It stands on a promontory jutting into the Bosphorus, a pleasure palace of sultans and their harem. Its tiled walls, fountains and pools are sumptuous legacies of the Ottoman Empire. 1453 marks the final fall of the Roman Empire and the ascendency of the Ottomans, led by Mehmet the Conqueror, the 21 year old who took the city with an audacious military strategy. Rosa Hayes of the History of the Ottoman Empire joins us to talk about Mehmet and Constantine IX, the final Byzantine Emperor. And listener Roberto Cancel returns to discuss visiting the palace and Mehmet's Grand Bazaar. Plus baklava! Sources: Duducu, Jem. The Sultans: the Rise and Fall of the Ottoman Rulers and Their World Herrin, Judith. Byzantium: the Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire  Hughes, Bettany. Istanbul: a Tale of Three Cities Maxwell, Virginia. Lonely Planet Istanbul Norwich, John Julius. Byzantium: the Decline and Fall  Wheatcroft, Andrew. The Ottomans Photograph © A.Savin, WikiCommons

Wonders of the World

087 - The Topkapi Palace of Istanbul

Welcome to the Wonders of the World!  In this podcast, we'll visit the Earth's great places to tell the story of our people, our civilization, and our planet.  From history to travel and even to food, we'll examine what makes us great and what makes us human.  This NEWLY REVISED (as of August 2021) introductory episode covers where we'll go, why we'll go there, and what our plan will be.

000 - Introduction

Like a giant bell covered in gold, Shwedagon Pagoda lords over Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)'s skyline.  Its story is much like Burma's: elusive, mysterious. Shin Sawbu was a princess of the southern kingdom of Hanthawaddy Pegu. Through an exciting life documented by practically nobody, she rose to become queen and then in retirement to bring the gold to the great pagoda. In this episode, we attempt as best we can to piece together her story and we make a Burmese curry while we're at it. Sources: Victoria and Albert Museum website Wikifreakingpedia Duguid, Naomi. Burma: Rivers of Flavor Lonely Planet Myanmar Insights Guide Myanmar Photograph by Marcin Konsek / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

086 - Shwedagon Pagoda of Yangon

Ulugh Beg was the Astronomer King of Samarkand, who in one of the richest cities of the Silk Road, built a madrassa and observatory to chart the stars. Wonderful astronomer. Not much of a king. His madrassa though stands on, one of the three grand buildings of the Registan square. Scott Chesworth of the Ancient World and Nadeem Ahmad of Eran ud Turan both visited Uzbekistan just before the pandemic, and they join us with tales of gorgeous tilework, empty museums, and more plov (Uzbek rice pilaf) than you can imagine. Bradley, Chris. The Silk RoadCarter, Jamie. “The Tragic Story Of The Man Who Unlocked The Universe” in ForbesIbbotson, Sophie. Uzbekistan : the Bradt travel guideKrisciunas, Kevin. "Ulugh Beg's Zij," in H. B. Paksoy, ed., Central Asian Monuments. Manz, Beatrice Forbes. Power, Politics and Religion in Timurid IranWaugh, Daniel C. “Ulugh Beg and His Observatory” in Silk Road Seattle Photograph by Euyasik, @Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

085 - The Registan of Samarkand

It's the largest masonry dome ever built, its terracotta curves dominating the Florence skyline. The story of how that dome was built is the story of the birth of the Renaissance. But the real story is that of the artists, the petty, bickering, intensely human geniuses: the secretive, bitter Filippo Brunelleschi and the social climbing, self-promoting Lorenzo Ghiberti, not to mention their friends like Donatello. Yes. That Donatello. They bicker and feud and bring Florence new perspectives. Bry Rayburn of the Pontifacts Podcast comes by to talk about her favorite city in the whole world. We share our experiences and love of stracciatella gelato. Plus bistecca alla fiorentina. PS - Despite this being my longest episode, I still completely failed to mention that the name of the cathedral is Santa Maria del Fiore: Saint Mary of the Flower, which sounds so nice. So there you go. Sources: Hollingsworth, Mary. The Family Medici: The Hidden History of the Medici Dynasty King, Ross. Brunelleschi’s Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture Perry, Susannah. Fodor's 25 Best: Florence Rick Steves Italy 2020 Walker, Paul Robert. The Feud That Sparked the Renaissance: How Brunelleschi and Ghiberti Changed the Art World Photograph by Grueslayer @Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

