Inverted Tower of Freemasons: Well of Initiation
The mysterious system of underground tunnels in the Quinta da Regaleira palace and park complex, built at the beginning of the last century in the Portuguese municipality of Sintra, seems to serve as mystical transitions from light to darkness. The central structure is the well of initiation, the entrance to which is guarded by the chthonic guards of the penumbra, representing the world of penumbra.
According to legend, in a mysterious well 27 meters deep, reminiscent of an inverted tower, Freemasons performed initiation rites. The initiation ceremony into the Masonic lodge traditionally ended at the bottom of the pit, where an eight-pointed star is depicted. The spiral staircase surrounding the well with an outlandish railings overgrown with moss symbolizes the circles of heaven or hell, depending on the direction of travel. The exit from the mystical well is possible through a stone door leading to an underground tunnel.
This unusual initiation well is located in the Quinta da Regaleira estate in Sintra, Portugal. Made by human hands, the well got its name because the rites of initiation of the Freemasons were held there.
It is a 27-meter spiral staircase going deep into the mountain, which has 10 levels, which are supported by carved stone columns.
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These levels symbolize 10 circles of hell, 10 circles of purgatory and 10 circles of paradise, which Dante described. There are 15 steps in each flight.
The well itself was built on the unity of opposites, that is: heaven is the underworld, ad-rad, this world and the other world.
When a person descends to the bottom of a well, then he goes through a certain rite of knowing his soul.
The lower a person sinks to the bottom, the darker it gets.
But the compass in the well, painted over the cross of the Knights Templar, always points to the east, which means that a person is walking towards the light.
After wandering a little in the dark, we still go out into the light.
The entrance to the well of initiation is guarded by the guards of the other world.
Opposite the entrance to the well is the “Divine Terrace”, which is protected by two towers “ziggurats” - these are religious buildings resembling truncated pyramids, on the upper tier of which there was a sanctuary.
Thor's Well
At least 6,000 years ago, Native Americans hunted seashells, crabs, sea urchins and clams along the coast near Cape Perpetua. Traces of their life can still be seen in the huge piles of shells scattered along the coast of Cape Perpetua, also called the Well of Thor.
On the Oregon coast there is an area of about 11 square kilometers, which in the 60s began to be refined and equipped with all kinds of amenities for tourists, because not to notice the beauty of this place is simply unrealistic.
For lovers of outdoor activities, Cape Perpetua has about 40 kilometers of hiking trails through dense forests, with many exits to the ocean and coastal pools, carved into the rocks over millions of years.
Thor's well is a natural salt fountain.
During high tides, Thor's Well turns into a veritable geyser, spewing out pillars of salt spray.
Thor's well is also often called the Gate to Hell.
St. Patrick's Well
Well of St. Patrick (. Pozzo di San Patrizio) - a well in the city of Orvieto (Umbria, Italy). The well was built by the engineer-architect Antonio da Sangallo (the younger) between 1527 and 1537 on behalf of Pope Clement VII. The Pope, who was hiding in Orvieto after the Sack of Rome in 1527, feared that the available sources of water, in the event of a prolonged siege, would not be enough.
The construction of the well was completed in 1537. The depth was 53 meters with a base diameter of 13.4 meters. The well was named after St. Patrick, drawing an analogy with the Purgatory cave of St. Patrick in Ireland, where according to legend is the entrance to hell.
For access to the water, two independent passages were built, descending in a spiral along the walls of the well. This solution allowed both empty carts to descend and those filled with water to rise without crossing over on the way. The walkways have 248 steps and are illuminated with natural light through 70 windows.
The inscription on the well reads: “lat. QUOD NATURA MUNIMENTO INVIDERAT INDUSTRIA ADIECIT”(What nature did not give can be created by human hands).
Cairo Nilometer
The Cairo Nilometer is an ancient device for measuring the water level in the Nile, located in Cairo, Egypt.
Nilometers or nilomers were fairly common structures in the Nile Valley. With the help of them, it was possible to measure the water level, the indicators of which were important for agriculture and general safety, they made it possible to predict yields, which in turn determined the size of taxation.
