Native Threads Collective

The Prince of Wales—the future King Edward VII - with his travel group sitting among the giant columns of the Hypostyle Hall in the Temple of Amun at Karnak, near Luxor, Egypt 🇪🇬 c. 1862 At just 20 years old, the Prince was on a grand tour of the Middle East, sent by Queen Victoria to learn about the world, meet foreign rulers, and, in part, keep him out of trouble back home.

The Hypostyle Hall, where they’re seated, is one of the most famous parts of ancient Karnak. It was built around 3,200 years ago by pharaohs Seti I and Ramesses II, and has 134 towering columns carved with hieroglyphs and scenes honoring the gods. Each column is massive - some over 20 meters tall - and was meant to show the power and glory of the pharaoh and the gods they worshipped.

At the time this photo was taken, ancient Egyptian ruins were becoming popular with European visitors, especially royalty and scholars. This picture is part of that era when Egypt’s ancient past became a stage for modern empire, science, and adventure. It's a snapshot of two very different worlds - British royalty exploring a site that once belonged to one of the most powerful civilizations on Earth.

Madrasah of Muhammad Amin Tupchiboshi in Bukhara, a city in modern-day Uzbekistan 🇺🇿 c. 1912. The madrasah was once part of the rich Islamic learning tradition in Central Asia. Built during the late 19th or early 20th century, it reflected the strong influence of Persian and Timurid architecture with its colorful tilework, pointed archway, and finely patterned brick minaret.

The building was named after Muhammad Amin Tupchiboshi, a local official in the Emirate of Bukhara. “Tupchiboshi” was a title that meant commander of artillery - so he was likely a military man turned patron of education. Madrasahs like this one were schools where students studied religion, law, math, and more.

Sadly, this madrasah no longer stands today 0 it was demolished sometime in the Soviet period, when many religious and historic buildings in Central Asia were destroyed or neglected. This rare color photo, taken using early color photography techniques, is one of the few visual records left of a once-proud center of learning in Bukhara’s old city.

Courtyard of the Mosque of Muhammad Ali in Cairo, Egypt 🇪🇬 c. 1862. In the center is the large marble fountain used for wudu. Its roof is beautifully decorated with carved wood and supported by elegant columns.

Behind the fountain, there is the tall clock tower, which was a gift from France in the 1800s. The mosque itself sits on top of the Citadel and was built in the early 1800s by Muhammad Ali Pasha, the ruler of Egypt.