Very often, buildings have been made on natural sites that were already thought of as sacred. For example, a spring of water coming from the ground might be said to have healing powers. A special well-house might be built around the spring to protect it, and as a place where people might leave offerings (gifts to a god).
Other sites are thought of as sacred because a holy person or saint lived there, or died there, or their body is kept there. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is one of the most sacred sites to Christianity because it is believed that Jesus' body was placed in a tomb there. The city of Mecca is sacred to all Muslim people as the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad.
Many people make a special visit to a sacred site. This is called a pilgrimage. A person who travels on pilgrimage is called a "pilgrim". Pilgrimage is very important in Islam, because every Muslim person is expected to make a pilgrimage to the city of Mecca once in their lifetime, if they can possibly do so.
Many Christians also make pilgrimages to sacred sites. Pilgrimage became very important in the Middle Ages when thousands of people travelled to many sacred sites, particularly to Jerusalem, to the famous Christian basilicas of Rome, to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain and Canterbury Cathedral in England. In modern times, sacred sites of Christian pilgrimage include Assisi in Italy, Lourdes in France, Fatima in Portugal and the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
In Buddhism, the sacred sites are four places in India where Buddha lived and preached. These are Kapilavastu, Bodh Gaya, Benares and Kusinagara.
Basil II
Basil II (958 – December 15, 1025), was a Byzantine emperor from the Macedonian dynasty from January 10, 976 to December 15, 1025. Under his reign, the Byzantine Empire reached its greatest height since Justinian the Great. Under his reign, the First Bulgarian Empire was completely taken by him, a land that would be part of his empire for 150 years. Because of this, the northern part of the Roman Empire touched the Danube river for the first time in several hundred years. He also took land towards the east.
Battle of Manzikert
The Battle of Manzikert, or Malazgirt (Turkish: "Malazgirt Sav" was fought between the Byzantine Empire and then Seljuq Empire. The Seljuq forces attacked on August 26, 1071 near Manzikert, (modern Malazgirt, Turkey). Its result was one of the most decisive defeats of the Byzantine Empire and the capture of the Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes. The Battle of Manzikert played an important role in breaking the Byzantine resistance and preparing the way for the Turkish settlement in Anatolia.
Mark Lawrenson
Mark Thomas Lawrenson (born 2 June 1957, in Preston, Lancashire) is a former professional football player, a defender in the Liverpool and Irishfootball teams of the 1980s; he has since become a radio, television and internet pundit for the BBC.
Despite being born in England, UK, he played for the Republic of Ireland national football team due to his Irish ancestry.
Red Square
Red Square (, ) is the most famous city square in Moscow, Russia. The square separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel and currently the official residence of the President of Russia, from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitay-gorod (China-Town). As major streets of Moscow radiate from here in all directions, being promoted to major highways outside the city, the Red Square is often considered the central square of Moscow and of all Russia.
Red Square and the Kremlin are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Joseph Stalin's body was preserved near Red Square, in Lenin's mausoleum. It was later moved and reburied deep behind the Kremlin Wall without any ceremony.
Red Square is a popular tourist attraction in Russia.
George I of Great Britain
George I (George Louis) was the ruler of Hanover in North Germany and later also the King of Great Britain and Ireland.
George was born in Osnabrück, Germany, on 28 May 1660. He lived most of his life in the Electorate of Hanover, one of the many German countries that was part of the Holy Roman Empire. This area is today part of Germany. He married his cousin Sophia Dorothea (the daughter of his father's brother George William) in 1682.
On 10 November 1683, their first child and only son, George Augustus, was born. When George Louis was King of Great Britain, George Augustus was the Prince of Wales. When the father died, the son became king, as George II.
On 16 March 1687, their second child and only daughter was born. She was called Sophia Dorothea, after her mother. She later married and became the Queen in Prussia. Because she was married, she did not live in Britain with her father, but in Prussia with her husband.
George and his wife drifted apart, because he preferred his mistress Melusine, with whom he had three daughters, Anna, Melusine and Margaret. Meanwhile, his wife was having an affair with Count Philip Christopher of Königsmarck, who was found dead in a river, rumoured to have been murdered on George's orders.
The marriage was ended in 1694, on the grounds that Sophia Dorothea had effectively abandoned George. Sophia Dorothea's father, George William, and George Louis, had Sophia Dorothea imprisoned in Ahlden Castle in Celle, where she was unable to see her father, former husband, or children.
In 1698, his father died and George became the ruler ("Prince-elector") of Hanover.
When Queen Anne of Great Britain died in 1714, an act of parliament said the next ruler must be a Protestant. George was not the closest relative, but was the closest Protestant one. All the closer relatives were Roman Catholic, so George became King of Great Britain and Ireland on 1 August 1714. He was the first ruler of Great Britain from his family, the House of Hanover.
Many of the British people did not like the new king. It is often said that he could not actually speak English. This may have been true at first, but he sometimes wrote in English later in his reign. George spent less time running the country than previous monarchs and allowed Parliament to have a bigger role. Later on, he left Robert Walpole in charge of running the country. Walpole became the first British prime minister, although the word "prime minister" was not used at the time.
He died while travelling from England to Hanover on 11 June 1727.
Official Opposition (United Kingdom)
Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, or the Official Opposition in the United Kingdom is led by The Leader of the Opposition. This is usually the political party with the second largest number of seats in the House of Commons, as the largest party will usually form the government. Since May, 2010, the Official Opposition has been the Labour Party.
Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)
The Leader of the Opposition (sometimes known as the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons) in the United Kingdom is the politician who leads Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition is normally the leader of the second largest party in the House of Commons.
The current Leader of the Opposition is Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party.
David Davis
David Michael Davis (born 23 December 1948) is an English politician. He is a member of the Conservative Party. In July 2016, Davis became the first Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union under the Theresa May cabinet.
Davis was born in York and raised in south London.
He was the Shadow Home Secretary from 2003 - 2008. He is the Member of Parliament for the Haltemprice and Howden constituency in the United Kingdom. He was first elected in the 1987 general election for the Boothferry constituency.