Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
to
to
Exclude
Only includes titles with the selected topics
to
In minutes
to
1-50 of 56
- A psychotic big game hunter deliberately strands a luxury yacht on a remote island, where he begins to hunt its passengers for sport.
- The living corpses of the Satan-worshiping Knights Templar hunt for human victims in a 16th century galleon.
- Edwige Fenech plays the girlfriend of beatnik-hippy artist Archie (Willi Colombini). Throughout the film Edwige is either having her body painted during a hippy party, posing naked for Archie or seducing other men. All is not fun and games for Edwige though after another hippy girl (Marcella Michelangeli) has her eyes on Archie
- FBI agent Brad joins Tony and Nick, the self styled Supermen who battle crime wearing bullet-proof super-suits. They are on a case involving radioactive counterfeit money and people who can be broken down into precious jewels.
- Seven women are the only survivors of an Apache attack on a wagon train. They must cross the desert on foot to escape the Indians who are hunting them.
- Ulysses offends the gods by blinding the Cyclops, so they send Hercules to capture him and bring him to them.
- Kuma Cunningham and Jane Lindström are a couple in love. By chance they find a strange stone. Kuma asks Jane to throw away this stone, the stone would be bad luck.
- This film features a colossal clash between a mass of invaders and the faithful Roman soldiers who must fight to defend the Roman Empire.
- The adventures of Robert Lafleur, alias Scaramouche, are the sensation of his time, thanks to his talent as an actor and charm as an incorrigible seducer. He becomes the enemy of the Marquis de la Tour when he makes a conquest of his mistress, the ravishing Madame de Popignan. His world is thrown into a turmoil when, one day, the Marquis de Souchil recognizes Scaramouche as the illegitimate son of the Duke de Froissard.
- Teruo is an adopted son of an old samurai family that returns to Japan after living in Germany and is expected to marry Mitsuko. But he's struggling to readjust to Japan and intends to marry an Aryan woman.
- Prince Saïd escapes his father's murderers, sent by traitor Ibrahim who quickly takes over the throne. Becoming a desert bandit he fights to get back his rights, meeting in the meantime beautiful Amina, Ibrahim's daughter.
- Coriolanus leads the Volsci in a war against Rome.
- The Italian mountaineer Carel wants to be the first man to stand on the top of the Matterhorn. Since the climb is very difficult, he agrees to try it together with the British mountaineer Whymper. But due to an intrigue this agreement is dropped and the two man try it on the same day with two different teams and then disaster strikes.
- A Hamburg police inspector investigates the crime of a homosexual in a love hotel, and although several guests are suspicious, his thoughts are elsewhere, as his own son lies on the operating table in a hospital, fighting for his life.
- General Gutierrez, the evil governor of Mexico, imposes taxes on the people and terrorizes them with his henchmen.
- The hero steals the haul from the thieves, gives it back to the police but charges 10% for that.
- Rasputin was a lusty steppes peasant, a god revealed, a cunning patriot, all that, or a mystifier? An intriguing biography.
- Sir Gotz von Berlichingen, a knight who fights for God and his Emperor, is the bitter enemy of the Bishop of Bamberg, who has managed to persuade Gotz's old friend Adalbert of Weislingen to fight for him. He allows Adalbert to kidnap him and bring him to his castle, where he tries to convince his old friend to come over from the "dark side". Complications ensue.
- Legendary high-altitude climber Reinhold Messner pushes himself to the limit in achieving the first successful summit without the use of supplemental oxygen.
- In the Mont Blanc Observatory works Hannes. The only contact to the outside world is a pilot and Hella over the morse-code-radio. As Hella climbs the mountain with her father, the father dies. Also Hannes gets endangered as his fingers freeze. But Hella gets help.
- Story of the trials and tribulations of a German who emigrates to the US during the Great Depression.
- Shortly before the First World War, an Italian and an Austrian take part in a mountaineering expedition together. Not long afterwards they find themselves fighting on different sides. The plot also features references to the Mines on the Italian Front (World War I).
- A diplomatic meeting between Western and Arab diplomats goes wrong, and a black gold dossier is firmly pushed across a desk. Against a background of hostages taken in an embassy, a covert operations agent, Benson, is given a mission in Paris. He is going into an Arab Emirate with a chosen group of operatives, and blow up an oil refinery. Getting in is easy, but getting out - well, that's another thing. In the end, among crossfire and grenades, and double-crossing, only Benson comes back to report mission accomplished. he will be gunned down by the Eiffel Tower by his own people. The mission was so secret that someone made sure "Dead can not speak."
