Asif Salam

The Dome of the Rock (Qubbatus Saqqara) is often mistakenly referred to as the al-Aqsa mosque but is actually part of Masjid al-Aqsa. This structure was built by Caliph Abd al-Malik from 688 to 691 CE and houses the sacred rock from which it is said the Prophet Muhammed (ﷺ) ascended to heaven (Mi’raj) after the night journey to Jerusalem (Isra’) (👍PLEASE SHARE 🤲)
The octagon shaped building was the cutting edge of design at the time, built on a marble base with the remainder ...
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Hever Castle is located in the village of Hever, Kent, near Edenbridge, 30 miles (48 km) south-east of London, England. It began as a country house, built in the 13th century. From 1462 to 1539, it was the seat of the Boleyn (originally 'Bullen') family. 💚(PLEASE SHARE)🏰⚔
Anne Boleyn, the second queen consort of King Henry VIII of England, spent her early youth there after her father, Thomas Boleyn, inherited it in 1505. The castle passed to him upon the death of his father, Sir William Boleyn. It later came into the possession of King Henry VIII's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves.

It is a city that is the treasure of time … Jerusalem
#TimeTravel #Canon #Palestine #Jerusalem #Historic
Is it ancient stone alleyways brimming with Jews and Arabs on their way to prayer? Or perhaps a picture postcard vista of the Western (Wailing) Wall? Or perhaps the hustle and bustle of a Jerusalem market, with market traders howling out their latest prices and bargains in Hebrew and Arabic?
... What you feel for Jerusalem will, of course, depend on your faith. But forget that for a second, because however much you might convince yourself that you’re a non-believer, there’s something raw and empowering about being in the Holy City that it makes you want to start to believe…in whatever.
Jerusalem is a fascinating city; a city where old meets new, holy meets secular, and where nature and beautiful architecture merge into a melting pot of smells, sounds and sights. I will never forget my first visit to Jerusalem and the Old City, it was amazingly inspiring!
Jerusalem is, of course, the meeting point of the three main faiths: for centuries, Jerusalem has played a significant role in Christianity as the place of Christ’s crucifixion, while for Jews Jerusalem is the place of David’s ancient throne, and the indivisible capital of modern Israel. To Moslems the city is a sacred place of worship, centered on the Dome of the Rock.
The Old City is home to sites of key religious significance, including the Temple Mount, the Western Wall (a remnant of the supporting wall of the Second Temple), the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque. The old walled city, has been traditionally divided into four quarters — the Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Quarters, and as you can imagine, tensions and squabbles often break out: you might not be surprised to hear that the Old City is historically the world’s most fought over city….
So, yes, I highly recommend you check out the Old City. :)
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The area known as the Citadel sits on the highest hill in Amman, Jebel Al Qala’a (about 850m above sea level), and is the site of ancient Rabbath-Ammon. Occupied since the Bronze Age, it's surrounded by a 1700m-long wall, which was rebuilt many times during the Bronze and Iron Ages, as well as the Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad periods. There's plenty to see, but the Citadel's most striking sights are the Temple of Hercules and the Ummayad Palace. 🇯🇴 ⚱️ (PLEASE SHARE) #Canon #J...ordan #Amman #Hercules #Historic
Artefacts dating from the Bronze Age show that the hill was a fortress and/or agora (open space for commerce and politics) for thousands of years.
The two giant standing pillars are the remains of the Roman Temple of Hercules. Once connected to the Forum (downtown), the temple was built during the reign of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 161–80). The only obvious remains are parts of the podium and the columns, which are visible from around town. There’s also a rather touching remnant of a stone-carved hand, which shows the level of detail that would have adorned the temple in its glory days. Nearby is a lookout with sweeping views of the downtown area.
The Citadel’s most impressive series of historic buildings is focused around the Umayyad Palace, behind the small (and rather old-fashioned) archaeological museum. Believed to be the work of Umayyad Arabs and dating from about AD 720, the palace was an extensive complex of royal and residential buildings and was once home to the governor of Amman. Its lifespan was short – it was destroyed by an earthquake in AD 749 and was never fully rebuilt.
Coming from the south, the first major building belonging to the palace complex is the domed audience hall, designed to impress visitors to the royal palace. The most intact of the buildings on the site, the hall is shaped like a cross, mirroring the Byzantine church over which it was built. After much debate as to whether the central space had originally been covered or left open to the elements, consensus came down on the side of the ceiling dome, which was reconstructed by Spanish archaeologists.
A courtyard immediately north of the hall leads to a 10m-wide colonnaded street, lined with numerous arches and columns, and flanked by residential and administrative buildings. Further to the north is the former governor’s residence, which includes the throne room.
East of the audience hall is the Umayyad Cistern, an enormous circular hole with steps leading down to the bottom, which once supplied water to the palace and surrounding areas. The small disc on the floor in the centre once supported a pillar that was used for measuring water levels.
Near the museum to the south is the small Byzantine Basilica, most of which has been destroyed by earthquakes. It dates from the 6th or 7th century AD, and contains a few dusty mosaics.
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The lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea (431m below sea level) brings together breathtaking natural beauty, compelling ancient history and modern mineral spas that soothe and pamper every fibre of your body. The jagged bluffs of the Judean Desert, cleft by dry canyons that turn into raging tan-coloured torrents after a cloudburst, rise from the cobalt blue waters of the Dead Sea, heavy with salt and oily with minerals.
According to Islamic and biblical traditions, the Dead Se...a is the site of the ancient city of Sodom, home of the Prophet Lut (Lot). The Quran describes the people of Sodom as ignorant, wicked evildoers who rejected God's call to righteousness. Lut tenaciously preached God's message, but to no avail; he found that even his own wife was one of the disbelievers.
Tradition has it that God severely punished the Sodomites for their wickedness. According to the Quran, the punishment was to "turn the cities upside down, and rain down on them brimstones hard as baked clay, spread layer on layer, marked from your Lord" (Quran 11:82–83). The site of this punishment is now the Dead Sea, standing as a symbol of destruction.
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Valletta is Malta's lilliputian capital, built by the Knights of St John on a peninsula that's only 1km by 600m. Its founder decreed that it should be 'a city built by gentlemen for gentlemen', and it retains its 16th-century elegance. It may be small, but it's packed full of sights; when Unesco named Valletta a World Heritage site, it described it as 'one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world'. (PLEASE SHARE) 🇲🇹 🏦🎠 #Canon #Malta #Valletta #Knights
The Renzo Pi...ano–designed City Gate, Parliament Building and Opera House have changed the cityscape and galvanised it into life. These sights, along with Valletta's status as European Capital of Culture for 2018, have seen the city reborn, with new museums, restored golden-stone fortresses, and new hotels, bars and restaurants in 16th-century mansions. Valletta's outskirts are also worth a visit. Take the beautiful ferry trip to the Three Cities or visit the astounding prehistoric Hal Saflieni Hypogeum.
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Let us launch in to 2019, have a wonderful time travelling into the future 😊👆 HAPPY NEW YEAR 🕕🚀

