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Site-Seeing: World Heritage Sites We Treasure

by Zegrahm Expeditions, October 2006

A Mosaic of Mediterranean Sites
The succession of cultures that settled the golden shores of the Mediterranean wrote the pages of western civilization here. Conquerors, colonizers, and empire builders left legacies of opulent splendor in cities and ports that rimmed this legendary sea—a crossroads highway for trade and commerce between the East and West. On our combined 2007 Mediterranean Mosaic voyages, we can walk in the footsteps of celebrated empires in ten splendid World Heritage sites around the Mediterranean.

TURKEY
The Historic Areas of Istanbul
At the edges of Europe and Asia, the magnificent center of Istanbul is a treasure-trove of architectural masterpieces, including the ancient Hippodrome of Constantine, the 6th-century Hagia Sophia, and the Suleymaniye Mosque.

Troy
Four thousand years of history make this vast archaeological site one of the most famous in the world. Homer's Iliad forever placed Troy on the literary map when he wrote of the Siege of Troy by Greek warriors in the 13th century B.C.

GREECE
Medieval City of Rhodes
A wall surrounds the beautiful ancient city, encompassing Gothic architecture from the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, as well as mosques from the period of the Ottoman conquest.

LIBYA
Archaeological Site of Cyrene
Situated in a lovely upland valley, Cyrene was the most important of five Greek commercial centers in the region between Alexandria and Carthage before it became a Roman province in 74 B.C.

Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna
One of the finest preserved cities from Roman antiquity, Leptis Magna was also considered among the most beautiful in the Empire during its peak in the 2nd century A.D.

Sabratha
The ruins here reach back to Sabratha's earliest beginnings as a Phoenician trading post before it was reconstructed by the Romans. The spectacular 1,500-seat theatre is still used for performances today.

TUNISIA
Dougga
Considered the best-preserved small Roman town in North Africa, Dougga offers a window into the comfortable life of its former 30,000 upper-class residents through its array of splendid ruins.

Site of Carthage
The 9th-century city blossomed into the Mediterranean's trading empire headquarters which endured until the Romans conquered it in 146 B.C., and rebuilt the city, Roman-style.

MALTA
City of Valletta
Founded by the Order of the Knights of St. John in the mid-16th century, Valletta boasts 320 historic monuments in its UNESCO-inscribed center.

Megalithic Temples
These unique architectural masterpieces are the oldest free standing stone structures in the world and feature highly detailed carvings and a series of inner chambers.