tourism

The ruins of Hatra are a must for everyone who visits Iraq as they are preserved surprisingly well. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is worth the long journey for its amazing buildings and its astounding history.

Between Mosul and Baghdad lies the ancient city of Hatra, especially the architecture is interesting as it combines Roman and Middle Eastern styles, given that it was right between Persians and the Greco-Roman cultures it seems possible that Hatra served as a point of connection especially due to its place on the main road between other major cities.

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.

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.

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 ancient city of Uruk was the first major city in Sumeria and it gave name to the Uruk period (ca. 4000 to 3100 BC). Uruk is known today by the Arabic name of Warka. It is situated 15 miles east of the river Euphrat and is a famous location for excavations.

Uruk Mosaic © Flickr / Benjamin Rabe

4000 BC, Uruk used to be one of the biggest cities in the world with huge political influence. Located in Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq), its culture still influences the area of near east even today. Back then it was a city build of mud-brick buildings. The architecture of the time combined detailed mosaics and works of art integrated into the buildings. The excavations tell a detailed story of the Uruk period.

Dubai belongs to the United Arab Emirates. Its geographical location made it an important port by the beginning of the 20th century. In 1966, oil was discovered. In 1971, Dubai, together with Abu Dhabi and five other emirates, formed the United Arab Emirates. A free trade zone was built around the Jebel Ali port in 1979, allowing foreign companies unrestricted import of labour and export capital.

Today, Dubai has emerged as a global city. Although Dubai’s economy was built on the oil industry, currently the emirate’s main revenues are from tourism. Tourism is an important part to maintain the flow of foreign cash into the emirate. Dubai is one of the most visited city of the world.

Dubai has buildings of various architectural styles. Many modern interpretations of Islamic architecture can be found there, due to an architectural boom in the Arab World.

Modern Islamic architecture has recently been taken to a new level with such buildings being erected such as the Burj Khalifa, currently the world’s tallest building. The Burj Khalifa’s design is derived from the patterning systems embodied in Islamic architecture, with the triple-lobed footprint of the building based on an abstracted version of a desert flower.