Author: Ms. R.

The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is the largest primary administrative division in the world, yet it is also among Russia’s least densely populated and most remote regions. This region is home to the coldest inhabited place on Earth, and it should come as no surprise that Yakutia also has unique natural features found almost nowhere else. For instance, the Ulakhan-Sis Range is one of the few places with geological formations known as kigilyakhs and baydzharakhs. Kigilyakhs are granite or sandstone pillars……

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Although many ancient writings and artifacts have been lost to history due to inadequate preservation, a uniquely structured raised building in Japan has protected some of society’s most important historical items for centuries. Here, preservationists mastered the art of conservation before many other societies, protecting Japan’s historical items from threats like fire and earthquakes.  The Shōsōin cypress log cabin does not necessarily invoke the image of an ancient archive, yet with regular care, it has maintained Japanese artifacts for……

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If you’ve ever downed a pint at the John Snow, in London’s Soho district, you may have walked right past the water pump mounted on Broad Street. What at first might appear to be an unremarkable fixture played a key role in medical science.  In 1854, Londoners were dying at a rapid rate. The culprit was thought to be miasma, or bad air, but Dr. John Snow—in whose honor the pub is named—had a different theory. He suspected that……

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On November 19, 1421, the southern Netherlands was struck by the devastating St. Elizabeth’s flood, so-named for the saint’s feast day. The flood is estimated to have claimed between 2,000 and 10,000 lives, with dozens of villages underwater. As legend holds, one skipper caught in the flood promised Mary, mother of Jesus, that if he were to survive his perils, he would build a chapel at the location where he would once again rest his feet on land. The……

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The Basilica of the Red Monastery in Sohag Province is an architectural marvel that exemplifies ancient temples before their original bright colors were scrubbed away by time. Constructed in the fourth century, this ancient temple showcases the evolution of religious sites from the Egyptian to the medieval eras. Named for the color of its outer walls, the Red Monastery marks a turning point in Mediterranean art and culture. At the time, Egypt was part of the Eastern Roman Empire ruled……

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Political prisoners were held at this site in Taiwan as recently as the early 1990s. Now, the former prison is a reminder of the human rights abuses that took place during the White Terror, a period of political repression that begin in the 1950s and did not end until 1991. Another prison from the same period, now called Green Island Human Rights Culture Park, has also been designated as a museum and memorial site.   Every cell of the prison is open……

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Towering over the streets of Basel, Switzerland, Hammering Man is a mechanical sculpture that captures the beauty of labor in perpetual motion. Designed by American artist Jonathan Borofsky, this 42-foot (13-meter) kinetic artwork swings its hammer tirelessly, a poetic ode to workers and artisans worldwide. Installed in 1989, this sleek and minimalist figure is part of Borofsky’s global Hammering Man series, which includes similar sculptures in Seoul, Frankfurt, and Seattle. Each iteration has unique dimensions and context, but all……

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Scotch egg. Welsh rarebit. Devilled kidneys. Pork crackling. Steak and kidney pie. These are the types of British dishes that are getting harder to find in an increasingly international London. But they can still all be found at The Guinea. Located in Mayfair on the site of an inn since 1453, this is arguably the London pub most respected for its food, although this emphasis has a dual nature. In the early ‘50s, The Guinea Grill became London’s first……

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