The Buzludzha Monument in Bulgaria is one of the world's strangest buildings.

It's a sort of concrete UFO in the mountains which has been totally abandoned since 1989.

And it also represents one of the strangest architectural movements in history... The Buzludzha Monument was built as the ceremonial headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party.

Designed by Georgi Stoilov, construction started in 1974 and it was completed in 1981.

The monument is supposed to represent a laurel wreath next to a flagpole.

You can learn a lot about history just by looking at the words we use.

Like algorithm, which is descended from the name of a 9th century Persian polymath called al-Khwarizmi.

So, from romantic to cynical, here are the strange stories behind 12 incredibly normal words... 1. Left Wing and Right Wing

In the French Assembly, after the revolution of 1789, supporters of the monarchy (i.e. conservatives) sat to the right of President and supporters of the new regime (i.e. progressives) sat to his left.

A literal meaning that became ideological.

This is the Chapel del Rosario in Puebla, Mexico.

When it was finished 334 years ago they called it the Eighth Wonder of the World.

See, people usually associate Baroque Architecture with Europe, but some of the best Baroque is in Latin America... Baroque is one of the most distinctive styles of architecture — you know it when you see it.

Extravagant, opulent, maximalist, and full of movement.

It is defined by curved rather than straight lines, lavish decorations, and large, open spaces.

An introduction to Johannes Vermeer: Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) is considered one of history's greatest painters — but during his lifetime he wasn't known beyond Delft, his hometown.

He lived during the Dutch Golden Age, which was an era of cultural, political, and economic flourishing in the Netherlands.

Petra, in Jordan, is one of the most famous places in the world.

But what is it? How old is it? And who built it?

The story begins with an ancient civilisation you've probably never heard of... The entrance to Petra is unremarkable.

Hidden away in Wadi Arabah, in southern Jordan, there is a small valley surrounded by mountains.

It is called Wadi Musa, meaning the Valley of Moses, and at its edge there is a small opening in the cliffs.

On the front of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. there is a small sculpture of Darth Vader, added in the 1980s.

It seems anachronistic, but this is probably the most authentically Gothic thing about the cathedral.

Here's why... What do you think of when you hear the words "Gothic Architecture"?

Probably pointed arches, flying buttresses, stained glass windows, soaring vaults, and gargoyles.

Something like Notre-Dame in Paris:

This is Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, built in the 1920s.

Why so grand? Because Hollywood was making 800 films per year and 75% of the American population went to the movies weekly.

What were they watching? Well, 1920s cinema was much stranger than you realise... Movies had been around since the late 1880s, first as short reels and then as increasingly impressive feature films in the 1910s.

Like Cabiria, an Italian film from 1914, which is sometimes called the first historical epic, with thousands of extras and colossal sets.

This is the Leshan Giant Buddha in China, carved into the cliffs to watch over the treacherous river below.

It is 1,221 years old and an incredible 71 metres tall.

Impressive — but it's only the 9th biggest Buddha statue in the world... The Leshan Giant Buddha is carved into a red sandstone cliff in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, near the city of Leshan.

It sits opposite Mount Emei, one of China's Four Sacred Mountains, where the first Buddhist temple in China was built.

An introduction to Claude Monet: The year is 1862.

Four young painters at the French Academy of Fine Arts — Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Frédéric Bazille — realise they have something in common.

See, Academic painting took place in studios, with models, much like this:

This is Borgund Church in Norway, made entirely out of wood and built over 800 years ago.

It is a "stave church", an incredibly unusual type of Medieval building.

What makes them so special? Well, there are only 30 original stave churches in the world... Norway officially adopted Christianity in the 11th century.

And they started building churches, entirely of wood, often on sites once used for pagan worship.

This boom in church construction continued for three hundred years and culminated in wonders like Heddal Stave Church.

It sounds like a boring topic, but air conditioning is more important than you realise.

First: there are 2 billion air con units in the world and they account for 10% of all electricity we use.

Second: it has revolutionised architecture and totally reshaped global politics... In 1901 a New York publishing company had a problem: inconsistent humidity in their factory made it difficult to print in colour.

An engineer called Willis Carrier solved this problem for them by inventing a machine which regulated both humidity and temperature.

The evolution of skyscraper design: The history of skyscrapers can be divided into five ages.

First is historical buildings which were tall — though not necessarily what we think of when we hear the word "skyscraper".

Like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, a belltower, completed in 1372 after two centuries' work:

From the Byzantines to Brutalism, here's a brief introduction to the architecture of Eastern Europe: The architectural history of Eastern Europe is fascinating — and differs greatly from Western Europe.

It is also ancient: the oldest gold treasure in the world was discovered in Bulgaria, a country which is also home to the ancient tombs of the kings of Thrace:

To celebrate William Shakespeare's 460th birthday, here are his 46 best (and strangest) insults: 1) "Would thou wert clean enough to spit upon."
~Timon of Athens

2) "You, minion, are too saucy."
~The Two Gentleman of Verona

3) "Thou damned and luxurious mountain goat."
~Henry V

Only one building in London is allowed to have a thatched roof — the Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare acted and plays like Hamlet were first performed.

But this isn't the original Globe Theatre; that burned down 400 years ago.

This one is less than 30 years old... In the 1590s William Shakespeare was part-owner of an acting company called The Lord Chamberlain's Men.

He wrote their plays and even took part in performances.

They were based in a playhouse in north London, simply called The Theatre.

A brief introduction to the architecture of universities:

Starting with Kyung Hee University in South Korea... The great scholar Erasmus once said that the main hope of every society lies in the education of its youth.

What he said 500 years ago remains true.

But it's not only about what you teach; it's also about where you teach.

Exactly 200 years ago today one of history's most influential and controversial writers died.

He kept a pet bear at university, (allegedly) had an affair with his half-sister, fought for Greek Independence — and also wrote some poetry.

This is the story of Lord Byron... Byron dominated 19th century European culture.

Artists including Hayez, Delacroix, and Turner painted scenes from his poems, and composers including Beethoven, Verdi, and Tchaikovsky set his work to music.

A cultural icon who has shaped literature for two centuries.

"Hanami" is underway in Japan — the season when people gather to watch cherry blossom trees, or sakura, in bloom.

It is an ancient tradition that has since become globally popular, with similar gatherings all around the world.

But hanami isn't just about pretty flowers... The place to begin is with an old story about the King of Persia. He supposedly gathered the wisest men in the land and asked them if there was any sentence which would always be true, whenever it was spoken.

They found an answer — this too shall pass.

As Abraham Lincoln said:

A brief history of the colour orange: First: the word itself.

A strange word, one of few that famously cannot be rhymed.

It comes to modern English from Middle English, itself from Old French, via a host of other languages, originating in Sanskrit and before that Dravidian, as a name for the fruit.

150 years ago today, at precisely 8pm, the world of art changed forever.

What happened? A small, independent art exhibition opened in Paris.

It was a financial failure and barely 3,000 people went — but, in time, these artists would come to be known as "the Impressionists"... 15th April. 1874. Paris.

On the top floor of the studio of a photographer called Nadar, at No. 35 on the Boulevard des Capucines, about 170 works of art have been gathered for an exhibition.

It is hosted by the "Société anonyme des artistes peintres, sculpteurs, graveurs, etc."

It sounds oddly specific, but 19th century drain pipes were quite something... You probably wouldn't notice these if you walked past them — we are accustomed to ignore drain pipes, of course — but, stop for a minute, and you'll find peculiar monsters staring back at you.

Perhaps not pretty, but certainly interesting.