Where in the World Archives

Mingun Pahtodawgyi (Mingun, Myanmar)

December 1969 Issue

Mingun Pahtodawgyi (Mingun, Myanmar)


In 1790, when construction began on the huge structure shown in our January mystery photo, the plan was that it would eventually reach a height of 490 feet. However, the project was abandoned long before that. Today, the Mingun Pahtodawgyi -- a monument stupa in the town of Mingun, located across the Irrawaddy River from Mandalay in central Myanmar -- is "only" 164 feet tall and is sometimes referred to as the "world's largest pile of bricks."

The person who commissioned the project was King Bodawpaya, and it was due to a prophecy that the king would die when the project was completed that construction was halted.

Forty-seven correct answers were submitted naming the location in the picture, and JUDITH DYRHSEN of Yuba City, California, won the drawing. We thank Kay Kindig of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Emanuela Allgood, Fremont, CA; Jackie Bangert, Chesterfield, MO; Shirley & Victor Becker, Skokie, IL; Jackie Bell, Belmont, CA; Rex & Karen Berney, Waverly, OH; David Bousher, Austin, TX; Mike Brandt, El Dorado Hills, CA; Maria Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; Linda Devlin, Waterbury, VT; WINNER: Judith Dyrhsen, Yuba City, CA; Roman Fedorka, Kelso, WA; Terry Flynn, East Greenbush, NY; Heidi Foggatt, Phoenix, AZ; Russell Gluck, Franklin Lakes, NJ; Gerald Gould, Cumming, GA; Guenther Eichhorn, Scottsdale, AZ; Elizabeth Hamel, Monroeville, PA; Susan Hamilton, Boulder, CO; Bill Harris, Healdsburg, CA; John Haseman, Grand Junction, CO; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Carl Herzog, Charlotte, VT; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Doranne Jacobson, Springfield, IL; Leslie Jamison, Wilmington, DE; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; Jason Kornmueller, Lake Forest, CA; Alan Lichtenstein, Commack, NY; Allan Little, Atlanta, GA; Steve Lopes, Lawrence, KS; Kenneth J. Mayer, Sidney, NE; Mike McClintock, San Diego, CA; Tom Ohara, San Luis Obispo, CA; Margaret A. Sova, Phoenix, AZ; Dave Peck, Oakland, CA; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Brian Robbins, Canyon Lake, CA; Wallace Schroeder, Sarasota, FL; James Sibley, Spring, TX; George Sonnichsen, The Villages, FL; Gary Spinks, DeWitt, MI; Jamie Stamey & Ben Hinson, Sherrills Ford, NC; Phyllis & David Stolls, Riverside, CA; Jonathan van Bilsen, Port Perry, ON, Canada; Alice Van De Wetering, Calverton, NY; Kathy Whitmer, Bellingham, WA; Scott Wild, Bellingham, WA.
Colossus of Barletta (Barletta, Puglia, Italy)

December 1969 Issue

Colossus of Barletta (Barletta, Puglia, Italy)


Known as the Colossus of Barletta, the bronze Byzantine statue seen in our December mystery photo is about 16-1/2; feet tall and stands near the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre of Barletta in the town of Barletta, located in the Puglia region of Italy, in the "heel."

According to local mythology, the statue washed ashore after a Venetian ship sank while returning from the Fourth Crusade (1202-1204), in which case the statue's original home was most likely Constantinople (now known as Istanbul, Turkey).

The identity of the towering figure has never been conclusively determined beyond the fact that the statue depicts a Roman emperor, with possible candidates having ruled from the mid-4th century to the 6th century AD.

Eleven correct answers were submitted naming the location in the picture, and LIONEL CARVALHO of Los Angeles, California, won the drawing. We thank Linda Beuret of Santa Barbara, California, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by: Cathy Briner, Eugene, OR; John Buhr, Newtown, PA; WINNER: Lionel Carvalho, Los Angeles, CA; Maria Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; Jason Kornmueller, Lake Forest, CA; Donna Peterson, Patch Grove, WI; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Marcia Ritter, St. Louis, MO.
Kronborg Castle (Helsingør, Denmark)

December 1969 Issue

Kronborg Castle (Helsingør, Denmark)


The history behind the building in our November mystery photo — located in Helsingør, Denmark — began in the 1420s, when Denmark's King Eric VII chose that spot to build a stronghold known as Krogen ("The Hook"). Over a century later, in 1574, King Frederick II transformed it into a Renaissance castle that was eventually named Kronborg Castle. Following a fire in 1629, the castle was reconstructed in the same style.

