Taj Mahal
A History From Beginning to Present
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Taj Mahal
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Narrated by:
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Mike Eiman
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By:
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Hourly History
About this listen
The Taj Mahal in Agra is arguably the most iconic image of India and is visited by eight million tourists annually. It was characterized as “pure, perfect and unutterably lovely” by the British Viceroy Lord Curzon, and in 1983, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site of “outstanding universal value.”
For centuries, the world believed that it was built by Shah Jahan in 1631 to immortalize his love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Certain mysteries and myths that surround the monument have recently come to the fore in the country, and stimulated a public debate about the place it holds as a true representation of Indian culture.
Listen to stories about: the life of Mumtaz Mahal, considered the jewel of the place; the building of the Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the myths, conjecture, and controversy; the 22 locked rooms in the basement; and much more!
This audio presents the five main historical figures of the Mughal Empire in India during that period and the many details of how the Taj Mahal was built. It traces the events that have led to the present controversy.
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- The Civilization That Shaped the World
- By: Joann Fletcher
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 17 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 78
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 68
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 67
The story of the world's greatest civilization - spanning thousands of years - is full of epic stories, spectacular places, and an evolving society rich in inventors, heroes, villains, and pioneers. The story of the world's greatest civilization spans 4,000 years of history that has shaped the world. It is full of spectacular cities and epic stories of a constantly evolving society peopled with inventors, heroes and heroines, villains, artisans, and pioneers.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Egyptian history is fascinating, this book is not.
- By Mary Elizabeth Reynolds on 08-24-16
By: Joann Fletcher
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Ur: A Captivating Guide to One of the Most Important Sumerian City-States in Ancient Mesopotamia
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Duke Holm
- Length: 3 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 18
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 15
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Story4 out of 5 stars 15
This audiobook is about the city which houses the mighty Ziggurat - the Biblical “Ur of the Chaldees” where Abraham was supposedly born. The site near which the earliest human cultures were found. The site which held the most glorious Sumerian Dynasty in ancient history. This is the story of the city that was destined to die and be reborn every millennium or so, a city full of intrigue, magnificence, tragedy, and glory.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Highly Recommended
- By Wsil Ali on 12-09-18
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Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities
- By: Bettany Hughes
- Narrated by: Bettany Hughes
- Length: 24 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 184
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 158
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 156
From the Koran to Shakespeare, this city with three names - Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul - resonates as an idea and a place, real and imagined. Standing as the gateway between East and West, North and South, it has been the capital city of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. For much of its history it was the very center of the world, known simply as "The City", but, as Bettany Hughes reveals, Istanbul is not just a city but a global story.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A daunting undertaking pulled off superlatively
- By SGS on 12-24-17
By: Bettany Hughes
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Ancient Egypt: History in an Hour
- By: Anthony Holmes
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 1 hr and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 102
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 88
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Story4 out of 5 stars 87
Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour. Learn about the Egyptian gods, mummification and how the Egyptians built the only wonder of the ancient world still standing - the Pyramids of Giza. Exploring the historic rise of Egyptian civilization and its continued influence on the world today, Ancient Egypt in an Hour is an excellent companion to a mysterious and enthralling period of history.
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5 out of 5 stars
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very interesting topic worth a listen
- By Doug W on 01-21-20
By: Anthony Holmes
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The Fisherman's Tomb
- The True Story of the Vatican's Secret Search
- By: John O'Neill, Sarah Wynne, Katie Clark
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 4 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 444
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 404
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Story5 out of 5 stars 405
In 1939, a team of workers beneath the Vatican unearthed an early Christian grave. This surprising discovery launched a secret quest that would last decades a quest to discover the long-lost burial place of the Apostle Peter. From earliest times, Christian tradition held that Peter, a lowly fisherman from Galilee, whom Christ made leader of his church was executed in Rome by Emperor Nero and buried on Vatican Hill. But his tomb had been lost to history. Now, funded anonymously by a wealthy American, a small army of workers embarked on the dig of a lifetime.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great narrator
- By Fran on 09-10-18
By: John O'Neill, and others
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Ancient Egypt
- A Captivating Guide to Egyptian History, Ancient Pyramids, Temples, Egyptian Mythology, and Pharaohs such as Tutankhamun and Cleopatra
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Duke Holm
- Length: 2 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 49
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 44
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 44
Ancient Egypt is one of the most fascinating and sophisticated civilizations in the known history. The ancient Egyptians are remembered by their gods, pyramids, pharaohs, mummification, hieroglyphs, agriculture, and much more. This audiobook reveals the secrets of the captivating world of ancient Egypt and the intriguing stories of its celebrities, such as the Akhenaten, Ramses the Great, Queen Cleopatra, and the boy-king Tut. You’ll learn about mighty gods and the magical link between the sun and the people of Egypt.
