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In our roundup of travel stories this week: a man recreates his father’s round-the-world bicycle trip, a luxury yacht that turned out to be a mold-covered wreck, plus the ancient Roman city 10 times the size of Disneyland.
Built to last
Jetavanaramaya, a colossal fourth-century Sri Lankan monument, was once among the world’s largest structures.
This vast and ancient brick-built engineering marvel was born out of religious rivalry, and over the centuries it has survived earthquakes, neglect and civil war.
However, while it’s the largest brick structure by volume ever constructed, it’s little known outside of Sri Lanka, and for periods of history was largely forgotten.
Read more here about how Jetavanaramaya was lost, then rediscovered.
In Turkey, there’s another man-made wonder of even older vintage.
The UNESCO World Heritage site Ephesus is one of the world’s best-preserved examples of a Roman port city. Its many historical marvels are spread over a 1,600-acre plot 10 times the size of Disneyland.
Once a bustling metropolis inhabited by the likes of Alexander the Great and Cleopatra, it’s still a popular destination, pulling in 2.5 million visitors a year. Here’s what there is to see.
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