London is filled with activities to do all year round however it gets totally transformed during winter and there are some activities that either aren’t available at any time of the year or are dramatically different during winter. 💂❄️ #London

Strolling around the city managed to find some of the unique decorations over the last few days 🎉🎄🎁🎀 #Christmas #London #Canon #Sigma #Decorations

Phewa Lake is the travellers’ focal point in Pokhara, and is the second largest lake in Nepal. In contrast to the gaudy tourist development of Lakeside, the steep southwestern shore is densely forested and alive with birdlife. The lush Rani Ban, or Queen’s Forest, bestows an emerald hue to the lake, and on a clear day the Annapurna mountains are perfectly reflected on its mirror surface. 🇳🇵📸🚣‍♂ (PLEASE SHARE)
You can take to the lake in one of the brightly painted doongas (boats) available for rent at Lakeside. Many people walk or cycle around the lakeshore – the trek up to the World Peace Pagoda affords breathtaking views over the tal to the mountains beyond.
#Phewalake #Phewa #Pokhara #Nepal #Landscape #Canon6D

The ancient streets, souks, businesses and homes of the Marrakech medina tell the story of a thousand years of urban development at the western edge of the Islamic world. ⏳🌞🍊 #Morocco #Marrakech #Canon #5DMark4 #Travel #Adveture 🇲🇦
The fragrant scents, sounds and sights of Marrakech change with each new alley you explore. Think African spices, orange blossoms, gasoline, smoke and dust. Donkey carts, afternoon prayer and Moroccan instruments. Ultramarine blues, saffron oranges... and intense jades, wherever you look.
In the narrowest, quietest alleys of the medina, don’t be surprised to find a lemon garden or an extravagant Moroccan courtyard. The enclosed courtyard—necessary in Marrakech because of Islamic notions of privacy and the realities of harsh desert climates—offer some of the most beautiful and surprising spaces in the medina.
In the busy main streets of the medina, you’re sure to be bombarded with the aggressive sales tactics of would-be guides and craft-sellers. But wander deeper into the alleys, and you’ll get an up-close view of how people in this city really live.
The traditional Arab markets, or souks, of the Marrakech medina are renowned around the world for the exotic and ageless experience. Souks are organized into traditional commodities. There are souks for spices, olives, musical instruments, antiques, crafts, wools and silks, and even brass lanterns.
The motif of the keyhole arch is emblematic of Moroccan architecture, and this beautiful theme can be found in almost any structure throughout the medina. Some of the most striking arches can be found near the entrance of the Ben Youssef Madrasa.
Morocco’s distinctive cuisine can be experienced at any number of restaurants and cafes. But sampling and purchasing the ingredients from street vendors in the souks and the Jemmaa el-Fnaa square is to appreciate these core elements of the cuisine in their traditional setting.
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Recipe for a gorgeous Swiss city: take a cobalt lake ringed by mountains of myth, add a well-preserved medieval Altstadt (Old Town) and a reputation for making beautiful music, then sprinkle with covered bridges, sunny plazas, candy-coloured houses and waterfront promenades. Lucerne is stunning, and deservedly popular since the likes of Goethe, Queen Victoria and Wagner savoured its views in the 19th century. Legend has it that an angel with a light showed the first settlers where to build a chapel in Lucerne, and today it still has amazing grace. 🏵 🇨🇭 #Switzerland #Lucerne #Canon #5DMark4 #Travel #Adveture

