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Birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and situated in Saudi Arabia, Mecca is the most revered site of the Islamic world. It is situated in the Sirat Mountains and is approximately forty-five miles from the port of Jidda, which is located on the Red Sea. Originally this ancient city was a popular way point for caravan traders on route to Southern Arabia, Asia and the Eastern portion of Africa. By the six century, Mecca was well on its way to becoming an important center for religion and trade.

In 570 Ad. Muhammad was born in Mecca. Muhammad would go on to preach about monotheism and as a result faced many years of persecution. All the while he began amassing a large number of followers. In 622 AD, Muhammad and his followers emigrated to Yathrib. By the year 630, Muhammad and his followers entered Mecca and took control of the city.

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After seizing control of the city Muhammad began systematically began destroying the almost four hundred pagan idols located there. He then declared Mecca as the holiest site in Islam. It was also designated as the major point for Muslim pilgrimage.

The annual pilgrimage to Mecca is known as Haji. Haji is an obligation that is required of every able bodied Muslim. According to tradition, the Haji is to be begun on the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. The purpose of the pilgrimage is to show devotion to Allah and also show solidarity among the Muslim people. Today, the Haji attracts over three million visitors to Mecca each year. As a result, the economy of Mecca has become quite dependant on this influx of foreign money. It is estimated that the city takes in more than one hundred million dollars as a result of the Haji.

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While the pilgrimage nets the most income for the city, Mecca does have a few minor industries still operating there. These include furniture and utensil production and textiles.

The Masjid al-Haram, known as the Sacred Mosque, is the epicenter for the Haji. It covers an area of ninety-nine acres and can accommodate over a million people. This mosque was originally built in 638AD and has been continually added to and modified ever since. It is considered to be one of the finest examples of Ottoman architecture available in the world. The Masjid al-Haram surrounds an area known as the Kaaba . The Kaaba is considered to be the holiest location in the world according to Muslim tradition. The Kaaba is a large stone structure in the shape of a cube. It is about forty-three feet high. Its covered in a black silk curtain known as a Kiswah. On the eastern corner of the Kaaba is the Black Stone.

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It is a stone that is believed to date back to the time of Adam and Eve. It is twelve inches in diameter. Also located within the Masjid al-Haram is the Zamzam Well. The water from this well is believed to be blessed by Allah and able to cure not only thirst, but illness and hunger as well.

Another popular attraction in Mecca is the Jabal-al-noor or Mountain of Light. Its located in Mecca’s Hejaz region. On location is the Cave of Hira. This shrine is a popular place for pilgrims to visit and offer prayers up to Allah. This cave is where Muhammad sought refuge from the evils of society. It is also believe that this is the location where the archangel Gabriel revealed himself to the prophet and guided his endeavors.

The cuisine in Mecca is heavily influenced by the large influx of foreigners of different nationalities.

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This can be evidenced by the proximity and popularity of North American fast food chains to traditional Arabian restaurants. Popular dished eaten by the citizens of Mecca include Kabsa (a traditional dish of rice, spices and meat), Mandi (a dish featuring lamb and basmati rice) and Shawarma (a flat bread sandwich containing meat). Other popular food items in the city is Samosa, fava beans and Baklava.

Visitors need to keep in mind that there are no mass transit facilities available in this city. Travel around the city is done by either taxis or private vehicles. There are plenty of lodging accommodations available throughout the city. These include popular hotels such as the Hilton Makkah, Elaf Kindah-Makkah, Mercure Hibatullah and Makkah Al Mukaramah Elaf Ajyad. The Makkah Al Mukaramah Elaf Ajyad is the closet hotel to Masjid al-Haram and is only a few miles from the Al Hijaz shopping centre.

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Oslo is the biggest city and the capital of the country of Norway. It covers an area of one hundred and seventy-five square miles and has a population of over five hundred and eighty thousand residents. Not only is this city the capital of Norway, but its also the scientific, cultural and economic center of the country. It is also the trade hub for the country and is also a major industrial and financial center. Oslo’s economy relies heavily upon the maritime sector. In fact, it is such an important sector of this industy that almost one thousand maritime companies are located here and they employ over eighty-five hundred employees. Some of the largest maritime companies in the world are located here representing various sectors of the maritime industry including shipping and ship brokers. Oslo’s port is the largest cargo port in Norway and over six thousand ships carrying six tons of cargo annually dock here. These thriving industries contribute to Oslo have the highest per capita Gross Domestic Product, but it also makes the city one of the most expensive cities in the world.

According to the folklore of the Norse, Oslo was established in the eleventh century by King Harald Hardrade.

