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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Asia

Ancient places can be found all over Asia. Their fascinating histories and impressive artifacts open intriguing glimpses to times past, and open up a window on Asian history. Visiting such historical places in Asia can be an unforgettable experience.

Science is constantly discovering new archaeological places and uncovering more evidence into what we once thought we knew about our history, therefore offering new pieces to the ever changing puzzle of humanity’s past and altering how we interpret it. This section will present the most interesting archaeological sites all over Asia, as well as new discoveries of ancient places that are worth paying a visit.

Indus Valley
21 November, 2018 - 01:53 ancient origins

Did Climate Change Cause the Demise of the Ancient Indus Valley Civilization?

The Indus civilization was the largest—but least known—of the first great urban cultures that also included Egypt and Mesopotamia. Named for one of their largest cities, the Harappans relied on river...
King Midas's Feast in Honor of Bacchus and Silenus.
17 October, 2018 - 22:58 dhwty

Would You Like to Try the King Midas Feast? Chemical Analysis Revealed it was a Slap-up Meal

King Midas was a legendary figure in Greek mythology who ruled over Phrygia in western Anatolia. He is best-known for his ‘golden touch’, i.e. that everything he touched turned to gold. Behind this...
Mahamastakabhishek of Gomateshwara statue.
11 October, 2018 - 14:00 dhwty

The Colossal Jain Gommateshwara Statue is One of the Largest Monolithic Statues in the World

The Gommateshwara Statue is a colossal statue of Bahubali (meaning ‘the One with Strong Arms’), found in Karnataka, India. Bahubali was a son of Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara of Jainism. Jain...
Painting depicting what the silver tree of Karakorum may have looked like.
10 October, 2018 - 14:03 dhwty

Karakorum: A Silver Tree and Other Unique Elements of a 13th Century Mongol Capital

During the 13th century, Karakorum was perhaps one of the most important cities in the world. It was the capital of the Mongol Empire. After it was destroyed, the location of the famous city was lost...
Mongol attac
7 October, 2018 - 13:59 dhwty

The Famous and Powerful Khanates that Followed the Mongol Empire

A khanate was a political entity ruled by a khan. Historically speaking, the ruler of a Mongolian tribe was given the title ‘Khan’. Later on, this title was adopted by many Muslim societies. Although...
Representations in the Boxer Codex of two of the ethnic groups of people living in the Pre-Colonial Philippines - A Zambal Couple (Public Domain) and Pintados of the Visayas (Leyte or Samar). (Public Domain)
1 October, 2018 - 23:04 Caleb Strom

The Rarely Told Story of Pre-Colonial Philippines

The Philippines were ruled by Western powers - first the Spanish and later the United States, for some 350 years. Except for a few religious minorities, the Philippines has also become thoroughly...
Royal tombs in Neungsan-ri
28 September, 2018 - 01:43 Robin Whitlock

The Little Known Ancient Korean Sites of the Baekje Kingdom Finally Receive Worldwide Recognition

Eight areas in Korea that used to be part of ancient Baekje Kingdom were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015. They were registered at Number 12 on the list, which covers over 1000...
Inside the Tham Lod rockshelter - Thailand
22 September, 2018 - 02:17 Gisele Santos

Magnificent Tham Lod Rockshelter Sheds Light on Earliest Humans in Thailand

The Tham Lod Rockshelter (a shallow cave) in Mae Hong Son Province, in Northwest Thailand is a prehistoric area that had been the center for burial and tool–making in the late Pleistocene to the late...
Shore Temple. Mahabalipuram, India.
13 September, 2018 - 21:39 dhwty

The Quest for the Mythical Submerged Temples of Mahabalipuram

Mahabalipuram is an ancient city located in the Kancheepuram district of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Historically speaking, Mahabalipuram was once part of the Pallava Dynasty, a Tamil...
The ziggurat Choga Zanbil in Ira
29 August, 2018 - 23:34 dhwty

Ziggurat: A Mesopotamian Manmade Mountain to Reach the Gods

With their massive terraces decreasing in size as the building rises, ziggurats can easily be called manmade mountains. They are identifiable structures most often associated with ancient...
The Building of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus by Hendrik van Cleve III
29 August, 2018 - 02:50 Bryan Hill

The Grand and Sacred Temple of Artemis, A Wonder of the Ancient World

The Temple of Artemis is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Three to four times as large as the Parthenon in Athens, it was once described as the largest temple and building of antiquity...
Top image: A photo of Assur. Inset: Head most likely of Sargon of Akkad.
28 August, 2018 - 09:41 dhwty

