Categories
Architecture
Phoenicia, Carthage and the Mediterranean. Part II: The Mediterranean Setting
Edited version of an article written by Christopher Wood The Mediterranean is the vestige of a far greater primeval sea, …
Phoenicia, Carthage and the Mediterranean. Part I: A Synoptic History of the Phoenicians
From around 1,000 BCE until their defeat by the Romans during the Punic wars (264 – 146 BCE), the Phoenicians, …
Philippi: Christianity from the Blood of Legionaries
Ancient Philippi lies about 15 km inland from today’s harbour town of Kavala in northern Greece. It sits on the …
Tōfuku-ji Hojo Gardens – A Masterpiece of Zen Modernism
Tōfuku-ji, founded in 1235 by the powerful Fujiwara clan, is one of Kyoto’s great Zen temples. Its Hojo gardens, the …
Egypt: In the Footsteps of Akhenaten and Nefertiti
Partially opened in late 2024, the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), located near the Pyramids of Giza, is set to …
A Tale of Three Digs at Edinburgh Castle – Scotland’s Greatest and Least Understood Royal Fortress
For almost 2 million visitors a year the Castle embodies the ultimate symbol of ‘Caledonia Stern and Wild’, the image …
Discover the Cultural Treasures of Cyprus
Nestled strategically in the eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus has long been a coveted prize for expanding empires. For over 2,000 years, …
Maintaining the World: Greek Gods – Part II
To the Greek way of thinking Gaia, the Earth, is the primordial Mother, the uncaused cause. Self-created out of the …
The Hittites and their Capital Hattusa
The origins of this Indo-European people, who dominated Anatolian and Near Eastern history for seven centuries (Middle Bronze-Late Bronze Ages) …
The Splendour of Chalukyan Art and Architecture: Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal
The heartland of the Chalukya, who ruled much of the Deccan and Southern India between the 6th and the 12th …
Lectures
Fresco Painting in the Veneto
Some of Italy’s most celebrated paintings were created using the ancient technique of fresco, of which a significant number are located in the Veneto.
Caravaggio in Sicily
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio is one of art history’s most fascinating personalities: a painter of genius and a man possessed of a violent, mercurial temperament.
Everywhere the Glint of Gold
After its long awaited opening, the Grand Egyptian Museum is now open and for the first time all the treasures from Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb are on display together. In this lecture Lucia reveals many lesser-known but wonderful items.
From desert trails to ocean sails
The distinctive landscapes of Oman were shaped by the ancient trade routes that crossed them, conveying luxury goods such as spices, textiles and incense between Africa, Arabia and the wider world of the Indian Ocean.
Paintings in Stone
Between the 2nd and the 4th centuries CE, the mosaic workshops in the cities of the Roman Provinces of Africa (modern western Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco) excelled in the production of high quality coloured figurative and geometric pattern mosaics