logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2024
18m 1s

Damanhur

SiriusXM and Atlas Obscura
About this episode

A mysterious religious community founded by an insurance agent-turned spiritual leader in northern Italy spent 15 years constructing an underground temple covered in intricate paintings, mosaics, trippy colors and images inspired by Roman, Greek and Egyptian mythology. 

READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/temple-of-damanhur

Up next
Yesterday
Nue (Classic)
A Seattle restaurant pushes diners to eat beyond their borders through its embrace of global street foods. 
15m 4s
Jul 10
Exploring the Pan-American Highway with Pati Jinich
The Pan-American Highway is considered the longest road in the world – it stretches nearly 20,000 miles, from Alaska to Argentina. In her new docuseries Pati Jinich Explores PanAmericana, Pati talks with people along the famous route about the different ways we form our identitie ... Show More
24m 15s
Jul 9
How Polar Explorers Entertained Themselves
Early polar explorers faced long nights and dangerous expeditions. To entertain themselves, they wrote and published niche newspapers and periodicals. Atlas Obscura’s community editor Allegra Rosenberg reads an essay exploring this unique polar tradition. Read her full essay here ... Show More
11m 45s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2023
The Longyou Caves and Nan Madol: Two Mysterious Ancient Wonders
GET‌ ‌EVERY‌ ‌EPISODE‌ ‌AD FREE PLUS BONUS‌ ‌CONTENT‌ ‌AT:‌ ‌‌www.patreon.com/crackpotpodcast‌ In the 1960s, a group of farmers in China were digging for water when they made a startling discovery: a vast network of underground caves, carved by hand out of solid rock. The Longyou ... Show More
44m 9s
Jul 2021
Episode 12 - Religion and Spirituality - Muhammad Sami
Did God create us or did we create God? Listen to this episode as Muhammad Sami discusses his journey through religion, and how it is deeply embedded in his thirst for knowledge, spirituality and philosophy. We discuss the core elements of religion and how it governs elements of ... Show More
1h 41m
Feb 2023
Hermeticism: The Ancient Wisdom of Hermes Trismegistus
The legendary figure of Hermes Trismegistus (Hermes Thrice Great) is the inspiration for the spiritual teachings known as Hermeticism. He is a syncretism (joining) of the Greek deity Hermes, the winged messenger of the Gods, and his Egyptian counterpart, the Ibis-headed moon god ... Show More
53m 14s
Aug 2023
Freddy Silva: Mystery of the Maya
The Maya appeared in Yucatan seemingly out of nowhere in 3100 BC. But recent underwater artefacts tell a different story: a culture was already established there six thousand years earlier. According to the sacred book Chilam Balam, the ancestors of the Maya arrived in 9600 BC fr ... Show More
1h 39m
Feb 2023
Mohamed Ibrahim: Egypt Before Written History
Egyptologist, Hieroglyphics Expert, Tour Guide and Director, Mohamed Ibrahim is inspired by a passionate desire to share his wisdom. He offers a wide spectrum of knowledge regarding the history, arts, literature, and culture of the ancient Egyptians. Mohamed was born in Memphis, ... Show More
1h 33m
Mar 2024
From Memphis to Mycenae (Ancient Egyptians & Early Greeks)
In New Kingdom Egypt (c.1500 - 1150 BCE), the pharaohs and their agents had many dealings with people of the Mediterranean. These include the ancient Cretans (the "Keftiu" or Minoans) and the Mycenaeans (the "Danae" or "Danaeans"). And from the time of Amunhotep III (c. 1400--136 ... Show More
2h 5m
Feb 2024
Cairo in comics
Modern Cairo is a crowded metropolis. The city’s ‘thousand minarets’ are now dwarfed by a new skyline of slick tower blocks. Modern highways fly over bustling kiosks where residents gather to smoke and buy soda drinks. Inspired by the lives of their neighbours, playing out among ... Show More
27m 21s
Feb 2024
Dr. Kathleen Ball: A Grail Quest, the Knights Templar in Brazil
Grail Quests often begin with what seems like normal travel adventures, but then suddenly turn into divine synchronistic events that makes one feel as though they're being guided by the Universe. I was to find out, two years later, that many local people knew about this cave. Tee ... Show More
1h 23m