Although the Titanic lies in 13,000 feet of water, the tragic story still captures minds and hearts throughout the world. 1st September 2023 marked the 38th anniversary of the discovery of the Titanic, when a team led by American oceanographer Dr. Robert Ballard and French diving engineer Jean-Louis Michel discovered the ship’s final resting place.
Here are 10 things you may not know about the Titanic and its home – Titanic Belfast, Northern Ireland:
- Titanic’s design was conceived over a glass of wine and fine food! Lord Pirrie and J. Bruce Ismay decided speed would be balanced with quality of accommodation. When Pirrie enquired as to the length of the ship, Ismay replied, glass of wine in hand, “build me a stable ship that will not disturb the sediment in these fine wines.”
- The ship had three wheels for steering. Titanic’s funnels were wide enough to drive a train through!
- Due to the size of the Olympic-class ships, of which the Titanic was one of three, the shipyard, Harland and Wolff in Belfast had to prepare for two years to be able to build them!
- The famous staircase, among the most luxurious appointments on the ship, was inspired by the staircase at Belfast City Hall, which can still be visited today.
- Titani carried literally tons of food and drink – including 40,000 eggs and 15,000 bottles of ale!
- At Titanic Belfast, visitors can view Dr Ballard’s high definition footage of what Titanic looks like today and can learn more about individual items in the wreckage using the interactive pods.
The building can hold over 3,547 visitors at any one time, the same number as the capacity of Titanic. Titanic Belfast’s overall shape represents the bow of the ship. The hulls are also the same height of Titanic from keel to Boat Deck!
- Essex-born Esther Hart and her seven-year-old daughter Eva wrote a letter just eight hours before the ship hit an iceberg. The letter recently sold at auction for a world record sum of £119,000.
- Titanic Belfast transports guests onto a life-size plan Titanic’s deck promenade as part of the experience. Guests can walk on deck, look out to sea, hear the ocean, hold onto the railings and feel the ship’s engines rumbling as if they were on the ship itself.
- It’s not only the galleries that tell the story of the Titanic but the surrounding buildings. On the plaza surrounding the Titanic Belfast is one of the largest maps of the Northern Hemisphere at 10,000 m2 and follows the route of the Titanic from Belfast.
Titanic Belfast is an iconic six-floor building featuring nine interpretive and interactive galleries. Explore the sights, sounds, smells, and stories of Titanic, as well as the City and people which made her. It is the world’s largest Titanic exhibition!
Info courtesy: Tourism Ireland
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