On the northeastern tip of the island of Zealand and strategically located at the head of Øresund Sound (where it can control one of the Baltic Sea's few outlets), the castle's true claim to fame was its role as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's play “Hamlet.”

Twelve correct answers were submitted naming the location in the picture, and RAYMOND PRINCE of Maple Valley, Washington, won the drawing. We thank Skip Carpenter of Coronado, California, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Maria Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; Mette Djokovich, South Jordan, UT; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; George C. Kingston, East Longmeadow, MA; William O'Connell, Mission Viejo, CA; Larry Parnes, San Antonio, TX; WINNER: Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Pamela Ross, Louisville, KY; Jan Smith, Lincoln, NE; Marilyn Willats, Berkeley, CA.
Arctic Cathedral (Tromsø, Norway)

December 1969 Issue

Arctic Cathedral (Tromsø, Norway)


Located in northern Norway, over 215 miles north of the Arctic Circle in the city of Tromsø, is a landmark known as the Arctic Cathedral, also called Tromsdalen Church. Completed and consecrated in 1965, the church — shown in our October mystery photo — was built with cast-in-place aluminum-coated concrete panels that were based on a design by architect Jan Inge Hovig.

Rosemary McDaniel of Trenton, Florida, who submitted the photo to ITN, shared, “The interior of the church could be considered plain, except for the magnificent stained-glass window at the east end and the huge silver metal organ taking up most of the west end window.” The window was added in 1972, and the organ was added in 2005.

Fifty-two correct answers were submitted naming the location in the picture, and ROSALIE TABOR of Carlsbad, California, won the drawing.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Lisa Anway, Pebble Beach, CA; Steven Beningo, Derwood, MD; Sally Bingley, Richmond, VA; Maria Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; Don Eager, San Jose, CA; Laurel Glassman, Chevy Chase, MD; Peter Gold, Buffalo, NY; Mary Lynn Green, Cumming, GA; D. Sue Hardy, Manchester, CT; John Haseman, Grand Junction, CO; Sidney Haugen, San Carlos, CA; John & Sandy Hicks, Tehachapi, CA; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Susan Jacobi, Pipersville, PA; Scott Jones, Larchmont, NY; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; George C. Kingston, East Longmeadow, MA; Mary Lao, San Francisco, CA; John & Shirley Lester, Tempe, AZ; Sylvia Levi, Sherman Oaks, CA; Margo Linn, Arlington, VA; Phil Lutzi, St. Pete Beach, FL; Betsy Mahoney, Hulett, WY; James McGee, Sun City, CA; Bennetta McLaughlin, Dallas, TX; Hildy Mignone, San Diego, CA; Steve Milbeck, Dearborn, MI; Robert Morton, St. Louis, MO; Margaret Norman, Gurnee, IL; Arne Pedersen, Little Silver, NJ; Carol Peim, Hendersonville, NC; Edward Pinsky, Montrose, NY; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Betty Pugh-Zaleski, Surprise, AZ; Donna Pyle, Boulder, CO; David Quinones, Sacramento, CA; Hugo Riffel, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA; Dennis Rompasky, Kula, HI; Pamela Ross, Louisville, KY; Gary Salk, Powell, TN; Arlene Schreder, Fullerton, CA; Jennifer Schultz, Northbrook, IL; Dennis Sherwood, Gig Harbor, WA; Sherry Sturges, Williamstown, NJ; Arlene Swinford, Sequim, WA; WINNER: Rosalie Tabor, Carlsbad, CA; Teresa Thorpe, McKinney, TX; Claire Troop, Wernersville, PA; Mary Turney, Fair Play, SC; Norma Williams, Fresno, CA; Sandra R. Yon, Virginia Beach, VA; John Zimmerman, Benson, AZ.
"La Pleureuse" ["The Mourner"] (Hakone Open-Air Museum, Japan)

December 1969 Issue

"La Pleureuse" ["The Mourner"] (Hakone Open-Air Museum, Japan)


One of the most unusual sculptures in the world lies in central Japan's Hakone Open-Air Museum, an outdoor sculpture park that "plays with nature." The museum is in the eastern part of the town of Hakone, which is about 60 miles south of Tokyo on the country's main island, Honshu.

