Historical cities: Isfahan-Iran

Isfahan or Esfahan (Persian: اصفهان Esfahān historically also rendered in English as Ispahan or Hispahan, is located about 340 km south of Tehran and is the capital of Isfahan Province and Iran's third largest city (after Tehran and Mashhad).

Isfahan has been designated by UNESCO as a world heritage city. It contains a wide variety of Islamic Architectural sites ranging from the 11th century to the 19th.
Historically, Isfahan dates back to ancient times. However, most of its preserved monuments date from the Islamic era when the city was the capital of Iran from the 7th to the17th centuries. Isfahan's numerous cultural treasures and historical splendours comprising of palaces, mosques, churches, bazaars and beautiful bridges, make it one of the most beautiful cities in Asia Minor. (Current population: 1,300,000)

Unesco World Heritage adds: Meidan Emam, a complex of buildings commissioned by Shah Abbas I the Great in the early part of the 17th Century, includes the Royal Mosque, the Mosque of Sheykh Lotfollah and the Portico of Qaysariyyeh and, from an earlier period, the 15th Centruy Timurid Palace.

The Naghsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan is one of the biggest city squares in the world and an outstanding example of Iranian and Islamic architecture. It has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The city also has a wide variety of historic monuments ranging from the Sassanid to the Safavid dynasties.
Remaining Islamic architectural sites were built from 11th to the 19th century, while older, pre-Islamic monuments date back to 1000 B.C.

Historical sites

Squares and Streets

* Naqsh-e Jahan Square also known as "Shah Square" or "Imam Square" - 1602.
* Meydan Kohne (Old Square)
* Shahshahan Square
* Chaharbagh Boulevard - 1596.
* Chaharbagh-e-khajou Boulevard

Palaces

* Ali Qapu (The Royal Palace) - Early 17th Century.
* Talar Ashraf (The Palace of Ashraf) - 1650.
* Hasht-Behesht (The Palace of Eight Paradises) - 1669.
* Chehel Sotoun (The Palace of Forty Columns) - 1647.

Old schools (Madresse):

* Madreseye Sadr.
* Madreseye Shah (Chahar Bagh School).
* Madreseye Khajoo.

Mosques

* Shah Mosque
* Hakim Mosque Isfahan
* Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque
* Esfahan Jame (Congregative) mosque

Caravanserais

* Shah Carvanserai


Bazaars

* Grand Bazaar, Isfahan
* Shahi Bazaar













Isfahan’s main monuments are centred around the following areas; the Imam Square (or Royal Square), the Friday Mosque, and the bridges on the Zayandeh Rud. The centre of Isfahan during the Seljuk period was the Friday Mosque. Today, the mosque is like a patchwork of history with a winter hall that is probably Timurid; minarets built by the "Black Sheep" tribe and the interior decorated by the Safavids.

In 1598, Shah Abbas decided to shift this centre to the present day Imam Square - according to some, in order to annoy a rich merchant who was reluctant to part with his property. This Square is one of the largest in the world (500m x 160m) and was the symbolic centre of the Safavid Dynasty and its Empire. It was used for holding festivals, markets and games of polo. The original goal posts from Shah Abbas’ polo grounds are still in place today at the far ends of the square.

The square is surrounded on all 4 sides by long walls with the Imam Mosque in the south, the Mosque of Sheikh Lotfollah in the east, the Ali Qapu Palace in the west and the entrance of the great Bazaar in the north. It is a very popular spot on summer evenings when the Isfahanis settle down on carpets and bring out their picnics and samovars.

Isfahan’s majestic buildings and bridges, elegant gardens, attractive bazaars and teahouses, entrance the visitor into wanting to spend as much time as possible in its relaxing atmosphere.

The Red Sea

The Red Sea, or as it’s called in Arabic: Bahr al-Ahmar, is one of the world’s most tantalizing seascape environments. It began to develop 20-30 million years ago when the plates of East Africa and Arabia stretched-out until they broke apart. The Red Sea is a geologically recent opening and one of the youngest oceanic zones on earth.




