Saturday, May 19, 2012

THE FAMOUS WALLS...


Typical wall of floor layout plan...

Wall... Is a barrier to seperate between two spaces...
Usually made of from concrete or in the earlier times normally constructed by woods...
The wall is essential in every houses because without it our home looks like open space...
We certainly do not want when we bathe, changing clothes or sleeping to be seen by everyone...
That is why wall was built so that we can get our own private space...

but what if the wall was built only because the political conflict or to prevent someone
from entering our domain permanently?...

To understand even further, let us visit some of the renowned places that enforcing the wall
as a barricade to seperate between two humanity and still survived till today, or in history of our lives...
(Much info and pictures from other E-sources)


Wall of Conqueror... Great Wall of China

Traditionally known to the Chinese as the "Long Wall of Ten Thousand Li", the stretch of formidable defensive structures built to ward off invasion of the Celestial Empire by barbarians is most often called the "Great Wall" or the "Wall of China" by Europeans.

The history of these extraordinary fortifications goes back to the Chunqiu period (722-481 B.C.) and to the Warring States period (453-221 B.C.), so-called because of the long struggle among seven rival dynasties for supreme power. The construction of certain walls can be explained by these feudal conflicts, such as the one built by the Wei in 408 B.C. to defend their kingdom against the Qin. Its vestiges, conserved in the center of China, precede by many years the walls that the Kingdoms of Qin, Zhao and Yan erected against the northern barbarians around 300 B.C.

other...
Western Sahara wall, Morocco/Western Sahara
Walls of Constantinople, Istanbul, Turkey
Hadrian’s Wall, England


Wall of Freedom... The Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall was a massive cement wall built after World War II (August 1961) between West andEast Europe. Bolchevique ideology inEast GermanyandEuropelead to unhappiness, and this triggered a mass displacement of people to the west side. Soviets built it and equipped it with weapons and wire fences, and killed anyone who attempted to cross it. This spread families and friends apart. The tense situation lasted long, and finally in November 1989, the wall, and its entire symbolic halo, was taken down.

A Wall of 155 kilometres with metal fences, watch towers and bunkers divided Berlin and Germany into two parts. A lot of people lost their lives along the wall, most of them citizens of East Berlin who wanted to start a new and better life in West Berlin without Stasi control and the influence of political authority by the Soviet Union as the GDR’s “big brother”. “You are leaving the American sector”: as a constant reminder of this history this sign still stands at the legendary Checkpoint Charlie, which was the most famous border crossing point from east to west.

Other...
North and South Korean Wall...


Wall of prayer... Western Wall, Jerusalem, Israel

Also known as the Wailing Wall, much of this construction is hidden behind and below other buildings built along its length. However, there is a 57m exposed section which is an extremely important landmark, and has become a place of pilgrimage for Jews. Its importance lies in the fact that the Western Wall is the only remnant of the Holy Temple, and it’s the closest accessible site to the most sacred spot in Judaism.

This is the wall which our prophet Muhammad(S.A.W) tied his horse before riding up the 'Buraq'
toward the 7 skies observed the paradise by Allah's(S.W.T) permission...


Wall of Separation... Wall of  Israeli West Bank barrier, West Bank

Currently the most controversial wall in the world, the Israeli West Bank barrier is a network of fences, trenches and concrete walls up to 8m high currently being constructed by the Israeli government to separate the Israeli and Palestinian populations in the West Bank. The barrier is an ongoing source of dispute and unrest between the two peoples.

The Israeli West Bank barrier is a separation barrier (see "Names of the barrier") being constructed by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank. Upon completion, the barrier’s total length will be approximately 760 kilometres (470 mi) (twice the length of the 1949 Armistice Line (Green Line) between the West Bank and Israel). The barrier is a fence with vehicle-barrier trenches surrounded by an on average 60 metres (200 ft) wide exclusion area (90% of its length), and an 8 metres (26 ft) tall concrete wall (10% of its length). The barrier is built mainly in the West Bank and partly along the 1949 Armistice line, or "Green Line" between Israel and Palestinian West Bank. 12% of the West Bank area is on the Israel side of the barrier.
Supporters argue that the barrier is necessary to protect Israeli civilians from Palestinian terrorism, including the suicide bombing attacks that increased significantly during the Second Intifada. There has been a reduced number of incidents of suicide bombings since the construction of the barrier. According to statistics published by the Israeli government, between 2000 and July 2003, when the "first continuous segment" of the barrier was built, 73 Palestinian suicide bombings were carried out from the West Bank, killing 293 Israelis and injuring over 1,900. However, from August 2003 and the end of 2006, only 12 attacks were carried out, killing 64 Israelis and wounding 445. Supporters argue that this is indicative of the barrier being effective in preventing such attacks.
Opponents of the barrier object that the route substantially deviates from the Green Line into the occupied territories captured by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967. They argue that the barrier is an illegal attempt to annex Palestinian land under the guise of security, violates international law, has the effect of undermining negotiations (by establishing new borders), and severely restricts Palestinians who live nearby, particularly their ability to travel freely within the West Bank and to access work in Israel. In a 2004 advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice considered that "Israel cannot rely on a right of self-defence or on a state of necessity in order to preclude the wrongfulness of the construction of the wall". The Court found that "the construction of the wall, and its associated régime, are contrary to international law".
Some Jewish settlers condemn the barrier for appearing to renounce the Jewish claim to the whole of the Land of Israel.
Two similar barriers, the Israeli Gaza Strip barrier and the Israeli-built 7-9 meter (23 – 30 ft) wall separating Gaza from Egypt (temporarily breached on January 23, 2008), which is currently under Egyptian control, are also controversial.
Following Israel's success to suppress terrorist attacks inside Israel, and following the agreement (July through November 2007) between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in which more than 200 Palestinian militants wanted by Israel laid their arms and joined the PNA forces, the actual construction of the barrier has almost ceased.
(From Wiki.)


