First of all, .iq is what is genereally called a Top Level Domain and which we know as the ending of each main internet adress, e.g. google.com (.com being the TLD in this case). For countries, it’s usually called ccTLD, “cc” standing for “country code”.

Iraq’s starting problems

Usually, each country handles their own country code Top Level Domain and therefore has the right to assign it to applicants which have to prove that their site is based in the said country.

But after the war, ICANN – The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers – decided that the country would be too unstable to run their own TLD and assigned it to a company based in Texas in 1997. Not the best decision, because a couple of years later this company was charged with having connections to the Hamas, an Islamic extremist group.

Saud Alani charged, .iq frozen

Saud Alani, the manager who had a Baghdad telephone number despite living in Texas was a bad choice in the first place, as he didn’t really do much to help the domain develop further or make any money. Instead, he seemed to assign it in secrecy to small website owners that later seemed to have connections to several terroist groups. At least in 2002 only 225 people owned an .iq which is relatively poor even in a country that had next to no network structure due to the war.

After his arrest in 2002, .iq seemed to be in limbo for quite a while until it finally got back to Iraq in 2005 to be supervised by the National Communications and Media Commission of Iraq. It therefore is possible by now to request a TLD and create a website based in Iraq.

For more information on Top Level Domains and their registration, you can also visit http://www.uniteddomains.com/ntld/pre-register-new-domains, which is a major host of numerous domains.

Kibbeh, which can roughly be translated as „balls“, are very easy to make and because the magic lies not only within fresh ingredients but also the way you spice them, they can take all kind of forms and make the Iraqi cuisine more fun.

Ingredients for Kibbeh:

- 800gramm minced meat (lamb or beef)

- 200gramm bulghur or rice (already cooked)

- salt

- pepper

- cumin

- allspice

- 2 onions

- vegetable oil for frying

Preparation:

Usually, you make kibbeh out of rice or bulghur wheat which gets soaked in water for a while and then squeezed out. The rice or bulghur then gets mixed in a blender with 1/3 of the minced meat (usually lamb) together with salt, pepper and a chopped onion until the consistency is smooth like dough.

Now chop one onion very finely, add some nuts and put them in a pan to fry them in a bit of oil. Add the rest of the meat and spices (pepper, cumin, allspice). Fry till the meat is brown.

Then take the dough and form little football-shaped burgers roughly the size of pine cones. Poke a hole into them and add some of the fried meat into it. Then cover the hole with the dough and fry everything for about 10 minutes in hot oil.

You can also deep-fry them in a deep pan that you fill with oil. If you do so, turn the kibbeh around after 4-5 minutes, so they get fried evenly.

You can add herbs and other spices to the dough if you like but taste them before frying. They taste very good with a salad and a light yogurt sauce.

Helium Neon Gas Laser

Ali Javan was born on December the 26th in 1926 in Tehran. He started to study there but moved to the United States after the second World War.

There, he finished his studies in physics and further worked on the atomic clock research. In 1958 he joined the Bell laboratories and there developed the groundwork of the gas laser, a gas discharge Helium Neon laser. Even then he knew of the importance, this invention might have on future technologies.

The conversion of electrical energy to light is the basic necessity for fiber optic communication, furthermore, the Heliom-Neon gas lasers were the first lasers that could be produced and sold in a way that ensured mass production, making use of them in checkout scanners, disc players and printers.

Nowadays, it is usually used in medical technologies and holography.

He has been awarded with the Fredric Ives Medal from the Optical Society of Science in 1975 and the Albert Einstein World Medal of Science in 1993.

Ali Javan is still doing research in the field of Optics and has been a consultant for the government.

But for Javan not everything is about physics, during his studies he also showed a lot of intereset in music, according to an interview with Betty Blair he saw many parallels to physics in the technical and mathematic construction of compositions of classical music, for example.

]]> http://www.uruklink.net/electric/ali-javan-inventor-of-the-gas-laser.htm/feed 0 http://www.uruklink.net/tourism/day-of-ashura-when-the-people-mourn-husayn-ibn-ali.htm http://www.uruklink.net/tourism/day-of-ashura-when-the-people-mourn-husayn-ibn-ali.htm#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:02:04 +0000 Fadima http://www.uruklink.net/?p=844 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.

This, however, is no day of celebration but of mourning. People are fasting, solemn processions and many recitations and seminars take place. To the beating of the drums, the mourners grieve and chant „Ya Hussain“.