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But, recent archaeological digs have uncovered evidence of settlements before the tenth century. Since the twelfth century, Oslo has been considered to be the capital of Norway. It was during this time that King Hakon V erected Akershus Fortress. This fortress stood for almost four hundred years before it was involved in a serious of fires. After the last fire, King Christian IV of Norway had the fortress rebuilt at a new site that was located across the bay and renamed Christiania. During the nineteenth century several prominent landmarks were built here including Stortinget, the Royal Palace and NationalHeatret. Christiania soon became on the most heavily populated cities in the country and was renamed Kristiania in 1878. By 1925, the original name of Oslo was returned to the city.

The educational needs of Oslo is handled by several of the world’s best universities and colleges.

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These include the University of Oslo, Oslo University College, Norwegian School of Management, Norwegian School of Information Technology, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education, Norwegian Academy of Music, MF Norwegian School of Theology, Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Markedshoyskolen, Oslo Academy of Fine Arts, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norwegian Army Academy and Norwegian School of Veterinary Science. Oslo’s public transportation is managed by Ruter Transport Company. It manages a diverse system of metro trains, buses, tram and ferry. The tram system in the city accommodates over one hundred and ten thousand people on a daily basis and is named Oslotrikken. Oslotrikken is composed of six lines that blanket the city and extend its reach into the suburbs. As of recently, Oslo has also began an experimental bike rental program in the city. This gives visitors access to over ninety bicycle stations where they can rent bikes and return them to any station in the city.

One of the most popular attractions in Oslo’s city center is Akershus Fortress. Akershus Fortress was constructed in 1299 as a way to protect Olso from attacks by the nobleman Earl Alv Erlingsson. Since its construction the fortress has seen many sieges, most of which were by Swedish forces. A major renovation was done to the fortress in the seventeenth century and it was transformed into a typical renaissance castle. This fortress was so vitally important to the country that it was said that whomever controlled Akershus fortress controlled Norway.

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This fortress has never been taken by a foreign power. It was occuppied by Nazi forces during World War II, but thats because the city was evacuated before the Germans invaded. During occupation by Nazi forces, several people were executed here. Other executions that took place at this castle happened after the war. This was when eight Norwegian traitors were tried for war crimes and executed here. This castle has also been used as a prison during much of its existence. Today, Akershus Fortress is still a military installation, but is also open to the public as a museum.

Another prominent attraction in Oslo is the Nasjonalgalleriet or National Gallery of Norway. This museum has housed a large collection of Nordic, Norwegian and international art since the nineteenth century. It features over forty-five hundred paintings, nine hundred and fifty plaster cast, nine hundred sculptures, twenty-five thousand prints and seventeen thousand drawings. Exhibits included here are Allora & Calzadilla, Jan Pappelbaum, Rolf Nesch, The National Academy of Fine Arts of the Past100 years, Works from the Collection 1814–1950, Design and Craft 1905-2005 and Style From 1100-1905.

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Also located in this museum is a museum shop where visitors can buy souvenirs and a restaurant where visitors can get a bite to eat called The Cafe Salon de The.

The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History is another fascinating museum to visit in Oslo. This open air museum was erected in 1984 by Hans Aall and contains over one hundred and fifty-five buildings which have relocated here from different locations all over Norway. Among the buildings located here are the thirteenth century church named Gol Stave, fourteenth century Raulandstua and the eighteenth century Wessels Gate. Also located here is a large photographic collection from many famous photographers.

Other prominent attractions in the city of Oslo include Den Norske Opera & Ballett, TusenFryd Amusement Park, Fram Museum, Naturhistorisk museum (Norway National History Museum), The Kon-Tiki Museum, Vikingskipshuset (The Viking Ship Museum), Vigeland Sculpture Park, Ibsen Museum and Museum of Decorative Arts and Design (Kunstindustrimuseet). The city also has a large number of nice restaurants, cafes, shops and hotels. Hotels in the city include the Grand Hotel, Thon Hotel Bristol, Best Western Anker Hotel, Radisson SAS Plaza Hotel, Best Western Anker Hotel and the Thon Hotel Opera. The city is also home to a number of bed & breakfast and hostels.

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Marseille is the oldest city in France. It covers an area of ninety-three square miles and has a population of over eight hundred and forty thousand people, making it the second most populous city in France. Marseille is situated on the southern coast of France along the Mediterranean Sea. It is the administrative capital of the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region and the Bouches-du-Rhone department. The residents of Marseille are known as Marseillais. This city has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters. Average summer temperatures are around ninety degrees Farenheit and average winter temperatures are around forty-five degrees Farenheit.

