Medinat Habu, Egypt

Medinat Habu is one of the more colourful temples in Luxor. It is thought that following the time of the pharaohs local Christians built churches and houses amongst the ruins and it was their walls that preserved the paint on the hieroglyphics and gave an indication of quite how impressive the temple must have been in the years before Christ.

Xinaliq

Seven thousand feet up in the High Caucasus mountains in Azerbaijan is the village of Xinaliq. It's one of Europe's most isolated villages and they even have their own language as if to prove it.

The only fuel in the treeless mountains is dried cow dung. It's stacked and dried besides the houses.

I'm always surprised that kids around the world all learn to make these wire toys.

The entire economy of the village is based on sheep with almost every family owning some.

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Sioni Cathedral, Tbilisi

Orthodox christianity is the beating heart of Georgia. Resistant to both neighbouring Islam and the Soviets since 300 AD you feel you are on the very geographic edge of a Faith.

Dark eyed, smoke blackened icons look down on a stream of christenings, weddings and widows. To see such age old rituals still embraced on a daily basis was truly moving. 

A wonderful impromptu singing performance by a group of old ladies reduced me to tears and reaffirmed my faith in both God and Man.

Mtskheta, Georgia

Mtskheta is the old pre-christian capital of Georgia. Only half an hours drive from the current capital of Tbilisi it is seen as the spiritual heart of the country and the heart of the town is Svetitskhoveli Cathedral.

Mtskheta seen from Jvari, with Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in the centre 

Widely seen as Georgias most beautiful cathedral it was the misfortune of the builder to have his arm cut off after completing it, so he couldn't build a finer one. His arm lives on in a carving set high on the cathedral wall.

Svetitkhovel Cathedral with Jvari on the hillside to the left

Some exterior details of the cathedral.

The unfortunate builders arm

Inside the cathedral.

Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre, Baku, Azerbaijan

The 'space age' Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre in Baku was completed in 2012 and designed by Iraqi/british architect Zaha Hadid

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