Some mosques provide free sweets and meals to the people. Those usually are donated by others and are given out, considered as holy and can even function as a communion with God. The readings are also offerings to the people as they give insight to the story of Husayn.

While always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the day of Ashura is always different concerning the Gregorian calendar. Due to geographical differences of the countries that celebrate it, there are different dates for each country as well, so the holiday in Iraq is not on the same day as, for example, in Iran.

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.

History of Isfahan

Located about 340 km south of Tehran Isfahan looks back on a long history. Archaeologists recently have found relics that can be dated back to the Paleolithic Age. Over the centuries Isfahan has fallen under several authorities and got defined by different cultural influences.

From 1050 to 1722, Isfahan had its time of prosperity. Under the Safavid dynasty in the 16th century it became the capital of Persia. Most of Isfahan’s beautiful architecture arose in this century.

Isfahan today

Today Isfahan is a city with an enormous economical, social and cultural potential. There is an university as well as an airport. The production of fine carpets, steel, textiles and handicrafts give Isfahan an important status in Iran.

For a long time it was one of the centers for producing the world famous Persian Rugs. Besides of that Isfahan is known for its nuclear experimental reactors as well as for its facilities for producing nuclear fuel. The beautiful Islamic and Iranian architecture let Isfahan become an attractive destination for tourists.

Isfahan – Points of interest

The past glory of Isfahan can still be seen in its beautiful cityscape. Historic architecture is spread all over the city. Particularly worth seeing is the Naghsh-e Jahan Square, also known as Imam-Square.

In 1979 it has been designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the largest city squares in the world and gives an example of the outstanding architecture of Islamic world. Furthermore one should not miss seeing the Si-o-Seh Pol, „the Bridge of 33 Arches“ from 1602 and the Royal Palace Ali Qapu, also built in early 17th century.

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.

Beirut – Rich history since more than 5000 years

Beirut looks back on an eventful history. The first mention of the metropolis takes place in letters of the 15th century BC. Today, excavations in Beirut have unearthed layers of Phoenician, Roman, Hellenistic, Arab, Byzantine, Crusader and Ottoman remains and tells of the colorful history of the Lebanese capital.

Beirut – “The City that never dies”

Throughout history, Beirut has been destroyed several times – for the last time when the civil war raged in Lebanon between 1975 and 1990. But the Lebanes people rebuilt their city every single time and Beirut came to be known as „the city that never dies“. This is why Beirut is still dominated by many historical buildings from various epochs and became a popular destination for tourists from both the Arab and the Western world.

Beirut – Cultural Capital of the Middle East

Beirut’s culture has evolved under the influence of many different peoples, civilizations and religions. It is the most religiously diverse city of Lebanon and all of the Middle East. All sorts of Christians live here as well as Shiites and Sunnites and others. During the civil war, the city split up in a Muslim west and a Christian east – today, the different religuous groups live door by door again.
The different influences characterized the manifold cityscape with its beautiful architecture. For visitors there are lots of places to discover, like the Al-Omari Mosque: Built in the 12th century the gigantic mosque impresses with its oriental aura. But that’s only one spot to visit – there is so much more to see in Beirut!

Beautiful landscape and a warm climate in and around Beirut

Beirut is located on a Peninsula at the Mediteranean coast and marks almost exactly the midpoint of the Lebanese coastline. Landwards, the city is flanked by mountains, especially by the two hills „Al-Musaytibah“ and „Al-Ashrafieh“. The nature around Beirut is rather diverse – rocky beaches and cliffs can be found as well as sandy shores and mountains.
The climate of Beirut is subtropical. Characteristics are hot, humid summers and mild winters. The average annual temperature in Beirut is around 18° Celsius (~64° F).

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.

Beginning of Ramadan

The month Ramadan existed in the arabic culture long before the Islam arrived. The word itself means intensive heat or dryness. The Quran says that fasting is obligatory to all muslims. It starts when the new, crescent moon appears in the sky at the end of the month Schaban. In 2011 Ramadan started the 10^th of August, in 2011 it is probably going to take place between the 1^st and the 29^th of August 2011, depending on the sighting of the moon.

Practices during Ramadan

Ramadan is a time dedicated to Allah. Muslims put more effort in following the teachings of Islam. Eating and drinking is not allowed during the day, while sexual intercourse is forbidden during the hole month. Ramadan helps to learn how to resist against all kind of temptations and to practice self-control. Fasting, called sawm in Arabic, is not considered obligatory for the elderly, chronically and mentally ill people, children, pregnant women, women during their period of menstruation and women nursing babys. Those travelling are also exempt but should make up the time they miss.

