"A man paints with his brains and not with his hands."



"Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors."


"The color of the object illuminated partakes of the color of that which illuminates it."

Two days in Phnom Penh, it was not enough to fully experience the rhythm of nature's beauty and a prosperous culture of the city's people. As a result, this visit should be done again for a longer time. Now, let the photos tell the stories.


In the end of the visit, I had a little time to visit the place of the Cambodia Water Festival's tragedy which happened in late 2010. Being explained by a local how the tragedy was happening and how the people were mourning, I could feel something mysterious behind the tragedy. Until today, some of the victims' relatives deeply keep reminiscing the tragedy.


Our transportation was mainly tuk-tuk(three-wheeler motorcycle). The choice was due to the cheaper cost compared to a cab and for the size is small; time would be less taken for a trip particularly during peak hours.


The journey from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap was by bus. It took approximately six hours in time. What was fascinating, the journey went through villages and paddy fields; many dramatic landscapes can be seen along the way; in particular when the sun almost goes down leave the day.


What I can say, Siem Reap is more attractive than Phnom Penh in many ways. The most important is, it has Angkor Wat, believed as the most beautiful temple on the planet. Undeniably, I was amazed by its beauty and the magic architecture. The plan to get there in the early morning and capturing the beautiful views in the morning has ruined as everyone woke up late due to some reasons. Despite of a short time we have before going back to Phnom Penh, the plan was proceeded. For this reason, not much photographs have been taken at the temple.




During the end of the visit, we had a little shopping at the Russian Market, one of the main attractions in Phnom Penh. The various local products with an affordable price made the end more joyful and everyone could go back with a big smile. And for the very first time, I went to an airport by riding a tuk-tuk; a thousand thanks to the driver for the pleasant ride. I wish to meet you again.

Well, India was the toughest place for me after all. A quote "Always expect the unexpected" is aptly good for anyone who wants to go there. I went to some places in southern and northern India and I found that the major problems in most areas are cleanliness and poverty. With the approximately 1.2 billion populations, not everyone is equally fortunate. More than 300 million Indians are still prey to hunger, illiteracy and disease, and 51 per cent of India's children are still undernourished.





I spent most of the time in the southern part of India and I liked the people more; they are more decent and polite. I wished to explore more about places and people in the northern side but I could not make it for some reasons. Perhaps next time I should spend more time in northern India, I believe it does have many interesting things to be discovered and photographed.



In many ways the last part of my trip was filled with frustration. Frustration that I had so little time. I was having some problems with the visa and the result was I could not travel back on the day it was scheduled. That was not the frustration I meant. I just frustrated with the attitude of some Indians particularly governmental people. The procedures to get the exit permission were intricate and horrible; it was not what I expected from a country which has one of the highest gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates in the world and an array of recent achievements in technology, industry and entrepreneurship. One of the main causes to this problem is surely corruption; lower quality services is one of the impacts of corruption.

Positively thinking, this problem somehow will be solved soon as now many Indians are trying to take these things seriously. They want to see the fruits of development reach the poorest of the poor, and wipe the tears from the eyes of every man, woman and child, as Mahatma Gandhi had dreamt. If this thing is successfully realized, the effects are not only good for Indians, but also the world. Indeed, a better India holds the key to a better world.



Lastly, I wish happy fasting to all Muslims in the world. May this Ramadhan be the best Ramadhan ever in our lifetime and all our good deeds will be blessed by Allah. Hasbunallah wani'mal wakil.

