The Mosque of Ibn Tulun, built from 876- 879 under [...]]]> Cairo is a unique location: it is the only place in the world where you can see architectural remains of nearly every great Islamic Empire.  Not to mention that most of the sites are concentrated in geographically small area, making touring on foot very reasonable.

History

The Mosque of Ibn Tulun, built from 876- 879 under the Tulunid Empire, is the oldest intact, functioning mosque in Cairo. Further, it is huge, covering approximately 6.5 acres. This is one of the best examples of the classic congregational courtyard mosque design. This is the earliest mosque design, is derived from the layout of what became the first mosque prototype, the house of the Prophet Mohammed in Medina.

The design was influenced heavily by the Great Mosque of Samarra (located in Iraq, built 848-851), where Ibn Tulun received his military training. That said, this mosque’s use of bricks as a building material (rather than marble), arcades based on rectangular piers with engaged colonnettes in the corners (rather than columns), a spiraling minaret (the most striking similarity, both inspired by the shape of the Babylonian stepped ziggurat), and detailed stucco work are clear adaptations from Samarra.

View of the minaret from the courtyard of Ibn Tulun

What to look for during your visit

• Original inscriptions run along the arcades near the ceiling. These Koranic inscriptions are done on sycamore wood and are nearly 2 kilometers in length; at this length, it is estimated that the walls contain nearly 1/15 of the entire Koran.
• Stucco decoration lining the along the arches, interestingly, was created by pressing wooden molds into wet plaster.
• This mosque was the first to use the pointed-arch as part of a vast architectural complex; as a historical point of comparison, note that the pointed arches of this mosque pre-date those of the first French Gothic (an architectural movement synonymous with the point arch, among other characteristics) by more than 250 years!

Guide to Islamic Cairo

Islamic Cairo is unique: it is the only place in the world where you can see architectural remains of nearly every great Islamic Empire. Our Guide to Islamic Cairo gives travelers a deeper look into the history and monuments of the Islamic empires that controlled Cairo throughout time.

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Egypt’s White Desert

Cichetti (chi-KEHT-tee) are the bite-sized “Italian” brethren of tapas (basically, small snacks). Some of the most popular cichetti [...]]]> After spending the day touring Venice and exploring its beautiful architecture, relax with the locals at a Venetian wine bar and enjoy an aperitivo of cichetti and ombre.

Wine Bar in Venice

What to order in an Italian Wine bar

Cichetti

Cichetti (chi-KEHT-tee) are the bite-sized “Italian” brethren of tapas (basically, small snacks). Some of the most popular cichetti include salumi (especially soppressata and prosciutto di San Daniele); crostini topped with baccala (salted cod) and alici (anchovies); and cheeses such as piave, a local cow’s milk cheese similar to parmigiano-reggiano.

Ombre

Ombre (OHM-bray) are small glasses of wine (ombre translates as “shadow”, apparently where the Venetians traditionally drank the wine). We suggest sticking to the local wines while in Venice, such as a sparkling white prosecco from the Valdobiadenne DOC or a smooth, medium-bodied red from the Valpolicella DOC.

Top four wine bars in Venice

Wine bars in Venice are also known as cichetteria. These are some of our favorites:

• Al Marca (Campo Cesare Battisti, near the fish market, just off the Rialto bridge in San Polo). Perhaps our favorite in the city. Good for wine, aperitifs (try the local favorite: spritz con Aperol or Campari), and mini sandwiches with wine in the evening and coffee in the morning. Stand outside in the campo with the rest of the crowd — this bar is just a hole in the wall place.
• La Cantina, 3689 Strada Nuova, Cannaregio; (39-041) 522 8258. Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Closed Sunday. Very good place, with good wines and probably the best tasty small plates of meats and seafood.
• I Rusteghi. Campiello del Tentor San Marco; 041/523 2205. Just off the Rialto bridge and right around the corner from Alle Botte in the corner of a small campo, it’s a little more upscale than Alle Botte and its less busy atmosphere allows for interactions with the family behind the bar. Drinks and small sandwiches. The frizzante rose is worth a try.
• Banco Giro, 122 Campo San Giacometto, San Polo; (39-041) 523 2061. In summer, open 10:30 a.m. to midnight. Closed Sunday night and all day Monday. Good place, very laid-back and usually not too busy. You can find this bar behind the markets on the right side immediately after you descend from the Rialto Bridge. Banco Giro also serves sit-down dinners in the quaint upstairs.