Marseille was formed in the seventh century BC by Greeks hailing from Phocaea and used as a port of trade. In fact, the city was the first Greek port of trade in Western Europe. The city faced a formidable oppositional alliance from the Carthaginians, Etruscans and Celts. In order to protect the city, the Greeks turned to the Roman Republic for protection. As a result, the city became an important trade port for goods passing from Rome and Gaul. This agreement between the city and Rome proved profitable until 49 BC.

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This is when Julius Caesar rose to power and Marseille sided with Pompey during the Roman civil war. After the war in which Juilius Caesar was victorious, the city lost its independence. When the Romans seized the city they renamed it to Massilia and most of the Greek adornments of the city were removed and replaced by Roman adornments. It was during the Roman rule that Christianity first appeared in the city.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Marseille became a possession of the Visigoths. They held the city until the sixth century, when Frankish kings succeeded in seizing the town. Emperor Charlemagne granted the city municipal governance and it remained a trading port under French rule throughout the Middle Ages. In the fourteenth century, the city was struck by the bubonic plague and suffered heavy loss of life. It is believed that over half of the city succumbed to the disease and died. In the fifteenth century, Marseille was united with Provence and eventually incorporated in France. The sixteenth century saw the city once again struck by the Black Plague. But, this wouldn’t be the last instance of the plague to be visited on the city.

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In the eighteen century the plague killed over one hundred thousand people in the city and surrounding areas. The nineteenth century brought the French Revolution to France and the residents of Marseille happily embraced it. The city sent five hundred volunteers to Paris in order to defend the revolutionary government. During their march the soldiers sang a rally cry known as La Marseillaise, which is now the national anthem of France. Marseille in the nineteenth century was the leader of French industrial innovation and manufacturing. Also during this time, the city experienced a period of prosperity in the maritime trade.

Today, Marseille has a thriving economy that is based mostly on its New Port. The New Port is just north of the Old Port and is responsible for over one hundred tons of goods that pass through it each year. Sixty percent of the goods which pass through the port and the other forty percent is container traffic. The city also has a strong industrial base. Industries in the city produce chemicals, glass, sugar, plastics and olive oil. Marseille is also the leading center of oil refinement in France. The city is also making quite a splash in the service industries, especially tourism.

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This is due in part to the high concentration of museums, cinemas, clubs, bars, restaurants, shops, hotels and art galleries in the city. Prominent hotels in the city of Marseille include Hotel Escale Oceania Marseille Vieux Port, Hotel Ibis Marseille Gare Saint Charles, Lutetia Marseille, New Hotel Select, Hotel le Corbusier, Hotel Sofitel and the New Hotel Of Marseille. Popular restaurants in the city include the Restaurant Chez Fonfon, Hotel Escale Oceania Marseille Vieux Port, Une Table Au Sud, Holiday Inn Avenue du Prado, Restaurant Michel, Une Table Au Sud, Chez Loury Restaurant and the Salle De Seminaire.

A prominent attraction in the city is the Notre-Dame de la Garde. The Notre-Dame de la Garde is a basilica that was constructed in the mid nineteenth century in the Neo-Byzantine architectural style. It took over five years and one hundred and seventy tons of material to build these esteemed structure. It is located at the highest natural point in the city, a five hundred foot limestone outcrop located by the Old Port. This basilica is a local landmark and is also the location of many pilgrims who visit the site on Assumption Day.

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Notre-Dame de la Garde has a two hundred foot belfry that is topped with a statue of the Virgin Mary and Child, which can be seen from just about any location in the city. La Vieille Charite is another popular attraction in the city of Marseille. It was originally constructed between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and its former life was that of an alms house for the poor. Today, this Baroque style building functions as a cultural center and a museum. The main features of the La Vieille Charite include the Museum of Mediterranean Archaeology, the Museum of Art of Africa, Offices of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, an archaeological research facility and a school for advanced studies.

Other popular attractions in the city include Vieux-Port, Phare de Sainte Marie, the Centre Bourse, the Musee d’Histoire, Palais de la Bourse, Musee de la Mode, Musee Cantini, Pierre Puget Park, Hotel-Dieu, Abbey of Saint-Victor, Hotel de Ville, Cathedral of Sainte-Marie-Majeure or La Major, Saint-Laurent Church, Stade Velodrome, Musee des Beaux-Arts, Musee de Faience and the Musee du Terroir Marseillais. Around the city are various beaches which include Le Prophete, Les Goudes, Callelongue, Pointe Rouge and Prado Beach.

