After Mecca and Medina, the Al Aqsa Mosque is the third most significant site for Muslims. The temple is the focal point for the Islamic community of Jerusalem, and organizes prayers daily, and sermons on Fridays, both visited by large crowds.

The Al Aqsa Mosque slopes from the north to the south. The mosque is located at the south of the Temple Mount or the Haram esh Sharif. The main façade and entrance is located on the north side of the mosque, and faces the Dome of the Rock directly. The dome is located at the south end, over the mihrab.

Site Information

• Names - Al Aqsa Mosque; Masjid Al-Aqsa; Al – Masjid al – Aqsa al – Mubarak (Furthermost Blessed Mosque); El-Aksa; Farthest Mosque; Distant Mosque;
• Location - Jerusalem, Israel
• Faith - Islam
• Categor - Mosques
• Status - active

Visitor Info . . .

• Address - Temple Mount, Jerusalem
• Coordinates - 3 1 . 7 7 6 2 6 4 ° N, 3 5 . 2 3 5 5 4 7 ° E
• Phone - 0 2 / 6 2 8 – 3 2 9 2 or 0 2 / 6 2 8 – 3 3 1 3
• Opening hours - Winter – 8 – 10 – 30 and 12 – 30 – 2; Summer – Sat – Thu 7 – 30 – 11 and 1 – 30 – 3;
• Cost - Combined ticket for El-Aqsa Mosque, Dome of the Rock, and Islamic Museum NIS 36

The Dargah is home to a huge entrance that has silver doors. The Mughal Rulers revered the Dargah and rulers from Humayun to Shah Jahan had participated in its architecture. The actual tomb of the saint is covered by a marble screen and a solver railing. The tomb itself is made of marble and has a gold plated dome.

The annual Urs, or the death anniversary of the saint is observed for six days in the memory. When he was a hundred and fourteen years old, the saint locked himself into a room to pray in solitude for six days, and then left this world in peace.

At the time of the Urs, the Dargah Sharif is visited by several thousand devotees from numerous religions, Hindus, Muslims, Christians and others, throng the Dargah. The several thousand devotees are served food prepared in huge cauldrons. These cauldrons were offered by Emperor Akbar when he got an heir due to the saint’s blessing.

The pilgrims coming to Ajmer Dargah make offerings known as nazrana at the tomb. They offer incense, perfumes, sandalwood paste, jasmine and rose flowers at the tomb. Cash is also offered in large numbers. Votive offerings such as neema, ghilaph, chaadar and others are also offered.

The exterior of the Dargah has ‘qawaals’ sing devotional songs praising the saint in a characteristic high pitched voiced. The main gate is filled with fakirs begging for alms.

Tarsus has been a major trading port ever since 2300 BC. The city was home to none other than Cleopatra and Mark Antony in the 1st century BC. The city is a significant location for not only Christians, but Muslims as well. Apart from the archaeological significance, Tarsus is also known for being the once home of several cultures, including Roman, Byzantium and Ottoman.

Tarsus of the present is modern and developed, with not many attractions. However, what is on offer is certainly worthy of note. The Kizilmurat District is the most visited area here. St Paul’s Well is situated in the north of the Republic area about three hundred m. It is thought that this was where St Paul’s house used to be. The water of the well is said to have healing properties.

Tarsus Museum has a number of sights. You can admire a number of relics and art from the Ottoman, Roman and Byzantine eras. There are Roman and Byzantine coins, broken crockery and other metal pieces. The Mersin Road in Western Tarsus has the Cleopatra Gate that is as old as 40 BC! The gate was entered in by Cleopatra and Antony while coming into the city. This gate was restored.

The upper Saglikli village is situated about fifteen kilo meters from Tarsus, and is home a number of ruins of a Roman Road.

Tarsus has another attraction close to Izmir. The Virgin of the Black Rock, or commonly referred to as the Black Virgin is a celebrated monastery. It sits on a precarious position on a cliff slope that can be accessed from Altindere.

