Fatehpur Sikri seems like a city frozen in time. It was a short-lived Mughal capital in the 1600s and then abandoned completely. I have a book called The Alternative Travel List—Go here instead. This...
The heading is not a revolutionary statement or an understatement. The Taj Mahal is a fantastic building with a great romantic story. Agra was the second city I visited on my trip to India...
As in many countries, the capital often represents a country’s best and worst. I will say this is also the case in New Delhi. As I said in my previous post, I almost regretted...
New Delhi and Agra were the first stops on my India tour before I entered Rajasthan, the impressive Land of Kings. This was not my first trip to the Indian subcontinent, but my first...
Erbil, also called Hawler, is the capital and most populated city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. I wish them the best of luck. Iraqi Kurdistan or Southern Kurdistan refers to the Kurdish-populated part of northern Iraq. It is considered one of...
The Yazīdīs experienced genocide under the IS attacks. Their story must be told, but they seem strong and flocked to the assembly in Lalish, Cenja Cemaiya (Feast of the Assembly). Most people have never...
Mosul was where IS had its headquarters during the last war in Iraq. Today, the people are trying to get back to everyday life. Mosul is the second largest city in Iraq. Due to...
Since the minaret in Samarra was closed, climbing the second-best Abu Dulaf was scary enough. Then, in the evening, calm down in ancient Hatra. On this day of our trip through Iraq and Kurdistan,...
It was fantastic to see the biblical remains of Ur, where Abraham was supposed to come from, and then to visit the Arabs living in the Marshes. This post will be split between two...
We arrived in Karbala after it had become dark. The city is car-free, so the bus had to leave us at the gate, and we had to walk to the hotel. This was day...
Most people have heard about Babylon from religious lessons at school. Today’s one is just a cheap replica built by Saddam Hussain. Babylon has a long history and has been built up at least...
Baghdad was founded as a capital in 762 AD and, within a short time, evolved into a cultural and intellectual centre of the Muslim world. It housed the House of Wisdom and several key...
Iraq has had more war and struggle than most countries. After years of dictatorship, neighbouring wars and inventions led to a civil war. This is about what most people know about Iraq. Most countries’...
I think many Europeans who have visited Brazil have been to Rio de Janeiro and only there. Who can blame them? When you are down in the city’s streets, you can feel like you...
In this little mountainous town, Ouro Preta, which is a little jewel box, I have found more churches than grocery stores. Of course, UNESCO’s heritage has also impacted this town. On my trip around...