Graduated column and spiral staircases of the Cairo nilometer.
The Cairo Nilometer is located at the southern end of Roda Island. The nilometer existed at this place even in the era of the pharaohs, while the appearance of the present nilometer is attributed to about 715.
Ceiling of the Cairo Nilometer.
The Cairo Nilometer is the only building of public architecture that has survived to our time from the buildings of "Old Cairo" from the times of Fustat's existence.
The Cairo Nilometer is a deep square well with an octagonal column marked with the appropriate divisions for measuring the Nile level. A spiral staircase leads to the bottom of the well. Water entered the nilometer through 3 channels, now they are closed. The nilometer is crowned with an acute-angled dome.
The Cairo Nilometer is currently open to visitors for a fee.
Chand Baori
Chand Baori is a stepped well, a structure of ancient architecture. Its depth is over 30 meters.
Built between the 9th and 11th centuries near a temple in the town of Abaneri, 95 kilometers from Jaipur, Rajasthan, and is one of the deepest stepped wells in India.
The truth about the well: The depth of the well is 22.1 m (13 tiers of 7 steps each. Total - 91 steps. The advertised 3500 steps are from many small ladders along all four walls), the width of the upper part of the well is 16.2 × 19, 3 m, the width of the water surface - 6 × 9 m, the angles of inclination of the edges - 77 ° 0'19 "(76 ° 52'57").
Nowadays, in the Chand Baori well, which is an ancient architectural masterpiece, pilgrims wash only their hands and feet: caretakers keep order and do not allow swimming in dangerous water, which, according to bacteriologists and parasitologists, can “kill a person in 2-3 days . Despite this, quite often in the Indian press there are reports of deaths in this sacred place.
Mostly local children fall into the muddy waters, wishing to refresh themselves during the hot dry season. In addition, isolated cases of the death of tourists in the Chand Baori well were recorded. For this reason, it was decided to fence off the 30-meter tank. Naturally, no fences will stop a person who decides to walk the 3,500 steps and get to the niches where the sculptures of the deities Ganesha and Durga are located.
Well of goddess Bhairabi
The bottomless well of the goddess Bhairabi is a sacred and legendary place located in the north of India.
On the territory of India, one of the largest countries in the world, with a rich cultural and religious heritage, there is an amazing place endowed with mystical properties - the Well of the Goddess Bhairabi.
This legendary place is located in the northern part of the state and is considered sacred. Based on the materials given in the book "The Chariot of Janatamha" by N. F. Rukavishnikov, an unusual structure resembles a well, the depth of which has not been established and it is located in the highlands of India. The construction is called the Well of the Goddess Bhairabi. This place is shrouded in many mysterious stories of fear, in which, the truth is tightly intertwined with fiction and it is impossible to separate them from each other.
Local residents believe that a goddess lives at the bottom of the well, who prefers isolation and solitude, therefore, you should not bother her in any way, since she does not like this, and the disobedient may be overtaken by punishment. One cannot approach the well of the goddess Bhairabi, much less come close. A person who disobeys, attracts curses to himself and risks never leaving this mystical place again.
Once, a group of several daredevils, nevertheless disobeying the warnings of the indigenous population that the goddess would not let anyone in, descended into a mysterious well. After that, no one from those descending was seen anymore, and most likely, for some reason, they did not go up.
The height of the main peak of the Kanchenjunga mountain complex is 8586 m above sea level.
There was also another incident much later. Driving near the Well of the Goddess Bhairabi, one high-ranking official, having heard from the accompanying guide the legend about the mystical well and the brave souls missing in it, asked to show him this place. Since the escort had no choice, the well was shown, and the official, looking around its surroundings, came close to it, said that everything said was complete nonsense and, standing in front of the edge of the well, urinated down. Carelessly going down to the car and laughing at the superstition of the dense inhabitants of this region, the official suddenly lost consciousness, and two days later he died in the hospital without regaining consciousness.
