Category Archives: Middle East

How big was it

Posted on March 21, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Growing up in and around New York City I have always been fascinated by the process of urbanization. So the animation (below) by Ollie Bye intrigued me. The examination of the growth of the world’s largest cities from 3000 BCE … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Asia, Europe, Film, History, Maps, Middle East, South America, USA | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Coffee Stories

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Regular visitors to Travel Between The Pages know that I am passionate about both travel and coffee. So, I fell bigtime for the wonderful blog project called Coffee Receipt Stories. Four years ago, Japan-based Odding Wang was sitting in a cafe, … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Asia, Middle East, Restaurants, South America, Tourism, Travel Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Atlas of Antiquity

Posted on March 11, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I don’t know how I missed the amazing site vici.org which offers an excellent interactive map of archeological sites. It’s easy to spend hours down the rabbit hole exploring the thousands of locations with significant ancient buildings or ruins. Most … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Europe, History, Maps, Middle East, Museums, Tech, Tourism | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

What Could Have Been

Posted on February 10, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

This video may make some folks uncomfortable, but it reflects the reality of what could have been. NB: If the video does not open in your browser, please click here.  

Posted in Asia, Film, Middle East | Tagged , | 4 Comments

The Disappointed Tourist

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

The Disappointed Tourist is a brilliant, on-going project in which artist Ellen Harvey is making paintings of places suggested by members of the public in response to the question: “Is there some place that you would like to visit or … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Europe, History, Middle East, Tourism, USA | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

How to Help

Posted on October 18, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Like many folks observing the latest conflict in the Middle East I have been feeling a sense of helplessness. At times like this often the only option is to identify organizations that are actually providing aid and support to people … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Time Travel

Posted on August 7, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

In 1842, a French artist and scholar named Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey set out on a tour of the eastern Mediterranean to document sights and architecture via the brand new medium of photography. He started off in what is now … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Asia, Europe, History, Middle East, Photography, Tourism, Travel Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Pity the Nation

Posted on July 29, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Pity the nation that wears a cloth it does not weave and eats a bread it does not harvest. Pity the nation that acclaims the bully as hero, and that deems the glittering conqueror bountiful. Pity a nation that despises … Continue reading →

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the songs of April were in my ears

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Youth and Age Kahlil Gibran In my youth the heart of dawn was in my heart, and the songs of April were in my ears. But my soul was sad unto death, and I knew not why. Even unto this … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Middle East, Writing | Tagged , | 1 Comment

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 →

Posted in Africa, Art, Books, History, Middle East, Museums | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment