Friday, February 22, 2013

The 'Rose' and its History through the Lens!


The 'Rose' and its History through the Lens!

"A single rose can be my garden...a single friend, my world." - Mark Overby

"A single rose can be my garden...a single friend, my world." - Mark Overby
Photo Credits: Taken from
- http://fototelegraf.ru/?p=107874
I want to run over rose petals,
I want to lie in rose petals,
I want to fall onto a bed of rose petals,
I want passion through rose petals,
I want to be covered with rose petals,
I want to doze off in rose petals,
I want to ... (And the list can go on and on and on)


The Rose ... So what comes to your mind when you hear this word? Well, everyone can say for sure that its a very beautiful and unique flower. The rose is considered to be the queen among the other existing flowers, and is often associated with love, romance, beauty, and pleasure. Some say that roses are similar to women, who much similar to the rose come in different petals. You know what we mean!
 
They are graceful, refined, enigmatic, and sometimes capricious, but very lovely. Everyone is impressed with the beauty of this flower and its sweet divine smell. The rose has made lots of poets admire it in their brilliant poems. For example, the poem "A Red, Red Rose" by Robert Burns: "O My Luve's like a red, red rose. That's newly sprung in June."

Or the other English fork verse about roses, that is very popular and widespread all over the world, such as: "Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you.!"

The Little Prince!
A famous French fairy tale... 

Little Prince




"You are responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.
You are responsible for your rose." by Antoine de Saint-Exupery


 
Photo Credits: Taken from the website - 

The rose is also one of the main characters in the famous French fairy-tale "The Little Prince", written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. "The Little Prince had never seen such big flower buds before, and he fore felt that he would see a real wonder. The unseen guest, hidden in the walls of her green room, was still preparing and smartening up. She was choosing colors very thoroughly, and was dressing up unhurriedly by looking over each petal one by one. She didn't want to come out to the world like a disheveled poppy. She wanted to appear in all the splendor of her beauty. Mysterious preparations continued day after day. And one morning, when the sun had risen, her soft petals opened out all of a sudden. That unseen flower that had been born by the suns rays was a magnificent rose, who apologized in front of the Little Prince for being a bit disheveled. But the Little Prince was simply speechless and couldn't find any words to express the beauty of the Rose. The rose was a real coquette, arrogant, sensitive about her beauty, very boastful, choosy, but above all, very attractive that you just couldn't take your eyes of her".

Like on the mysterious planet of the little prince and all over the world, in Minsk, the capital of the Republic of Belarus, you will also find an amazing place where you can enjoy the beauty of various species of roses. This fascinating place is called the 'Central Botanical Garden', founded in 1932 and located in the center of the capital of Belarus, in a very picturesque place, next to the 'Cheluskincev Park'. The Central Botanical Garden welcomes amateurs and experts of the beauty of roses in summer (July, August). And in our Squidoo lens, we want to present the beauty of roses through our photos that were taken in the Central Botanical Garden in Minsk for which we are sincerely grateful to our Otelbookers in-house Company Photographer who goes by the name of Anatoli.

Did You Know?
1. Did you know the country of origin of the 'Rose'?
2. Did you know what the 'Rose' symbolized in ancient times?
3. Did you know what the 'Rose' was use for and by whom in history?

History of the 'Rose'

Photo Credits: Taken from website -  
The question about the country of origin of roses is a rather controversial one as some historians believe that for the first time the rose was cultivated as a plant on the territory of modern Turkey. Approximately 5000 years ago the Sumerian King - Saragon brought the rose to his land after returning back from the military campaign. Slowly from that city the rose was transferred from place to place including such countries as Greece, Crete, Egypt, and Syria.

Other historians believe that the origin country of the rose is Persia that was called 'Gyulista' in ancient times meaning the garden of roses. There are some legends that prove these data. Muslims cherish the rose as a holy flower. According to one of those legends, the rose was created by Allah.

In ancient Greece there were some ways of growing roses. The contemporary of Alexander the Great - Theophrastus, who was a very famous Greek naturalist and botanist, gave a detailed description of various roses and tips how to care for them in his book "The Natural History".

Rose Wreaths!


Rose Wreaths


The art of growing roses had been transferred from Ancient Greeks to Ancient Romans, who made it really flourish. In ancient Rome the rose was considered to be the symbol of moral, courage, and success. Before going to the war, Romans used to put wreaths made from roses on their heads instead of iron helmets so as to strengthen their courage. That time ceremonial halls, where various feasts and solemn events took place, were also decorated with garlands of roses.