Surprisingly, animals do not approach the well of the goddess Bhairabi and birds do not fly over it. All living creatures, for some unknown reason, do not approach the well. Once, a sick mad elephant was seen next to a mysterious well, after which he no longer caught sight and did not bother anyone.
It is worth noting that a distinctive feature of the Well of the Goddess Bhairabi is a fog at the very bottom that is unusual for such a structure, the appearance of which cannot be explained from the point of view of physics. This distinctive feature makes the well even more mysterious and enigmatic, since a strange inexplicable fog appears, as a rule, in “dead” or “damned” places. People falling into such a fog, sometimes, returned after hours or days, and often, they completely disappear without a trace, and perhaps they are lost in time. The nature of such phenomena defies study and remains a mystery.
The mysterious well of St. Madrona
There is a saying in Somerset - "Flowing water is sacred." Well of St. Madrona in Cornwall is a relict and mysterious well.
It is very difficult to get to the well, the path leads through the moorland, flooded with salty sea water. The well itself was located among the thickets of hawthorn. The place was completely deserted, but on the branches you can see a lot of tied rags, ribbons, packages, which speaks of the attendance of people.
Well of St. Madrona is one of the thousands of ancient wells in Britain; it looks like an outdoor pool and, unlike its counterparts, is not abandoned.
Now anyone can afford to drill a well. Modern technology allows it. It was not so simple in those early years. Therefore, wells were considered a gift from the earth.
The ability of the well of St. Madrona to healing a person was explained in terms of a prophetic dream. In the ancient temples of Asclepius, this form of healing was used to the full; these temples were located in the locations of springs and wells. The person in need of healing participated in special ritual activities that could immerse him in a healing sleep.
Well of St. Madrona was the very first place of such healing. The first testimony left is the bishop's notes. John Trellill, a man badly wounded in battle, was healed after sleeping by the well and bathing in it. They usually slept on a flat stone called St. Madrona. The inability of such a bed and the cold helped to see and remember prophetic dreams, fulfilling which, a person cured ailments.
After that, crowds of pilgrims were drawn to the well, and there was not a single one whom he would not help to heal.
Witch's well
Witch's well is a source of water, located near the village of Tuhala in the Koze parish, Harju County, Estonia. It is known for its unique behavior (violent outflow of water) at certain times of the year. "Miracle of Estonia-2012".
The well, 2.4 m deep, is located in the Tuhala Nature Center karst area, the largest in Estonia (188 ha). During the flood period, it throws up to 100 liters of water per minute on the surface ("boils"), the phenomenon can last up to three weeks, but does not repeat annually. The marsh origin determines the brownish color of the water.
It has long been the object of worship of the pagans [Stylized sculptures by Ülo un are installed near the well.
In connection with plans for a limestone quarry near the territory of the Nature Center, the well phenomenon may cease to exist
SENOTS
Cenote Ik-Kil in the municipality of Tinum.
Cenote in the municipality of Valladolid.
Cenote is a form of karst relief, a natural sinkhole formed by the collapse of the arch of a limestone cave, in which underground waters flow. Cenotes are found in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and the nearby Caribbean islands. In the past, they were used by the ancient Maya Indians as water sources and places for sacrifices.
Sacred Cenote, Chichen Itza, Mexico.
The name comes from the Mayan language from the word ts'onot ("tsonot", "well"). The Maya called the cenotes "the gates to the kingdom of the dead" and considered their waters sacred. The Sacred Cenote in the ancient city of Chichen Itza is especially famous. Some cenotes in Yucatan, such as Dos Ojos and Chac Mol, are popular with diving enthusiasts.
The Sacred Cenote (or Well of Victims) is a natural well (cenote) in the ancient city of Chichen Itza in Mexico. Located 300 meters north of the main buildings of the city, with which the sacred sakbe is connected. It is a giant round crater with a diameter of over 60 meters. Its sheer walls, built of layers of limestone, drop steeply down to the dark green water. According to the Maya, the rain god Chak lived inside the well. The Maya brought him human sacrifices, throwing them to the bottom of the cenote.
