• Bangladesh!

    Bangladesh: Traditional houses. Go Now!

    Bangladesh
    This low-lying country has historic ties to India and Pakistan, but today maintains a wholly unique culture. Explore Bangladesh!

  • Indonesia!

    Indonesia: Lombok. Go Now!

    Indonesia
    This archipelago nation is culturally diverse from big cities to isolated islands. Begin Your Journey!

  • Jordan!

    Jordan: Petra. Go Now!

    Jordan
    Tucked away in this Middle Eastern country, the famed city of Petra (pictured) links the past to the present culture. Explore Jordan!

  • Mongolia!

    Mongolia: Desert. Go Now!

    Mongolia
    This vast country has a culture that spans past and present... a nomadic life shifting to a modern & sedentary society. Begin Your Journey!

  • Kyrgyzstan!

    Kyrgyzstan: Tian Shan Mountains. Go Now!

    Kyrgyzstan
    The mountains, including the Tian Shan Mountains (pictured), give Kyrgyzstan a unique culture, partially formed from this isolation from the mountains. Go Now!

Architecture of Timor-Leste

Despite its small size, there is a fair amount of architectural variety in Timor-Leste (East Timor), since each group of people have their own traditions and customs. However, nearly all architecture has been constructed of wood as well so few buildings have lasted to the present and much of what stands today is from the past century other than a few structures.

Early, and still the most traditional, architecture in Timor-Leste is the totem house, which is most commonly found in the east. These wooden houses are called both uma lulik and lee teinu depending on the people building them.

Despite Portuguese influence for a long period of time, there are few Portuguese-styled buildings in Timor-Leste. Most of these buildings in this style are churches or buildings in the capital of Dili. Following on Portuguese tradition of building from stone, concrete, and other more solid substances, today the country has a fair amount of modern buildings made primarily from concrete and glass, although this number is small compared to most countries in the world.

This page was last updated: July, 2012