A 330-metre pyramid meant to showcase North Korea’s modernity, the Ryugyong Hotel remains empty decades after construction began. Briton Simon Cockerell, one of the few Westerners granted access, ...

Egypt, third millennium b.c. The Great Pyramid of Giza is both the oldest of the Seven Wonders and the only one still standing. Built by the pharaoh Khufu (reigned ca. 2551–2528 b.c.) to serve as his ...

From the glass atrium of the Grand Egyptian Museum, the three great Pyramids of Giza are perfectly framed on the desert horizon. The architects designed it this way; a deliberate alignment connecting ...

From most angles in Pyongyang, the Ryugyong Hotel looks finished and ready for guests. The glass skin is smooth, the 330-metre pyramid sharp against the skyline, its tip tapering into a neat, ...

Mark Gurarie is a writer covering health topics, technology, music, books, and culture. He also teaches health science and research writing at George Washington University's School of Medical and ...