Karst sinkhole
A sinkhole is the most common karst form of relief in temperate latitudes, a closed depression from several meters to tens of meters in diameter, usually of a funnel shape. It differs from wells and shafts in that it expands upward. Karst studies are engaged in the study of karst sinkholes.
Devil's Hole near Hawthorne, USA.
Funnels can vary in diameter and depth from less than a meter to several hundred meters, from bowl-shaped depressions to deep cracks. At the bottom or at the sides of sinkholes, caves often open. Funnels can also go into "organ pipes", ending at the bottom with ponors and karst caves.
The formation of karst sinkholes is primarily associated with the presence of karst rocks (see Karst). According to the peculiarities of the origin, N. A. Gvozdetsky distinguished three main genetic types of karst sinkholes:
Surface leaching funnels (corrosive), formed due to the removal of rock leached on the surface through underground channels in a dissolved state;
sinkhole (gravitational) funnels formed by the collapse of the vault of an underground cavity in karst rocks;
suction funnels (karst-suffusion) formed by washing out and subsidence of loose cover sediments into wells and cavities of the karst basement, carrying out particles into underground channels and removing them through them in a turbid and suspended state.
Spread
Karst sinkholes are widespread.
Europe
A sinkhole south of the town of Kasimov, Ryazan region, Russia.
A sinkhole in Ein Gedi, Israel.
Karst sinkhole. Arhangelsk region.
Karst fields south of the city of Kasimov (Ryazan region) - carbonate karst.
The right bank of the Oka River between the cities of Murom and Pavlov (the village of Bolotnikovo, Nizhny Novgorod Region) is a gypsum karst.
White Sea-Kuloi plateau (Arkhangelsk region) - carbonate karst.
The banks of the Volga River below the town of Staritsa (Tver Region).
Middle Urals.
Lago-Naki plateau (Western Caucasus, Maikop district of Adygea).
The village of Kaleykino (Almetyevsky district of Tatarstan).
Dips at the Verkhnekamskoye field (Perm Territory) - technogenic karst.
Lake Gorodno (Lyubytinsky District, Novgorod Region).
Mountainous Crimea, especially the Demerdzhi-Yayla and Karabi-Yaila plateaus.
The village of Solotvino (Transcarpathian region of Ukraine). The funnel appeared on April 16, 2015.
Karst plateau (Slovenia).
Rocky ridge (Caucasus) near the village of Kichmalka (Kabardino-Balkaria).
North America
Louisiana failure
Bayu-Korn area, where the collapse occurred
The Louisiana Failure was formed by the collapse of a salt dome developed by Texas Brine.
The sinkhole was discovered by a Texas Brine employee on August 3, 2012, after two months of seismic activity and the appearance of bubbles on the surface of the bayou. The area surrounding the sinkhole is a swamp, mostly overgrown with cypress trees
Asia
Ein Gedi Nature Reserve in Israel.
Karst well (natural well) - a karst form of relief, usually round, irregular, cylindrical or fractured, up to 10 m in diameter, 20-60 m deep, with vertical or almost vertical walls, arising from the leaching of rocks by seeping waters. According to I. S. Shchukin, karst wells are formed as a result of the collapse of the vault of an underground cavity or represent a non-functioning ponor.
In fact, a karst well is a narrow and relatively deep vertical cave of karst origin. Similar landforms with more than 10 m in diameter and tens and hundreds of meters deep are called karst mines.
Entrance well of the Sumgan-Kutuk cave, South Urals.
Wells are one of the most common obstacles in caves. Currently, they are overcome, as a rule, by moving along a rope with the help of special equipment and using special skills. The most common vertical caving technique is the single rope technique (SRT). Most of the deep caves are a series of dozens of wells connected by passages of varying length and morphology. The largest known solid well is located in the Vrtoglavica Cave (Julian Alps, Slovenia) and reaches a depth of 603 m
Exit to the well, Na Bubne cave, Slovakia.
Author: Maya Peshkova