Refine your search

The results of your search are listed below alongside the search terms you entered on the previous page. You can refine your search by amending any of the parameters in the form and resubmitting it.

Select all Deselect all Add selection to lightbox
Large Small
Thumbnails per page
Vijaya Vilas Palace is the one time summer palace of the Jadeja Rajas of Kutch. The palace was built during the reign of Maharao Shri Khengarji III, the Maharao of Kutch, as a summer resort for the use of his son and heir to the kingdom, the Yuvraj Shri Vijayaraji. The construction of the palace started in 1920 and was completed in 1929.<br/><br/> Kutch (often spelled Kachch) is the northwestern part of the Indian state of Gujarat, divided from the main part of the state by the Arabian Sea and a stretch of salt marshes. To its north lies the Pakistani province of Sind. The name Kutch is said to be derived from the Kachelas, a sub-caste of the <i>lohar</i> (blacksmiths’) or <i>soni</i> (goldsmiths’) castes.
Vijaya Vilas Palace is the one time summer palace of the Jadeja Rajas of Kutch. The palace was built during the reign of Maharao Shri Khengarji III, the Maharao of Kutch, as a summer resort for the use of his son and heir to the kingdom, the Yuvraj Shri Vijayaraji. The construction of the palace started in 1920 and was completed in 1929.<br/><br/> Kutch (often spelled Kachch) is the northwestern part of the Indian state of Gujarat, divided from the main part of the state by the Arabian Sea and a stretch of salt marshes. To its north lies the Pakistani province of Sind. The name Kutch is said to be derived from the Kachelas, a sub-caste of the <i>lohar</i> (blacksmiths’) or <i>soni</i> (goldsmiths’) castes.
Vijaya Vilas Palace is the one time summer palace of the Jadeja Rajas of Kutch. The palace was built during the reign of Maharao Shri Khengarji III, the Maharao of Kutch, as a summer resort for the use of his son and heir to the kingdom, the Yuvraj Shri Vijayaraji. The construction of the palace started in 1920 and was completed in 1929.<br/><br/> Kutch (often spelled Kachch) is the northwestern part of the Indian state of Gujarat, divided from the main part of the state by the Arabian Sea and a stretch of salt marshes. To its north lies the Pakistani province of Sind. The name Kutch is said to be derived from the Kachelas, a sub-caste of the <i>lohar</i> (blacksmiths’) or <i>soni</i> (goldsmiths’) castes.
Vijaya Vilas Palace is the one time summer palace of the Jadeja Rajas of Kutch. The palace was built during the reign of Maharao Shri Khengarji III, the Maharao of Kutch, as a summer resort for the use of his son and heir to the kingdom, the Yuvraj Shri Vijayaraji. The construction of the palace started in 1920 and was completed in 1929.<br/><br/> Kutch (often spelled Kachch) is the northwestern part of the Indian state of Gujarat, divided from the main part of the state by the Arabian Sea and a stretch of salt marshes. To its north lies the Pakistani province of Sind. The name Kutch is said to be derived from the Kachelas, a sub-caste of the <i>lohar</i> (blacksmiths’) or <i>soni</i> (goldsmiths’) castes.
Vijaya Vilas Palace is the one time summer palace of the Jadeja Rajas of Kutch. The palace was built during the reign of Maharao Shri Khengarji III, the Maharao of Kutch, as a summer resort for the use of his son and heir to the kingdom, the Yuvraj Shri Vijayaraji. The construction of the palace started in 1920 and was completed in 1929.<br/><br/> Kutch (often spelled Kachch) is the northwestern part of the Indian state of Gujarat, divided from the main part of the state by the Arabian Sea and a stretch of salt marshes. To its north lies the Pakistani province of Sind. The name Kutch is said to be derived from the Kachelas, a sub-caste of the <i>lohar</i> (blacksmiths’) or <i>soni</i> (goldsmiths’) castes.
Vijaya Vilas Palace is the one time summer palace of the Jadeja Rajas of Kutch. The palace was built during the reign of Maharao Shri Khengarji III, the Maharao of Kutch, as a summer resort for the use of his son and heir to the kingdom, the Yuvraj Shri Vijayaraji. The construction of the palace started in 1920 and was completed in 1929.<br/><br/> Kutch (often spelled Kachch) is the northwestern part of the Indian state of Gujarat, divided from the main part of the state by the Arabian Sea and a stretch of salt marshes. To its north lies the Pakistani province of Sind. The name Kutch is said to be derived from the Kachelas, a sub-caste of the <i>lohar</i> (blacksmiths’) or <i>soni</i> (goldsmiths’) castes.
Vijaya Vilas Palace is the one time summer palace of the Jadeja Rajas of Kutch. The palace was built during the reign of Maharao Shri Khengarji III, the Maharao of Kutch, as a summer resort for the use of his son and heir to the kingdom, the Yuvraj Shri Vijayaraji. The construction of the palace started in 1920 and was completed in 1929.<br/><br/> Kutch (often spelled Kachch) is the northwestern part of the Indian state of Gujarat, divided from the main part of the state by the Arabian Sea and a stretch of salt marshes. To its north lies the Pakistani province of Sind. The name Kutch is said to be derived from the Kachelas, a sub-caste of the <i>lohar</i> (blacksmiths’) or <i>soni</i> (goldsmiths’) castes.
Vijaya Vilas Palace is the one time summer palace of the Jadeja Rajas of Kutch. The palace was built during the reign of Maharao Shri Khengarji III, the Maharao of Kutch, as a summer resort for the use of his son and heir to the kingdom, the Yuvraj Shri Vijayaraji. The construction of the palace started in 1920 and was completed in 1929.<br/><br/> Kutch (often spelled Kachch) is the northwestern part of the Indian state of Gujarat, divided from the main part of the state by the Arabian Sea and a stretch of salt marshes. To its north lies the Pakistani province of Sind. The name Kutch is said to be derived from the Kachelas, a sub-caste of the <i>lohar</i> (blacksmiths’) or <i>soni</i> (goldsmiths’) castes.
The Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus, is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world. It is considered the fourth-holiest place in Islam. The construction of the mosque is believed to have been started soon after the Arab conquest of Damascus in 634. The mosque contains a shrine dedicated to John the Baptist as well as the tomb of Saladin.
The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flowers) is the main church of Florence. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.<br/><br/> The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.<br/><br/> The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile.
The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flowers) is the main church of Florence. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.<br/><br/> The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.<br/><br/> The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile.
The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flowers) is the main church of Florence. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.<br/><br/> The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.<br/><br/> The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile.
The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flowers) is the main church of Florence. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.<br/><br/> The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.<br/><br/> The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile.
The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flowers) is the main church of Florence. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.<br/><br/> The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.<br/><br/> The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile.
The interior frescoes of the dome were begun by Giorgio Vasari (1511 - 1574) and completed by Federico Zuccari (1540 - 1609). The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flowers) is the main church of Florence. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.<br/><br/> The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.<br/><br/> The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile.
The interior frescoes of the dome were begun by Giorgio Vasari (1511 - 1574) and completed by Federico Zuccari (1540 - 1609). The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flowers) is the main church of Florence. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.<br/><br/> The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.<br/><br/> The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile.
