Legend has it that Damascus once had 365 hammams or ‘Turkish baths’: one for each day of the year. Originally part of an ancient Roman tradition, hammams were absorbed by Islam to such an extent that many became almost annexes to nearby mosques. For centuries, hammams were an integral part of community life, with some 50 hammams surviving in Damascus until the 1950s. Since then, however, with the onslaught of modernization programmes and home bathrooms, many have been demolished; fewer than 20 Damascene working hammams survive today.

Stephen Champion has devoted his photographic career to celebrating the many charms of Sri Lanka, an island which has been torn apart by a brutal and bloody war, but remains hospitable and open to travellers. Champion shows the people of Sri Lanka carrying on their traditional ways of life: gardening in quiet villages, fishing for prawns, working, studying, praying or relaxing.

Oman is a stunningly beautiful country with a rich history and bountiful heritage set in a breathtaking landscape. As an ancient seafaring country, Oman has always been open to the world, and is now increasingly popular with discerning travellers and tourists. Since the accession of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said in 1970, Oman has thrived, adopting the best features of modern technology while keeping its own heritage and unique culture very much alive.

In 1874 an expedition set out overland from Saint Petersburg, to travel through China. Their route took them to the important cities of Peking and Shanghai as well as to unexplored interior regions, and culminated in a perilous return to Russia via part of the Silk Road on a route banned to foreigners.