"La Pleureuse" ("The Mourner") is the name of the artwork, pictured in our September mystery photo. Created by husband-and-wife team François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne in 1986, the head was carved from a huge piece of Italian Trani limestone and placed in a pond that is perpetually filled with water ... keeping alive the sculpture's "hair" of bright green leaves. Both artists were well known for combining flora and fauna in unique ways.

Fourteen correct answers were submitted naming the location in the picture, and KARYN KANDELL of Kyoto, Japan, won the drawing. We thank Daissy Prada Owen of Iowa City, Iowa, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Tom Bulloch, Woodland Park, CO; Maria Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; William Fitzgerald, Torrance, CA; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Scott Kammer, Centerville, MN; WINNER: Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; Carol Peim, Hendersonville, NC; Beth Powell, Eureka, CA; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Pamela Ross, Louisville, KY; Walter & Jeanne Schwartz, San Mateo, CA; Gary Spinks, DeWitt, MI; Cheryl Sullivan, Skiatook, OK; Ann White, Concord, CA.
La Statue de Sainte-Genevieve (Paris, France)

December 1969 Issue

La Statue de Sainte-Genevieve (Paris, France)


The story behind the statue in our August mystery photo begins with a woman named Geneviève. She was born in Nanterre, France, circa 423 and later moved to Paris. She was a young woman when Parisians feared an invasion by Attila the Hun. Genevieve refused to flee and urged others to remain in the city and pray. When Attila bypassed Paris, people believed a miracle had occurred. Geneviève was later declared the patroness saint of Paris.

In 1928, the 18-foot-tall La Statue de Sainte-Geneviève (atop a 46-foot-tall base) was built on the Pont de la Tournelle bridge, spanning the Seine in Paris. Sculptor Paul Landowski had wanted the statue to face west toward Notre Dame, but city officials preferred that it face the opposite direction, toward the enemy troops that never arrived.

Seventeen correct answers were submitted naming the location in the picture, and WILLIS FRICK of San Clemente, California, won the drawing. We thank Gordon Kitchens of Atlanta, Georgia, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Peter Beuret, Santa Barbara, CA; Cathy Briner, Eugene, OR; Mary Carlson, Mission Viejo, CA; Maria Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; WINNER: Willis Frick, San Clemente, CA; Sylvie Gould, Cumming, GA; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; Robin Parker, Little Rock, AR; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Paula Prindle, Orient, OH; Lenny Lianne Resch, Peoria, AZ; Jean Schroeder, Redding, CT; Jennifer Schultz, Northbrook, IL; Jonathan van Bilsen, Port Perry, ON, Canada; Catherine Vernon, Osprey, FL.
Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción

December 1969 Issue

Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción


Located in Cuenca, Ecuador, the Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción (seen in our July mystery photo) is also known as Catedral Nueva (New Cathedral). It was constructed over 90 years, from 1885 to 1975, and it replaced the smaller Old Cathedral, located nearby.

Due to a calculation error by the architect, German-born friar Johannes Bautista Stiehle, the bell towers had to be shortened because their foundations couldn't support the intended height of the towers. Topping the cathedral are three large domes covered by blue and white glazed tile imported from Czechoslovakia. The cathedral's floor is made of pink marble from Carrara, Italy.