The interior frescoes of the dome were begun by Giorgio Vasari (1511 - 1574) and completed by Federico Zuccari (1540 - 1609). The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flowers) is the main church of Florence. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.<br/><br/> The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.<br/><br/> The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile.
The interior frescoes of the dome were begun by Giorgio Vasari (1511 - 1574) and completed by Federico Zuccari (1540 - 1609). The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flowers) is the main church of Florence. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.<br/><br/> The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.<br/><br/> The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile.
The interior frescoes of the dome were begun by Giorgio Vasari (1511 - 1574) and completed by Federico Zuccari (1540 - 1609). The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flowers) is the main church of Florence. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.<br/><br/> The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.<br/><br/> The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile.
The interior frescoes of the dome were begun by Giorgio Vasari (1511 - 1574) and completed by Federico Zuccari (1540 - 1609). The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flowers) is the main church of Florence. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style with the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.<br/><br/> The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.<br/><br/> The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile.
Firenze or Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. It was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era. It is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called 'the Athens of the Middle Ages'.<br/><br/> A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family and numerous religious and republican revolutions. From 1865 to 1871 the city was the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy.<br/><br/> The Florentine dialect forms the base of Standard Italian and it became the language of culture throughout Italy due to the prestige of the masterpieces by Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, Giovanni Boccaccio, Niccolò Machiavelli and Francesco Guicciardini.
Firenze or Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. It was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era. It is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called 'the Athens of the Middle Ages'.<br/><br/> A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family and numerous religious and republican revolutions. From 1865 to 1871 the city was the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy.<br/><br/> The Florentine dialect forms the base of Standard Italian and it became the language of culture throughout Italy due to the prestige of the masterpieces by Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, Giovanni Boccaccio, Niccolò Machiavelli and Francesco Guicciardini.
Yusup Has was the author of the Uighur text <i>Qutatu Bilik</i> or 'Benefical Lore', one of the greatest works of Uighur literature, and together with Mahmud Kashgari remains among the most respected and revered of Uighur intellectuals.
In earlier times, Karghilik (Yecheng), a small oasis town was a starting point for trade caravans leaving the main Silk Road and heading south to Ladakh and Kashmir by way of the difficult 5,575m Karakoram Pass. Today this route is decisively closed, as the Karakoram Pass lies in an area disputed by China and India, as well as close to the Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield where India confronts Pakistan.<br/><br/> Highway 219 follows part of the old trade route as it heads south from Karghilik, through Akmeqit, Mazar and Shahidullah, across the disputed Aksai Chin to Ali (Senge Khabab) in western Tibet. Although still officially closed to visitors, Chinese security has become increasingly relaxed in recent years, and this is becoming a popular (albeit difficult) way for travellers to reach Tibet from Xinjiang.<br/><br/> Karghilik is a quiet little place with an attractive 15th century Friday Mosque, a bustling bazaar, and several reasonable hotels, making it a possible stopover on the journey between Khotan and Kashgar.
In earlier times, Karghilik (Yecheng), a small oasis town was a starting point for trade caravans leaving the main Silk Road and heading south to Ladakh and Kashmir by way of the difficult 5,575m Karakoram Pass. Today this route is decisively closed, as the Karakoram Pass lies in an area disputed by China and India, as well as close to the Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield where India confronts Pakistan.<br/><br/> Highway 219 follows part of the old trade route as it heads south from Karghilik, through Akmeqit, Mazar and Shahidullah, across the disputed Aksai Chin to Ali (Senge Khabab) in western Tibet. Although still officially closed to visitors, Chinese security has become increasingly relaxed in recent years, and this is becoming a popular (albeit difficult) way for travellers to reach Tibet from Xinjiang.<br/><br/> Karghilik is a quiet little place with an attractive 15th century Friday Mosque, a bustling bazaar, and several reasonable hotels, making it a possible stopover on the journey between Khotan and Kashgar.
Yusup Has was the author of the Uighur text <i>Qutatu Bilik</i> or 'Benefical Lore', one of the greatest works of Uighur literature, and together with Mahmud Kashgari remains among the most respected and revered of Uighur intellectuals.
The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as Har HaBayit or as Har HaMoriya and in Arabic as the Haram al-Sharif or Noble Sanctuary, is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been used as a religious site for thousands of years.<br/><br/> At least four religious traditions are known to have made use of the Temple Mount: Judaism, Christianity, Roman religion, and Islam. The present site is dominated by three monumental structures from the early Umayyad period: the al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock and the Dome of the Chain.<br/><br/> The Western Wall, Wailing Wall or Kotel ( Arabic: Ha'it Al-Buraq, ' The Buraq Wall') is located to the west at left centre.
In earlier times, Karghilik (Yecheng), a small oasis town was a starting point for trade caravans leaving the main Silk Road and heading south to Ladakh and Kashmir by way of the difficult 5,575m Karakoram Pass. Today this route is decisively closed, as the Karakoram Pass lies in an area disputed by China and India, as well as close to the Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield where India confronts Pakistan.<br/><br/> Highway 219 follows part of the old trade route as it heads south from Karghilik, through Akmeqit, Mazar and Shahidullah, across the disputed Aksai Chin to Ali (Senge Khabab) in western Tibet. Although still officially closed to visitors, Chinese security has become increasingly relaxed in recent years, and this is becoming a popular (albeit difficult) way for travellers to reach Tibet from Xinjiang.<br/><br/> Karghilik is a quiet little place with an attractive 15th century Friday Mosque, a bustling bazaar, and several reasonable hotels, making it a possible stopover on the journey between Khotan and Kashgar.
The important oasis of Yarkand (Shache) was once the seat of an ancient Buddhist Kingdom and an important caravanserai on the Southern Silk Road. Today it is a predominantly Uighur city with a population of 375,000 producing cotton, wheat, corn and fruit (notably pomegranates, pears and grapes) as well as oil and natural gas.<br/><br/>In times past Yarkand was of particular importance as the northern terminus for the strategically significant trade route to Leh, capital of Ladakh in Indian-administered Kashmir, across the Karakoram Pass (5,575m., 18,286 ft).
Palestine (Arabic: فلسطين‎ Filasṭīn, Falasṭīn, Filisṭīn; Greek: Παλαιστίνη, Palaistinē; Latin: Palaestina; Hebrew: פלשתינה Palestina) is a name given to the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. The region is also known as the Land of Israel (Hebrew: ארץ־ישראל Eretz-Yisra'el), the Holy Land and the Southern Levant.<br/><br/> In 1832 Palestine was conquered by Muhammad Ali's Egypt, but in 1840 Britain intervened and returned control of the Levant to the Ottomans in return for further capitulations. The end of the 19th century saw the beginning of Zionist immigration and the Revival of the Hebrew language. The movement was publicly supported by Great Britain during World War I with the Balfour Declaration of 1917. The British captured Jerusalem a month later, and were formally awarded a mandate in 1922.<br/><br/> In 1947, following World War II and the Holocaust, the British Government announced their desire to terminate the Mandate, and the United Nations General Assembly voted to partition the territory into a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jewish leadership accepted the proposal but the Arab Higher Committee rejected it; a civil war began immediately, and the State of Israel was declared in 1948.<br/><br/> The 1948 Palestinian exodus, known in Arabic as the Nakba (Arabic: النكبة‎, an-Nakbah, 'The Catastrophe') occurred when approximately 711,000 to 725,000 Palestinian Arabs fled or were expelled from their homes, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War during which Israel captured and incorporated a further 26% of Palestinian territory.<br/><br/> In the course of the Six Day War in June 1967, Israel captured the remainder of historic Palestine and began a continuing policy of Israeli settlement and annexation.
