Historic Places, BIA-CHA
Some places do more than occupy spaceâthey hold memory. Explore battlefields, monuments, settlements, and heritage sites where the past still feels vividly present.
Historic Places Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Biafra
Biafra, secessionist western African state that unilaterally declared its independence from Nigeria in May 1967.......
Biltmore Estate
Biltmore Estate, estate in Asheville, North Carolina, that was built in the late 1800s as the summer home of George......
Birka
Birka, medieval city in southeastern Sweden, on the Lake MĂ€laren island of Björkö. It was Swedenâs first major......
BirÄk, Tall
Tall BirÄk, ancient site located in the fertile Nahr al-KhÄbĆ«r basin in Al-កasakah governorate, Syria; it was inhabited......
Bit-Adini
Bit-Adini, ancient Aramaean kingdom in Mesopotamia, located on both sides of the middle Euphrates River south of......
Bithynia
Bithynia, ancient district in northwestern Anatolia, adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black......
Blackpool Tower
Blackpool Tower, tourist attraction and regional landmark in the seaside resort town of Blackpool, Lancashire,......
Blarney
Blarney, village, County Cork, Ireland, 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Cork city, famous for Blarney Castle (c. 1446).......
Blois
Blois, city, capital of Loir-et-Cher département, Centre région, central France, on the Loire River northeast of......
Bnei Brak
Bnei Brak, city, northeastern suburb of Tel AvivâYafo, west-central Israel, in the southern Plain of Sharon. In......
Bodo
Bodo, site of paleoanthropological excavation in the Awash River valley of Ethiopia known for the 1976 discovery......
Bohemia
Bohemia, historical country of central Europe that was a kingdom in the Holy Roman Empire and subsequently a province......
Boina
Boina, short-lived kingdom of the Sakalava people in western Madagascar. The Sakalava, who originated in southern......
Bolgary
Bolgary, ancient city and capital of the medieval state of Bolgariya Volga-Kama. The ruins of medieval Bolgary......
Bonampak
Bonampak, ancient Mayan city, situated on a tributary of the Usumacinta River, now in eastern Chiapas, Mexico.......
Bono
Bono, Akan state of western Africa from the 15th to the 18th century, located between the forests of Guinea and......
Bophuthatswana
Bophuthatswana, former republic (though never internationally recognized as such) and Bantustan that was the legally......
Bordeaux
Bordeaux, city and port, capital of Gironde département, Nouvelle-Aquitaine région, southwestern France. It lies......
Bornu
Bornu, historical kingdom and emirate in northeastern Nigeria. Bornu was originally the southernmost province of......
Borsippa
Borsippa, ancient Babylonian city southwest of Babylon in central Iraq. Its patron god was Nabu, and the cityâs......
Bosporus, Kingdom of the
Kingdom of the Bosporus, ancient Greek state situated on Kerch Strait in present-day southern Ukraine. It reached......
Bostra
Bostra, ruined Syrian city, 67 miles (108 km) south of Damascus. First a Nabataean city, it was conquered by the......
Bouri
Bouri, site of paleoanthropological excavations in the Awash River valley in the Afar region of Ethiopia, best......
BoÄazköy
BoÄazköy, village, north-central Turkey. Located 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Yozgat, it is the site of the archaeological......
Brabant
Brabant, feudal duchy that emerged after the decline and collapse of the Frankish Carolingian empire in the mid-9th......
Brahmarsi-desha
Brahmarsi-desha, land of the rsi, or sages. Historically, the Sanskrit term was used to describe the second region......
Brandenburg
Brandenburg, margravate, or mark, then an electorate of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the northeastern lowlands......
BrasĂlia
BrasĂlia, city, federal capital of Brazil. It is located in the Federal District (Distrito Federal) carved out......
Breisgau
Breisgau, historic region between the Rhine and the Black Forest in southwestern Germany, now in the South Baden......
Bremen
Bremen, Former duchy, Germany. Lying between the lower Weser and lower Elbe rivers and northwest of the former......
Brihadishvara Temple
Brihadishvara Temple, massive and majestic temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, located in the city of Thanjavur......
British East Africa
British East Africa, territories that were formerly under British control in eastern Africaânamely Kenya, Uganda,......
British Empire
British Empire, a worldwide system of dependenciesâcolonies, protectorates, and other territoriesâthat over a span......
