Tag: Temple

At the foot of the Capitoline and Palatine hills lies the Roman Forum, the sprawling, ruined heart of the ancient world. For centuries, this was the vibrant center of Roman…

In southwestern France, the city of Bordeaux and its surrounding vineyards form a landscape synonymous with the world’s most prestigious wines. The city itself, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is…

In the sun-drenched landscape of southern France lies a city so rich in classical antiquity that it is often called the “French Rome.” Nîmes is a treasure trove of remarkably…

Housed within the magnificent shell of a former Beaux-Arts railway station, the Musée d’Orsay is a luminous temple dedicated to the art of the 19th century. Situated on the Left…

The Sudan National Museum is the largest and most important repository of Sudanese history and archaeology in the country, holding the world’s most extensive collection of Nubian artifacts. Located in…

Kerma was the capital of the first Kingdom of Kush, one of the oldest and most powerful urban centers in ancient Africa. Flourishing for nearly a thousand years, this vast…

Jebel Barkal is a small, sacred mountain of red sandstone that rises abruptly from the desert floor near a great bend in the Nile River in northern Sudan. For over…

The Parthian Fortresses of Nisa are the ruins of one of the first and most important capitals of the Parthian Empire (3rd century BC – 3rd century AD). Located near…

Ajina-Tepa (Аҷинатеппа), which translates to “Devil’s Hill” or “Hill of the Evil Spirit,” is the ruin of a large and historically significant Buddhist monastery located in the Vakhsh Valley of…

The Old City of Jerusalem is a one-square-kilometer walled area that constitutes the historic and spiritual heart of the modern city of Jerusalem. For millennia, it has been a focal…

Sanahin Monastery (Armenian: Սանահինի վանք, Sanahini vank) is a prominent 10th-century Armenian monastic complex located in the Lori Province. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, celebrated not only for…

Van Citadel (Turkish: Van Kalesi; Armenian: Վանի Բերդ, Vani Berd), also known as Van Fortress, is a massive stone fortification built by the ancient Kingdom of Urartu between the 9th…

Etchmiadzin Cathedral (Armenian: Էջմիածնի Մայր Տաճար, Ēǰmiaçni mayr tač̣ar), also known as the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin, is the pre-eminent spiritual and administrative center of the Armenian Apostolic Church….

Geghard Monastery (Armenian: Գեղարդի վանք, Geghardi vank) is an extraordinary medieval monastery in Armenia, partially carved out of the adjacent mountain and surrounded by towering cliffs. It’s a UNESCO World…

The Temple of Garni is a classical colonnaded structure located in the village of Garni, Armenia. It stands as the only largely preserved Hellenistic building in the former Soviet Union…

Failaka Island is a unique island in Kuwait, blending ancient history with recreational opportunities. Located in the northern Persian Gulf, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) off the coast of Kuwait…

Shibam, officially known as the Old Walled City of Shibam, is an extraordinary town located in Wadi Hadhramaut in eastern Yemen. It’s globally renowned for its unique mudbrick high-rise buildings,…

Antalya, often called the “Capital of Tourism” in Turkey, is a vibrant and populous city located on Anatolia’s southwest coast, flanked by the majestic Taurus Mountains and the sparkling Mediterranean…

Topkapi Palace, or Topkapı Sarayı, is a vast and historically significant palace complex located in Istanbul, Turkey. For nearly four centuries (from the 1460s to 1856), it served as the…

Ephesus was one of the largest and most important ancient Greek and Roman cities in the Mediterranean world, located on the western coast of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). It served…

Pamukkale, meaning “cotton castle” in Turkish, is a stunning natural site in Denizli Province, southwestern Turkey. It’s famous for its mineral-rich thermal waters that have created dazzling white travertine terraces…

Pergamum (also known as Pergamon) was a rich and powerful ancient Greek city in Aeolis, located on a promontory 26 kilometers (16 miles) from the modern coastline of the Aegean…

The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, or the Tomb of Mausolus, was an ancient tomb built between 353 and 351 BCE in Halicarnassus (modern-day Bodrum, Turkey) for Mausolus, an Anatolian from Caria…

Didyma is an ancient Greek sanctuary in southwestern Turkey, renowned for its colossal and remarkably preserved Temple of Apollo. As the site of one of the most famous oracles of…

Aphrodisias is a remarkably preserved archaeological site in southwestern Turkey. Named after Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, the city was famous throughout the Roman world for its sanctuary…

Jerash, an ancient city in northern Jordan, is widely considered one of the best-preserved Roman provincial towns in the world. Often called the “Pompeii of the East,” the city’s monumental…

The Amman Citadel, known locally as Jabal al-Qal’a, is a historic archaeological site located on a hill in the heart of Jordan’s capital city, Amman. It is one of the world’s…

The Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus, is one of the oldest and largest mosques in the world, located in the heart of the Ancient City…

The Ancient City of Palmyra, known to its inhabitants as Tadmor, is a monumental archaeological site located in the heart of the Syrian desert. It was a thriving caravan city…

The Khalid Ibn Al-Walid Mosque is a prominent mosque in the city of Homs, Syria. It is a significant religious and historical site, recognized for its distinctive Ottoman architecture and…