We sailed to the tiny island of Songo Mnara, about 8km south of Kilwa Kisiwani, for about one and a half hours. It contains ruins at its northern end – including a palace, several mosques and numerous houses built from coral and mortar – that are believed to date from the 14th and 15th...
Today, ‘Kilwa on the Island’ is a quiet fishing village. Still, in its heyday, it was the centre of a vast trading network linking the old Shona kingdoms and the goldfields of Zimbabwe with Persia, India and China. While these days are now well in the past, the ruins of the...
We stopped next to the lovely coffee shop at the gate of Gede Ruins (🎟️500 KES). This extensive collection of 13th- to 17th-century coral palaces, mosques, and townhouses – some of Kenya’s most important Swahili ruins – lies quietly in the jungle’s green grip. Excavation has...
We made a short stop at the partly excavated, atmospheric ruins of the Swahili city of Mnarani (🎟️500 KES). It is located high on a bluff just west of the old ferry landing stage on the southern bank of Kilifi Creek. The best-preserved ruin is the Great Mosque, with its finely carved...
We must wait for some spare parts to be delivered from the USA for our truck. So we borrowed a tiny Suzuki Alto, which has the problem of crossing every second bumper. We chose to explore the North Coast. Our first stop was Swahili ruins (🎟️500 KES), just north of Mtwapa Creek. Jumba la...
We were curious, so we followed the brown sign off the main Aqaba Hwy and struggled along the narrow, potholed access road through the seldom-visited Bedouin district of Humayma to a surprisingly large archaeological site. The largely Nabataean site, pressed against the cliffs, includes...
Today, we drove 10 kilometers to Siq Al Barid (Cold Canyon), known as Little Petra (included in Jordan Pass). It was thought to have served as an agricultural center, trading suburb, and resupply post for camel caravans visiting Petra. The surrounding area is picturesque and fun to...
We spend one day exploring ancient Petra, which lies half-hidden in the wind-blown landscape in southern Jordan. It is often deemed one of the most beautiful archaeological sites in the world. Inhabited since prehistoric times, this Nabataean caravan city, situated between the Red Sea and...
We took a scenic drive from Umm Qais to Pella, near the modern Arab village of Taqabat Fahl. It was one of the cities of the fabled Roman Decapolis. It’s essential to archaeologists because it reveals evidence of 6000 years of continuous settlement. Many of the ruins are spread out...
We arrived in stormy and windy weather at the Umm Al-Jimal near the Jordanian–Syrian border. An extensive rural settlement in the lava lands east of Mafraq. The incredible ruins are located on the edge of a series of volcanic basalt flows that slope down from Jebel Druze, providing high...