This large palace is one of the more impressive structures at the Umayyad archeological site in Anjar, Lebanon. The settlement, which was founded at the beginning of the 8th century, is located in the Beqaa Valley (sometimes written as the Bekaa Valley). Though today it is a dusty backwater, in its heyday Anjar was an … Read more
I’d come to Cyprus to wind down from my summer of travel. I was looking forward to a week of evening walks along the seaside promenade in Larnaca and days of lying on the beach under the warm Mediterranean sun. But I was soon diverted by the fascinating history of the island and the myriad … Read more
Saint Barnabas was born in Salamis, the ancient capital of Cyprus, to a Jewish family that had emigrated from Syria. As a young man he witnessed some of the miracles of Jesus while pursuing a religious education in Jerusalem. Barnabas became a follower of Jesus and was appointed Archbishop of Salamis. In 45 AD he … Read more
On the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, these Corinthian columns mark the site of the ancient city-state of Salamis. Believed to have been founded in 1100 BC by a Greek prince who fought in the Trojan War, Salamis was the original capital of Cyprus. Over the centuries it was conquered by Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Romans, and … Read more
“Just call me Daisy,” she said. “You know, like in the movie Driving Miss Daisy.” Her name is actually Desislava Natzkova but, as she later explained to me, her Bulgarian name is difficult for most Americans to remember or wrap their tongues around. “So I just make it easy for them.” I met Desi in … Read more
