CategoryOn the Cover

Constructed in the early 15th century, the Changdeokgung Palace (literally the Palace of Prospering Virtue) is one of the Five Grand Palaces built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. The complex, which occupies nearly 143 acres in northern Seoul, Korea, distinguishes itself from conventional palace architecture by its clever adaptation to the uneven topography.

The city of Mostar in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina is named after its most famous landmark, the Stari Most (Old Bridge). Originally a frontier town under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, the city was established in the 15th century in the valley of the Neretva River. Pre-Ottoman, eastern Ottoman, Mediterranean and European influences all

On April 14, 2013, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the SGI-USA Atlanta Buddhist Center, Dr. Lawrence E. Carter, dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College in Atlanta, affirmed the SGI’s mission for peace, saying: In the city with the brand of human rights and nonviolence, we must remember today the

The city of Cuzco dates back to the ancient Incan empire, which ruled over the Central Peruvian Andes in South America. The city was built and remodeled over a period of more than 3,000 years, culminating in a complex urban compound full of religious and administrative structures, surrounded by clearly delineated agricultural, artisanal and industrial

Known as ‘the Pearl of the Adriatic,’ Dubrovnik, rich in culture and history, dates back to the first century when Roman refugees founded it, linking Roman and Slavic civilizations. Though the city has passed through Roman, Byzantine and Venetian hands over the centuries, it largely maintained its independence as a city-state, making major contributions to

Quebec is the only North American city to preserve its colonial ramparts. The defensive walls, along with bastions and gates, still surround Upper Town. Samuel de Champlain, a French explorer, founded the city in the 17th century, and it served as the capital of New France until 1760 when it briefly came under British colonial

When Ikeda Sensei first visited Hawaii in October 1960, he established the first overseas district, creating a framework for members to carry out their Buddhist practice centered on the district discussion meeting. As the membership expanded, the first Hawaii Community Center opened in Honolulu in January 1966, with Sensei in attendance. The address, 2729 Pali

The Singapore Botanic Gardens is a world-class center for botanical and horticultural research, conservation and education. A group of “public-spirited citizens” established the botanic gardens in 1859. After being handed over to the colonial government in the late 1870s when Singapore was part of British Malaya, the park was used to support the colony’s rubber

Bahla has been an oasis in the Gulf of Oman desert since the medieval period. Standing as both a fort and settlement, it served as the capital for the Banu Nebhan tribe from the 12th to the 15th centuries. The walls and towers, along with the dwellings of the settlement, are built from unbaked brick

On the most remote inhabited island on the planet, architectural and artistic traditions developed independent of external influence for the good part of a millennium. Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, was first inhabited by a group of Eastern Polynesian settlers around a thousand years ago. They constructed the island’s famous moai statues, which

When the SGI-USA Washington, D.C., Buddhist Center opened on June 25, 2008, it was coined the “SGI Embassy” for its location among the stately foreign embassies that line Massachusetts Avenue on Embassy Row. SGI Vice President Hiromasa Ikeda traveled to the U.S. to officiate the opening ceremony on behalf of Ikeda Sensei, who in a

Old Havana, founded in 1519 as a springboard for the Spanish conquest of the Americas, boasts the title of the most notable historic city center in the Caribbean. The Havana Bay was an obligatory stop on the maritime route to the Americas during the colonial era, making military fortifications a necessity to protect the city.

Thebes, now the city of Luxor, was the city of the god Amon and capital of Egypt during the period of the Middle and New Kingdoms. With the temples and palaces at Karnak and Luxor, and the necropolises, large elaborate cemetaries, of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, Thebes is

On the northern island of Luzon, the living cultural landscape of the Ifugao Rice Terraces stretches across the face of the Philippine Cordillera mountains. For over 2,000 years, the Ifugao people have passed the terraces down from generation to generation, alongside intricate irrigation and farming systems and ritual practices that remain virtually unchanged—an enduring representation

Looking north from the top floor of the SGI-USA San Francisco Buddhist Center, you can spot Coit Tower, a landmark Ikeda Sensei visited on October 5, 1960, two days after he first set foot in the continental United States. Along with a group of local members, Sensei took in the panoramic view of San Francisco

La Grand-Place, in Brussels, Belgium, showcases the “architectural jewel” that blends styles of Western art and architecture. While the earliest written reference of the spectacular market square dates to the 12th century, the plaza was destroyed in 1695 by the troops of Louis XIV. Under the supervision of the city magistrate, a rebuilding campaign restored

Latte stones are an example of ancient CHamoru architecture. The monoliths usually consist of two parallel rows of pillars comprising two stones: the haligi, the supporting stone erected vertically from the ground, and the tasa, a hemispherical capstone. These structures, unique to Guam and other neighboring islands in the Marianas, were used by the CHamorus

The port city of Cartagena de Indias—found on the northern coast of Colombia facing the Caribbean Sea—is home to the most extensive military fortification in South America. The colorful colonial city stands as an eminent example of Spanish military architecture in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Its strategic location made it an essential link

Over a century after 7 East 15th Street first opened in 1887, the SGI-USA restored the building, earning the Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award in 1995. Designed in the Romanesque Revival style, and originally containing 27 class-rooms, a library and an auditorium, this five-story building first served as a branch of the Young Women’s Christian

The Taj Mahal, a universally admired masterpiece, sits on the right bank of the Yamuna River in Uttar Pradesh, India. The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built this white marble mausoleum between 1631 and 1648 in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Many consider the Taj Mahal to be the greatest Indo-Islamic architectural achievement, and it