The magnificent Shalimar Gardens were built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1641 A.D. in the style of the Persian gardens. An important feature of this style of enclosed garden is water; the Shalimar Gardens have a total of 410 fountains in marble pools spread across the three descending terraces. The ingenious Mughal engineers […]
Samarra, which is located on the banks of the Tigris River, is one of the four Islamic Holy Cities of Iraq. Once the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate, which stretched from Tunisia to Central Asia, the ancient city of Samarra has maintained its original city plan and contains traces of remarkably preserved architecture. The Great […]
Zabid, the capital of Yemen from the 13th to 15th centuries, was known for the University of Zabid, a center of Islamic learning. As one of the oldest cities in Yemen, it is an interesting archaeological site with many historic buildings still intact. However, Zabid has been placed on the list of world heritage sites […]
The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago of 19 volcanic islands situated 1,000 km off the coast of Ecuador. The youngest of these islands are still being formed by volcanic eruptions. The incredible ecological variety of the island and the unique adaptations of its animal species inspired Charles Darwin to propose his theory of evolution by […]
The ancient citadel of Bam in the Kernan Province of Iran was listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List as well as the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2004. Bam’s history dates back to the Achaemenid Empire from the 6th to 4th centuries BCE, though many of the city’s remaining structures were constructed during […]
Buckingham Palace, the beginnings of which were first built in 1703 as a townhouse for the Duke of Buckingham, became the palace of the British monarch in 1837 with Queen Victoria’s accession to the throne. Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert renovated the palace, added new wings and hosted balls and concerts there. After […]
The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah lives outside the capital Badar Seri Begawan in a sprawling palace by the Brunei River. At 2,152,782 square feet, the Istana Nurul Iman or Palace of Light and Faith is the largest residential palace in the world. There are 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms, 5 swimming pools, and a mosque […]
Designed in the spirit of European Romanticism, the Pena National Palace in Sintra Portugal is a palace that mixes Gothic revival, Neo-Manueline, Islamic and Neo-Renaissance styles. Its origins lie in a medieval chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pena, where King John II and his wife made a pilgrimage. A monastery was also constructed in […]
Calat Alhambra or “The Red Fortress” is a Moorish palace on top of a hill overlooking Granada, Spain. As a palace-city built by the last Emirs of the Nasrid dynasty in the 14th century, it had its own irrigation system and mosques within the fortress walls. After the Catholic Reconquest of Spain, Charles V commissioned […]
The official residence of the Ottoman Sultans in Turkey from 1465 to 1856, the Topkapi Palace, which was built by the conqueror of Constantinople Mehmed the II, is a shining example of the Ottoman Empire. The palace complex, consisting of four courtyards and various low buildings, housed as many as 4,000 people, including the sultan, […]
