1. Varanasi, India
Hindus perform morning rituals
in the Ganges River at one of
Hinduism’s most sacred places, the
city of Varanasi, known as the city
of Lord Shiva. For Hindus, the river
itself is a sacred site.
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5-city
photo tour
through the lens
of our top
geographers.
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2. Dingle, Ireland
Irish pubs have been commodified and
placed for consumption in world cities,
including Boston, Berlin, Tokyo, and Buenos
Aires. Dingle supports dozens of Irish
pubs like this one where traditional music
and décor are maintained in an authentic
atmosphere for the enjoyment of tourists
and locals.
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3. Isfahan, Iran
The dome of the Imam Mosque,
built in 1611, demonstrates the
geometric art evident in Islamic
architecture. The seven-color
mosaic tiles are replaced by hand
every 50 years, using techniques
developed four centuries ago.
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4. Timbuktu, Mali
Sited along the Niger River on the edge of
the Sahara Desert, Timbuktu was a major
trade center until the sixteenth century
when the development of sea trade routes
on the west coast of Africa allowed traders
to circumvent the town.
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5. Humen, China
The 40 or so employees in this small
textile factory in Humen make women’s
clothes for the French market. Labels
with a fancy-sounding Italian name
are sewn into each item of clothing.
The clothes are sold in Humen for the
equivalent of $1.50–$2.00 each, but
most of them were destined for France,
where they would be sold for 20 times
that amount.
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