Learn more about Venice’s local specialties

Venice is one of the most architecturally rich, varied, and exceptionally well-preserved cities in the world. Download our travel guide ebook to the Architecture of Venice to discover and explore twelve of the most beautiful and important buildings that define its architectural landscape. Explore Venice with Approach Guides today.

Venice’s St Mark’s Cathedral is home to one of the greatest displays of Mosaics in Italy. Download our travel guide ebook to the Ancient Mosaics of the Mediterranean to find out what where the oldest, best mosaics are located and what makes them unique. This guidebook is a must-have for the art-focused traveler.

Each region of Italy has local specialties and distinct culinary traditions, and Venice and the surrounding Veneto region offer some of the best. Some of our favorite regional dishes listed in this Guide to the Regional Foods of Italy, include baccala (salted cod), polenta (boiled cornmeal), salumi (especially soppressata and prosciutto di San Daniele), and risi e bisi (rice with peas).

Piedmont is the land of world-class Barolo and Barbaresco wines, but there are also many bargains to be found. Our Guide to Italian Wines gives travelers what they need to order the best local wines, such as a prosecco (sparkling white) or an Amarone della Valpolicella (full-bodied red).

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Figuring out how to successfully do this conversion has been a difficult process to master.  That said, we have finally figured it out.  [...]]]> Over the last year, we have been converting all of our PDF travel guidebooks into eBooks for the Apple’s iBookstore, Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, and Kobo.

Figuring out how to successfully do this conversion has been a difficult process to master.  That said, we have finally figured it out.  For all the self-publishers out there, we have some tips that we believe will come in handy as you look to do the same:

• The easiest way, by far, to do this is to build your books in Adobe’s InDesign (we originally pulled text and images directly in from strictly formatted MS Word chapter files, but now we create, edit, and format our guides exclusively using InDesign).  With InDesign, you can build a SINGLE, formatted book and export it to the required ebook format.
• More specifically, from a single InDesign “book” file, you can export directly to .epub (for  Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo), .mobi (for Amazon), and .pdf.
  • Adobe comes standard with the ability to export to .epub files and continues to improve features for digital publishers.
  • Download Amazon’s free InDesign plug-in that can be used to export to .mobi files.
• Once exported, your books can be previewed so that you can be sure — prior to submitting the content to Apple, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Kobo — of how they will look once formally published.  The formatting trial and error enabled with these preview tools is particularly valuable for “less streamlined” conversion areas such as the table of contents.
  • Download Adobe’s free Digital Editions; you can also save your exported .epub files and view them directly on your iPhone or iPad by placing them in the “Books” sub-folder in your iTunes folder, adding them to your iTunes library (“File”, “Add to Library”), and then synchronizing (make sure that you have downloaded Apple’s free iBooks reader App from the App Store).
  • Download Amazon’s free Kindle Previewer.
• Once you have created the .epub and .mobi files, we would suggest dealing directly with the Apple, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other bookstores as a self-publisher, rather than using an intermediary publisher.  The interfaces are easy and the submission processes are straightforward.
• Before you begin the submission process, you will need two other things: (a) an ISBN number (that can be bought from Bowker – this is not necessary for Amazon and Barnes & Noble); and (b) cover art.

An outstanding resource for digital publishers is Liz Castro’s blog and her book EPUB: Straight to the Point

We hope this helps.  Feel free to email if you have any other questions!

Narrow lanes or alleys that traditionally consist of several squat buildings (homes, stores, public restrooms, etc), hutongs are built so closely together that they form a nearly continuous [...]]]>

Photo by Yutaka Hirako, Tibet Heritage Fund

Beijing’s quiet hutong neighborhoods are about as close as you can come to experiencing what everyday life was like in the city more than 700 years ago.

Narrow lanes or alleys that traditionally consist of several squat buildings (homes, stores, public restrooms, etc), hutongs are built so closely together that they form a nearly continuous wall, broken only by doorways leading into a residential area or store.

