The House of Wisdom

Venice: How do you build a city that floats?

The answer is actually quite straight forward but it’s not as it appears on the surface — you literally have to look underwater...

Neoclassical Architecture: Power and Authority

It’s more than just columns and symmetry — it is a philosophy in stone. Born in the mid-18th century, a movement that very much opposed the excesses of Baroque and Rococo, that were so prevalent prior to the Enlightenment.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon: Is this the most mysterious wonder of the ancient world?

“Babylon lies in a wide plain, a vast city in the form of a square with sides nearly 14 miles long and a circuit of some 56 miles, and in addition to its enormous size, it surpasses in splendor any city of the known world."

Michelangelo: The sculptor who changed Italy's architecture

Greek Theater: The Birth of Culture?

Theater was a viral part of life in the cradle of Greek civilization. The origins lie in religious rituals...

Segovia Aqueduct: How to cement a masterpiece into history (without the cement)...

Aqueducts were vital parts of Roman society: they were lifelines for the rapidly growing cities of the empire. As Dionysius put it: "The extraordinary greatness of the Roman Empire manifests itself above all in three things: the aqueducts, the paved roads and ... drains."

Göbekli Tepe: The Temple That Built Civilization by Culture Explorer

Before its discovery, scholars believed early humans were simple hunter-gatherers, living in small, mobile bands but Göbekli Tepe tells another story...

You've heard of the Colosseum but what about all the other Roman theaters out there...

The Romans were heavily influenced by the Greeks, who had already perfected the art of open-air performances, centuries prior. Upon encountering Greek drama and architecture, they adapted both to suit their own needs...

The Pantheon: Building the Impossible Masterpiece

The Pantheon we see today is not the same structure that was built 2,000 years ago. The original Pantheon was built by Marcus Agrippa, the right-hand man of Emperor Augustus, sometime around 27 BC...

Architecture as Civilisational Rebirth - the Sicilian Baroque by Western Exile

“Build Back Better” is an expression which has been much used and abused in recent years. There is, however, an extraordinary example...

Stobnica Castle: Believe it or not, this is a *modern* medieval castle...

We often think of medieval castles as relics of a forgotten era — symbols of feudal power or romantic ruins. Yet, in the modern world, architects and visionaries are building castles inspired by this very period.

Pyramid of Cestius: No, it's not in Egypt, it's the untold wonder of Rome...

By the 1st century BC, Egypt had captivated the Roman imagination. The Battle of the Nile in 47 BC, where Julius Caesar triumphed and entangled himself with Cleopatra, symbolized Rome’s growing obsession with Egyptian culture.