The Kingdom of Pagan (also commonly known as the Pagan Dynasty and the Pagan Empire) was the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute modern-day Burma (Myanmar). Pagan's 250-year rule over the Irrawaddy valley and its periphery laid the foundation for the ascent of Burmese language and culture, the spread of Burman ethnicity in Upper Burma, and the growth of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and in mainland Southeast Asia.

A member of a rival team walks during an annual carnival battle with oranges in the northern Italian town of Ivrea February 15, 2015. Dressed up as Middle Age kings' guards, a group of men ride in a horse-drawn carriage and pelt “foot soldiers” with oranges as thousands of people gather to re-enact a Middle Age battle when the townsfolk of Ivrea overthrew an evil king. In a strange twist, instead of swords and cross bows, these days the weapons of choice are oranges. (Photo by Max Rossi/Reuters)

Seven-year-old Dihan Awallidan from Garut, West Java, is not like other boys his age. While most children crave chocolate and candy, Dihan is addicted to cigarettes. The second-grader picked up the habit at the age of 3 and now smokes up to three packs a day, using the pocket money he gets from his enabling parents to feed his addiction. (Photo by Rezza Estily/JG Photo)

A Russian police officer detains a teenager during rally protesting retirement age hikes in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, September 9, 2018. A government plan to increase the age for collecting state pensions brought protests across Russia's 11 time zones on Sunday even though the opposition leader who called them was in jail. Nearly 300 people were reported arrested. (Photo by Roman Pimenov/Interpress photo via AP Photo)

An employee brings a photo of late Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida for the installation of her lying in state, to allow the public to pay their respects, at Rome's Capitoline Hill on January 18, 2023. Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida, one of the last icons of the Golden Age of Hollywood, has died aged 95, culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said on Twitter on January 16. (Photo by Tiziana Fabi/AFP Photo)

Some of the worlds most iconic cities have been photographed as youve never seen them before in the shape of tiny round planets. By using a pioneering method of aerial photography, each location can be now seen at a full 360 degree angle. After some skilful manipulation on Photoshop known technically as stereographic projection, each sweeping panorama is then turned into a small circular shaped image. Whether its the Eiffel Tower, The Empire State Building or the Shanghai Skyline, each image manages to show hundreds of miles of city landscape. Here: the French Riveria of Cannes, France. (Photo by Airpano/Caters News)

Buzludzha is a historical peak in the Central Stara Planina, Bulgaria and is 1441 metres high. In 1868 it was the place of the final battle between Bulgarian rebels led by Hadji Dimitar and Stefan Karadzha and the Ottoman Empire. The Buzludzha Monument on the peak was built by the Bulgarian communist regime to commemorate the events in 1891 when the socialists led by Dimitar Blagoev assembled secretly in the area to form an organised socialist movement with the founding of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party, a fore-runner of the Bulgarian Communist Party. The Monument was opened in 1981. No longer maintained by the Bulgarian government, it has fallen into disuse. Buzludzha is reached by a 12 km side road from the Shipka Pass.