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Tallest summit cross: The Heroes' Cross on Caraiman Peak

Dec 07, 2019

The actual construction was done by the Heroes' Cult Society that mobilized a large number of young people.

Tallest summit cross: The Heroes' Cross on Caraiman Peak
Mount Caraiman, Prahova, Romania--The Heroes' Cross on Mount Cairaman, also called 'The Commemorative Cross to the Romanian Heroes of the First World War', a monument built between 1926 and 1928 on Caraiman Peak at an altitude of 2,291m located in Romania, in the Bucegi Mountains of the Southern Carpathians,  has a height of 36 metres (118 ft), which is a world record for the Tallest summit cross, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.

The name of the monument is "The Heroes' Cross", but it is popularly known as the "Cross on Caraiman".

The width of the vertical pole is 2 metres (7 ft), the horizontal arms have a length by spindle pole of 7 metres (23 ft), and a square cross section with sides of 2 metres (7 ft).The cross is made out of steel profiles and is mounted on a pedestal of concrete clad with stone 7.5 metres (25 ft) high.

Inside the pedestal there is a room that originally housed the electric generator that powered the 120 light bulbs of 500 W each located on the perimeter of the cross.

The Heroes' Cross was built between 1926 and 1928 in the memory of the railway heroes who died on duty in World War I fighting against the armies of the Central Powers. The cross was erected at the initiative of Marie of Edinburgh and King Ferdinand of Romania in order to be seen from a large distance as possible.

The overall project was developed by Romanian architects Georges Cristinel and Constantin Procopiu. The construction of the monument began in 1926 and was completed in August 1928.

The monument was made of metal sleepers joined by riveting in a network pattern. The actual construction was done by the Heroes' Cult Society that mobilized a large number of young people. Tools, wood, metal parts, the remaining components and all the necessary materials were transported by train to the Buşteni railway station.

From here some metal beams and other building materials were transported by oxen on the route Buşteni - Sinaia - Păduchiosul Peak - Dichiu Peak - Bucegi Plateau - Caraiman Peak and the remaining materials were transported by the funicular owned by the Buşteni Paper Mill. The funicular transported different parts along the Jepilor Valley all the way to Schiel Canton, where they were taken on narrow trails with horses and donkeys to the top of the Caraiman Peak.

The monument is currently administrated by the Buşteni City Council. Nowadays, at night, the Cross on Caraiman is illuminated with 300 light bulbs of 500 W each and can be seen from dozens of miles away, on the Prahova Valley.
The GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for the  largest human image of a cross consists of 13,309 people, and was achieved by the International Pathfinder Camporee (USA) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA, on 17 August 2019.

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS also recognized the world record for the most people weaving a Brigid's cross; it is 357 and was achieved by Solas Bhride (Ireland) at St. Brigid's Parish Church in Kildare Town, Ireland, on 21 September 2013.
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