At the Shrine of Sachal Sarmast, Sindh

Tracking down rarities and wonders—a pin at a time

Welcome to places saved, a collection of entries, stories, photos and guides from mostly less-considered destinations. Large swathes of my world map were quickly smothered in pins soon after the launch of Google’s ‘Saved Places’ function: remote, dusty ruins, dazzling shrines, tombs, temples and churches, most pins placed to steer future routes. Here, they’re for sharing accounts of my favorites over the years, in hopes of perhaps inspiring others, passers-by like yourself, to add from my map of saved places to yours. Enjoy!

At the Shrine of Sachal Sarmast, Sindh

Travel Entries

Qusayr ‘Amra and Jordan’s ‘Desert Castles’

A stone's throw from the runway at Amman's Queen Alia Airport I'd spotted the first on my list of Jordan's 'desert castles,' studding the empty Badia to the east: a little-visited, motley array of middle-of-nowhere caravanserais, lodges and Umayyad palatial pavilions long left to the desert...

Umm ad-Dami & the Bedouin of Wadi Rum

The afternoon sun was sinking into the tops of the ochre cliffs as we burst south of Wadi Rum village, bounding along a highway of tracks in the sand in Salman’s old truck, subtly shifting the wheel to dodge dunes and shrubs. He hurriedly poked at his phone. The network wouldn’t last...

Cimitero delle Fontanelle & Naples’ Cult of the Dead

Northwest of old Naples, an ordinary driveway leads to a gaping chasm in the hillside over La Sanità: the enormous Cimitero delle Fontanelle, a vast quarried cave packed tightly with the remains of tens of thousands of Neapolitan souls.

The Church of the 21 Martyrs

Tattered, discolored jumpsuits fill most of the nave at Samalut's Church of the 21 Martyrs, along with the zip tie cords that bound their hands and whatever was found in their pockets. Their fresh-faced icons adorn the back of the sanctuary with gold-leaf halos beneath an image of Christ.

Sacred Landmarks of Jordan

Introducing Jordan's undersung trove of sites considered holy to the Abrahamic trio: Jordan's ancient landscape is an intrinsic part of the Biblical 'Holy Land' and Quran's 'blessed neighborhood. The sacred landmarks of Jordan flag the footfall of scriptural giants like Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, Jesus and Muhammad...

Scaling the Cliffs of Shahin al-Khalwati’s Khanqa

The jagged ruins of Shahin al-Khalwati’s khanqa (Sufi lodge) first caught my eye from Saladdin’s Citadel. On the hazy horizon to the south, its minaret juts from the cliffs of Muqattam like a knife. From miles away, the rest of the complex appears one with the desolate ridge.