Muslim World

Istanbul: "Sunday in the Park"

Posted October 13, 2009 by Jan
Türkiye

Istanbul, Turkey

13 October 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

Fortunately, I chose to be in Istanbul on Sunday.

Fortunately, my hotel was a ten minute walk to the Sultanahmet area and the Blue Mosque and The Haghia Sophia – two of Istanbul's most historic and most visited sites.

On Sunday, the visitors included hundreds of residents of Istanbul and other Turkish tourists and their families who swarmed around the grand mosques, picnicked on the grounds, and entered the halls for prayer. It was Sunday in the Park and I was happy to meander among the multi-colored crowd as I admired once again the lofty minarets, the colossal domes - the superb architectural achievements of mighty Istanbul.

{C}

The Nizwa Souk: Oman

Posted January 17, 2015 by Jan
Oman

Nizwa  (pop 84, 600)

Oman

January 16, 2015

 

At the Nizwa Souk this morning, sellers are selling families.  Buyers are buying families. 

Mothers and their children are white; others are brown or black. The seller leads his family group around a paddock while the buyers sit in a clutch, discuss the offerings, observe the quality of the merchandise and make a decision. 

Petra: "Manal, Reyna, and One Hundred Camels"

Posted May 31, 2007 by Jan
Jordan

Wadi Musa
Petra:
Candidate for "Wonder of the World"
H.K. of Jordan

May 31, 2007

Salaam Aleycum,

It's 9:00 pm here in the dusty Bedouin Village in the dark hills outside Petra.  We just finished tea together and I am saying a final goodbye to my friend Manal.  We are shaking hands.  She is so sweet I want to give her a hug, but that's completely inappropriate.  Even a handshake is quite bold for a young Bedouin woman who covers her head and wears  full length clothing.  Woman?  I should say, girl.  Manal is seventeen, but "going on thirty-seven."

Icehouse and Cedars: Iran

Posted May 20, 2022 by Jan
Iran

Kerman Province

Iran

May 19, 2022

Hello,

We made two stops during the long ride from the gulf coast to Kerman.

Sirjan:  We sat on the grass and enjoyed a watermelon picnic in the shadow of the Sirjan Icehouse. *

Sirch:  In a fertile valley at the edge of the desert we visited the village of Sirch and posed for photos in the shade of the ancient twin cedar trees. **

Kashgar: The Sunday Livestock Market

Posted July 2, 2017 by Jan
China: Xinjiang

Kashgar (Kashi)

Xinjiang – Uyghur Autonomous Region

People’s Republic of China

July 2, 2017

 

My Dear Carnivorous Friends,

Kashgar is “The End of the Line” for man and beast.  (Mostly beast.)

Unless and until I venture further south and west, towards Tashkurgan and the Pakistan border, Kashgar is “the end of the line” for me and for other Silk Road travelers in China.  

But for most of the four-legged domesticated creatures here at the Sunday Livestock Market, Kashgar truly is “the end of the line.”

At Home at Gezira El Bairat, Egypt

Posted March 7, 2020 by Jan
Egypt: Western Desert
Egypt

Gezira El Bairat, Al Ramla 

Luxor, Egypt

March 9, 2020

Hello,

Here in the town of Gezira El Bairat, on the west bank of the Nile, the modest El Masala Hotel provides a simple and comfortable guest room with a balcony overlooking the Nile.  The staff is friendly and accommodating.  Breakfast is served at the open-air rooftop restaurant with a sweeping view of the river and the river traffic. 

Kareem, the owner of the hotel, is determined that my week’s stay in Luxor will be both active and restful.   He drives me around town.   He helps me to book drivers for my tours.   Kareem invites me to his home for lunch where I meet his wife and children.

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