Ten Places to See Before You Die
Petra, Jordan The jewel in Jordan's crown, an ancient city carved out of chasm rock that swirls with blues and reds. A living myth.
Taj Mahal, Agra (India)
The guide is right: this is one site that surpasses any hype. An elegant, beautiful monument to love that also betrays the megalomania of its owner; a perfect statement of humanity.
Lhasa, Tibet Once the heart of Buddhist theocratic power in Tibet, now partly consumed by modern China. An uneasy mix of monastic chanting, burnt pine offerings, devout pilgrims, open air yak butcheries... and flashing electronic megastores.
Haghia Sofia, Istanbul (Turkey)The finest creation of Byzantium, honored and cooped by Islam, and finally a museum to a fifteen-hundred year history. The Spirit of Wisdom still demands the awe that it must have inspired when first conceived... Anyway, Tok Kapi Palace, the Blue Mosque and Istanbul's Grand Bazaar are all just around the corner, so you'll get four for one!
Colosseum, Rome (Italy)Few monuments still capture so completely the majesty, power, skill and brutality of the Roman Empire. Built from the spoils of Rome's 71CE sacking of Jerusalem.
Sun Boat, Giza, Cairo (Egypt)
The pyramids are impressive but... they look like the giant mounds of rock that they are. For the most direct connection one can muster with people of 4,500 years ago, it is hard to go past the Sun Boat displayed at the foot of Cheops' pyramid.
Isfahan, Iran The mosques, palaces and cafes of the city square are the quintessential expression of Persian mystique and oriental culture. Isfahan may be the most beautiful city in the world.
Acropolis, Athens (Greek)But to see it all, you'll also have to travel to the British and Berlin Museums!
Angkor Wat, Cambodia A medieval masterpiece partly consumed by the jungles of Cambodia. The grim myths depicted in bass relief on the Wat walls are premonitions of the Khmer Rouge hell of the 1970s. The Rouge are history, the land mines are being cleared, and the Cambodian people are some of the most lovely and stoic in the world... a perfect cure for travel cynicism.
London, England What other city has it all... good beer, great theatre, treasures thieved from around the world, magnificent art, and easy transport. It is impossible to be bored!
