Category Archives: Architecture

If there are two things that define the Sultanate of Oman, it would be old forts, towers, and castles – and date palms. This relatively small Middle Eastern country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula is home to about 1,000 forts and watchtowers – many of which are open to the public. I […]

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I fell in love with Crete. Greece’s southernmost district, Crete is the country’s largest and most populous island. Nestled between the Aegean and Libyan Seas, it is home to a magnificent coastline and beautiful beaches (eg: Preveli Beach). Populated since time immemorial, there is evidence of human settlement as early as 130,000 years ago. Buildings […]

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It is a truly biblical landscape. Referenced in the Old Testament, it was on this rocky desert terrain that the Hebrew prophet, teacher, and leader Moses walked, gave sermons, and ultimately died. Moses is considered the most important prophet in Judaism and one of the most important personages in Christianity, Islam, and other Abrahamic religions. He […]

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A Crusader castle? It didn’t feel real to me; it was as if the pictures in an old children’s storybook had come to life. My visit to Shobak Montreal Castle – now known as Qal’at ash-Shawbak in Arabic (the nomenclature and spellings vary wildly) – caused me to take a deep-dive back into my vinyl […]

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I’m not sure what impressed me most: the artistic beauty; the architectural complexity; or the mind-boggling age. Mahabalipuram (Thirukadalmallai, Mamallapuram), one of the oldest cities in India, is a coastal town on the Bay of Bengal in Tamil Nadu, and home 40 ancient monuments and temples dated to the 7th and 8th centuries. UNESCO- listed […]

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