St Giles' Cathedral, the historic "Mother Kirk of Scotland", has been a focal point of religious and civic life on the Royal Mile since 1124. Its architecture is a tapestry of centuries, but the cathedral is most famous as the epicentre of the Scottish Reformation under firebrand minister John Knox. While the main body of the kirk is imposing, its greatest artistic treasure is the Thistle Chapel, an astonishingly detailed 1911 Gothic space housing Scotland's chivalric order. You can admire the beautiful stained-glass windows, see an original National Covenant, and find the bronze memorial to Robert Louis Stevenson. Just outside the west door, the Heart of Midlothian set into the cobbles is traditionally spat upon for luck. Free tours and audio guides help unravel the complex history within this essential Edinburgh landmark.

Tourbet el Bey stands as the most significant royal mausoleum in Tunisia. The monument serves as the final resting place for the Husainid dynasty rulers who governed from 1705 to 1957. Its distinctive green fish-scale domes crown an imposing quadrangular structure, blending Ottoman grandeur with Italianate stucco work and Andalusian tile motifs. Built during Ali Pasha II’s reign (1758–82), the interior reveals a spatial homage to Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, where vaulted ceilings display intricate polychrome stucco arabesques. The tombs tell silent stories: male rulers are marked by marble carvings of their headgear (turbans or chechia caps), with tassel counts denoting rank, while women’s graves bear simple plaques. A courtyard paved with memorial slabs connects the chambers, their walls shimmering with historic ceramic tiles.

Take a one-hour guided tour of the Parliament Buildings to see New Zealand politics at work and to explore the Beehive — one of the most famous buildings in Wellington.