GILGIT AND BALTISTAN HISTORY

GILGIT BATISTAN

The gilgit and baltistan are the beautiful areas of pakistan and was formerly known as the northern areas of pakistan. Gilgit Baltistan borders Afghanistan to the north, China to the northeast, the Pakistani administrated state of Azad, Jammu and Kashmir  to the south, and the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir to the southeast.Gilgit baltistan consist of seven districts namely Gilgit, Ghezir, Hunza Nagar, Diamar, Astore, Baltistan (Skardu) and Ghanche. 
HISTORY OF GILGIT& BALTISTAN

The gilgit and baltistan   have its unique history,cultural values due to the isolation associated with the karakoram mountains. Over the centuries, the region of Gilgit Baltistan came under the control of the Durrani Empire of Afghanistan and experienced four centuries of Muslim rule under the Mughals (till 1751) and the Afghan Durranees,who ruled gilgit and baltistan till 1820,between 1820 to 1860 the area was ruled by sikh administration.  Between 1935 and 1947 the territory of Gilgit&Baltistan was given to the British on lease in order to enable them to keep watch on the developments in  Afghanistan.After the creation of pakistan the gilgit and baltistan became the third nothern area and province of jammu and kashmir.On 1st November 1947, the local population of Gilgit Baltistan of Gilgit-Baltistan fought the Dogra Raj and joined Pakistan and declared an independent Republic in Gilgit.  
In 2009, the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order 2009  was passed by the Pakistani cabinet and later signed by the President. It granted self-rule to the people of the former Northern Areas, now renamed "Gilgit-Baltistan," by creating, among other things, an elected  assembly.

Travel and tourism

Nature has given Gilgit Baltistan with perfect beauty, high peaks, snowy mountains, fresh water lakes, lush green fairy meadows, this area is also blessed with unlimited and heavy deposits of precious and semi-precious stones, precious and semi-precious metals,  industrial stones like Ruby, Gold, Topaz, Aquamarine, Tourmaline, Epidote, Paragasite, Zircon, Actinolite, Lead, Moonstone, Himalayan Quartz, Emerald, Marble, Granite, Feldspar, Mica, Calcite, Feldspar, Antimony, Graphite, Alum, Coal, Copper, Barite, China Clay etc. It is estimated that almost 94% of the precious & semi-precious stones located in Pakistan are found in Gilgit Baltistan.
Gilgit and baltistan is the convergent point of the three mightiest mountain ranges in the world, namely, the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush.Gilgit Baltistan currency is  in Pakistan  Rupee but foreign currencies are also accepted by hotels and other  gift shops.

TAJ MAHAL HISTORY

 The Taj Mahal has inspired  painters and musicians to try and capture its elusive magic in word, colour and song. It is one of the most attractive architectural creations of the world. Since the 17th century, travellers have crossed continents to come and see this ultimate memorial to love, and few have been unmoved by its incomparable beauty and scenery.
Location
Taj Mahal is located in the city of Agra, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, on the banks of the Yamuna River. It was built in the memory of the beautiful Arjumand Bano Begum, who won the heart of a Mughal prince. She was married at 21 to Emperor Jahangir’s third son Prince Khurram and stayed loyally by his side through good times and bad: in the luxurious royal palaces of Agra as well as the transient tents of war camps. In AD 1628, Khurram became king after a  battle of succession: he took the name Shahjahan or “King of the World” and showered his beloved begum with the highest titles. She became Mumtaz Mahal, the exalted of the palace and Mumtaz-ul-Zamani, the exalted of the Age. But Mumtaz Mahal was not destined to be queen for long.

In 1631, Shahjahan went on an expedition to the south and, as always, Mumtaz Mahal accompanied him. But she died in childbirth at Burhanpur. She had borne Shahjahan fourteen children, of whom four sons and three daughters survived. When Mumtaz Mahal died, she was just 39 years old. Shahjahan was inconsolable and contemporary chronicles tell of the royal court mourning for two years. there was no music, no feasting, and no celebration of any kind.
construction

 it began in 1633 and 20,000 workers laboured for 17 years to build it. The most skilled architects, inlay craftsmen, calligraphers, stone-carvers and masons came from all across Indian and lands as distant as Persia and Turkey. The master mason was from Baghdab, an expert in building the double dome from Persia, and an inlay specialist from Delhi.The all labours and baghdab had worked hard to build this beautifull MAHAL.

