Art, Architecture, Places & Cultural Heritage around the World

 

The Taj Mahal is so much more than a collection of marble slabs. Vatican City, despite being the world's smallest nation state, looms large in the collective unconscious for its incredible cultural heritage, which comprises St Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel as well as museums and galleries containing priceless art treasures and artefacts. A 600-year-old Jainish temple features breath-takingly detailed carvings. There are ancient ruins, Baroque interiors, even graves and memorials. Cathedrals, palaces, pyramids and mosques. One charming post shares a typical birdhouse added to the side of a building and fashioned to resemble a miniature palace. But cultural heritage can also be found in costume and music, in works of art and in the geography of the land.

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Rome and Constantinople (New Rome). The Roman (and Byzantine) Empire

Picture credit: Shalender at Pixabay

Larry the Cat (@Number10cat)

 While world politics has devolved into the type of nail-biting lunacy that can rob anyone of their peace of mind and an adequate night's sleep, it's wonderful to know that there is still someone at Number 10 Downing Street in London who still values the good things in life: food, sleep, and a touch of mischief. I'm talking, of course, about Larry the Downing Street Cat, who has seen prime ministers and world leaders come and go, while still remaining in tune with his innate cattitude. His main role is rodent patrol, but Larry also has important PR duties and beware the fox that trespasses on his sidewalk, or even the shrubbed verge around it. He's met Obama and Zelensky, has over 871k followers on X and just celebrated his 19th birthday. For a daily dose of Larry-updates in your news feed, with charming clips and meme-worthy snapshots, as well as the odd greeting from furry (and human) fans, visit often.

Members: 15.5k, at the time of writing.

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CATTITUDE

The Adventures of Patrick the Pony

My Cat is an Asshole

Bird Art & Artists

There has to be a very special skill involved to successfully capture a creature that often moves faster than the eye can see. That's why I have a healthy dose of respect for each and every one of the bird artists featured in this group - whether professional or amateur. The media used vary from pencil, pen to watercolor and acrylics and the subject matters covers anything from the humble sparrow, the graceful kingfisher, the wise crow, the industrious woodpecker and the majestic osprey. If you have a fascination for avian wildlife, you would most likely enjoy adding this charming Facebook group to your newsfeed. On my visit, I also saw the Northern Cardinal, European Woodpecker, a humble robin in pencil, a macaw in watercolor, a Sri Lanka bush warbler, beautifully rendered in his natural habitat and a stunning Harris Hawk in colored pencils.

Members: 108.7k, at the time of writing.

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The Model T Ford Club International

When Henry Ford assembled the first Model T Ford, he created so much more than just a car. Within a decade, his vision transformed travel, leisure and work. And while many of these often mechanically-needy vehicles also became the punchline of their era, a surprising number of them have endured the century or so, that separates their manufacture from 2026. This Facebook group celebrates the iconic automobile through vintage photographs, footage from classic car shows, invitations to Ford themed events and also, through shared memories. One of the many video clip shares Mr. Ford's connection to another iconic vehicle brand, a post about a mechanical workshop that includes a module on the T's engine and a calendar post that shows off the Ford company's now-defunct aircraft division. Bet you didn't know Ford made airplanes too! Many of the black and white photographs document the Model T's incredible versatility and the improvising ingenuity of its people.

Members: 11k

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The gorgeous photo accompanying this blog post is used courtesy of Joe Ross of Lansing, Michigan via Wiki Commons. It can be found here:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Model_T_Ford_(32460978).jpg

puzzle Lovers

Who doesn't love and hate the challenge of a jigsaw puzzle. There are the ones you do only once. They are so heartbreakingly beautiful, that you buy glue and a picture frame. Some are suspended halfway between composure and drama. Cats. Horsecarts and steam locomotives. Seasonal transitions that speak of continuity. Some inject colorful naivity into chilly winter days. There are mind-warping visual brain teasers. Dogs, cats, horses, stags and unicorns. A page out of a symphony. Astrological charts and world maps. So many Christmases (so little time). Charity shop edens that take shape piece by piece. Humorous holiday dioramas and mouthwatering treats. There's even an advent puzzle comprising of 25 different boxes of puzzle pieces. This was probably the best time to visit - as everyone was unpacking and showing off their festive season gifts and treasures.

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Folklore, Customs, Legends and Mythology

 Beyond the tinsel and fake, cottonwool beards, there are older traditions clustered around the observance of Yule and midwinter. Depending on where you are, the friends and fiends of the season may wear different masks and ask for (or dispense) different favors. For example, there are the thirteen unruly Yule trolls who pester mortals for almost a fortnight - each troll gets his own night - with disturbances ranging from door-banging and window-peeping to all sorts of thefts around the house (and usually the kitchen). The Gloucestershire practice of wassailing sounds suspiciously similar to caroling, albeit with a few unique twists. Frau Perchta prowls the alpine mountainsides, while the eerie looking La Guajona lurks in the nocturnal gloom of wintry northern Spain. And then there's Krampus, the Wild Hunt, the Scandinavian tomten and the gnomes to worry about. In fact, this is a great space to get acquainted with the pagan origins of many Christmas traditions. Of course, this group is hardly limited to Yuletide figures, good or bad. There's standing stones, Appalachian folk magic and Native American artefacts. A post that really wowed me featured pages from the gorgeously laid-out Enchanted Gazette, which included a pagan calendar

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Trigger Warnings: The occasional AI image. 

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Identification of Rocks & Minerals - NO sales! NO spam

In the past, we've done bugs and feathers. Why not turn our attention to something that does not decay or scamper off to the nearest crack in the floor. Rocks carry the long history of our planet's more turbulent beginnings, when lava cooled and compacted to begin the process of forming the minerals that still nestle within its arteries. They are imprinted with struggles that were old long before the first apes came down from the tree. Found a pretty rock or mineral specimen that intrigues you? Post it here. Or scroll through other leavings and finds from around the world. Agate or opal? Unekite or jasper? Sodalite or azurite? If you geek geology, join this crew of rock detectives to help, or even just to admire some of the images posted. Tantalizingly cracked crusts. Telltale erosion patterns. An enigmatic specimen from Namibia which eludes a positive ID - but could be heterosite or purpurite. And there are helpfully educational comments, such as the finger-tip-test to determine the presence of fossil or cleaning tips for tarnished pyrite. 

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