Thirteen correct answers were submitted naming the location in the picture, and CATHY BRINER of Eugene, Oregon, won the drawing. We thank Stephen Addison of Charlotte, North Carolina, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

WINNER:  Cathy Briner, Eugene, OR; Ann Cabot, Austin, TX; Maria Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; Margaret Norman, Gurnee, IL; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Robyn Rishe, Monterey Park, CA; Pamela Ross, Louisville, KY; Helga Smith, New York,NY; Jill Sullivan, Waynesboro, VA; Jonathan van Bilsen, Port Perry, ON, Canada.
Conakry Grand Mosque (Conakry, Guinea)

December 1969 Issue

Conakry Grand Mosque (Conakry, Guinea)


The mystery photo in our June issue showed the interior of a mosque in Conakry, Guinea, that was completed in 1982. The Grande Mosquée de Conakry, or the Conakry Grand Mosque, was built during the administration of Guinea's first president, Ahmed Sékou Touré, with funding from King Fahd of Saudi Arabia.

The mosque has room for 10,000 men on the lower level and 2,500 women on the upper level. There is also space for an additional 12,500 worshipers in the mosque's large esplanade.

This time, only ONE correct answer was submitted naming the location in the picture. The prize goes to CYNTHIA ANCHONDO of Moreno Valley, California. We thank Hugh Randall of Jacksonville, Florida, for submitting the photo.
Palacio de Valle (Cienfuegos, Cuba)

December 1969 Issue

Palacio de Valle (Cienfuegos, Cuba)


Built by Italian architect Alfredo Colli during the years 1913-17, the Palacio de Valle in the harbor of Cienfuegos, Cuba (pictured in our May mystery photo), is a blend of three types of architecture: Gothic, Venetian and neo-Moorish.

Originally intended to be the private home of a local businessman (Celestino Caces), the palace was sold to a wealthy Spaniard before construction was complete.

Decades later, Fulgencio Batista (Cubas president in 1940-44 and dictator in 1952-59) had planned to convert the colorful, eclectic palace into a casino until Fidel Castro came to power in the 1959 revolution. The palace is now a restaurant with a rooftop bar.

Twenty-four correct answers were submitted naming the location in the picture, and FRED STEINBERG of New York, New York, won the drawing. We thank Nick and Michaele Stooke of OFallon, Illinois, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Cynthia Anchondo, Moreno Valley, CA; Ginny Gunter Arndt, Solomons, MD; Cathy Briner, Eugene, OR; Maria Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; Linda Elzer, Wading River, NY; Heidi Foggatt, Phoenix, AZ; Willis Frick, San Clemente, CA; Laurel Glassman, Chevy Chase, MD; Susan Hamilton, Boulder, CO; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Jane Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; David Jack, Modesto, CA; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; Gert Kipnis, Tucker, GA; Sarah Kirtland, New York, NY; Sylvia Levi, Sherman Oaks, CA; Margaret Norman, Gurnee, IL; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; Vicki Reed, San Diego, CA; Sandy Robson, Brunswick, OH; Pamela Ross, Louisville, KY; Leslie Russum, Broomfield, CO; WINNER: Fred Steinberg, New York, NY; Mary Turney, Fair Play, SC.
Qutb Minar (Delhi, India)

December 1969 Issue

Qutb Minar (Delhi, India)


Eighteen miles southeast of Delhi, India, stands the Qutb Minar, a structure dating back to the early 13th century and an unforgettable sight for anyone visiting the area. The 240-foot-tall minaret, measuring 49 feet in diameter at the base and 8 feet across at the top, was built in celebration of the Muslims' conquest over Delhi's Hindu rule in the late 12th century.

Its construction began in 1193 under the authority of Qutab-ud-din Aibak, the city's first Muslim ruler. Red standstone was used to create the first three stories of the 5-story tower, and the top two stories were made of marble and sandstone. The top story, however, wasn't completed until 1385.

One hundred-one (!) correct answers were submitted naming the location in the picture, and LINDA CRAIN of Signal Hill, California, won the drawing. We thank Stephen Addison of Charlotte, North Carolina, for submitting the photo.

