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Nanga Parbat: the ninth highest mountain on the planet

Travel in the mountains of Central Asia. The first light of dawn on Nanga Parbat, Pakistan. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

Our planet has 14 peaks that exceed eight thousand meters above sea level, one of these is Nanga Parbat. This spectacular Himalayan mountain at 8,126 meters is the ninth highest peak on the planet. Nanga Parbat is located southeast of ...

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The caravanserais of Iran included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site

Persian caravanserai, Iran. Author and copyright Marco Ramerini.

In 2023, UNESCO included the Persian caravanserais in its prestigious World Heritage list. These structures were places along important trade routes that provided shelter, food, and water for caravans, pilgrims, and other travelers. The caravanserai is a place where travelers ...

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Karakoram Highway: the highest paved frontier pass in the world

Passu Cones, Hunza Valley, Pakistan. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini.

The Karakoram Highway (Karakoram Highway) is an international road linking the city of Kashgar in China, in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, with Pakistan. Terminal city in Pakistan is considered to be the town of Havelian in the environs of Abbottabad. ...

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Villages of Tusheti in Georgia: Omalo, Dartlo and Shenako

Omalo, Tusheti, Georgia. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

The beauty of Tusheti, one of the most pristine regions of the Greater Caucasus on the border with Russia, is also due to its isolation which makes it difficult to reach. The only road that reaches this region is passable ...

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Yunnan photos: Faces and customs of the population

Women at the market in Zhoucheng, Yunnan, China. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

On this page other photos of my trip in Yunnan. Here I focus on the population. This peripheral province of China is known for high ethnic diversity. Indeed, Yunnan has the highest number of recognized ethnic groups among the provinces ...

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Davit Gareja: a large monastic complex in Georgia

Davit Gareja monastery, Georgia. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini.

Located in southeastern Georgia on the border between Georgia and Azerbaijan. The orthodox monastery of Davit Gareja is a fascinating historical site made up of a monastery built partly in stone (Lavra Monastery) and partly from caves carved into the ...

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Flowering desert: a spectacle of nature

Namaqualand, South Africa. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

Deserts are inhospitable areas of the earth characterized by great aridity. In these regions there is very little rainfall and life forms, both animal and vegetable, have to face some of the most hostile conditions on the planet. In deserts, ...

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Lake Rama at the foot of Nanga Parbat

Lake Rama and the slopes of Nanga Parbat, Pakistan. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

Located about 3,500 meters high, Lake Rama is only 20 kilometers as the crow flies from the majestic Nanga Parbat, 8,126 meters high, the ninth highest mountain on planet Earth. This beautiful lake, from which you can admire part of ...

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Maldives: A low-priced and alternative tourism

The Maldives is known as an elite destination where tourists go to an island resort and spend almost all their time in this resort, even taking day trips to admire the beautiful backdrops of the islands. Sometimes excursions also include ...

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Ari Atoll: swimming with whale sharks and manta rays

The Maldives are made up of 26 coral atolls. One of these atolls is the Ari atoll also known as Alifu. This atoll is located between 80 and 120 km southwest of the archipelago capital, the city of Male. The ...

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When is the best time to go to Okinawa? The climate of Okinawa

The islands of the Okinawa archipelago are the main islands of the Ryukyu archipelago. These Japanese islands are located in southern Japan and develop along an arc that, from the south of the island of Kyushu reaches the island of ...

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Raja Ampat: The best diving place in the world

Flag of Indonesia

This relatively new tourist destination of Indonesia is located on the Doberai Peninsula, also known as the Bird’s Head Peninsula, which is the western end of the large island of New Guinea. Raja Ampat in West Papua is considered to ...

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When is the best time to go to Raja Ampat? The climate of Raja Ampat

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The Raja Ampat archipelago straddles the line of the Equator, so its climate is hot and humid. Temperatures are stable throughout the year. The seasons differ mainly according to the rains. The humidity is always very high and always above ...

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Wadi Rum: landscapes from another planet

In the extreme south of Jordan on the border with Saudi Arabia, less than an hour’s drive from the town of Aqaba on the Red Sea and less than one hundred kilometers from Petra, is the country’s most beautiful landscape, ...

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Taiwan: an island with very high mountains

There is an island in the far east which, in the mid-sixteenth century, the Portuguese navigators called “Ilha Formosa” which means “beautiful island” for its beauty. Even today this island is sometimes called Formosa, but the most used name today ...

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Travel in the mountains of Central Asia

Passu Cones, Hunza Valley, Pakistan. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

Crossing Kyrgyzstan, China and Pakistan A spectacular itinerary, a travel in the mountains of Central Asia, which from Kyrgyzstan through China reaches Pakistan. In part we drive the mythical Karakoram Highway, the road that connects China to Pakistan passing through ...