Shantou is a port city that was opened to foreign trade after the Second Anglo-Chinese War, also known as the Opium War (1856 - 1860 CE). The town became a British treaty port in 1858.<br/><br/> The first treaty ports in China were British and were established at the conclusion of the First Opium War by the Treaty of Nanking in 1842. As well as ceding the island of Hong Kong to the United Kingdom in perpetuity, the treaty also established five treaty ports at Shanghai, Canton, Ningpo, Fuchow, and Amoy. French and American concessions followed soon afterwards.<br/><br/> The second group of British treaty ports was set up following the end of the Arrow War in 1860 and eventually more than 80 treaty ports were established in China alone, involving many foreign powers.
Shantou is a port city that was opened to foreign trade after the Second Anglo-Chinese War, also known as the Opium War (1856 - 1860 CE). The town became a British treaty port in 1858.<br/><br/> The first treaty ports in China were British and were established at the conclusion of the First Opium War by the Treaty of Nanking in 1842. As well as ceding the island of Hong Kong to the United Kingdom in perpetuity, the treaty also established five treaty ports at Shanghai, Canton, Ningpo, Fuchow, and Amoy. French and American concessions followed soon afterwards.<br/><br/> The second group of British treaty ports was set up following the end of the Arrow War in 1860 and eventually more than 80 treaty ports were established in China alone, involving many foreign powers.
The Kalyan Mosque is Bukhara's congregational mosque or Friday Mosque. It was built in the 16th century on the site of an older mosque destroyed by Genghis Khan.<br/><br/> The Kalyan minaret or Minâra-i Kalân (Pesian/Tajik for the 'Grand Minaret') is part of the Po-i-Kalyan mosque complex and was designed by Bako and built by the Qarakhanid ruler Arslan Khan in 1127.<br/><br/> The minaret is made in the form of a circular-pillar brick tower, narrowing upwards, with a diameter of 9m (30ft) at the bottom, 6m (20ft) at the top and a height of 46m (150ft) high.<br/><br/> The Kalyan Minaret is also known as the 'Tower of Death', as for centuries criminals were executed by being tossed off the top.<br/><br/> Bukhara was founded in 500 BCE in the area now called the Ark. However, the Bukhara oasis had been inhabitated long before.<br/><br/> The city has been one of the main centres of Persian civilization from its early days in 6th century BCE. From the 6th century CE, Turkic speakers gradually moved in.<br/><br/> Bukhara's architecture and archaeological sites form one of the pillars of Central Asian history and art. The region of Bukhara was for a long period a part of the Persian Empire. The origin of its inhabitants goes back to the period of Aryan immigration into the region.
The Bibi Khanum was built by Timur the Great (1336-1405, r.1370-1405), also known as Tamerlane. The mosque was built in honour of his chief wife, Saray Mulk Khanum and was constructed on an epic scale.<br/><br/> The building was financed from the spoils of a recent campaign to Delhi (1398) and built with the labour of 95 imported Indian elephants. The original 35m entry arch was flanked by 50m minarets that led into a court paved with marble and flanked with mosques.
The Bibi Khanum was built by Timur the Great (1336-1405, r.1370-1405), also known as Tamerlane. The mosque was built in honour of his chief wife, Saray Mulk Khanum and was constructed on an epic scale.<br/><br/> The building was financed from the spoils of a recent campaign to Delhi (1398) and built with the labour of 95 imported Indian elephants. The original 35m entry arch was flanked by 50m minarets that led into a court paved with marble and flanked with mosques.
The Bibi Khanum was built by Timur the Great (1336-1405, r.1370-1405), also known as Tamerlane. The mosque was built in honour of his chief wife, Saray Mulk Khanum and was constructed on an epic scale.<br/><br/> The building was financed from the spoils of a recent campaign to Delhi (1398) and built with the labour of 95 imported Indian elephants. The original 35m entry arch was flanked by 50m minarets that led into a court paved with marble and flanked with mosques.
The Kalyan Mosque is Bukhara's congregational mosque or Friday Mosque. It was built in the 16th century on the site of an older mosque destroyed by Genghis Khan.<br/><br/> The Kalyan minaret or Minâra-i Kalân (Pesian/Tajik for the 'Grand Minaret') is part of the Po-i-Kalyan mosque complex and was designed by Bako and built by the Qarakhanid ruler Arslan Khan in 1127.<br/><br/> The minaret is made in the form of a circular-pillar brick tower, narrowing upwards, with a diameter of 9m (30ft) at the bottom, 6m (20ft) at the top and a height of 46m (150ft) high.<br/><br/> The Kalyan Minaret is also known as the 'Tower of Death', as for centuries criminals were executed by being tossed off the top.<br/><br/> Bukhara was founded in 500 BCE in the area now called the Ark. However, the Bukhara oasis had been inhabitated long before.<br/><br/> The city has been one of the main centres of Persian civilization from its early days in 6th century BCE. From the 6th century CE, Turkic speakers gradually moved in.<br/><br/> Bukhara's architecture and archaeological sites form one of the pillars of Central Asian history and art. The region of Bukhara was for a long period a part of the Persian Empire. The origin of its inhabitants goes back to the period of Aryan immigration into the region.
The Kalyan Mosque is Bukhara's congregational mosque or Friday Mosque. It was built in the 16th century on the site of an older mosque destroyed by Genghis Khan.<br/><br/> Bukhara was founded in 500 BCE in the area now called the Ark. However, the Bukhara oasis had been inhabitated long before.<br/><br/> The city has been one of the main centres of Persian civilization from its early days in 6th century BCE. From the 6th century CE, Turkic speakers gradually moved in.<br/><br/> Bukhara's architecture and archaeological sites form one of the pillars of Central Asian history and art. The region of Bukhara was for a long period a part of the Persian Empire. The origin of its inhabitants goes back to the period of Aryan immigration into the region.
The Gūr-e Amīr or Guri Amir (Persian: گورِ امیر) is the mausoleum of the Asian conqueror Tamerlane (also known as Timur) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. It occupies an important place in the history of Persian Architecture as the precursor and model for later great Mughal architecture tombs, including Humayun's Tomb in Delhi and the Taj Mahal in Agra, built by Timur's descendants, the ruling Mughal dynasty of North India. It has been heavily restored.<br/><br/> Gur-e Amir is Persian for 'Tomb of the King'. This architectural complex with its azure dome contains the tombs of Tamerlane, his sons Shah Rukh and Miran Shah and grandsons Ulugh Beg and Muhammad Sultan. Also honoured with a place in the tomb is Timur's teacher Sayyid Baraka.
