Images

Retábulo de Nossa Senhora da Vida (1580 CE) or Our Lady of Life is Portugal’s oldest azulejo (glazed ceramic tile) and is an important piece of 16th century CE Portuguese tile production. It is on display at the National Tile Museum in Lisbon...

Islamic ceramic tiles in the Arab Room in the Sintra palace (Palácio Nacional de Sintra), Portugal. King Manuel I of Portugal (r.1495-1521 CE) imported azulejos (glazed ceramic tiles) from the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain to decorate...

Mosque of the Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al-Sakhra) located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It was erected by the Muslim caliph Abd el-Malik in 688-691 CE but Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566 CE) was responsible for the mosque’s renovation...

This is a reconstruction of the Great Gate of Ishtar that stood at the entrance to the ancient city of Babylon. The Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II (r. 605/604-562 BCE) ordered the gate to be constructed in c. 575 BCE and it features lions...

A polychrome faience azulejo (or glazed ceramic tile) showing a vase of flowers with cherubim. This tile is typical of designs influenced by Portugal's overseas colonies and territories. The tile is from Nossa Senhora da Esperança Convent...

Fresco of the god of fertility Priapus depicted weighing his very large phallus against a bag containing money. Painted on the wall of the vestibule of the House of the Vettii in Pompeii, the fresco probably symbolised the economic prosperity...

The vestibule floor of the House of Paquius Proculus in Pompeii is paved with a fine mosaic depicting a guard dog chained to a door. The House of Paquius Proculus lies on the south side of the Via dell'Abbondanza. 1st century CE.

The ornate casket containing the 'Secret History of the Mongols' which is a chronicle written in the 13th century CE (with some later additions) and is the most important and oldest medieval Mongolian text. (Government Building, Ulaanbaatar...

The Basilica of Pompeii stands near the west corner of the Forum and is the oldest and most important public building in the town. Covering an area of 1,500 square metres, it was built around 130-120 BCE and is one of the oldest examples...

The Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii owes its fame to the exquisite wall paintings that cover the walls of one of its reception rooms. A mysterious scene with life-size figures in the Second Pompeian Style seems to depict the initiation...