Wall of fort... A Famosa. Malacca

The evidence of this rich history is in Malacca’s architecture, some of which still stands today like the A Famosa and St. John’s Fort. The latter had cannons built to face inland rather than at sea, due to the many threats faced in the state’s interior.
The remains of St Paul’s Church, or formerly know as Our Lady of The Hill now sits as part of the Malacca Museums Complex.
The impressive red buildings in the centre of Malacca, called Stadthuys was built by the Dutch and used as an administrative centre. Today it houses a Museum of History and Ethnography, displaying artefacts throughout Malaccan history.

A Famosa, or "The Famous" in Portuguese, is among the oldest surviving European architectural remains in Asia. Once part of a mighty fortress, this tiny gate (called the Porta de Santiago) is all that is left of a once-mighty fortress. 

In 1511, a Portuguese fleet arrived under the command of Alfonso de Albequerque. His forces attacked and successfully defeated the armies of the Sultanate. Moving quickly to consolidate his gains, Albequerque had the fortress built around a natural hill near the sea. The fort changed hands in 1641 when the Dutch successfully drove the Portuguese out of Melaka. The Dutch renovated the gate in 1670, which explains the logo "ANNO 1670" inscribed on the gate's arch. Then the fortress changed hands again in the early 19th century when the Dutch handed it over to the British to prevent it from falling into the hands of Napoleon's expansionist France.

The fort was almost totally demolished except for the timely intervention of Sir Stanford Raffles, the founder of Singapore, who happened to visit Melaka in 1810. Because of his passion for history this small gate was spared destruction.


Wall of justices... Puduraya prison wall

Pudu Prison also called Pudu Jail was build by the British in 1895 as a prison in Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur area. As such, it was used to house criminals including drug offenders and was a location for administering corporal punishment through rotan caning.

The colonial era prison was was officially closed in November 1996. The old Pudu Prison has been identified as one of the major sites for mega development. The land on which the prison structure stands has been earmarked for mixed development with 70% of the land will be used for a commercial hub and 30% for residential development. The old prison mosque will be maintained. The Hang Tuah monorail station will also be integrated with the proposed development site to create easy accessibility for the public.

The construction of the prison began in 1891 and was completed in 1895. The prison served its purpose for a century until it was finally shut down in November 1st 1996. The Pudu Prison is open to the public. There's a little museum and you can catch a glimpse of what it was like living behind bars.
After the fall of Singapore, during World war II, the Japanese occupation forces incarcerated many English, Australian and New Zealand prisoners there.

The prison was closed for several years following the 1986 execution of Kevin Barlow and Brian Chambers, both Australian nationals, for the drug trafficking of heroin. It was reopened in early 2004 for a short time as a museum.

The cells were horrific, each equipped with a window only the size of a shoebox. Ironically, the prison also features murals painted on the walls circling the compound, depicting scenes of nature. These murals were painted by the prisoners who used over 2,000 litres of paint to accomplish the task. There are very few sentient beings depicted in the murals, though.

It is no longer used as a prison and while it was once open as a museum, it is currently a police station and can be viewed only from the outside. (A clear view is obtained from the monorail train between Imbi and Hang Tuah stations.) Currently, it serves as a day-holding facility for prisoners attending court hearings. It is proposed to build a low security prison on the site for drug abusers in the future.

There are rumours that Pudu Prison is haunted. There have been reports of a strange Indian man walking the halls of the prison and disappearing around the corner. Screams have been heard from rooms where hangings have taken place, and there are certain areas of the prison that are far colder than others. Russell Lee, the author of the book series True Singapore Ghost Stories included a story of a prisoner in Pudu Prison in one of his books. The prisoner reported hearing screaming from the rotan caning area, and he also heard the story that one prisoner committed suicide in order to avoid being caned. Supposedly his ghost stops the last stroke of the cane being given, and the prisoner personally reported this experience happening to him. According to several websites, the reason that Pudu Prison is being turned back into a prison for low-security prisoners is because no-one would buy it as for commercial property because of the hauntings.


Wall of today...


Today is not much different... Looking at the wall or fences in numerous residency area
we should notice most of the houses built up a wall  fence as high as the rooftop...

We are building a fort that confine our family from the outside world... Yes it's strictly for safety reasons
but what will it become in social relations, neighborhood spirit or mutual solidarity among us all?

For what purpose or intentionally could we gain or benefit from reasonable doubt toward community life.
Maybe this is a new way of life or a trend culture to be quiet,independent and living in isolation...

Do you want to be left alone? Do you want to be housebound?
Do you has the right to be anti-social?... That's your choice...

But remember this... Life's more than ordinary...
Society is worth more than what we sought after...


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