20 Forbidden Places You’re Not Allowed to Visit (20 PICS)

CHAPEL OF THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, ETHIOPIA - It is believed by some that this chapel is the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant that holds the Ten Commandments.

PINE GAP, AUSTRALIA - Since 1970, Pine Gap has been a secretive monitoring facility jointly operated by the Australian government and the CIA.

DULCE BASE - Some believe that Dulce Base is home to extraterrestrials. It is an underground facility under the Archuleta Mesa in Dulce, New Mexico, United States.

BANK OF ENGLAND VAULTS - LONDON, ENGLAND - It is the second oldest central bank in the world, and the vault is a massive space greater than that of Tower 42, the third tallest building in the city.

SURTSEY - Surtsey’s eruption is among the longest eruptions to have ever occurred in Iceland in its entire history. It began in 1963 and ended in 1967.Except for a few scientists, no humans are allowed on the island so that natural ecological succession can take place without outside interference.

SNAKE ISLAND, BRAZIL - Off the shore of Brazil, this is an untouched island due to the mass volume of deadly snakes on the island.

MEZGHORYE, RUSSIA - This is reportedly Russia’s secret nuclear missile site that contains automatic ballistic missiles.

DISNEY CLUB 33 - This exclusive club is located at Disneyland, California. Even if you can find the entrance, the club is not open to the public.

JIANGSU NATIONAL SECURITY EDUCATION MUSEUM - This museum only allows Chinese citizens to visit because it contains classified documents and spy equipment.

GOOGLE DATA CENTER - Google’s first data center is in a highly secure location and with trillions of data records, it is as secure as Area 51.

LASCAUX CAVES, FRANCE - Deep in the South of France, Lascaux is a series of caves. The caves are famous for its Palaeolithic cave paintings, which are over 17,500 years old.

WHITE GENTLEMEN'S CLUB - Founded by Francis White in 1693, the White’s Club is the most famous gentlemen’s club in Britain. It does not accept any female members and any man who would like to join must be personally invited by a current member and have the approval from another two members – unless he is a member of the royal family, or a well-known celebrity.

NORTH SENTINEL ISLAND - In the Bay of Bengal, lies one of the Andaman Islands where a group of indigenous Sentinelese live. Their population is estimated to be between 50 and 400 individuals and they reject any contact with other people. The tribe is among the last on earth to remain virtually untouched by modern civilization. In 2006, two fishermen were killed when their boat drifted near the island.

AREA 51 - Area 51 is a military base in Nevada, which is primarily used for aircraft and weapon experiments. Despite its clear existence, the U.S. Government will not acknowledge it exists to this day.

COCA-COLA VAULT - The secret recipe has been guarded for over 125 years. Although people can pay to see the vault, the recipe continues to remain in hiding.

BOHEMIAN GROVE - Since 1873, Bohemian Grove has hosted top secret meetings for the richest and most powerful men in the world. It’s 2015, let’s get some ladies on the email list, huh?

RAF MINWORTH - Based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, RAF Minworth consists of complex buildings that support communications and intelligence support for the UK and U.S.

MOSCOW METRO-2 - This secret underground tube system was built during the dictatorship of Stalin. The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation does not confirm nor deny the existence of Metro-2.

ROOM 39 NORTH KOREA - Room 39 is a secretive organization, which was established back in the 1970’s. It’s rumored that the organization contains 10 to 20 bank accounts in both China and Switzerland.

VATICAN SECRET ARCHIVE - This is no ordinary library, this sacred vault contains historical records from the church, which are all technically owned by the pope.

Via http://www.yourdailydish.com/galleries/places-youre-not-allowed-to-visit/1

Expressive Photos Reveal a Rare, Alternative View of Iran

Via 9gag

Montréal’s Notre-Dame Basilica

Montréal’s Notre Dame Basilica in Quebec, Canada, is one of the most stunning examples of Gothic Revival architecture in the world. Built in 1823, this beautiful Roman Catholic church is a popular tourist stop for its amazing architecture, dramatic interior, and enthralling choral and organ performances. Notre Dame Basilica is a National Historic Site of Canada and a Montréal landmark. The church was also the wedding site of Celine Dion, a singer famous for her chart-topping hit “My Heart Will Go On” from the Titanic soundtrack.

The Rila Monastery Recreated With 6 Millions Matchsticks

This is the work of Bulgarian artist Plamen Ignatov, who has been developing a replica of the Rila Monastery using only matchsticks. 

The Rila Monastery is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. At the heart of this monastery's history is the story of the medieval hermit Ivan. He was born in the 970's, and chose seclusion because of the moral decline during the reign of the Bulgarian Tsar Peter. He retreated to the almost inaccessible Rila Mountains. There he worked on his ideas, that were aimed at the underprivileged and for equality between people. His cave became a place of veneration for the Bulgarian people.

Photo: EPA / Vassil Donev

Bishop Castle

Bishop Castle started as a family construction project situated in the Wet Mountains of Southern Colorado in the San Isabel National Forest located North West of Rye, Colorado

Construction of the castle began in 1969 when Bishop began construction on a family cottage, which he decided to surround with rocks. Several neighbors noted that the structure looked something like a castle. Bishop took this into consideration and soon began building his castle. He bought the land when he was fifteen for a price of $1,250. He has faced numerous challenges with the local and state government over ownership and activities on the site.

Daily Life Portraits By Mitchell Kanashkevich

Mitchell Kanashkevich is an oft-published travel/documentary photographer, whose main passion resonates with those of us who are described as "ethno-photographers". Much of his work is in capturing disappearing ancient cultures and the human condition in unique, challenging situations. Much of his travel/documentary photography is represented by Getty Images, while his cultural portraits, both color and black and white, are in private collections.