castle was abandoned completely, and was almost a complete ruin by the 18th century. In the 19th century, the castle was refurbished due to the War of Spanish Independence. The walls and structures were repaired or modified and its medieval look changed. A battery of cannons was installed, for example, during this time. In 1931 Lorca Castle was declared a National Historic Monument.

Currently, a parador (luxury hotel) has been built within the castle. As a result, archaeological discoveries have been found, including the Jewish Quarter.

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