The Gūr-e Amīr or Guri Amir (Persian: گورِ امیر) is the mausoleum of the Asian conqueror Tamerlane (also known as Timur) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. It occupies an important place in the history of Persian Architecture as the precursor and model for later great Mughal architecture tombs, including Humayun's Tomb in Delhi and the Taj Mahal in Agra, built by Timur's descendants, the ruling Mughal dynasty of North India. It has been heavily restored.<br/><br/> Gur-e Amir is Persian for 'Tomb of the King'. This architectural complex with its azure dome contains the tombs of Tamerlane, his sons Shah Rukh and Miran Shah and grandsons Ulugh Beg and Muhammad Sultan. Also honoured with a place in the tomb is Timur's teacher Sayyid Baraka.
The Registan contains three madrasahs (schools), the Ulugh Beg Madrasah (1417–1420), Tilya-Kori Madrasah (1646–1660) and the Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619–1636).<br/><br/> The Tilya-Kori Madrasah was built in the mid-17th century by the Shaybanid Amir Yalangtush. The name Tilya-Kori means ‘gilded’ or ‘gold-covered’, and the entire building is lavishly decorated with elaborate geometrical arabesques and sura from the Qur’an both outside and especially within. A magnificent turquoise dome rises over the left (western) side of the building, decorated inside with gilded Qur’anic inscriptions and delicate muqarnas hanging ‘stalactite’ decorations. The interior of the madrasah comprises rooms for students with accompanying vestibules surrounding three-sides of a square courtyard, while a domed mosque occupies the fourth.<br/><br/> The dome rises in four stages. A rectangular plinth forms the primary prayer hall and rises above the madrasa walls. Next, two terraced octagonal tiers rise to support a high cylindrical drum. The dome's monochrome blue color contrasts pleasingly with the drum's polychrome decoration formed by bands of Arabic calligraphy taken from the Qur’an.
The Gūr-e Amīr or Guri Amir (Persian: گورِ امیر) is the mausoleum of the Asian conqueror Tamerlane (also known as Timur) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. It occupies an important place in the history of Persian Architecture as the precursor and model for later great Mughal architecture tombs, including Humayun's Tomb in Delhi and the Taj Mahal in Agra, built by Timur's descendants, the ruling Mughal dynasty of North India. It has been heavily restored.<br/><br/> Gur-e Amir is Persian for 'Tomb of the King'. This architectural complex with its azure dome contains the tombs of Tamerlane, his sons Shah Rukh and Miran Shah and grandsons Ulugh Beg and Muhammad Sultan. Also honoured with a place in the tomb is Timur's teacher Sayyid Baraka.
The Gūr-e Amīr or Guri Amir (Persian: گورِ امیر) is the mausoleum of the Asian conqueror Tamerlane (also known as Timur) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. It occupies an important place in the history of Persian Architecture as the precursor and model for later great Mughal architecture tombs, including Humayun's Tomb in Delhi and the Taj Mahal in Agra, built by Timur's descendants, the ruling Mughal dynasty of North India. It has been heavily restored.<br/><br/> Gur-e Amir is Persian for 'Tomb of the King'. This architectural complex with its azure dome contains the tombs of Tamerlane, his sons Shah Rukh and Miran Shah and grandsons Ulugh Beg and Muhammad Sultan. Also honoured with a place in the tomb is Timur's teacher Sayyid Baraka.
The Registan contains three madrasahs (schools), the Ulugh Beg Madrasah (1417–1420), Tilya-Kori Madrasah (1646–1660) and the Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619–1636).<br/><br/> In the 17th century the ruler of Samarkand Yalangtush Bakhodur ordered the construction of the Sher-Dor and Tillya-Kori madrasahs. The Sher-Dor (Having Tigers) Madrasah was designed by architect Abdujabor. The decoration of the madrasah is not as refined as that found on 15th century architecture, Samarkand's 'golden age'.
The Registan contains three madrasahs (schools), the Ulugh Beg Madrasah (1417–1420), Tilya-Kori Madrasah (1646–1660) and the Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619–1636).<br/><br/> In the 17th century the ruler of Samarkand Yalangtush Bakhodur ordered the construction of the Sher-Dor and Tillya-Kori madrasahs. The Sher-Dor (Having Tigers) Madrasah was designed by architect Abdujabor. The decoration of the madrasah is not as refined as that found on 15th century architecture, Samarkand's 'golden age'.
The Registan contains three madrasahs (schools), the Ulugh Beg Madrasah (1417–1420), Tilya-Kori Madrasah (1646–1660) and the Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619–1636).<br/><br/> In the 17th century the ruler of Samarkand Yalangtush Bakhodur ordered the construction of the Sher-Dor and Tillya-Kori madrasahs. The Sher-Dor (Having Tigers) Madrasah was designed by architect Abdujabor. The decoration of the madrasah is not as refined as that found on 15th century architecture, Samarkand's 'golden age'.
The Registan contains three madrasahs (schools), the Ulugh Beg Madrasah (1417–1420), Tilya-Kori Madrasah (1646–1660) and the Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619–1636).<br/><br/> In the 17th century the ruler of Samarkand Yalangtush Bakhodur ordered the construction of the Sher-Dor and Tillya-Kori madrasahs. The Sher-Dor (Having Tigers) Madrasah was designed by architect Abdujabor. The decoration of the madrasah is not as refined as that found on 15th century architecture, Samarkand's 'golden age'.
The Registan contains three madrasahs (schools), the Ulugh Beg Madrasah (1417–1420), Tilya-Kori Madrasah (1646–1660) and the Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619–1636).<br/><br/> In the 17th century the ruler of Samarkand Yalangtush Bakhodur ordered the construction of the Sher-Dor and Tillya-Kori madrasahs. The Sher-Dor (Having Tigers) Madrasah was designed by architect Abdujabor. The decoration of the madrasah is not as refined as that found on 15th century architecture, Samarkand's 'golden age'.
The Registan contains three madrasahs (schools), the Ulugh Beg Madrasah (1417–1420), Tilya-Kori Madrasah (1646–1660) and the Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619–1636).<br/><br/> In the 17th century the ruler of Samarkand Yalangtush Bakhodur ordered the construction of the Sher-Dor and Tillya-Kori madrasahs. The Sher-Dor (Having Tigers) Madrasah was designed by architect Abdujabor. The decoration of the madrasah is not as refined as that found on 15th century architecture, Samarkand's 'golden age'.
The Registan contains three madrasahs (schools), the Ulugh Beg Madrasah (1417–1420), Tilya-Kori Madrasah (1646–1660) and the Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619–1636).<br/><br/> In the 17th century the ruler of Samarkand Yalangtush Bakhodur ordered the construction of the Sher-Dor and Tillya-Kori madrasahs. The Sher-Dor (Having Tigers) Madrasah was designed by architect Abdujabor. The decoration of the madrasah is not as refined as that found on 15th century architecture, Samarkand's 'golden age'.