084 - The Duomo of Florence

It's one of the most glorious seascapes on earth: thousands of limestone pillars rising from the bay, clothed in jungle green. Listener Emma Browning, who was literally just there, shares her experiences cruising among the islands and even shares the real-life sounds of the bay. When I say Vietnam, most Americans expect an episode on the US-Vietnam War of the 1960s, but no, I'm going to discuss another superpower's invasion of the land of the Viet and their subsequent failure against Vietnamese resistance and guerilla warfare. Yes, the Yongle Emperor is getting Robert McNamara'd into submission, this time by Vietnamese nobleman turned freedom fighter Lê Lợi  There are magic swords, marketing guys with water metaphors, and so much more. Finally, we get my personal story of Vietnamese catfish. And in honor of that, I give you cá kho tộ, catfish caramelized in a clay pot. It is maybe my favorite thing to eat ever. Sources: Filek-Gibson, Dana. Vietnam (Moon Guide) Goscha, Christopher E. Vietnam: A New History Kiernan, Ben. Viet Nam Stewart, Iain. Lonely Planet Vietnam Viet Vision Travel “Vietnamese Legend: The Lake of the Restored Sword” Photograph and audio samples courtesy of Emma Browning

083 - The Karst Islands of Halong Bay

It's unfathomably huge.  The Forbidden City, a city within the city, and the Yongle emperor's crowning achievement, is almost too big to comprehend.  8,886 rooms, nearly 135 football fields in area, it's huge. The Yongle Emperor also sent out Zheng He and the Ming Treasure Fleet to exert China's superpower influence across Asia and even to Africa.  Chris Stewart from the History of China podcast returns to talk about the Forbidden City and the great naval voyages, while listener Jesse Oppenheim returns to discuss visiting the palace as well as sharing some Beijing taste treats, like Mao's favorite braised pork belly. Sources: Bedford, Donald. China (DK Eyewitness) Fodor's Essential China Haw, Stephen G. A Traveller's History of China Humphreys, Andrew. Top 10 Beijing Keay, John. China: a History Wood, Michael. The Story of China: The Epic History of A World Power From the Middle Kingdom to Mao and the China Dream Photograph by Asadal

082 - The Forbidden City of Beijing

A Star Wars special! For May 4, 2021, I contributed a mini-episode for the No Redeeming Qualities podcast's annual Star Wars Day special.  To spare you having to listen to 30 minutes of grown men complaining about the sequel trilogy, I'm offering this to you. In the early days of the Clone Wars, separatist forces were on their way to conquer Ryloth, an important trading point in the outer rim. One man would lead the Republic garrison: Jedi Master Ima-Gun Di. While on Ryloth, Master Di would visit the remarkable Floating Rock Garden, a uniquely powerful place, where the force of the wind makes the impossible real. And if you're on Ryloth, only the best Gruuvan Shaal Kebabs will do. Sources: Star Wars: Clone Wars, episode 3.3 - "Supply Lines" Monroe-Cassel, Chelsea and Marc Sumerak. Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: The Official Black Spire Outpost Cookbook The Holocron wiki for Star Wars Combine online simulation

Bonus - The Floating Rock Gardens of Ryloth

A majestic pavilion crowned in blue, the Temple of Heaven stands as one of the crowning architectural triumphs of the Yongle Emperor, a man responsible for three wonders. In this episode, we trace the origins of the Yongle Emperor.  Chris Stewart from the History of China podcast appears to take us on a whirlwind adventure that took his father from being an orphaned beggar in Anhui to emperor of all China. In the process, we discuss his rather unique brand of paranoia, and the path by which his son proved himself to be a chip off the old block. In addition, listener Jesse Oppenheim returns to discuss visiting Beijing and the Temple and of course, eating Peking Duck, which you can't make at home. So instead we try zhajiangmian. This one gets a bit crazy! Enjoy! Sources: Bedford, Donald. China (DK Eyewitness) Fodor's Essential China Haw, Stephen G. A Traveller's History of China Humphreys, Andrew. Top 10 Beijing Keay, John. China: a History Wood, Michael. The Story of China: The Epic History of A World Power From the Middle Kingdom to Mao and the China Dream Photograph by John Joh

081 - The Temple of Heaven of Beijing

The largest brick castle of its day sits along the delta of the Vistula, a testament to the power and prestige of the order of crusading knights who built it.  The Teutonic Order, from their castle at Marienburg, sought to Christianize and "civilize" the heathens of the Baltic. In this episode, we'll investigate the knights' relationship to its neighbors, Poland and Lithuania, united under the crown of Władysław Jagiełło, and the great but stupid war that broke out between them. And listener Rafał Źukowski drops by to talk about visiting the castle, other sights in Northern Poland, and of course food! Sources: Bousfield, Jonathan. DK Eyewitness Poland Čapaitė, Rūta. “The Topic of Health in the Letters of Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania and His Contemporaries.” in Lithuanian Historical Studies Emery, Anthony “Malbork Castle - Poland” in The Castle Studies Group Journal No 21 Palmer, Alan. The Baltic: A New History of the Region and Its Peoples Sunkara, Lavanya. “Take A Look Inside The World’s Largest Brick Fortress In Poland” in Forbes Urban, William. The Last Years of the Teutonic Knights Photograph by Gregy

