Windlight Magazine - November 2015 Issue

There is one thing you need to know about me in order to help understand why I found the locations in this article so enticing - I’m a librarian in real life. Yes I admit it; I’m a card carrying librarian. Which is why, from time to time, I seek out libraries and educational sites in SL to explore. What I found this time was so much more than I could have ever imagined.

There are three regions of art, literature, entertainment and educational experiences called Museum Island, Oceanea, and Luminaux, all owned by Xinoxi Han. At first I was going to just write about the libraries on Luminaux, but in order to have an understanding of the mission and vision of the creators I had to write about all three. The description of their mission is, “We are an educational gateway, here to meet the intellectual, cultural and aesthetic needs of SL learners, educators, and all inquisitive residents. The Library buildings, gardens, and shop are all open to the public. Everyone is welcome to visit, explore, read, and learn.”

Museum Island : http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Museum% 20Island/117/164/22 According to the description, the region was designed by Carlolello Zapatero and houses 3D replicas of some of the world’s most famous architectural and historical landmarks of the Mediterranean. Many of these historical sites are long gone but here in SL - they come alive! These wonders of the Ancient World include Nefertiti’s tomb, the Rosetta Stone, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Tower of Hercules, the Roman Sundial, the Buddha of Bambiyan, Petra and many others.

In 2007 I traveled to Italy and Turkey and there are three architectural sites on Museum Island that brought back pleasant memories of the ones I visited in real life. In Pompeii, the ruins of the House of the Tragic Poet are noted for the remnants of its mosaic floors and courtyard fresco. Here you can see what it might have looked like restored to its simple beauty, warm bright colors welcoming visitors before it was covered in smoldering ash from Mount Vesuvius.

The second site is the Basilica Cistern of Istanbul. Now I know you are thinking, “What could be so wonderful about a cistern, it’s just a basin for trapping water”. In any other setting I would agree with you but most cisterns do not have elaborate marble columns with incredible lighting and the head 132