The Sphinx Avenue, also known as The King's Festivities Road, hails from around 380 BC, revealing a historic 2.7 km-long pathway that links Karnak Temple with Luxor Temple in the ancient city of Thebes. Uncovered remnants showcase sphinxes and ram-headed statues adorning both flanks of this ancient avenue, providing a fascinating glimpse into the grandeur of ancient Egyptian architecture and culture.

Florence wasn’t just the Medici’s playground—the Strozzi family had their own share of power, and this palace was built to prove it. Filippo Strozzi the Elder commissioned it to show up the Medici and make a statement about his family’s status. These days, the Renaissance palace hosts rotating international art exhibitions and cultural events, and it’s one of the city’s top spots for contemporary shows in a historic setting.

Oudayas Kasbah near Rabat's nedina has kept its old cannons placed on a bastion. Its massive gate is entirely carved, while its blue and white walls give it a Mediterranean atmosphere. Cobbled streets lead to the El Atiqa Mosque, the oldest in the city, and on to the old semaphore platform. The view from here, or the terrace of the neighbouring Café Maure, is splendid: Rabat, nearby Salé and Bouregreg river meeting the ocean. The Oudayas Palace, further on up, which now houses the National Museum, has conserved its markedly simple and balanced original decor. The Andalusian Gardens below are a heaven of peace full of fruit trees, rose-laurels and cascades of bougainvilleas.