- A South African girl is captured and forced to become a hooker. It is horrible for her, but she escapes and finds sanctuary and love on a remote game preserve. Unfortunately, her former employer finds her and carves up her face, causing her lover to head off for (quite bloody) revenge.
- Plain-looking Giovanni Testa can barely support his family from his artisan wharf. Angelic son Carlito is the meat in the sandwich when Giovanni's sexy wife Teresa bitterly compares him to his wealthy brother, ruthless businessman Enzo. Although innocent, Giovanni flees under the assumed name Guglielmo Razoni when Enzo is murdered just after they had a loud row when he asked in vain for a loan. Giovanni starts a new life as construction worker on a dam in the Dolomites, but gets entangled in more love and crime drama, while an old rival makes a move on Teresa.
- Sissy (a character Romy Schneider would later popularize in the 50s) is Duke Maximilian of Bavaria's favorite daughter.The gift of a necklace,meant for her, falls into the hands of a crooked circus director.
- An exhilarating view of skiing the German Alps, with a load in your pants.
- Little Europe, a town in the American West, is chosen as the site for a European Music Festival to be internationally broadcast on television. The election of judges jeopardizes the village's peace because the dormant antagonisms of the descendants of the Italians, Spanish, French, and Germans will be awakened.
- An Alpine adventure-romance.
- The famous British sleuth subverts the plans of a sinister gang to steal important business blueprints.
- Disgusted with conditions in Germany after WWII, a sailor returns to the coast of Chile where he had been serving and lives a solitary existence.Until he hears promising news of a different kind of government in his homeland.
- Eva is employed in a porcelain factory owned by Georg von Hochheim's grandmother, who asks him to take over the company and try to put it back into profitability. He takes on the project in the guise of a worker and falls in love with Eva. When his true identity becomes known, his motives and intentions are questioned.
- Extending south to Tuscany, Italy's mountainous western coast on the Gulf of Genoa is called, Liguria, a picture book country with paradisiacal cliffs, remote villages, bucket loads of sunshine and a region known as, Cinque Terre, that comprises five villages. Our journey begins in Genoa, the fifth largest city in Italy. A guided tour of the harbor is a good way to gain an understanding of this city which became a powerful economic force in the sixteenth century. The Palazzo Reale was once the residence of the Savoy-Piedmont royal family, with Piano Nobile (noble floor), gallery and hanging garden. Monterosso Al Mare is the first and largest of the five villages that comprise Cinque Terre, on the route south. It extends across two bays and two districts, separated by a rock. The modern district of Fegina has a long waterfront promenade, a well-kept sandy beach and a good range of accommodation. Vernazza is considered to be the most beautiful of the five villages mainly because of its location within a splendid bay. Corniglia has no direct access to the sea, but extends along a massive rocky plateau about a hundred meters above the sea. On the hilly outskirts is the San Pietro Church, built in 1334, with an elegant, decorated facade and a rose window of Carrara marble. Portovenere is situated on a long promontory in a remarkable location on the Ligurian coast. Just outside the famous Old Town are some splendid exclusive apartments, each with their own character. It was here that the Romans founded Veneris Portus, the 'Port of Venus'. The magic of Liguria is based on the contrast between a narrow Mediterranean coastal strip and steep, barren mountains. Whether you walk this scenic landscape or explore it by train or ship, Liguria is a special dream of romance and beauty.
- Women from around the world flock to a Swiss ski hotel after having received identical love letters from ski instructor Toni. Since he ignores all of the ladies Dorothy fakes an emergency on the mountain while he is on rescue duty.
- The first filmed winter ascent of the Matterhorn North Face. To set the scene, the tragic history of Edward Whymper's first ascent is expertly re-enacted. The modern expedition, a team of three Britihs climbers, is also plagued by epics: Eric Jones is hit by an avalanche and only manages to stop perilously near the edge of a 1000 ft drop. Then the worst storm ever recorded in Zermatt strikes the Matterhorn. With time and weather against them, the team is forced to climb in the dark while thunderstorms rumble around them. This adventure captures the skill and courage of the climbers, their agony and tension, and the beauty of the assault on this spectacular mountain.
