In 1326, Ibn Battuta completed his first pilgrimage to Mecca. But instead of returning home, he decided to see as many parts of Dar al-Islam as possible, vowing never to travel the same road twice. In the end, he traveled more than 75,000 miles, down the east coast of Africa […]
Here begins Ibn Battuta’s travels p. 43 I left Tangier, my birthplace, on Thursday, 2nd Rajab 725 [June 14, 1325], being at that time twenty-two years of age [22 lunar years; 21 and 4 months by solar reckoning], with the intention of making the Pilgrimage to the Holy House [at […]
Zermatt’s place in history was tragically secured with the first ascent of the Matterhorn in the 19th century. As the surrounding peaks were climbed in the 1830’s to 50’s, there developed intense competition to conquer the Matterhorn, which for many years had been considered “unclimbable”. The English climber Edward Whymper […]
China has sent one of it largest patrol ships through the South China Sea amid heightened tension over the disputed waters. The Haixun-31 sailed on Wednesday and will monitor shipping and “protect maritime security” on its way to Singapore, state media said. Read More
China has closed Tibet to all foreign tourists until the end of July, say travel agents in the region. The move is being seen as an attempt by Beijing to prevent unrest ahead of celebrations marking 90 years since the founding of the ruling Communist Party. Read More
Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao said in Moscow on Thursday that China and Russia have agreed to further advance their bilateral pragmatic cooperation in the fields of trade, culture and international affairs. The agreement came as the two countries established a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership based on equality, mutual trust, […]
ASTANA, Kazakhstan – The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) called on Wednesday for a cease-fire in Libya, and urged all sides to strictly abide by UN Security Council resolutions. In the Astana Declaration, signed by the leaders of the member countries of the regional bloc, the SCO expressed its concerns over […]
Although many top German athletes come from immigrant families, very few Muslim girls and women in Germany play sports. Many parents see Western sports culture as a threat and keep their daughters away from coed athletic clubs. But some forward-thinking initiatives show how young female Muslims can be encouraged to […]
The German army can no longer trust the Afghan intelligence services, fearing that they are deliberately withholding information about imminent attacks, according to Defence Ministry documents leaked this week. More here…
A string of attacks on European IKEA stores have left company officials and police baffled. The latest scare occurred in the German city Kiel on Wednesday, just five days after the minor explosion of an incendiary device at one of the Swedish retailer’s stores in Dresden. For most IKEA shoppers, the largest […]
An idyllic Austrian village has apparently impressed Chinese architects so much that they have decided to copy it in their own country. But the townspeople living in the UNESCO World Heritage site are unhappy about the plans. Residents of the Austrian mountain town of Hallstatt, population 800, are scandalized. A Chinese […]
By AGENCIES COLOMBO: India and Sri Lanka on Tuesday resumed sea ferry services for the first time in 30 years, aiming to boost tourism and economic cooperation after the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war. An Indian ferry with a capacity for 1,044 passengers docked at Colombo’s port this morning […]
NEW YORK (AP) — Stock indexes edged in higher Thursday morning as investors waded through data that offered a mixed picture of the economy. A survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found that manufacturing slowed in that region, one day after a similar report found that manufacturing was […]
“Indeed, the most honourable among you, in the sight of Allah, is he who is the most righteous among you.” (The Holy Quran) The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Malta will be hosting a seminar to commemorate the centenary of International Woman’s Day, at the Waterfront Hotel, Gżira, on Friday 17th June at 5 […]
The recent major earthquakes in Christchurch were on a different fault to one which devastated the city on February 22 but are part of the same sequence geologically dating back to September, seismologists say. GNS Science seismologist Bill Fry said yesterday’s two earthquakes — one measuring 5.6 on the Richter […]
More than two dozen mayors from six continents came to Israel in June for the 27th annual International Mayors Conference, gathering to discuss mutual cooperation in areas such as high-tech, clean-tech and education. Over the course of two days, mayors from 26 countries – among them the United States, Canada, […]
The USA has ignored Russia’s concerns. USS Monterey has appeared off Ukraine’s coast on June 13th within the scope of Sea Breeze 2011 international naval exercises. The vessel is equipped with AEGIS sea-based missile defense system. The news about the imminent participation of the vessel in the exercises triggered a […]
A new species of dinosaur found at a brickworks in East Sussex is believed to be the world’s smallest. The fossil of the bird-like dinosaur, which measures between 13 and 16 inches in length, was found in one of the pits at the Ashdown Brickworks near Bexhill, East Sussex. The […]
Gozo has been named one of the best 10 destinations among 50 chosen by a jury that evaluated 500 coastal regions in nine southern European countries. This was announced during the Quality Coast 2011 – Southern European Top 50 awards ceremony in Kouklia, Cyprus. Find more:
Bachelot is confident that in future same sex marriages will be allowed. La ministre de la Cohésion sociale, Roselyne Bachelot, a estimé mercredi à propos du mariage homosexuel que «de toute façon, cela se fera», c’est une «question de mois, d’années». Affirmant qu’elle aurait voté la proposition de loi socialiste […]