world reviewer
George Monkhouse
Member statistics
- Member since
- 20th June 2007
I have a passion for architecture, modern design and travelling the less trodden road...
George Monkhouse's activity
- 06 Oct 2009
George Monkhouse reviewed Miyaluo Scenic Area in Chengdu, China
Miyaluo gets the title of 'Scenic Area' because of the Autumn show it puts on, when whole hillsides are awash with a bright shade of red. Underneath the leaves are the bubbling hot springs and waterfalls flowing down snowy mountains. And livi…"
- 19 Aug 2009
George Monkhouse reviewed Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
If you imagine this city without its themed, Vegas style shopping malls and hotels of epic architecture, then there wouldn't be that many landmarks. Of what's left, this mosque would be one of the most impressive, twin minaret towered and carved white s…"
George Monkhouse reviewed Mercato Town Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Why put a Tuscan/ Venetian architecture inspired shopping centre in the desert? Well it worked in Vegas with hotels, in Dubai it's shopping malls. The setting is supposed to encourage you to think that you're not just shopping, you're shopping the good…"
George Monkhouse reviewed Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Ibn Battuta was a great explorer. How that relates to shopping is unclear, but this mall is themed around him, with the six main sections of mall named for the countries he travelled in and the decorations include a faux elephant with a water clock insi…"
George Monkhouse reviewed BurJuman Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
For when you know 200 different stores isn't going to be enough, BurJuman has 300, over four consumer-istic floors, many of them internationally known names, including Saks Fifth Avenue, and famous luxury brands. Though this kind of shopping experience …"
- 10 Jun 2009
- 21 May 2009
- 20 May 2009
- 18 May 2009
- 01 Apr 2008
George Monkhouse reviewed Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria
According to legend, the head of John the Baptist, a verifiable prophet in both Christian and Muslim beliefs, lives in a shrine of the Umayyad Mosque or Great Mosque of Damascus. The mosque stands on the site of a 1st-century Hellenic temple to Jupiter, …"
- 27 Nov 2007
George Monkhouse reviewed Taos Pueblo in Southwest Desert, United States
In continuous use for human settlement, the Pueblo settlements date from around 1400, and have survived in their original layout. More than 100 people still live here like their ancestors 1,000 years ago. There are two large buildings at the entrance, bo…"
George Monkhouse reviewed Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi in Bhopal, India
The classic stupa shape was most prominent during the Mauryan dynasty in India. Ashoka Maurya Buddhist influence whilst ruler of India helped spread Buddhist philosophy and doctrine in India, its symbolism penetrating Indian art and architecture. Also kn…"
- 21 Nov 2007
George Monkhouse reviewed Krak des Chevaliers in Syria
From the outside this fortress is intimidating in its grandeur and power. The Castle of the Knights, standing 2300ft above sea level, back straight and proud, lies what is arguably the finest fortress ever built. With its command over the valley it appea…"
- 25 Oct 2007
George Monkhouse reviewed C Side Spa, Cowley Manor in Gloucester, United Kingdom
This fine traditional meets ultra-modern boutique hotel in the Cotswolds, inspired by the Villa Borghese in Rome and set on 55 acres, is more a spa hotel than hotel spa, and treats you with such indulgence that it is sure to stick in the memory. The luxu…"
- 06 Sep 2007
George Monkhouse reviewed BackCountry Eco Retreat in British Columbia, Canada
A truly unique retreat in the heart of the Purcell Mountain Range in the Canadian Rockies, this wonderful mountain retreat offers a year-round schedule of nature-loving activity. Along with the option of daily spiritual guidance, massages and reiki at th…"
George Monkhouse reviewed Willka T’ika in Peru
This utterly unique and intensely spiritual retreat, close to the ancient royal retreat that is Machu Picchu in the ‘Valley of the Incas’, prides itself on introducing you to not just the sights, but also the spirit of the land and its native people. Mor…"
George Monkhouse reviewed Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Haridwar, India
One of the most renowned temple and ashram complexes in India, known for its substantial work on Hinduism, it is a school in the breathtaking valleys of Rishikesh laden with stone and golden Hindi statues. Once the most active yoga school, it has little …"
George Monkhouse reviewed Turtle Island in Fiji
Host to the ‘Blue Lagoon’ movies, this private island in the South Pacific is one of the most romantic retreats available in the world today. From jungle picnics to dinner for two on a candlelit platform just offshore, this is a unique lifetime experienc…"
George Monkhouse reviewed Ulpotha Village in Eastern Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
Known in yoga circles simply as ‘paradise’, this is a unique, mountain-ringed village in the heart of Sri Lanka, the retreat concentrates almost exclusively on diet, yoga, ayurveda and massage. Ulpotha makes you live close to nature in simple-but-comfort…"