O my soul! Know that yesterday has left you, and as for tomorrow, you have nothing to prove that it will be yours. In which case, know that your true life is the present day. So throw at least one of its hours into a mosque or prayer-mat, a coffer for the hereafter like a reserve fund, set up for the true future. And know that for you and for everyone each new day is the door to a new world. If you do not perform the prayers, your world that day will depart as dark and wretched, and will testify against you in the World of Similitudes. For everyone, each day, has a private world out of this world, and its nature is dependent on each person's heart and actions. Like a splendid palace reflected in a mirror takes on the colour of the mirror, if it is black, it appears as black, and if it is red, as red. Also it takes on the qualities of the mirror; if the mirror is smooth, it shows the palace to be beautiful, and if it is not, it shows it to be ugly. Like it shows the most delicate things to be coarse, you alter the shape of your own world with your heart, mind, actions, and wishes. You may make it testify either for you or against you. If you perform the five daily prayers, and through them you are turned towards that world's Glorious Maker, all of a sudden your world, which looks to you, is lit up. Quite simply as though the prayers are au electric lamp and your intention to perform them touches the switch, they disperse that world's darkness and show the changes and movements within the confused wretchedness of worldly chaos to be a wise and purposeful order and a meaningful writing of Divine power. They scatter one light of the light-filled verse,


over your heart, and your world on that day is illuminated through the reflection of that light. And it will cause it to testify in your favour through its luminosity.

By Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Revival with the Prayer.

" If the debtor is in a difficulty, give him time till it is easier for him to repay but if you waive the debt as an act of charity, it would be better for you if you understand it. "


" Allah alone can increase or decrease wealth, and to Him you all shall return. "


" I always felt that I had anxiety of survival in terms of livelihood even when I was making plenty of money. "



" Spend in the cause of Allah and do not cast yourselves into destruction by your own hands. Do good things. Allah loves those who do good things. "


" This world is charming to the disbelievers. They mock at those who believe. Those who fear Allah will rank above them on the Day of Resurrection: Allah gives sustenance without measure to whom He wants. "

If you have a chance to experience this, don't miss it! it happens only 'once'; though it will happen again, it won't be exactly the same! Here I would like to share some photographs of the view in the sky from my camera, just ordinary views that attracted my eyes and my camera's eye.

In flight KU 551 from Kuwait to Damascus. The aircraft passed through a 'mystery' desert in Syria.

" Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books. "

In flight KU 415 from Kuwait to Kuala Lumpur.

In flight CZ 350 from Kuala Lumpur to Guangzhou. The aircraft was entering the clouds while the sun was setting. This really caught my eyes.

" It is He who made the earth a floor for you and the sky a canopy, and sends down rain from the sky for the growth of fruits for your sustenance. Therefore, do not knowingly set up rivals to Allah. "

In flight AK 5292 from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu. It was a cloudy day.

" It’s better to look at the sky than live there. "

In flight MH 1397 from Kota Bharu to Kuala Lumpur. It can be seen green hills and forests in the mini view.

Broga Hill, located in Selangor, offers a great landscape view.

It is the best to hike up during an early morning because mist rising from the ground from the warmth of the sun envelop the landscape in a carpet of white, providing a surreal atmosphere. You can reach the highest peak between 30 to 45 minutes; depend on how fit you are.

Three peaks in total, each one ascends above the other through a clear path fringed by the tall grass at each side.

• Clothes may not be hung out to dry on Sundays.
• Cars must not be washed on a Sunday.
• It is considered an offence to mow the lawn on a Sunday, because of the noise pollution it may cause.
• It is against the law to flush the toilet after 10 p.m. if you live in an apartment
• A man may not relieve himself while standing up, after 10 p.m.
• Though it is illegal to produce, store, sell and trade absinthe, it is perfectly legal to consume it.
• Every car with snow tyres must have a sticker on its dashboard stating that the driver should not drive faster than 160 km/h (100 m.p.h.) with these tyres.
• If you leave your car keys inside your car and leave the car doors unlocked, you will be punished.

You can extract an important principle of da'wah from the many names of the Prophet (SS); which are, the essence of da'wah…praiseworthy attributes. Without having praiseworthy attributes that have been inherited from the Prophet (SS), it is rare for a person to have Allah (SW) guide others by his hands. Struggling to acquire and inculcate these attributes into our being is preparation for the reality of the da'wah that must be given. From amongst the most important of these attributes is to love good for others. Whoever is sincere and a true caller to Allah, and the light of da'wah becomes firm in his heart, will want the greatest good for everyone. So how could it weigh heavy on one's heart for people to receive blessings?