What is the true story about the legendary Jules Rimet Cup and why were the yellow and red cards introduced? In the course of 60 or 90 minutes, you can hear all about the most important highlights of the exhibition. Naturally, you will also have plenty of opportunity to admire the original FIFA World Cup Trophy™ from close up. 🏅🏆(PLEASE SHARE)⚽🥅
Designed to showcase the extraordinary history of the FIFA World Cup, the FIFA World Football Museum covers all aspects of internati...onal football’s rich heritage. On the ground floor is Planet Football, the entrance to the museum which celebrates the alliance of the 211 nations brought together through FIFA, as demonstrated in the stunning Rainbow of national team jerseys.
Descending to level -2, visitors will discover The Foundations and the FIFA World Cup Gallery, the historic heart of the museum. Centre stage is the FIFA World Cup Trophy. For 40 years it had been kept in a bank vault in between World Cups, but the museum is now the new home for the most iconic sports trophy in the world. #Fifa #FifaWorldCup #Trophy #Football #Museam #Zurich
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The planes are small, only 19 person capacity, with each seat a window seat. On the day, we took off in the flight and the flight after ours were full. Both pilots and the captain along with single flight attendant were extremely charming, pointing out all the mountains. (🗻PLEASE SHARE🛩) Passengers were also given the route map to identifying the mountains, and at the end of the flight, you get a certificate as well. In addition, for claustrophobes you might get a bit uncomfo...rtable initially, however once the flight takes off the open views should distract you. It does not matter which side of the plane you sit on as the plane makes a loop around so everyone gets a view of the mountains. For optimal views, you might want to request a seat at the back to be away from the wings however. The flight takes you within about ten miles of Everest, but no closer! Having said that, it looks very impressive from that range. Oh and everyone gets invited to the cockpit with the pilots where they will point out Mount Everest :)
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The 5,000-year-old Hagar Qim ("HA-jar eem"), which means “standing stones” was built between 3600 B.C. and 3000 B.C. The megalithic complex of Hagar Qim is located atop a cliff on the southern edge of the island of Malta. ( 🏛️ PLEASE SHARE 👍 ) The Mnajdra temples are about 600 meters further down further down the cliff . Hagar Qim consists of a main temple and three additional megalithic structures beside it. The largest megalith at Hagar Qim is some 7 meters (23 ft) high and weights around 20 tons. Mnajdra consists of three conjoined but not connected temples . The oldest temples were built between 3600 and 3200 BC. Many artifacts were recovered from within the temples suggesting that these old temples were used for religious purposes. These structures were not used as tombs since no human remains were found. #Malta #Temple

Dominating Palace Square, the Grandmaster's Palace was one of the first buildings to be built in Valletta – in 1571. The original Palazzo was designed by Gelormu Cassar but successive Grandmasters enlarged and developed the building as they deemed fit to use it as their official residence. ⛵ (PLEASE SHARE) 🇲🇹 #Malta
The Grandmaster’s Palazzo always hosted the government in Malta, first the Knights, then under the British it served as the Governor’s Palace, and now it hosts t...he President’s office as well as the House of Representatives.
The Grandmaster’s Palace & The State Rooms are built around two courtyards, one of which features a statue of Neptune. Inside is the famous Council Chamber, decorated with priceless Gobelins tapestries featuring tropical scenes set in South America, the Caribbean, India and Africa woven in France especially for Grand Master Ramón Perellos y Roccaf. Despite being almost 300 years old, these tapestries are still very well preserved.
The other rooms and passages of the Grand Masters Palazzo are splendidly furnished with artefacts and armour. The Palace armoury is also located here and deserves a visit. The Throne Room or former Hall of the Supreme Council of the Knights deserves special attention with top quality frescoes that show impressions of the Great Siege, while portraits of Grandmasters and other rulers hang in the Hall of Ambassadors. Known also as the Red Room, this hall is decorated in crimson with furniture from Louis XV and a high fresco explaining episodes from the early history of the Order of St. John.
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