Yemen sent agates, the corals came from Arabia, the garnets from Bundelkhand, onyx and amethyst from Persia. Mumtaz Mahal’s final resting-place was ornamented like a queen’s jewel-box.

sydney harbour bridge history

The sydney harbour bridge is the australia most beautifull and  photographed landmarks.It is the world's largest sreel arch bridge.it was open for traffic in 1932
THE HISTORY OF BRIDGE
 In 1815 that Francis Greenway proposed building a  bridge name sydney harbour bridge.THE design of bridge was passed in 1900.After the firsst war the serious plan was made to build the bridge.The New South Wales Government  invited worldwide tenders for the construction of the Bridge in 1922.  The Sydney Harbour Bridge construction started in 1924 and took 1,400 men eight years to build at a cost of £4.2 million.53,000 tonnes of steel were used in its construction.
AN interesting history
Captain De Goot believed that the only person to open the Bridge should be a member of the Royal Family.
Flying under bridge
There is another story of the Americans flying under the Harbour Bridge, with one Kittyhawk flying under in about February 1942 and two Kittyhawks in May 1942. Again in May 1942.On 22 October 1943, Flight Lieutenant Peter Isaacson and his crew flew the huge Australian Lancaster under the Harbour Bridge during a tour around Australia to raise funds for the war.

Mosquée de Lyon (Grand Mosque), Lyon

 HISTORY:The first stone of the Lyon mosque was laid on the June 14, 1992, amid some controversy. Some had worried that a minaret in Lyon would challenge the basilica at Fourvière.
The mosque designed by Lyon architects and was funded by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and by other Muslim countries. Opened in September 1994, the mosque responded to its critics with a mix of discretion and western modernity.
WHAT TO SEE
 
The  mosque features a façade with Persian arches, a 25-meter-high minaret and a white dome topped with the crescent symbol. The entrance patio is covered by a glass pyramid supported by 230 columns.
A mezzanine level was fitted in the prayer room for the women, which overhangs the mihrab that indicates the direction of MECCA. The mihrab is decorated with a blue mosaic that proclaims the central creed of Islam: "There is no other God than God and Mohammed is his prophet."
The mosque has an information center and regular guided tours are given by the Lyon Visitors Bureau.

dead on display in world

There are a number of places in the world that  display dead bodies in one way or another for the edification of any visitor with a strong stomach and the price of admission.
Some of these sites result from a phenomenon that has naturally (or supernaturally?) mummified the dead, while others consist of artful arrangements of bones and skulls done by a creative monk in his spare time. In addition to such collections of human remains,  saints whose bodies have been miraculously preserved are on display in churches. (There's also a bhuddist display of the miracle in Siberia.)
Such displays of the dead certainly appeal tovisitors with a taste towards the macabre, but they can also provide reflective travelers with a powerful reminder of the impermanence of life. Whatever your reason for checking out the dead on display, the sites below are widely recognized as among the best in the world. Also listed are individual preserved bodies of saints and other famous figures.
collection of bodies and bones

• Capuchin Catacombs - Palermo
  Over 350 years ago, the Capuchin monks of Palermo discovered that bodies buried in their catacombs remained remarkably wellpreserved. Word soon got out, and everyone who was anyone asked to be buried in their Sunday best in these catacombs. Today, visitors can view over 8,000 mummies in various stages of creepy decay or preservation.
• Mummy Museum - Guanajuato, Mexico
  Unlike the otherwise similar site in Sicily, the deceased inhabitants of this museum are not here by choice. In fact, the poor corpses are on display for any curious visitor to see because they (well, their relatives) failed to the pay the rent on their burial plot. It is unknown why the dead who have been placed in this museum are mummified – scientists have thus far been unable to explain the phenomenon.
• Sedlec Ossuary - Kutna Hora, Czech Republic
  The ossuary of the "Bone Church," as it is popularly known, contains approximately 40,000 human skeletons which have been artistically arranged to form decorations and furnishings for a Cisterician monastery chapel.
• Chapel of Bones - Evora, Portugal
  This 16th-century chapel is lined with the skulls and skeletons of about 5,000 people from local cemeteries, plus two leathery corpses hanging from the ceiling for unknown reasons. The macabre display was created by a couple of monks who wished to contemplate the transitory nature of life — and communicate that message to others. A painted note over the entrance reads, "Our bones that are here await yours."
• St. Michan's Church - Dublin, Ireland
  Because of the dry atmosphere in the underground burial vault, bodies have lain here for centuries without showing signs of decomposition.

BADSHAHI MOSQUE ,LAHORE

The Badshahi Mosque  "Emperor's Mosque" was built in 1673 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore, Pakistan. It is one of the city's best known landmarks and a major tourist attraction epitomising the beauty and grandeur of the Mughal era.

mosque is capable of accommodating over 55,000 worshippers, Badshahi is the second largest mosque in Pakistan, after the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. The design of the Badshahi Masjid is closely related to the Jamia Masjid in Delhi, India, which was built in 1648 by Aurangzeb's father, Emperor Shah Jahan.
HISTORY

The mosque was built under the patronage of the sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb Alamgir. It was completed in 1673 under the supervision of Aurangzeb's foster brother Muzaffar Hussain (also known as Fidaie Khan Koka) who was appointed governor of Lahore in May 1671 and held this post until 1675. He was also Master of Ordnance to the emperor.

