by Bernie Debusmann At first glance, the Indian city of Mumbai – or Bombay, as my wife constantly reminds me – is an odd place for an archaeological site. It is, after all, very crowded – m...
https://thevelvetrocket.com/2020/07/02/bombays-hidden-mahakali-caves/
by Bernd Debusmann Jr. Given the fact that most of you out there are on coronavirus lockdown – or should be – The Velvet Rocket has decided on a much-needed update as we revive the magazine f...
https://thevelvetrocket.com/2020/04/02/the-forgotten-pilots-of-mexicos-squadron-201/
By Bernie Debusmann Today, Zanzibar is best known as an exotic tourist destination off the coast of Tanzania, but it also happens to be the site of what is believed to be the world’s shortest w...
https://thevelvetrocket.com/2018/06/08/zanzibars-bizarre-45-minute-war/
This is a version of our article that first appeared in War Is Boring… The future of Iraqi Kurdistan is on the minds of many in the region today as the invasion of the Islamic State in the summ...
https://thevelvetrocket.com/2018/02/24/the-process-of-professionalizing-kurdistans-military-forces/
Located near the town of Sheki, this abandoned fortress was actually one of my favorite sites in Azerbaijan (and by “this” I am including the hike in as well as Gelersen-Gorersen itself)… A...
https://thevelvetrocket.com/2018/02/05/azerbaijans-abandoned-gelersen-gorersen-fortress/
By Bernie Debusmann, Pictures by Sarakshi Rai To most non-Spaniards, the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) is distant history, the stuff of Hemingway novels. But to many Spaniards, the war can seem l...
https://thevelvetrocket.com/2017/05/25/the-ruins-of-belchite/
Black markets seem to be an integral part of human existence. Supply and demand trumps all. The authorities (rightly or wrongly) ban a commodity for which there is demand and the profit incentive...
https://thevelvetrocket.com/2017/03/26/african-poaching-drives-african-wars/
Amber, that lovely fossilized tree resin, that is found in the Baltics and Kaliningrad is particularly noted for its quality… There is also a lot of it. Therefore, it should probably not come a...
https://thevelvetrocket.com/2017/03/17/kaliningrad-amber-museum/
Article and Photos by Bernie Debusmann Life isn’t easy for Egypt’s Coptic Christians – who have called Egypt home since Christianity was first introduced to the country in 42 AD. While they...
https://thevelvetrocket.com/2017/03/10/el-bostroseya-church-cairo/
This abandoned submarine facility is the Hara Submarine Base and it is actually located inside of what is now Estonia’s Lahemaa National Park (although very few locals know of its existence). ...
https://thevelvetrocket.com/2017/03/07/abandoned-soviet-submarine-base/