News Trending

Borsen fire: Denmark endures its own Notre Dame devastation

By 84 0

The devastating fire at Copenhagen’s historic former stock exchange, Borsen, sparked immediate comparisons to the Notre-Dame cathedral fire in 2019. Brian Mikkelsen, head of the Danish Chamber of Commerce, pledged to rebuild the 400-year-old structure despite the significant damage. He, along with colleagues and emergency workers, bravely rescued centuries-old artworks from the flames, demonstrating remarkable teamwork and determination.

Danes mourned the loss of the iconic dragon spire, a beloved feature of Copenhagen’s skyline. Residents expressed deep sadness and shared memories of the historic building, emphasizing its significance to the city’s identity and culture. Copenhagen’s Mayor, Sophie Haestorp Andersen, echoed these sentiments, calling the fire a loss of the city’s soul and history.

Efforts to rebuild Borsen are underway, with plans to learn from the restoration of Notre-Dame. Danish officials intend to incorporate modern techniques, such as 3D modeling and AI, to recreate the building’s original materials. Despite the challenges ahead, there is widespread support for reconstruction, with donations pouring in from both public and private sectors.

The restoration process is expected to be extensive and costly, with estimates exceeding 1 billion kroner. However, the determination to restore Borsen to its former glory remains strong, fueled by the outpouring of support from the Danish community.

Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright

News Trending

Copenhagen vows to rebuild fire-hit stock exchange

By 82 0

Copenhagen’s historic former stock exchange, which suffered severe damage in a recent fire, is set to undergo restoration efforts to preserve its significance as one of the city’s renowned landmarks. Officials, including the mayor and district mayors, emphasized the importance of rebuilding the 400-year-old building, stressing its integral role in Copenhagen’s history and identity.

Despite the extensive damage caused by the blaze, plans for restoration are underway, with the Danish chamber of commerce director affirming a commitment to reconstructing the structure. The chamber, which currently occupies the building, expressed dismay at the devastation witnessed during the fire.

Efforts to assess the extent of the damage are ongoing, with emergency services working to stabilize the remaining structure. The fire, which started beneath the building’s copper roof during the early hours of Tuesday morning, posed significant challenges to firefighters due to the ongoing renovation work and the building’s architectural features.

Leaders at both the national and local levels expressed sorrow over the loss of such a historic site, acknowledging the building’s cultural and architectural significance. The fire not only threatened the physical structure but also endangered valuable artwork and artifacts housed within. However, there were heartening scenes of collaboration as individuals, including emergency service personnel and bystanders, worked together to salvage precious items from the building.

While the fire caused significant damage to Copenhagen’s former stock exchange, efforts are underway to restore this iconic landmark to its former glory, reflecting the collective determination to preserve the city’s rich cultural heritage.

Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright

News Trending

Fire destroys almost entire Abkhazia art collection of 4,000 works

By 126 0

A devastating fire has ravaged the majority of Abkhazia’s art collection in the National Art Gallery in Sukhumi, the capital of the breakaway region controlled by Russia. The blaze, which destroyed over 4,000 paintings, is suspected to have originated from an electrical short circuit in the early 20th-century wooden building that housed the valuable collection. Among the lost artworks were 300 pieces by the renowned artist and stage designer Alexander Chachba-Shervashidze. The gallery’s director, Suram Sakanya, lamented the irreparable loss, emphasizing that the collection had withstood Abkhazia’s civil war with Georgia in the 1990s.

Local artists had long advocated for a more suitable storage location, and a video before the fire revealed cramped rooms with insufficient protection for the paintings. Abkhazia, receiving support from Moscow, is situated in the north-western corner of Georgia and shares a border with Russia. Despite the region’s declaration of independence in 1999 after a war of secession with Georgia, it lacks widespread international recognition. Following the Georgian-Russian war in 2008, Moscow recognized Abkhazia as an independent state, while Georgia contends that Russia occupies the region.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili expressed sorrow over the tragedy, attributing it to the neglect of cultural identity by both the de facto leadership and Russian occupants. Russia has pledged to dispatch specialists to Sukhumi to aid in the restoration of the surviving 150 paintings rescued from the fire.

Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright

News Trending

Palace of Aigai: Greece reopens huge Alexander the Great monument

By 128 0

The Palace of Aigai, a significant monument in classical antiquity where Alexander the Great was crowned king, has reopened after a 16-year restoration near Greece’s northern port city of Thessaloniki. Built over 2,300 years ago by Philip II, Alexander’s father, the palace was later destroyed by the Romans and rediscovered in the 19th Century through excavations.

The extensive €20m restoration, with support from the EU, includes the refurbishment of massive colonnades. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, at the reopening ceremony, emphasized the global importance of the monument, which will be open to the public starting Sunday.

The Palace of Aigai, located near the present-day town of Vergina, served as the capital of the powerful kingdom of Macedonia. Constructed by Philip II, the palace was the largest building in classical Greece, covering 15,000 square meters. It boasted expansive banquet halls, places of worship, and courtyards. In 336BC, Alexander the Great was crowned King of the Macedonians at this site after his father’s assassination. The palace, along with the nearby tombs of Philip and other Macedonian kings, is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, reflecting its historical significance.

Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright

News Trending

Paris Auction Offers Rare Dinosaur ‘Barry’ for Sale

By 524 0

An exceptionally well-preserved 150 million-year-old camptosaurus, affectionately named “Barry” after its discoverer in Wyoming, is slated for auction at Hotel Drouot in Paris on October 20th. This remarkable specimen from the late Jurassic period, standing at 2.1 meters tall and stretching 5 meters long after undergoing two rounds of restoration in 2000 and 2022, is expected to command bids of up to €1.2 million ($1.2 million, £970,000).

Experts note the rarity of encountering such an intact dinosaur skeleton, with Alexandre Giquello of Hotel Drouot highlighting the completeness of Barry, particularly its 90% complete skull and 80% complete rest of the body.

Dinosaur fossil sales remain infrequent, with only a small number occurring globally each year. Nevertheless, concerns have been raised by experts about valuable specimens potentially ending up in private collections. This concern was brought to attention in April when a Tyrannosaurus rex was auctioned in Europe for the first time, prompting worries that such scientifically valuable relics could vanish into the private holdings of collectors.

Picture Courtesy: Google/images are subject to copyright