Among Jewish people, Jerusalem’s Western Wall is the holiest place on earth. The “Kotel,” as it is called in Hebrew, evokes a mystical connection to history, Judaism, and personal prayer. People come to meditate at this sacred site and place notes with their personal prayers into the cracks between the stones. For many, being at…
Chances are, wherever you travel, you’ll find an Agatha Christie paperback. With eighty detective novels and story collections to her credit, Christie’s work has been translated into 130 languages and ranks third in sales behind the Bible and Shakespeare. She loved nothing more than going away and was utterly fearless about trying new destinations. Of her “foreign travel books,” she later would write, “if detective novels are escape literature, the reader can escape to sunny skies and blue water as well as to crime in the confines of an armchair.”
Much like the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Parthenon in Athens, Hagia Sophia is a long-enduring symbol of cosmopolitan Istanbul. Built as a Christian basilica 1,500 years ago. it has served for centuries as a landmark for both Orthodox Christians and Muslims. Byzantine Emperor Constantine commissioned the first Hagia Sophia in 360 A.D. when…
By Jacqueline Swartz I am floating like a cork on the salty Dead Sea, 1,400 feet below sea level, thinking about mud and history. Earlier, at the spa in the Hotel Dan, I was slathered in the mineral-rich ooze, said to be a remedy for arthritis, skin ailments and even wrinkles. Not the usual pampering…
By Susan McKee Roman ruins surrounded me as I stood, looking out at the clear blue expanse of the Mediterranean. Yet, I wasn’t anywhere near Rome. I wasn’t even on Italian soil. I was on the south coast of the sea – the north coast of Africa — standing amid the remains of an enormous…
How restaurants control your experience in ways you may not realize By Peter Greenberg Ever wonder why so many fast food chains use red and yellow in their logo? Research shows that color scheme is an intentional stimulant signifying happiness, energy – and hunger. They subtly tell consumers enjoy yourself, but to also get in…
Kurdistan’s Rough Road to Freedom By David DeVoss Kurds in northern Iraq control their own land, maintain their own military, and share a common culture and language. They also have an overwhelming desire to separate from Iraq and become an independent state. But can a de facto nation become a real country if it isn’t…
Turkish Airlines Lounge in Istanbul is the Best Reason to Arrive at the Airport Early By Peter Greenberg In the world of airline consolidation, mergers, and failures, it’s easy to argue that competition has suffered, and along with it customer service. That can often be an easy argument to make in the U.S. Then there’s…
Meme Wars By David DeVoss In the years between 9/ll and the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants publicized Al Qaeda’s beliefs, demands and atrocities with a succession of crudely produced audio and videotapes sent to Al Jazeera and other networks. By March 2004, however, the way that news and ideas…
God Save the Kurds Kurdistan prospers despite enveloping terror by David DeVoss Iraq’s Kurds are surrounded. To the West lie the Great Syrian Desert and the savagery of the Islamic State. North across the mountains an arc of enmity extends from Turkish Anatolia deep into the valleys of ancient Persia. Beyond the oil-rich province of…