A sign that you have begun to love good for others is the manifestation of this attribute in your relationship with your brothers who are near to you. If you see that Allah (SW) singles out one of your brothers with a particular blessing, either worldly or religious, it is incumbent that you search deep into your heart and find feelings of sincere happiness for him. It is stated in a hadith, "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself." A sign of this love is that you do not become quickly angered if your brother makes a mistake while trying to do something good. Rather than opposing or criticizing him, you should assist him in the rectification of his mistake in a gentle way. It is not easy to have this attribute become firmly planted in the heart, because envy (hasad) is subtle, even among your companions. However, by being sincere and turning to Allah Most High continuously, this affair becomes easy. So, if you see that Allah (SW) has blessed one of your brothers with uprightness, enlightenment, or righteousness, and it weighs heavy on your heart, the cure for this is to pray that Allah increase him in what He has given him. Say:

O Allah, increase him!
O Allah, give him openings!
O Allah, give him Divine success!
O Allah, guide others by means of him!

The existence of the darkness of envy in the soul is a sign of not loving good for others. If Allah bestows a blessing up someone, you might say to yourself, "Masha-Allah, Allah has blessed him with that." However, if he happens to make the slightest mistake, you become angered and say things like, "He doesn't know what he i s doing! He doesn't understand! He ' s not benefiting people!" Pay attention to what you are saying here. Which is greater, the good he was doing, or the mistake that he made?

Another sign that the heart does not desire good for others is hastening to mention people's errors. This does not mean that you remain silent about the mistakes. Rather, it is upon you to advise your brother and strive to rectify the fault, without diminishing their honor. Your duty when rectifying is to correct the mistake, not to diminish the stature of the one who made the blunder. There is a big difference there is between the two. From the subtle, evil aspects of the soul regarding this, is the claim that your self is perfect and the other is deficient. Take for instance, when one says, "I am more knowledgeable than him. How could he be the one who does that? How could he have more students? Why are people praising him?" This is claiming that the self is perfect. Or when one says, "I have been studying longer than him. I have more sincerity than him,"

I. I. I. Do you know who said "I?" Pay attention! The one who said, "I," was Iblis. "I am better than him. You created me of fire, while You created him of mud." (7:12) He (Iblis), laughs at you and makes you his student when you say, "I" like he did. You are students of the inheritors of the Prophet (SS), not of Iblis.

As for the other aspect of seeking deficiencies in your brother, when you say things like, "He does not know. He doesn't understand. He made a mistake in that. He didn't organize this, etc." What is your intention in saying these things? If your intention is to try to rectify his mistake, may Allah bless you because loving good for people necessitates this. However, if your intention when he makes a mistake is that you don't want him to do something good, sacrifice, or work hard… look into your hearts. Do you want to stop a good action from being done? Pay attention to what is going on.

Also, from among the signs of not desiring good for others, is your desire to disassociate yourself from your brother and not advise him when you know he made a mistake. You might avoid speaking against, criticizing, or belittling him, but then say things like, "I don't want to have anything to do with the affair. Leave it to him. L e t him make mistakes. People will see later that he is wrong." This is your intention? For your brother to be exposed? You know that he is wrong, yet you just leave him? It is your duty to give him advice. It is your duty to inform him. It is your duty to give him a hand. It is your duty to pray for him secretly. It is your duty to tell someone who will be able to advise him if you are unable to. However, to see your brother make a mistake, and not say anything to him about it, is treachery. This attribute should never be in religious people. Do not wait to implement this attribute. This is a principle of da'wah that must be implemented now. Mutual concern for one other, giving advice to one another, desiring good for one another, hastening to serve one another, these are all signs that you are sincere. And if you are sincere, and implement these attributes, Allah will benefit others through you.