- The fascinating underwater world that surrounds the legendary Cocos Island is a unique treasure. Its biodiversity and vast populations of marine life have turned it into a paradise for both divers and marine biologists alike. From the small harbor of Puntarenas, the journey of the Undersea Hunter and its experienced crew travels more than 500 kilometers in a southwesterly direction, far away from the economic problems of Costa Rica, to an unspoiled and natural world, once the haunt of pirates. The journey from the mainland to the isolated and remote Cocos Island takes a little over 30 hours. In the underwater caves, rocky alcoves and on the ocean bed around Cocos Island, there are huge numbers of Whitetip Sharks. Scientists and marine biologists, such as Frenchman, Jacques Cousteau, and Austrian, Hans Hass, developed much interest in the island and traveled to this remote location in the South Pacific to document the beauty of this special place. The plant life beneath the water is like that of an enchanting garden. Both the surroundings of Cocos Island and its marine flora are protected, as they form the basis of a unique habitat. Here it is rare to spot only a single fish, so diverse and full of life is the ocean close to the island that began to rise from the bottom of the Pacific around 2.5 million years ago as a result of volcanic activity. Due to this exceptional habitat and its fantastic biodiversity, it is no wonder that the waters of Cocos Island attract divers from all over the world. Nevertheless, the island and the sea creatures that inhabit its coastal waters have been spared mass tourism. Even though no one has discovered buried treasure, each member of the expedition has been made richer by their many wonderful impressions of this wonderful island.
- The magnificent history of Siam began in 1253, when several small kingdoms in the north of the country united and thus laid the foundation for the first true kingdom of the Thai people. Bangkok, the present metropolis and capital of Thailand, first attained importance at the end of the 18th century under the newly developed Chakri Dynasty, when it became their seat of government. The epoch of the Chakri kings still exists today and although the great palace district no longer serves as the king's residence, it is still one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bangkok. Wat Suthat is located in the eastern district of old Angkok and is one of the city's oldest temples. Construction of the temple began shortly after the coronation of the first Chakri monarch, King Rama The First. Prior to its completion during the reign of King Rama The Third, three other kings were responsible for the creation of the Buddhist sanctuary that covers an area of more than 40,000 square meters. For more than four centuries, Ayutthaya was one of the most prosperous royal cities in Indochina prior to the time when the internal power struggles of various rival members of the country's royal family led to the city's decline. Wat Mahathat, one of the oldest sanctuaries of the ancient capital, has one of the tallest and most impressive towers in Ayutthaya. King Boromaracha The Second had the temple built in honor of his two brothers, who had killed each other in a bitter and bloody struggle for the royal throne. Buddhism has always played a vital role in Thailand's history. It continues to be highly influential to the present day. The remains of the 'Temple of the Seven Rows of Chedis', the Wat Chedi Jet Thaew, is the greatest Buddhist monastery in Si Satchanalai. Within its 32 stupas are the cremated remains of various members of the kings who ruled over the northern region of Siam. Even now, the legendary kingdom of Siam, along with its fascinating cultural heritage, age old traditions and outstanding historic monuments, has a substantial influence in the modern Thailand of today.
- Armenia lies between Asia Minor and the Caucasus, a small country bordered by Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran and the first country in the world to adopt primeval Christianity in 301 A.D. It has been populated for thousands of years and numerous historical sites bear witness to its cultural heritage. A Land Of Cross Stones and the Armenian Church: a fascinating land between Europe and Asia.
- Our adventure begins in dense rainforests outside Cairns, in the north of Queensland, one of Australia's most popular tourist destinations. We are part of an expedition that will travel far from the tourist trail and into vast unspoiled regions in order to search for an extraordinary aborigine, the Walangee. A newly-ignited forest fire forces us to change direction and take an alternative route. On this occasion it is no problem, otherwise our entire expedition could be in jeopardy. Our new route travels along a gravel-covered forest road: a four wheel drive vehicle in this part of Queensland is an absolute necessity. Three rivers, the Lockhart, Pascoe and Jardine, as well as numerous small tributaries, flow across the pathless jungle area of the north coast of Australia. The rivers is a habitat for a large variety of very unusual creatures. We feel a little like how the first European discoverers of Australia must have felt. Cape York Peninsula was one of the first regions to be discovered by the first seafarers, long before Captain James Cook discovered the fifth continent. Within his hut, Chief Walangee is busy with the creation of a new harpoon. For the inhabitants of Cape York Peninsula, for thousands of years, the harpoon has been the most important hunting device. Today, the point of the harpoon is made of iron. Chief Walangee is one of the last authentic hunters of this region. We also visit one of the most famous diving sites in the world, the Great Barrier Reef, that consists of around a thousand islands and almost three thousand individual reefs. This journey into Australia's natural past has confirmed that it is one of the world's most untouched land masses, in which ancient traditions continue to be used for practical purposes, not just a tourist's carefully posed photo opportunity.
