Category Archives: Architecture 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 […]  I always struggled with Greek mythology: there was an irrationality and impetuosity to the behaviour of the Gods that didn’t sit well with my conservative upbringing. And, having been trained to ‘be good’ and to ‘work hard’, the concept of being unable to escape one’s fate – regardless of one’s behaviour – was an anathema! […]  Petra! It was a dream come true. This ‘rediscovered’ ancient city was built by the Nabateans some time around 300 B.C. Situated roughly halfway between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea in what is now Jordan, the city was at an important trading crossroads between Arabia, Egypt, and Syria-Phoenicia. It grew rich from hosting passing […]  India! The heat, the crowds, the colours! And, the intricately beautiful – and historic – architecture. All my previous forays into this vast and varied country have been in the north (see: Weekly Wanders India), where turbans and Mughal palaces and mausoleums are commonplace. In the south, French, Portuguese, and British influences are still much […]  Historically, the medieval Newar (Newari) village of Bungamati was known for its woodcarvers, its ancient temples, and its views of the surrounding mountains. Bungamati is a tiny town of about 6,000 residents, sitting on a spur of land overlooking the Bagmati River at the southern edge of the Kathmandu Valley. When I visited, almost two […] |
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