“Writings on the wall” – this phrase probably originated from the Biblical times as recorded in the book of Daniel when the Babylonian King saw the hand of a man wrote on the plaster of the wall of the palace. This incident greatly troubled the king and prompted him to seek for wise men in the land to interpret writings. No one in the land was able to interpret it except for Daniel, who was empowered by the Spirit of God to understand and explain the writings.
Over the centuries, “writings” on the walls have metamorphosed into many different forms, but the intention is still very much the same, and that is, to bring forth messages from the writer to his reader.
In pre-historic times, men painted and drew on the walls thereby giving us a glimpse of what life was like in those days.
ANKARA, TURKEY – Ankara houses many museums, one of which is the Museum of Anatolian Civilization. This photo is taken from one of the walls exhibited in the said museum.RIZAL, PHILIPPINES – The Angono Petroglyphs is the oldest known art work in the Philippines, dating back to the Neolithic Age. The site displays engravings of various human and animal figures on the rock wall.
Concrete walls have been the canvass of artists or even common people whose passions were to record events in their lifetime, hoping that one day, somewhere, somehow, someone would be able to discover and appreciate their tales of days gone by.
JAKARTA, INDONESIA – This remnant of a wall is part of the exhibition in the National Museum of Indonesia. This museum endeavors to preserve (and probably covers) all of the archaeological, historical, ethnological and geographical history of IndonesiaSIEM REAP, CAMBODIA – This photo shows a portion of the wall of the largest religious monument in the world – the Angkor Wat. Found in Siem Reap Cambodia, the temple was originally constructed as a Hindu Temple but later transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the 12th Century.
Since then, mankind has come a long way and invented various medium to convey colorful messages on the wall. Nonetheless, world events, most especially religious affairs have in one way or another, remained a favorite subject.
LYON, FRANCE – Lyon is a city which less than 300 miles from Paris. It may not be the largest city in France, but it definitely is one of the more interesting metropolitan areas, mainly because of its mural arts. Lyon is home to many buildings with fascinating mural arts.BETHLEHEM, PALESTINE – This wall mural is found inside the Church of Nativity in the West Bank, Palestine. The church was originally commission in 327 by Constantine the Great and his mother Helena on the site where the traditional birthplace of Jesus is located.ENTLEBUCH, SWITZERLAND – Entlebuch is a Swiss municipality which is designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. This building is found in the village which comprises a very small percentage of the municipality.WIELICZKA, POLAND – This wall is carved out of the rock salt located in the Wieliczka Salt mine in Southern Poland. This is one of the world’s oldest salt mines which opened in the 13th century and operated until 2007.KRAKOW, POLAND – This wall is found in one of the Italian-style main courtyard structures in the Wawel Castle in Krakow Poland. This UNESCO world heritage castle displays various European medieval, renaissance and baroque periods’ architectural styles.JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – This colorful wall paintings is found along the Jewish Quarter St., which is one of the 4 traditional quarters in the old city of Jerusalem. This quarter houses numerous yeshivas and synagogues.
Religious beliefs have permeated into the lives of people such that even in homes and commercial buildings, paintings of religious icons became a standard practice.
PUNAKHA, BHUTAN – The former capital of Bhutan, Punakha, is home to one of the most bizarre worship practices – i.e., phallus worship. As such, rural and ordinary homes are particularly painted with phallic symbols together with other Buddhist icons as a means of protecting the occupant of the house and intended to drive away evil.BHAKTAPUR, NEPAL – Bhaktapur, whose literal meaning is a place of devotees, is an ancient city in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal.It has one of the best-preserved old city in Nepal and listed as a UNESCO world heritage. Apparently, villagers in Nepal use the eye symbol as a protection.
In modern times, artists have ventured into more and more varied subjects, ranging from abstract splashes on building walls to the more colorful cartoon like images attracting prospective customers.
