The Masjid al Haram (Arabic: المسجد الحرام) is a mosque in the city of Mecca. It is considered by Muslims to be the holiest place on Earth and is the focal point of the hajj (pilgrimage; one of the Five Pillars of Islam; required of all able-bodied Muslims who can afford the trip). According to Islamic tradition, the mosque was built by Ibrahim (Abraham) with the help of his son Ishmael. They were ordered by Allah to build the mosque, and the Kaaba contained therein is sup ...

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Including:

• Mecca - The importance of Mecca
• Mecca - Muhammad
• Mecca - Non-Muslims and Mecca
• Mecca - Is Mecca the city of the Valley of Bakkah?
• Mecca - The spelling of the name

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For Muslims, a pilgrimage to Mecca is required as one of the Five Pillars of the faith. In recent years, about two to three million have gathered for the major pilgrimage or Hajj, during the Muslim month of Dhu al-Hijjah, and many more perform the minor pilgrimage or Umrah, which may be performed at any time of year. Few non-Muslims have ever seen the rites and rituals of the Hajj as non-Muslims are st ...

See also:

Mecca, Mecca - The importance of Mecca, Mecca - Muhammad, Mecca - Non-Muslims and Mecca, Mecca - Is Mecca the city of the Valley of Bakkah?, Mecca - The spelling of the name

Read more here: » Mecca: Encyclopedia II - Mecca - The importance of Mecca

The Badshahi Masjid (بادشاەى مسجد), literally the 'King's Mosque', was built in 1673 by Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan. It is one of the city's best known landmarks, and a major tourist attraction epitomising the beauty and grandeur of the Mughal era. Capable of accommodating up to 60,000 worshippers, it is the second largest mosque in Pakistan, after the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. The architecture and design of the Badshahi Masjid is closely related to the Jamia Masjid in Delhi, India, which was built in 1648 by Aur ...

Including:

• Badshahi Masjid - History
• Badshahi Masjid - Repairs
• Badshahi Masjid - Special Events
• Badshahi Masjid - Chief Characteristics
• Badshahi Masjid - Quranic inscriptions
• Badshahi Masjid - Measurements

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Beit Jala (Arabic: بيت جالا ▶ (help·info), possibly from Aramaic 'grass carpet') is a small town in Palestine. It is located about 10 km south of Jerusalem, on the western side of the Hebron road, opposite Bethlehem, at about 825m altitude. Beit Jala has about 15,000 Muslim and Christian inhabitants, while a far greater number of mainly Christian persons descended from former inhabitants of Beit Jala live ...

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Edirne is a city in Thrace, the westernmost part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. It has a population of 119,298 (2000 census). The city was known in English until after the First World War as Adrianople (see below, and also List of traditional Greek place names). The city was founded eponymously by the Roman Emperor Hadrian on the site of a previous Thracian settlement known as Uskadama, Uskudama or Uskodama. Conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1362, the city served as the Ottoman capital from 1365 until 1453. Edirne is the capital of Edirne Province and ...

Including:

• Edirne - Education

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The Church of the Holy Wisdom, commonly known as Hagia Sophia in English, is a former Greek Orthodox church converted to a mosque, now a museum, in Istanbul (Constantinople). It is universally acknowledged as one of the great buildings of the world. The name comes from the Greek name Αγία Σοφία. It is also known as Sancta Sophia in Latin and Ayasofya in Turkish. Hagia Sophia - Construction. Nothing remains of the first church that was built on the same site during ...

Including:

• Hagia Sophia - Construction
• Hagia Sophia - Ottoman restorations and revisions
• Hagia Sophia - Description
• Hagia Sophia - Later history
• Hagia Sophia - Gallery
• Hagia Sophia - Trivia
• Hagia Sophia - Reference

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Ayodhya (Sanskrit: अयोध्या, IAST Ayodhyā) is an ancient city of India, the old capital of Awadh, in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh. Under the British Raj the city and the administrative area around it was called Oudh. It is on the right bank of the river Gogra, 555 km east of New Delhi. The word ayodhya is Sanskrit for "not to be warred against". Some Puranas like the Brahmanda Purana (4/40/91) consider Ayodhya as one of the six holiest cities. In the first few centuries A.D. it was caled Ś ...

Including:

• Ayodhya - Legacy and Importance
• Ayodhya - Ayodhya Debate
• Ayodhya - Terrorist Attack

Read more here: » Ayodhya: Encyclopedia - Ayodhya

Bhopāl (भोपाल) is a city in central India. It is the capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Bhopal has earned the sobriquet City of 7 Lakes Bhopal - Introduction. Bhopal is a city in central India. It is the capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh. Bhopal is also the administrative headquarters of Bhopal District and Bhopal Division. Historically, Bhopal was also the name of a state of central India (See Bhopal (princely state)). On December 3, 1984, a Union Car ...

