A legendary Iberian king gave his name to this village, which is located in the province of Jaen. The history of the Iberian people is strong in this region, and can be seen in many archaeological sites and museums. One of those sites is the Cyclopean Wall of Ibros, so-called because of the size of the stones with which it was built. It was said that only a cyclops (a mythological being with a single eye and enormous strength)……
Robert Robinson Taylor’s impressive legacy straddles two institutions. There’s MIT, where he studied architecture and became the Institute’s first African American graduate; and then there is Tuskegee University, originally the Tuskegee Institute, where Taylor spent most of his career, heading the architecture department of the historically Black college, helping to shape its educational philosophy that drew some inspiration from MIT’s, and designing and helping to build many of the buildings on the Tuskegee campus. While there have been ongoing……
Controversial and colorful British occultist Aleister Crowley (1875–1947) was a man of many epithets, known variously as “The Wickedest Man in the World,” “The King of Depravity,” and even “The Beast 666.” He was praised as an accomplished mountaineer, poet, novelist, painter, chess master, and philosopher. He was also maligned as a drug addict, hedonist, and sex fiend. But another apt descriptor, though rarely mentioned, greatly shaped much of his life and writings: He was the ultimate gourmand. Since……
The Holy Church of Saint Spyridon on the Greek island of Corfu is a captivating religious site that holds spiritual significance. Nestled in the heart of the charming Old Town, this 16th-century Orthodox church is a true gem of the island. With its striking Venetian bell tower and elegant domes, the church commands attention and draws visitors from across the world. However, what truly sets this church apart is the presence of the mummified body of St. Spyridon, the patron……
If you had a problem in Early Medieval Europe, chances were good that there was a spell for it. “Metrical charms” were sets of magical instructions for addressing dilemmas with spoken words and actions that combined herbal medicine, prayer, and ritual. Many dealt with the challenges of agriculture, with Old English examples having titles like “For Unfruitful Land,” “For Lost Cattle,” and Wiþ Ymbe, meaning “For a Swarm of Bees.” Although it was discovered copied into the margins of……
Tom Otterness is one of America’s most famous—and controversial—artists. His sculptures have been featured at the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney, and the Guggenheim. Some of them can be found scattered throughout the 14th Street/8th Avenue subway station in a series called Life Underground. This 2006 work in Hell’s Kitchen, however, has a much different distinction: it doubles as a fully functioning children’s playground. Playground by Tom Otterness is a 30-foot-long bronze sculpture of an elongated figure lounging in……
Waldenburg Castle, also known as Schnellenberg Castle, is a fascinating castle ruin located near Attendorn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Its history dates back to the 12th century when it was first built. The castle changed hands several times over the centuries and played an important role in the history of the region. Originally, Waldenburg Castle was built as a fortress to protect the strategically important trade route in southern Westphalia. In the course of time, it became a residence for……
Ginza is Tokyo’s flagship shopping district and is home to numerous boutiques, art galleries, and cafés, upmarket but with comfy historic charms. A little off its main street stands the Okuno Building, a relic of pre-war Japanese architecture. Built in 1932 and extended with an annex in 1934, it was designed as a high-income, earthquake-resistant apartment complex then-named the Ginza Apartment, and survived the Bombing of Tokyo into the current age. Old-fashioned to a fault, the Okuno Building is……
CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — The Eagles and the NFL might still be the sports favorites at Calvary Baptist Church, just outside Philadelphia. But many here are also rooting for a neighboring team which last year reached the championship game of Major League Soccer. Their new-found fandom is all about location — and revenue from parking. The Philadelphia Union plays at Subaru Park, a stadium beside the Delaware River just a few blocks from Calvary in the economically challenged city…
One of Turkey’s many notable archaeological sites is Kültepe-Kanesh, which is located in the center of the country near the region of Kapedokya (Cappadocia). Founded around 2000 B.C., the site was the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Kanesh and was a key part of the Assyrian trade network in the Anatolian Peninsula. The nearby provincial capital of Kayseri, which itself is thousands of years old, likes to highlight its connections to the ancient Assyrians. In particular, the Kayseri……
The animal world is full of harbingers of doom—at least, according to superstitions. From the Tower of London’s ravens (whose departure would signal the fall of an entire nation) to the average black cat crossing your unlucky path, plenty of critters warn of woe. In Ominous Animals, we explore the lore—and the science—behind these finned, furry, and feathered messengers of impending calamity. An agile gray bird with a chipper song flitters in and out of a hiker’s peripheral vision……
During Antebellum, travel became very popular across the United States. Springs, abundant in the Ozarks, were sought out for their healing properties. Sulphur Springs, Arkansas, became a spa and health tourism boom town. The center of the town contained four mineral springs. The boom continued through the 1940s. The three springs of Sulphur Springs Park contained different minerals for suggested cures. White sulfur water eased liver aliments, black sulfur for malaria, lithium soothed the nerves, and alkaline magnesium helped……
Lennel Kirk served the village of Lienhale, which once stood to the east of the graveyard but now no longer exists. The small Lennel Kirk was constructed in the 1120s. The building was dedicated to St, Mary in 1243 by the Bishop of Durham. The foundations of the church are probably of Anglo-Saxon origins with the nave being medieval. The small church was added to over time. Initially, the church held mass led by a priest, but after the Reformation,……
This stately building was once the center of civic life in the mining town of Rock Springs, Wyoming. Now the historic building serves as the city’s historical museum telling the story of the many individuals who came together to create Rock Springs, and of one of the darkest moments in American history. By 1893, the newly incorporated Rock Springs was booming, and its citizens were looking to create a grand municipal building that would confirm its status as a……
Scary movies have nothing on nature itself. Eons of evolution have created plenty of nightmare scenarios with no screenwriter in sight. For example, the Atlas Obscura archives are full of tales of the undead all around us—bees that dig their own graves, caterpillars that explode, shrimp controlled by parasites—and scientists’ efforts to explain these totally real zombies. Here are a few of our favorites, along with our picks for refuge when Hollywood’s more familiar brain-eating monsters shamble to life…….
