Ancient Egypt royal necropolis and monuments in an ancient capital - Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis 87 Valley of the Kings with Al-Qurn as the backdrop What and Why Luxor ( Arabic : الأقصر, Al-Quṣūr ) stands as one of the most iconic and culturally rich sites in the world. The modern city morphed from the ruins of Thebes (Greek: Θῆβαι, Thē̂bai ) or in Egyptian ' wꜣs.t' and was the capital of ancient Egypt (مصر , Miṣr ) during parts of the Middle and New Kingdoms (

The grand temple of Ramesses II that moved and started the UNESCO WHS - Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae 88 ; Handmeade weaving in Upper Egypt (Sa'eed) 01605 Abu Simbel temple What and Why The great temple of Abu Simbel ( Arabic : أبو سمبل) is perhaps the most remarkable sites of Egypt (مصر , Miṣr ) , past and present. The grandiose and majesty of the temple needs no introduction, but its cultural signature is definitely more significant. The temple itself is alr

Cultural and historic confluence of ancient Egyptian and Nubian civilisations - Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae 88; Handmade weaving in Upper Egypt (Sa'eed) 01605 Philae Temple from river cruise What and Why Aswan ( Arabic : أسوان , ʾAswān ) , located in southern Egypt (مصر , Miṣr ) on the banks of the River Nile , is a city of great historical and cultural significance. With a history that stretches back thousands of years, Aswan has been a cultural crossroad an

A Carthaginian trading post with a syncretic urban structure and culture - Kasbah of Algiers 565; Knowledge, know-how and practices pertaining to the production and consumption of couscous 01602; Arabic calligraphy: knowledge, skills and practices 01718; Arts, skills and practices associated with engraving on metals (gold, silver and copper) 01951 Kasbah of Algiers What and Why The kasbah or casbah of Algiers ( Tamazight : ⵍⴷⵣⴰⵢⵔ, Ldzayer ) is a chaotically beautiful eclect

The only remaining wonder of the ancient world - Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur 86; Koshary, daily life dish and practices associated with it 02278 Sphinx and the Pyramid of Khafre What and Why There is absolutely no need for any introduction to the pyramids of Egypt ( Arabic : مصر , Miṣr ) . Pyramids are the oldest but the only standing seven wonders of the ancient world , standing on the various sites for more than 4,500 years! Unless

Indentured labour gateway - Aapravasi Ghat 1227; Bhojpuri folk songs in Mauritius, Geet-Gawai 01178 Aapravasi Ghat What and Why The Aapravasi Ghat is another iconic representation of forced labour and slavery in Africa during the colonial times. During the period from mid-19th to early 20th century, Mauritius was a centre for i ndentured , or contracted, labour workforce from many countries due to its extensive requirement for labours in the sugar-cane plantations, manage

A rock that has become a testimony to resistance to slavery - Le Morne Cultural Landscape 1259; Traditional Mauritian Sega 01003 Le Morne Brabant viewed from the sea What and Why Le Morne is the peninsular area at the Southwestern tip of Mauritius , highlighted by a huge and steep 556-m basaltic monolith called Le Morne Brabant . The peninsula is a representation of the history of slavery and its ultimate resistance. The peninsula was a major refuge or hiding place for Mar

Epicentre of spice and slave trade with a pinch of Portuguese, Omani and African influence - Stone Town of Zanzibar 173 What and Why...

Hike towards Mars from Earth - Pitons, cirques and remparts of Reunion Island 1317; Maloya 00249 Piton de la Fournaise (from internet)...

Small pyramids and temples of the Kush Empire - Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe 1336; Date palm, knowledge, skills, traditions and practices 01509; Al-Jertiq: practices, rituals and expressions for preservation, protection, abundance and fertility in Sudan 02275 Small pyramids of Meroe What and Why I am extremely proud that as a Chinese I actually took a Sudanese to his own heritage treasure of Meroë ( Arabic : مروي) , during my recent diplomatic work. No joke, t

