George Monkhouse has written 222 reviews in 45 countries.

	Omayyad Mosque Mosques in Damascus, Syria According to legend, the head of John the Baptist, a verifiable prophet in both Christian and Muslim beliefs, lives in a shrine of the Umayyad Mosque or Great Mosque of Damascus. The mosque stands on the site of a 1st-century Hellenic temple to Jupiter, guarding a big open courtyard, flanked by an cloister of arches supported by slender columns. The liwan, or hall of worship, running the length of the south side of the mosque, is divided into three long aisles by rows of columns and arches. A transept with a central octagonal dome, originally wooden, cuts across the aisles at their midpoint. Geometric interlace is evident throughout the building, something which became prevalent in Islamic architecture and design (much more than in the west).
	Cowley Manor Best Hotels in Gloucester, United Kingdom This fine traditional meets ultra-modern boutique hotel in the Cotswolds, inspired by the Villa Borghese in Rome and set on 55 acres, is more a spa hotel than hotel spa, and treats you with such indulgence that it is sure to stick in the memory. The luxury afforded its clients stems from the outstanding service, surroundings and therapies. The spa is housed in a glass-walled building off the main hotel, offering hot stone therapy, facials, wraps, wonderful massages, a gym, sauna and steam room, 2 heated swimming pools. Plus, you can eat breakfast for dinner and dinner for breakfast should that be your wish. Aromatherapist Michelle Roques-O’Neill tailor makes all oils and skincare products.
	Taos Pueblo Traditional Cultures in Southwest Desert, United States In continuous use for human settlement, the Pueblo settlements date from around 1400, and have survived in their original layout. More than 100 people still live here like their ancestors 1,000 years ago. There are two large buildings at the entrance, both with rooms piled on top of each other, forming structures that echo the shape of Taos Mountain. Residents live here without electricity or running water. The main buildings' distinctive flowing lines of shaped mud, with a straw-and-mud exterior plaster, are typical of Pueblo architecture. It's architecture that blends in with the surrounding land. Bright blue doors are the same shade as the sky that frames the brown buildings.
	Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi Temples in Bhopal, India The classic stupa shape was most prominent during the Mauryan dynasty in India. Ashoka Maurya Buddhist influence whilst ruler of India helped spread Buddhist philosophy and doctrine in India, its symbolism penetrating Indian art and architecture. Also known as Stupa Number One, it was one of the earlier stupa forms, capped spectacularly by the monumental dome as its centrepiece, an almost perfect hemisphere aligned with the sun. The stone gateways and surrounding terrace were added a century later. Later still, four stone buddhas were placed along the outside walls of the stupa. To see the Great Stupa and its surrounding stupas is to see almost the entire span of Buddhist architecture in India.
	Krak des Chevaliers Castles & Palaces in Syria From the outside this fortress is intimidating in its grandeur and power. The Castle of the Knights, standing 2300ft above sea level, back straight and proud, lies what is arguably the finest fortress ever built. With its command over the valley it appears to be a model of perfection of medieval fortification. The western side has a curtain wall with five cylindrical towers strengthening it and the northern wing has a postern, which is situated between two square shaped towers. The defensive plan is featured by two separate lines of defence, an outer curtained wall with several cylindrical towers, and as the inner ring. The inner fortress was used as the crusader castle. Large taluses were added to the southwest and east sides to strengthen the outer wall and to make it earthquake resistant.