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2 out of 5 stars
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List of events
- By P. Dolinsky on 04-12-20
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The 12th Planet
- The Earth Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Zecharia Sitchin
- Narrated by: Bill Jenkins
- Length: 2 hrs and 21 mins
- Abridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 817
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 571
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 571
According to Sumerian scholar Zecharia Sitchin, a superior race of beings once inhabited our world. In The 12th Planet—the product of 30 years of intensive research—Sitchin persuasively argues that humanity sprang from extraterrestrial forebears. In this remarkable account, you'll hear the story of how these ancient visitors traveled to Earth from the stars and planted the genetic seed that would ultimately blossom into a remarkable species—the human being.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Very, VERY abridged!
- By Jill on 06-17-11
By: Zecharia Sitchin
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Red Land, Black Land
- Daily Life in Ancient Egypt
- By: Barbara Mertz
- Narrated by: Lorna Raver
- Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 431
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 325
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 323
Esteemed Egyptologist Barbara Mertz updates her widely praised social history of the people of ancient Egypt, which was originally published in 1968. Combining impeccable scholarship with a delightfully personal style, the author reconstructs the life of the Egyptians from birth to death, and beyond death, too.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant
- By Elizabeth on 04-03-10
By: Barbara Mertz
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The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt
- By: Toby Wilkinson
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 18 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,090
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 949
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 944
In this landmark work, one of the world's most renowned Egyptologists tells the epic story of this great civilization, from its birth as the first nation-state to its final absorption into the Roman Empire - 3,000 years of wild drama, bold spectacle, and unforgettable characters. Award-winning scholar Toby Wilkinson captures not only the lavish pomp and artistic grandeur of this land of pyramids and pharaohs but for the first time reveals the constant propaganda and repression that were its foundations.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Well Written and Detailed
- By Matthew G. on 01-26-18
By: Toby Wilkinson
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The Sumerians: A History from Beginning to End
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Stephen Paul Aulridge Jr.
- Length: 1 hr and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 60
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 50
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 49
The Sumerians settled in the area known as Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, around 5,000 years ago. They produced many fundamental changes to the way in which human societies developed - these were the first city-builders, the first people to use wheeled vehicles, the first methodical astronomers, and the first people to develop a sophisticated written language. The Sumerians also produced art, music, and literature as well as created some of the first professional soldiers the world had ever seen.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Simple and as best “to the point” as it can be
- By Lona on 08-24-24
By: Hourly History
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Paris to the Past
- Traveling Through French History by Train
- By: Ina Caro
- Narrated by: Christa Lewis
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 85
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 77
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Story4 out of 5 stars 77
In one of the most inventive travel books in years, Ina Caro invites listeners on 25 one-day train trips that depart from Paris and transport us back through 700 years of French history. Whether taking us to Orléans to evoke the visions of Joan of Arc or to the Place de la Concorde to witness the beheading of Marie Antoinette, Caro animates history with her lush descriptions of architectural splendors and tales of court intrigue. "[An] enchanting travelogue" (Publishers Weekly), Paris to the Past has become one of the classic guidebooks of our time.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Day Trip From Paris?... Look No Further!
- By Simone on 11-19-13
By: Ina Caro
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The Rise and Fall of Alexandria
- Birthplace of the Modern Mind
- By: Justin Pollard, Howard Reid
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,026
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 694
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 692
Founded by Alexander the Great and built by self-styled Greek pharaohs, the city of Alexandria at its height dwarfed both Athens and Rome. It was the marvel of its age, legendary for its vast palaces, safe harbors, and magnificent lighthouse. But it was most famous for the astonishing intellectual efflorescence it fostered and the library it produced. If the European Renaissance was the "rebirth" of Western culture, then Alexandria, Egypt, was its birthplace.
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4 out of 5 stars
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A good listen
- By Jeffrey on 10-02-08
By: Justin Pollard, and others
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Venice
- Pure City
- By: Peter Ackroyd
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 14 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 97
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 78
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Story4 out of 5 stars 75
The Venetians' language and way of thinking set them aside from the rest of Italy. They are an island people, linked to the sea and to the tides rather than the land. This latest work from the incomparable Peter Ackroyd, like a magic gondola, transports its listeners to that sensual and surprising city. His account embraces facts and romance, conjuring up the atmosphere of the canals, bridges, and sunlit squares, the churches and the markets, the festivals and the flowers.
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2 out of 5 stars
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An endless droning list.....
- By jack on 03-15-11
By: Peter Ackroyd
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Basilica
- The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's
- By: R.A. Scotti
- Narrated by: Josephine Bailey
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 220
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 105
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 107
It was the splendor and the scandal of the age. In 1506, the ferociously ambitious Renaissance Pope Julius II tore down the most sacred shrine in Europe, the millennium-old St. Peter's Basilica built by the Emperor Constantine over the apostle's grave, to build a better basilica.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Spell binding
- By Margaret on 10-17-07
By: R.A. Scotti
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Life in Ancient Rome
- By: Lionel Casson
- Narrated by: John Glouchevitch
- Length: 5 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 53
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 45
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 44
Lionel Casson paints a vivid portrait of life in ancient Rome - for slaves and emperors, soldiers and commanders alike - during the empire's greatest period, the first and second centuries AD.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Informative
- By Iván on 11-17-24
By: Lionel Casson