The Wonders of Soqotra

Three years ago - when I did an extensive search on 'Soqotra' or 'Socotra' on the Internet - the Island had very little written on it in English; very little of the Island is mentioned in even such sites as the National Geographic or World Wildlife Fund or Greenpeace . Very thankfully, in 2008 - UNESCO recognized the island as a world natural heritage site and it now has world attention.

Congratulations to Syria for banning smoking in public!

Syria becomes the first Arab state: not in sending a man into outer space, not in building the largest shopping mall or the tallest building or the most man-made islands; Syria becomes the first country to ban smoking - targeting most public places such as restaurants, cafes, schools, universities, hospitals, parks, movie theaters, museums and public transport.

The Colors of Khor Al Mukalla

The best times to be around the Khor is immediately after dawn or before sunset. As the sun rises, the shades and colors in the water, on the buildings and mountains around the canal - continuously change. Just before sunset, the changes of the shades and colors are even more dramatic. And beautiful to watch.

"....walk on the earth in humility..."

Each moment we live; each moment of life we have here on Earth, is so short; so fleeting that could each of us know when his or her life will end, maybe, people; humans, can be and can act in a much better,  a more merciful, a more constructive and a more beneficial way. But, alas, we humans seem not truly conscious of the fleetingness of life and how short it is; and how temporary we are on this Earth.

We are so absorbed in our own, selfish daily, moment to moment being and doings, that we have very little time or respect for each other; or for our other fellow creatures here on Earth. In the process of achieving our own selfish ends, we have made Planet Earth a most difficult place to be and live in for millions of our fellow human beings and for the multitude of other creatures who inhabit it.

Out of Sana'a

Sana'a, like many Yemeni cities, is surrounded by mountains. Most Yemeni urban centers are old; some thousands of years old. In the olden days, mountains and seas offered excellent protection and security against invaders. A short distance out of Sana'a, on the way to Dar Al Hajar, the road goes through some of these mountains.

Events: with Hadhramout as main theme

In the past few days, several cultural events in a number of places - have Hadhramout as their main subjects. In Tarim - Tareem, which is the 2010 Islamic Culture capital - an exhibition of old photographs on Hadhramout is being held; in Britain, Frey Stark's classic A Winter In Arabia, which has Hadhramout as its main subject - is reviewed; and in Singapore, an exhibition of early Arabs, mainly Hadhramis, is opening.

The Caves of Soqotra

Soqotra has many caves. Wonderful caves. The most famous is the Hoq cave; the cave which was the first to be surveyed by the Socotra Karst Project-team project. The  three kilometers long cave is awesome: it is decorated by stunning stalagmites, stalactites, calcite floors and many other forms of speleothems. It is one of the biggest caves in the Middle East. During the project, many old artifacts were discovered and it was discovered that - hundreds of years ago, the cave was used as a place of worship. The walls of the cave, are covered by writings in many languages; this - the result of the island being a center for trade for hundreds of years when many around the world sought the dragon's blood, a kind of resin, which is plenty on the Island.

Qasr Al Ma'een from the Inside

Inside, Al Qu'aity's Al Ma'een Mukalla Palace is simple but elegant. During its heydays it must have seemed stunningly opulent and imposing. The decorations and furniture inside are very much Indian inspired. The doors and windows are all intricately made of wood; and so is most of the furniture, though some chairs and stool are made of metal. The Qua'ity sultans ruled the largest part of Hadhramaut, from here; from inside these walls - for about seventy years. During that rule, the old part of Al Mukalla was surrounded by walls with gates; these walls and the surrounding mountains provided excellent protection and security for the city.

Qasr Al Ma'een from the Outside

The building that has been most prominent and is the main tourist attraction in Al Mukalla for the last one hundred years, is undoubtedly the old Sultan's palace: Qasr Al Ma'een, some  times referred to as Qasr Al Qu'aity or Qasr Al Mukalla. The Palace is said to have been built in 1925 during the rule of Sultan Omar Bin Awadh Al Qu'aity. On and off, I have been trying to write a post with pictures on the Palace; but have always put it off. When I made that post on the palaces of Hadhramout, I had Al Mukalla's palace in mind. I have managed to take many photos of the Palace and below are several of these:

Khor Al Mukalla: The Two Other Bridges

Apart from the two Blue Bridges over Khor Al Mukalla, there are two other bridges over it. One at the far end, near the sea; and one at the end of the water canal.

Site of Note: Toot

Blogging started in America in the mid 1990s; but, though there are now many bloggers from the Arab world and bloggers are rapidly increasing in numbers, blogging is still some thing new here. Most Arabs do not even know what a blog is. One organization that has very much helped in strengthening Arab bloggers and making their voices heard more and to a much wider audience is: Toot. Toot is a blog directory built for anyone interested in blogs, videos, photos and news mainly from the Arab world and about Arab affairs.