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