Retracing the footsteps of Alexander

This BBC documentary attempts to follow in the "Footsteps of Alexander" (the Great, as he is known in the West). You can watch the entire thing on YouTube.

The two "webisodes" above highlight Alexander's truly earth-changing force. The island city of Tyre resisted his authority in 332 BC. Alexander ordered his army to build a causeway from the mainland to the Phonecian city (in modern Lebanon). The earthworks took seven months but had the desired effect. Alexander took over the city and essentially attached it to the shore. The 6/10 mile long road collected silt from sea currents and transformed the island city into a peninsular city.

Another video in this series discusses the Egyptian city of Alexandria far more eloquently than I can. Many cities throughout the Middle East and Central Asia bear his name. This map shows where a few of them are located.

Survivalism

The Kremlin is Huge.

Did you know that Vladamir Putin's favorite sport is Judo? He has written two books about it. You can buy one on Amazon.

What I really meant to write about was the enormous nature of Moscow's Kremlin. However, it is so big (68 acres) that I really don't know where to start. So let's go from the beginning

1. Kremlin is the Russian word for "fortress", "citadel", or "castle." Westerners typically associate it only with the Moscow Kremlin.

2. The Kremlin existed before the Communists. In fact, the site has been continuously fortified since the 11th century.

3. It was destroyed twice before the structure that currently inhabits the site was built. The first time it was raided by Mongols, then a fire burned most of the wooden fortress.

4. After the fall of the Byzantine Roman Empire, Ivan III thought that Russia would be the successor state, the "Third Rome." To display the might and wealth of Russia he commissioned a battalion of Italian architects to build up the walls, towers and cathedrals.

5. Yes, I said cathedrals. The Kremlin consists of churches, tombs, palaces, and an armory. This whole complex is synonymous with the Russian government. Thus, it's not surprising to learn that it's enclosed by a 9' thick wall.