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Home page |
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Brief about countries i have been too |
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Palestine |
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PalestineTerritory in the Middle East, on the e shore of the Mediterranean Sea; considered a Holy Land by Jews, Christians and Muslims. Palestine has been settled continuously since 4000 bc. The Jews moved into Palestine from Egyptc.2000 bc but were subjects of the Philistines until 1020 bc, when Saul David, and Solomon established Hebrew kingdoms. The region was then under Assyrian and, later, Persian controls before coming under Roman rule in 63 bc. In succeeding centuries, Palestine became a focus of Christian pilgrimage. Muslim Arabs conquered the region in 640. In 1099, Palestine fell to theCrusaders, but in 1291 they in turn were routed by the Mamluks. The area was part of the Ottoman Empire from 1516 to 1918, when British forces defeated the Turks at Megiddo. The Balfour Declaration encouraged Jewish immigration. After World War I, the British held a League of Nations mandate over the land w of the River Jordan (now once again called Palestine). Tension between Jews and the Arab majority led to an uprising in 1936. World War II and Nazi persecution brought many Jews to Palestine, and in 1947 Britain, unable to satisfy both Jewish and Arab aspirations, consigned the problem to the United Nations. The UN proposed a plan for separate Jewish and Arab states. This was rejected by the Arabs, and in 1948 (after the first of several Arab-asraeli wars) most of ancient Palestine became part of the new state of Israel; the Gaza strip was controlled by Egypt and the WestBank of the River Jordan by Jordan These two areas were subsequently occupied by Israel in 1967. From the 1960s, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) led Palestinian opposition to Israeli rule, which included acts of terrorism and the Intifada in the occupied territories. In 1993, Israel reached an agreement with the PLO, and in 1994 the Palestine National Authority took over nominal administration of the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Failure to find a peaceful settlement saw the resurgence of the Intifada in November 2000. The death of Yasir Arafat led to the election in January 2005 of Mahmoud Abbas (also known as Abu Mazen) as Palestinian leader. |
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Egypt, Cairo: The capital of Egypt is home to one of the premier attractions of Egypt, the Pyramids of Giza which represent the archetypal pyramid structures of ancient Egyptian civilisation and - together with the Sphinx at the base of the Giza plateau - the iconic image of Egypt Gizeh in the minds of people worldwide |
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Egypt, Alexandria: Egypts second largest city and the countries window on the Mediterranean Sea, is a faded shade of its former glorious cosmopolitan self, but still worth a visit for its many cultural attractions and memories of a glorious past. Here was located the former Lighthouse (Pharos in Greek), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World |
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Syria Geography:
The Syrian Arab Republic is in the Middle East, bordered by Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and the Mediterranean Sea.
Damascus is Syria's capital city. Other important cities are Aleppo, Hama, Homs and Lattakia. Ports are Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia and Tartous.
Syria's terrain is mainly plateau with mountains in the west. The Syrian Desert is in the east. There is a narrow Mediterranean coastal plain. Syria's main rivers are the Euphrates and the Orontes.
The summers are hot and dry. Winters range from mild to cold with rain and some snow. |
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Morocco, Casablanca: may be the cosmopolitan, industrial and economic heart of Morocco (and its largest city), but it is one of the less endearing of the country?s sights. With a small, unassuming medina and a traffic-congested ville nouvelle, travelers arriving via Casablanca may be tempted to find the first train out of to nearby Rabat. The awe-inspiring Hassan II Mosque and happening nightlife, however, are worth at least a day of your Moroccan itinerary.
The King Hassan II Mosque, a relatively recent mosque, it?s one of the largest in the world and the largest in Morocco, and has the tallest minaret on the planet. It is situated on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic, which can be seen through a gigantic glass floor with room for 25,000 worshippers. A further 80,000 can be accommodated in the mosque?s courtyard. It?s one of the two main mosques in Morocco open to non-muslims.
The Parc de la Ligue Arabe (formally called Lyautey) is the city?s largest public park. On its edge is situated the Cathedrale du Sacr� Coeur, which is disused, but is a splendid example of Moresque architecture.
Le VieuxPort (The Old Port) restaurant is one of Mohammedia restaurants, which is located just in front of the fishing port, offering a magnificent view. It specialises in sea food, and crustacees. |
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