Time warp to the mediaevals and Game of Thrones - City of Valletta 131; L-Għana, a Maltese folksong tradition 01681 Valletta What and Why Valletta 's 16th-century buildings have now been recognised as the backdrop of the famed television series Game of Thrones . The city main architecture is Baroque , adding elements of neo-classicism really put one back into a mediaeval fantasy. The city was ruled successively by the Phoenicia (Phoenician: 𐤊𐤍𐤏𐤍, Kenāʿan ) , Ancient Gr

Icon of freedom of the new world - Statue of Liberty 307; The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright 1496 Statue of Liberty What and Why The Statue of Liberty or formally 'Liberty Enlightening the World', is the icon of the free world, full stop. The copper statue of Libertas (Latin for liberty), was a gift from France to America in 1886. The statue has seen become literally the signature of America. Why Libertas? In early American history, two female figures

Fortress of syncretism of religions - Fatehpur Sikri 255 Fatehpur Sikri What and Why Fatehpur Sikri ( Hindi : फ़तेहपुर सीकरी) was founded as the capital of the Mughal Empire (Persian: امپراتوری گورکانی هند, Mughliyah Saltanat ) in 1571 by Akbar (Persian: ابو الفتح جلال الدين محمد اكبر, né ابو الفتح جلال الدين محمد اكبر (Persian), Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar ) , when he was serving this role during mid to late-16th century as the third Mughal Emperor . Akbar (mea

The holy pilgrimage site for Buddhists - Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya 1056 Mahabodhi Complex What and Why Bōdh Gayā ( Hindi : बोधगया) and its temple complex is the most sacred, religious site and place of pilgrimage for Buddhists. It is famous as it is the place where the Buddha (Sanskrit: बुद्ध, né Siddhattha Gotam a (Pali) ) , is said to have achieved enlightenment (Sanskrit: अनुत्तर सम्यक् सम्बोधि, anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi ) under what became known as the bodh

One of the first universities in the world and the world's most important Buddhist school - Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) at Nalanda, Bihar 1502 Nalanda T3 What and Why Nālandā ( Hindi : नालंदा) was a Mahāvihāra (Sanskrit: महाविहार) , meaning 'great Buddhist monastery', was established in the 5th century CE during the end of the Gupta Empire (Sanskrit: गुप्त राजवंश, Śri Gupta ) although it was reported that there had been some form of a loos

Derelict city of maritime history, Beatles and football - Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City 1150 Anfield What and Why Liverpool 's prominence as a major port city was unparalleled throughout the Industrial Revolution . The city was a pioneer in the development of modern dock technology, transport systems and port management, and building construction. As a result it became a major shipbuilding city and home to famous shipbuilders like the White Star Line , the owner of

Japanese symbol of exceptional beauty and sacredness - Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration 1418 Fujisan from Kawaguchiko What and Why Mount Fuji or Fujisan ( Japanese : 富士山) needs no introduction. It is the highest and active volcano in Japan (日本, Nippon ) and at 3,776.24 m, seventh highest island-peak in the world. It is a dormant stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707. Mount Fuji lies about 100 km south-west of Tokyo (東京, Tōkyō ) , and can be se

Ancient capital with a recent dark history - Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties 1004; Craftsmanship of Nanjing Yunjin brocade 00200 Xiaoling mausoleum What and Why One of the surprises in travels is really you do not know what to expect. I was travelling to Nanjing ( Chinese : 南京) for work without realising that I step into a UNESCO WHS. For a fetish like me, this is blasphemous that I did not do enough homework. I have to say before I stepped into Nanjing, I o

'Not-old' Baroque town with Arab-Norman churches - Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (South-Eastern Sicily) 1024; Italian cooking, between sustainability and biocultural diversity 02093 Noto What and Why Noto is a very tiny town but is unexpectedly gorgeous. One of the most photogenic places during this trip. Similar to other Sicilian cities, Noto was occupied by the Arabs in the 9th century and then in late 11th century, it became the last Islamic stronghold in Sicily