Knee-deep in fragrant shavings, the craftsmen of this Minangkabau town carve traditional patterns, derived from nature, that also express adat principles and decorate the walls and gables of their swept-roofed houses.

Among the reefs and wrecks, divers find both a rich pariety of species and dense populations of sea life. For interest, watch a squid change color in a fraction of a second; for thrills, hitch a ride on a manta ray.

In the 200 years after 1492, the reconquista drove the Arabs from southern Spain. Many found refuge in Tunisia, where they implanted the crops, architecture, dress and customs of Andalusia - and remember their homeland.

The Independent Scholar

Playing, listening and learning all the way from a Nubian village to Tokyo, 'ud virtuoso Hamza El Din embodies the world-music movement. Yet it is the melodies and rhythms of his Nile-side youth that shape his music.

The textiles of Sumatra's Minangkabau express adat, rules that structure society. Headdresses and roofs emulate horns of the water buffalo, foundation of Minangkabau history.

The little-known pyramid fields of ancient Kush are one of the most romantic archeological sites in the world. Some tombs were dismantled by treasure-hunters a century ago, but many more remain.

"The Habitiations of the Dead"