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Toledo is a province of central Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha.<br/><br/> The Plaza de España is a plaza in the Parque de María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park), in Seville, Spain, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) styles of Spanish architecture.
Segovia is a city in the autonomous region of Castile and León, Spain.<br/><br/> The Plaza de España is a plaza in the Parque de María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park), in Seville, Spain, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) styles of Spanish architecture.
Salamanca is a province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León.<br/><br/> The Plaza de España is a plaza in the Parque de María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park), in Seville, Spain, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) styles of Spanish architecture.
Pamplona or Iruña, is the capital city of the Autonomous Community of Navarre, in Spain, and historically also of the former Kingdom of Navarre.<br/><br/> The Plaza de España is a plaza in the Parque de María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park), in Seville, Spain, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) styles of Spanish architecture.
The Province of Málaga is located on the southern mediterranean coast of Spain, in Andalusia.<br/><br/> The Plaza de España is a plaza in the Parque de María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park), in Seville, Spain, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) styles of Spanish architecture.
The Province of Málaga is located on the southern mediterranean coast of Spain, in Andalusia.<br/><br/> The Plaza de España is a plaza in the Parque de María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park), in Seville, Spain, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) styles of Spanish architecture.
Madrid is the capital of Spain and the largest municipality in both the Community of Madrid and Spain as a whole.<br/><br/> The Plaza de España is a plaza in the Parque de María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park), in Seville, Spain, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) styles of Spanish architecture.
Madrid is the capital of Spain and the largest municipality in both the Community of Madrid and Spain as a whole.<br/><br/> The Plaza de España is a plaza in the Parque de María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park), in Seville, Spain, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) styles of Spanish architecture.
Logroño (Spanish pronunciation: [loˈɣɾoɲo]) is a city in northern Spain, on the Ebro River. It is the capital of the province of La Rioja.<br/><br/> The Plaza de España is a plaza in the Parque de María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park), in Seville, Spain, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) styles of Spanish architecture.
León is a province of northwestern Spain, in the northwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León.<br/><br/> The Plaza de España is a plaza in the Parque de María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park), in Seville, Spain, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) styles of Spanish architecture.
Huelva is a province of southern Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Andalusia.<br/><br/> The Plaza de España is a plaza in the Parque de María Luisa (Maria Luisa Park), in Seville, Spain, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) styles of Spanish architecture.
La Habana Vieja (Old Havana) was declared a National Monument in 1977, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. It is the most significant centre of Spain’s colonial heritage in all the Americas.
During the Roman Period, Christianity spread to Treviso. Tradition records that St. Prosdocimus, a Greek who had been ordained bishop by St. Peter, brought the Catholic faith to Treviso and surrounding areas. By the 4th century, the Christian population grew sufficient to merit a resident bishop. The first documented bishop was John the Pious who began his epsicopacy in 396 CE.
During the Roman Period, Christianity spread to Treviso. Tradition records that St. Prosdocimus, a Greek who had been ordained bishop by St. Peter, brought the Catholic faith to Treviso and surrounding areas. By the 4th century, the Christian population grew sufficient to merit a resident bishop. The first documented bishop was John the Pious who began his epsicopacy in 396 CE.
During the Roman Period, Christianity spread to Treviso. Tradition records that St. Prosdocimus, a Greek who had been ordained bishop by St. Peter, brought the Catholic faith to Treviso and surrounding areas. By the 4th century, the Christian population grew sufficient to merit a resident bishop. The first documented bishop was John the Pious who began his epsicopacy in 396 CE.
The Velha Goa Galeria specialises in beautiful hand-painted tiles or <i>azulejos</i>.<br/><br/><i>Azulejo</i>, from the Arabic <i>al zellige</i> is a form of Spanish and Portuguese painted tin-glazed ceramic tilework. <i>Azulejos</i> are found on the interior and exterior of churches, palaces, ordinary houses, schools, and nowadays, restaurants, bars and even railways or subway stations. They were not only used as an ornamental art form, but also had a specific functional capacity like temperature control in homes.