Correct answers were submitted by:

Dr. Adi Adens, Walnut Creek, CA; Emanuela Allgood, Fremont, CA; Lisa Anway, Pebble Beach, CA; Deepak Awasthi, Destrehan, LA; Erna Bailey, Reno, NV; Shelly L. Bednar, Temecula, CA; Rosalba Benitez, Las Vegas, NV; Bobbi Benson, Burlingame, CA; Anna Berg, Deerfield, IL; Sejal Bhatt, Fort Mill, SC; Cathy Briner, Eugene, OR; Georgia Briscoe, Lafayette, CO; Rick Bush, Helena, MT; Emerald Causey, Marietta, GA; Michael Anthony Chrusciel, Riverview, MI; Robert Coffman, Green Cove Springs, FL; WINNER: Linda Crain, Signal Hill, CA; Maria Cueto, Weehawken, NJ; Sue Cutler, Fort Lauderdale, FL; Joel & Elaine Daniels, Canby, OR; Fay Denzler, Encino, CA; John C. Deppman, Fort Myers, FL; James Downs, Lafayette, CO; Debra Minar Driscoll, Dallas, OR; Beverly Epstein, New York, NY; Lois Fate, Puyallup, WA; Heidi Foggatt, Phoenix, AZ; Willis Frick, San Clemente, CA; Russell Gluck, Franklin Lakes, NJ; Brooks Goddard, Needham, MA; Sylvie Gould, Cumming, GA; Susan Greek, Corona, CA; Laura Hall, San Diego, CA; Jan Harvey, San Antonio, TX; Signe Haugen, San Carlos, CA; Bob Havlen, Albuquerque, NM; Sally Heath, Santa Rosa, CA; Samuel Leon Hochman, Fort Lauderdale, FL; Jane & Clyde Holt, Hinesburg, VT; Gordon Hostetler, Elkhart, IN; Kembell Huyke, Flushing, NY; Doranne Jacobson, Springfield, IL; Steve Jones, Fiddletown, CA; Karyn Kandell, Kyoto, Japan; Janice Kolbaska, Mt. Prospect, IL; Madalyn Kolton, Roseville, MI; Robert Kowalczyk, North Dartmouth, MA; Ken Lammers, Cleveland, OH; Julie Leanna, Little Suamico, WI; Tony Lee, San Francisco, CA; Vincent Liggio, Norwalk, CT; W. Wayne Lindsey, Las Vegas, NV; Sandra Loebs, Murrells Inlet, SC; Laura Lorman, Sunnyvale, CA; Melissa Anne Lum, Fort Worth, TX; Janet McGary, Medford, OR; Bennetta McLaughlin, Dallas, TX; Barbara Morgan, Shelbyville, TN; Frank Morris, Mt. Vernon, WA; Asish Mukherjee, Maumee, OH; Tony Nies, Corte Madera, CA; Margaret Norman, Gurnee, IL; Mike & Connie O'Dwyer, Millbrae, CA; Tom O'Hara, San Luis Obispo, CA; Dr. & Mrs. Francis Pease, Leawood, KS; Steve Piccolo, Seattle, WA; Edward Pinsky, Montrose, NY; Beth Podol, El Paso, TX; Betty Podol, Reston, VA; Raymond Prince, Maple Valley, WA; William Raffel, Rockville, MD; Jim Randall, Sequim, WA; Carolyn Rawles, Corvallis, OR; Preston Reeves, Seguin, TX; Marcia Reynolds, Orange, CA; Marcia Ritter, Kirkwood, MO; Henry D. Rogers, Jacksonville, FL; Turner Rogers, Mobile, AL; Pamela Ross, Louisville, KY; Irwin Schatzman, Scottsdale, AZ; Jimmy Schottel, Basehor, KS; Jennifer Schultz, Northbrook, IL; Richard Sherrick, Greensboro, NC; James Sibley, Spring, TX; Sheila Siener, Exeter, NH; Rick Sinding, Princeton, NJ; Janet Smith, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI; Ben Hinson & Jamie Stamey, Sherrills Ford, NC; Larry Szymczak, Chicago, IL; Leo Tallieu, Northville, MI; Nancy Toledo, Rio Vista, CA; Charles Twine, Durham, NC; Faz Ulla, San Jose, CA; Jonathan van Bilsen, Port Perry, ON, Canada; Robert Vancreveld, Portland, OR; Karen Wagner, Monarch Beach, CA; Brian Weaver, Burlington, KY; Eve Wertsch, San Francisco, CA; Richard A. Wood, Lancaster, CA; Nellie Ziegler, Tucson, AZ; Valerie Zorich, Napa, CA.