Olomouc Zoo Part Six

 Hippo.

To be continued.

Olomouc Zoo Part Five

 Reptiles and birds

Note that it's a spooky entry.

Argentine black and white tegu, I guess

Gila monster, I suppose

Sand gonna, I presume

Lamprolepis (emerald skinks), I presume

Crocodile

Military macaw

Silvery cheeked hornbill

To be continued...

Olomouc Zoo Part Four

 cat species

Short-tailed cat/leopard cat..maybe

Serval...maybe

Short-tailed cat...maybe

To be continued...

Olomouc Zoo Part Three

 Big cat species taking a nap after lunch! 

Tigar

 

Male lion

Female lion

Black Panther

Jaguar

Jaguar

To be continued...

Olomouc Zoo Part Two

 

Meerkat

To be continued.

Olomouc Zoo Part One

The Olomouc Zoo (only Czech language available) launched its history in 1956. On an area of ​​42.5 ha, it breeds 1,861 animals of 354 species. It is located in the north-eastern part of Olomouc city, Svatý Kopeček, a well-known district for a solemn basilica, Svatý Kopeček. 

Silvery marmoset

It's quite convenient to get there by public transportation. From the Olomouc main station, it takes 18 min by bus 11 running approx. every 15 min or so. No worries about getting lost because the closest bus stop is named, Svatý Kopeček, ZOO. It takes nearly the same time (~ 20 min) from the bus stop to the zoo entrance on a walk.

Prior to visiting the zoo, all I knew was the zoo is recognized as having wolves. Despite the drawback of the presence of thick and filthy glass windows (full of fingerprints and scratches) causing miserable reflections and the lattice patterned fence hindering camera lenses from getting, I admit shooting various animals, bugs, and aquatic organisms was enjoyable. 

Common patas monkey

This time, monkeys in the zoo are introduced.

Common squirrel monkey

The "Golden time" to shoot animals is lunchtime whereas the worst time is after lunchtime= nap time, especially for cat species. You will know what I meant in the following entries.

Bearded emperor tamarin

White headed marmoset

Black and white ruffed lemur

Golden lion tamarin

To be continued.

In Bloom

No matter what happens to mankind, our world is beautiful.

Stay safe!

Széchenyi lánchíd

A view of Chain Bridge from Buda side at night.

Street Snapshots in Prague

Photos were taken while rambling Prague downtown...

Dohány utcai zsinagóga

Dohány Street Synagogue (Dohány utcai zsinagóga in Hungarian) in Budapest is the largest synagogue in Europe with a capacity of 2,964 seats (1,492 for men on the ground floor and 1,472 in the women's galleries) and is a center of Neolog Judaism. Dohány means tobacco, BTW.

The synagogue was built between 1854 and 1859 in a residential area by the Jewish community of Pest. It was designed by a non-Jewish German-born Austrian architect, Ludwig Förster. 

The building is 75 meters long and 27 meters in width. The style of the Dohány Street Synagogue is Moorish, mixed with Byzantine, Romantic, and Gothic flavors. The characteristic onion-shaped domes sit on the twin octagonal towers that are 43 meters in height. The Central Synagogue in Manhattan, New York City is a sort of copycat of the Dohány Street Synagogue.

Famous Hungarian romantic architect Frigyes Feszl designed the interior by giving the Torah-ark and colorful internal frescoes. 

The Synagogue is comprised of the complex of the Great Synagogue, the Heroes' Temple, the graveyard, the Memorial, and the Jewish Museum, which was built on the site on which Theodor Herzl's house of birth stood. The 5,000-tube organ, which was built in 1859, makes the Synagogue very unique. Famous musicians such as Franz Liszt and Camille Saint-Saëns played there.

Image from a 3D puzzle toy. Now it's on sale (3470 Ft)

The synagogue has gone through a tough time. On the 3rd of February, 1939 it was bombed by the Hungarian pro-Nazi Arrow Cross Party. In 1944, the Dohány Street Synagogue was part of the Jewish ghetto for the city Jews, to where 7,000 Jews were sent, according to Adolph Eichmann's plan. Over two thousand of those who died in the ghetto from hunger and cold are buried in the courtyard of the synagogue. 

The synagogue was also used as a shelter, and towards the end of World War II, the building suffered some severe damage from aerial raids during the battle for the liberation of Budapest.

During the Communist era, the damaged structure became again a prayer house for the much-diminished Jewish community. Its restoration and renovation started in 1991, financed by the state and by private donations, and was completed in 1998.
On 23 October 2012, an Israeli flag was burned in front of a Budapest synagogue, reportedly by members of Jobbik, an ultranationalist Hungarian political party. 

A Happy New Year 2020

As usual, I headed for downtown for watching official fireworks organized by Olomouc city.

Wishing you a Happy New Year!