* The Red Sea is usually considered an extension of the Indian Ocean, which lies between Africa and Asia

* Narrow connection to the Indian Ocean lies at its south through the Bab al Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden

* 1,200 miles long and as much as 190 miles wide at some points

* Maximum depth of the Red Sea is 8,200 feet

9 countries share the shorelines of the Red Sea and the waters of the Red Sea support a vital fishing industry and provide recreation facilities. Unfortunately, the coastal environment is fragile. The shore line, coastal region, and near-shore waters are all under pressure from populations and industry.

Approximately 40 % of the Red Sea is quite shallow (less than 100 m) whereas about 25 % of the Red Sea is less than 50 m deep. About 15 % of the Red Sea is over 1000 m depth. Shelf breaks are marked by coral reefs and the continental slope has an irregular profile (series of steps down to 500 m)

Any attempt to describe the marine life of the Red Sea risks drowning in superlatives--it is extraordinary, unparalleled, marvellous, incredible, and truly wondrous. It was not by chance that Jacques Cousteau chose this region to first introduce the world to undersea life, and by the same token it is not by chance that so many people become diving fanatics during a visit to Sinai.

The exceptional richness of marine life in the Red Sea, and in the Gulf of Aqaba in particular, is due to an unusual combination of environmental factors. First, the Red Sea is comparatively sheltered and calm: its currents are gentle and regular, its tides almost non-existent, and its temperature warm and steady. While its waters run quite deep, they are warmed by volcanic heat emanating from the sea bed. The result of all these factors is an environment ideally suited to the complex and delicate ecosystem of coral reefs.

Even among the world's most celebrated reef systems, that of the Sinai stands out for its unusual wealth of certain kinds of marine life--most notably, coral itself. The sheer abundance of corals, many of exceptional size and color, makes diving in Sinai an experience of almost magical intensity. But beyond the corals is a nearly infinite variety of marine species, including such notable creatures as Napoleon wrasse, brilliant orange coral groupers, enormous gorgonian fans, moray eels and hammerhead sharks, elaborate lionfish and majestic, swooping giant manta rays.

Cargo vessels, oil tankers, fishing boats, and passenger liners all move their trade across this great waterway, but for many, the true enchantment of the Red Sea is hidden just below its surface.

There are over 1000 species of invertebrates and around 200 recorded coral types to be found. Moreover, the Red Sea boasts over a thousand species of fish, more species than any other proportional body of water. Not surprisingly, therefore, the Red Sea is considered by many to offer the very best diving available in the marine world. The Red Sea attracts divers, photographers, marine scientists, and leisure seekers from all over the world, hoping to experience and explore the incalculable wonders of the colorful, abounding marine life and the Red Sea’s lavish coral reefs. In places, the exceptional living reef stretches way out to sea, forming a elaborate system of caves, lagoons, gardens, and plateaus. Some of these coral summits plunge dramatically thousands of feet to the ocean floor. The Red Sea is not all a delight however, as it has its troubles which you will have to stay away from. There is minimal danger from marine animals in the Red Sea, and with a little common sense, even these dangers can be eliminated. Some of the marine animals are dangerous to touch, others dangerous to eat, and some are dangerous to come face to face with. There are fire corals and stinging hydroids which can be extremely painful if accidentally touched as well.

The Living Dead Sea

Thanks to its unique elements of nature, life and quality of life at the Living Dead Sea are unlike any other place in the world.

The climate and the mineral qualities are major features in the variety of its therapeutic qualities, of its beauty treatments and of the menu of bodily pleasures to choose from.

The only place on the globe where the crust of planet Earth recedes to an "in-depth low" of minus 416 meters below sea level.

330 days a year of sun that caresses sunbathers through atmospheric filters with the least chance of sun-burning. The air that is miraculously dry, unpolluted, pollen-free, the air that purifies respiratory systems also filters and softens solar radiation.

The Living Dead Sea is the only un-drownable lake on earth. Travellers from afar make the distance just for the sensation of reclining into its salty water, floating in armchair, reading position and leaving the worries of the world behind them. An assortment of mineral waters of various qualities is used for therapeutic and cosmetic treatments, as well as for manufacturing of the famous Dead Sea cosmetics lines. Drinking water comes from underground aquifer reservoirs by hydro-energy.

Mineral-rich springs, predominantly sulphur, rise from deep down into little ponds
along the Dead Sea shores.