The Registan contains three madrasahs (schools), the Ulugh Beg Madrasah (1417–1420), Tilya-Kori Madrasah (1646–1660) and the Sher-Dor Madrasah (1619–1636).<br/><br/> The Tilya-Kori Madrasah was built in the mid-17th century by the Shaybanid Amir Yalangtush. The name Tilya-Kori means ‘gilded’ or ‘gold-covered’, and the entire building is lavishly decorated with elaborate geometrical arabesques and sura from the Qur’an both outside and especially within. A magnificent turquoise dome rises over the left (western) side of the building, decorated inside with gilded Qur’anic inscriptions and delicate muqarnas hanging ‘stalactite’ decorations. The interior of the madrasah comprises rooms for students with accompanying vestibules surrounding three-sides of a square courtyard, while a domed mosque occupies the fourth.<br/><br/> The dome rises in four stages. A rectangular plinth forms the primary prayer hall and rises above the madrasa walls. Next, two terraced octagonal tiers rise to support a high cylindrical drum. The dome's monochrome blue color contrasts pleasingly with the drum's polychrome decoration formed by bands of Arabic calligraphy taken from the Qur’an.
The Id Kah mosque (Uyghur: Héytgah Meschit, Chinese: Aitígǎěr) is a mosque located in Kashgar, Xinjiang, in the western People's Republic of China. It is the largest mosque in China. Every Friday, it houses nearly 10,000 worshippers and may accommodate up to 20,000. The mosque was built by Saqsiz Mirza in ca. 1442 (although it incorporated older structures dating back to 996) and covers 16,800 square meters.<br/><br/> In 1933, on August 9, the Chinese Muslim General Ma Zhancang killed and beheaded the Uighur leader Timur Beg, displaying his head on a spike at Id Kah mosque. In March 1934, it was reported that the uighur emir Abdullah Bughra was also beheaded, the head being displayed at Id Kah mosque. In April 1934, the Chinese Muslim general Ma Zhongying gave a speech at Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar, telling the Uighurs to be loyal to the Republic of China Kuomintang government at Nanjing.
The Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus, is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world. It is considered the fourth-holiest place in Islam. The construction of the mosque is believed to have been started soon after the Arab conquest of Damascus in 634. The mosque contains a shrine dedicated to John the Baptist as well as the tomb of Saladin.
The Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus, is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world. It is considered the fourth-holiest place in Islam. The construction of the mosque is believed to have been started soon after the Arab conquest of Damascus in 634. The mosque contains a shrine dedicated to John the Baptist as well as the tomb of Saladin.
The Liao Dynasty, also known as the Khitan Empire, was a state that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper. It was founded by the Yelü clan of the Khitan people in the same year as the Tang Dynasty collapsed (907), even though its first ruler, Yelü Abaoji (Yaruud Ambagai Khan), did not declare an era name until 916.<br/><br/> Although it was originally known as the Empire of the Khitan, the Emperor Yelü Ruan officially adopted the name 'Liao' (formally ‘Great Liao’) in 947. Another name for China in English, Cathay, is derived from the name Khitan. This is also the origin of the Russian word for China, Китай or Kitay, and that of several other East European languages.<br/><br/> The Liao Empire was destroyed by the Jurchen of the Jin Dynasty in 1125. However, remnants of its people led by Yelü Dashi established the Xi (Western) Liao Dynasty 1125-1220, also known as Kara-Khitan Khanate, which extended its influence over Central Asia into Persia and survived until the arrival of Genghis Khan's unified Mongolian army.
Set squarely in the siddhi – a zone of supernatural power where guardian deities dwell and wishes are granted – Bodhnath is located just six kilometres east of Kathmandu, along the long, old trade road to Lhasa. Known to the Tibetans simply as Chorten Chempo, or 'Great Stupa', it has been the Mecca of Tibetans in exile ever since the Chinese occupation of their homeland in 1950. Bodhnath has also developed as a centre for the study of Tibetan Buddhism, numerous monasteries having been built in effective replacement of those destroyed by Mao Tse-tung's Red Guards.<br/><br/>The origins of Bodhnath are lost in the mists of time, but tradition fixes the foundation in the fifth century CE. According to legend, a daughter of the god Indra stole flowers from heaven, and was punished by being reborn the daughter of a poor poultry farmer in a Kathmandu Valley village. To atone for her earlier crime, she lived a blameless life, becoming prosperous enough to build a gigantic stupa at Bodhnath to honour Amitabha, the Buddha of the past age. Whatever truth lies behind this legend, Tibetans attach great importance to it, for it goes on to warn of an invasion of their homeland by a powerful enemy, which would scatter the Tibetans southwards into Nepal and India. In 1950, when China occupied Tibet, and more particularly in 1959, when the Dalai Lama fled from Lhasa to Dharamsala, this prophecy seemed finally to have been borne out.
Set squarely in the siddhi – a zone of supernatural power where guardian deities dwell and wishes are granted – Bodhnath is located just six kilometres east of Kathmandu, along the long, old trade road to Lhasa. Known to the Tibetans simply as Chorten Chempo, or 'Great Stupa', it has been the Mecca of Tibetans in exile ever since the Chinese occupation of their homeland in 1950. Bodhnath has also developed as a centre for the study of Tibetan Buddhism, numerous monasteries having been built in effective replacement of those destroyed by Mao Tse-tung's Red Guards.<br/><br/>The origins of Bodhnath are lost in the mists of time, but tradition fixes the foundation in the fifth century CE. According to legend, a daughter of the god Indra stole flowers from heaven, and was punished by being reborn the daughter of a poor poultry farmer in a Kathmandu Valley village. To atone for her earlier crime, she lived a blameless life, becoming prosperous enough to build a gigantic stupa at Bodhnath to honour Amitabha, the Buddha of the past age. Whatever truth lies behind this legend, Tibetans attach great importance to it, for it goes on to warn of an invasion of their homeland by a powerful enemy, which would scatter the Tibetans southwards into Nepal and India. In 1950, when China occupied Tibet, and more particularly in 1959, when the Dalai Lama fled from Lhasa to Dharamsala, this prophecy seemed finally to have been borne out.
Set squarely in the siddhi – a zone of supernatural power where guardian deities dwell and wishes are granted – Bodhnath is located just six kilometres east of Kathmandu, along the long, old trade road to Lhasa. Known to the Tibetans simply as Chorten Chempo, or 'Great Stupa', it has been the Mecca of Tibetans in exile ever since the Chinese occupation of their homeland in 1950. Bodhnath has also developed as a centre for the study of Tibetan Buddhism, numerous monasteries having been built in effective replacement of those destroyed by Mao Tse-tung's Red Guards.<br/><br/>The origins of Bodhnath are lost in the mists of time, but tradition fixes the foundation in the fifth century CE. According to legend, a daughter of the god Indra stole flowers from heaven, and was punished by being reborn the daughter of a poor poultry farmer in a Kathmandu Valley village. To atone for her earlier crime, she lived a blameless life, becoming prosperous enough to build a gigantic stupa at Bodhnath to honour Amitabha, the Buddha of the past age. Whatever truth lies behind this legend, Tibetans attach great importance to it, for it goes on to warn of an invasion of their homeland by a powerful enemy, which would scatter the Tibetans southwards into Nepal and India. In 1950, when China occupied Tibet, and more particularly in 1959, when the Dalai Lama fled from Lhasa to Dharamsala, this prophecy seemed finally to have been borne out.