- There is almost no other country on Earth that possesses as many secrets and ancient legends as the Arabia Felix. The Bab-El-Mandeb, the gateway to Yemen, is the entrance to the historic district of Sana'a, Yemen's capital city that it is believed to date back to the 3rd Century A.D. Women are rarely to be seen in Yemen's market places and, when they are, they are hidden from male glances by a protective veil. Islam still plays an important role in the daily cultural life of the people, including the traditional market places that are almost exclusively a male domain. The Republic of Yemen covers a large part of the southwest Arabian Peninsula and contains several fascinating historical sites. East of Sana'a, on the ancient Frankincense route, is the town of Marib, that was once the residence of the legendary Queen of Saba and in the extreme north is the town of Sadah, a region known for its powerful tribes. In the center of the Djebel Harraz is the picturesque mountain village of Manakhah. Due to its location, it was once a strategic point on the ancient trading route between the sea and the highlands. The breathtaking architecture of its buildings still testifies to the former prosperity of a village that today is well known for its popular market. Al Hudaydah was once the most important Turkish harbor on the Red Sea. The city was a commercial rival of the British occupied city of Aden to the south which, during colonial times, was of great importance in securing a sea route to India. In addition to the recent modernization of the harbor, the fishing industry still plays an important role and the fertile coastal waters of the Red Sea still ensure a good catch. To the south of Al Hudaydah is the legendary old harbor of Mokha, the former center of the country's coffee trade from which the world renowned Mocha coffee derived its name. Despite their present poverty the people here are a proud race and the ancient name of the Yemen, Arabia Felix, or "Arabia the Content", is still a thing of the present.
- Iceland, an island of fire and ice, a land of geysers, volcanoes and lava deserts, remote and desolate, yet full of breathtaking natural beauty. The spectacle of numerous Solfatara formations ranges from fascinating bubbling mud holes to dramatic crevices that spew out hot steam. The sulphur laden mud pools can reach a temperature of up to 100 degrees Celsius. The surrounding terrain can suddenly give way, therefore the area can be extremely dangerous and should be approached with great caution. Although a tourist destination, Námaskard is far from overcrowded. This is most likely due to the ever present and highly obtrusive odor of sulphur expelled by its mud holes. The Námaskard region is not only one of the hottest areas of the island, it also forms the geological border between Europe and North America known as The Mid Atlantic Ridge. The scenery is indeed captivating and surreal and it is hardly surprising that countless myths and legends have been created on the island. Rising from the depths of the earth, the foul-smelling vapors of the Solfatara Fields and the volcanic surroundings of Námaskard probably once stimulated the imagination of the Vikings, Iceland's original inhabitants. Just outside the small town of Grindavik, near the capital of Reykjavik, a more down to earth though sensual ritual takes place. The Blue Lagoon is one of the most popular bathing areas on the island. Surrounded by lava, the water of this picturesque lake is a constant 38 degrees Celsius. The sonorous name of the Blue Lagoon is not derived from a natural phenomenon but from the waters of a nearby geothermal power plant. As one of the greatest natural paradises in Europe, Iceland is totally unique. This island in the North Atlantic unites in a most magical way the two great forces of Nature: scorching fire and eternal ice.