Under King Manuel I, the Portuguese set up a government in India in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to Calicut in southwest India by Vasco da Gama. The Portuguese originally based their administration in Kochi, or Cochin, in Kerala, but in 1510 moved to Goa. Until 1752, the ‘State of India’ included all Portuguese possessions in the Indian Ocean, from southern Africa to Southeast Asia, governed by either a Viceroy or a Governor. In 1752 Mozambique got its own government, and in 1844 the Portuguese Government of India stopped administering the territories of Macau, Solor and Timor, restricting themselves to the Malabar coast.<br/><br/> At the time of British India's independence in 1947, Portuguese India included a number of enclaves on India's western coast, including Goa proper, as well as the coastal enclaves of Daman and Diu. Portugal lost the last two enclaves in 1954, and the remainder in 1961, when they were occupied by India (although Portugal only recognized the annexation in 1975, after the Carnation Revolution and the fall of the Estado Novo regime).
Under King Manuel I, the Portuguese set up a government in India in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to Calicut in southwest India by Vasco da Gama. The Portuguese originally based their administration in Kochi, or Cochin, in Kerala, but in 1510 moved to Goa. Until 1752, the ‘State of India’ included all Portuguese possessions in the Indian Ocean, from southern Africa to Southeast Asia, governed by either a Viceroy or a Governor. In 1752 Mozambique got its own government, and in 1844 the Portuguese Government of India stopped administering the territories of Macau, Solor and Timor, restricting themselves to the Malabar coast.<br/><br/> At the time of British India's independence in 1947, Portuguese India included a number of enclaves on India's western coast, including Goa proper, as well as the coastal enclaves of Daman and Diu. Portugal lost the last two enclaves in 1954, and the remainder in 1961, when they were occupied by India (although Portugal only recognized the annexation in 1975, after the Carnation Revolution and the fall of the Estado Novo regime).
Tharangambadi, formerly Tranquebar, is a town in the Nagapattinam district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of Karaikal, near the mouth of a distributary of the Kaveri River.<br/><br/> It was a Danish colony from 1620 to 1845, and in Danish it is still known as Trankebar.
Under King Manuel I, the Portuguese set up a government in India in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to Calicut in southwest India by Vasco da Gama. The Portuguese originally based their administration in Kochi, or Cochin, in Kerala, but in 1510 moved to Goa. Until 1752, the ‘State of India’ included all Portuguese possessions in the Indian Ocean, from southern Africa to Southeast Asia, governed by either a Viceroy or a Governor. In 1752 Mozambique got its own government, and in 1844 the Portuguese Government of India stopped administering the territories of Macau, Solor and Timor, restricting themselves to the Malabar coast.<br/><br/> At the time of British India's independence in 1947, Portuguese India included a number of enclaves on India's western coast, including Goa proper, as well as the coastal enclaves of Daman and Diu. Portugal lost the last two enclaves in 1954, and the remainder in 1961, when they were occupied by India (although Portugal only recognized the annexation in 1975, after the Carnation Revolution and the fall of the Estado Novo regime).
Nimrud is the later Arab name for an ancient Assyrian city located 30 kilometres (20 mi) south of the city of Mosul in the Nineveh plains in northern Mesopotamia. It was a major Assyrian city between approximately 1250 BCE and 610 BCE.
Under King Manuel I, the Portuguese set up a government in India in 1505, six years after the discovery of a sea route to Calicut in southwest India by Vasco da Gama. The Portuguese originally based their administration in Kochi, or Cochin, in Kerala, but in 1510 moved to Goa. Until 1752, the ‘State of India’ included all Portuguese possessions in the Indian Ocean, from southern Africa to Southeast Asia, governed by either a Viceroy or a Governor. In 1752 Mozambique got its own government, and in 1844 the Portuguese Government of India stopped administering the territories of Macau, Solor and Timor, restricting themselves to the Malabar coast.<br/><br/> At the time of British India's independence in 1947, Portuguese India included a number of enclaves on India's western coast, including Goa proper, as well as the coastal enclaves of Daman and Diu. Portugal lost the last two enclaves in 1954, and the remainder in 1961, when they were occupied by India (although Portugal only recognized the annexation in 1975, after the Carnation Revolution and the fall of the Estado Novo regime).
The British conquest of Burma began in 1824 in response to a Burmese attempt to invade India. By 1886, and after two further wars, Britain had incorporated the entire country into the British Raj. To stimulate trade and facilitate changes, the British brought in Indians and Chinese, who quickly displaced the Burmese in urban areas. To this day Rangoon and Mandalay have large ethnic Indian populations. Railways and schools were built, as well as a large number of prisons, including the infamous Insein Prison, then as now used for political prisoners.<br/><br/> Burmese resentment was strong and was vented in violent riots that paralysed Rangoon on occasion all the way until the 1930s. Burma was administered as a province of British India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony. Burma finally gained independence from Britain on January 4, 1948.