Residences in the hutong are typically courtyard houses (siheyuan), which contain several buildings grouped around one or more open air courtyards. These courtyard homes, which traditionally housed several generations of a single family, functioned as a very private and personal mini “walled city”.

Walking through a hutong instantly puts a visitor inside of that community, as children play and adults chat with their neighbors. On the other hand, sometimes you can feel eerily disconnected here: the lane will be deserted, yet you hear distant sounds of activity going on behind the walls of each building.

Hutongs first became a feature of Beijing’s urban landscape during the Yuan Dynasty (a.k.a. the Mongol Dynasty, 1271-1368), when city planners set very strict requirements for a variety of streets. Over time, as the city grew and went through periods of political upheaval (during the Ming and Qing Dynasties), the codes fell into disuse and the hutongs took on the quaint yet disorderly appearance that defines these neighborhoods today.

Despite their importance to the city’s ancient history, these neighborhoods are rapidly disappearing. Since the 1950s, the government has been razing the areas to put up structures with modern facilities to help the city grow and remain competitive on the global stage.

The recent construction boom surrounding the Summer 2008 Olympics is the most telling example, but the government’s urban planning agenda has also been exacerbated by the fact that hutong houses are often occupied by several poor families with little money or incentive to care for these endangered areas. Many organizations have encouraged the preservation and conservation of these areas, but it’s an overwhelming job that requires educating the government, residents and, even, the ‘restorers’ on the importance of the lanes and the appropriate techniques to repair their ancient buildings.

For the being, at least, there’s still plenty to see. These three areas each have their own charm:

Traditional. Chaodou Hutong is located north of the Imperial City wall and contains some of Beijing’s best preserved hutong structures. This area has also maintained its original grid pattern, dating back to the Yuan dynasty.

Touristy. Zhong Luo Wan Hutong is located near the Drum and Bell towers. Here you’ll find lots of shops and restaurants, and it will be easy to locate a cycle rickshaw to take you around and explore the area.

Modern. Once an industrial area, Fangjia Hutong has recently been revived as contemporary art scene full of activity in its cafes and boutiques. You can tour both the industrial area and the surrounding hutongs in a few hours.

Traveling to Beijing?

Check out Approach Guides’ downloadable travel guide ebooks to Beijing. We explore cultural themes such as Chinese art, architecture, and religion.

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On the surface, Venetians fit the Italian profile. They speak the language, eat pasta, dress impeccably and love opera.  And yet, they are different. They are less religious, have built no walls around their old city, have sacrificed cars for gondolas, and generally look outward rather than inward for artistic inspiration [...]]]>

Anything but Italian

On the surface, Venetians fit the Italian profile. They speak the language, eat pasta, dress impeccably and love opera.  And yet, they are different. They are less religious, have built no walls around their old city, have sacrificed cars for gondolas, and generally look outward rather than inward for artistic inspiration (the Venice Biennale is a modern-day continuation of this mindset). In some respects, Venice is quintessentially Italian, but in others, it’s a world apart and the Venetians like it that way. This island city has always kept mainland Italy at arm’s length.

Since its’ founding in 697, Venice sought independent status by cultivating strong relations with the East and the blossoming empires of Byzantium and Islam.  Given this orientation and their relatively isolated position in the lagoon, Venetians naturally became consummate maritime merchants.  By the 13^th century, Venice was the principal supplier of the Mediterranean link in the spice trade, controlling nearly 70% of the spices brokered from the Far East into Europe. The spice trade route passed through many great empires of the world including those in China, India, Turkey and Egypt and followed a trajectory to Venetian merchants who were ready to pass the goods on to Western Europe. The traders had particularly close ties to the Eastern Christian Byzantines in what is now Turkey and the Islamic Mamlukes in Egypt.  The great cities of Constantinople and Cairo were the showplaces of the world then and their defining monuments– Hagia Sophia and the ornate domes and minarets of myriad mosques – shaped the Venetian aesthetic.  After all, you are what you see.  These cities had a tremendous impact and Venice sought to emulate elements of each. As a result, the Venetian architectural style is a fusion of both Byzantine and Islamic forms overlaying a Latin Christian foundation. The city’s Eastern influences are often overlooked; you just have to look in the right places to find it.

