Old cities where time has stood still,
A humanities journey following those long-standing memories

This book is a humanities travelogue that explores the world's ancient cities, where time has settled for thousands of years.
This is a journey of strolling through streets filled with countless stories, exploring historic sites where each brick, steeped in time, becomes history, encountering astonishing architecture that encapsulates the artistic sensibilities and skills of past generations, and peering into spaces where traces of ancient culture and life remain intact, all while encountering the city's long-standing memories.

When we travel, we often miss the real essence of a city and just glance at what we see.
As the saying goes, "You see as much as you know," if you look closely at the city's historical background, the scenery that was just an old street will take on a new look.
This book is not simply a travel guide, but rather a guide to a more in-depth trip that allows you to fully experience and understand the city by providing background knowledge on the humanities, including the history, culture, philosophy, and art of each city.
Such trips offer both intellectual fulfillment and emotional resonance.
The experience of seeing the 'present' of the old city and feeling the 'past' hidden within it makes you feel as if you have gone back in time.

From a journey of seeing to a journey of understanding!
27 Journeys to Discover the Real City

Unlike modern cities that are rapidly changing and consuming, old cities choose preservation over change and value meaningful values ​​over convenience.
Looking into the city's past is also a way to look back on the trajectory of human civilization and life.
Drawn to the charm of old cities, the author spent several years visiting and documenting historic cities in Asia, Europe, and North Africa.

This book introduces a total of 27 old cities.
Chapter 1.
In 'The City that Started a Dynasty', we trace the origins of cities that marked the beginning of brilliant civilizations, such as Anyang, Asuka, and Toledo.
Chapter 2.
In 'Cities in their Original Form', we explore the original forms of ancient cities that still remain today, such as Volubilis, Chester, and Kanazawa.
Chapter 3.
In 'Spaces and Cities Weaving Life', we enter the landscapes of cities where art and daily life are intertwined, such as Segovia, Salzburg, Heidelberg, and Agra.
Chapter 4.
In 'Cities of People and Nature', you will encounter cities such as Wieliczka, Sintra, and Okinawa that coexist in harmony with nature.
The included photos vividly convey the unique colors and atmosphere of each city.

This book encourages a journey of slow walking, seeing, and thinking.
This book is for those who want to encounter the city as a "place of memories" rather than a famous tourist destination, those seeking a travel book with humanistic depth, and those who want to experience the flow of history and traces of civilization on-site.

The Queen Mother's Ding (后母戊鼎) excavated from the ruins of the Yin Xu Royal Tombs is believed to be a cauldron cast by King Cao Zheng or Cao Jia of the Shang Dynasty to perform a ritual for his mother.
This bronzeware with a mouth length of 112 cm, width of 79.2 cm, height of 133 cm, and weight of 832.84 kg is considered a representative work of the Shang Dynasty bronzeware, and is known to be the largest and heaviest bronzeware ever excavated in the world.
The large bronze cauldron discovered in the royal tomb is a kind of sign that the ruling class began to have a sense of privilege.
The ruling class wanted to express the status of the dead and the authority they enjoyed while alive by placing bronze objects in underground tombs.
Supernatural and grotesque patterns, such as the Taotie pattern (a pattern carved on bronze in the shape of an imaginary animal called Taotie), engraved on the surface of bronzeware, represented the authority and mystery of the absolute being, and functioned as a symbol of oppression for the people.
--- p.10

In the alley right behind Goru, there are old buildings that look like a set for a historical drama. This area is called Huimin Street (Hui ethnic group street) because Huimin (Muslims) live there.
On one side of the street is a unique Islamic temple called Cheongjindaesa (??大寺), built in traditional Chinese architectural style.
It looks like a Chinese temple from the outside, but the interior is interesting as it is decorated as an authentic Islamic place of worship.
It is said that this region was formed during the Tang Dynasty when Persian and Arab merchants, soldiers, and envoys who came along the Silk Road settled in Chang'an.
With Xi'an's historical background as the starting point of the Silk Road, Huimin Street has become a symbolic place of cultural exchange connecting the past and present.
--- p.38

A particularly famous feature of the Toledo Cathedral is the Baroque altarpiece called 'El Transparente'.
The natural light pouring in through the skylights and the intricate carvings combine to create a fantastic scene.
It is also full of eye-catching works, including the dazzling monstrance used in the processions on the Feast of Corpus Christi, El Greco's painting El Espolio (Christ Stripped), a statue of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus, an illustrated Bible produced by the French royal family in the 13th century, and portraits of cardinals.
--- p.90

Luxembourg's Constitution Square is a square built to commemorate those who died in the war.
In the center of the square stands a memorial to the Luxembourgers who lost their lives during World War II.
At the top of the tall, square monument stands a golden statue of a goddess holding a laurel wreath, symbolizing victory and peace.
At the base of the monument are two statues of soldiers representing casualties of the war.
It is eye-catching as it includes information about the Korean War along with explanatory text in four languages.
--- p.149

As you walk down Chester's main street, the rows of black and white buildings catch your eye.
These buildings, characterized by their timber-framed structures with sharp black and white contrasts, are mostly restored Tudor-style buildings, having been rebuilt during the Victorian era, during Queen Victoria's reign (1837–1901).
Art historian and architect Nikolaus Pevsner called it the "Black and White Renaissance."
Chester city centre also has well-preserved old city walls.
The Chester City Walls, approximately 3km long, were first built in Roman times and were subsequently reinforced and rebuilt several times during the Norman and Middle Ages, serving as the main defensive line surrounding the city.
Chester City Walls are now open for walking, allowing visitors to walk along the walls and admire the city's beautiful views and historic buildings.
--- p.210

It is surprising that the construction of the Segovia Aqueduct used granite quarried from the Guadarrama Mountains, cut to size and shaped like bricks, and that the stones were fitted together without any cement or other adhesives.
The amount of granite used is a whopping 25,000, which suggests that a huge amount of labor and technology was invested in the construction of the aqueduct.
The upper part of the aqueduct arch is decorated with a statue of a saint, showing that it was designed with symbolic and decorative effects in mind, beyond a simple functional structure.

--- p.276