The Roman Bridge of Justinian is intact even now. The Tomb of the Seven Sleepers is a pilgrimage destination for Muslims. It is home to a mosque, which is believed to be where Prophet Daniel was buried.

The ancient baths here are another attraction worthy of note. These exist right from the Turkish era. The dark brown stains on the while marble walls are said to be the bloodstains of Shah Meran, the heroic Snake king that was trapped and assassinated here.

The Tanah Lot is situated in Tabanan regency, which is located close to thirty kilo meters from the Denpasar Town. The place has a temple built, which goes by the name “Pura Tanah Lot”. The rock temple is situated atop a rock that has sea water continuously washing it.

The Pura Tanah Lot Temple can be seen only when the tide is low, as when it rises, a large rock blocks the temple. The temple dates back to the 15th century and was erected by a monk of the name of Niratha.

The monk came across the beautiful area and entreated the people of this region to build a temple in honor of the sea gods. The temple is among several sea temples in the country. The heavenly location is what sets apart. The beauty of the coastal regions coupled with the immense religious significance is two reasons why the Tanah Lot is an important destination.

As popular myth has it, the rock base has several poisonous snakes living under it that guard the temple from evil powers. As some people say it, an enormous snake was born out of the cloth of Niratha. The two buildings, one a five storied one, which is devoted to Segara, a sea deity, whereas another one with three floors is devoted to Niratha.

The red sunsets here are one of the highlights of the region and thousands of tourists come here to admire these and the silhouettes formed at the time. It is not permitted to enter the temple directly. It is required to pay. The entrance of the temple can be long walk through the Bali market.

The mesmerizing view of the sunrays along with the beauty of the coastal area makes for a great experience. The sun falls upon the temple and creates a great visual experience. The entire island was formed due to the continuous erosion of soil due to tidal waters.

After a period of 210 days, a temple hosts a festival in the honor of Lord Segara. The temple is decorated with umbrellas on this day.

The site for the museum was originally home to a smaller building which was here from nineteen one till it was torn down in nineteen nine to be replaced by a new building. This museum building housed the major findings that were part of the excavations conducted by Berlin Museums. The findings included a number of important excavated objects, such as the frieze of the Pergamon Altar, which was found in the period between eighteen seventy eight and eighteen eighty six.

The new building for Pergamon Museum was built in three wings or “Dreiflügelanlage”. There are three museums, the Museum of Islamic Art (Museum für Islamische Kunst), Museum of the Ancient Near East (Vorderasiatisches Museum) and the Collection  of Classical Antiquities (Antikensammlung). The Pergamon Museum is famous as it houses the monumental reconstructions of the various archeological feautures such as the Ishtar gate, the Mshatta Façade, the Processional Way of Babylon, the Market Gate of Miletus and other ensembles.

The Pergamon Museum is set for renovation.  The Museums part of the Museum Island are being renovated as part of the Masterplan. This will begin in the year two thousand eight. The architect Oswald Mathias Ungers will oversee the various stages of refurbishment. Renovation will take place in various phases, so that the museum will not be completely closed at any time.

The Pergamon Museum has had a share of controversy as well. The controversy was related to the way the various displays were acquired for the museum. The museum is visited by close to eight hundred thousand people in one single year.

The Masjid was completed building in the year nineteen eighty six. The mosque is a marvel of architecture, and was designed by world famous architect Vedat Dalokay from Turkey. The architect had competed with a huge number of applicants around the world in a competition to select the architect. He was chosen in nineteen sixty nine. The mosque is shaped in a most unique way. In fact it is shaped like a Bedouin Tent. The mosque has attracted rave reviews from all over the world for its unique architecture.

It was King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz from Saudi Arabia that suggested building this mosque in nineteen sixty six. The king funded a good part of the building of the Mosque as well, which is why the mosque is named after him. The mosque is the national mosque of Pakistan, and it stands as a symbol of hope and aspiration for the then baby nation.