George Monkhouse reviewed Maya Tulum Wellness Retreat & Spa in Mexico
One and a half hours from Cancun, this Mayan retreat offers exotica to all senses, and an opportunity to explore, in depth, your body’s wisdom by balancing the elements of air, earth, water and fire – bringing harmony to body, emotions, mind and spirit. …"
George Monkhouse reviewed In:Spa, Marrakech & Atlas Mountains in Anti Atlas, Morocco
This is a luxury week-long wellbeing retreat held regularly at the insurmountable boutique hotel, Jnane Tamsna, in the Palmeraie, 15 minutes from Marrakech. In:Spa operates from this base with massages, yoga, personal training, nutrition consultations an…"
George Monkhouse reviewed Outward Bound, Anakiwa in South Island, New Zealand
The principle doctrine of Outward Bound is that of experiential learning – education is incompetent without understanding through experience, a very wise philosophy long held by the Chinese. One of 47 schools operating internationally and with great prof…"
George Monkhouse reviewed Body & Soul Adventures, Ilha Grande in Amazon-North, Brazil
Occupying the only the fjord in South America, this is a retreat offering the best of panoramic mountaintop views, tropical rainforest and clean, white, sparsely populated beaches. It is an idyllic hideaway, brilliantly organised to encourage successful …"
George Monkhouse reviewed The Ashram in Los Angeles, United States
To discover its beneficial qualities, one need only understand that the Ashram is perpetually at full capacity, despite no marketing for 30 years. This is an experience for those wishing a regimented and demanding schedule – a method of chasing your own …"
George Monkhouse reviewed Skyros Retreat in Sporades Islands, Greece
With one of the finest reputations in Europe for a holistic retreat since its inception at the end of the seventies, Skyros is an experience that can truly change your health and your lifestyle for good. You can stay amid the pine forest down by the sea …"
- 12 Jul 2007
George Monkhouse reviewed Sultan Hassan Mosque in Cairo, Egypt
Founded by Sultan Al-Nasser Hassan bin Mohammed bin Qala’oun as a mosque and school, there are four sects of Sunnism (Shafite, Malikite, Hanefte and Hanbalite) that teach individually but pray together. It is considered, in terms of style, the most cohes…"
George Monkhouse reviewed Temple of Kom Ombo in Kom Ombo, Egypt
Kom Ombo is unique in that it has an unusual ground plan, unifying two adjacent temples. One is dedicated to the crocodile-headed Sobek, god of fertility and creator of the world, the other to the falcon-headed Horace (an aspect of Horus), the solar war …"
George Monkhouse reviewed Suleyman Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey
Suleyman the Magnificent demanded that a mosque be built that was fitting to his majesty, whereupon this structure was erected, soon considered the supreme model of Ottoman architecture in Istanbul. Its graceful and simple design appropriates meditation …"
George Monkhouse reviewed Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, Israel
"Monumental landmarks of the earliest Hebrew architecture center around the celebrated temple built by King Solomon in the tenth century B.C. on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. When ancient Israel was conquered by the armies of Babylonia serving under Nebucha…"
George Monkhouse reviewed Haj Terminal in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
The original design was inspired by traditional pilgrims’ tents used in the desert, the translucent ‘fabric’ of the tents, Teflon-coated fibreglass membrane, allows natural ventilation and soft lighting. It received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in…"
George Monkhouse reviewed Temple of Amon in Luxor, Egypt
From the 12th Ptolemaic dynasty, the temple of Karnak is the largest and the most complicated architecture in Egypt. The centre of the cult of Amon-Ra, the Sun God, has two axes that define the composition of the world of Karnak. The axis east to west co…"
George Monkhouse reviewed Temple of Bacchus in Lebanon
The temple of Bacchus is so impressive thanks to its state of preservation. The temple was dedicated to Bacchus (Dionysus), the Roman God of wine, but was traditionally referred to as the ‘Temple of the Sun’. One of the best preserved Roman temples, it h…"
George Monkhouse reviewed The Obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut in Luxor, Egypt
“Americans relish their own ‘obelisk’ to General Washington; many have seen the one that pulls together the spaces in front of Saint Peter’s in Rome (in A. D. 37, it was brought to Italy by Caligula); and the fortunate have visited the mightly obelisks i…"
George Monkhouse reviewed Church of St Francis in Belo Horizonte, Brazil
"Planning a church has proven an involved problem for contemporary architects. The general tendency is to go back to the old, well worn forms, because of some strange inhibition created by the subject itself. The Pampulha Church, however, had, of necessi…"
George Monkhouse reviewed Tikal in Tikal region, Guatemala
Set within the tropical forests of Guatemala, Tikal’s development from a tribal settlements to urban structure occurred at its earliest around 200BC. Mayan architects designed short, broad temples with wide staircases flanked by enormous stucco masks. Th…"