Set squarely in the siddhi – a zone of supernatural power where guardian deities dwell and wishes are granted – Bodhnath is located just six kilometres east of Kathmandu, along the long, old trade road to Lhasa. Known to the Tibetans simply as Chorten Chempo, or 'Great Stupa', it has been the Mecca of Tibetans in exile ever since the Chinese occupation of their homeland in 1950. Bodhnath has also developed as a centre for the study of Tibetan Buddhism, numerous monasteries having been built in effective replacement of those destroyed by Mao Tse-tung's Red Guards.<br/><br/>The origins of Bodhnath are lost in the mists of time, but tradition fixes the foundation in the fifth century CE. According to legend, a daughter of the god Indra stole flowers from heaven, and was punished by being reborn the daughter of a poor poultry farmer in a Kathmandu Valley village. To atone for her earlier crime, she lived a blameless life, becoming prosperous enough to build a gigantic stupa at Bodhnath to honour Amitabha, the Buddha of the past age. Whatever truth lies behind this legend, Tibetans attach great importance to it, for it goes on to warn of an invasion of their homeland by a powerful enemy, which would scatter the Tibetans southwards into Nepal and India. In 1950, when China occupied Tibet, and more particularly in 1959, when the Dalai Lama fled from Lhasa to Dharamsala, this prophecy seemed finally to have been borne out.
Set squarely in the siddhi – a zone of supernatural power where guardian deities dwell and wishes are granted – Bodhnath is located just six kilometres east of Kathmandu, along the long, old trade road to Lhasa. Known to the Tibetans simply as Chorten Chempo, or 'Great Stupa', it has been the Mecca of Tibetans in exile ever since the Chinese occupation of their homeland in 1950. Bodhnath has also developed as a centre for the study of Tibetan Buddhism, numerous monasteries having been built in effective replacement of those destroyed by Mao Tse-tung's Red Guards.<br/><br/>The origins of Bodhnath are lost in the mists of time, but tradition fixes the foundation in the fifth century CE. According to legend, a daughter of the god Indra stole flowers from heaven, and was punished by being reborn the daughter of a poor poultry farmer in a Kathmandu Valley village. To atone for her earlier crime, she lived a blameless life, becoming prosperous enough to build a gigantic stupa at Bodhnath to honour Amitabha, the Buddha of the past age. Whatever truth lies behind this legend, Tibetans attach great importance to it, for it goes on to warn of an invasion of their homeland by a powerful enemy, which would scatter the Tibetans southwards into Nepal and India. In 1950, when China occupied Tibet, and more particularly in 1959, when the Dalai Lama fled from Lhasa to Dharamsala, this prophecy seemed finally to have been borne out.
Set squarely in the siddhi – a zone of supernatural power where guardian deities dwell and wishes are granted – Bodhnath is located just six kilometres east of Kathmandu, along the long, old trade road to Lhasa. Known to the Tibetans simply as Chorten Chempo, or 'Great Stupa', it has been the Mecca of Tibetans in exile ever since the Chinese occupation of their homeland in 1950. Bodhnath has also developed as a centre for the study of Tibetan Buddhism, numerous monasteries having been built in effective replacement of those destroyed by Mao Tse-tung's Red Guards.<br/><br/>The origins of Bodhnath are lost in the mists of time, but tradition fixes the foundation in the fifth century CE. According to legend, a daughter of the god Indra stole flowers from heaven, and was punished by being reborn the daughter of a poor poultry farmer in a Kathmandu Valley village. To atone for her earlier crime, she lived a blameless life, becoming prosperous enough to build a gigantic stupa at Bodhnath to honour Amitabha, the Buddha of the past age. Whatever truth lies behind this legend, Tibetans attach great importance to it, for it goes on to warn of an invasion of their homeland by a powerful enemy, which would scatter the Tibetans southwards into Nepal and India. In 1950, when China occupied Tibet, and more particularly in 1959, when the Dalai Lama fled from Lhasa to Dharamsala, this prophecy seemed finally to have been borne out.
Set squarely in the siddhi – a zone of supernatural power where guardian deities dwell and wishes are granted – Bodhnath is located just six kilometres east of Kathmandu, along the long, old trade road to Lhasa. Known to the Tibetans simply as Chorten Chempo, or 'Great Stupa', it has been the Mecca of Tibetans in exile ever since the Chinese occupation of their homeland in 1950. Bodhnath has also developed as a centre for the study of Tibetan Buddhism, numerous monasteries having been built in effective replacement of those destroyed by Mao Tse-tung's Red Guards.<br/><br/>The origins of Bodhnath are lost in the mists of time, but tradition fixes the foundation in the fifth century CE. According to legend, a daughter of the god Indra stole flowers from heaven, and was punished by being reborn the daughter of a poor poultry farmer in a Kathmandu Valley village. To atone for her earlier crime, she lived a blameless life, becoming prosperous enough to build a gigantic stupa at Bodhnath to honour Amitabha, the Buddha of the past age. Whatever truth lies behind this legend, Tibetans attach great importance to it, for it goes on to warn of an invasion of their homeland by a powerful enemy, which would scatter the Tibetans southwards into Nepal and India. In 1950, when China occupied Tibet, and more particularly in 1959, when the Dalai Lama fled from Lhasa to Dharamsala, this prophecy seemed finally to have been borne out.
Set squarely in the siddhi – a zone of supernatural power where guardian deities dwell and wishes are granted – Bodhnath is located just six kilometres east of Kathmandu, along the long, old trade road to Lhasa. Known to the Tibetans simply as Chorten Chempo, or 'Great Stupa', it has been the Mecca of Tibetans in exile ever since the Chinese occupation of their homeland in 1950. Bodhnath has also developed as a centre for the study of Tibetan Buddhism, numerous monasteries having been built in effective replacement of those destroyed by Mao Tse-tung's Red Guards.<br/><br/>The origins of Bodhnath are lost in the mists of time, but tradition fixes the foundation in the fifth century CE. According to legend, a daughter of the god Indra stole flowers from heaven, and was punished by being reborn the daughter of a poor poultry farmer in a Kathmandu Valley village. To atone for her earlier crime, she lived a blameless life, becoming prosperous enough to build a gigantic stupa at Bodhnath to honour Amitabha, the Buddha of the past age. Whatever truth lies behind this legend, Tibetans attach great importance to it, for it goes on to warn of an invasion of their homeland by a powerful enemy, which would scatter the Tibetans southwards into Nepal and India. In 1950, when China occupied Tibet, and more particularly in 1959, when the Dalai Lama fled from Lhasa to Dharamsala, this prophecy seemed finally to have been borne out.
