America’s Lost Funeral Trains | The Forgotten Tradition

Behind every majestic monument is a story or cause sought to be immortalized. But once their catalysts are forgotten, the once revered structures fall into ruin. Such is the fate of many Soviet Era buildings like the fascinating Buzludzha Monument, which sits on the peak it was named after in central Bulgaria. Known as "Bulgaria's UFO," the Buzludzha Monument hides in the Balkans as the former Bulgarian Communist Party Headquarters and has become one of the most unusual spots in the country. Today we will discuss this remarkable monument. I'm your host Ryan Socash, and you're watching it's history.

15 Loka 202211min

In popular culture, Paris is often seen as one of the most beautiful, romantic and highly visited cities in the world. Upon being a colossal city with over 2.2 million residents, Paris is also one of the most popular tourist attractions for people all across the globe. Being the capital of France, this city also plays an integral part to French history and culture. But did you know that the city possesses a rather sinister, or at least creepy story just below its streets? About 20 meters, or 66 feet, underground, there exists a mass grave containing the bones of millions upon millions of dead Parisians in a massive network of tunnels called the Paris Catacombs. Simply laying eyes on this spot is enough to see its awe-inspiring nature. From walls lined with thousands of skulls to arches made of femurs and ribs, the Catacombs or Ossuaries as they are sometimes called, were built as a solution to overcrowded graves in central Paris. But over the years it has become a tourist attraction as well as an important historical site due to its mystical aura and the long past behind its creation. As a result, the Paris Catacombs has become a cultural icon and even the subject of tall tales and ghost stories. But what is the full story behind these catacombs? Why were they created and how did they become such a popular site-seeing location?

13 Loka 202214min

Texas is one of the most prominent and powerful states in the United States of America today, but did you know that it once was an independent nation? Interestingly enough, Texas's path to American statehood is a journey filled with enriching history that saw the territory switch nationality a grand total of six times over the course of just four decades. The independent Republic of Texas existed from 1836 to 1846 and the influence of this era can still be felt today among the Texan population who have a culture based on self-sufficiency and self-perseverance. One indicator of the state's autonomous past can be seen in the remnants of several Texan embassies across the world. In order to build more international support and recognition, the new nation constructed three embassies and legations with one in Washington DC, another in Paris and the most prominent being the London embassy. But what happened to the Texan embassies and what remains of them?

8 Loka 202225min

When Gustave Eiffel's company built Paris' most recognizable monument for the 1889 World's Fair, many regarded the massive iron structure with skepticism. Today, the Eiffel Tower, which continues to serve an important role in television and radio broadcasts, is considered an architectural wonder and attracts more visitors than any other paid tourist attraction worldwide. More than 7 million people visit this iconic tower every year. Since the tower's 1889 opening, 250 million people worldwide have enjoyed all the Eiffel Tower offers. And it has a lot to offer. The tower's three platforms are home to two restaurants, several buffets, a banquet hall, a champagne bar, and many unique gift shops. Educational tours of the tower are available for children and tourist groups. But one spot has fascinated many—the "secret" apartment. Why is there an apartment at the top of the Eiffel Tower? Is there a secret apartment at the top of the Eiffel Tower? Who lives in the secret apartment in the Eiffel Tower? Is there a secret on Eiffel Tower? Why Photos of the Eiffel Tower at Night are Illegal

6 Loka 202216min

Arizona is one of the most unique states in the US and it contains many notable tourist attractions from the Grand Canyon to the Tucson Airplane Boneyard. But did you know that Arizona is now also the home of the famous London Bridge? Yes, the legendary bridge that is immortalized through nursery rhymes, built in the mid-1800s and used to cross the River Thames in England's capital over 5,400 miles away past the Continental United States and the Atlantic Ocean, now resides in the Mojave Desert at Lake Havasu. But how did the London Bridge end up in the American Southwest? The story behind this old bridge is one that is both strange and fascinating, and also one that involves many other factors such as the effect of automobiles on architecture, eccentric billionaires, ghost stories and even small towns that were built into cities from the ground up. So without further ado, let's dive into the history of how London Bridge ended up in Arizona.

1 Loka 202218min

Hoboken was originally an island, surrounded by the Hudson River on the east and tidal lands at the foot of the New Jersey Palisades on the west. It was a seasonal campsite in the territory of Hackensack, a land of the Lenni-Lenape, who used the serpentine rock found there to carve pipes. Hoboken lies on the west bank of the Hudson River between Weehawken and Union City on the north and Jersey City's "county seat" on the south and west. Directly across the Hudson River are the Manhattan, New York City neighborhoods of West Village and Chelsea. The city of Hoboken had a total area of 2.011 square miles, of which 1.275 square miles of it is land and 0.736 square miles of it is water. Hoboken has had its ups and downs and is rich in history. Today we will discuss the rise and fall of Hoboken.

29 Syys 202217min

The "Ghost Fleet" of Mallows Bay is a reference to the hundreds of ships whose remains still rest in its relatively shallow waters. It is the largest collection of wrecks in the Western hemisphere, 230 United States Shipping Board Merchant Fleet Corporation ships sunk in the river. It is without a doubt that the US is the strongest military power in the world, possessing the most extensive and advanced Armed Forces by some distance. As new military technologies are developed every day and the landscape of modern warfare seemingly changing faster than most are able to keep up with, it is a perfectly reasonable question to wonder what happens to the older military hardware that is now obsolete. As we have looked at on this channel before, old planes are often sent to Aircraft Maintenance facilities to be scrapped or kept in storage with the Tucson Boneyard being a good example of this. But what happens to the warships that are no longer needed? Well, there are numerous paths that an outdated ship can follow, but one popular destination for ships that the US Navy has no immediate use for is the Mallows Bay in the Potomac River. Here, there are hundreds of vessels laying dormant in the water waiting to be scrapped or sunk. This is commonly known as the Ghost Fleet of the Mallows. But just like each ship that is stored here, there exists an interesting and extensive history of this location that deserves to be explored.

24 Syys 202215min

Since 1939, a flooded bell tower near the small Russian town of Kalyazin has played the role of the nautical marker, an artificial island in an artificial lake, swim area, and tourist draw. While still, a solid structure visited by tourists and occasionally hosts Orthodox Christian ceremonies, the tower is the last remnant of a monastery hundreds of years old, abruptly erased by the rise of Josef Stalin's USSR. Today we will discuss the Monasteries that existed before the bell tower, the tower itself, and what exists today.

22 Syys 20229min