Things to Do in Anaheim & Buena Park

Run by the University of Amsterdam and housed in a grandiose former bank on the southern fringes of the Red Light District, the Allard Pierson is the city's leading archaeological museum. Unaccountably often overlooked, it is named after the first classical archaeology professor at the university and turns the spotlight on ancient Mediterranean civilizations. The collection of antiquities spans the centuries 4,000 BC to 500 AD, from the time of the pharaohs through the ancient Greek and Roman empires until early Christianity. Including Persian, Etruscan and Cypriot pottery, jewelry and glassware, the museum may not be vast but it is certainly world class; the star exhibit are the extensive Egyptian collection, including mummies, statuary, and everyday household objects unearthed from tombs. A roster of temporary exhibitions provides further insights into civilization around the shores of the Mediterranean during ancient times. 

Located atop a hill in the heart of Ankara, the Ankara Citadel, or castle, serves as one of the most recognizable symbol's of Turkey's capital. Visiting the citadel is more than just seeing the impressive structure, with its 14-16 m (46-53 ft) high walls. A journey inside the citadel also provides you with a look at what ancient Turkey might have looked like.

The structures within and around the castle serve as some of the oldest authentic examples of traditional Turkish architecture. Although no one know for sure exactly how old the citadel is, its foundations were thought to have been laid by Galatians nearly 3,000 years ago. Inside the citadel, many of the old houses have been restored and converted into restaurants, creating the atmosphere of an ancient Anatolian village. The local people still live as if in a traditional Turkish town. As you wander along the narrow winding streets, you'll often see women beating and sorting through skeins of wool.

The Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is situated on the hill of Toompea, opposite the Estonian parliament buildings and Toompea Castle. The cathedral is as popular with visiting tourists as it is with people of Orthodox faith. It is dedicated to the Russian hero St. Alexander Nevsky, Prince of Novgorod, who saw off German invaders at the 13th-century Battle of the Ice at Lake Peipus.

The cathedral, which is Tallinn's largest, was built in a classical Russian Revival style by Mikhail Preobrazhensky between 1894 and 1900 "“ a period when Estonia was part of the tsarist Russian Empire "“ and strategically placed on the former site of a statue of Martin Luther. As a result, the cathedral is the subject of controversy with some Estonian nationalists calling for its destruction.

The cathedral features the onion domes, typical of Russian Orthodox churches, and the interior is filled with mosaics, icons, paintings and ornate gold leaf decorations. If you time your visit to coincide with the beginning of a service, you will be able to hear the full assembly of the church's 11 bells, including the largest in Tallinn.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is open to visitors every day and there is no to charge to go inside.

The Ataturk Maouselum, part of the Anā±t Kabir (literally "memorial tomb"), is the mausoleum of Mustaga Kemal Ataturk, the leader of the Turkish War of Independence and the founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey. The Anit Kabir encapsulates both architectural impressiveness and historical significance, making it one of Anakara's must sees. 

Anit Kabir's construction spanned 9 years and commenced in 1944. It consists of four main parts - the Road of Lions, the Ceremonial Plaza, the Hall of Honor (the location of Atatürk's tomb) and the Peace Park that surrounds the monument.

Inside of the ceremonial plaza you can find several museum rooms displaying memorabilia and personal artifacts of Ataturk, giving visitors a sense of the famous leader's life. The Hall of Honor is an impressively lofty structure, lined in marble and decorated with mosaics. An immense marble cenotaph stands at the northern end of the hall above the actual tomb.

High up on the west bank stands the elegant marble Tomb of Mohammed Shah Aga Khan, the 48th imam (leader) of the Ismaili sect, who died in 1957, and of his wife the Begum, who died in 2000. Aswan was their favourite wintering place, and the family's white villa is in the garden beneath the tomb. 

Spiritual leader of a worldwide Shi'ite sect, the Aga Khan was a very wealthy man. He was educated in Europe and became the 48th Imam in 1885, at the age of only seven. His grandson succeeded him on his death in 1957. During his lifetime the Aga Khan was knighted by the Queen of England, and received similar recognition from Germany, Turkey and other countries. It is said that in 1945, on his birthday, he was weighed in diamonds - he was a large man - and the jewels then distributed to his followers.