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Tomb of Askia

 Africa  No Responses »
Jan 292010
 

The Tomb of Askia, in Gao, Mali, is believed to be the burial place of Askia Mohammad I, digit of Songhai’s most prolific emperors. It was shapely at the end of the ordinal century and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO describes the spot as a dust like warning of the monumental mud-building traditions of the West African Sahel. The complex includes the pyramidal tomb, two mosques, a cemetery and an assembly ground. At 17 metres in height it is the largest pre-colonial architectural monument in the region. It is the prototypal warning of an Islamic architectural style that later spread throughout the region.

Tomb of Askia

Tomb of Askia


Relatively recent modifications to the place have included the expansion of the mosque buildings in the 1960s and mid-1970s, and the 1999 construction of a surround around the site. It has also been regularly replastered throughout its history, a impact essential to the maintenance and repair of mud structures. Electricity was added in the early 2000s, allowing for ceiling fans, lights and a loud speaker mounted on top.
Askia is in regular use as a mosque and a publicly owned cultural edifice for the city of Gao. The place and a pilot area around it are protected by both domestic and local laws.
GPS coordinates: 16° 17′ 23″ N, 0° 2′ 40″ W
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Jama Masjid, Delhi

 Asia  No Responses »
Oct 172009
 

The Masjid-i Jahan-Numa, commonly known as the Jama Masjid of Delhi, is the principal masjid of Old Delhi in India. Commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal, and complete in the year 1656 AD, it is the largest and best-known masjid in India. It lies at the lineage of a very busy central street of Old Delhi, Chandni Chowk.

Jama Masjid, Delhi

Jama Masjid


The later name, Jami Masjid, is a meaning to the weekly weekday hour gathering prayers of Muslims, Jummah, which are usually done at a mosque, the “congregational mosque” or “jami’ masjid”. The courtyard of the masjid can stop up to twenty-five thousand worshippers. The masjid also houses several relics in a closet in the north gate, including an antique copy of the Qur’an written on deer skin.
Jama Masjid, Delhi GPS coordinates: 28° 39′ 3″ N, 77° 13′ 59″ E

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Blue Mosque, Istanbul

 Asia  No Responses »
Aug 022009
 

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is the national mosque of Turkey, and is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923).

Blue Mosque, Istanbul

Blue Mosque


The mosque is one of several mosques known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Istanbul.
GPS coordinates: 41° 0′ 19″ N, 28° 58′ 36″ E

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Timbuktu, Mali

 Africa  8 Responses »
Oct 262008
 

Timbuktu, Mali
Timbuktu is a city in Tombouctou Region, in the West African nation of Mali. It was made prosperous by Mansa Musa. It is home to the prestigious Sankore University and other madrasas, and was an intellectual and spiritual capital and centre for the propagation of Islam throughout Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its three great mosques, Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahya, recall Timbuktu’s golden age. Although continuously restored, these monuments are today under threat from desertification. Timbuktu is primarily made of mud. Timbuktu is populated by Songhay, Tuareg, Fulani, and Mandé people, and is about 15 km north of the Niger River. It is also at the intersection of an east–west and a north–south Trans-Saharan trade route across the Sahara to Araouane. It was important historically (and still is today) as an entrepot for rock-salt originally from Taghaza, now from Taoudenni. Mali travel destinations.
GPS travel coordinates: 16° 46′ 33.24″ N, 3° 0′ 33.84″ W