Tallest nave in a French Gothic cathedral, the vaults of Amiens rise 139 feet [42 meters]. Commenced in A.D. 1220 by Robert de Luzarches, the nave took 16 years to complete.
The city of Amiens was a commune, a status conveying municipal independence under the feudal system. By definition the seat of a bishop, cathedrals were built with funds often donated largely by nobles and merchants. At Amiens merchant wealth came from two main sources: wind and woad, a plant used to make a blue dye popular throughout Europe.
— From "The Gothic Revolution," July 1989, National Geographic magazine
See the cultural and architectural legacy of this Turkish sultan who shook the world of the 16th century as he raised the Ottoman Empire to the height of its glory.
Discover the allure of this World Heritage Site in Jordan, which is being put at risk by the throngs of tourists who flock to this ancient city of stone each year.
Travel to the Egypt of Ramses II, whose monuments stud the Nile in timeless testament to a civilization that endured for three millennia and continues to amaze the world today.
Get a glimpse of paradise with this gallery of photographs taken on assignment for the National Geographic magazine article "French Polynesia: Charting a New Course."