An almost entirely traditional Chinese scene revolves around two sturdy African villagers dressed in skirts and headdresses who are holding spears. The Africans seem to be amused, most probably curious at the sight of so many richly dressed Chinese men and women, pagodas, pavilions, Chinese lanterns, a bamboo bridge, a Chinese gondola and even a floating Buddha in the sky. In the lower half of the painting, an African woman dances while Chinese warriors charge around on horseback.
Labrang Monastery is one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug (Yellow Hat) school of Tibetan Buddhism. Its formal name is Gandan Shaydrup Dargay Tashi Gyaysu Khyilway Ling, commonly known as Labrang Tashi Khyil, or simply Labrang. The monastery was founded in 1709 by the first Jamyang Zhaypa, Ngawang Tsondru. It is Tibetan Buddhism's most important monastery town outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
Labrang Monastery is one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug (Yellow Hat) school of Tibetan Buddhism. Its formal name is Gandan Shaydrup Dargay Tashi Gyaysu Khyilway Ling, commonly known as Labrang Tashi Khyil, or simply Labrang. The monastery was founded in 1709 by the first Jamyang Zhaypa, Ngawang Tsondru. It is Tibetan Buddhism's most important monastery town outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
Labrang Monastery is one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug (Yellow Hat) school of Tibetan Buddhism. Its formal name is Gandan Shaydrup Dargay Tashi Gyaysu Khyilway Ling, commonly known as Labrang Tashi Khyil, or simply Labrang. The monastery was founded in 1709 by the first Jamyang Zhaypa, Ngawang Tsondru. It is Tibetan Buddhism's most important monastery town outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
Labrang Monastery is one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug (Yellow Hat) school of Tibetan Buddhism. Its formal name is Gandan Shaydrup Dargay Tashi Gyaysu Khyilway Ling, commonly known as Labrang Tashi Khyil, or simply Labrang. The monastery was founded in 1709 by the first Jamyang Zhaypa, Ngawang Tsondru. It is Tibetan Buddhism's most important monastery town outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
Labrang Monastery is one of the six great monasteries of the Geluk (Yellow Hat) school of Tibetan Buddhism. Its formal name is Gandan Shaydrup Dargay Tashi Gyaysu Khyilway Ling, commonly known as Labrang Tashi Khyil, or simply Labrang. The monastery was founded in 1709 by the first Jamyang Zhaypa, Ngawang Tsondru. It is Tibetan Buddhism's most important monastery town outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
Labrang Monastery is one of the six great monasteries of the Geluk (Yellow Hat) school of Tibetan Buddhism. Its formal name is Gandan Shaydrup Dargay Tashi Gyaysu Khyilway Ling, commonly known as Labrang Tashi Khyil, or simply Labrang. The monastery was founded in 1709 by the first Jamyang Zhaypa, Ngawang Tsondru. It is Tibetan Buddhism's most important monastery town outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
Labrang Monastery is one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug (Yellow Hat) school of Tibetan Buddhism. Its formal name is Gandan Shaydrup Dargay Tashi Gyaysu Khyilway Ling, commonly known as Labrang Tashi Khyil, or simply Labrang. The monastery was founded in 1709 by the first Jamyang Zhaypa, Ngawang Tsondru. It is Tibetan Buddhism's most important monastery town outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
Labrang Monastery is one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug (Yellow Hat) school of Tibetan Buddhism. Its formal name is Gandan Shaydrup Dargay Tashi Gyaysu Khyilway Ling, commonly known as Labrang Tashi Khyil, or simply Labrang. The monastery was founded in 1709 by the first Jamyang Zhaypa, Ngawang Tsondru. It is Tibetan Buddhism's most important monastery town outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
Labrang Monastery is one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug (Yellow Hat) school of Tibetan Buddhism. Its formal name is Gandan Shaydrup Dargay Tashi Gyaysu Khyilway Ling, commonly known as Labrang Tashi Khyil, or simply Labrang. The monastery was founded in 1709 by the first Jamyang Zhaypa, Ngawang Tsondru. It is Tibetan Buddhism's most important monastery town outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
The Rüstem Pasha Mosque was designed by Ottoman imperial architect Mimar Sinan for Grand Vizir Damat Rüstem Pasha (husband of one of the daughters of Suleiman the Magnificent, Princess Mihrimah). Rüstem Pasha died in July 1561 and the mosque was built after his death between 1561 and 1563.<br/><br/>İznik ceramic ware, named after the town in western Anatolia where it was made, is a decorated ceramic that was produced from the last quarter of the 15th century until the end of the 17th century.<br/><br/> Although tulips are generally associated with the Netherlands, commercial cultivation of the flower began in the Ottoman Empire. The tulip, or lale (from Persian لاله, lâleh) as it is also called in Iran and Turkey, is a flower indigenous to a vast area encompassing arid parts of Africa, Asia, and Europe. The word tulip, which earlier appeared in English in forms such as tulipa or tulipant, entered the language by way of French tulipe and its obsolete form tulipan or by way of Modern Latin tulīpa, from Ottoman Turkish tülbend.<br/><br/> The tulip is the national flower of Turkey.