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Persepolis: the ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire

Gate of all Nations. Ruins of the ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire (Achaemenid Empire), Iran. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

Persepolis is the most spectacular archaeological site in Iran. This ancient city is located in southern Iran near the city of Marvdasht. About 60 kilometers north of the city of Shiraz. The city is above all an example of the ...

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Travel to Georgia: In the heart of the Greater Caucasus

Omalo, Tusheti, Georgia. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

Georgia is a small country where 8-10 day itineraries are usually offered. In such a short time, however, it is not possible to visit some areas of the country, so my choice fell on a longer (two weeks), but more ...

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The Beqa Valley: the agricultural region of Lebanon

Anjar, Beqa Valley, Lebanon. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

Bordered by the two mountain ranges of Mount Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon, the Beqa valley is the most important agricultural area in Lebanon. Mount Lebanon separates it from the Lebanese coast, while the mountains of the Anti Lebanon mark the ...

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Tourist attractions of Iran: what to see in Iran

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Esfahan, Iran. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

Iran from a tourist point of view is probably the most interesting country in the Middle East area. A trip to Iran is a fantastic journey through pre-Islamic and Islamic history, culture, art and architecture. In Iran there are some ...

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Iranian cuisine: the cuisine of ancient Persia

Typical Persian dinner. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

A varied cuisine that well represents the peoples inhabiting ancient Persia Iranian cuisine is very varied and its diversity reflects the variety of populations that inhabit the country. Iran is in fact inhabited by a large variety of ethnic groups: ...

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Jameh Mosque of Isfahan (Isfahan Friday Mosque)

Friday Mosque (Jāmeh Mosque), Isfahan, Iran. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini.

The Jameh Mosque of Isfahan or Friday Mosque is a building in the historic center of the city. Located just over a kilometer north-east of the wonderful Naqsh-e jahàn square. This mosque, which covers an area of over 20,000 square ...

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Meybod: a city at the gates of the Iranian desert

Narin Qal'eh fortress, Meybod, Iran. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini ,.

In the province of Yazd and about 50 km north-west of Yazd itself, almost in the center of Iran where the two most important deserts of the country meet – the Dasht-e Kavir and the Dasht-e Lut, about 1,000 meters ...

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Rayen: a fortified town at the gates of the desert

Remains of buildings, Rayen, Iran. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini.

In the province of Kerman are some of the most beautiful fortified towns in Iran. These suggestive outposts at the gates of the Dasht-e Lut desert were merchant centers located along important commercial routes, where precious goods and quality fabrics ...

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Naqsh-e Rajab: four bas-reliefs from the Sassanid era

Naqsh-e Rajab, Iran. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

Naqsh-e Rajab is a small suggestive archaeological site located a few kilometers north of the spectacular imperial city of Persepolis and less than a kilometer south of the site of Naqsh-e Rostam, where the tombs carved into the rock of ...

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Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran in Tehran

Glass objects, Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran, Tehran, Iran. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

In the vicinity of the Archaeological Museum of Tehran (National Museum of Iran) there is a small museum dedicated to glass and ceramics: the Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran (also known as the Abgineh Museum). It is an interesting ...

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The Carpet Museum of Iran in Tehran

Detail of a carpet, Carpet Museum of Iran, Tehran, Iran. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

The art of carpet weaving is undoubtedly one of the best known works of Iranian craftsmanship and art. This type of art has been practiced in Iran since the Bronze Age. In fact, according to the most recent studies, the ...

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Kashan: Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse

Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse, Kashan, Iran. Autore e Copyright Marco Ramerini.

In Muslim ritual “hammam” (term that derives from the Arabic language) is the thermal complex in which Muslims perform the two washes of Islamic rituals. The “ghusl”, or full ablution, and the “wudu ‘”, or partial ablution. Both of these ...

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Pasargadae: the first capital of the Persian empire

Tomb of Cyrus the Great, Pasargadae, Iran. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

The city of Pasargadae is located in the current province of Fars in southwestern Iran, about 80 km north-east of Persepolis and about 130 km north-east of Shiraz. Founded by Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BC Pasargadae became ...

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Sighnaghi and the Bodbe Convent in Georgia

Bodbe Convent, Sighnaghi, Georgia. Author and Copyright Marco Ramerini

In the eastern end of Georgia near the border with Azerbaijan lies the beautiful town of Sighnaghi. The city lies on a hill about 800 meters above sea level in the center of the Kakheti wine area. From the town ...

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