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Rituals and Traditions

A Sufi pilgrim dances at the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, in Sehwan Sharif, Pakistan, in 2006.

Pakistan’s Sufis Preach Faith and Ecstasy

The believers in Islamic mysticism embrace a personal approach to their faith and a different outlook on how to run their government

Now seen as early evidence of prehistoric worship, the hilltop site was previously shunned by researchers as nothing more than a medieval cemetery.

Gobekli Tepe: The World’s First Temple?

Predating Stonehenge by 6,000 years, Turkey’s stunning Gobekli Tepe upends the conventional view of the rise of civilization

The new Kogi village of Dumingueka.

Colombia Dispatch 5: The Kogi Way of Life

Hidden in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, a Kogi village built with government support combines modernity with ancient traditions

Navajo frybread cooks in an iron frying pan.

Frybread Recipe

A recipe from Foods of the Americas: Native Recipes and Traditions

“Strong Medicine” Speaks

Recollections from the matriarch of a once hidden tribe

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The Art of Pizza

Cooking up the world’s most authentic pie in Naples, Italy

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An Evolving Ritual

The National Powwow showcases a mixture of tradition and competition

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A Hip Tradition

The age-old art of hula is still moving and shaking

Saffron-robed monks enter the Bayon, which stands in the precise center of the King Jayavarman VII's temple city of Angkor Thom.

Jewel of the Jungle

Traveling through Cambodia, our writer details the history and archaeology of Angkor’s ancient temples

The Gullah Geechee perform an ancestral ceremony on Sullivan's Island.

Summertime for Gershwin

In the South, the Gullah struggle to keep their traditions alive

Around the world (above, Halabja, Iraq), an array of rich and varied wedding rituals exists, full of symbolism intended to reinforce a couple's marital bond and ensure their lasting happiness.

Global Weddings

How “I do” is done around the world

Wimbledon has been more than a site for the greatest players to shine; often, it has shaped the entire sport.

A Brief History of Wimbledon

From a 19th century garden-party event to today’s international spectacle, the storied tournament has defined tennis

A Hindu monk offers a morning prayer along the Ganges River.

India’s Holiest City

At Varanasi, Hindu pilgrims come to pray—and to die—along the sacred Ganges River

Ancient meditation might have strengthened the mind's ability to connect symbols and meanings, eventually causing gene mutations that favored modern memory.

Meditate on It

Could ancient campfire rituals have separated us from Neanderthals?

Bahb trains in the ring at Saktaywan Boxing Gym with the head trainer, Ajarn Sit (Ajarn means "teacher").

Thailand’s Fight Club

Inside the little-known, action-packed world of Muay Thai boxing

Damon Conklin uses the body, from head to feet, as his canvas.

Today’s Tattoos

Making your mark

The new removable inks are made from safe pigments and trapped in nano-sized, harmless polymer shells.

The Tattoo Eraser

A new type of body art ink promises freedom from forever

Mullet is a regional specialty along the lines of Kentucky burgoo or Louisiana gator tail.

Fish Are Jumpin’

A coastal community struggles to preserve the North Carolina “mullet blow”

The entrance to the new found tomb was hidden for more than 3,000 years beneath the remains of ancient workmen's huts.

A Mystery Fit For A Pharaoh

The first tomb to be discovered in the Valley of the Kings since King Tut’s is raising questions for archaeologists about ancient Egypt’s burial practices

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Land of the Wee

Where else can you decorate the bordello and exercise godlike powers?

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