Category Archives: Middle East

Egyptian Book of the Dead

Posted on March 6, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Earlier this year, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery of a 52-foot-long papyrus scroll of the Book of the Dead discovered in the necropolis of Saqqara. This is the first complete ancient papyrus found in Egypt in … Continue reading →

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Bookseller’s Regret

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Regular visitors to Travel Between The Pages may know that I have been a bookseller for most of the 21st century and an avid book collector for many decades. Like many booksellers, I sometimes have pangs of regret over books … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Asia, Books, Europe, Middle East, Travel Writing | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Historic Peregrinations

Posted on January 22, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Shifting Borders: A Journey to the Centre of our World(s) at the Treasures of the Brotherton Gallery in Leeds, England, focuses on the world of travel, guidebooks, and historic maps as well as contemporary artists’ books. For my money the … Continue reading →

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Archives of the Planet

Posted on January 17, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

In 1908, French financier Albert Kahn created a project that aimed to photograph the diversity of humanity across the planet. He hired 12 photographers to capture images of everyday life and culture around the globe. His staff traveled to 50 … Continue reading →

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History is made of maps

Posted on January 14, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

History Maps uses a combination of interactive maps, videos, illustrations and Wikipedia content to explain and guide the user through an impressive collection of historical events. Beware, it’s easy to fall down this rabbit hole and spend an unplanned hour … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Art, Asia, Canada, Europe, Film, History, Maps, Middle East, Museums, South America, USA | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

National Parks

Posted on November 5, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

I am a huge fan of national parks. In my travels I have been fortunate to visit quite a few. While some of my favorites are here in North America, I have spent time in some spectacular parks as far … Continue reading →

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How Random Is This

Posted on September 25, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

New York City’s amazing Metropolitan Museum of Art is probably my favorite museum in the world and I’ve been to hundreds. It’s also one of the most visited museums in the world with nearly 2 million guests annually. The Met … Continue reading →

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Life Jackets

Posted on August 21, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

The renowned Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei has created a wall from 2,000 life jackets that were discarded by Syrian refugees while attempting to escape the war in their homeland by crossing the Aegean Sea as part of an installation … Continue reading →

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Civilization Begins

Posted on June 22, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

I recently stumbled upon a link to Mesopotamia Online which is an immersive exploration of Mesopotamian art objects. The exhibition Mesopotamia: Civilization Begins was on view in 2021 at the Getty Villa. It was organized by the Musée du Louvre, … Continue reading →

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Omnes viae Romam ducunt

Posted on June 15, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

The saying: omnes viae Romam ducunt (all roads lead to Rome) began in 20 BCE when Emperor Augustus had a large golden spike installed next to the Temple of Saturn on the Forum Romanum. This was the Milliarium Aureum, or … Continue reading →

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