St Mark’s – the Byzantine influence

1. 2.
1.The oldest mosaics in St Mark’s Cathedral, Venice 2. Mosaics in Hagia Sophia, Istanbul (Constantinople)

Venice’s famed St. Mark’s Cathedral was modeled after the Church of the Holy Apostles, built in the 6^th century by Emperor Justinian in Constantinople. This Byzantine church was destroyed by the Turks in 1453, so now the Venetian “copy” is the real thing.  In accordance with its’ model, it’s based on a classic, centralized Greek cross design with five domes, one over each arm and one over the central crossing all resting on pendentives, a sort of architectural ice cream cone double scoop where the dome sits atop an arched lower section.  Plus, St Mark’s famed mosaics are the quintessential Byzantine decoration.  The oldest were executed by Byzantine mosaicists from Ravenna.  From an artistic standpoint, these are the most important mosaics in the church and are certainly worth attention.  To see them, just look up before you enter the main body of the church, since those most easily visible are located in the narthex, technically the lobby of the church, just above the main entrance doorway. The mosaics are positioned in mini niches, flanked by colonnettes and consist of the Virgin Mary flanked by the apostles and four evangelists.  Even in this definitively Byzantine inspired church, there are Islamic influences, for example, the canopies over the domes have a distinct feel of those topping minarets in Mamluke Cairo.

Ca’ D’Oro – the Islamic Influence

1. 2.
1. Madrasas of Sultan Al-Malik Al-Salih Najm Ad-Din Ayyub Minaret, Cairo 2.Ca D’Oro Façade, Venice

Ca D’Oro Façade, Venice

This masterpiece of Venetian architecture clearly employs some Islamic elements.  The inflected arches of the façade’s windows give the palazzi a distinctive Islamic feel.  While the narrow profile of the windows and their arrangement is derived from Christian precedents, their inflected nature has Islamic inspiration. Plus, the shapes above the doorway entrances, although not a perfect match, clearly share the same aesthetic. Also the stone or marble “frame” around the main floor windows – used for the first time in the Gothic period to highlight the importance of these central windows – might have also been an Islamic contribution.

1. 2.
1. Domes of St Mark’s, Venice 2.Minarets of the Mosque of Emir Altunbugha Al- Maradani, Cairo

Venice’s predominance as a liaison between East and West gradually diminished at the end of the 15^th century, when Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama rounded Africa’s Cape of Good Hope and landed in India in 1498.  For the first time ever, this opened up a direct sea link with the East and Venice’s position in the Mediterranean was no longer critical.  This new route focused Europe’s trading orientation westward, the seeds of which had already been planted by Christopher Columbus’ 1492 crossing of the Atlantic to America.

Domes of St Mark’s, Venice

While the Venice of yesteryear is gone, the legacy remains. Keep in mind when touring this city, the voice that echoes is not that of Florence’s Dante Alighieri, that famous Italian pre-Renaissance poet, but rather Venice’s Marco Polo.   A walk through Venice is really a walk around the world, a city that truly bridges East and West.

The country code for Italy is 39.

Where to Sleep:

The Dorsoduro district is probably the best part of the city to find a hotel – away from the tourist throngs but still situated centrally, with much of the “must sees” very close-by. The Castello and S. Polo districts are a good second choice.

Centurion Palace Hotel:  housed in a former convent with a splendid Venetian-Gothic facade and located at the mouth of the Grand Canal, this 5 star property has a magical ambience that perfectly combines Venetian antiquity with modern Italian flair.  Each room and suite is individually decorated in contemporary style and there is a private garden, butler service and gourmet restaurant.  Dorsoduro, 173. 41-34281. www.centurionpalacevenezia.com

Hotel Castello:  gorgeous paneling, damask fabrics and refined Murano glass give guests the feeling of traveling through time.  Comfortable and convenient, this 3 star hotel is less than a minute away from St. Mark’s Square. Campo SS. Filippo e Giacomo; Castello 4365. 41-523-4545. www.hotelcastello.it

Hotel Tivoli: enjoys an excellent position in the historical center of Venice and the staff is extremely friendly. There is a fantastic courtyard for lounging mid-afternoon or evening.  Dorsoduro 3838- Crosera San Pantalon. 41-524-2460. www.hoteltivoli.it