- The Pyramids of Giza are undoubtedly one of the most impressive and famous historic sites of ancient Egypt, the land of the Pharaohs, a land whose treasures are still, more than 4,000 years after their construction, remarkable. A total of 2.3 million stone blocks form the largest pyramid, the Cheops, that was built around 2560 B.C. on an elevated plateau, on the edge of the western desert. The huge contours of the pyramids of Giza still dominate Cairo's surrounding landscape. Their dimensions symbolize timeless power and in red shining colors, the sky announces the fall of dusk and highlights the dramatic, magical beauty of these monuments. The Step Pyramid of King Djoser rises up almost 70 meters above the ground and it was the world's first monumental stone building. Thus the Step Pyramid is often referred to as the 'mother of all pyramids'. A narrow maze-like corridor leads from the outside world into the dark depths of the pyramid and the Pharaoh's tomb. The flowering period of Thebes began in the Middle Empire when it became the new capital and lasted up until around the 14th Century B.C. when Memphis regained its importance and influence. Today, Thebes is closely connected with this town of death along the western shore of the Nile and the legendary Valley of the Kings. In 1922, the discovery of the royal tomb of Tutankhamen by British archaeologist, Howard Carter, was particularly important. After five years of excavation, the scientists were successful and the spectacular treasures surpassed their highest expectations. Although Tutankhamen died at the tender age of 19, his rule thus having little historical significance, the treasures in his tomb made him one of the most famous kings of Ancient Egypt. Today, his legendary sarcophagus, that is made entirely of gold, is exhibited in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Up until now, more than 70 tombs have been found in the neighboring Valley of the Queens. Princes who died at an early age were also buried there. The grave of Nefertari, the wife of Ramses the Second, is considered to be one of the most beautiful in the valley. The Land of the Pharaohs is a fantastic and colorful journey into the intriguing depths of ancient history.
- No other European country is as influenced by the interplay of both water and land as Finland. The impressive beauty of its unspoiled scenery is plain to see and yet most of Finland, despite each wonderful aspect of its natural landscape, is still sparsely populated. Its endless forests truly make Finland one of Europe's last great wildernesses. Only in Finland's modern capital of Helsinki does the population exceed more than 100 inhabitants per square kilometer. The city's cathedral has become one of the most famous landmarks in Helsinki that, along with the general ground plan of the entire city, can be traced back to a Prussian. Carl Ludwig Engel was the man responsible for the building and design of the Old Town and Classical Helsinki was born. Due to their strategic location, the islands of Suomenlinna, just outside Helsinki, played a central role in the country's defenses and were transformed into a huge fortress. Finland particularly lives up to its reputation as 'The Land of a Thousand Lakes'. In Karelia, huge forests have created a prosperous paper-making industry. Saimaa Lake is the fourth largest lake in Europe and covers an area of 4,300 square kilometers and together with several adjoining lakes, it is the largest body of lakeland in Europe. In the 1920s, the local media spread the word that Santa Claus did not live at the North Pole but in the extreme north of Finland. Since then, the Santa Claus Village has become a huge commercial success. The Santa Claus Post Office is open throughout the entire year, to both young and old alike and several shops offer a large range of souvenirs. With around 120,000 inhabitants, Oulu is the sixth largest city in Finland. Unlike the solitude of Lapland, the popular shopping center of Rotuaari has all the atmosphere of a major city. The extreme north of Europe is one of the last great natural habitats of this otherwise densely populated continent. Thus, the magnificent splendor of Suomi lives on right up until the present day.
- With its three ancient Nepalese royal cities, Kathmandu Valley, at the foot of the mighty Himalayas, contains some of the most precious treasures in Asia along with a truly unique and medieval atmosphere. However, the beauty of this country and its historic buildings have for many years been out of the reach of most foreigners. And even today, Nepalis are full of mystique. Kathmandu became increasingly important during the reign of the Malla sovereigns who created one of the city's main landmarks, Durbar Square. The Taleju Temple is located in the heart of the Durbar district. It is believed that in the 10th Century, King Gunakamadeva II founded the town. He moved his residence from Patan to today's Kathmandu. However, little of the architecture of that time has survived to the present day. The heart of Durbar Square, the richly decorated and spacious Hanuman Dhoka Palace, dates back much earlier. Not only because of its famous carved peacock windows but also due to its museum, Bhaktapur is the center of traditional Nepalese wood carving. Compared to other royal cities in Patan and Kathmandu, Bhaktapur is the most original and is without a doubt the most historically authentic. The city owes its remarkable buildings and renovations to comprehensive donations from several countries. Only essential work and modernization were undertaken and they eventually contributed to an improvement in the daily life of the local population. According to legend, the founding of Patan, with a population of over 150,000 and the second largest royal city in Nepal, dates back to Pre-Christian times. As opposed to the Malla cities of Khatmandu and Bhaktapur, that were mainly influenced by the Hindu religion, Patan was for many years a major Buddhist city. It is believed that it was founded in the 3rd century B.C. by the famous Buddhist emperor, Ashoka, who visited the town while on a pilgrimage from Northern India. Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patana are the three legendary royal cities of Nepal that still possess a mysterious and ancient power and continue to be the sacred sanctuary of Himalayan art.
