culture

images: alamy; Yonas Beyene

HISTORIC TOWN AND

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF GEDI, KENYA Embedded in the Arabuko Sokoke Forest, 60 miles north of Mombasa, Gedi was a Swahili settlement in coastal Kenya that prospered between the 10th and 17th centuries. Venetian beads, Persian porcelain and Ming Chinese coins were recovered by archaeologists and speak to Gedi’ s role in the Indian Ocean trade network. Trace the contours of a sheikh’ s palace, several mosques and neat rows of houses built from coral stone.

GEDEO

CULTURAL

LANDSCAPE, ETHIOPIA The Gedeo zone in southern Ethiopia is a weave of fields, rolling hills and dense forests, but its true value lies in how its custodians, the Gedeo people, manage it. Traditional agroforestry practices are expressed through Ballee: a code of customs and laws that promotes a symbiotic relationship between people and nature. Pockets of sacred forest conceal petroglyphs and thousands of carved stone columns.

FOREST

MASSIF OF ODZALA-KOKOUA, REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO Western gorillas, bongos, moustached guenons and mantled guerezas are among the animals that call this corner of Central Africa home. One of the oldest national parks on the continent, Odzala- Kokoua was established in 1935 and supports Africa’ s most diverse population of primates. The reserve occupies 5,230 square miles of the Congo Basin, the planet’ s secondlargest rainforest.

rest of the world

National Archaeological Park Tak’ alik Ab’ aj, Guatemala With a 1,700-year history starting from 800 BCE, Tak’ alik Ab’ aj bore witness to the transition from the Olmec civilisation to Early Mayan culture in Mesoamerica.

Viking-Age Ring Fortresses, Denmark The fortresses of Aggersborg, Borgring, Fyrkat, Nonnebakken and Trelleborg form a defensive chain across the Jutland Peninsula and adjacent islands. Built between 970 and 980 CE, each structure responds to its topography and is unique— but the quintet are united in their geometric design.

Phu Phrabat, Thailand The kingdom of Dvaravati flourished between the 7th and 11th centuries and was a driving force in the transfer of Indian influence to Southeast Asia. The sacred Buddhist site of Phu Phrabat in northern Thailand showcases rock shelters adorned with ancient paintings.

spring 2025 • 27