Faisal Mosque is situated on a high bit of land set off perfectly by the Margalla Hills in the background. The location is an indicator of how important the mosque is, and it is visible from miles both during the day as well as night.

The architecture of the mosque is among the most unique. The traditional concepts of Islamic architecture, with arches and domes have been done away with in this structure, and all you will see is straight, clean lines, shaped like a Bedouin’s tent in the desert.

Quick Facts

•  Site Information  •  Names – King Faysal Mosque, Shah Faisal Masjid; (“Great Faisal Mosque”); Shah Faisal Mosque; King Faisal Mosque; Faisal Mosque;  •  Categorized as – Mosques  •  Date Built – 1986  •  Location – Islamabad, Pakistan  •  Belonging to Faith - Islam  •  Size – Building height – 131 f t ( 40 m ); minaret ht – 300f t ( 90 m )  •  Features – Largest in Pakistan  •  Architecture – Modern  •  Status – active  •  Cost for Entry – Free.

After the fall of the city of Constantinople, The Turkish conquerors looted Hagia Sofia and converted it into a mosque. The Turks renovated the structures by adding additional supports to the mosque. Two minarets were added to the structure to give it an appearance of the mosque. The mausoleums of a number of Islamic rulers were built later on. Some of the other later additions to the building were madrassa, kitchen, minbar, fountains etc.

The mosque is decorated with beautiful mosaics in marble. This basilica was the finest architectural accomplishment of Byzantine Empire. The interior of Hagia Sofia is a 53 meters high dome that stands majestically in the center of the structure. The dome rests on pendentives that help in transition of shape of the dome from circular to square. The use of pendentives was the first ever in the history of Byzantine Empire.

The architectural design of Hagia Sofia is unique because of the fact that there are 40 windows that have been placed at the bottom of the dome. Two gigantic urns, originally belonging to the Greek Empire, are place in the interior. These urns are carved out of single piece. A horse-shoe shaped gallery houses a number of mosaics. Loge of the Empress is a place where the empress would sit with her lady-companions and watch the happenings of the mosque.

The semi domes serve the purpose of extending the arched interiors. The inner walls of are made up of marble stone, gold mosaics and white porphyry. Since the place was worshipped by Muslims as well as Christians, a number of signs are seen cluttered in the east direction attributing them to the directions faced by worshippers while offering prayers. Another prominent feature of Hagia Sofia is mehrab made up of marble. A staircase running from mehrab leads to the sermon-giving area called minbar.

The loveliest mosaic is known by the name of Deesis; it has depiction of Christ along with Mary and John. Vestibule of Warriors is the place from where on can exit out of the museum. It is called so because at this place warriors used to keep guard while king used to offer the prayers. A mosaic depicting Justinian and Constantine offering Hagia Sofia to Virgin Mary is placed in this area.

A tourist visiting this splendid monument can visit other nearby places like Grand Bazaar, Hippodrome, and Blue Mosque. The Grand Bazaar has a number of restaurants, shops, mosques etc. Tour guides can be availed. The pick and drop facilities are provided.

This is the overall design of a large Greek cross. This place also has a massive portfolios of Corinthian columns. The lines on the roofs of this vast structure are quite ambitious and span one hundred and ten meters long . The towers are eighty meters tall. The master stroke of the structure is nicely concealed from casual view. The domes come in a set of Tripoli arc shaped and Gothic styled.

The shells are fitted withing the others and these permit you with a view of the ocular and these are coffered from the inner done of the frescoes by Antoine Grosz.

There were foundation laid in the year seventeen hundred and fifty eight. This is an economic problems in France. This work precedes quite slowly. Om the yer seventeen hundred and eighty this person was later replaced by his student in the Pantheon Paris. This is because remodeling of the abbey has happened this has ordered it to be changed and this came from a church to the mausoleum. This is for the interment of the Frenchmen.