Set squarely in the siddhi – a zone of supernatural power where guardian deities dwell and wishes are granted – Bodhnath is located just six kilometres east of Kathmandu, along the long, old trade road to Lhasa. Known to the Tibetans simply as Chorten Chempo, or 'Great Stupa', it has been the Mecca of Tibetans in exile ever since the Chinese occupation of their homeland in 1950. Bodhnath has also developed as a centre for the study of Tibetan Buddhism, numerous monasteries having been built in effective replacement of those destroyed by Mao Tse-tung's Red Guards.<br/><br/>The origins of Bodhnath are lost in the mists of time, but tradition fixes the foundation in the fifth century CE. According to legend, a daughter of the god Indra stole flowers from heaven, and was punished by being reborn the daughter of a poor poultry farmer in a Kathmandu Valley village. To atone for her earlier crime, she lived a blameless life, becoming prosperous enough to build a gigantic stupa at Bodhnath to honour Amitabha, the Buddha of the past age. Whatever truth lies behind this legend, Tibetans attach great importance to it, for it goes on to warn of an invasion of their homeland by a powerful enemy, which would scatter the Tibetans southwards into Nepal and India. In 1950, when China occupied Tibet, and more particularly in 1959, when the Dalai Lama fled from Lhasa to Dharamsala, this prophecy seemed finally to have been borne out.
Set squarely in the siddhi – a zone of supernatural power where guardian deities dwell and wishes are granted – Bodhnath is located just six kilometres east of Kathmandu, along the long, old trade road to Lhasa. Known to the Tibetans simply as Chorten Chempo, or 'Great Stupa', it has been the Mecca of Tibetans in exile ever since the Chinese occupation of their homeland in 1950. Bodhnath has also developed as a centre for the study of Tibetan Buddhism, numerous monasteries having been built in effective replacement of those destroyed by Mao Tse-tung's Red Guards.<br/><br/>The origins of Bodhnath are lost in the mists of time, but tradition fixes the foundation in the fifth century CE. According to legend, a daughter of the god Indra stole flowers from heaven, and was punished by being reborn the daughter of a poor poultry farmer in a Kathmandu Valley village. To atone for her earlier crime, she lived a blameless life, becoming prosperous enough to build a gigantic stupa at Bodhnath to honour Amitabha, the Buddha of the past age. Whatever truth lies behind this legend, Tibetans attach great importance to it, for it goes on to warn of an invasion of their homeland by a powerful enemy, which would scatter the Tibetans southwards into Nepal and India. In 1950, when China occupied Tibet, and more particularly in 1959, when the Dalai Lama fled from Lhasa to Dharamsala, this prophecy seemed finally to have been borne out.
Set squarely in the siddhi – a zone of supernatural power where guardian deities dwell and wishes are granted – Bodhnath is located just six kilometres east of Kathmandu, along the long, old trade road to Lhasa. Known to the Tibetans simply as Chorten Chempo, or 'Great Stupa', it has been the Mecca of Tibetans in exile ever since the Chinese occupation of their homeland in 1950. Bodhnath has also developed as a centre for the study of Tibetan Buddhism, numerous monasteries having been built in effective replacement of those destroyed by Mao Tse-tung's Red Guards.<br/><br/>The origins of Bodhnath are lost in the mists of time, but tradition fixes the foundation in the fifth century CE. According to legend, a daughter of the god Indra stole flowers from heaven, and was punished by being reborn the daughter of a poor poultry farmer in a Kathmandu Valley village. To atone for her earlier crime, she lived a blameless life, becoming prosperous enough to build a gigantic stupa at Bodhnath to honour Amitabha, the Buddha of the past age. Whatever truth lies behind this legend, Tibetans attach great importance to it, for it goes on to warn of an invasion of their homeland by a powerful enemy, which would scatter the Tibetans southwards into Nepal and India. In 1950, when China occupied Tibet, and more particularly in 1959, when the Dalai Lama fled from Lhasa to Dharamsala, this prophecy seemed finally to have been borne out.
Set squarely in the siddhi – a zone of supernatural power where guardian deities dwell and wishes are granted – Bodhnath is located just six kilometres east of Kathmandu, along the long, old trade road to Lhasa. Known to the Tibetans simply as Chorten Chempo, or 'Great Stupa', it has been the Mecca of Tibetans in exile ever since the Chinese occupation of their homeland in 1950. Bodhnath has also developed as a centre for the study of Tibetan Buddhism, numerous monasteries having been built in effective replacement of those destroyed by Mao Tse-tung's Red Guards.<br/><br/>The origins of Bodhnath are lost in the mists of time, but tradition fixes the foundation in the fifth century CE. According to legend, a daughter of the god Indra stole flowers from heaven, and was punished by being reborn the daughter of a poor poultry farmer in a Kathmandu Valley village. To atone for her earlier crime, she lived a blameless life, becoming prosperous enough to build a gigantic stupa at Bodhnath to honour Amitabha, the Buddha of the past age. Whatever truth lies behind this legend, Tibetans attach great importance to it, for it goes on to warn of an invasion of their homeland by a powerful enemy, which would scatter the Tibetans southwards into Nepal and India. In 1950, when China occupied Tibet, and more particularly in 1959, when the Dalai Lama fled from Lhasa to Dharamsala, this prophecy seemed finally to have been borne out.
Set squarely in the siddhi – a zone of supernatural power where guardian deities dwell and wishes are granted – Bodhnath is located just six kilometres east of Kathmandu, along the long, old trade road to Lhasa. Known to the Tibetans simply as Chorten Chempo, or 'Great Stupa', it has been the Mecca of Tibetans in exile ever since the Chinese occupation of their homeland in 1950. Bodhnath has also developed as a centre for the study of Tibetan Buddhism, numerous monasteries having been built in effective replacement of those destroyed by Mao Tse-tung's Red Guards.<br/><br/>The origins of Bodhnath are lost in the mists of time, but tradition fixes the foundation in the fifth century CE. According to legend, a daughter of the god Indra stole flowers from heaven, and was punished by being reborn the daughter of a poor poultry farmer in a Kathmandu Valley village. To atone for her earlier crime, she lived a blameless life, becoming prosperous enough to build a gigantic stupa at Bodhnath to honour Amitabha, the Buddha of the past age. Whatever truth lies behind this legend, Tibetans attach great importance to it, for it goes on to warn of an invasion of their homeland by a powerful enemy, which would scatter the Tibetans southwards into Nepal and India. In 1950, when China occupied Tibet, and more particularly in 1959, when the Dalai Lama fled from Lhasa to Dharamsala, this prophecy seemed finally to have been borne out.
Set squarely in the siddhi – a zone of supernatural power where guardian deities dwell and wishes are granted – Bodhnath is located just six kilometres east of Kathmandu, along the long, old trade road to Lhasa. Known to the Tibetans simply as Chorten Chempo, or 'Great Stupa', it has been the Mecca of Tibetans in exile ever since the Chinese occupation of their homeland in 1950. Bodhnath has also developed as a centre for the study of Tibetan Buddhism, numerous monasteries having been built in effective replacement of those destroyed by Mao Tse-tung's Red Guards.<br/><br/>The origins of Bodhnath are lost in the mists of time, but tradition fixes the foundation in the fifth century CE. According to legend, a daughter of the god Indra stole flowers from heaven, and was punished by being reborn the daughter of a poor poultry farmer in a Kathmandu Valley village. To atone for her earlier crime, she lived a blameless life, becoming prosperous enough to build a gigantic stupa at Bodhnath to honour Amitabha, the Buddha of the past age. Whatever truth lies behind this legend, Tibetans attach great importance to it, for it goes on to warn of an invasion of their homeland by a powerful enemy, which would scatter the Tibetans southwards into Nepal and India. In 1950, when China occupied Tibet, and more particularly in 1959, when the Dalai Lama fled from Lhasa to Dharamsala, this prophecy seemed finally to have been borne out.