People from the western countries come from societies that Allah has given a type of worldly advancement. From this advancement is the attribute of seriousness regarding worldly affairs that causes one to constantly work hard. If this attribute becomes separated from your connection with Allah Most High, it leads to a blameworthy attribute in the soul (selfishness) and not being concerned with others. We must take the good aspects of these societies, such as seriousness and hard work, and connect them to a divine meaning one that entails directing them towards the next life, not towards this world. The f r u i t of implementing this i s deliverance from the blameworthy aspect of the self. Each one of you must feel that all of your brothers around you are a sacred trust upon you. You must think of ways to help them in every way you can. In adapting these attributes of seriousness and hard work, the difference between a Muslim and a non- Muslim is that his seriousness and hard work is for the sake of Allah Most High, not for the life of this world. By focusing on this, you will be rid of selfishness and actualize the saying of the Prophet (SS) that, "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself."

Seek this affair (of true brotherhood) by taking five steps of action. The first step of action is to have a daily litany (wird) of supplication (du'a) for your brothers. Habib Umar has a specific (du'a) one can make for his brothers, which is titled, "The Prayer of Brotherhood." Seek closeness to Allah Most High by supplicating for your brothers. This is the first step of action.

The second step of action is to devote a certain time of the day to serving your brothers, outside of your classes, study time, and other obligations. Don't think that by devoting a short time to the service of your brothers will hinder your daily routine. Rather, it will be a means for openings, and will benefit you by giving you experience in service (Khidma).

The third step of action is to not sleep at night with something in your heart against your Muslim brother; regardless of what happened, or whether you were right or wrong. If you are unable to rid your heart of it, go and speak to the person, but with love and sincerity. Say: "I feel in my heart such and such towards you. Maybe I am wrong, but help me rid my heart of this." The one who is content to sleep while harboring something in his heart against his Muslim brother is treacherous. If you are unable to rid your heart of it, unable to speak to him, or find it hard for him to accept your approaching him, then go to a third person. Go to an understanding, trustworthy person that you rely on, and tell him that you are unable to rid yourself of what you have in your heart against brother. Ask that person: "How do I get rid of what is in my heart?" This animosity towards your brother is filth; don't be content to sleep at night with filth in your heart. This is extremely important.

The fourth step of action is to avoid speaking against any of your brothers. Don't say anything that your brother would dislike if he were to become aware of what you said. You may only speak to the extent that is needed to rectify a wrong and give advice. You must address him first, if you are unable to, a third person that you know could benefit the situation by influencing him, or speaking to him. But to let your tongue loose and talk negatively about him saying things like, "So and so did this. So and so doesn't know. So and so made a mistake. So and so just wants this for himself. So and so just wants to be known." What does saying these things really mean? This is backbiting (ghibah), and completely impermissible.

How could this be an action of one who is preparing himself to be from the elect of the Ummah by seeking knowledge and giving service to the Din? You can speak to the extent that is necessary to rectify the mistake, but it is not permissible to criticize or dishonor your brother. If you are able to gently allude to your brother's imperfection (‘Aib) to rectify the situation, it is better than speaking to him directly. If you are able to simply move your lips to inform the person, it is better than raising your voice so that others can hear. If you can speak directly to him, it is not permissible to speak to another about it. If there is one person that can help rectify the mistake, then it is not permissible to speak to two. If two people can rectify the mistake, then you can't speak to three. You must speak to the minimal amount of people needed to rectify the mistake. This mistake is considered to be from the nakedness (‘awrah) of your brother so you should strive to veil the mistake and not expose it. If someone was sitting, and, unintentionally, part of his nakedness became uncovered, and you happen to see this, then you should inform him. If he is far and you are unable to speak to him, don't tell a person to your right or left, or who is in front or back of you, only tell the person who is closest to him so that he can tell him. When the person tells him, he will cover his nakedness and say, "May Allah reward you." But if you were to see the nakedness of someone exposed, and then say to the one next to you, "Look! His nakedness is exposed." And then he says to the person next to him, "Look! his nakedness is exposed." And then he says to the one next to him, "Look! his nakedness is exposed." Did you rectify the situation or humiliate your brother? Is this an affair of our Din? The spiritual nakedness is more severe than the physical nakedness regarding your brother's honor.

