City sitting on seven hills, mixed with rich maritime history and contemporary culture - Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon 263; Fado, urban popular song in Portugal 00563 Rua Augusta Arch - main entrance gateway of the city Another relocation, this time to Southampton , another hiatus of my blog. Based on popular demand, I am on board again. What and Why Lisbon ( Portuguese : Lisboa ) , sitting on seven hills, occupies a unique space in Europe’s hist

Final destination of the Saint James' Way - Santiago de Compogstela (Old Town) 347; Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain 669 Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela from Praza de Praterías What and Why Santiago de Compostela is genuinely an underrated city in terms of tourism, cultural heritage and history. Legend has it that Saint James (Aramaic: ܝܥܩܘܒ, Yaʿqōḇ ) , one of the first apostles of Jesus (Hebrew: ישוע, Yeshua ) was executed

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

The king of all lighthouses - Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France 868; Cordouan Lighthouse 1625; Gastronomic meal of the French 00437; Artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread 01883 Cordouan Lighthouse What and Why The Cordouan Lighthouse ( French : Phare de Cordouan ) , often referred to as the 'king of lighthouses ( roi des phares )' or the ' Versailles of the sea ( Le Versailles de mer ) ' to highlight its grandeur and majesty compared to the rest of boring

Mounds built by Mississippian culture a millennium ago - Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site 198 Cahokia mound: Monks Mound What and Why During the turn of the last millennium, a native Mississippian culture and polity called Cahokia (pronounced /kəˈhoʊkiə/ ) settled near the present town of Collinsville and built a major city, lasting from mid-9th century to mid-14th century. During its heyday, the city covered more than 15 km² and had around 20,000 people, making this va

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 mediaeval monastery with a well-preserved wall gallery of Carolingian art - Benedictine Convent of St John at Müstair 269 Benedictine Convent of Saint John What and Why The Benedictine Convent of Saint John ( Romansh : Claustra Benedictina da Son Jon ) , named after Saint John the Baptist (Hebrew: יוחנן המטביל, Yvhnn Hmtbyl ) is an abbey established all the way in 780 BCE in the small village of Müstair of Switzerland ( Svizra ) . According to legends, Charlemagne (né Ch

Spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church - Architectural Ensemble of the Trinity Sergius Lavra in Sergiev Posad 657 Trinity Lavra of Saint Sergius (from internet) What and Why The beautiful Trinity Lavra of Saint Sergius ( Russian : Троице-Сергиева Лавра, Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra ) is a lavra ( ла́вра) and the most important Russian monastery , being the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church (Русская П равославная Ц ерковь , Russkaya Pravoslavnaya Tserkov'

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

A small Russian former capital with more churches than anyone else - White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal 633 Suzdal What and Why Just 25 km north of Vladimir ( Russian : Владимир ) (see our blogged Vladimir ( Владимир ) sits one small town of with a glory history Suzdal (Суздаль) . The historic town dates back to the late 10th century and it became a principality in Rostov-Suzdal (Ростов-Суздаль) in the early 12th century. Later in the mid-12th century this principal

A world famous abbey with a spectacular library that chronicles European language and culture since the 7th century - Abbey of St Gall 268 Abbey of Saint Gall What and Why During the early 7th century, the Irish monk Saint Gall (Latin: Gallus ) and his disciple Saint Columbanus (Irish : Columbán ) came to the site and established a hermitage and stayed there until his death in the mid-7th century. Saint Gall was much revered in the area and after his death people venerated

4000-year old Neolithic village and culture in a remote island of Scotland - Heart of Neolithic Orkney 514 Skara Brae village What and Why In the islands of Orkney of Scotland stands four main archaeological sites of the Neolithic age of mysterious origin. These four sites have been marked to be founded from 3200 to 2500 BCE and are actually older than the Stonehenge as blogged in Amesbury or the pyramids in Giza (الجيزة) . They also draw comparisons of my visit to the

White-stone architecture along the Golden Ring - White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal 633 Assumption Cathedral (from internet) What and Why Vladimir ( Russian : Владимир) , together with Suzdal (Суздаль) , was one of the major principalities of mediaeval times that succeeded Kievan Rus' (Old East Slavic: Роусь, Rusĭ ) that dates its foundation back to the 10th century. The city prospered when it became the capital of the joint principality of Vladimir-Suzdal (Владимирско-

The fortress of political might and fear continued - Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow 545 Kremlin What and Why Built as early as the mid-12th century, the Kremlin ( Russian : Кремль, Kreml' ) is now home to the president of Russia (Россия, Rossiya ) and the epicentre of post-cold-war Russian politics. The Kremlin has survived almost a millennium of upheavals, change-of-hands, vandalism and reconstruction, the fortress-complex symbolises the political forte Russian leadershi

The world's most famous and politically-charged square - Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow 545 Red Square What and Why The very heart of Russia ( Russian : Россия, Rossiya ) , the Red Square (Красная П лощадь, Krasnaya Ploshchad ) is symbolic of the politics of Russia and the former Soviet Union (Сове́тский Сою́з, Sovetskiy Soyuz ) . This is where the annual Moscow (Москва, Moskva ) Victory Day Parade (Парад Победы, Parad Pobedy ) is held annually, and I remember vividly the

The warm cradle that produces Swiss wines - Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces 1243; The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement 1321; Winegrowers’ Festival in Vevey 01201; Art of dry stone construction, knowledge and techniques 02106 Lavaux vineyard What and Why Along the north bank of Lake Geneva ( French : Le Léman ) lies a 30-km stretch of terraced vineyards that produces the wine appellation of the region. The region, which occupi

Ancient necropoles in the form of tumuli - Dilmun Burial Mounds 1542; Arabic calligraphy: knowledge, skills and practices 01718 Dilmun Burial Mounds in A'ali After a long break due to my relocation to Scotland , I have finally resumed my blog-writing due to popular demands. I have not given up blogging, just finding the time and space for it. What and Why The Dilmun Burial Mounds ( Arabic : مدافن دلمون, madafin dilmun ) are ancient necropoles in the form of tumulus cluste

Possibly Japan's most cultural and beautiful city steeped in tradition - Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) 688; Kabuki theatre 00163; Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese, notably for the celebration of New Year 00869; Traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan 01618 Kinkaku-ji What and Why Kyoto ( Japanese : 京都, Kyōto ) carries the reputation of being the

The world's most famous neolithic monument - Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites 373 Stonehenge What and Why Stonehenge , the iconic archaeological sarsen -built monument of the United Kingdom , is known more for its unknown. No one can ascertain what exactly this monument is for. In fact many aspects of Stonehenge, such as how it was built and for what purposes it was used, remain subject to intensive debates. We are however certain it is not a random monument due to