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On the tenth day of the first month of the Islamic calendar, muslims celebrate the Day of Ashura and gather in Karbala to mourn the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali.

In many Muslim countries, it is one of the most celebrated holidays of the year, as Husayn ibn Ali opposed Yazid I when he tried to prevent Islamic teachings.

Husayn ibn Ali’s story

Together with only a few men and many families of young and old, Husayn fought against an army of 100.000 strong men. They died of thirst and through the swords of the army but with their religion still in their hearts.

And Husayn – according to the stories – was said to have died with the words on his lips that he would gladly die to defend the religion of Mohammad.

Karbala becomes the place of commemoration

On this day, many pilgrim to Husayn’s grave which is located in Karbala in Iraq, close to numerous other Shrines of martyrs. There was a time when those commemorations were not wanted by the rulers but since the Buyi dynasty, all people are free to commemorate the day of Ashura.

Isfahan, also Esfahān, is located in the middle of Iran. Once the capital of Persia and largest city in the world Isfahan is well known for its beautiful Islamic architecture.

Today Isfahan is the third largest city of Iran after the capital Teheran and the holy city Mashhad. Almost 1.6 Million people of various nationalities live here. Referring to its multicultural character the Persians called the city “‘Esfahān nesf-e jahān ast”, which means „Isfahan is half of the world“. Beautiful historic mosques, palaces, bridges, boulevards etc. define the cityscape.

Beirut – the capital of Lebanon – is with its approximated 2.000.000 inhabitants the politic, economic and cultural centre of the country. The beautiful historic cityscape of Beirut attracts tourists from all over the world.

2009 „The New York Times“ listed Beirut as the number one place to visit. Justifiably so: Beirut, situated at the western Mediterranean coast, spreads a unique cosmopolitan charme and fascinates with its diverse faces. Theatres, museums, Cuisine, numerous sighseeings and an exciting nightlife let Beirut become one of the most exciting citys of the world.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and lasts 29 to 30 days. All Muslims participate in this period of fasting which should teach the participants about humility, patience, spirtituality and self-control. It is one of the five pillars of the Islam.

Compared to the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan depends on the moon and move backwards about eleven days every year. For muslims it is the month in which God revealed the first verses of the Quran to Muhammad. Because of that they are fasting in the name of Allah and offer more prayer then usually. In Ramadan the streets are also full of various decorations.

The Emirate of Dubai has always been known for ambitious projects. One of them is Dubailand. This is the world’s biggest entertainment complex. This enormous undertaking is now suffering of the crisis and financial problems that the Emirate has to face.

Dubailand is an entertainment complex. To recent day it is far from completion but some of the attractions are already opened. In its final stage, it is supposed to cover an area of 278 km². This collection of theme parks will be twice the size of Disneyland in Orlando, Florida.

The ancient city of Petra in Jordan is completely carved in rocks and considered one of the most important touristic sites in the Middle East. It was built in the 2nd Century BC and forms part of “The 7 New Wonders of the World” and has been an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. Each year, around 600.000 people visit the historical site carved in the rose-red sandstone of Mount Hor.

The UNESCO described Petra as one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage. In fact, entering the city behind an almost impenetrable wall of mountains is absolutely impressive and breath-taking. The imposing and majestic historical sites offer more than 800 individual monuments including a lot of buildings carved in sandstone. The only access is provided by the passage through a narrow 1,5 km long chasm. Also because of its water conduits system, Petra became the most visited tourist attraction of Jordan as well as a symbol for the hole country.

Approach to Petra through the Siq

Petra, the ancient capital of the Nabataeans, is situated in the governorate of Ma’an, about 133 km north of Aqaba and 262 km south of Amman. There are only two ways to enter the city: either via a small access path in the north-western part or through a gloom, cool and narrow gorge called Siq. Walking through the 1,5 km long and sometimes only 2 m wide chasm does not prepare you at all for the impressive and overwhelming view you are going the have once your eyes readjusted to the sunlight. Suddenly, the most famous monument of Petra, the Treasury appears in front of you. The building is completely carved in sandstone.

In the United Arab Emirates it’s possible to become very rich with camel breeding. All kinds of camels, dromedaries as well as the two humped camels, are part of the Arabian culture: Today, test-tube fertilisation, embryo-transfers, surrogate mothers and cloning are the modern breeding manners.

Camels in the United Arab Emirates represent fortune and beauty. Together with falcons, they are the most important symbols for the Arabian World. In the past, camels were mainly used for riding in the desert, because they are very tough and strong animals and they are used to walk in deep sand with their special hooves. Later, they were domesticated as production animals because of their wool, milk and meat. Until these days they’ve been serving as the Arabian cavalry for the police force and the armed forces. Because of their speed, they are the most important animals for races in the Arabian world.

The most famous musical instrument of Iraq is the oud. It is widely spread over the Arabic world and the north of Africa. Its sound vibrates within the hollow body and is the typical soundtrack of the near and middle east.

The Oud - Instrument © Flickr / captain.orange

In its Arabian origin the oud is known as the king of instruments. It is considered to be the oldest musical instrument in its region of use and the name derives from the Arabian term for “wood”. It is central to tradition in eastern music. Its shape is very peculiar. A large and round soundbox is connected to a short neck.

Al Jazeera is an international news network. Its headquarter is situated in Doha, Qatar. It was launched in 1996 and has been pushed back against state-owned media all over the middle east and the Arabic world since then.

Al Jazeera © thaigov

Before Al Jazeera was introduced, regional broadcasting in most Arabic countries was poor. State owned news channels which were in general loyal to the government in charge, would not dare to criticize and ask questions to the ruling authority. Al Jazeera changed the landscape of journalism in the middle east and gave hope to a consideranle amount of oppositions in many countries.

The World Cup 2022 has been given to Qatar – a highly controversial decision. Now, the tournament might take place in winter.

FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar - Sepp Blatter © Flickr / AsianFC

This is the first time a football world cup is taking place in the middle east. Some supporters say that this is a great sign towards unity. This could show the world that sport transcends problems with politics and religion. Others criticize the decision to be money orientated.