The city of Ephesus was not contained to the current archaeological site or even within the city walls. It spread into the mountains around it and into the current town of Selcuk, Turkey (pronounced selchuck). This town is where the … Continued
Ephesus Theater One of the key features of Ephesus is the “largest theater in antiquity” with capacity of 25,000 souls. Used for dramas and performances when first built and expanded to gladiatorial exhibitions in the Roman times, the Ephesus theater … Continued
Blue Mosque Facing Hagia Sophia and built in part of the hippodrome is Istanbul’s most spectacular mosque. The Blue Mosque isn’t the largest, but perhaps the most significant in Istanbul. Built in the first two decades of the 17th century, … Continued
Many years ago, in my historic furnishings and architecture class I was introduced to Hagia Sophia. This Byzantine architecture of a massive building that still survived and was used 1,500 years later intrigued me more than any of the Gothic … Continued
I honestly didn’t know what to expect of my day layover in Kiev, Ukraine other than cold. I thought I would see some cool churches, the site of protests from a few years ago, and the LDS temple in the … Continued
Precariously hanging on the side of Hengshan, one of China’s five sacred mountains, a 1,500-year-old monastery seems to cling to the rock as effortlessly as a gecko on a wall. The Hengshan hanging temple is as natural on the rock … Continued
Carved in stone outside Datong to the west sit hundreds of Buddhas at Yungang Grottoes. This UNESCO World Heritage site is the fourth of China’s Buddhist grottoes and the last one for me to visit. Bucket list item complete! Granted … Continued
A short drive away from Beijing, you can reach the city of Datong, Shanxi. Our drive took us through the mountains northwest of the city past amazing scenes of Great Wall climbing them into coal country. A small city by … Continued
When you enter the Forbidden City from the front gate under the magnitudinous portrait of Mao, you are still half a city away. On either side of this first section, which is a series of gates, before reaching the actual … Continued
Another of Tokyo’s must-see destinations is a large, not-so-old, Shinto shrine called Meiji Jingu. This impressive site is not just about the religious structure or campus but the entire forest around it. Maybe you recognize the Meiji part of its … Continued