Where to Eat:

Antiche Carampane: (the best overall) Great seafood, focused on home-style preparation with high quality ingredients. Excellent, with a solid, friendly staff and classy, casual atmosphere. Antiche Carampane is a great experience, one of our favorites in Italy.  Closed Sunday and Monday.  San Polo 1911; Rio Terra Rampani; 41-524-0165. www.antichecarampane.com

Alle Testiere: Excellent seafood restaurant but sometimes overly ambitious. Elegant, with good food, cool vibe, and the best wine list.  With just 9 tables, reservations are a must. 2 seatings: 7:30 and 9:30. Closed Sunday and Monday. Calle del Mondo Novo, 5801 (Castello); 41-522-7220.  www.osterialletestiere.it

Al Covo: Delicious, very high quality Venetian seafood. Right up there with Antiche Carampane and Alle Testiere, however, we would argue that the energy level and feel are superior at the other two. Further, prices here are at least 10-20% higher than the other restaurants. However, this is the best option for dining on a Sunday or Monday, when the other top two are closed (Al Covo is closed Tuesday and Wednesday).  Castello, 3968 (Campiello della Pescheria); 41-522-3812. www.ristorantealcovo.com

La Corte Sconta: An old-school seafood-oriented trattoria, that has a slightly simpler décor than the others listed here (tables topped with butcher paper and red napkins); the seafood quality is like Antiche Carampane and Alle Testiere, but it’s more casual and offers simpler preparations. They base their daily menu on whatever the Chioggia fish market has to offer. We do find the service rushed, a bit pushy and prices (food and wine) higher than its peers. Although still a good dining experience, the food is the weakest of the top three. Closed Sunday and Monday; also from 7 January to 7 February, and from 15 July to 15 August. Calle del Prestin, 3886 (Castello) near the Arsenale; 41-522-7024. www.veneziaristoranti.it

Venetian Cicheti e Ombre: Cicheti are the bite-sized “Italian” brethren of tapas (basically, just small sandwiches) and ombre the traditionally tiny glasses that hold a small portion of wine (ombre is translated as “shadow”, apparently where the Venetians drank the wine). Recommended cichetteria:

• Al Marca - Perhaps our favorite in the city. Good for wine, aperitifs (spritz con Aperol or Campari), and mini sandwiches in the evening and coffee in the morning. Stand outside, it’s just a hole in the wall place. Sestiere San Polo, 213/a; Campo Cesare Battisti, near the fish market, just off the Rialto bridge in San Polo; 41-924-781.

• La Cantina – Very good, with good wines and probably the best tasty small plates of meats and seafood. Strada Nuova, Cannaregio 3689; 41-522 8258. Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Closed Sunday.

• I Rusteghi – around the corner from Alle Botte but a little more upscale and less busy allowing for interaction with the family behind the bar.  Drinks and small sandwiches. The frizzante rose is worth a try. Campiello del Tentor San Marco, 5513, just off the Rialto bridge (on the other side, however) in the corner of a small campo; 41-523-2205.

• Banco Giro – Good, with a laid-back atmosphere and usually not too busy. You can find this bar after descending from the Rialto bridge behind the markets on the right side. Also serves dinner in the quaint upstairs. Campo San Giacometto, 122, San Polo; 41-523-2061; Open 10:30 a.m. to midnight in summer. Closed Sunday night and all day Monday.

Must See & Do:

St Mark’s Basilica: Be sure to visit from 11:30 AM TO 12:30 PM. The church turns on all of the interior lights for one hour, making for excellent viewing of the mosaics. If you visit at any other time of the day, the natural light is insufficient to allow for proper viewing and the church’s appearance is very dark. Calle de Canonica; 41-522-5205

Ca’ D’Oro: The best view of this magnificent façade is from the opposite bank, just beyond the Rialto Fish market.  Calle del Forno, 3854.

