NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Secret passage

A secret passage (or hidden passage or a secret tunnel) is a hidden route that is used to travel stealthily. Such passageways may be inside a building leading to a secret room, or be a way of entering (or exiting) somewhere without being seen. Hidden passages are a common feature of fiction, but have also served a variety of purposes throughout history. Hidden rooms have helped some people evade capture, but have also been used for criminal activities. Download high resolution version (850x638, 73 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (850x638, 73 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Anne Frank Her handwriting, translated: This is a photo as I would wish myself to look all the time. ... Building is either the act of creating an object assembled from more than one element, or the object itself; see also construction. ... The Three Graces, here in a painting by Sandro Botticelli, were the goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility in Greek mythology. ...

Appearance and construction

Secret doors are by design very difficult to spot, using a variety of camouflage techniques to blend in with their surroundings. Some such doors can appear to be part of the wall, while others disguise themselves as a fireplace, bookcase or other feature. Some entrances are elaborate and require a specific mechanism in order for the door to open, while others are much more simple; a trapdoor hidden under a rug, for example, can easily conceal a secret passage. Anolis caroliensis showing blending camouflage and counter-shading. ... A fireplace with a burning fire. ... A bookcase is an article of furniture, forming a shelved receptacle, usually perpendicular or horizontal, for the storage of books. ... A trapdoor is a door set into a floor or ceiling (depending on what side of the door one is on). ...

Within buildings, most secret areas were built into the original plans. Other secret passages have sometimes been constructed, particularly secret tunnels. Such tunnels have often been created as escape routes from prisons or prisoner-of-war camps (both having happened in real life as well as in many fictional works), where they are known as escape tunnels. Other tunnels have been made for different reasons, such as smuggling tunnels. A disused railway tunnel now converted to pedestrian and bicycle use, near Houyet, Belgium A tunnel is an underground passage. ... A Prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of persons captured by the enemy in time of war. ... An escape tunnel is a form of secret passage used as part of an escape from captivity. ... Smuggling tunnels are secret tunnels, usually hidden underground, used for smuggling of goods, illegal weapons and people. ...

Famous historical uses

There have been many instances throughout history of secret passages and rooms having been used: Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Part of the tunnel complex at Cu Chi. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

