25 articles tagged with ancient ruins
The first time I stood at the entrance of Jerash's ancient colonnaded streets, I felt that familiar tingle of wonder—the same sensation I used to get showing my astronomy students their first clear view of Saturn's rings. There's something about...
When my husband and I first visited Athens five years ago, we made the classic rookie mistake: spending three full days just at the Acropolis and its immediate surroundings. Don't get me wrong – the Parthenon is breathtaking and absolutely...
There's something utterly magical about the moment when your bicycle tires first crunch along the dusty paths of Polonnaruwa. The winter sun casts a golden glow across ancient stones that have witnessed centuries unfold, and suddenly, you're not just a...
The first time I stood before the monumental Gate of All Nations at Persepolis, I forgot to take a photo. For several minutes, my camera hung uselessly around my neck while I simply *stared* at the colossal winged bulls guarding...
There's something magical about standing where Socrates once philosophized or gazing up at columns that have withstood 2,500 years of history. Athens isn't just a destination—it's a time machine. Having coordinated three different cultural festivals in Greece over the years,...
The first time I stood among Hampi's boulder-strewn landscape, watching the sunrise cast golden light across ancient temple complexes, I experienced what psychologists call 'awe' – that rare emotion that simultaneously makes you feel small yet connected to something greater....
Standing before the Library of Celsus as the early morning light caressed its ancient façade, I felt that familiar tingle of excitement that only comes when perfect light meets perfect history. After decades in hot restaurant kitchens, trading my chef's...
Standing before the massive limestone blocks of Bodrum Castle, I couldn't help but run my calloused hands along the centuries-old seams where ancient builders had fitted these stones together with precision that would challenge even modern tools. The salt-kissed breeze...
Blimey, it's been nearly a decade since I swapped my Liverpool bus route for these mountain trails, and I've never looked back—except to check for loose rocks, of course! This spring, I tackled what I'm calling the 'Ancient Heights Circuit'—a...
There's something utterly magical about watching the Mediterranean sunset from one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. As the amber light fades over Byblos' ancient harbor, the city transforms—stone pathways that have witnessed 8,000 years of civilization now illuminate...
Standing amid the windswept ruins of Leptis Magna, with my hand resting on sun-warmed marble that once supported one of Rome's greatest African cities, I couldn't help but feel like I'd stumbled onto a movie set. Except this wasn't Hollywood...
The early morning call to prayer echoed through Baalbek's narrow streets as I laced up my running shoes, the massive Temple of Jupiter still shrouded in dawn mist. That's the thing about Lebanon's ancient treasures – they're breathtaking in photos,...
When my son Liam and I stepped off the plane in Rome last spring, I could practically feel the animation cells of history flipping through time right beneath our feet. Sure, the Colosseum was high on our list (what 12-year-old...
Standing at the edge of Izmir's azure coastline last spring, I couldn't help but feel like I was perched at the crossroads of human civilization. This western Turkish city—once known as Smyrna—has witnessed the ebb and flow of empires for...
When I was seven years old, my father spread out a faded photo album filled with sepia-toned images of massive stone chariots, towering gopurams, and mysterious temple ruins scattered among giant boulders. 'This is Hampi, beta,' he said, 'the last...