Million dollar mosques surrounded by hungry Muslims
I came across a BBC article about the grandest mosque in Abu Dhabi. Built in 2007, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque can accommodate up to 40,000 worshippers under its 57 domes. The breathtaking architecture is the result of a deliberate attempt to represent the many cultures within the Islamic world by incorporating Arab, Mughal, Moorish, and Turkish designs. The interior boasts the largest chandelier and hand-woven carpet in the world. Beautiful? Absolutely. Worth it? Not so sure. In a region where we’ve recently seen people take to the streets due to economic, financial, and social hardships, it makes me a little ...
Read Full Post
The old architecture of Gojal valley
Gojal valley is host to many historical buildings. Gulmit, Ghulkin, Morkhoon, Gircha, Sost, Misgar, Shimshal and Chipursan have a number of such structures. Among these, the Bai Nazar Maktab, an old house in Gulmit, Qarghiz Bai House in Ghulkin, an old house in Gircha and Qalandarchi Fort in Misgar are prominent. Two buildings in Gulmit, the main town and headquarter of the calamity-hit Gojal Tehsil, are noted for their beautiful wood carvings. The old house which is located near the polo ground is well known for its ornately carved door and windows. The old house has now been turned into a ...
Read Full Post
Rebuilding an emperor’s dream
I do not feel very proud as I tell you about Akbari gate, it is more of a junkyard than a cultural heritage site. When you walk through this gate it feels like you have descended to some level of hell. The air is filled with dust and the odour of animal waste has permeated to even the edibles sold here. Surprisingly, people manage to live here. They conduct business very proudly, contributing to the increasingly vast garbage heaps in the area. There are no traces of monuments and our old heritage; all that is left is a materialistic mess of the greed of humanity. There is little sign of the gate named after Mughal emperor Jalaludin Muhammad ...
Read Full Post1-3 of 3
