Travel and climate news right now? One of the most impressive monuments in a city packed with them, the Treasury is the first incredible site visitors see once they have walked the 1.2km (0.75mi) Siq to enter Petra. Carved into the rock, it is almost 40m (131ft) high and decorated with figures, friezes and animals. It is thought to have been built in the 1st century BCE and most archaeologists believe it was a temple, though some think it may have been used to store documents. Jordan may have just 26km (16mi) of coastline but its clear waters, balmy temperatures and historical sights make the Red Sea port of Aqaba ideal for a beach holiday. Close enough for day trips to the ancient wonders at Petra and the desert landscapes of Wadi Rum, Aqaba also offers action-packed watersports, lively markets and local restaurants serving Jordanian cuisine and fresh seafood. If you get restless after too many days on a sun lounger, this is the perfect compromise. Read even more information at Define Places.
The Marrakesh Museum has an eclectic collection ranging from contemporary art to Qur’anic inscriptions, with local ceramic work, textiles, and coins thrown in for good measure. For most visitors, the real highlight of a visit here is the building in which the museum is housed. The Dar Me’nebhi was built in the early 20th century and was once home to a minister in Morocco’s government. The architecture is a harmonious blend of local North African form with Portuguese elements, and features an extremely impressive central courtyard area complete with a lavish chandelier.
The Bastakia Quarter (also known as the Al-Fahidi neighborhood) was built in the late 19th century to be the home of wealthy Persian merchants who dealt mainly in pearls and textiles and were lured to Dubai because of the tax-free trading and access to Dubai Creek. Bastakia occupies the eastern portion of Bur Dubai along the creek, and the coral and limestone buildings here, many with walls topped with wind-towers, have been excellently preserved. Wind-towers provided the homes here with an early form of air conditioning — the wind trapped in the towers was funneled down into the houses. Persian merchants likely transplanted this architectural element (common in Iranian coastal houses) from their home country to the Gulf. Lined with distinct Arabian architecture, the narrow lanes are highly evocative of a bygone, and much slower, age in Dubai’s history. Inside the district, you’ll find the Majlis Gallery, with its collection of traditional Arab ceramics and furniture (housed in a wind-tower) and the Al Serkal Cultural Foundation, with a shop, cafe, and rotating art exhibitions (located in one of the historic buildings)
Mondello is an overgrown fishing village flipped into a 19th-century Liberty resort for Palermo’s elite. Imagine Nice, served with a frutti di mare side. A wide arc of beach is backed by more foodie treats. Like mobile carts selling lemon granitas and arancina (fried rice balls). Alicudi is the Sicilian island that Instagram forgot. Irregular ferries and passing yachts call ciaoto the island’s 100 inhabitants. Islanders share a pastoral diet of wild figs and prickly pears served alongside a sustainable daily catch. That’s good news, because this tiny island has no shops, no ATM and no problems.
Near the village of modern Akrotiri, 12 kilometers southwest of Fira, the ancient Minoan settlement of Akrotiri was buried below lava following the 16th-century BC volcanic explosion that created the caldera. At the Akrotiri Archaeological Site, visitors can walk on pathways through the debris of the town to see remains of the clay buildings of this once thriving town. It is so well preserved that it’s often compared to Pompeii. The site has remnants of multi-level buildings, pottery, and drainage systems, proving that Santorini was a flourishing and prosperous island before the eruption and probably lived from shipping and trading. Santorini’s connections with North Africa can be deduced from the outstanding frescoes (most of which are now in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens) that decorated its houses. The site of the Akrotiri ruins reopened to the public in 2012, following several years of closure.
Another quick stop on this list of the best things to do in Panama City, Panama is a visit to the La Iglesia del Carmen (also known as the Church of our Lady of Mount Carmen.) This stunning Gothic Church is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city! Although a visit to the church isn’t the most exciting experience you’ll have in Panama City, this quick stop is still worth it especially while you’re out exploring the city. But don’t just take a snap from the outside, you can also enter the church to admire the inside too! You can reach the church by taxi or even public transport as the church sits across the road from the metro station “Estación Iglesia del Carmen”.