Wat Ratchabophit (Rajabophit) was constructed during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V, 1868 - 1910). The temple blends Eastern and Western architectural styles and is noted for its circular cloister enclosing the large Sri Lankan-style chedi and connecting the ubosot (bot) to the north with the viharn to the south.
Wat Ratchabophit (Rajabophit) was constructed during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V, 1868 - 1910). The temple blends Eastern and Western architectural styles and is noted for its circular cloister enclosing the large Sri Lankan-style chedi and connecting the ubosot (bot) to the north with the viharn to the south.
Wat Ratchabophit (Rajabophit) was constructed during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V, 1868 - 1910). The temple blends Eastern and Western architectural styles and is noted for its circular cloister enclosing the large Sri Lankan-style chedi and connecting the ubosot (bot) to the north with the viharn to the south.
Wat Ratchabophit (Rajabophit) was constructed during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V, 1868 - 1910). The temple blends Eastern and Western architectural styles and is noted for its circular cloister enclosing the large Sri Lankan-style chedi and connecting the ubosot (bot) to the north with the viharn to the south.
Wat Ratchabophit (Rajabophit) was constructed during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V, 1868 - 1910). The temple blends Eastern and Western architectural styles and is noted for its circular cloister enclosing the large Sri Lankan-style chedi and connecting the ubosot (bot) to the north with the viharn to the south.
Painting on a ceramic tile from the Chinese Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE). This figure, wearing Han Dynasty robes, represents the Guardian Spirit of Dawn (from 5 to 7 am).
Painting on a ceramic tile from the Chinese Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE). This figure, wearing Han Dynasty robes, represents the Guardian Spirit of Midnight (from 11 pm to 1 am).
The Han Dynasty (simplified Chinese: 汉朝; traditional Chinese: 漢朝; pinyin: Hàn Cháo; Wade–Giles: Han Ch'ao; 206 BCE – 220 CE) was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty (221–207 BCE) and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms (220–280 CE).<br/><br/> It was founded by the peasant rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty (9–23 CE) of the former regent Wang Mang. This interregnum separates the Han into two periods: the Western Han (206 BCE – 9 CE) and Eastern Han (25–220 CE).<br/><br/> Spanning over four centuries, the period of the Han Dynasty is considered a golden age in Chinese history. To this day, China's majority ethnic group refers to itself as the 'Han people' and Chinese characters are referred to as 'Han characters'.
