Падающие башни-IV
I
II
III

Пока что мне удалось найти ещё два исторических падающих строения, Пагоду Тигрового Холма в Сучжоу (Поправьте меня, brmr@lj!) и падающую башню в Кильмакду (поправьте меня, кто-нибудь - понятия не имею, что делать с этими ирландскими топонимами!)

Tiger Hill Pagoda, or Yunyansi, Suzhou



Tiger Hill Pagoda, or Yunyansi, was built from 959 to 961 during the Song dynasty. It is a 48 meter tall brick pagoda with seven stories and eight sides. It leans to the north almost imperceptibly by 3.5 degrees. Chinese engineers estimate that it weighs about 6,000 tons. Like many pagodas of the Tang and early Song periods, it is a stone imitation of earlier (or contemporary) wooden pagodas. The "brackets" and "lintels" carved on the surface are not structural, but decorative. Since this is clearly an imitation of wooden designs, Tiger Hill Pagoda preserves a valuable record of how wooden pagodas of the area must have been constructed.


The leaning tower at Kilmacduagh



Close to and easily accessible from Gort, this interesting early Christian site is well worth a visit for its ruined churches and well preserved round tower. The monastery was founded in the 7th Century by St. Colman MacDuagh under the patronage of Guaire, King of Connacht, although, except for the tower, most of the present buildings date from the 13th - 14th centuries. The name Kilmacduagh roughly translates as "church of Duagh's son".
This site was of such importance that it became the centre of a new diocese, the Diocese of Kilmacduagh, in the 12th century; it is now incorporated into the Diocese of Galway. The monastery, because of its wealth and importance, was plundered several times in the lawless years of the 13th century. The interesting stonework features scattered throughout the small churches are worth searching for; these are mostly inserts from the late 11th to the 15th centuries. The Reformation effectively brought the religious life of Kilmacduagh to a close.
The tower is interesting, both as a fine example of this particularly Irish feature but also because of its noticeable lean: over half a metre from the vertical. The tower is over 30 metres tall (111 feet, 10 inches), with the only doorway some 7 metres (26 feet) above ground level. The walls are over six feet thick at the base, underneath which lie some skeletons.The tower once had a bell which was said to have been thrown into a nearby lake.
The reason for the doorway's height was that of safety during attack (of which there were many); the monks could pull up the ladder, leaving no access to the attackers.
The site affords a splendid view of the local area, and is the centre of some interesting local legends and folklore. One of these legends describes how the site came to be at this particular location. Saint Colman (MacDuagh) was said to have been walking through woods close to the Burren when his girdle fell to the ground. Taking this as a sign, he chose this spot on which to build his monastery.



Информация с другого сайта:
This monastery which was founded by Saint Colmán MacDuagh about A.D.600 had a separate diocese within its grounds. The land on which the monastery is situated was given to Saint Colmán by his cousin, King Guaire, the Generous, King of Connaught. The most conspicuous feature of the well-preserved round tower (33m high), with a narrow door 7m from the ground is the lean almost 50cm from the perpendicular, which it shares with a more famous counterpart at Pisa. The monk, Goban, who was comissioned by the good King Guaire to build on this site, certainly knew how to build round towers as this one is said to be a 10th century structure. These tall buildings served as watch towers, belfries and places of refuge during attacks by marauders. It is a wonder that it is still stands as it lacks any deep foundations. It is bedded in soft earth on the site of an ancient Christian burial ground.
During attacks by Norsemen, the monks could climb rope ladders into a doorway set at a safe height of 26 feet from ground level and taking with them their precious chalices and plates. Once inside they had 7 floors to hide in!
During reconstruction work carried out in the late 19th century, a huge crack running from the top almost to the ground level was repaired and a lightening conductor was attached.
The extensive remains include a cathedral, church of St.John the Baptist, "Glebe House", O'Hayes Church and St. Mary's Church.