Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 62
October 11, 2022
October 10, 2022
The Modern Cave-Dwellings of Iran’s Kandovan Village
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
The residents of the village of Kandovan in northwest Iran have embraced life as modern cave-dwellers, living in homes hewn from rock and dating back roughly 700 years!
Caving the WayLocated in the province of East Azerbaijan, the town’s geological foundations come thanks to ash and debris deposited from the now-dormant Mount Sahand volcano, which blew its top 11,000 years ago.
But people wouldn’t get interested in burrowing into these structures until the Mongolian army invaded 10,300 years later. The threat of violent invasion from these nomadic warriors made hiding out in remote caves attractive.
From the Cradle to the CaveAlthough some have described the Kandovan village as looking like a giant termite colony, villagers prefer to call their homes “karan,” which translates as “beehives” in the local Turkic dialect.
Tourists that visit the Kandovan Village can book tours to explore inside the cave homes. Locals will oftentimes welcome visitors into the homes, and some will even offer souvenirs and traditional tea!
Cave the DayTourists can even rent and stay in a cave while visiting, and thanks to the way the caves are built to withstand the climate, it makes a Kandovan home the ultimate stay any time of year.
Interior of the stone houses in the Kandovan village.
The architectural structure of the caves takes climate into consideration. The cave walls are more than six feet thick, which helps keep cool air inside in the summer and retain warm air during the winter — Believe It or Not!
Escape the Ordinary With Ripley’s Latest Book!Find this story and more inside Ripley’s all-new book! Escape the Ordinary‘s 256 pages spark curiosity, challenge perception, celebrate differences, and curate a sense of wonder for the weird world around us! Available now on Amazon and at most major retailers.
Source: The Modern Cave-Dwellings of Iran’s Kandovan Village
October 9, 2022
October 8, 2022
October 7, 2022
‘Operation Noah’s Ark’ Saves 275 Parrots Stranded by Ian
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
After Hurricane Ian walloped the southwest coast of Florida, animal rescuers stepped in to save the residents of an animal sanctuary that 275 parrots call home!
Weathering the StormWhile Florida officials urged residents of Pine Island, Florida, to flee their homes as Hurricane Ian approached, Will Peratino and his partner Lauren Stepp refused to leave without their beloved pets, which included two lemurs and 275 parrots.
Rather than abandon their animals, the couple herded their pack into their home in hopes of shielding them from the storm. By the time the storm had passed, the family was left with four feet of water in their home, no way to leave the island, and no resources to keep them alive for long.
‘We would not abandon them. I would never leave them. Never’ — Rescuers worked together to save 275 parrots stranded by Hurricane Ianhttps://t.co/SFQiJUSurM
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) October 6, 2022
“I would never leave them. Never,” said Stepp, adding “If they cannot be fed or watered, they will die. And I can’t live with that.”
To the RescueA little less than a week after the storm turned the Sunshine State into a state of disaster, “Operation Noah’s Ark” was put in place with an army of volunteers flocking to the couple’s Malama Manu Sanctuary with a simple mission: catch the birds, place them in cages, and get them the heck off the island via ferry.
“To have every bird safe is a huge undertaking,” said Peratino. “I mean, it’s almost impossible to do. So the kind of help we’ve gotten has been invaluable.”
Birds of a FeatherThe operation was coordinated in part by the veteran-led nonprofit Project Dynamo, which had already undertaken several rescue missions for pets — some dogs, cats, and even a few birds — in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, but nothing to this scale.
When speaking on why they decided to help Peratino and Stepp rescue their birds, Project Dynamo founder Bryan Stern said, “Will and Laura, who own the sanctuary, their hearts and souls are in the birds. So they’re going through their own suffering from the hurricane and having to rebuild their lives. They lost all kinds of stuff. Is the answer to that to lose more?”
By Meghan Yani, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!Source: ‘Operation Noah’s Ark’ Saves 275 Parrots Stranded by Ian
October 6, 2022
Giant Floating Violin Carries String Quartet Through Venice
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
You’ve probably heard the phrase regarding the world’s smallest violin, but have you ever seen a giant floating violin? What about a giant floating violin that has carried a live ensemble of musicians playing violins? Well, now you’re about to!
