Nalanda Was the Ivy League Before the West Even Dreamed of Universities

Before Oxford was even a dream, Nalanda lit the world with knowledge—until its libraries burned for months and its monks were slaughtered, silencing a civilization’s soul in smoke and ash.

Roman Aqueducts: the Arteries of the Empire

The boldness of the enterprise, the solidity of the execution, and the uses to which they were subservient, rank the aqueducts among the noblest monuments of Roman genius and power.

Kailasa Temple: How to carve centuries of history into stone

It may look like any ordinary ancient wonder, but this is the largest monolithic building in the world (meaning it was built in its entirety from just a single piece of rock) ...

Rome wasn't built in a day — but it was today.

Exactly 2,778 years ago...

Bridges are their own form of art

It’s not just about admiring feats of engineering or building the longest road over water (which still comes across as pretty impressive) but it’s about engraving poetry in stone, brick and steel...

The rediscovery of the "Temple of Poseidon"

In southern Greece, archaeologists have discovered ruins they believe belong to the long-lost Temple of Poseidon described by ancient writers.

It's impossible to picture Paris without the Eiffel Tower today.

But 136 years ago, when the tower was built, the story was different... people hated it.

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...