The construction of the mosque took about two years, from May 1671 to April 1673. The mosque was built opposite the Lahore Fort, illustrating its stature in the Mughal Empire. In conjunction with the building of the mosque, a new gate was built at the fort, named Alamgiri Gate after the Emperor.

From 1852 onwards, piecemeal repairs were carried out under the supervision of the Badshahi Mosque Authority. Extensive repairs were carried out from 1939 to 1960 at a cost of about 4.8 million rupees, which brought the mosque to its original shape and condition. The blueprint for the repairs was prepared by the late architect Nawab Zen Yar Jang Bahadur.

In 2000, the repair work of marble inlay in the main vault was repaired under the supervision of Saleem Anjum Qureshi. On the occasion of the second Islamic Summit held at Lahore on February 22, 1974, thirty-nine heads of Muslim states offered their Friday prayers in the Badshahi Masjid, led by Maulana Abdul Qadir Azad, the 'Khatib' of the mosque.

Recently a small museum has also been added to the mosque complex, which contains relics of Muhammad, his cousin, and his daughter, Hazrat Fatima Zahra.


The mosque was built under the patronage of the sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb Alamgir. It was completed in 1673 under the supervision of Aurangzeb's foster brother Muzaffar Hussain (also known as Fidaie Khan Koka) who was appointed governor of Lahore in May 1671 and held this post until 1675. He was also Master of Ordnance to the emperor.

The construction of the mosque had taken about two years, from May 1671 to April 1673. The mosque was built opposite the Lahore Fort, illustrating its stature in the Mughal Empire. In conjunction with the building of the mosque, a new gate was built at the fort, named Alamgiri Gate after the Emperor.

From 1852 onwards, piecemeal repairs were carried out under the supervision of the Badshahi Mosque Authority. Extensive repairs were carried out from 1939 to 1960 at a cost of about 4.8 million rupees, which brought the mosque to its original shape and condition. The blueprint for the repairs was prepared by the late architect Nawab Zen Yar Jang Bahadur.

In 2000, the repair work of marble inlay in the main vault was repaired under the supervision of Saleem Anjum Qureshi. On the occasion of the second Islamic Summit held at Lahore on February 22, 1974, thirty-nine heads of Muslim states offered their Friday prayers in the Badshahi Masjid, led by Maulana Abdul Qadir Azad, the 'Khatib' of the mosque.

Recently a small museum has also been added to the mosque complex, which contains relics of Muhammad, his cousin, and his daughter, Hazrat Fatima Zahra.
WHAT TO SEE
Like the character of its founder, the mosque is bold, vast and majestic in its expression. It was the largest mosque in the world for a long time. The interior has rich embellishment in stucco tracery (Manbatkari) and panelling with a fresco touch, all in bold relief, as well as marble inlay.
The exterior is decorated with stone carving as well as marble inlay on red sandstone, specially of loti form motifs in bold relief. The embellishment has Indo-Greek, Central Asian and Indian architectural influence both in technique and motifs.
The skyline is furnished by beautiful ornamental merlons inlaid with marble lining adding grace to the perimeter of the mosque. In its various architectural features like the vast square courtyard, the side aisles (dalans), the four corner minarets, the projecting central transept of the prayer chamber and the grand entrance gate, is summed up the history of development of mosque architecture of the Muslim world over the thousand years prior to its construction in 1673.
The north enclosure wall of the mosque was laid close to the Ravi River bank, so a majestic gateway could not be provided on that side and, to keep the symmetry the gate had to be omitted on the south wall as well. Thus a four aiwan plan like the earlier Delhi Jamia Masjid could not be adopted here. The walls were built with small kiln-burnt bricks laid in kankar, lime mortar (a kind of hydraulic lime) but have a veneer of red sandstone.
The steps leading to the prayer chamber and its plinth are in variegated marble. The prayer chamber is very deep and is divided into seven compartments by rich engraved arches carried on very heavy piers.
Out of the seven compartments, three double domes finished in marble have superb curvature, whilst the rest have curvilinear domes with a central rib in their interior and flat roof above.

In the eastern front aisle, the ceiling of the compartment is flat (Qalamdani) with a curved border (ghalatan) at the cornice level. The original floor of the courtyard was laid with small kiln-burnt bricks laid in the Mussalah pattern.