Category Archives: Architecture Walking through history is so much more interesting than attempting to study it at school! Old stone walls have such stories to tell. Chefchaouen in Morocco’s Rif Mountains was originally founded as a defensive fortress in 1471 – at a time when Portugal was attacking northern cities and towns in the region. The mossy, rammed […]  It was surreal: on a hot and still afternoon in the southwest of Türkiye, I was walking in the footsteps of the Crusaders. The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller, have a long history. Formed early in the 12th century, their mission was to […]  I loved Chefchaouen. I never quite managed to pronounce it though! The name of this charming little city in the mountains of northwestern Morocco comes from an Arabic word chef meaning “to look” and a Berber word echaouen meaning “antlers” or “horns”; the term refers to the two most prominent mountain peaks that overlook the […]  It is like stepping into the past – but with artists’ ateliers, boutique shops, and great coffee! Saint-Cirq Lapopie is a heritage-listed medieval village in the southwest of France. Located on a steep cliff, 100m above the Lot River, it originally served as a defensive and administrative centre for one of the local viscomtés – […]  Colour and pattern is everywhere! Tiled walls and fountains are around each corner and intricate wood, brass, and plaster work decorate every building in old Meknes. Founded in the 11th century under the Almoravid Berber dynasty, Meknes is one of Morocco’s four Imperial Cities: that is, it was once the capital of the country, and […] |
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