The secrets of this earth are not for all men to see, but only for those who seek them
Historic Sites
Blarney Castle, Ireland
Mar 9th
The castle and its grounds are imbued with legends. One says that it was brought to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah, and claims it as the stone pillow on which Jacob slept in the desert when he had his dream of angels on a ladder. More >
Tower Houses – Yemen
Jan 20th
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemen
For centuries the need for security has driven the fiercely tribal inhabitants of Yemen to live together in towns that can be easily defended. Although there are distinct regional differences, the vernacular house is a tower, built to a height of up to 30 metres. Sana’a, the capital of the Yemen, has about 14000 of these tower houses. Typically they are six storeys high, made of mud bricks decorated with thick layers of whitewashed gypsum. More >
Old Jerusalem – Israel
Oct 19th
by betta design
The biggest face-off these days in Old Jerusalem may be between archaeologists, who want to preserve the city’s priceless antiquities, and modern developers. How far can they go before the essential character of Jerusalem is destroyed forever?
Everybody wants a piece of Jerusalem. Not only is this “City on the Hill” a holy city to much of the world – Judaism, Islam, and Christianity all have major shrines here – it is also deeply embroiled in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with every new development weighted for its political implications. Eccentric, small-scale 19th century neighbourhoods in the New City, with their quaint networks of pedestrian streets, courtyards, and Ottoman-era mansions, are being demolished and replaced with office blocks. More >
Qui Nhon Ban It Towers – Vietnam
Oct 2nd
The Qui Nhon Ban It Towers, a group of four towers better known as the Silver Towers, are one of the best surviving examples of late Cham architecture. The Cham kingdom of Champa flourished in south and central Vietnam from the second century onward and reached the height of its power during the 9th century.
Adopting Hinduism as their state religion, the Chams adapted architectural models from their Indian counterparts to create something unique to Vietnam. This is best illustrated by the Kalan complex, of which the Silver Towers are a great example. The term kalan refers to a main sanctuary tower centred on a single shrine, housing the main object of worship. More >
Altamira Caves – Santillana del Mar, Spain
Sep 20th
Altamira belongs to the Franco-Cantabrian belt of decorated caves, which extends from southwest France to northeast Spain. The cave itself had been found by a huntsman in 1868, but it was only eleven years later that a 5-year-old girl noticed the paintings. More >
