Dusty Buildings

Khor Virap (near Lusarat, Ararat Province, Armenia)

+ A beautiful Armenian monastery, within view of Mount Ararat, sits on the site of a former prison dungeon dug deep into the ground. The name of the place today, Khor Virap, translates as “deep dungeon.”

In the early 4th century, after more than a decade in this dark pit, St. Gregory the Illuminator emerged and helped to bring Christianity to Armenia. The monastery (and the pit) are now one of the country’s most visited pilgrimage sites.

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Dusty Art

The Sam Houston Statue (Huntsville, Texas)

+ This monumental statue of Texas legend Sam Houston is the tallest statue of any American hero, anywhere in the world.

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Dusty Feasts

The Feast Day of St. Rupert (27 March), the 7th and early 8th century Bishop who re-founded the city of Salzburg and played a major role in the Christianizing of the religion of Bavaria and Austria.

+ includes a recipe for Bauernkrapfen

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Dusty Art

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci

+ Painted c. 1495-1498, this piece of religious artwork is arguably the most heavily scrutinized and studied work of art in history. Its alleged secrets have even inspired conspiracy theory novels and movies.

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Dusty Buildings

Sacré-Cœur (Paris, France)

+ This beautiful 19th century basilica is a free interpretation of Romano-Byzantine architecture, and it was constructed as a form of penitence by the Roman Catholics in France for the moral decline of the nation in the century since the French Revolution.

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