Newgrange, Ireland

Ireland has a great number of mysterious landmarks. One of them is the Newgrange – an unusual megalithic building – that has placed near Dublin. It looks like a huge mound that is dated not later 2 500 years BC. Its diameter goes up to 85 meters and height is about 13,5 meters. The main structural peculiarity of the mound is the underground hall, which length is about 19 meters and leads to the burial chamber. The chamber is built from huge stones. Their weight goes from 20 to 40 tons.

The mysterious mound was found in 1699 but still we don’t know about its proper meaning. For many years there had been holding the continuous researching. Even they didn’t clarify the story how the mound has appeared. In the middle of the 20th century, the historical monument was fully renovated. Now Newgrange is the biggest megalithic building that has ever been found in Europe.

At present, the place is open for tourists. It is quite hard to get there because the number of tourists per day is strictly restricted, only 10 people can visit it. The researchers suppose that more than 5 000 years ago this complex could be used for ritual ceremonies. The mound is built in such way that at the day of the winter solstice sun beams light some underground chambers through the tiny gaps in walls. Some researchers claim that this ancient mound could be used for astronomical researchers. Next - The Great Zayatsky Labyrinth