Masvingo, Zimbabwe While Sub-Saharan Africa was home to many advanced cultures prior to the arrival of either the Arabs or the Europeans, they were for the most part pastoral in nature, and left little in the way of architecture in general, let alone military structures. One of the outstanding exceptions is the Great Zimbabwe Enclosure. This small walled city/royal residence … [Read more...]
DAY OF GOODWILL HOLIDAY AND BEACH PARTY
Cape Town, South Africa South Africa, once a colony of the British Empire and currently a member of the British Commonwealth, inherited the tradition of Boxing Day from its former association with England. For much of the 20th century, Boxing Day in South Africa was synonymous with relaxation, sports and beach parties. However, while South Africans did embrace the holiday, … [Read more...]
LAND OF SHEBA
Several Locations, Ethiopia & Yemen Of all of the foreign lands associated with ancient Israel, none are as mysterious or exotic as fabled Sheba. From its location to its people to the numerous legends tying this realm to the Israelites, the riddles of Sheba have been slowly unraveling in the modern nations of Ethiopia and Yemen. From Axum to Ma’rib, stories persist of … [Read more...]
BASILICA OF OUR LADY OF PEACE
Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast The city of Yamoussoukro in the Ivory Coast is the unlikely home to one of the world’s record-setting Christian structures. In this small city, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, you will find the world’s largest church by some standards: the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. Loosely modeled on St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, it features the largest … [Read more...]
ROCK CHURCHES OF NEW JERUSALEM
Lalibela, Ethiopia While the Church of St. Mary of Zion in Axum may be Ethiopia’s holiest site, the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela are by far the more amazing and interesting. This collection of eleven churches was carved from the living rock near the city of Lalibela by the orders of the Ethiopian King of the same name. While these spectacular shrines are not unique to … [Read more...]