080 - Malbork Castle

A bonus episode introducing the new host of Wonders of the World

Just Like Starting Over

Its gold walls reflected in the pond at its feet, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Kinkaku-ji, is glorious in any season. It was originally the retirement villa of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, former shogun and patron of the arts. How Yoshimitsu was able to be shogun is a story from some decades before, a story of betrayal, revolutions, and lots of samurai warriors committing ritual suicide. Listener Jaime discussing seeing the temple in various seasons, as well as the experience of visiting Kyoto itself. Also, somehow Drew makes it through an entire episode on Kyoto only mentioning geisha once, and that's in the opening song lyrics.  They make up for it with all the good food, including okonomiyagi, "Japanese pancakes". NB: Drew makes an important announcement at the end of the episode. Sources: Dougill, John. Japan’s World Heritage SitesMiller, David. Samurai WarriorsMilner, Rebecca. Lonely Planet Japan Photograph by Pedro Szekely

079 - Kinkaku-ji of Kyoto

Stunning medieval monasteries perched on infinitely steep precipices, the monasteries of Meteora are sanctuaries in the sky. But what happened in Byzantium to convince monks to seek solitude in such forbidding locales? Stories of the collapse of Constantinople typically focus on the end, in 1453, but the fall really begins much earlier than that, fueled in many ways by the sheer incompetence of John V Palaeologos, the second longest serving Roman emperor, whose reign was a constant barrage of humiliations. He managed to be put in prison on four different occasions! While we explore this fascinating loser, listener Roberto describes his trip to see the great monasteries in north central Greece, and we discuss dolmades, stuffed grape leaves. Sources: Fodor’s Essential Greece Gibbons, Herbert Adams. The Foundation of the Ottoman Empire: a History of the Osmanlis up the the Death of Bayezid I (1300-1403) Herrin, Judith. Byzantium: The Surprising Life of A Medieval Empire Luttrell, Anthony. “John V's Daughters: A Palaiologan Puzzle.” Dumbarton Oaks Papers Norwich, John Julius. Byzantium: The Decline and Fall Treadgold, Warren. A Concise History of Byzantium Photograph by LucT

078 - The Monasteries of Meteora

Nestled in the mountains of southwestern Andalucia, Granada's magnificent Alhambra palace represents the last hurrah of Moorish architecture in Spain, but what a last hurrah! Delicate and intricate, the Alhambra feels like something from a dream. This episode, I talk about Muhammad V, who survived a coup, exile, murderous intrigue and cruel allies to inspire and create the most splendid part of the Alhambra. Fun with assassinations! And I'll talk about my favorite food on earth: jamón ibérico. And tortilla española for the vegetarians. The Alhambra is my favorite place on the list, and I hope my enthusiasm comes through. Sources: Fernández-Puertas, Antonio. “The Three Great Sultans of Al-Dawla Al-Ismā'īliyya Al-Naṣriyya Who Built the Fourteenth-Century Alhambra: Ismā'īl I, Yūsuf I, Muḥammad V (713-793/1314-1391).” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol. 7, no. 1, 1997, pp. 1–25. Irving, Washington. The Alhambra Lowney, Chris. A Vanished World: Medieval Spain's Golden Age of Enlightenment Menocal, Maria Rosa. The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created A Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain Noble, Isabella. Lonely Planet Andalucía Photograph by Oscarmu90

077 - The Alhambra of Granada

It was the world's tallest building, 632 years after work started: an exercise in persistence. Cologne Cathedral is a Gothic masterpiece. Cologne itself is a good place to tell the story of the 13th century's great disaster: the Black Death, and the social upheaval it brought, including the pogroms that swept through the Rhineland. Willem Fromm of the History of Cologne podcast brings a local perspective to his home city, its magnificent cathedral and its 2000 years of history. And beer! And potato soup! Sources: Di Duca, Marc. Lonely Planet Germany Kelly, John. The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time Orent, Wendy. Plague: The Mysterious Past and Terrifying Future of the World's Most Dangerous Disease Ozment, Steven E. A  Mighty Fortress: A New History of the German People Rick Steves Germany Photo by Nikolai Karaneschev

076 - Cologne Cathedral

In this podcast, we'll visit 200 Wonders of the World, from the Pyramids to the Great Barrier Reef, to tell the story of our people, our civilization, and our planet. My name is Drew Vahrenkamp, and I'm a travel junkie. The world is filled with amazing places that reflect the greatest achievements of human accomplishment. In these uncertain times, understanding our great shared history may help to bridge the divides between us. And if not, it will be a fun ride anyway! We'll discuss the history of each place and the story of the men and women who lived there. We'll cover travel notes, examine what else to see while you're in the area, and dig into the local cuisine. Expect a new episode every two weeks. And thanks for listening!

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Wonders of the World

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