Rose Petals in Wine!
Cleaopetra's Love for Mark Antony... 
Cleaopetra & Mark Antony
Photo Credits: Taken from the website(s):
In ancient Rome, there was the tradition during friendly feasts to throw rose petals from wreaths that Romans wore on their heads to glasses with wine. They drank wine with rose petals in token of respect towards the person from whose rose wreath they were taken.

The famous Egyptian queen - Cleopatra while waiting for Marc Antony, the Roman general to come to her palace, and had asked her servants to cover the whole floor with a thick layer of rose petals. After that, Cleopatra gave an order to cover her wreath of roses with a strong poison in order to prove her sincere love to Mark Antony. When Mark Antony wanted to sip wine with rose petals from Cleopatra's wreath vowing of his love to Cleopatra, she suddenly stopped him saying the following phrase: "You can see, Antony, how easy it could be for me to get rid of you if I only could live without you!" After that Cleopatra gave the drink to a slave who was condemned to death.

Falling Roses during the Feasts!
Falling rose petals
Photo Credits: Taken from website
- http://light-slide.com/uploads/media/slideshow/0001/01/thumb_14_slideshow_big.jpg

For a long time, in The Roman Empire, Romans could grow roses only in warm seasons of the year that's why noble citizens of Rome ordered whole ships full of wonderful roses from Egypt. Only some time later Romans started to grow roses in greenhouses all round the year.

After the collapse of the Roman Empire, both in Rome and various countries of Europe, roses faced a great decline. First Christianity considered the rose to be the symbol of immorality, and luxury, as it reminded of sins of patricians. For example, the Roman emperor Nero had a very beautiful luxurious dining-room where during feasts the ceiling and walls moved depicting four seasons of the year: summer, spring, autumn, and winter, and instead of rain drops and hailstones millions and millions rose petals were falling over his guests.

The Rose!
A symbol of Holiness... 

Rose - Symbol of Holiness
Photo Credits: Taken from the website(s):
- http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5349/7416706948_9c06846196_z.jpg
- http://cs302109.userapi.com/v302109637/1cc4/qzT-Q-XO5ds.jpg

However, with the development of Christianity that dislike towards the rose slowly disappeared. The Church called this flower Rosa Alba that meant a paradise flower in Latin. The rose became a protector of kind and good deeds, and was made devoted to the Most Holy Mother of God.

The Symbol of the Rose!
On the coats of arms on the Tudors.

In the epoch of crusades, returning backfrom the East, knights brought new types of roses. They believe that it was the crusaders who brought such a kind of rose as the rose damask (Rosa damascene) to Europe.

The symbol of the Rose - the Tudors
In England the rose was unknown almost till the beginning of the 15th century. In this country it appeared shortly before the Thirty Years War for conquering the throne. They also called it the War of the Roses. As on the coat of arms of the Lancaster family there was the red rose, and on the coat of arms of Yorkies, there was an image of the white rose. Those two noble families could not struggle for the throne any more as they were very exhausted. After The Thirty Years War, The Tudors took power into their own hand, and managed to put an end to the existing dissension as they put both the roses - white and red on their coat of arms. On the English coins of that time, there was the image of King Henry VI together with the image of white and red roses. Since that time, the rose has been the symbol of the British royal family.

European roses were transferred to America by English colonists at the beginning of the 17th century. In North America there were other types of roses such as the Rosa Virginiana, and the Rosa Carolina. The Rosa Sitegera or Prairie rose gave rise to another kind of Rode known as the climbing roses.

Napoleon and his wife Josephine and her love for Roses! 

Napoleon & Josephie
Photo Credits: Taken from the website
By the 18th century, the art of growing of roses had become a favorite craze of people in many European countries. Gardeners of France were the most interested in it. The organizer of the 1st rosary in Europe, located in Malmaison (the outskirts of Paris), was the empress of France - Josephine, the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. In her collection there were about 250 species of various roses that had been brought to France from Mediterranean, China, South America under orders of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Cargo Shipment of Tea Roses!

