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Nov09
Published by Asya in Africa, Arts, Monuments, Morocco, Praying

Located in Casablanca, Morocco, the Hassan II Mosque was built between 1986 and 1993 for the 60th birthday of former Moroccan king Hassan II. Designed by French architect Michel Pinseau, approximately half the Hassan II Mosque sits directly over the Atlantic Ocean with glass flooring so worshippers can see the ocean below. It is the third largest mosque in the world settling in just behind Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina. The project is estimated to have cost as much as $800 million, funds that were remarkably raised entirely from public subscription.
Continue reading One of the largest and most beautiful mosques in the world
Nov09
Published by Asya in Arts, Asia, Cities, Monuments, Photos, Praying, Yemen

Named after President Ali Abdullah Saleh, is the largest mosque in Yemen. Located in the al-Sabaeen district in Sana’a, Al-Saleh Mosque was completed in 2008 at a reported cost of $60 million. The designers maintained the traditional Yemeni architecture which gave the Mosque incredible beauty and made it a magnificent attraction for citizens and Muslim residents in Sana’a. It makes for a stunning view when seen from a rooftop in the Old City of Sana’a. The mosque is meant to serve as an enduring symbol of both Islamic and Yemeni heritage and must be able to withstand the ravages of time. With this in mind, building materials were chosen for their durability and resistance to extreme weather conditions.
Continue reading The largest mosque in Yemen - Al-Saleh Mosque
Oct07
Published by Asya in Europe, Greece, History, Monuments, Praying, Relaxing, Swimming, UNESCO

Patmos is not a big island, but it is one of the best known. It is the sacred island where in a small cave, where according to the tradition the God inspired him the words of the book, St. John wrote the Book of Revelation. The cave can be visited today. This is why Patmos is sometimes called “The Jerusalem of the Aegean”.
Continue reading The Jerusalem of the Aegean Sea
Oct05
Published by Asya in Arts, Cultural, Europe, Germany, History, Monuments, Praying, UNESCO
Located in Aachen, Germany, the church is the oldest cathedral in northern Europe and contains several holy relics. Built by Charlemagne in 805 AD, its unique design was highly influential on German church architecture and it was a site of imperial coronations and pilgrimage for many centuries. The Aachen Cathedral was declared in 1978 as the first German cultural monument in the world heritage list of the UNESCO.
Continue reading The Imperial Cathedral
Oct04
Published by Asya in Arts, Cultural, Europe, France, History, Monuments, Praying, UNESCO
Dedicated to Saint Stephen, Bourges Cathedral is a magnificent early Gothic cathedral located near the Loire Valley, France. It was built in record time - between the late 12th and late 13th centuries by architect Paul-Louis Boeswillwald and the master builder Philippe Berruyer. Bourges Cathedral was added to UNESCO world heritage site list in 1992.
Continue reading Bourges Cathedral
Oct03
Published by Asya in Arts, Europe, History, Monuments, Photos, Praying, Spain, UNESCO
The Burgos Cathedral is a Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral in Burgos, northern Spain. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it is notable for its vast size and unique Gothic architecture. On October 31, 1984, Burgos Cathedral was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and Frommer’s Spain calls it one of Spain’s best cathedrals.
Continue reading A masterwork of Gothic Architecture
Oct03
Published by Asya in Arts, Cultural, Europe, Monuments, Museums, Photos, Praying, Sightseeings, Spain, UNESCO, Walking

Founded in the 11th century, Avila is a medieval city in western Spain, about 70 miles northwest of Madrid. Dates from pre-Roman times this old town has the best preserved medieval walls in Spain. With 82 semicircular towers and nine gates, the walls, surrounding the city, have a total length of 2.5 km and is on average 12 meters high. Ávila also has a magnificently historic cathedral, a number of Extra-Muros Churches, and an authentic medieval atmosphere. For all these reasons, the entire Old Town of Ávila has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Continue reading City of Saints and Stones
Aug10
Published by Asya in Cities, North America, Praying, United States of America, Urban Tourism

Located in Soho, a neighborhood in Manhattan, the synagogue was founded n 2005 by Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Dovi Scheiner and his wife Estiy. Rabbi Scheiner is the brother of Rabbi Pesach Scheiner, leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch of Boulder, Colorado. Occupies an erstwhile fashion boutique of Gucci, between Spring and Broome Streets, the Soho Synagogue looks as much like a funky nightclub as it does a traditional temple.
Continue reading Judaism to a new generation
Jun11
Published by Asya in Asia, Cultural, History, Monuments, Praying, Sri Lanka, Travel Stories, UNESCO
The Sri Dalada Maligawa or Tooth Temple is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy - one of the largest cities in Sri Lanka. This temple is one of the most holy sites on the island in the same vein that the Basilica of Saint Peter of Vatican is to the Roman Catholic Church. Built between the years 1687 and 1707, the temple reputed to contain an actual tooth of the Buddha on his 2nd visit to Sri Lanka over 2000 years ago.
Continue reading The repository of a sacred Buddhist relic
Jun10
Published by Asya in Africa, Cultural, History, Monuments, Praying, Tanzania, Travel Stories

Kilwa is an Islamic community on an island off the coast of East Africa, in present day Tanzania. It was the principal of about thirty-five ports of trade on the Indian Ocean, trading gold, ivory, iron and coconuts from southern Africa during the 11th through 16th centuries AD. The Great Mosque of Kilwa is the earliest remaining mosque structure on the East African coast. It was likely founded in the tenth century, but the two major stages of construction date to the eleventh or twelfth and thirteenth century, respectively. The mosque was built in two stages - the small, northern prayer hall, in the 11th century, and the southern enlargement in the 14th century.
Continue reading Tanzania religious tourism