Category Archives: Architecture Colombo, the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, is a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural city of 5.6 million. Thanks to its large natural harbour and its strategic position along the East–West sea trade routes, the city has a long and colourful history, some of which is still evidenced in the historic colonial buildings dotted between temples and […]  It’s hard to imagine a more dramatic location for a most picturesque city! Surrounded by steep, snowcapped mountains with glaciers tucked within them, and sliced by deep fjords and fast-running rivers, historic Bergen has long Viking roots and rich Hanseatic heritage. The iconic medieval harbour district Bryggen is immediately recognisable with its colourful collection of […]  Muscat, the Sultanate of Oman’s capital and most populous city, has been known as an important trading seaport since at least the early 1st century. Hemmed in by the rugged Western Al Hajar Mountains, the sheltered port city lies on the Arabian Sea along the Gulf of Oman, where the waters lead east to the […]  Mosques – masjed or masjid – are a prominent feature in any Islamic landscape (eg.: Jama Mosque). With their beautiful domes, their graceful arches, and their soaring minarets, these houses of Muslim worship draw attention upwards and engender admiration, reverence and calm. During a short stay in Muscat, capital city of the Sultanate of Oman […]  The Netherlands is known for its flat landscape punctuated by canals and dikes. If fact, I was taught at school that dyke was a Dutch word. While it is true that dijk (pronounced ‘dyke’) is a common word in Dutch, it comes from the same Old German word that gave English ‘ditch’. Sadly, the little […] |
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