Changes: B'hala

Revision as of 04:29, 3 June 2009

B'hala Rapture — The Bantaca spire in the ruins of B'hala, discovered in 2373.

B'hala was an ancient city on the planet Bajor, lost to history for some 20,000 years until its rediscovery in 2373. B'hala was revered as a Holy City in the Bajoran religion. Like many ancient Bajoran cities, B'hala was built around a Bantaca spire that bore markings denoting the city's position in the cosmos.

Prior to 2373, the only known evidence that the city existed was an icon painting created at the time the city existed and depicting the city's Bantaca spire. Only two sides of the spire were depicted, making it difficult to decipher the city's location from the markings visible in the painting. This precious cultural artifact was stolen by the Cardassians during the Occupation of Bajor, but was eventually returned in 2373 following unrelenting pressure by the Bajorans.

Bajoran archaeologists searched for B'hala for millennia without success. According to Zocal's Third Prophecy, only someone who had been "touched by the Prophets" could find the ruins of the lost city. When the icon painting of B'hala was returned by the Cardassians it passed through Deep Space 9 en route to the Bajoran State Museum in Ilvia, giving Benjamin Sisko the chance to study it. He created a holographic representation of the Bantaca spire from the painting, and using the spire's reflection in a waterfall he extrapolated the symbols on the other two sides. He was injured by a plasma burst in the holosuite, and subsequently experienced a vision of B'hala. Following his vision, Sisko was able to determine the coordinates of the lost city and find it on Bajor buried some 200 meters underground.

Many of the Bajoran people, and Sisko himself, believed that he had found B'hala as a direct result of a sacred vision - a pagh'tem'far - sent by the Prophets, although Starfleet officially remained skeptical. The discovery of the sacred city served to reaffirm Sisko's status as Emissary amongst the Bajorans, even amongst long-standing doubters such as Kai Winn Adami. Excavation of the ruins began immediately. (DS9: "Rapture")

It was discovered that B'hala was built upon the ruins of an even more ancient city, abandoned some 25,000 years ago. It was during excavation of these older ruins in 2374 that Bajoran monks discovered a stone tablet dating over 30,000 years old, directly beneath the Temple of B'hala. The tablet bore the inscription "Welcome Emissary", and prophesied the Reckoning, a duel between a Prophet and a Pah-wraith that were locked inside the tablet. The battle began when Sisko later smashed the tablet aboard Deep Space 9. (DS9: "The Reckoning")

Geographical features on Bajor

Land formations: Cliffs of Undalar • Dahkur Hills • Fire Caves • Janitza Mountains • Kendra Valley • Kola Mountain • Northern peninsula • Northwest peninsula

Perikian Peninsula • Ratosha Pass • Sahving Valley • Serpent's Ridge • Southern islands • Tanis Canyon • Trilar Peninsula

Forests: Bestri Woods

Rivers: Glyrhond River • Holana River • Yolja River • Qui'al Dam

Districts: Northeastern District • Northwestern District

Provinces: Dahkur • Eastern • Kendra • Hill • Musilla • Rakantha • Lonar • Tozhat • Hedrikspool

Settlements: B'hala • Hathon • Ilvia • Jalanda City • Janir • Jo'Kala • Kran-Tobol • Lasuma • Relliketh • Tamulna • Tempasa • Unnamed

Other: H'erat

External link

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 '''B'hala''' was an [[Distant past|ancient]] city on the planet [[Bajor]], lost to history for some 20,000 years until its rediscovery in [[2373]]. B'hala was revered as a Holy City in the [[Bajoran religion]]. Like many ancient Bajoran cities, B'hala was built around a [[Bantaca spire]] that bore markings denoting the city's position in the cosmos.
-Prior to 2373, the only known evidence that the city existed was an [[icon painting]] created at the time the city existed and depicting the city's Bantaca spire. Only two sides of the spire were depicted, making it difficult to decipher the city's location from the markings visible in the painting. This precious cultural artefact was stolen by the [[Cardassian]]s during the [[Occupation of Bajor]], but was eventually returned in 2373 following unrelenting pressure by the Bajorans.
+Prior to 2373, the only known evidence that the city existed was an [[icon painting]] created at the time the city existed and depicting the city's Bantaca spire. Only two sides of the spire were depicted, making it difficult to decipher the city's location from the markings visible in the painting. This precious cultural artifact was stolen by the [[Cardassian]]s during the [[Occupation of Bajor]], but was eventually returned in 2373 following unrelenting pressure by the Bajorans.
 Bajoran [[archaeology|archaeologists]] searched for B'hala for millennia without success. According to [[Bajoran prophecy#Zocal's Third Prophecy|Zocal's Third Prophecy]], only someone who had been "touched by the [[Prophet]]s" could find the ruins of the lost city. When the icon painting of B'hala was returned by the Cardassians it passed through [[Deep Space 9]] en route to the [[Bajoran State Museum]] in [[Ilvia]], giving [[Benjamin Sisko]] the chance to study it. He created a [[hologram|holographic]] representation of the Bantaca spire from the painting, and using the spire's reflection in a waterfall he extrapolated the symbols on the other two sides. He was injured by a plasma burst in the [[holosuite]], and subsequently experienced a vision of B'hala. Following his vision, Sisko was able to determine the coordinates of the lost city and find it on Bajor buried some 200 meters underground.
-Many of the Bajoran people, and Sisko himself, believed that he had found B'hala as a direct result of a sacred vision - a [[pagh'tem'far]] - sent by the [[Prophets]], although [[Starfleet]] officially remained sceptical. The discovery of the sacred city served to reaffirm Sisko's status as [[Emissary]] amongst the Bajorans, even amongst long-standing doubters such as [[Kai]] [[Winn Adami]]. Excavation of the ruins began immediately. ({{DS9|Rapture}})
+Many of the Bajoran people, and Sisko himself, believed that he had found B'hala as a direct result of a sacred vision - a [[pagh'tem'far]] - sent by the [[Prophets]], although [[Starfleet]] officially remained skeptical. The discovery of the sacred city served to reaffirm Sisko's status as [[Emissary]] amongst the Bajorans, even amongst long-standing doubters such as [[Kai]] [[Winn Adami]]. Excavation of the ruins began immediately. ({{DS9|Rapture}})
 It was discovered that B'hala was built upon the ruins of an even more ancient city, abandoned some 25,000 years ago. It was during excavation of these older ruins in [[2374]] that Bajoran monks discovered a stone tablet dating over 30,000 years old, directly beneath the Temple of B'hala. The tablet bore the inscription "Welcome Emissary", and prophesied the [[Reckoning]], a duel between a Prophet and a [[Pah-wraith]] that were locked inside the tablet. The battle began when Sisko later smashed the tablet aboard Deep Space 9. ({{DS9|The Reckoning}})