Tea Roses
Photo Credits: Taken from the website(s):


In Russia people started to grow roses in their gardens only in the time of Peter I. In China and India roses were grown for thousands and thousands years. Rosa chinensis or Chinese rose was brought to Holland and later to England. At the beginning of the 19th century, Rosa tea or Tea-rose was transferred to Europe from India. Asian seafarers brought these flowers to Europe by ships, and their main cargo in ship holds was tea. That's why the Tea rose got such a name.

'Rose' - The Queen of the flowers!
View our gallery images of beautiful roses.

Without doubts, it is possible to say that the rose is the queen of all the flowers. As it has been always loved, worshiped, and chanted by people since immemorial times. They have created about the rose an endless amount of sagas, as it has really played a prominent role in the history of mankind.

"Life is a rose; beware of the thorns."
Famous Thinkexist Quotes








"The rose speaks of love silently, in a language known only to the heart."
Famous Thinkexist Quotes

Roses - Botanical Garden in Minsk
Even the Spider spins its web around the magnificent Rose!

















"Beauty without virtue is like a rose without scent."
Famous Thinkexist Quote

Roses - Botanical Garden in Minsk
"But he that dares not grasp the thorn Should never crave the rose." by Anne Bront Famous Thinkexist Quotes


Roses - Botanical Garden in Minsk







"The rose speaks of love silently, in a language known only to the heart."
Famous Thinkexist Quotes

Roses - Botanical Garden in Minsk








"The fragrance always remains in the hand that gives the rose."
Famous Thinkexist Quotes

Roses - Botanical Garden in Minsk














"Love is like a rose. It looks beautiful on the outside...but there is always pain hidden somewhere."
Famous Thinkexist Quotes

Roses - Botanical Garden in Minsk






















"A thorn defends the rose, harming only those who would steal the blossom."
Famous Thinkexist Quotes

Roses - Botanical Garden in Minsk













"Man is harder than iron, stronger than stone and more fragile than a rose."
Famous Thinkexist Quotes

Roses - Botanical Garden in Minsk
"A rose is a rose is a rose"
Famous Thinkexist Quotes

Roses - Botanical Garden in Minsk
"The rose is a flower of love!"
Roses - Botanical Garden in Minsk
"But friendship is the breathing rose, with sweets in every fold." by Oliver Wendell Holmes
Famous Thinkexist Quotes

Roses - Botanical Garden in Minsk
"Be a rose which gives fragrance even to those who crushes it."
Famous Thinkexist Quotes

Roses - Minsk Botanical Garden








"He who wants a rose must respect the thorn."
Famous Thinkexist Quotes

Roses - Minsk Botanical Garden






Red Roses in the Botanical Garden

Roses - Minsk Botanical Garden
"Love thou the rose, yet leave it on its stem."
Famous Thinkexist Quotes


Roses - Minsk Botanical Garden
"If I had a rose for every time I thought of you, I'd be picking roses for a lifetime."
Famous Thinkexist Quotes

Roses - Minsk botanical Garden







"Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses."
Famous Thinkexist Quotes

Roses - Minsk Botanical Garden








"Those who don't pick roses in summer won't pick them in winter either"
Famous Thinkexist Quotes

Roses - Minsk Botanical Garden
Even a Bee finds a place to rest in the warmth of the Rose petals!


Beautiful Rose Bushes!

Roses - Minsk Botanical Garden








"The only rose without a thorn is friendship."
Famous Thinkexist Quoes



Wonderful Yellow Roses!


Roses - Minsk Botanical Garden







"Marriage is like life - it is a field of battle, not a bed of roses." by Robert Louis Stevenson
Famous Thinkexist Quotes



"Truths and roses have thorns about them." by Henry David Thoreau
Famous Thinkexist Quotes


Roses - Minsk Botanical Garden
"As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round." by Ben Hogan
Famous Thinkexist Quotes


Roses - Minsk Botanical Garden
Even a Fly stopped on its way just to smell the Rose!


Roses - Minsk Botanical Garden
"God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December."
Famous Thinkexist Quotes


Roses - Minsk Botanical Garden
"Take time to smell the roses"
Famous Thinkexist Quotes


Roses - Minsk Botanical Garden













Princess Diana - The 'Rose

Photo Credits: Taken from the website - http://www.blingee.com
August 31, 1997 - May Her Soul Rest in Peace!

"Goodbye England's Rose" - By Elton John
The Candle in the wind for Princess Diana who was a Beautiful "Rose"

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