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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Amiens cathedral. Source:  Takashi Images / Adobe Stock.

Amiens Cathedral: Gothic Architecture in all its Glory (Video)

Join a visual tour of Amiens Cathedral , a 13th-century Gothic masterpiece. The facade, intricate like delicate lace, boasts three grand doorways adorned with numerous figures. The left portal...
A Gothic boxwood miniature prayer bead. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art / Public Domain.

The Intricate Carvings of Gothic Boxwood Miniature Prayer Beads (Video)

Unlocking centuries-old mysteries, Gothic Boxwood Miniature Prayer Beads have long baffled experts with their intricate scenes delicately carved into walnut-sized spheres during the 1400s and 1500s...
Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, France. Source: PUNTOSTUDIOFOTO Lda / Adobe Stock.

Mont Saint-Michel: A Medieval Abbey Trapped by Tides and Time (Video)

Mont Saint-Michel , a captivating Gothic-styled Benedictine Abbey , stands gracefully amidst the ever-changing tides of Normandy and Brittany. Once on solid ground in ancient times, it now rests as a...
Church of Santa Maria do Olival in Tomar, Portugal. Source: milosk50 / Adobe Stock.

The Tiny Church at the Heart of the Knights Templar (Video)

Hidden within the charming town of Tomar, Portugal, lies a hidden gem of historical significance - the tiny church of Santa Maria do Olival. Dating back to the 13th century, this Gothic church holds...
The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, St. Petersburg, Russia. The 18th century cathedral is the final resting place of many members of the Russian royal family, including Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. Source: yulenochekk / Adobe Stock

Sacred Marvels: 17 Cathedrals That Will Take Your Breath Away, In Pictures

Cathedrals are some of the most awe-inspiring structures in the world, with their grandeur and intricate details captivating visitors for centuries. These religious buildings are often the most...
Corvin Castle, also known as Hunyadi Castle or Hunedoara Castle, is a Gothic-Renaissance castle in Hunedoara, Romania. Photo source: Adrianstanica.ro / CC BY-SA 4.0

Renaissance-Gothic Corvin Castle: One of the Seven Wonders of Romania

Corvin Castle is a castle in Hnedoara, a city in Transylvania, Romania. The castle dates to the 15th century and was built in the Renaissance-Gothic style. The builder of Corvin Castle was John...
Interior of a Gothic Cathedral by Paul Vredeman de Vries (1612) Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Public Domain)

The Language And Symbolism Embedded In Medieval Stone Bibles

In the Middle Ages, paintings and sculptures had a powerful educational function. The Church relied on the language of images to influence the illiterate masses. Popular education was nourished not...
Security: The Long History of the Lock and Key

Security: The Long History of the Lock and Key

The modern-era definition states that a lock is a mechanical device or innovation that is used for fastening any physical entity. This lock is triggered and released with the use of an object called...
Subterranean Discovery: Medieval Welsh Abbey Tunnel from Norman Invasion Period

Subterranean Discovery: Medieval Welsh Abbey Tunnel from Norman Invasion Period

Archaeologists announced the discovery of a 12th-century tunnel network beneath an abbey in Wales. This tunnel beneath a popular Welsh abbey is so long that that archaeologists project that it will...
The Mausoleum of Theodoric the Great bears testament to the peace between the Romans and Goths of Ravenna during his reign. Source: ermess / Adobe Stock and Public domain.

Theodoric the Great and His Ostrogothic Mausoleum

Theodoric the Great was the king of the Ostrogoths from 475 to 526 AD. Born in 454 AD to the Gothic king Theodemir, Theodoric became the founder of the Ostrogothic dynasty in Italy from 474 AD...
Aerial view of Frankenstein Castle in southern Hesse, Germany          Source: Iurii / Adobe Stock

Witches, Monsters and Dragons, All at Frankenstein Castle

Castles are often associated with the supernatural and gruesome events and none more so than one of the most famous castles in all of Germany, Frankenstein Castle. This ruined fortress is synonymous...
Experts are studying the melted lead from the fire that ravaged the Notre Dame cathedral.

Ashes of Notre-Dame to Reveal Secrets of Medieval Architecture

The remains of last year ’ s burning of Paris ’ s Notre-Dame cathedral will be studied by scientists. On April 15 of last year the world froze as an electrical fire destroyed the cathedral’s roof and...
Mir Castle Complex, Belarus

Mir Castle - The Beauty, the Atrocities, and the Restoration

The modern nation of Belarus has had a dramatic and often bloody history because of its strategic location. Like many other European nations, it has a rich heritage in military architecture . While...
Pont des Trous in Tournai. Credit: Francois / Adobe Stock.

13th Century Pont des Trous Bridge Demolished: Archaeological Vandalism or Economic Progression?

Angry Belgians and a minister of that countries federal government have voiced their distain towards politicians and counselors who ordered the dismantling of Tournai’s gothic “Bridge of Holes” so...
Notre Dame de Paris, a taller reconstruction of the original spire was made in the 1800s.

Notre Dame de Paris: Survivor of 850 Years of Upheaval, Revolution, World Wars and Fire

Notre Dame de Paris (which translates as ‘Our Lady of Paris’) is one of the best-known Gothic cathedrals in the world and among the most famous landmarks in France . The monument caught the attention...
How Were They Made? Unlocking the 500-Year-Old Secret to Gothic Miniature Boxwood Carvings

How Were They Made? Unlocking the 500-Year-Old Secret to Gothic Miniature Boxwood Carvings

A mystery that lasted for nearly five centuries was finally solved with the assistance of modern technology. The magnificent 16th century miniature boxwood carvings that had been puzzling viewers and...
The Krak des Chevaliers: Can this Crusader Fortress Survive the Current Syrian Conflict?

The Krak des Chevaliers: Can this Crusader Fortress Survive the Current Syrian Conflict?

The Krak des Chevaliers, located in modern day Syria, is one of the best-preserved examples of European medieval military architecture done in the Gothic style. It is a massive fortress that was...
The Exceptional Story of the Kovel Spearhead, Who Made it and Where is it Today?

The Exceptional Story of the Kovel Spearhead, Who Made it and Where is it Today?

In 1858, a farmer plowing a field near Kovel in the old administrative unit Volhynia (what is now Ukraine), discovered an iron spearhead with an intriguing inscription and lavish ornamentation. Soon...
The Incredible Discovery of the Golden Pietroasele Treasure

The Incredible Discovery of the Golden Pietroasele Treasure

The Pietroasele Treasure is the name given to a hoard of gold artifacts discovered during the 19 th century. These precious objects were discovered in an ancient grave in Pietroasele, Buzău County,...
Picture taken in Malbork after Wikimania 2010 conference. Panorama of Malbork Castle.

Malbork Castle: Searching for Treasure and Legends in the Shadows of the Teutonic Order

Today, Malbork Castle is a magnificent fortress located in northern Poland, but in the past it was the capital of the Teutonic Order. It was built in the 13th century when the Grand Master decided to...
Close-up of human skulls that are part of the Chapel of Bones of the Church of San Francisco in Évora, Portugal.

The Story Behind a Frightening Chapel of Bones in Portugal

There is a Church of San Francisco found in the Portuguese city of Évora, 140 km (87 miles) from Lisbon. Inside this church, next to the cloister of the former Franciscan monastery, in the place...