The fifth step of action is to distinguish between judging something that is from the unseen and something that you clearly see. There is a difference between actually seeing a mistake of your Muslim brother and thinking that your Muslim brother had a bad intention.

For instance, one of your brothers wears a big turban, robe, shawl, and carries prayer beads, and if someone wants to kiss his hand, he sticks it out for them to kiss. Yes, this type of action is blameworthy. The appropriate etiquette, as we have seen from our teachers, even the elderly of them, is that if someone kisses their hand, they also try to kiss their hand. So to advise your brother regarding this is acceptable because it was something you clearly saw. But to say things like, "So and so is just showing off! So and so just wants to be known by people!" Amazing! This is an intention that is in the heart, so how did you see it? It is impermissible to judge something that is from the unseen with a bad opinion (su' al-dhann). Maybe your brother became heedless. Maybe he was negligent. Maybe he didn't pay attention. In terms of his intentions, have the best of opinions regarding them, even when he makes a mistake. And, at the same time, don't leave the mistake. Rather, give sincere advice and try to rectify the situation.

Another example, for instance, if one of your brothers is given success (Tawfiq) by Allah to open a school and build a mosque, but he wants to do all of the arrangements and the activities himself. He doesn't want his brothers to take any part. He wants to arrange the mosque. He wants to arrange the classes. He wants to arrange the Daw'ah activities. Him. Him. Him. This is a mistake because he is unable to do everything by himself. He must consult his brothers and include them in the work. However, we don't say, "So and so is selfish, he only loves himself, so and so wants to be known by others.

The first problem is with you not with him! Cure the filth that is in you! How could it be heavy on your heart for Allah to bring about something good on the hands of your brother? What if someone told him, "Your brother is saying that you are selfish and that you only want good for yourself?" Then, he says, "And he is envious! He also doesn't want good for me!" Each one of them is judging the other about something that is from the unseen. Does this establish anything? Da'wah is not established this way.

The proper way to deal with this situation is to offer your service to your brother. You should tell him, "I want to serve you. What do you want me to do? Do you want me to sweep the mosque? Do you want me to clean the bathrooms? Brother, you are doing something good, and I want to serve along with you in this good." Don't tell him, "You must take my opinion! You must consult me! Don't do everything by yourself!" By saying comments of this sort, you are proving that your desire to give service is for the sake of yourself, not for the sake of Allah. At the same time, you don't say, "He didn't consult me so I am not going to help him. He can work alone. I don't want to have anything to do with it." What is this? Is this his da'wah or yours, or is it the da'wah of the Prophet Muhammad bin Abdullah (SS)?

Wanting to give your opinion, even with a good intention, desiring good for your brother, is not praiseworthy in its essence. Loving to serve is what is praiseworthy. There is a difference between loving to serve and wanting to give your opinion , a big difference. Habib Umar once said, "Anyone who serves the Din in any way, in the east or the west, it is incumbent upon us to serve him to the extent that we are able." We don't say, "This is my school. This is my way (Tariqah). This is my institution. This is my organization. This is ours, and that is theirs." As long as it is a part of the Din, done with the correct understanding and methodology, it is incumbent to serve them. They are building a foundation of the Din, which is in reality, one foundation. If someone is constructing something and you tell him that you want to help, but he tells you, "I don't need you. You don't know how to build." Don't leave. Say to yourself, "If he doesn't want me to build, then I will help him by preparing what he needs so that he can build." If he says to you, "You don't know how to mix cement properly." You say to him, "Okay, I will bring you the cement and pour water on top of it and then you mix it. I just want to serve." But, if he says to you, "You don't know the correct measurements of the cement and the water." You say, "Fine. I will bring the cement and the water and you make the correct measurements." If he says to you, "You don't know how to carry the cement, you will ruin it (he is being stubborn and just doesn't want you to help)." You say, "Okay. I will clean the car that carries the cement." If he says to you, "You don't understand anything! You are not able to do anything! You can't help!" Remain quiet and leave him until he goes inside his room and takes his shoes off, and then clean his shoes for him with the intention that these are shoes that became dusty from serving the Din.