Church of San Sebastiano: Incredibly decorated (don’t forget the sacristy – easily missed if you don’t pay attention). This is where Veronese painted nearly every square inch of space in his high-Renaissance, severely foreshortened “di sotto in su” style. Campo dei Frari; 41-275-0642

Scuola Grande of San Rocco: Another incredible site, where the walls are lined entirely with Tintoretto’s highly-charged works, dating from 3 distinct periods: 1564-67 (Sala dell’Albergo), 1570-81 (Upper Hall), and 1582-87 (Ground Floor Hall). Highly recommended! Sestiere San Polo, 3054; 41-523-4864

Santa Maria della Salute: Constructed by Venice’s master architect Baldassare Longhena (1598-1682), the church is a triumph of the late baroque style (it was constructed to invoke Mary to save and protect Venice from the plague); probably one of the only churches in northern Italy to rival the designs of Borromini and Bernini in Rome. Fondamenta della Dogana alla Salute

Tours

• Venicescapes. Great tour operator with comprehensive, off the beaten path tours emphasizing core fundamental themes of Venice’s history. Managed by Michael Broderick, an expat who has lived in Venice for 15 years. The tours are one-on-one, well researched and well-planned. We took the 6 hour tour called “Story of a Mercantile Empire” and 4 hour tour called “Pleasures of Piety”. Telephone: +39 041/520 6361 and www.venicescapes.or

• A cool experience – a tour of a live, reinvigorated gondola building operation.  The visits of the Squero start at 10:30 on Tuesdays and Fridays and last about an hour.  The tour costs 25 euro per person. The Squero is located near (1 block away from) Fondamente Nove, the northeastern promenade of the city, which is convenient for visiting the island of Murano.  Squero Canaletto, in Cannaregio, Building # 6301 www.squero.com

Get the travel eBook

Perhaps the most incredible thing about Venetian architecture is Venice’s location itself; situated on 118 small, lagoon islands (every time you walk over a bridge, you are effectively stepping onto another island). The city’s magnificence is enhanced by the light reflecting off the water and the canals that afford visitors unobstructed views of Venice’s unique architecture.  Read more about this guidebook.

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Mosaics in Venice’s St Mark’s: Lesser-Known Facts

After the Roman Empire fell, the obelisks gradually fell to the ground as well, remaining buried until the Renaissance when there began to be interest in [...]]]> Due to the efforts of the Roman Emperors, the city holds the greatest concentration of obelisks in the world, with 13 (12 in Rome and one in Vatican City).

After the Roman Empire fell, the obelisks gradually fell to the ground as well, remaining buried until the Renaissance when there began to be interest in them again. At the end of the 16th century (1585-90), in addition to building streets to connect the seven pilgrimage churches in the city, Pope Sixtus V (the severe Counter-Reformation Bishop) conceived of the idea of using the obelisks as markers for pilgrims (he did this with four) who visited Rome; it was his idea to place them in front of the major basilicas so that they might be visible from a distance, “christianizing” them by mounting a cross on the top.

Keep in mind that not all the obelisks are “original” Egyptian obelisks, meaning that they were not erected in Egypt by a Pharoah and the subsequently shipped off by the Romans when they conquered the region; the “non-originals” consist of Egyptian granite, but were mined subsequent to the Roman takeover and given hieroglyphics once they were brought back to Rome by Egyptian immigrants. A perfect example of this a “non-original” obelisk is the one standing in the the Piazza Navona.

In order of the largest to smallest obelisks in the city:

1. Piazza S.Giovanni in Laterano (also the tallest obelisk in the world)
2. Piazza S. Pietro (Vatican)
3. Piazza del Popolo
4. Piazza Monte Citorio (Quirinale hill)
5. Piazza Navona
6. Piazza dell’Esquilino (behind Santa Maria Maggiore)
7. Piazza del Quirinale (a twin of the one at Piazza dell’Equilino)
8. Trinità dei Monti (top of Spanish Steps)
9. Monte Pincio
10. Terme Obelisk (South Garden, Viale delle Terme di Diocleziano)
11. Piazza della Rotonda (Pantheon)
12. Piazza della Minerva (in Piazza dei Cinquecento)
13. Villa Celimontana (the park on Celio hill)

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Kathakali took [...]]]> Kathakali (meaning “story play”) is one of the traditional dances of the South Indian state of Kerala. This classical dance is noted for the elaborate costumes, bold make-up, and choreography based on the ancient Indian martial art, Kalarippayattu.

