Fairytale castles all around
In Turkey, sort of half way between Istanbul and Ankara, lies the town of Mudurnu. Once upon a time, there were plans to build some 700 mini castles. Burj al Babas was supposed to be full of luxury. In the end, some 500 of these castles were built, but the project was never finished. It’s been years and the castles have been pretty much just sitting there. Benjamin Weber went to take a look – Neil King has the story.
Heritage mudbrick skyscrapers
Now, in the next story, people are actually living inside of these world-famous mudbrick skyscrapers in Yemen’s city of Shibam. Many of them are 500 years old and have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site for over four decades. However, war and multiple crises in Yemen have also left their mark on the comparatively peaceful Hadramaut region: Tourists have stopped coming – and preserving the houses is becoming increasingly difficult. Jennifer Collins has this story by Anne Allmeling.
Rescuing ancient temples
Some 60 years ago, a team of engineers, architects and archeologists came together in Egypt to try to pull together a spectacular rescue operation. Ancient temples were about to sink into the waters of the Nasser Reservoir and would have been lost forever. The operation is still regarded as a technical masterpiece and signaled the start of the UNESCO World Heritage concept. Here’s Ben Restle with a report by Jürgen Stryjak.
Breaking through stereotypes
There are an estimated 3 million sex workers in India aged between 15 and 35. For many, it’s the only way of earning money – for themselves and often for their entire families. In part because the Indian caste system and age-old prejudices make it hard for them to escape poverty. Some are working hard toward breaking the cycle. Evelyn McClafferty has more, in this report by Akanksha Saxena.