How can we attain these attributes that were mentioned? How can it become a reality within us? First, by realizing that we are completely poor and in need to serve the Din and the Din does not need us. We should fear to meet Allah without having served His Din. Second, by realizing that we don't deserve to serve the Din, rather, we should hope that by the grace of Allah, He will honor us to be from among those who serve the Din. If this becomes firmly implanted in your heart, Allah will use you for the service of His Din. But, if you believe that the service of the Din is in need of you, and say things like, "Leave them! They will eventually know who I am. They don't know how to do anything. They will try, but fail, and then come running to me. I am the one who knows how to do it." Does Allah need you? Are you crazy?! You believe that Allah needs you?! The Din needs you?! Or to say, "They didn't give me a good position. I deserve a higher position than that which they gave me." What do you deserve?! Or if you say, "I have this and this." What do you really have?! Were Allah to expose your smallest sin, no one would even greet you. So, we must be humble and broken before Allah and annihilate ourselves in the love of service.

One scholar recently took a da'wah trip and was scheduled to give a talk at a certain university. The people of this university had certain views that differed from the views of the scholar who was going to give the lecture. When they found out about the ideologies of the scheduled speaker, they canceled the lecture. After this, the students of the scholar were upset and complained about what happened. But the scholar said, "Let's go visit them." The students then said, "But they canceled the lecture?" And to this the scholar said, "We are not going for the lecture. We are going to visit them for the sake of Allah Most High." When he went, the administration was surprised to see the scholar and told him, "We're sorry. Our students have exams. We are unable to have the lecture." But, the scholar said, "I didn't come for the lecture. I came to visit you for the sake of Allah." The administration gathered with the teachers and they all sat together, and welcomed the scholar, and eventually forced him to speak. He spoke a light, gentle speech, without showing any anger, and then when he was leaving, the administration walked with him and asked his forgiveness for all happened. This is the correct way (minhaj), may Allah bless you. May Allah give all of us openings and prepare us to implement these meanings and place these principles firmly in our hearts and make us from the elect that adopt them and unto the presence of the Prophet (SS). [Al-Fatiha]

Conclusion

There are five steps to follow when setting out on the path of achieving true brotherhood in the service of the Din.

1 - The first step of action is to have a daily litany (wird) of supplication (du’a) for your brothers.
2 - The second step of action is to devote a certain time of the day to serving your brothers, outside of your classes, study time, and other obligations.
3 - The third step of action is to not sleep at night with something in your heart against your Muslim brother; regardless of what happened, whether you were right or wrong.
4 - The fourth step of action is to avoid speaking against any of your brothers.
5 - The fifth step of action is to distinguish between judging something that is from the unseen and something that you clearly see.

Flexibility, foresight, instinct for happiness, self-knowledge, pride, quality, equality, connection, health, vitality, sensuality, natural abundance, useful skills, durability, purposeful work, passionate play, exploration, adventure, experience, delight, efficiency, precision, sufficiency, appropriate scale, information, knowledge, ingenuity, curiosity, design, compassion, respect, grace, gratitude, hindsight, cooperation, community, generosity, aesthetic brilliance, democracy, courage, vision, tradition, moderation, trust, loyalty, wisdom, spirituality, humility, mutuality, contentment.

Instructions :

Mix ingredients together in the workplace, political arena, home, neighborhood, media, marketplace, and natural world to create cultural prosperity. Don't overcook!

Topkapi Palace

The Topkapi Palace was constructed between the 15th and 19th centuries during the reign of Sultan Mehmet II, the Conqueror and was used as the management center of the Ottoman Empire and primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans. Now it has been used as a museum. Visiting the museum is a must for many reasons, for instance, some of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. belongings like His swords and beards are placed here.


Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque has a special place among the various Ottoman buildings constructed in the Sultanahmet Square. This building was constructed by Sedefkar Mehmet Aga, which is in the true meaning of the world, a masterpiece of architecture is the culmination of two centuries, Ottoman mosque and Byzantine church development. Sedefkar Mehmet Aga took classical Ottoman architecture and the Hagia Sophia into consideration in designing and construction of the Blue Mosque and created an interior space which is more spacious and well lighted and airy than the others. The mosque is known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. In addition to these blue tiles, wood works enriched with inlays of mother-of-pearl, stonemasonry and handwritten calligraphies contribute to the beauty of the building.


Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia after serving 916 years as a church, 481 years as a mosque now maintains its historical function as a museum since 1935 and is the most important monument of the architectural history. Byzantine historians Theophanes, Nikepheros and Leon, the Grammar teacher of Byzantine wrote that construction of Hagia Sophia started during the reign of Constantinius I (324-337) and completed in 360 during the reign of Constantinius II. Its first name was Megali Eklesia (The Great Church) and it was changed to Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) after the 5th century.


Kapali Carsi (Grand Bazaar)

The history of the Grand Bazaar, which is in the historical peninsula between Nuruosmaniye and Beyazit, goes back as far as old ages. In Ottoman period Mehmet the Conqueror (1451-1481) built two covered bazaar side by side for the first time, and in time, top of other open bazaars that settled around were closed and a complex market was formed by the roads between them. Grand Bazaar has three main sections. Interior Covered Bazaar forms the core. It is also known as Cevahir Covered Bazaar and Old Covered Bazaar. Sandal Covered Bazaar is the second main section of the Grand Bazaar.


Taksim Square

Taksim Square is surrounded by the Istiklal Avenue, Siraselviler Avenue, Tarlabasi Boulevard, Ayaspasa-Gumusuyu Avenue, Mete Avenue and Cumhuriyet Avenue. The first building in Classical Ottoman style at this area of Istanbul after the Frank and Levantine settlement was a water tank. Water was brought from dense forests on the northern part of the city by water pipes during the reign of Sultan Mahmut in 1732-1733. Taksim Water Tank was built to store waters in a stone tank here. Therefore it gave its name to the square (the word ‘taksim’ means ‘share, distribution’).

source : The 33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene

A good news is my life here has not been so isolated since two of my college mates came here couple days ago. I brought them to some interesting places in Damascus, the capital city of Syria and I realized that this country is a wonderful place to visit because of its plenty historical sites and tombs of Allah’s prophet. The city is also a place that Rasulullah s.a.w. used to trade goods a long time ago, known as Syam in Arabic term.

One of the historical places is Umayyad Mosque. Located in Damascus city, the mosque was a church before it was conquered by Caliph Khalid al-Walid from the infidels and then was made as a mosque. It can be seen in the mosque some patterns which are usually decorated at church’s walls. Beside this mosque there is the tomb of Salahuddin al-Ayyubi, one of the Muslim war champions. Moreover, there are also The Tomb of the head Prophet Yahya a.s. who was decapitated by the infidels and the first baitulmal(bank) of Muslims inside the mosque. Not far from the mosque, there is another historical place where the first murder happened on this earth(Maqam Arba'in). The story was Qabil, a son of Prophet Adam a.s. killed his brother Habil because of envy towards him. About 70 kilometres from Damascus there is a village where we can find structures like theatre and public bathroom which were constructed during the emperor of Roman. The structures are very interesting, wonderful and strong. Also, there are the tombs of Prophet Ayyub a.s. and Imam Nawawai r.a. nearby the village.

As I said earlier, Syria is a great place to visit especially for Muslims. We as Muslims need to know the histories in Muslim calendar, about the prophets, the warriors, the leaders and everything that can be imitated or make as an instruction. If compared, the Muslim histories are far greater than any other history in this world. Believe it or not, explore it by yourself!

the White Minaretwonderful!what is this?the theatrethe view of Damascus city from Maqam Arba'in