- South East Asia is a fascinating, atmospheric and exotic world full of unspoiled nature and cultural treasures. A region in which both past and present live side by side and unite in a wonderful way. Myanmar, the Land of Golden Pagodas: for decades the rulers of what was once known as Burma closed the country's doors to the outside world and many of its fine religious sanctuaries were badly neglected but they have now gradually been given the respect that they deserve. Inlay Lake is home to the Inthas, one of the many tribes that came to Myanmar from various of South East Asia's neighboring countries. Throughout the area are the floating plantations of the Inthas on which tomatoes, cucumbers and beans are cultivated. A journey on the Shan State Express provides passengers with a fascinating insight into the life of the Shan people whose lives are dominated by agriculture. The northwest of Myanmar is known for its many splendid sacred buildings such as Mingun's Hsinbyume Pagoda, that was built at the beginning of the nineteenth century. It was constructed according to the architectural rules of Hindu Buddhist cosmology and symbolizes the World Mountain of Meru. One of Taiwan's most important centers of arts and crafts is located in the west of the island, Lukang, an ancient and idyllic town full of age-old traditions whose large number of beautiful temples is most impressive. In Cambodia and around 40 kilometers north of Phnom Penh, is the former capital city of Udong. Today, only the remains of the city's former splendid buildings indicate that it was the last center of Angkor's power with hundreds of dwellings and temples. The ruins of Ayutthaya indicate the impressive dimensions of the former capital of ancient Thailand and one of the mightiest royal cities in South East Asia.
- At first sight, there are few traces of this ancient and legendary place in northwest Libya but it once had three great cities, Sabratha, Leptis Magna and Oea. Tripoli, once named Oea, dates back to the 7th Century B.C. when Tripoli was an important trading center for the Carthaginians. As much as anything else, it is the local plants, majestic palm trees and impressive cacti that give Tripoli its Mediterranean atmosphere. Clearly, the influence of the sea is only present close to the coast, as a few kilometers inland is endless desert. An eye-catching landmark that dates back to the time of the corsairs is the Citadel in Tripoli's harbor. The Arabs enlarged the original Byzantine complex to a fortress and for a short spell, the city fell into the hands of the Spanish. Sabratha is the youngest of the three great cities of Tripolitania. Thanks to much restoration work, the Theatre is one of the most impressive architectural monuments of this once legendary trading city. The restored facade of the Roman stage building is one of the most beautiful to be seen anywhere. Columns of green-white Cipollino Marble with artistic capitols underline the extraordinary architectural charm of Sabratha's ancient theatre. Around 120 kilometers east of Tripoli is Tripolitania's third ancient metropolis of Leptis Magna, a unique excavation site. The oldest finds in Leptis Magna were made in a Punic cemetery that had been built on by the Romans. Under the rule of Carthage, Leptis Magna became an important trading metropolis until it fell into the hands of the Numidians. The remains of the legendary Tripolitania of antiquity continue to inspire even today and are proof of a great and golden epoch.
- Surrounded by the Himalayas, the highest mountains in the world, lies a hidden treasure, the highlands of Tibet, one of the most fascinating regions on Earth. In Lhasa, the capital of Tibet that is also known as 'city of the gods', religion plays a special role in the lives of its population and hordes of pilgrims pack themselves into the sacred route that leads around the Jokhang Temple, Lhasa's most important sacred building. The origin of the most famous building in Lhasa is the Potala Palace that dates back to the time of Songtsen Gampo in 637 A.D. It became known worldwide mainly due to its function as having been the former seat of government of Tibet and as the official residence of the Dalai Lama. Drepung Monastery was once the richest monastery in Tibet, as can be seen by the abundant furnishings of the monastery, despite the dramatic events of the more recent past. In contrast with many other Tibetan monasteries, this holy district suffered little destruction and the Cultural Revolution that was forced upon Tibet by China only brought about a temporary lull in the life of the monastery. One of the biggest and most important monuments of Tibet's sacred architecture is the amazing Kumbum Chorten, a three-dimensional mandala that can be entered. After the ritual journey through Kumbum Chorten, the route symbolically passes through the entire Buddhist path of deliverance to as far as Nirvana. Tibet, the 'land of holy monks', on the roof of the world, has a truly unique atmosphere and is most certainly a land that breathes original beauty and remarkable monastery culture.