Muslims should also try to read the hole Quran, slow down from world affairs and concentrate on spiritually cleaning so they can find a link to God. An other way to do this is charity. There are free public eateries organized during Ramadan in every city.

At sunset the fast-breaking meal, called Iftar, takes place. It is common to start it with a date, as Muhammad was believed to have done. After a prayer the Iftar meal starts. Over the time the meal has grown to a banquet festival where many people gather together.

The End of the fasting period

Id ul-Fitr is the holiday when the fasting month Ramadan is over. It is the first day of the next month and begins when a new moon had been sighted. Everyone puts on the best clothes on and food is offered to other people. After a prayer muslims start visiting their friends and celebrate for three days.

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.

Cancelled projects

Dubailand is located on the road between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This complex will combine several theme parks, sports arenas, shopping centers and hotels. A project of true aspiration. The original plans have already been altered, some projects have even been cancelled. Some international investors dropped out due to shortage after the financial crisis.

15 million tourists a year

Once a great vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, it is now rescheduled for 2018. And that is only one of four stages of building. This already is supposed to attract 15 million tourists a year.

“Motor City Dubailand” was opened in 2009 and includes residential units, business towers, motor-sports facilities, retail and a theme park. It was the first attraction to open in Dubailand. The track is designed to host a Formula 1 race there. The most spectacular rides of the theme park surround the race track. A scenario hard to compete with for other parks around the world.

Competitor Abu Dhabi

Competition can be found on Dubais doorstep within the country. Abu Dhabi already hosts a Formula 1 race and has plans for its own theme park around their race track. A theme park even bigger than the one in “Motor City Dubailand”. The Emirates Dubai and Abu Dhabi will be competing for attention. These projects around the topic of racing are only a small part of the whole complex of Dubailand.

A further project is the Dubailand Film Park. A project hosted by the Universal Studios. Six Flags will be another theme park in the program of Dubailand. Other attractions are Legoland, Dreamworks Studios, Aviation World, Water Parks, Factory Outlets, Animal World, Extreme Sports World and a Virtual Game World.

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.

Monuments to visit in Petra

Walking through the city for several kilometers,  the visitor can discover a lot more impressive facades carved in stone by the ancient inhabitants of the capital. The size of the city is quite surprising: Petra offers more than 800 different monuments – including temples, halls, colonnaded streets, tombs or baths. The historical site also offers a highly complex water conduits system that was used to transport water over 25 km long distances and included more than 200 cisterns.

How to visit Petra

Petra is best to visit in the early morning or the late afternoon. As the site is extremely huge, it will at least take a day or two to discover everything. The site is opened daily from 6am to 6pm. It is possible to hire a donkey or a horse and advisable to bring water and some candies with you.

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.

Camels bring fortune in every meaning

Camels do not only bring fortune in the metaphorical meaning of the word, but also in the commercial one. Today, a good breeded camel can cost more than one million Dollars. First and foremost, the dromedaries are an absolute luxury, whereas the two humped camels cost less: Sometimes more (humps) is less. In the commercial depression, all kinds of value droped, except the price for dromedaries.

Camel breeding – A science on its own

Most of the modern research centres for camel breeding are situated in the United Arab Emirates. Four veterinaries work in the VRC of Abu Dhabi: a scientist and eight engineers are taking care of 1500 camels, mainly dromedaries. In Dubai, sheik Mohammed bin Raschid El Maktum runs another research centre to breed the best race-camels. In 2009, the first cloned camel of the world was born in Dubai. The breeders even reached to create a hybrid of llama and camel, called Cama.

Emancipation in the camel’s world

Ninety percent of the running camels in the races are female camel-mares. They are much faster than their male fellows and are able to run until the age of twenty, what is twice as long as males. For these reasons, the camel breeding in Arabia is focussed on mares. After 13 months, the mare foals are born. Then, the colt usually stands one year with the mother. So it takes a long time to “produce” one of the most expensive animals of Arabia.

Embryo-transfers for working moms

Only the best female camels are used for races. For these reasons, the Arabian science centres started to work with surrogate camel mothers and cloning. The genetic material gets a test-tube fertilisation and then the embryo is engrafted in another female camel until his birth. In this manner, the VRC produces 650 camels per year. These camels are sold for very high prices. A rich Arabian pays up to two millions for one of the best breeded camels.