The Wellington Arch and its companion Marble Arch have interesting histories.  The English Heritage guidebook introduction gives a brief overview:

Usually built to commemorate a great victory, the triumphal arch was a familiar feature of the Roman world.  In the 1820s, this classical model was adapted by two of the finest architects on the day: Decimus Burton used it for the Wellington Arch, and John Nash copied the Arch of Constantine in Rome as the basis for the Marble Arch.  This was no mere accident, since both arches were indeed mean to serve as victory monuments.  After much public lobbying, Britain was at last to have appropriate memorials marking its military and naval triumphs over Napoleonic France.

The patron behind these works was King George IV, who had long been greatly interested in architecture.  His vision was that of a grand ceremonial route into his newly planned metropolitan residence, Buckingham Palace.  The Wellington Arch would serve as the outer entrance at the top of Constitution Hill, and the Marble Arch would open gloriously into the courtyard of the palace itself.

The guidebook goes onto explain the context for design and construction of each arch and also their turbulent later histories, including their complete removal to fresh sites in the Victorian era, through to the present day.

A rooftop in Brussels or to be more precise part of the statue that adorns the top of the triumphal arch which is the centrepiece of the Cinquantenaire.

For more of this weeks PhotoHunt pictures check out tnchick.

From the top of the triumphal arch in Brussels the ground seems very low and the car underpass even lower still. The arch was erected in 1905 and is the centre piece of the Parc du Cinquantenaire  (Jubelpark), which is an urban park of 30 hectares. The park is home to three museums and a mosque.

If you look closely you 4 people meditating in the middle of the grass, they looked like statues. Lots of passers by stopped and did a double take just to be sure they weren’t.

For more of this weeks PhotoHunt pictures check out tnchick.