Historical Reference

Kathakali took its present form in the 17th century, and given that timing, we surmise that this dance was shaped by what was happening with the transfer of local power in Kerala from the Portuguese to the Dutch (the Portuguese were overthrown by the Dutch in Kochi in 1663).

The Portuguese had been ruthlessly Christian and the Hindus were aggressively prosecuted. With the coming to power of the laissez-faire and famously liberal Christian Dutch, there was a renaissance of sorts of the Hindu religion. Part of this renaissance involved re-educating the Hindu population on the core stories of their religion, in particular the Mahabarata.

This leads us to believe that, Kathakali, with its exaggerated expressions and seemingly (to us) drawn out depictions, served to achieve this re-education purpose.

Where to see Kathakali in India

We went to the Kerala Kathakali Center in Kochi, which gives a brief discussion of the dance and acts out one scene that changes nightly. Go in advance of the show to see the application of the make-up.

The monastery — formally named Sacred and Imperial Monastery of the God-Trodden Mount Sinai — is built upon the supposed location of the [...]]]> The Sinai Peninsula’s Moses’ Mountain (aka Mount Sinai, Mount/Gebel Horeb, Mount/Gebel Musa) rises behind the storied, 4th century St. Catherine’s Monastery, the oldest continuously operating Christian monastery in existence today.

St. Catherine's Monastery sits at the base of Moses' Mountain (Mt. Sinai) in Egypt

Brief History

The monastery — formally named Sacred and Imperial Monastery of the God-Trodden Mount Sinai — is built upon the supposed location of the Bible’s famed “burning bush”. The site of the burning bush is where god supposedly revealed himself to Moses, as recounted in Exodus 3: “The Lord spoke to Moses in this place, saying I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, I am who I am.” The monastery’s origins date back to Roman Emperor Constantine’s mother, Helena, who isolated the spot of the “burning bush” in 337 AD. A small shrine/chapel was built on the site. This shrine of the burning bush is not visible, however, as it sits behind the apse of the church, and is not open for viewing. Thereafter, Roman Emperor Justinian built a 12-pillar granite basilica (constructed 542-551) to house Helena’s shrine. Justinian also fortified the site, by building fortified granite walls for protection — it is these walls that still stand around the city to this day.

Although there is heated debate as to whether the summit of Moses’ Mountain is the actual historical site where Moses received the Ten Commandments, this is certainly the traditional, recognized location.

Climbing Moses’ Mountain

From the summit, the views of the surrounding mountains and valleys are great! The climb is certainly worth the effort.

• When to do it. Seeing sunrise or sunset from the top is traditional, but we chose to climb to the summit during the day, missing the crowds at sunrise and sunset, and really enjoyed the experience.
• Geology of the mountain. The mountain is made of granite.
• The summit is not visible from the Monastery, but the ascent up the mountain is visible off the northwest corner of the Monastery. The stone step path that rises to the summit was likely constructed in the sixth or seventh century.
• Summit altitude of 2,285 meters. This amounts to a 685 meter climb, given an altitude of 1,600 meters at the gates of St Catherine’s.
• Climbing to the summit. You can take two different routes to the top:
  • The camel track (ascent takes 2.5-3 hours up). This is a less taxing route and certainly riding a camel reduces the climbing strain, but probably not the riding sores. ;-)
  • The 3700 steps (ascent takes 1.5-2 hours, descent takes 1 hour). We would definitely recommend this route (we went up and down this route). It is much prettier, not to mention faster, plus it is the “historical” route taken by pilgrims up the mountain. Although many guidebooks warn about this being a brutal ascent, with some steps over a meter high, we did not find it difficult and certainly did not encounter any meter-high steps! We would recommend taking a flashlight (for each person) if you are going to undertake this at night or during the early morning.

  Further, no matter which route you select, certainly bring a jacket because the wind really blows at the top.

See a map for the location of Moses’ Mountain and St Catherine’s Monastery.

Don’t miss: St. Catherine’s Monastery

While visiting Moses Mountain, don’t miss taking a tour of St. Catherine’s Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The monastery holds one of the greatest collections of Christian icons, containing icons dating from the 6th century – the oldest icons in the world.

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