Both Religion and Royalty Reigned in the Assyrian City of Assur

Known today also as Qal’at Sherqat, the ancient Assyrian city of Assur is located in the Saladin Governorate of modern day Iraq, about 280 km (174 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad. This city was...
Illustration of city in Mesopotamia.
25 August, 2018 - 21:14 dhwty

The Great City of Uruk Became Sumerian Powerhouse of Technology, Architecture and Culture

Home to Gilgamesh, Uruk was the major force of urbanization and state formation during the 4th millennium BC. In Epic of Gilgamesh , the king is said to have built the city’s monumental walls. There...
Baxiandong Caves
25 August, 2018 - 14:08 Michelle Freson

Baxiandong Caves: Immortal Deities and Stone Age Artifacts

In ancient Chinese mythology there are eight immortals in the world who rose above the human state and became blessed with divine, supernatural attributes and powers. They are somewhat amusing...
Archaeologist Henry Layard's image of Nineveh.
24 August, 2018 - 13:58 dhwty

Nineveh: Exploring the Ruins of the Crown City of Ancient Assyria

Nineveh was the last capital of the Assyrian Empire, as well as its most populous city. It has even been claimed that Nineveh was the most populated city in the world for a period. In recent times,...
Downtown Port Louis, a blend of the historical and the new.
19 August, 2018 - 01:59 micki pistorius

Nostalgic Old Trades Facing Extinction in Mauritius, Like a Doomed Dodo

Tinker, tailor, blacksmith, barber, butcher, baker, mason, candlestick maker and carpenter; all old trades that served the seafarers of the 18th century on the trade route to India and the sugar...
Re-creation of the port at Eridu.
11 August, 2018 - 22:58 dhwty

Eridu: The Sumerian Garden of Eden and the Oldest City in the World?

Today, Eridu is often considered to be one of the oldest permanent settlements in Mesopotamia, and perhaps even in the world. The ancient Sumerians also believed that Eridu was the first city in the...
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
30 July, 2018 - 21:17 dhwty

The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple: Secret Cellars Create the Richest Hindu Temple in India

Of all the Hindu temples in India, the wealthiest by far is the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. According to Guinness World Records, this temple replaced the Tirupati Temple (also in India) as the...
The Flaming Mountains of Turpan, Xinjiang, China. (Dosisdemi.com)
28 July, 2018 - 01:17 dhwty

The Colorful Folklore Behind the Flaming Mountains of Turpan

The Flaming Mountains of Turpan (also known as Turfan ) are located in the Tian Shan Mountain range in China’s Xinjiang province. These mountains lie to the east of the city of Turpan, which is...
Wadi Al-Salam: Magnificent Ancient Cemetery in Iraq
23 July, 2018 - 21:35 Bryan Hill

Wadi Al-Salam: Magnificent Ancient Cemetery in Iraq is Largest in the World

Wadi Al-Salam, meaning Valley of Peace in Arabic, is an ancient Islamic cemetery located near the holy city of Najaf, Iraq. From an aerial view, it looks like a sprawling city. However, its residents...
The Sumela Monastery, Turkey
20 July, 2018 - 18:08 Bryan Hill

The Thousand-Year History of the Spectacular Cliff Face Monastery of Sumela

The Sumela Monastery is one of the oldest and most historic monasteries in the Christian world. There are no exact records about when it was built or by who, but it is estimated that its history...
Ellora, cave 16, Kailasa Temple.
16 July, 2018 - 14:00 Veronica Parkes

Kailasa Temple Was Carved Out of One Rock from the Top Down!

The Kailasa Temple is number 16 out of 32 cave temples and monasteries collectively known as the Ellora Caves in Maharashtra, India. However, it is considered to be one of the greatest and most...
The Tomb of Humayun
15 July, 2018 - 21:49 dhwty

The Tomb of Humayun: The Garden Tomb that Inspired the Taj Mahal

The first garden-tomb that was constructed in India was the spectacular Tomb of Humayun devoted to the second Mughal Emperor. So magnificent was the monument, that it came to inspire major...
Khmer temple ruins at Phnom Kulen, a sacred mountain range in Cambodia.
9 July, 2018 - 21:54 Caleb Strom

Phnom Kulen: Sacred Mountain and Hidden Temples Hold Forgotten Treasures in Cambodia

In Cambodia, some 40 kilometers (24.85 miles) northeast of Angkor, is the mountain range of Phnom Kulen. This sandstone plateau is a sacred site to Hindus and Buddhists. In addition to a giant statue...

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