Across the open plains of central-eastern Tunisia, an immense structure of honey-coloured stone rises above the rooftops of the modern town of El Jem. It appears almost unexpectedly, its tiers of arches climbing high into the North African sky, monumental and strangely solitary. From a distance, little in the surrounding landscape prepares the visitor for…
High in the Western Taurus Mountains of southwestern Turkey, ancient Sagalassos clings dramatically to a series of terraces overlooking the valleys and distant peaks of Pisidia. At around 1,450 to 1,700 metres above sea level, it is one of the most spectacularly situated ancient cities in the Mediterranean world. Mountains rise behind its ruined streets,…
Across the broad Orontes Valley of western Syria lie the magnificent ruins of Apamea, once one of the great cities of the Hellenistic world. Its immense colonnaded avenue still stretches towards the horizon, passing through a windswept archaeological landscape scattered with fallen capitals, fragments of temples, houses, baths and civic buildings. Even in ruin, the…
Few ancient cities possess the scale, beauty, and extraordinary depth of history found at Ephesus. Once standing beside a magnificent natural harbour on the Aegean coast of western Anatolia, the city grew from ancient Anatolian settlements and an Ionian Greek colony into one of the great cultural, religious, and commercial centres of the Mediterranean world….
There are places where the ancient world survives not as a fragment, but as a presence. Dougga is one of those places. Set high above the fertile Oued Khalled valley in northern Tunisia, the ancient city looks across a vast landscape of fields, olive groves and distant hills. The setting is beautiful, but it is…
Bulla Regia is one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in Tunisia, an ancient city whose greatest treasures are found not only among ruined temples, baths and streets, but beneath them. Situated in the fertile Medjerda Valley of northwestern Tunisia, around 10 kilometres from the modern city of Jendouba, Bulla Regia occupied an important position…
Providing a breathtaking illusion of antiquity, the ancient city of Pompeii lies near the Bay of Naples in the southern Italian region of Campania, still and forever shadowed by its tormentor, Mount Vesuvius. Few archaeological sites bring the ancient world so vividly to life. Pompeii has temples, theatres, and grand houses, but its fascination reaches…
Hadrian’s Villa near Tivoli, Italy, exemplifies the ambitious architectural vision of Emperor Hadrian, incorporating diverse Mediterranean influences. The expansive estate features elaborate gardens, pools, and buildings reflecting Hadrian’s extensive travels and cultural appreciation, highlighting the intersection of beauty and practicality in ancient imperial life.