Guerrilla War redirects here. ... Part of the tunnel complex at Cu Chi. ... Combatants South Vietnam United States New Zealand Australia North Vietnam National Liberation Front Commanders William Westmoreland Central committees of the NLF and DRVN Strength 50,000+ (estimate) 85,000+ (estimate) Casualties USA/AUS/SKOR: 1,536 dead, 7,764 wounded, 11 missing ARVN: 2,788 dead, 8,299 wounded, 587... Anne Frank Her handwriting, translated: This is a photo as I would wish myself to look all the time. ... June 12 is the 163rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (164th in leap years), with 202 days remaining. ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Look up Circa on Wiktionary, the free dictionary The Latin word circa, literally meaning about, is often used to describe various dates (often birth and death dates) that are uncertain. ... Jews (Hebrew: ×™×”×•×“×™×, Yehudim) are followers of Judaism or, more generally, members of the Jewish people (also known as the Jewish nation, or the Children of Israel), an ethno-religious group descended from the ancient Israelites and converts who joined their religion. ... An appointment diary A diary or journal is a book for writing discrete entries arranged by date. ... Amsterdam Location Flag Country Netherlands Province North Holland Population 742,951(1 January 2005) Coordinates Website www. ... // Prelude to the War See also: Battle of the Netherlands In World War I the Netherlands succeeded in remaining neutral, although the sympathies were clearly more on the German side than on the British. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II... Otto Frank Otto Heinrich Frank (May 12, 1889 - August 19, 1980) was the father of Anne Frank. ... A concentration camp is a large detention center created for political opponents, enemy aliens, specific ethnic or religious groups, civilians of a critical war-zone, or other groups of people, often during a war. ... The cover of the UK edition shows Annes first diary notebook The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank was published in Dutch in 1947 (and in English in 1952), using extracts from the diary she kept while in hiding during the Nazi occupation of The Netherlands. ... Dr. H. H. Holmes was the alias of Herman Webster Mudgett (1861 - May 7, 1896). ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... May 7 is the 127th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (128th in leap years). ... 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Serial killers are individuals who have a history of multiple slayings of victims who were usually unknown to them beforehand. ... Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Official website: http://egov. ... One-third scale replica of The Republic, which once stood in the great basin at the exposition, Chicago, 2004 The Worlds Columbian Exposition (also called The Chicago Worlds Fair), a Worlds fair, was held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbuss... Map of some Underground Railroad routes This page is about the slave escape route. ... The history of slavery in the United States began soon after Europeans first settled in the area (and so even before the founding of the United States), and officially ended with the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the term free state as it arises in United States history, see: Free state. ... This French poster depicting the horrific conditions on slave ships was influential in mobilizing public opinion against slavery. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1880 US Census of Hoboken, New Jersey The United States Census is mandated by the United States Constitution[1]. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats (congressional apportionment), electoral votes, and government program funding. ... The Passetto, or Passetto di Borgo, is a secret passage that links the Vatican City with the Castle of Sant Angelo. ... Castel SantAngelo Castel SantAngelo from the bridge. ... Alexander VI, (Rodrigo Borgia) (January 1, 1431 â€“ August 18, 1503) Pope from 1492 to 1503), is the most controversial of the secular Popes of the Renaissance, whose surname became a byword for low standards in the mediaeval papacy. ... 1494 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Charles VIII the Affable (French: Charles VIII lAffable) (June 30, 1470 â€“ April 7, 1498) was King of France from 1483 to his death. ... For the antipope (1378â€“1394) see antipope Clement VII and other Popes named Clement see Pope Clement. ... Combatants Papal States Holy Roman Empire, Spain Commanders Clement VII Charles III, 8th duc de Bourbon â€ Strength 500 militia (Swiss Guard) 20,000 regulars Casualties 500 dead, wounded, or captured, 45,000 civilians dead, wounded, or exiled Unknown The Sack of Rome of 1527 by the troops of Charles V... Events January 5 - Felix Manz, co-founder of the Swiss Anabaptists, was drowned in the Limmat River in ZÃ¼rich by the ZÃ¼rich Reformed state church. ... The pyramids of Egypt, pyramids of which are among the largest man-made constructions ever conceived , constitute one of the most potent and enduring symbols of Ancient Egyptian civilization. ... This article is about an antipersonnel trap designed for use against humans. ...

Modern secret passages

On 25 January 2006 a 720 meter (2,400 foot) smuggling tunnel which crossed under the border of the United States and Mexico was discovered. The tunnel was used to transport vast quantities of marijuana from Tijuana into Otay, California. The passage linked two industrial warehouses, and was ventilated and well-lit. As well as illegal substances, this tunnel and others that have previously been discovered have been used for illegal immigration. ^[1] January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Smuggling tunnels are secret tunnels, usually hidden underground, used for smuggling of goods, illegal weapons and people. ... Species Cannabis indica Cannabis ruderalis Cannabis sativa Cannabis is a genus of flowering plant that includes one or more species. ... Tijuana is the largest city in the Mexican state of Baja California and the seat of the municipality of the same name; the citys current mayor is Jorge Hank Rhon of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). ... It has been suggested that illegal alien be merged into this article or section. ...

Between August 2000 and May 2002 over 1,000 ancient books went missing from the library of the monastery of Mont Saint-Odile. Stanislas Gosse stole the books after finding an old map showing a secret entrance into the library. The route was not easy, however, involving climbing up exterior walls, a steep staircase and a secret chamber. A mechanism then opened the back of one of five cupboards. The disappearance of so many books over such a length of time confused the librarian, the monks and the police, with Gosse finally being caught by closed-circuit television cameras. ^[2] The two-year-old Jamie Bulger being led away by his killers, recorded on shopping centre CCTV. Closed-circuit television (CCTV), as a collection of surveillance cameras doing video surveillance, is the use of television cameras for surveillance. ...

Mythological uses

Pausanias was Greek traveller and geographer of the 2nd century A.D., who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. ... In Greek mythology, Hyprieus was King of Boeotia. ... Boeotia or Beotia (//, (Greek Î’Î¿Î¹Ï‰Ï„Î¹Î±; see also list of traditional Greek place names) was the central area of ancient Greece. ... Trophonius (the Latinate spelling) or Trophonios (in the transliterated Greek spelling) was a Greek hero or daimon or god - it was never certain which one - with a rich mythological tradition and an oracular cult at Lebadaea in Boeotia. ... In Greek mythology, Agamedes was a son of Erginus. ... Treasure is a concentration of riches, often that which is considered lost or forgotten until being rediscovered. ...