Including:

• Bhopal - Introduction
• Bhopal - History
• Bhopal - After Independence
• Bhopal - Bhopal City
• Bhopal - Law and Government
• Bhopal - Geography
• Bhopal - Demographics
• Bhopal - Major Parks
• Bhopal - Neighborhoods
• Bhopal - Major Industries/Products
• Bhopal - Sites of Interest
• Bhopal - Software Companies
• Bhopal - Educational Institutes

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A dome is a common structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Domes do not have to be perfectly spherical in cross-section, however; a dome may be a section through an ellipse. If the baseline is taken parallel to the shorter of an ellipse's two diameters, a tall dome results, giving a sense of upward reach. A section across the longer axis results in a low dome, capping the volume instead. A very low dome is a saucer dome (see below). All the surfaces of any dome are curved. A s ...

Including:

• Dome - Characteristics
• Dome - Saucer dome
• Dome - Onion dome
• Dome - Famous domes
• Dome - Xanadu House

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Cairo (Arabic: القاهرة; transliterated: al-Qāhirah) is the capital city of Egypt (and previously the United Arab Republic) and has a metropolitan area population of approximately 15.2 million people. Cairo is the sixteenth most populous metropolitan area in the world (the 10th according to 2004). Cairo is located at 30°2' North, 31°13' East (30.03333, 31.21667). [1] While al-Qāhirah is the official name of the city, in local speech it is typically called simply by the name of the country, Mişr (Arabic, مصر) p ...

Including:

• Cairo - Geography
• Cairo - History
• Cairo - Founding and early history
• Cairo - Era of westernization
• Cairo - Modern Cairo
• Cairo - Infrastructure
• Cairo - Health
• Cairo - Transport
• Cairo - Utilities
• Cairo - Cairo in art literature and music
• Cairo - Sports
• Cairo - Famous Cairenes
• Cairo - Districts
• Cairo - Town twinning/Sister cities

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Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after İstanbul. The city has a population of 5,153,000 (as of 2005), and a mean elevation of 850 m. (2800 ft.) It was formerly known as Angora or Engürü, and in Roman times as Ancyra, and in classical and Hellenistic periods as Ἄγκυρα Áŋkyra (see also List of traditional Greek place names). ...

Including:

• Ankara - History
• Ankara - Attractions
• Ankara - General attractions
• Ankara - Archeological sites
• Ankara - Modern monuments
• Ankara - Mosques
• Ankara - Parks
• Ankara - Shopping
• Ankara - Universities
• Ankara - Transportation
• Ankara - Sports

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Bakı (Azerbaijani: Bakı), also known as Baku, is the capital of Azerbaijan. It is located on the southern shore of the Apsheron Peninsula, at 40°23′N 49°52′E. Modern Baku consists of three parts: the Old Town (İçəri Şəhər), the boomtown and the Soviet-built town. Population (2003 census): 1,900,000. About 3 million people in metropolitan area (due to large numbers of ...

Including:

• Baku - History
• Baku - Climate
• Baku - Economy
• Baku - Famous people from Baku

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Casablanca classic (Arabic name: الدار البيضاء, transliterated ad-Dār al-Bayḍāʼ, "the white house", dar beïda in dialectal Moroccan Arabic) is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 2.95 million (September 2004 census), Casablanca is Morocco's biggest city; also it is the chief port, and is thus considered the economic capital, although Morocco's official capital and seat of government is Rabat. Casablanca is located at 33°32′N 7°35′W. Including:

• Casablanca - History
• Casablanca - Before the French Protectorate
• Casablanca - French rule
• Casablanca - Since independence
• Casablanca - Notable physical landmarks
• Casablanca - Jews in Casablanca
• Casablanca - Transport
• Casablanca - Trains
• Casablanca - Coaches
• Casablanca - Planes
• Casablanca - List of main Casablanca Districts

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Kashmir is a region between the northern part of South Asia and the southern part of Central Asia. The term Kashmir historically described the valley just to the south of the westernmost end of the Himalayan mountain range. Politically, however, the term 'Kashmir' describes a much larger area which includes the regions of Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh. The main "Valley of Kashmir" is relatively low and very fertile, while magnificent breathtaking mountains, fed by streams flowing from adjoining valleys, are found on the rest of the Kashmiri landscape. It is renowned as one of the mos ...

Including:

• Kashmir - History
• Kashmir - Modern history
• Kashmir - Area and Subdivisions
• Kashmir - Indian-administered Kashmir
• Kashmir - Pakistan-administered Kashmir
• Kashmir - Chinese-administered Kashmir
• Kashmir - Demographics
• Kashmir - Culture
• Kashmir - Economy
• Kashmir - Tourist attractions

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Islam History of Islam Oneness of God Profession of Faith Prayer • Fasting Pilgrimage • Charity Muhammad Ali • Abu Bakr Companions of Muhammad Household of Muhammad Prophets of Islam Qur'an • Hadith • Sharia Jurisprudence Biographies of Muhammad Sunni • Shi'a • Sufi Art • Architecture Cities • Calendar Science • Philosophy Religious leaders Women in Islam Politica ...