There is a national constituent assembly who had ordered the whole thing to be changed from a church and it goes all the way to the mausoleum. This is for the people who retain Quaternary de Quincy to handle a project. This is where jean Guillermo moitte even created a pediment with a group who sculpted. This was also called the bourbon restoration.

Since then, twice there was a revert for this being a church in the Pantheon Paris. This later on becomes a meeting house which is dedicated to the many great cream of intellectuals in the Elite French.

The construction of the Sultan Ahmet Camii was commissioned by Sultan Ahmet I, when he was aged 19 years. Sultan Ahmet Camii was situated next to Hagia Sophia. It was constructed over the ancient hippodrome and the imperial palace of the Byzantine Empire. Some of its mosaics are situated in the Mosaic Museum, which lies nearby. The construction of the mosque began in 1609. The work was completed in seven years.

Mehmet Aga, who was an architect, designed the Sultan Ahmet Camii. His immediate predecessor was executed. Sultan Ahmet was often anxious to see the work completed. Hence, he often assisted in the construction work. Sultan Ahmet passed away within a year of the mosque’s completion. He was only 27 years old. He has been buried with his wife and three sons outside the mosque.

The original structure featured a madrassa, hospital, han, school, market, imaret, and a mausoleum of the Sultan. Many of these structures were brought down in the 19^th century.

Sultan Ahmet Camii’s most notable feature is its six minarets. They are visible from a fair distance. The minarets are unusual because most mosques have a maximum of four minarets. If legend is to be believed, the Sultan ordered the construction of gold minarets known as ‘altin’. This may have been misunderstood for ‘alti’ or six minarets.

The Haram mosque, located in Mecca, also had six minarets. The six minarets of Sultan Ahmet Camii caused quite an uproar. The Sultan thought of a solution and sent his architect to Mecca to include a seventh minaret.

Equally enchanting and famous are the cascade of domes, which are exquisitely arranged. They appear to spill down from the central dome. There are several arcades that run beneath the domes. These are appealing to the eye. There is no trace of blue in the exterior. Sultan Ahmet Camii is known as ‘Blue Mosque’ because of the blue tiles that adorn the interiors.

The westside entrance serves as the main entrance. The entrance is wonderfully decorated and is worth a stare. In order to maintain the sanctity of the mosque, the northern entrance is used. Symbolic chains hang from the gate. Even the Sultan showed reverence by bowing.

The Museum of Jewish heritage in New York opened up its doors on the fifteen of September in the year two thousand and three.  The original building was always there before since it was constructed and then it was redone by the same architect, as the one who constructed the former building. The new wing which has been built now, has a kosher café, they even have an Abigael’s at this museum. The Abigael’s is run by the famous celebrity chef Jeff Nathan.

The museum itself is housed in a beautiful granite building and is designed by the famous award winning architect Kevin Roche. There are six tiers till the rood and this is strategically positioned so that it alludes both the Star of David and the six million Jews who were murdered in the holocaust.

The permanent exhibits in the museum were organized in three main themes. . These have been arranged chronologically.  The first being the Life of a Jew- one century ago; which is located on the first floor.

The second being; the War against the Jews, which is located on the second floor. And the third being the Jewish Renewal; which is located on the third floor.

The period has quite a history which is brought forth with many documentary films. In fact the loudest of these is the first record where you have first person testimonies of the holocaust survivors and the families of the many victims.  A lot of these testimonies were finally recorded by the few survivors of a part of a foundation called the shoah Visual history Foundation.  The trustee of this famous museum is the one and only Steven Spielberg.

The museum displays many selected items from its diverse and vivid collection of artifacts that number more than fifteen thousand.  There are photographs, documents, and films that have been archived and gathered for almost two decades now.

This whole thing is an exhibit to the Jewish life on what seems to appear as the first floor with large elaborate screens that have been hand painted mostly for the Sukkoth which is the harvest festival.  You will also see different kinds of Jewish wedding invitation and tools that were used mostly by Jewish tradesmen.