Fictional uses

The use of secret passages is a common plot element in fiction. They often appear in old buildings, especially haunted houses and the lairs of villains or superheroes. They are often opened by pulling a disguised lever, often as a book in a bookshelf (regarded as a cliché). In numerous stories a character accidentally activates the mechanism for a secret door by leaning on the switch. It has been suggested that Elements of plot be merged into this article or section. ... The Three Graces, here in a painting by Sandro Botticelli, were the goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility in Greek mythology. ... A haunted house is a building that supposedly is a centre for supernatural occurrences or paranormal phenomena. ... A typical cartoon villain. ... Superman and Batman, two of the most recognizable and iconic superheroes. ... A clichÃ© (from French origin) originally was a printing term for a semi-permanently assembled piece of type which could easily be inserted into the document being printed (see Block printing). ...

Hidden lairs

Many fictional characters, both good and bad, have secret lairs. Villains are usually shown to be plotting their evil deeds in these lairs, and it is often the location of the final act of a story. Many such bases are located on remote islands, such as that of James Bond villains Dr. Julius No in Dr. No and Francisco Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun. Another popular choice is that of a mountain or, for increased dramatic effect, a volcano. Not all lairs are located in such a remote location – in The Phantom of the Opera, the Phantom's lair is beneath the opera house which he haunts. The James Bond 007 gun logo James Bond, also known as 007 (pronounced double-oh seven), is a fictional British spy created by writer Ian Fleming in 1953. ... Dr. Julius No is a fictional character in the James Bond film and novel Dr. No. ... 2002 reissue of the original novel. ... Francisco Scaramanga is a fictional character in the James Bond film and novel The Man with the Golden Gun. ... 2004 Penguin Books paperback edition The Man with the Golden Gun is the thirteenth and final James Bond novel written by Ian Fleming and published posthumously in the United Kingdom and the United States by Glidrose Productions, in 1965. ... Eruption redirects here. ... The title character as depicted by Lon Chaney (1883-1930) in the 1925 film depiction. ...

Superheroes also frequently operate from a secret base, but most usually use it for maintaining their secret identity. Batman's batcave is made up of a series of subterranean caves beneath his residence, Wayne Manor. The base features a secret door within the mansion, often behind a grandfather clock in the main study, which leads into the lair. A secret identity is the practice of hiding a persons identity so the actual identity of the person is not known or suspected. ... Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-man, and still sometimes as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional character and superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ... The Batcave is the secret headquarters of fictional DC Comics superhero Batman, (the dual identity of millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne), consisting of a series of subterranean caves beneath his residence, Wayne Manor. ... In DC Comics, Wayne Manor is the personal residence of Bruce Wayne, who is also Batman. ...

In games

In role-playing games, secret passages, like traps, can be found in all sorts of buildings, especially in the dungeons. A role-playing game (RPG) is a type of game in which players assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create narratives. ... A trap is a device or tactic intended to harm, capture, detect, or inconvenience an intruder. ... In games, a dungeon represents a dangerous area with many hidden secrets to explore. ...

The mansion in the board game Cluedo (Clue) has two secret passages that players can use to move to an opposite corner of the board. Cluedo (Clue in North America) is a crime fiction board game originally published by Waddington Games, UK in 1948. ...

Computer and video games often feature hidden areas, sometimes as an important part of the game and other times as an easter egg. Such areas can be a required route in order to continue or may be optional and contain rewards for the player, such as a bonus stage, a secret character, extra items or a shortcut to a later part of the game. Some secret entrances are totally invisible, such as a normal-looking wall that can be walked through, while others give a slight visual clue. This article is about computer and video games. ... A virtual Easter egg is a hidden message or feature in an object such as a movie, book, CD, DVD, or computer program. ... Bonus Stage Bonus Stage (abbreviated BS) is an action/adventure/comedy flash animated series by Matt Wilson that focuses attention on the randomness, sarcasm, and parodic moments of life. ... A secret character (not to be confused with an unseen character) is a playable character in a video game that can only be played by completing some task in the game. ...

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