Mud pack

For improved blood circulation, to relieve tensions of mind and muscle, for cosmetic and therapeutic benefits, indulge in a natural black mud pack. This experience is the most hilarious fun of the Living Dead Sea.

The name 'Dead Sea' is actually a kinder, gentler translation from the Hebrew name 'Yam ha Maved', which means, 'Killer Sea'. It is some of the saltiest water anywhere in the world, almost 6 times as salty as the ocean. The Dead Sea is completely landlocked and it gets saltier with increasing depth. The surface, fed by the River Jordan, is the least saline. Down to about 130 feet (40 meters), the seawater comprises about 300 grams of salt per kilogram of seawater. That's about ten times the salinity of the oceans. Below 300 feet, though, the sea has 332 grams of salt per kilogram of seawater and is saturated. Salt precipitates out and piles up on the bottom of the sea.

There are no fish or any kind of swimming, squirming creatures living in or near the water. There are, however, several types of bacteria and one type of algea that have adapted to harsh life in the waters of the Dead Sea. What you'll see on the shores of the Sea is white, crystals of salt covering everything. And this is no ordinary table salt, either. The salts found in the Dead Sea are mineral salts, just like you find in the oceans of the world, only in extreme concentrations. The water in the Dead Sea is deadly to living things. Fish accidentally swimming into the waters from one of the several freshwater streams that feed the Sea are killed instantly, their bodies quickly coated with a preserving layer of salt crystals and then tossed onto shore by the wind and waves. Because of the extremely high concentration of dissolved mineral salts in the water its density is way more than that of plain old fresh water. What this means is our bodies are more buoyant in the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea is continually fed water from the rivers and streams coming down off the mountains that surround it. But the kicker is this....no rivers drain out of the Dead Sea. The only way water gets out of the Sea is through evaporation.

This part of the world get plenty hot. When the water evaporates, it leaves behind all the dissolved minerals in the Sea, just making it saltier. In fact, it's through the dual action of: 1) continuing evaporation and 2) minerals salts carried into the Sea from the local rivers, that makes the Sea so salty. The fact that the water doesn't escape the Sea just traps the salts within its shores. There's nothing living in the Dead Sea because it got so salty, so quickly, that evolution has not had a chance to produce any creatures that could adapt to such brutal conditions.

Middle Eastern Food

The region of the Middle East was the site of great ancient civilizations, Mesopotamia and Egypt, as well as the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Today the term Middle East is also used in a cultural sense for that part of the world predominantly Islamic in culture, in which case Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the remaining countries of North Africa are included. The cooking that developed from country to country bears similarities as well as differences, but most of the cooking had its origins in what we may call 'tent cooking.'

Geographic borders have been defined and redefined through the centuries, but many of the roots of Middle Eastern cooking can be found in the country of Israel. Israel is located in the South West corner of the Asian continent and at the South Eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Geographically it is at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. It is bordered by Lebanon to the North, Syria to the North East, Jordan to the East and Egypt to the South West. Its Western shoreline is on the Mediterranean Sea and it occupies a narrow strip at the extreme South along the Red Sea. Together with the country's non-Jewish citizens - Muslim and Christian Arabs, Bedouin, and Druze this melting pot gives the country its exceptional cuisine flavour.

Though often utilizing similar ingredients and cultural tastes, Middle Eastern Food can refer to a wide range of cuisines, from North African to Turkish, from Armenian to Israeli. The dishes frequently contain flatbreads such as pita and legumes such as chickpeas or beans. Many dishes do not include meat, making Middle Eastern cuisine a great option for vegetarians.

The Middle Eastern food is closely tied to Mediterranean food and often uses lamb and rice
Other common elements: Pita, honey, chickpeas, olives, tahini, lemons, cumin, yogurt, lentils, eggplant

Cuisine Characteristics

Middle Eastern cuisine is defined by the region and the traditions of the people that live there. With the warm climate, foods like grapes, lemons, olives, mint, parsley and eggplant are commonly grown and found in many dishes. Because pork is neither kosher nor halal, most Jews and Muslims do not eat it, and it is thus a rarity in Middle Eastern food. Lamb or mutton are much more common than beef. Because the Koran forbids alcohol, Middle Eastern dishes are not cooked in wine or other alcoholic beverages.