Four years after the Central Committee of the Byelorussian Communist Party gave its approval for construction to begin on the Brest Hero Fortress, the war-memorial complex was opened on Sept. 25, 1971, in Brest, Belarus. Within the complex, the main monument, “Courage,” is the statue seen in our March mystery photo.
A portion of Abu Dhabi’s presidential palace, the Qasr Al Watan (Al Ras Al Akdhar; phone +971 600 544 442, www.qasralwatan.ae), opened to visitors in March. The section reflects traditional Arabic architecture, with high domes covered in geometric designs plus floors covered with handmade carpets.
In the palace, visitors can see a collection of diplomatic gifts, the House of Knowledge (housing rare manuscripts and maps) and the Qasr Al Watan library, with over 50,000 books.
Looking at 2019, here are selected news items and warnings from a few of Rick’s recent articles. — Editor
At the Forbidden Palace in Beijing, China, the Qianlong Garden section will open to the public for the first time in 2020 (the Forbidden City’s 600th anniversary). Built in the late 18th century as a retirement home for the Qianlong Emperor (1711-1799), the 2-acre section has numerous gardens, pavilions and courtyards and includes original art and furnishings.
