Byblos is believed to be the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the world: About 7,000 years ago a small Neolithic fishing community settled along the shore and several of their huts, with crushed limed stone floors, can still be seen. Many tools and weapons of this stone age period have been found as well. The Chalcolithic … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Justin Ames
The Umayyad Mosque of Damascus, Syria
The Minaret of Qaitbay as seen from the outside of the Umayyad Mosque… Considered the first monumental work of architecture in Islamic history, the Umayyad Mosque (also called the Great Mosque of Damascus) is a melting pot of different faiths. It houses the mausoleum of John the Baptist — which is said to contain his … Continue reading
The Lebanon Of Hezbollah
Hezbollah fighters launching rockets toward Israel… I’ve already shown you the Mleeta Resistance Landmark… And if you are a reader of this web site, you are almost certainly already familiar with Hezbollah anyway. Therefore, I shall not go into a detailed history here. I’ll sprinkle in some interesting facts and observations I made on our … Continue reading
Sudan’s Omdurman Camel Market
If you ever make it to Omdurman, Sudan (across the river from Khartoum) be sure to check out the Omdurman camel market. Or, you can just read this site… Most of the animals are brought in (on foot – like the old days of the American cowboy) from Darfur and South Sudan since these areas … Continue reading
The Romanian Revolution Tour
This is primarily the story of a loathed dictator and his wife and the country that overcame them. But it is also something of a reminder that revolutions do not often turn out as expected. ***** An exploration of Bucharest will reveal that at one time it was obviously quite an attractive city. Unfortunately, all … Continue reading
An Abandoned Industrial Site In Georgia
I’m not sure what’s wrong with me, but I have some weird fascination with industrial sites. There’s an artistic element to this fascination, but I can’t quite articulate it other than to say that I see some sort of raw beauty in them… So, when I saw this rusting train abandoned on the tracks shortly … Continue reading
Pictures And Scenes Of Tbilisi, Georgia
An accordion player performing in the streets of Tbilisi, Georgia… The video is here if you want to listen to him play: In an effort to preserve the integrity and objectivity of The Velvet Rocket, I should probably state my bias immediately: I loved Tbilisi. In fact, I would probably even put it in my … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 