On our way back to Dublin, we stopped at the Bru na Boinne area of prehistoric tombs. We saw Newgrange, the best known of the 40 mounds, This is a World Heritage Site on the merits that this is one of the best possible examples of cultural or natural heritage. Other World heritage sites include are The Pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge. These tombs are over 5000 years old. The large mound only holds one tomb. The entrance was built in such a way that light only shines thru and from the top 20 minutes each year at the Winter Solstice. People make reservations well in advance to see it. The sun has to be in an exact position for this to happen.
The next 2 pictures are postcards so I could show you an overhead view
This is a postcard of the interior, standing on the floor and looking up. It is hard to picture looking at this, but they built up all of these stones without anything holding them together. Amazing it is still this way after 5000 years. The slim hole at the top is where the sin shines thru. The guide turned off her flashlight and we were in complete darkness. She then pointed her flashlight to the entrance to show us the thin beam that comes in once a year. We couldn't take any pictures inside. it is such a small area that only 10 people could go in at one time.
Entrance. The open space on top of the horizontal stone is where the slim beam of light shines in.
Outer edges, these stones are all original
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