Tomb of the Patriarchs, Hebron, West Bank, Israel, 1985
Photograph by James L. Stanfield
The disputed West Bank territory in the Middle East is home to many archaeological sites with religious and political significance for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Here, an Orthodox Hasidic Jew walks between two Arab men at the entrance to Hebron's Tomb of the Patriarchs, a sacred shrine that functions as both synagogue and mosque, sometimes in the course of a single day.
(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Israel: Searching for the Center," July 1985, National Geographic magazine)
Tomb of the Patriarchs, Hebron, West Bank, Israel, 1985
Photograph by James L. Stanfield
The disputed West Bank territory in the Middle East is home to many archaeological sites with religious and political significance for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Here, an Orthodox Hasidic Jew walks between two Arab men at the entrance to Hebron's Tomb of the Patriarchs, a sacred shrine that functions as both synagogue and mosque, sometimes in the course of a single day.
Dec 12, 2008
Red Beads, Beijing, China, 2006
Photograph by Jodi Cobb
A red-beaded curtain screens discogoers mingling near colorful lights at a club in Beijing, China. While Beijing boasts many modern venues, including pulsing nightclubs and bustling shopping centers, history still plays a central role in urban life. In places such as the Forbidden City, Beijing’s 2,000-year-plus reign as the imperial capital remains on prominent display to tourists and residents alike.
Dec 13, 2008
Goby and Grouper, Cuba, 2002
Photograph by David Doubilet
A tiny goby fish searches for a meal of parasites on the snout of a grouper on the reefs off Cuba. While much of the surrounding ocean has suffered from pollution and encroachment by mankind, Cuba's protected reefs are among the few places in the world where rare aquatic life can be readily viewed and studied.
Dec 14, 2008
Swimming Pool, South Florida, 1984
Photograph by Bruce Dale
Poolside is the place to be at this hotel in South Florida. Nestled just off U.S.1, it marks the beginning of the end of the 2,500-mile (4,000-kilometer) route from Fort Kent, Maine, to Key West.
Dec 15, 2008
Lone Horseman, Sukhe Bator Somon, Mongolia, 1985
Photograph by Dean Conger
In the semi-nomadic cultures of Mongolia, the horse is as essential now as it once was in the American West. In addition to transportation, horses are used to produce airag, a beverage made from fermented mare's milk.
Dec 16, 2008
Saddled Horse, Mentone, Texas, 2000
Photograph by Jodi Cobb
A saddled horse stands in the tiny town of Mentone, Texas. Seat of Loving County, the least populated county in the lower 48 states, Mentone sits smack in the middle of furnace-hot desert with oceans of oil belowground and not much to speak of above.
Dec 17, 2008
Tidal Pools, West Gouldsboro, Maine, 1984
Photograph by Bruce Dale
Tidal pools gleam in twilight near West Gouldsboro, in Maine’s Hancock County. Commercial fishing and tourism dominate the county, which is home to Acadia National Park.
Dec 18, 2008
Victim of Mount Vesuvius, Herculaneum, Italy, 1994
Photograph by O. Louis Mazzatenta
A reddish-brown skeleton, belonging to a victim of the infamous Mount Vesuvius eruption, lies partially uncovered in the ancient city of Herculaneum. The lesser-known sister city of Pompeii, Herculaneum was quickly buried by a glowing avalanche—consisting of fast-moving gases, pumice, and rocks—on that fateful August day in A.D. 79.
Dec 19, 2008
Sand Island, Midway Atoll, Pacific Ocean, 1998
Photograph by David Doubilet
Site of a famed World War II battle, the U.S. naval base on Midway is now a peaceful refuge for albatrosses and other wildlife. On June 4, 1942, six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, U.S. forces defended Sand Island and smaller Eastern Island from Japanese bombers.