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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.

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.

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.

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only remaining monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is located on the Giza Plateau near Cairo, Egypt, along with the massive Great Sphinx and 2 smaller pyramids.

The Pyramids are called the Great Pyramid of Giza (or Pyramid of Cheops), the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure. Along with these major monuments are a number of smaller pyramids, causeways and valley pyramids.

At the time of their construction, the Pyramids of Giza were the tallest structures on the planet. Yet, they remain impressive today and are the main tourist attraction of Egypt. The Pyramids were constructed as tombs for the deceased Pharaohs and also served as storage for the various items, the pharao would need in the afterlife.

Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco as well as the main port because of its location on the Atlantic Ocean. Casablanca is the economic center of Morocco. Many Moroccan and international companies hold headquarters and main industrial facilities in Casablanca.

The Port of Casablanca is one of the largest artificial ports in the world. The New Town is possibly the most impressive in Morocco, the style of the buildings is a combination of Hispano-Mauresque and Art Deco.

The Hassan II Mosque is a main sight and was designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau. There, the Atlantic can be seen through a gigantic glass floor and its minaret is the world’s tallest at 210 metres.