Wat Phumin was constructed in 1596 and is famous for its cruciform viharn ubosot (many temples in the Nan area combine these two buildings into one) and well preserved Tai Lue murals depicting everyday life in the 19th century.<br/><br/> Nan dates from the mid-14th century and for much of its history was an isolated kingdom. The present day city spreads out along the Nan River's right bank.
David Roberts RA (1796-1864) was a Scottish painter. He is especially known for a prolific series of detailed prints of Egypt and the Near East that he produced during the 1840s from sketches he made during long tours of the region (1838–1840). This work, and his large oil paintings of similar subjects, made him a prominent Orientalist painter.<br/><br/> At the time of Roberts’ visit to Palestine, the country was briefly under Egyptian rule (1831—41) after Mohammed Ali had seized the Levant (Palestine, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon) from the Turkish Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans administered Palestine from Constantinople from 1516 to 1917.
From an illuminated Ottoman dua kitabi or ‘prayer book’ by Hasan Rashid (Istanbul, 1845) once the property of a Topkapi harem lady.<br/><br/> The Arabic term ‘du’a’ is generally translated into English as ‘prayer’, though a more exact rendering would be ‘supplication’. The term is derived from an Arabic word meaning to 'call out' or to 'summon', and Muslims regard this as a profound act of worship. This is when Muslims connect with God and ask him for forgivness or appeal for his favour. The Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said ‘Dua is the very essence of worship’, while one of Allah's commands expressed through the Qur'an is for Muslims to call out to Him: 'Call to Me; I will answer your prayers’.<br/><br/> There is a special emphasis on du'a in Muslim spirituality and early Muslims took great care to record the supplications of Muhammad and transmit them to subsequent generations. These traditions precipitated new genres of literature in which prophetic supplications were gathered together in single volumes that were memorized, taught – and treasured.
Edwin Lord Weeks (1849 – 1903), American artist and Orientalist, was born at Boston, Massachusetts, in 1849. He was a pupil of Léon Bonnat and of Jean-Léon Gérôme, at Paris. He made many voyages to the East, and was distinguished as a painter of oriental scenes.<br/><br> Weeks' parents were affluent spice and tea merchants from Newton, a suburb of Boston and as such they were able to accept, probably encourage, and certainly finance their son's youthful interest in painting and travelling.<br/><br> As a young man Edwin Lord Weeks visited the Florida Keys to draw and also travelled to Surinam in South America. His earliest known paintings date from 1867 when Edwin Lord Weeks was eighteen years old. In 1895 he wrote and illustrated a book of travels, From the Black Sea through Persia and India.
Palestine (Arabic: فلسطين‎ Filasṭīn, Falasṭīn, Filisṭīn; Greek: Παλαιστίνη, Palaistinē; Latin: Palaestina; Hebrew: פלשתינה Palestina) is a n ame given to the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. The region is also known as the Land of Israel (Hebrew: ארץ־ישראל Eretz-Yisra'el), the Holy Land and the Southern Levant.<br/><br/> In 1832 Palestine was conquered by Muhammad Ali's Egypt, but in 1840 Britain intervened and returned control of the Levant to the Ottomans in return for further capitulations. The end of the 19th century saw the beginning of Zionist immigration and the Revival of the Hebrew language. The movement was publicly supported by Great Britain during World War I with the Balfour Declaration of 1917. The British captured Jerusalem a month later, and were formally awarded a mandate in 1922.<br/><br/> In 1947, following World War II and the Holocaust, the British Government announced their desire to terminate the Mandate, and the United Nations General Assembly voted to partition the territory into a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jewish leadership accepted the proposal but the Arab Higher Committee rejected it; a civil war began immediately, and the State of Israel was declared in 1948.<br/><br/> The 1948 Palestinian exodus, known in Arabic as the Nakba (Arabic: النكبة‎, an-Nakbah, 'The Catastrophe') occurred when approximately 711,000 to 725,000 Palestinian Arabs fled or were expelled from their homes, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War during which Israel captured and incorporated a further 26% of Palestinian territory.<br/><br/> In the course of the Six Day War in June 1967, Israel captured the remainder of historic Palestine and began a continuing policy of Israeli settlement and annexation.
David Roberts (1796—1864) was a Scottish painter renowned for a prolific series of detailed lithograph prints and paintings of Egypt and the Middle East that he produced during long tours of the region. He was elected as a Royal Academician in 1841.
The Armenian Genocide refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was implemented through wholesale massacres and deportations, with the deportations consisting of forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees. The total number of resulting Armenian deaths is generally held to have been between one and one and a half million. <br/><br/> Other ethnic groups were similarly attacked by the Ottoman Empire during this period, including Assyrians and Greeks, and some scholars consider those events to be part of the same policy of extermination. <br/><br/> It is widely acknowledged to have been one of the first modern genocides, as scholars point to the systematic, organized manner in which the killings were carried out to eliminate the Armenians, and it is the second most-studied case of genocide after the Holocaust. The word genocide was coined in order to describe these events.
The Gūr-e Amīr or Guri Amir (Persian: گورِ امیر) is the mausoleum of the Asian conqueror Tamerlane (also known as Timur) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. It occupies an important place in the history of Persian Architecture as the precursor and model for later great Mughal architecture tombs, including Humayun's Tomb in Delhi and the Taj Mahal in Agra, built by Timur's descendants, the ruling Mughal dynasty of North India. It has been heavily restored.<br/><br/> Gur-e Amir is Persian for 'Tomb of the King'. This architectural complex with its azure dome contains the tombs of Tamerlane, his sons Shah Rukh and Miran Shah and grandsons Ulugh Beg and Muhammad Sultan. Also honoured with a place in the tomb is Timur's teacher Sayyid Baraka.
Shah-i-Zinda (Persian: شاه زنده‎ meaning 'The Living King') is a necropolis in the north-eastern part of Samarkand.<br/><br/> The Shah-i-Zinda Ensemble includes mausoleums and other ritual buildings from the 9-14th and 19th centuries. The name Shah-i-Zinda is connected with the legend that Kusam ibn Abbas, a cousin of the prophet Muhammad is buried here. It is believed that he came to Samarkand with the Arab invasion in the 7th century to preach Islam. Popular legends speak that he was beheaded by Zoroastrian fire-worshippers for his faith.
Shah-i-Zinda (Persian: شاه زنده‎ meaning 'The Living King') is a necropolis in the north-eastern part of Samarkand.<br/><br/> The Shah-i-Zinda Ensemble includes mausoleums and other ritual buildings from the 9-14th and 19th centuries. The name Shah-i-Zinda is connected with the legend that Kusam ibn Abbas, a cousin of the prophet Muhammad is buried here. It is believed that he came to Samarkand with the Arab invasion in the 7th century to preach Islam. Popular legends speak that he was beheaded by Zoroastrian fire-worshippers for his faith.