Ottomans

Archaeologist and historian Ross Burns knows Syria better than most, having lived there (and in Lebanon) for many years. He is the author of The Monuments of Syria: A Guide and Damascus: A History.

Ross, who is currently preparing a doctorate on the archaeology of the Roman provinces of the Eastern Empire, has lectured at a range of institutions in Australia. He also leads study tours to Syria and Jordan for British and Australian travel companies.

He explains why narrowing Syria's ancient treasures down to a top 10 proves such a challenge:

Iran has taken a step closer to its goal of moving its capital away from Tehran to a new, as yet unbuilt location near the town of Qom. This seems like an extreme move but it's one that has been repeated throughout history - as far back as the Egyptian dynasties of the Middle Kingdom, in ancient China and many times during the Roman empire.

Sometimes there are practical reasons for capital-moving. In Iran's case it claims that Tehran, a city of 12 million people, sits on 100 seismic fault lines and is therefore a major natural disaster waiting to happen. There have been examples of relocations for practical reasons in history too. Constantine I may have chosen to build his 'Nova Roma' at Byzantium on the Bosphorus because it gave access to the Black Sea, and was also a good base for campaigns against the Goths. That the site of Constantinople lacked fresh water - 200km of aqueducts had to be built to provide enough - and that it was vulnerable to attack from the north west, were two weakness that Constantine overlooked.

Legendary history writer John Julius Norwich knows Venice better than most, if not all. Having recently edited The Great Cities in History (Thames & Hudson; see more info here), an epic ramble through the pioneering places in human history, he has also penned A History of Venice: The Rise to Empire and Venice: A Traveller's Companion - and was, until recently, on the board of the Venice in Peril Fund. No surprises, then, that Venice occupies its own page in Great Cities, at the pinnacle of renaissance culture.

Ancient artworks from Jordan – some of them never before seen outside Petra and Amman - are going on display today at Rome's Quirinal Palace. The star attraction at the exhibition is a statue found at the site of Ayn Ghazal near Amman dating from 7500 BC, one of the oldest surviving statues of its kind and size.

The exhibition has been organised by the President of the Italian Republic in honour of the state visit of the King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan. Sixty items will be on display in the 'Sale delle Bandiere' at the Palazzo del Quirinale and these will reflect the history of Jordan, from the Neolithic era to the end of the Ottoman empire.

We are approaching winter; the weather is going downhill and the days are getting shorter. After a long, sun-deprived day in the office there's nothing better than the idea of cosying up with hot chocolate, thick socks, and woolly jumpers, or - best of all - a long hot bath. This winter-time ritual reminds me of the Turkish bath, or hammam. Throughout the world, spas and baths have become part of our busy lives, as a means of peaceful retreat and to recharge our batteries. They're a place of sanctuary that we search for to find peace and quiet. But in ancient history, people used baths in a different way than the way we use them now.