Behind the ArtistTitled Noah’s Violin, the fiddle is nearly 40 feet long by 13 feet wide and is the creation of Italian artist Livio De Marchi. De Marchi is a Venetian sculptor who is famous for his exquisite wooden art, with some of his most popular work including a paper shopping bag, a hat, and a high-heeled shoe. He also recreated a Ferrari F50 in wood and drove it through the canals of Venice. The car is now part of the Ripley’s Collection and is currently on display at our Odditorium in Dubai, UAE.
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Noah’s Violin is one of Livio De Marchi’s latest additions to his catalog and was first conceptualized by him during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. De Marchi hopes that his violin will honor those lost to the pandemic and spread a message of rebirth from Venice to the world.
Showcasing the SpectacleThe piece was designed in four sections for ease of assembly and transportation, and it also includes ten different qualities of wood! De Marchi collaborated with local artists to help bring his piece to fruition.
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Noah’s Violin sailed through the canals of Venice in September 2021 carrying a performing string quartet. The musicians stood barefoot on the instrument, for better grip. The musically inspired vessel celebrates the city’s historical connections to classical music, including famed composer Antonio Vivaldi.
De Marchi’s gallery stated “Noah’s Violin, even before being launched, had accomplished its goal, which was to set in motion a system that saw the union of art, craftsmanship, technique, and, finally, city institutions.”
Escape the Ordinary With Ripley’s Latest Book!Find this story and more inside Ripley’s all-new book! Escape the Ordinary‘s 256 pages spark curiosity, challenge perception, celebrate differences, and curate a sense of wonder for the weird world around us! Available now on Amazon and at most major retailers.
Source: Giant Floating Violin Carries String Quartet Through Venice
Bizarre ‘Alien’ Holes Discovered on the Ocean Floor
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
What would you say if we told you that aliens have set up shop deep below the ocean’s surface? A series of strange holes along the seafloor have left scientists dumbfounded. And many are theorizing it might be a secret alien metropolis.
Strange Oceanic Holes Stump ScientistsOn July 25, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Okeanos Explorer vessel uncovered “perfectly aligned” holes in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a region of the ocean that has still yet to be thoroughly explored.
The rectangular holes, located almost two miles below the ocean’s surface, form a perfectly straight line and repeat at regular intervals. Spaced a few inches apart from each other, the strange holes are encircled by mounds of sediment. This makes them look like they were dug out — not in — by something, or someone.
On Saturday’s #Okeanos dive, we saw several sublinear sets of holes in the seafloor. The origin of the holes has scientists stumped. The holes look human made, but the little piles of sediment around them suggest they were excavated by…something.
What’s YOUR hypothesis? pic.twitter.com/iGezxV9TK8
— NOAA Ocean Exploration (@oceanexplorer) July 25, 2022
“While they look almost human-made, the little piles of sediment around the holes make them seem like they were excavated by… something,” NOAA stated.
While scientists who were involved in the undersea expedition hypothesize that the weird holes were made by an unidentified subsurface organism or a larger aquatic animal with a feeding appendage, the internet has other theories.
Underwater AliensWe already know that the ocean is a treasure trove of mysteries waiting to be uncovered. But does that include deep-sea aliens?
NOAA took to Facebook to ask the public for their “hypotheses” on what could have made such peculiar holes. Some suggestions include cartwheeling starfish, gas pockets, tectonic activity, and borrowing worms. Other people had far more darker theories.
One theory, a bobbit worm, waits for prey on the ocean floor.
Some commenters believed that the weird holes were made by aliens. Sadly, the piles of sediment left at the scene suggest that the holes had been excavated by an animal living underneath, not dug out by E.T.
Not the First EncounterThis was not the first encounter scientists have had with mysterious seafloor holes. During a dive in 2004, two marine scientists from the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service uncovered weird holes on the ocean floor.
Back then, scientists proposed that the raised sediment around the holes indicated that an organism had been living underneath the sand and dug its way to the surface. They describe the holes as being “lebensspuren,” which translates to “life traces.”
Uncharted TerritoryThe origin of the “alien” holes still remains a mystery. However, as scientists continue to explore and map the ocean floor, they might be lucky enough to one day see the hole-maker in action!
By Steph Weaver, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!
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