A pottery tile of the Han Dynasty, depicting hunting and battle scenes containing emblematic figures of the 'five cardinal directions' (the four cardinal directions plus the centre).<br/><br/> The Four Symbols (Chinese: 四象; pinyin: Sì Xiàng) are four mythological creatures in the Chinese constellations. They are the Azure Dragon, of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Turtle of the North. Each one of them represents a direction and a season, and each has its own individual characteristics and origins. Symbolically and as part of spiritual and religious belief, they have been culturally important in China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan
A pottery tile of the Han Dynasty, depicting hunting and battle scenes containing emblematic figures of the 'five cardinal directions' (the four cardinal directions plus the centre).<br/><br/> The Four Symbols (Chinese: 四象; pinyin: Sì Xiàng) are four mythological creatures in the Chinese constellations. They are the Azure Dragon, of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Turtle of the North. Each one of them represents a direction and a season, and each has its own individual characteristics and origins. Symbolically and as part of spiritual and religious belief, they have been culturally important in China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan
A pottery tile of the Han Dynasty, depicting hunting and battle scenes containing emblematic figures of the 'five cardinal directions' (the four cardinal directions plus the centre).<br/><br/> The Four Symbols (Chinese: 四象; pinyin: Sì Xiàng) are four mythological creatures in the Chinese constellations. They are the Azure Dragon, of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Turtle of the North. Each one of them represents a direction and a season, and each has its own individual characteristics and origins. Symbolically and as part of spiritual and religious belief, they have been culturally important in China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan
A pottery tile of the Han Dynasty, depicting hunting and battle scenes containing emblematic figures of the 'five cardinal directions' (the four cardinal directions plus the centre).<br/><br/> The Four Symbols (Chinese: 四象; pinyin: Sì Xiàng) are four mythological creatures in the Chinese constellations. They are the Azure Dragon, of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Turtle of the North. Each one of them represents a direction and a season, and each has its own individual characteristics and origins. Symbolically and as part of spiritual and religious belief, they have been culturally important in China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan
A pottery tile of the Han Dynasty, depicting hunting and battle scenes containing emblematic figures of the 'five cardinal directions' (the four cardinal directions plus the centre).<br/><br/> The Four Symbols (Chinese: 四象; pinyin: Sì Xiàng) are four mythological creatures in the Chinese constellations. They are the Azure Dragon, of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Turtle of the North. Each one of them represents a direction and a season, and each has its own individual characteristics and origins. Symbolically and as part of spiritual and religious belief, they have been culturally important in China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan
A pottery tile of the Han Dynasty, depicting hunting and battle scenes containing emblematic figures of the 'five cardinal directions' (more precisely, the four cardinal directions plus the centre). The five sacred mountains of China are also associated with these 'five cardinal directions'.
The Kaaba (or Qaaba; Arabic: الكعبة‎ al-Kaʿbah; English: The Cube) is a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The Quran states that the Kaaba was constructed by Abraham (Ibrahim in Arabic), and his son Ishmael (Isma'il in Arabic), after the latter had settled in Arabia. The building has a mosque built around it, the Masjid al-Haram. All Muslims around the world face the Kaaba during prayers, no matter where they are. This is called facing the Qiblah.<br/><br/> One of the Five Pillars of Islam requires every Muslim to perform the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime if able to do so. Multiple parts of the Hajj require pilgrims to walk seven times around the Kaaba in a counter-clockwise direction (as viewed from above). This circumambulation, the Tawaf, is also performed by pilgrims during the Umrah (lesser pilgrimage). However, the most dramatic times are during the Hajj, when about 6 million pilgrims gather to circle the building on the same day.
Abu Yahya Zakariya' ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini (أبو يحيئ زكريا بن محمد القزويني) (born 1203 - died 1283), was a Persian physician, astronomer, geographer and proto-science fiction writer.<br/><br/> Born in the Persian town of Qazvin, he is descended from Anas ibn Malik, Zakariya' ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini served as legal expert and judge (qadhi) in several localities in Persia and at Baghdad. He travelled around in Mesopotamia and Syria, and finally entered the circle patronized by the governor of Baghdad, ‘Ata-Malik Juwayni (d. 1283 CE).<br/><br/> It was to the latter that al-Qazwini dedicated his famous Arabic-language cosmography titled 'Aja'ib al-makhluqat wa-ghara'ib al-mawjudat عجائب المخلوقات و غرائب الموجودات ('Marvels of Creatures and Strange Things Existing'). This treatise, frequently illustrated, was immensely popular and is preserved today in many copies. It was translated into Persian and Turkish.<br/><br/> Qazwini was also well-known for his geographical dictionary, Athar al-bilad wa-akhbar al-‘ibad اثار البلاد واخبار العباد ('Monument of Places and History of God's Bondsmen'). Both of these treatises reflect extensive reading and learning in a wide range of disciplines.<br/><br/> Al-Qazwini also wrote a futuristic proto-science fiction Arabic tale entitled Awaj bin Anfaq, about a man who travelled to Earth from a distant planet.<br/><br/> Al-Qazwini mentioned how alchemists dubbed 'swindlers' claimed to have carried out the transmutation of metals into gold, al-Qazwini states: 'They ruined the development of the science of chemistry, by fooling powerful rulers such as Imad ad-Din Zengi and thus many scholars and various colleagues turned against alchemy thus resulting in the isolation of the science'.