Istanbul - Turkish hamams, also known as traditional Turkish baths, remain an enduring element of daily life and cultural identity in Turkey. Rooted in ancient Roman and Byzantine traditions and further refined under the Ottoman Empire, these bathhouses have long served as spaces for both physical cleansing and communal gathering. Today, hamams continue to offer a unique wellness experience that blends historic ritual with modern relaxation, attracting visitors from across the globe.
Origins and Historical Significance
The tradition of the hamam dates back over a thousand years, evolving from Roman thermae and Byzantine bathhouses. With the rise of the Ottoman Empire, the hamam took on a distinctly Turkish character, becoming a staple of urban and rural life alike. During this period, the hamam was not only a place to bathe but...
By Leila Moussavi ~
Under Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz's off-the-beaten-trails are a treasure trove of off-the-beaten-spot gems—stunning scenery, rich heritage, and unlimited hospitality. Some of the most engaging off-the-beaten-spot sites in Iran that capture the country's beauty, heritage, and hospitality are described below.
Rainbow Valley of Hormuz Island
It is an island...
By Nawal Al-Hakimi ~
If the world's imagination gazes out upon "Yemen," the first mind's eye is one of disaster and war. But to reach the destination is to journey through an even more—tale of unrivaled scenery majesty, of vast history, and cultural paradox. Yemen is a nation in which...
A decades-longabilis code of warfare is in the rearview mirror of Syria, having soared in breakneck velocity as a destination label for off-the-map nature and culture sites. Its stabilisation eventually on-the-ground reality, tourists and scholars alike discover Syria's diverse geography, ancient history, and multicoloured bazaars—wonders that make Syria a viable substitute for cultural tourism and discovery.
As far-off places such as ancient Palmyra and Aleppo Citadel get the headlines, far-remoteness takes center stage. Hill country...
By Nawal Al-Hakimi ~
If the world's imagination gazes out upon "Yemen," the first mind's eye is one of disaster and war. But to reach the destination is to journey through an even more—tale...
By HELEN STRUEWN - As summer fades and the days grow shorter, there’s something magical about the arrival of autumn. The air cools, leaves turn vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow, and...
In order to discover Kuwait's heritage is to enter into a living tissue of tradition, history, and culture. Stroll through the maze-like, alleyed streets that offer shelter for centuries-old mansions, coloured colourful bazaars, and palm trees which dance to the breeze, an aura of nostalgia slowly takes its grip on you. The country narrates how this city was turned into a pear diving and trading center—a bygone era which surrounds the air.
Pearl trading was the mainstay of Kuwaiti existence for centuries. Its modern-day visitors are usually overwhelmed by stories narrated in its ancient architecture and bazaars—architecture which was once as shiny and as colorful as pearls. A trip to the Kuwait National Museum is utilized to add additional context to this experience, where a phantom collage is utilized to...
Saudi Arabia is becoming a tourism force by building natural attractions, historical attractions, and high-end resorts. Cut off from foreign visitors to a large degree in the past, the Kingdom has been opened up to strategic significance with all types of travel catered to from downtown centers to remote natural attractions.
The capital and economic metropolis of Riyadh represents the quintessential expression of the nation's modernization initiative. The city has new and old structures, representative of historical and cultural issues that are managed within institutions such as the National Museum. King Abdullah Financial District and similar ones are articulations of the same drab plazas and newly created areas of recreation that are an articulation of investment in the urban cities as a way of redirecting regional and foreign tourists into...
Lebanon spring is also the season of cultural and natural renewal and beauty, and therefore the optimum time to travel. Nature lovers' heaven is the nation's terrain, as leaves and wild flowers transport them back once more. Green valley and rolling countryside are ideal for great outdoors like walking, especially the world-famous locations such as the Qadisha Valley and the Bsharri cedars groves, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
With indigenous Lebanon, spring season is season of most vibrant Lebanese culture. Festival like Baalbek International Festival provides space for art and music to people, who relish freedom to attend open-air performances where country artistic heritage is valued. Festivals are tourism biggest draw, offering foreign travelers insider's perspective of culture in Lebanon.
It is also the period of high agricultural...
The compelling mixture of history, geology, and culture in Lebanon has enough evidences of the past and countryside landscape. Lebanon's traces of the past and countryside landscape attract foreign travelers. Among the thousand-year-old traces of old port city town of Byblos and the gigantic remains of Baalbek which foreign tourists flocked to see, there is a piece of land that has everything that is Lebanon.
Byblos, Lebanon's ancient and inhabited city, is one of the country's doors to history. The city has promenades of beauty of columns of marbled loveliness to medieval fortresses, one of them tastefully preserved Crusader Castle standing. Its newly restored marina with wooden sailboats sketched in against glinting seafood and Lebanese local specialties piled over mezzes served out of interior-access restaurants which are reasonably priced.
Byblos hilltop...
Timeless Oman remains endlessly captivating to all who visit with its superb mix of history, nature, and cultural abundance. Blue desert blues to monsoon-humped...
Holiday or hour, day or night, holiday tourist is in dilemma to determine where to spend his holiday, and European town or city or sea-shore somewhere in Southeast Asia...
Istanbul - Turkish hamams, also known as traditional Turkish baths, remain an enduring element of daily life and cultural identity in Turkey. Rooted in ancient Roman and Byzantine traditions...
In order to discover Kuwait's heritage is to enter into a living tissue of tradition, history, and culture. Stroll through the maze-like, alleyed streets that offer shelter for centuries-old mansions, coloured colourful bazaars,...
A living tapestry of heritage, nature, and culture, Lebanon represents a thrill holiday for both mainstream icons as well as off-the-beaten-trail adventure. In addition...
A decades-longabilis code of warfare is in the rearview mirror of Syria, having soared in breakneck velocity as a destination label for off-the-map nature and culture sites. Its stabilisation eventually on-the-ground reality, tourists...
By Leila Moussavi ~
Under Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz's off-the-beaten-trails are a treasure trove of off-the-beaten-spot gems—stunning scenery, rich heritage, and unlimited hospitality. Some of the most engaging off-the-beaten-spot sites...
By Layla Al-Mahdi ~
Down south, as in the south of the Arabian Peninsula, in a foreigner-reared nation, here is where the past isn't so much recalled—more that it's lived....
Istanbul - Turkish hamams, also known as traditional Turkish baths, remain an enduring element of daily life and cultural identity in Turkey. Rooted in ancient Roman and Byzantine traditions and further refined under...
A living tapestry of heritage, nature, and culture, Lebanon represents a thrill holiday for both mainstream icons as well as off-the-beaten-trail adventure. In addition...
By Laila Al-Fulan ~
Fleeting oasis in the middle of the Arabian Peninsula, Kuwait is an oasis in which ocean and desert blend together in harmony. Mysterious and golden, this state-of-sea is distinguished by...
By Elizabeth Warren ~
This is not living in another nation in this world where past and present were sewn so well as have been sewn in Turkey. Where two continents of Eurasia meet,...
Sandra Joireman, University of Richmond
Close to 1.5 million Syrian refugees have voluntarily returned to their home country over the past year.
That extraordinary figure represents...
Andrew White, King's College London - It is not much of an exaggeration to say that Spotify saved the music industry. Global revenue for...
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