I featured an unusual window in the small Cypriot village of Emba in this Monday Window post. At the same house, the door is worthy of a post, which should have been last week’s offering for Thursday doors, but as I was felled by a nasty summer cold, my Thursday doors didn’t happen. Continue reading
Day tripping to Limassol town in Cyprus, lunching at the new and rather glamorous Limassol Marina, then a visit to one of the property developer’s site offices. Continue reading
Just one window this week. Not far from my home in Cyprus, on a journey I take frequently, I pass an old house in the centre of the village. Continue reading
Up in the hills above my home in Cyprus is a beautiful little monastery called Stavros Tis Minthis which dates back to the 12th century. Continue reading
Come and walk with me around Mirbat, a fishing town on the South Oman, around 70km from Salalah . Last week we entered the old town, this week join me as we head on around the corner.
There are many old towns in Oman but in this one, I felt I was recording for posterity. Towns are abandoned and slowly fall to the ground, the history is gone. Continue reading
Windows in Mirbat, Southern Oman.
These windows in the walls of the house are unique, so many tales to tell, but we will never know… Continue reading
It’s Thursday again..where did the week go? The” full of good intention” head plan for this week’s doors post ran out of time.
So here’s a little taster and next week I’ll take you around an eclectic collection of Arabian doors and windows from this old city. Continue reading
August the fifteenth is a Bank holiday in Cyprus. The Eastern Orthodox church celebrates the Feast of the Assumption. This day, dedicated to the Virgin Mary or Panayia as she is known here, is not a day of mourning for her loss, but a celebration of joy for the union of the mother with her beloved son, the blossoming of nature, the flood of emotions, and the return of people to their native land. Continue reading
The ancient settlement of Khor Rori in the Dhofar region of Southern Oman stands above a natural harbour on this wild and dangerous coast. The town in the settlement is known as Sumhuram. This small town was founded as an outpost for the kingdom of Hadramawt around the first century CE. The Dhofar region was the main exporter of Frankincense in ancient times and maritime contacts were discovered during the excavations in the 1900’s to both India and the Mediterranean. Continue reading
Windows on my worlds….. Continue reading
Returning to Omodos in Cyprus, a small village in the Troodos foothills, the narrow cobbled streets of the traditional village are perfect for a door hunter….. Continue reading
From the city of Salalah in Southern Oman to the Yemen border, the road twists and turns through a series of hairpin bends, eventually climbing to the top of the escarpment, with towering cliffs plummeting down to the Indian ocean.
During monsoon a pervading mist hangs over the escarpment but every so often, when the road gets to about 1000 metres high, you pop out of the mist into bright, brilliant sunshine with incredible views and on this particular release into sunlight, even a small pink shelter perched on top of the mountain, with rather striking brickwork for the windows.
Such buildings and design are typical in Oman, used as shelters from the sun (sometimes rain, as this area receives a fair amount) with the air bricks allowing for cool air in the heat of the day, although it’s the first pink one I’ve ever seen….
Taking part in Monday Window, a weekly event, pop over and join in the challenge….
Monday Window Home
Over the last couple of weeks, I enjoyed a mammoth 4,500km road trip around Oman. Travelling around this vast country, passing through places that are certainly off the tourist route, it was fascinating to see life in the remoter places. Continue reading
A mix of windows and national dress this week…..
Omani male dress is referred to as Omani and women’s is called Omaniya. Continue reading
On the way to Masirah island, Oman to catch the ferry at Shannah port, invariably you pass through the small town of Mahout. Continue reading
Adjacent to Muscat harbour, Oman, lies the Muttrah Souk, perhaps one of the oldest marketplaces in the Arab world. Continue reading
Back on Masirah island, Oman for a few days during the summer monsoon season. Re-visiting the usual haunts, time for a trip to the small settlement of Sur Masirah, a magnet for wave junkies. Continue reading
Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh and Wise Men feature in our earlier bible study memories……. this week I found Frankincense, sadly no Gold or any really Wise Men, but I suspect some Myrrh is around the region. Continue reading
A very typical Cyprus door, note the high, round handles, operating an inner latch… you see these in mountain villages on the old houses…often a door to a courtyard entrance rather than a house, hence the solid wood structure.
Offset by pink bougainvillea, a traditional pot and some rather lovely stonework, I wouldn’t mind a set of these at my house!
Linking with Thursday Doors , pop over and see doors for this week….
Traditional Cyprus stone village houses are so appealing to the eye, especially when there are blue skies and fluffy clouds to offset the background. Continue reading
Fifteen kilometres below the summit of Mount Olympus in the Troodos mountains in Southern Cyprus lies the picturesque village of Omodos. One main, wide cobbled street runs down the centre towards the Monastery of the Holy Cross. Flanked by mulberry trees the road is lined with cafes and restaurants and it is a popular mountain village to visit. Continue reading
Off the beaten track in Cyprus, away from the tourist areas, out in the beautiful countryside, you often find small shrines on the road-side. Small religious icons inside, behind little glass windows with candles and melted wax from the years of lighting… Hints of religion playing an essential part in village life. Shot in the foothills of the Troodos mountains near Omodos a couple of days ago…. Continue reading
Driving up the coast of Oman from Shannah to Sur in the aftermath of a major storm early May, the small towns along the coastal road are weatherbeaten, fishing towns.
Many hundreds of miles from main centres, (Muscat is an 8-hour drive from here) the pace of life is slow and traditional.
Traditionally doors in Oman are of the metal type, with simple embellishments, check out the heart door, but occasionally you get a bit of variety….
I spend a lot of time being a car photographer on these long journeys, especially in these lands, but occasionally I get spotted!
Linking with Thursday Doors and the Discover challenge The Story Behind a Door
A recent visit to Wells Cathedral in Somerset, Great Britain gave me the chance to see the magnificent stained glass windows around the cathedral. Continue reading
Magnificent doors at the imposing Wells cathedral in Somerset, Great Britain. Built between 1175 and 1490, it is a wonderful place to visit. Continue reading
For over five thousand years henna has been a symbol of good luck, health, and sensuality in the Arab world. The plant has been associated with positive magic and provides us with a link to an ancient age full of good and bad spirits, baraka and jnoun. Continue reading
Travels in the Middle East and beyond 