BERLIN, GERMANY – Although Berlin, the capital and largest city of Germany is filled with history, it is also a city of culture, politics, media and sciences. But not be outdone, Berlin is a modern city filled with street arts. This photo is just a sample.AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS – There’s just much to do in Amsterdam, the capital city of Netherlands – visiting the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh museum, Efteling, Anne Frank House, Royal Palace, etc., etc. Add to these the sightseeing of so many painted buildings that just take your breath away, literally!BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – The city of Brussels is filled with majestic, century old buildings, typically European architecture. But beyond these and the famous Belgian Chocolates, one can find in this lovely city – buildings that are fun to look at. This photo says it all.COMO, ITALY – One of the places which I find to be very fascinating is Como in Italy. Its proximity to the Lake Como makes it one of the best tourist destinations, considering that the city contains numerous shops, museums, theatres, parks, palaces, not to mention luxurious homes of movie stars along the banks of the lake.CARDIFF, WALES – The Welsh capital of Cardiff attracts approximately 18M tourists a year. It was even ranked by National Geographic in 2011 as the 6th alternative tourist destination in the world. Being known as the City of Arcades, it is known to have the biggest concentration both century old and modern day shopping centers.LONDON, ENGLAND – One of the most interesting cities in the world, London is just amazing. There are “zillion” things to do in London. It is packed with museums, theatres, shopping centers, palaces and of course, markets! This photo was taken in Notting Hill during the Portobello Market– a must for every London tourist and shopaholic.LJUBJANA, SLOVENIA – The largest city of Slovenia, Ljubjana, is the center of cultural, educational, economic and political activities of the country. No wonder that right in the middle of the city center, there’s this wall art (which is like a collage) that captures the attention of tourists.ZAGREB, CROATIA – Zagreb is a city full of history from the Roman era up to the present day. Not to mention the Fakin Ipa, which is actually the subject of this wall art. Fakin Ipa is a light ale and rich in flavor.VIENNA, AUSTRIA – Vienna, the primary city of Austria is known to many as the City of Music because of the legacy in Music that Vienna has shared with the world. But beyond the music, one can see captivating wall arts that speak more than music to our eyes.MOSTAR, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA – Many areas in Mostar was damaged during the Bosnian war. In spite of its dark past, Mostar has been able to rebuild itself. And during the present times, one can’t help but appreciate the colorful walls that adorn some of the city buildings. Such colors bring back life to Mostar to the point that one would never guess that the city was once a center of chaos.SINGAPORE – This city-state is well known for strict rules and laws. Because of this image, one would have thought that the city is averse to anything that brings fun. On the contrary, Singapore is a city of fun. And we can see it by the painted characters (some cartoons) on the wall of an entertainment centerCHENGDU, CHINA – One of the more popular tourist destinations in China, Chengdu is well known also for its spicy but delicious cuisine. Fortunately, restaurants do not only carry mouthwatering food, but painted walls that are a feast to the eyes.TOKYO, JAPAN – There’s never a dull moment in Japan, which is known for cute items. The walls of Japan are never left out of the penchant for cute items – like this wall, which is actually a commemoration of an Akita dog.
But for those who do not have any access to imposing building structures, even a simple street wall would suffice just so they can express their innermost soul.
Thanks, Vicky.. God made a wonderful place for His creation to live in.. It is always a pleasure to share these things so that every one may know how great is our God!!!
You were able to show us that we need no windows to see the richness of the various cultures around the world. Walls, too, can speak and tell us stories. Thank your for sharing your wonderful photos.
Hi Marking, it’s a wondrous thing to know that even the walls can speak to us and brag about the heritage of their people. And it’s a beautiful thing to know that part of your travel is sharing to everybody what we may not be able to see because it’s beyond our reach. And you were able to see beauty even in the simple things others may not see. And I want more… travel quick before we fade away… hehehe
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing, Mark…God bless…
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Thanks, Vicky.. God made a wonderful place for His creation to live in.. It is always a pleasure to share these things so that every one may know how great is our God!!!
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You were able to show us that we need no windows to see the richness of the various cultures around the world. Walls, too, can speak and tell us stories. Thank your for sharing your wonderful photos.
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Thanks, Tita Dette…more to come… hehe
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Hi Marking, it’s a wondrous thing to know that even the walls can speak to us and brag about the heritage of their people. And it’s a beautiful thing to know that part of your travel is sharing to everybody what we may not be able to see because it’s beyond our reach. And you were able to see beauty even in the simple things others may not see. And I want more… travel quick before we fade away… hehehe
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Thanks, Emma.. it’s a privilege to share this with you… hope to share more photos in the coming days…
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A fascinating look at how walls can talk to us through the ages.
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Yes indeed… Thanks for visiting my site…
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