Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Old City of Jerusalem


The Old City (Hebrew: העיר העתיקה‎, Ha'Ir Ha'Atiqah, Arabic: البلدة القديمة‎, al-Balda al-Qadimah, Armenian: Հին Քաղաք, Hin K'aghak) is a 0.9 square kilometer (0.35 square mile) walled area within the modern city of Jerusalem. Until the 1860s this area constituted the entire city of Jerusalem. The Old City is home to several sites of key religious importance: the Temple Mount and its Western Wall for Jews, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians, and the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

UAE: Al Ain (2011)



Al Ain's oasis are known for its underground irrigation system "falaj" (or qanāt from Arabic قناة‎) that brings water from boreholes to water farms and palm trees. Falaj irrigation is an ancient system dating back thousands of years and is used widely in Oman, UAE, China, Iran and other countries. Al Ain has seven oases; the largest is Al Ain Oasis, near to Old Sarooj, and the smallest is Al Jahili Oasis. The rest are Qattara, Al Mutaredh, Al Jimi, Al Muaiji, and Hili.