Including:

• Hajj - Preparations
• Hajj - Performing the Hajj
• Hajj - Spiritual aspects of the Hajj
• Hajj - Incidents during the Hajj
• Hajj - Official response
• Hajj - Non-Muslims in Mecca

Read more here: » Hajj: Encyclopedia - Hajj

As Singapore is a small and relatively modern amalgam of Chinese, Malay and Indian immigrants. The culture of Singapore expresses the diversity of the population as the various ethnic groups continue to celebrate their own cultures while they intermingle with one another. For example, one can find a Malay wedding taking place beside a Chinese wedding at a void deck, on the ground floor of a HDB apartment block. This can be said to be due to the policies of the HDB which tried to make sure all public housing have a diverse mix of races. Howev ...

Including:

• Culture of Singapore - Festivals
• Culture of Singapore - Religion
• Culture of Singapore - Racial Harmony
• Culture of Singapore - Cuisine
• Culture of Singapore - Language
• Culture of Singapore - Performing arts
• Culture of Singapore - Broadcast and print media
• Culture of Singapore - Movies
• Culture of Singapore - Notable artists
• Culture of Singapore - Recreation and Sports
• Culture of Singapore - Popular culture

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Western Muslims, Muslims who reside in The West. Ever since the rise of Islam, Muslims have lived in parts of the West alongside Jews and Christians. Until the twentieth century, very few Muslims had ever lived in Western Europe, with the main exception being Al-Andalus, the period of Islamic rule of the Iberian Peninsula, which includes Spain and Portugal. The scientific and literary accomplishments of this period are often seen as an impo ...

Including:

• Western Muslims - Historical Figures
• Western Muslims - Theologians and Philosophers
• Western Muslims - Historiographers political scientists and sociologists
• Western Muslims - Scientists Philosophers and Mathematicians
• Western Muslims - Politicians
• Western Muslims - The Various Arts
• Western Muslims - Writers and Poets
• Western Muslims - Entertainers
• Western Muslims - Television
• Western Muslims - Other
• Western Muslims - Business Figures
• Western Muslims - Sport Figures
• Western Muslims - Others

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Skopje (Macedonian: Скопје, Albanian: Shkupi, Serbian/Croatian: Skoplje, Bulgarian: Скопие; Ottoman Turkish: Üsküb, Greek: Σκόπια);see also different names; is the capital city of the Republic of Macedonia. It has approx. 650,000 inhabitants (2000 estimate) and is located on the upper Vardar river. Skopje is located at 42°0′N 21°26′E. Skopje is the political, economic, and cultural centre of the modern Republic of Macedonia. It is a major centre for the metal-processing, chemical, timber, textile, leat ...

Including:

• Skopje - History
• Skopje - Classical era
• Skopje - Medieval era
• Skopje - The Ottoman city
• Skopje - In the 20th century
• Skopje - Buildings
• Skopje - Trivia

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Lahore - Handmade Carpets Industry. Image:Mughal Kashan Rug2.jpg Lahore is famous as the hub of handmade carpet manufacturing in Pakistan. At present, hand-knotted carpets produced in and around Lahore are among Pakistan's leading export products and their manufacture is the second largest cottage and small industry. Craftsmen in Lahore have the capacity to produce any type of carpet using all the popular motifs: gulls, medallions, paisleys, traceries, and geometric designs in various combinations. However ...

See also:

Lahore, Lahore - History, Lahore - Towns of Lahore, Lahore - Education in Lahore, Lahore - Major Universities and Colleges, Lahore - Economy and business, Lahore - Infrastructure and development, Lahore - Pakistan Railways Headquarters HQ, Lahore - Lahore Central Railway Station, Lahore - The Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore - Old Airport / Hajj Terminal, Lahore - Sites of interest, Lahore - Roshnai Gate area, Lahore - Masti Gate area, Lahore - The Lohari Gate, Lahore - The Kashmiri Gate, Lahore - Bhati Gate area, Lahore - The Shairan Walan Gate, Lahore - Delhi Gate area, Lahore - Anarkali, Lahore - Chauburji, Lahore - Gawal Mandi, Lahore - Ichhra, Lahore - Mall Road, Lahore - Shalimar Gardens, Lahore - Shahdara, Lahore - Shimla Pahari, Lahore - Shopping, Lahore - Restaurants, Lahore - Legendry Traditional Lahori Resturants/Cafes, Lahore - Festivals in Lahore, Lahore - Eid, Lahore - Basant, Lahore - Industry and Manufacturing, Lahore - Handmade Carpets Industry, Lahore - IT Companies, Lahore - Financial Institutions, Lahore - Insurance, Lahore - Lahore Stock Exchange, Lahore - Famous Lahoris

Read more here: » Lahore: Encyclopedia II - Lahore - Industry and Manufacturing