Blog | Traderoutesailing

hbanziger

May 184 min read

H - 71 : Why is there a Lebanon?

Cable Car from Jounieh to Harissa a good 10 kilometers north of Beirut Many geographical terms used in the Middle East have ancient...

H - 75 : How Basil II unintentionally crated the Russian Empire

hbanziger

May 145 min read

H - 75 : How Basil II unintentionally crated the Russian Empire

Basil II's Coronation as Co-Emperor with his Brother in 976 AD in Constantinople Byzantine Emperor Basil II (976 – 1025) did not have it...

H - 76 : How Knowledge spread in Antiquity

hbanziger

May 135 min read

H - 76 : How Knowledge spread in Antiquity

In two of my previous blogs I talked about the role of scribes in antiquity and that books were scrolls not pages bound at the back. The...

H - 81 : Anatolia - Cradle of Flowers and Plants

hbanziger

May 83 min read

H - 81 : Anatolia - Cradle of Flowers and Plants

Turkish Ceramic Tiles with Wild Flowers and Red Tulips at the Center When looking at tiles in a Turkish Bazaar, you instantly notice the...

hbanziger

May 55 min read

H - 83 : How Rome run the Empire

Palmyra's Great Colonade and the Greek Theatre luckily survived ISIS hidious attack who blew up the Temple of Baal and the Temple of Bel...

hbanziger

Apr 304 min read

H - 88 : Lost Languages of Anatolia

Carian Graves carved into the Cliffs just to the South of Kaunas, an ancient Carian town Tracking Apostles Paul’s journey from the Holy...

H - 93 : Suez Canal - Dug by Coal and Steel

hbanziger

Apr 254 min read

H - 93 : Suez Canal - Dug by Coal and Steel

Yachts leisurely participating in the Bucket Regatta in Saint Barth in March 2022 When we spot sails this summer in the eastern...

H - 96 : Who "wrote" the Antique Classics?

hbanziger

Apr 224 min read

H - 96 : Who "wrote" the Antique Classics?

Roman Girl writing on wooden tabled - Fresco Pompeii When writing my blog about books, I started wondering who actually – in physical...

H - 99 : Irene - Empress Ditched by the Pope

hbanziger

Apr 196 min read

H - 99 : Irene - Empress Ditched by the Pope

Empress Irene with her Son Constantine VI in the Hagia Sophia (12th Century Mosaic) Empress Theodora was not the only powerful woman in...

H - 107 : Unequal Prosperity in the Roman Empire

hbanziger

Apr 116 min read

H - 107 : Unequal Prosperity in the Roman Empire

Rainy today – no chance to spend time outdoors. Time for another blog then. Wondered for a while as to why the Eastern Roman Empire was...

hbanziger

Apr 94 min read

H - 109 : Why we have Books

Am reading the book “Rome and Persia – the Seven Hundred Year Rivalry” . Absolutely fabulous history of two empires who fought each other...

H - 113 : Dolphins and Dragons below the Sea

hbanziger

Apr 54 min read

H - 113 : Dolphins and Dragons below the Sea

Due to the war in Gaza, our original plan to set sail in Alexandria, then follow the Levant coast to Sidon and finally swing west to...

H - 114 : Theodora - A Remarkable Empress

hbanziger

Apr 45 min read

H - 114 : Theodora - A Remarkable Empress

Was writing up the story of Emperor Justinian when I came across the story of his wife Theodora which is even more remarkable. Only 50...

hbanziger

Mar 315 min read

H - 118 : How Rome run out of Money

“Nothing is certain but death and taxes”. Was reminded of this quote from Benjamin Franklin (1789) recently when I read how Roman Emperor...

H - 120 : Fuel for the Pharos of Alexandria

hbanziger

Mar 294 min read

H - 120 : Fuel for the Pharos of Alexandria

Love the way science changes the way how we understand the world. The James Webb telescope shows us that the universe is probably older...

hbanziger

Mar 264 min read

H - 123 : Gothic Cathedrals in Cyprus

Bellapaīs Abbey in Kyrenia (Girne) built under the rule of King Hugh III (1267 - 1284) When you hear the name Cyprus, many things come to...

H - 127 : What did Roman Sailors do after Dark?

hbanziger

Mar 224 min read

H - 127 : What did Roman Sailors do after Dark?

With the dying afternoon breeze, a Roman Cordita glides into the port of Myra, where several large freighters already shelter for the...

hbanziger

Mar 215 min read

H - 129 : Where did the Monasteries Go?

The Ruins of Saint Nicholas' Church on Gemiler Island in South-Western Turkey Over the years, our sailing trips took us to shores with...

hbanziger

Mar 144 min read

H - 135 : Wines of Cyprus

In Antiquity, Cyprus was famous for its copper and olive oil. It also had a reputation for producing excellent wines. According to the...

hbanziger

Mar 96 min read

H - 140 : Cedars - Lebanon's Holy Trees

One of the probably 2'000 Years old mighty Cedar Trees in the Lebanon Cyprus is not the only country in the Middle East with trees in its...