The ancient world’s greatest city

Obelisks, pyramids and motifs from ancient Egypt didn’t only influence grand country houses or powerful Biblical paintings, but also shaped tea-ware, cinemas and even factory floors, as Michael Hall reveals

How the Qin forged a great power from the fragments of the Warring States

324 CE CONSTANTINOPLE FOUNDED Constantine selects Byzantium as ...

Over the years, my best friend, who lives in Egypt, had invited me to stay with him more than once, always with the promise of extraordinary hospitality, but I always found reasons to decline. Sometim

Discover the sites that have stood the test of time during the ancient city’s long, turbulent history

I n 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. That, at least, is what the famous rhyme tells us. Memorising such dates is a common experience of being taught history – a cliché superbly lampooned by the w