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The Wieliczka Salt Mine ((ポーランド語:Kopalnia soli Wieliczka)), located in the town of Wieliczka in southern Poland, lies within the Kraków metropolitan area. Opened in the 13th century, the mine produced table salt continuously until 2007, as one of the world's oldest salt mines in operation. Throughout, the Royal mine was run by the ''Żupy krakowskie'' Salt Mines company.〔("Wieliczka – The Salt of the Earth" ) at the WieliczkaSaltMine.net. . 〕〔(Ancient salt-works. Wieliczka ) ''see:'' carving by Jozef Markowski, late 19th century. (Internet Archive). Retrieved July 31, 2013.〕 Commercial mining was discontinued in 1996 due to low salt prices and mine flooding.〔("Wieliczka – The Salt of the Earth" ) at the WieliczkaSaltMine.net. . 〕〔(Ancient salt-works. Wieliczka ) ''see:'' carving by Jozef Markowski, late 19th century. (Internet Archive). Retrieved July 31, 2013.〕 The mine's attractions include dozens of statues and four chapels carved out of the rock salt by the miners. The older sculptures have been supplemented with new carvings made by contemporary artists. About 1.2 million people visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine annually.〔 The mine is one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments (''Pomniki historii''), as designated in the first round, 16 September 1994. Its listing is maintained by the National Heritage Board of Poland. The Wieliczka Salt Mine helped inspire the Labyrinth scenes in Bolesław Prus' 1895 historical novel, ''Pharaoh''.〔Christopher Kasparek, "Prus' ''Pharaoh'' and the Wieliczka Salt Mine," ''The Polish Review'', 1997, no. 3, pp. 349–55.〕 Prus combined his powerful 1878 impressions of the salt mine with the description of the ancient Egyptian Labyrinth, in Book II of Herodotus' ''Histories'', to produce the remarkable scenes found in chapters 56 and 63 of his novel.〔Christopher Kasparek, "Prus' ''Pharaoh'': the Creation of a Historical Novel", ''The Polish Review'', vol. XXXIX, no. 1, 1994, p. 47.〕 ==History== The Wieliczka salt mine reaches a depth of and is over long. The rock salt is naturally grey in various shades, resembling unpolished granite rather than the white or crystalline look that many visitors may expect. During World War II, the shafts were used by the occupying Germans as an ad-hoc facility for various war-related industries. The mine features an underground lake; and the new exhibits on the history of salt mining, as well as a touring route (less than 2% of the length of the mine's passages) that includes historic statues and mythical figures carved out of rock salt in distant past. More recent sculptures have been fashioned by contemporary artists. The Wieliczka mine is often referred to as "the Underground Salt Cathedral of Poland." In 1978 it was placed on the original UNESCO list of the World Heritage Sites. Even the crystals of the chandeliers are made from rock salt that has been dissolved and reconstituted to achieve a clear, glass-like appearance. It also houses a private rehabilitation and wellness complex. There is a legend about Princess Kinga, associated with the Wieliczka mine. The Hungarian noblewoman was about to be married to Bolesław V the Chaste, the Prince of Kraków. As part of her dowry, she asked her father for a lump of salt, since salt was prizeworthy in Poland. Her father King Béla took her to a salt mine in Máramaros. She threw her engagement ring from Bolesław in one of the shafts before leaving for Poland. On arriving in Kraków, she asked the miners to dig a deep pit until they come upon a rock. The people found a lump of salt in there and when they split it in two, discovered the princess's ring. Kinga had thus become the patron saint of salt miners in and around the Polish capital.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=History of Wieliczka Salt Mine )〕 During the Nazi occupation, several thousand Jews were transported from the forced labour camps in Plaszow and Mielec to the Wieliczka mine to work in the underground armament factory set up by the Germans. However, manufacturing never began as the Soviet offensive was nearing. Some of the machines and equipment was disassembled, including an electrical hoisting machine from the Regis Shaft, and transported to Liebenau in the Sudetes mountains. Part of the equipment was returned after the war, in autumn 1945. The Jews were transported to factories in the Czech Republic and Austria.〔http://www.wieliczka-saltmine.com/visiting/tourist-route/history〕 In 2010 it was successfully proposed that the nearby historic Bochnia Salt Mine (Poland's oldest salt mine) be added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. The two sister salt mines now appear together in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites as the "Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines".〔( Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines. ) UNESCO World Heritage Site.〕 In 2013 the UNESCO World Heritage Site was expanded by the addition of the Żupny Castle. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Wieliczka Salt Mine」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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