Another Portuguese fort with a grandiose cistern - Portuguese City of Mazagan (El Jadida) 1058 Portuguese cistern What and Why El Jadida ( Tamazight : ⴰⵍ-ⵊⴰⴷⵉⴷⴰ ) , old name Mazagan, was registered as a UNESCO WHS in 2004, on the basis of its status as an 'outstanding example of the interchange of influences between European and Moroccan cultures' and as an 'early example of the realisation of the Renaissance ideals integrated with Portuguese construction technology'. The c

Portuguese fishing harbour and centre of argan oil - Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador) 753; Argan, practices and know-how concerning the argan tree 00955; Gnawa 01170 Goats on argan tree What and Why Essaouira ( Tamazight : ⵜⴰⵚⵚⵓⵔⵜ, Taṣṣort ) is a fishing port established by the Portuguese during the 16th century. In the early 16th century, the king of Portugal , Dom Manuel I (né Manuel Aviz) , ordered a fortress to be built there and named it Royal Castle of Mogador (

Gateway to Sahara - Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou 444; Date palm, knowledge, skills, traditions and practices 01509 Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou What and Why The ksar (Arabic: قصر, qṣar ) of Aït Ben Haddou ( Tamazight : ⴰⵢⵜ ⴱⴻⵏⵃⴰⴷⴷⵓ) is fortified village along the former caravan trade route between the Sahara (Arabic: الصحراء الكبرى‎) and Marrakesh (ⴰⵎⵓⵔⴰⴽⵓⵛ, Amurakuš ) , as blogged in Marrakesh (ⴰⵎⵓⵔⴰⴽⵓⵛ) . There are a handful of families still living in the ancient village. Inside

Imperial cultural city with the most fascinating bazaar - Medina of Marrakesh 331; Cultural space of Jemaa el-Fna Square 00014; Moussem of Tan-Tan 00168; Tbourida 01483; Date palm, knowledge, skills, traditions and practices 01509; Knowledge, know-how and practices pertaining to the production and consumption of couscous 01602; Arts, skills and practices associated with engraving on metals (gold, silver and copper) 01951 Jemaa el-Fnaa at dusk (from internet) What and Why The

Modest capital of Morocco - Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City: a Shared Heritage 1401; Mediterranean diet 884; Moroccan Caftan: art, traditions and skills 02077 Hassan Tower of Rabat What and Why Rabat ( Tamazight : ⴰⵕⴱⴰⵟ, Aṛṛbaṭ ) , meaning 'fortress' or 'stronghold', is a small, modern but low-key capital of Morocco (ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ, Lmeɣrib ) . It is founded formally only in the late 18th century, and is the most recent of the four imperial cities, although the kasbah (Arabi

Whitewashed multicultural city - Medina of Tétouan (formerly known as Titawin) 837 Tétouan cityscape What and Why The story of the city itself gives a hint of the multi-cultural history of Tétouan ( Tamazight : ⵜⵉⵟⵟⴰⵡⵉⵏ, Tiṭṭawin ) . Founded in the 3rd century BCE, Tetouan became an important centre during the Roman era and it served as the main point of contact between Morocco (ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ, Lmeɣrib ) and Andalusia until the 15th century. After the reconquest (Spanish: Reconq

Labyrinth of medina - Medina of Fez 170; Arts, skills and practices associated with engraving on metals (gold, silver and copper) 01951 Fez tannery What and Why Fez ( Tamazight : ⴼⴰⵙ, Fas ) is the mediaeval capital and imperial city of Morocco (ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ, Lmeɣrib ) founded by Idris bin Abdullah (Arabic: إدريس الأول‎) in the late 8th century, as a great city of high Islamic civilisation. Due to this important origin of the city, the city has grown non-stop since its inceptio

Imperial city of Spanish-Moorish style gates - Historic City of Meknes 793; Archaeological Site of Volubilis 836 Bab Mansour What and Why Founded in the 11th century by the Almoravid dynasty (Arabic: المرابطون, Al-Murābiṭūn ‎) as a military sentinel, Meknes ( Tamazight : ⴰⵎⴽⵏⴰⵙ, amknas ) became the capital of Morocco (ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ, Lmeɣrib ) under Moulay Ismail ibn Sharif (مولاي إسماعيل بن الشريف ابن النصر‎) in the 17th century. Moulay Ismail turned Meknes into an impressive ci