British Somaliland
British Somaliland, former British protectorate, located on the southern shore of the Gulf of Aden in eastern Africa.......
British West Africa
British West Africa, assortment of widely separated territories in western Africa that were administered by Great......
Bubastis
Bubastis, ancient Egyptian city in the Nile River delta north of Cairo. It became important when the pharaohs of......
Buganda
Buganda, powerful kingdom of East Africa during the 19th century, located along the northern shore of Lake Victoria......
Bundelkhand
Bundelkhand, historic region of central India, now included in northern Madhya Pradesh state, comprising the hilly......
Bunyoro
Bunyoro, East African kingdom that flourished from the 16th to the 19th century west of Lake Victoria, in present-day......
Burundi, Kingdom of
Kingdom of Burundi, traditional East African state, now the Republic of Burundi. At some time before the 17th century,......
Buteshire
Buteshire, historic county in western Scotland that includes Bute, Arran, the Cumbraes, Holy, Pladda, and Inchmarnock......
Butua
Butua, former African kingdom in what is now southwestern Zimbabwe. Though called Guruhuswa in Shona tradition,......
Byblos
Byblos, ancient seaport, the site of which is located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea about 20 miles (30......
Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire, the eastern half of the Roman Empire, which survived for a thousand years after the western half......
- Introduction
- Diocletian, Constantine, Reforms
- Barbarians, Relations, Trade
- East Rome, Christianity, Constantinople
- Justinian I, Constantinople, Legacy
- The successors of Justinian: 565â610
- Iconoclasm, Religion, Empire
- 867-1453, Constantinople, Eastern Roman Empire
- Estrangement, West, Religion
- Byzantine decline and subjection to Western influences: 1025â1260
- Fourth Crusade, Latin Empire
- Andronicus II, Palaiologos Dynasty, Constantinople
- Manuel II, Respite, Turks
Bīsitƫn
Bīsitƫn, village and precipitous rock situated at the foot of the Zagros Mountains in the Kermanshah region of......
Caere
Caere, ancient city of Etruria, about 30 miles (50 km) northwest of Rome. Through its port, Pyrgi (present-day......
Caernarfon
Caernarfon, town, Gwynedd county, historic county of Caernarvonshire (Sir Gaernarfon), northern Wales. It lies......
Caernarvonshire
Caernarvonshire, historic county of northwestern Wales, bordered on the north by the Irish Sea, on the east by......
Caerphilly
Caerphilly, castle town and urban area (from 2011 built-up area), Caerphilly county borough, historic county of......
Caesarea
Caesarea, (âRuins of Caesareaâ), ancient port and administrative city of Palestine, on the Mediterranean coast......
Cahokia Mounds
Cahokia Mounds, archaeological site occupying some 5 square miles (13 square km) on the Mississippi River floodplain......
Calabria
Calabria, ancient city whose name applied, from the 3rd century bce to the 7th century ce, to a district in the......
Calah
Calah, ancient Assyrian city situated south of Mosul in northern Iraq. The city was first excavated by A.H. (later......
Caledonia
Caledonia, historical area of north Britain beyond Roman control, roughly corresponding to modern Scotland. It......
Calydon
Calydon, ancient Aetolian town in Greece, located on the Euenus (Ăvinos) River about 6 miles (9.5 km) east of modern......
CamagĂŒey
CamagĂŒey, city, capital of CamagĂŒey provincia (province), east-central Cuba. It is situated on the San Pedro River,......
Campeche
Campeche, city, port on the Gulf of Mexico, and capital of Campeche estado (state), southeastern Mexico. It lies......
Campus Martius
Campus Martius, in ancient Rome, a floodplain of the Tiber River, the site of the altar of Mars and the temple......
Canaan
Canaan, area variously defined in historical and biblical literature, but always centered on the region of Palestine.......
Canada East
Canada East, in Canadian history, the region in Canada that corresponds with modern southern Quebec. From 1791......
Canada West
Canada West, in Canadian history, the region in Canada now known as Ontario. From 1791 to 1841 the region was known......
Canal Zone
Canal Zone, historic administrative entity in Panama over which the United States exercised jurisdictional rights......
Canopus
Canopus, ancient Egyptian city on the western coast of the Nile River delta, in Al-Iskandariyyah muáž„Äfaáșah (governorate).......
Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Canyon de Chelly National Monument, area of rock formations and archaeological sites in northeastern Arizona, U.S.,......
Cape Colony
Cape Colony, British colony established in 1806 in what is now South Africa. With the formation of the Union of......
Cape Province
Cape Province, former province of South Africa, occupying the southern extremity of the African continent. Prior......
Capena
Capena, ancient city of southern Etruria, Italy, frequently mentioned with the ancient Etruscan cities of Veii......
Capernaum
Capernaum, ancient city on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Israel. It was Jesusâ second home and,......
Cappadocia
Cappadocia, ancient district in east-central Anatolia, situated on the rugged plateau north of the Taurus Mountains,......
Capua
Capua, in ancient times, the chief city of the Campania region of Italy; it was located 16 miles (26 km) north......
Capulin Volcano National Monument
Capulin Volcano National Monument, extinct volcano in northeastern New Mexico, U.S., about 25 miles (40 km) southeast......
Caracol
Caracol, major prehistoric Maya city, now an archaeological site in west-central Belize, 47 miles (76 km) southeast......
Carcassonne
Carcassonne, town, capital of Aude département, Occitanie region, southwestern France, southeast of Toulouse, near......
Carchemish
Carchemish, ancient city-state located in what is now southern Turkey, along the border with Syria. Carchemish......
Caria
Caria, ancient district of southwestern Anatolia. One of the most thoroughly Hellenized districts, its territory......
Carisbrooke
Carisbrooke, locality on the Isle of Wight, historic county of Hampshire, England. It lies just southwest of Newport.......
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, area of the Chihuahuan Desert in southeastern New Mexico, U.S., near the base of......
Carnac
Carnac, village, Morbihan département, Bretagne (Brittany) region, western France, near the Atlantic coast, just......
Carnuntum
Carnuntum, the most important ancient Roman legionary camp of the upper Danube frontier, situated at the modern......
Cartagena
Cartagena, capital of BolĂvar departamento, northern Colombia, at the northern end of Cartagena Bay. The old walled......
Carthage
Carthage, great city of antiquity on the north coast of Africa, now a residential suburb of the city of Tunis,......
Carthage, Exarchate of
Exarchate of Carthage, semiautonomous African province of the Byzantine Empire, centred in the city of Carthage,......
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, pre-Columbian ruins in south-central Arizona, U.S., in the Gila River valley......
Casas Grandes
Casas Grandes, town on the Casas Grandes River, in the northwestern corner of Chihuahua estado (state), northern......
Cassino
Cassino, town, Lazio (Latium) regione, central Italy. Cassino lies along the Rapido River at the foot of Monte......
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, site of the oldest masonry fort in the United States, built by the Spaniards......
Castle Rising
Castle Rising, village (âparishâ), Kingâs Lynn and West Norfolk borough, administrative and historic county of......
Cathay
Cathay, name by which North China was known in medieval Europe. The word is derived from Khitay (or Khitan), the......
Caulonia
Caulonia, ancient Greek city in southern Italy, southernmost of the colonies founded in Italy by the Achaeans.......
Celaenae
Celaenae, ancient fortress city of Phrygia (in present Turkey), the starting point of the march of the âTen Thousandâ......
Celtiberia
Celtiberia, an area in present north-central Spain occupied from the 3rd century bc onward by tribes thought to......
Cerro SechĂn
Cerro SechĂn, pre-Columbian temple site in the present-day Casma Valley, of the north central coast of Peru, known......
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, area of Native American ruins in northwestern New Mexico, U.S. It is situated......
Chaeronea
Chaeronea, in ancient Greece, fortified town on Mt. Petrachus, guarding the entry into the northern plain of Boeotia.......
Chaldea
Chaldea, land in southern Babylonia (modern southern Iraq) frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. Strictly......
Chambord
Chambord, village, Loir-et-Cher département, Centre région, central France. It lies on the left bank of the Cosson......
Champa
Champa, city of ancient India, the capital of the kingdom of Anga (a region corresponding with the eastern part......
Champa
Champa, ancient Indochinese kingdom lasting from the 2nd to the 17th century ce and extending over the central......
Chan Chan
Chan Chan, great ruined and abandoned city, the capital of the ChimĂș kingdom (c. 1100â1470 ce) and the largest......
Changâan
Changâan, ancient site, north-central China. Formerly the capital of the Han, Sui, and Tang dynasties, it is located......