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New Delhi is the capital of the country of India and covers an area of sixteen square miles with a population of over three hundred and two thousand people. Indian folklore states the New Delhi was the location of the beautiful city Indraprastha founded around the year 2500 B.C. It was refered to in Sanskrit as Hastinapur, a term that means “city of elephants”. Indraprast was around until the nineteenth century when the British tore it down to make room for the erection of New Dehli. In 1911, New Delhi became the capital of India.

One of the most prominent attractions in New Delhi is the Qutb Minar. The Qutb Minar stands over two hundred and seventeen feet high and is considered to be the world’s tallest minaret. Over three hundred and seventy-nine stairs lead from the bottom to the top. The diameter of its bottom is forty-three feet wide and the top measures only eight feet wide. It is located in the Qutb complex and is surrounded by the ruins of Hindu temples which were tore down to build the complex and the Qutb Minar. This minaret was erected at the end of the twelfth century under command of Qutb-ud-din Aibak. The entire complex is filled with ancient buildings and is listed as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Heritage Site.

Humayun’s Tomb is a collection of structures that together form Mughal Emperor Humayun’s tomb. This tomb was commissioned by Hamida Banu Begum in the sixteenth century. This building is composed of red sanstone and contains not only the tomb of Emperor Humayun, but also the tomb of his wife and son. It also contains other tombs which house Emperor Jahandar Shah, Farrukhsiyar, Rafi Ud-Daulat and Rafi Ul-Darjat. This tomb is located in Charbagh Gardens. Charbagh Gardens is a Persian style garden that is divided into four parts.

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A prominent museum in New Dehli is the Gandhi Smriti. Gandhi Smriti is a museum that is dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. This is the place where Gandhi spent the last one hundred and forty-four days of his life. It was also the location where he was assassinated in 1948.

A location in New Dehli not to be overlooked is the Dilli Haat. The Dilli Haat is a craft bazaar and a food court all rolled into one. Located here are handmade crafts and exotic foods from all over India. Another prominent landmark in New Dehli is India Gate. India Gate is the national monument of the country and was built in 1931. This monument was originally known as All India War Memorial and commemorates the ninety thousand soldiers killed during World War I and the Afghan Wars.

The Swaminarayan Akshardham is a Hindu temple complex that displays traditional Indian and Hindu architecture and culture. The central monument of the complex is one hundred and forty-one feet high, three hundred and sixteen feet wide and three hundred and seventy feet long. This monument is made of Rajasthani pink sandstone and Italian Carrara marble. It features two hundred and thirty-four pillars, nine domes and hindu statues.

Another feature is the Sahajanand Pradarshan or Hall of Values. This location features dioramas of Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s life. It also features the world’s smallest animatronic robot in the shape of Ghanshyam Maharaj which is the child like image of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Another feature of the complex is the theater called Nilkanth Kalyan Yatra. The screen in this theater measures eighty-five feet by sixty-five feet. The theater shows the story of the seven year pilgrimage that Bhagwan Swaminarayan made through India. Outside the theater is a twenty-seven foot tall statue of Nilkanth Varni.

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Another key feature of the complex is the Yagnapurush Kund. The Yagnapurush Kund is India’s largest step well. The fountain is three hundred feet by three hundred feet and has over twenty-eight hundred steps and over one hundred shrines. The complex also has a boat ride called the Sanskruti Vihar. In the period of twelve minutes, visitors can experience all of India’s ten thousand year history. Guest sit in special boats that wind around a man made river through a model of Takshashila, and then through a series of historical events.

The Swaminarayan Akshardham also contains the Bharat Upavan. The Bharat Upavan is a garden that has well manicured lawns, shrubs and trees. It is also lined with bronze sculptures of prominent Indian celebrities. The sculptures here include national figures, warriors and women of Indian descent. Other features of the Swaminarayan Akshardham include Yogi Hraday Kamal, Nilkanth Abishek, Narayan Sarovar, Premvati Ahargruh and the AARSH Centre.

The Jama Masjid is a mosque that is located in the neighborhood of Kalbadevi. Its located near the Sattad Masjid, the Jakaria Masjid and the tomb of Sheikh Makhtum Faikh Ali. This mosque was built in 1423 and is constructed of yellow sandstone. It was built by Muhammad Ali Shah and its architectural design is representative of the Mughal style. The Jama Masjid has three domes and two minarets and is India’s largest mosque. All around it are shops where visitors can pick up a variety of different goods and souvenirs.

Other fascintating attractions in New Delhi include Lal Quila, Vijay Chowk, Sulabh International Museum of Toilets, Chandni Chowk, RPM Hookah Lounge, Central Cottage Industries Emporium, Hazrat Nizamuddin Darga, Delhi Golf Club and Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum. The city also is home to a large number of restaurants, cafes, open air shops and hotels.