Úbeda is a municipality of Spain located in the province of Jaén, Andalusia. Both this town and the neighboring Baeza benefited from extensive patronage in the early 16th century resulting in the construction of a series of Renaissance style palaces and churches, which have been preserved ever since. In 2003, UNESCO declared the historic centers and landmarks of these two towns a World Heritage Site.
Legend has it that Úbeda was established by Tubal, a descendant of Noah. The city's name is said to have originated from the mythical tower of King Ibiut.
Archaeological evidence indicates the earliest settlements in Úbeda going back to the Copper Age, and are situated in the oldest part of town known as Cerro del Alcázar.
Recent archaeological investigations have revealed a history spanning six millennia; thus, Úbeda stands as the "oldest city, scientifically substantiated, in Western Europe". This assertion comes from the research team led by Professor Francisco Nocete, based on ...
The 2024–25 Thai FA Cup is the 31st season of Thai FA Cup, Thailand's top knockout football competition. Officially named the Chang FA Cup ช้าง เอฟเอคัพ due to sponsorship from Chang.
The tournament is organized by the Football Association of Thailand and open to clubs across all divisions. 76 clubs entered the competition, which began with the qualification round on 11 September 2024 and will conclude with the final that will be announced at a later date.
Clubs from Thai League 2, Thai League 3, the Thailand Semi-pro League, and the Thailand Amateur League compete in the qualification round, with some clubs receiving byes to the first round, which features 64 teams. Thai League 1 clubs automatically enter at this round.
The tournament winner will earn a spot in the 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite qualifying play-off and the 2025 Thailand Champions Cup. The champion will also receive a prize of 5,000,000 baht, while the runner-up will be awarded 1,000,000 ...
The Khmer Empire was a powerful Kingdom in South-East Asia. Its major architectural works (temples and sculptures) are located in present day Cambodia, where the capital of the empire was located. However, during long periods of time the Khmer ruled over parts of present day Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.
Prasat Phanom Wan was built during the 10-11th century. As most other Khmer sanctuaries (but not Phimai), its main entrance and temple structures face east.
While in the past it was dedicated to Lord Shiva, later many Buddha Images were placed inside the sanctuary, and now a large Buddha Image is standing in the main tower. Some of its lintels are (again) in place. The grounds are well kept, and it is pleasant to walk around the temple compound. It is not as impressive as Prasat Hin Phimai, Prasat Phanom Rung or Prasat Muang Tam, but is certainly worth a short visit.
The Khmer ruin is currently being restored so when you are there expect to see a bit of work being done but it’s minor ...
Part four of the trip around Spain found us in the south west of Spain. We got to see 2 more UNESCO World Heritage sites and some amazing historical towns in the country. The mosque cathedral in Cordoba is a very unique site and was something I was really looking forward to. The same for the bridge in Ronda. I’ve seen it in movies and it was amazing in person.
Spain is a storied country of stone castles, snowcapped mountains, vast monuments, and sophisticated cities, all of which have made it a favored travel destination. The country is geographically and culturally diverse.
Spain’s countryside is quaint, speckled with castles, aqueducts, and ancient ruins, but its cities are modern.
The many and varied cultures that have gone into the making of Spain, the Castilians, Catalonians, Lusitanians, Galicians, Basques, Romans, Arabs, among other peoples, are renowned for their varied cuisines, customs, and prolific contributions to the countries heritage.
The country’s Roman ...
