Why an Istanbul site reminded me of Harry Potter
Under the streets of Istanbul, an enormous vault – held up by hundreds of columns, with minimal lighting and shallow water – reminds you of a serpent!
history
Vow of silence
The nuns at the Sao Pedro Monastery in the Portuguese town of Arouca all took a vow of silence. Today you can see what their lives would have been like.
The world’s largest Buddhist temple
Borobudur Temple in Central Java, the world’s largest Buddhist temple, was lost for centuries. Now it’s restored and is Indonesia’s biggest tourist site.
A city divided and conquered
Inside two of Istanbul’s most famous landmarks: Hagia Sophia and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the Blue Mosque). Both are critical to Istanbul’s history.
A medieval evening in Portugal
A feast at the castle at Santa Maria da Feira in Portugal. But not just any feast – this is a special medieval feast where everyone is in character!
The mysterious Lycians
Who were the Lycians? It’s a good question. The short answer is they were a very important civilisation in Turkey, who were quite advanced for their time.