113 articles tagged with cultural heritage
When we speak of pilgrimages, we often envision ancient routes across Europe or Asia. Yet I've discovered that pilgrimages can take many forms, including journeys through layers of overlooked history. Alexandria, Louisiana—a modest city along the Red River—holds such historical...
The moment I stepped into Al-Balad, with its narrow winding alleys framed by towering coral-stone buildings, I felt transported across centuries. As someone who grew up exploring Florence's historic streets, I found something hauntingly familiar yet excitingly different about Jeddah's...
Standing at the intersection of urban development and wild desert terrain, Tucson presents one of America's most fascinating ecological interfaces. As someone who's spent years studying how cities and nature coexist, I found this Arizona gem to be a living...
There's something deeply satisfying about uncovering the overlooked corners of seemingly ordinary places. While Rhode Island might conjure images of Newport mansions and Providence's university scene, I found myself drawn to Cranston—a city whose name rarely graces travel bucket lists...
The moment I stepped onto the cobblestone streets of Antigua, Guatemala last winter, I was struck by how the numerical data I'd studied beforehand—16th-century Spanish colonial architecture, 30+ baroque-influenced structures, and 3 towering volcanoes framing the skyline—transformed into a sensory...
The juxtaposition couldn't be more striking—ancient stone temples standing defiantly amid gleaming glass skyscrapers, traditional flower markets flourishing just blocks from startup incubators. Bangalore (or Bengaluru, as the locals call it) embodies India's remarkable ability to embrace technological revolution while...
Standing in the shadow of Fort Smith's imposing gallows, I felt the weight of history press against my chest. As both a social worker and history enthusiast, I'm drawn to places where human stories intersect with pivotal moments in our...
Standing at the mouth of the Buffalo River where it meets the Indian Ocean, East London offers a fascinating architectural timeline that's often overlooked by travelers to South Africa. As someone who's spent decades designing digital structures, I've developed a...
The first time I stepped through the grand gates of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the vinyl collector in me felt that same rush of discovery—like finding a rare Japanese pressing in a dusty record shop. Seoul's royal heritage sites aren't just historical...
While my fieldwork typically takes me to ancient archaeological sites across deserts and remote landscapes, a recent visit to see colleagues at the University of Maryland led me to discover the surprising family-friendly charm of Bowie. This modest Maryland city,...
Standing atop the weathered ramparts of Tripoli's Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles, I couldn't help but draw parallels to my first Olympic assignment in Barcelona—both places where ancient stonework tells stories spanning millennia. Unlike Barcelona's carefully manicured Olympic venues, however,...
The Baltic coast holds a special kind of magic that few European beach destinations can match—a delicate blend of pristine nature, cultural heritage, and unhurried charm. As someone who's spent years documenting coastal communities across the globe, I've developed a...
There's something magical about cities that whisper their stories through brick and mortar—places where time seems to fold in on itself, allowing you to walk simultaneously in the present and past. Clarksburg, West Virginia is precisely this kind of temporal...
Standing at the intersection of Main and Middle Streets, I felt the familiar tingle of architectural discovery—that moment when a city's built environment begins to reveal its soul. Georgetown, with its distinctive wooden colonial architecture set against the tropical Guyanese...
Standing at the edge of Peru's arid Nazca Desert, I couldn't help but feel the profound weight of mystery surrounding me. The legendary Nazca Lines—massive geoglyphs etched into the earth over 1,500 years ago—remained hidden in plain sight until I...
