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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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10 subterranean structures of the ancient world continue to baffle archaeologists. Source: Dpnuevo/CC BY-SA 3.0, Yasir999/CC BY-SA 4.0, Gernot Keller www.gernot-keller.com/CC BY-SA 2.5, Pafnutius/CC BY-SA 3.0, flickr

Ten Amazing Subterranean Structures From the Ancient World

From ancient cisterns and water systems to mysterious caves, underground crypts, subterranean temples and even entire cities built beneath the earth, what our ancient ancestors have achieved is both...
The grotto of the seven sleepers from the Menologion of Basil II. Source: Public domain

The Ancient Grotto of the Seven Sleepers

The short story Rip Van Winkle , written in 1819 by the American writer Washington Irving, is about a man who woke up after a sleep of more than two decades. Although such a work of fiction is a...
In China the Longyou Caves are known as the ninth wonder of the ancient world. Source: Zhangzhugang / CC BY-SA 4.0

Ten Enduring Mysteries of China’s Longyou Caves

Located near the village of Shiyan Beicun in Zhejiang province, China, lie the Longyou Caves - an extensive, magnificent and rare ancient underground world considered in China to be “the ninth wonder...
Kamakura’s Sixteen Wells on the grounds of Kaizo-ji Temple. Photo source: Phlizz / Atlas Obscura

Kamakura’s Sixteen Wells: One of the Mysteries of Kazo-ji Temple

The Juroku-no-i, or Sixteen Wells in English, is a group of sacred wells at the Kaizo-ji Temple in Kamakura , Japan. The Sixteen Wells are located in a small grotto near the back of the temple. As...
The Greek theatre of Syracuse, Sicily            Source: Marco Brivio / Adobe Stock

3000 Years of Greek Drama at the Theatre in Syracuse

For many centuries Sicily was part of the wider Greek world and this can be seen in the many spectacular monuments and ruins on the island. One of these is the Greek theatre at Syracuse. Syracuse was...
The Flaming Mountains of Turpan, Xinjiang, China. (Dosisdemi.com)

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...
Tunnels in the underground city of Naours, France

The Underground City of Naours: A Subterranean Settlement Complete with Bakeries and Chapels

Many stories have been told about hidden underground cities or realms. Examples from fiction include the underground compound inhabited by the Morlocks in H.G. Well’s, The Time Machine and the...
Frescos in the crypt of St. Agatha, including the outstanding inner chapel altar and fresco (center).

Excavation of the Maltese Catacombs of St. Agatha Revealed Some of the Finest 12th and 15th century Frescos in Europe!

Located just some 60 miles of the coast of Sicily, smack in the middle of the Mediterranean lie the Maltese Islands. The three small islands are Malta, it's sister island of Gozo and the small island...
Unravelling the Mystery of the Maronite Mummies: Why Were Medieval Mummies Hidden in a Cave?

Unravelling the Mystery of the Maronite Mummies: Why Were Medieval Mummies Hidden in a Cave?

When archaeologists found a cache of medieval mummies in a Lebanese cave, the amazing discovery took their breath away. The remarkably well-preserved bodies of eight people who were buried in Qadisha...
The Mogao Grottoes in China, the Legendary Home to a Thousand Buddhas and a Hidden Library

The Mogao Grottoes in China, the Legendary Home to a Thousand Buddhas and a Hidden Library

The Mogao Grottoes, known also as the Mogao Caves, the Dunhuang Caves, or the Thousand Buddha Caves, are a network of Buddhist cave temples in China. This site is located near the city of Dunhuang in...
Margate Grotto Wall

The mysterious shell grotto of Margate – Part 2

Ninety-nine per cent of the shells that were used in the Margate shell grotto (eg mussels, oysters, clams, whelk, razors and limpet) are from shellfish that occur along the English coast. Only in the...
shell grotto Margate

The mysterious shell grotto of Margate – Part 1

Thirty-five miles north of Dover, a 40 minutes drive, one can find the English town Margate in Kent - a coastal town with 57,000 inhabitants and a proud maritime history. Since 1760 Margate has been...