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Located on the Mediterranean coast, and boasting a beautiful white sand beach, the ruins of ancient Patara nestle behind the sand dunes and combine that truly idyllic mix of sun, sea and wonderful history.

This ancient city was originally a Lycian settlement and then served as an important naval base during the wars of Alexander the Great’s successors. It later became part of the Lycian League and then a thriving port within the Roman Empire. In fact, Patara was originally considered as simply an extension of next door Xanthos and, despite its size, Patara was only the city’s second port.

However, over the centuries the harbour of Patara eventually silted up – sometime during the Middle Ages. Until recently the site had been completely abandoned, before excavations were begun in 1998 led by Akdeniz University Antalya.

Al-Rāzī, in full Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Zakariyyāʾ al-Rāzī, Latin Rhazes (born c. 854, Rayy, Persia [now in Iran]—died 925/935, Rayy), celebrated alchemist and Muslim philosopher who is also considered to have been the greatest physician of the Islamic world.
One tradition holds that al-Rāzī was already an alchemist before he gained his medical knowledge. After serving as chief physician in a Rayy hospital, he held a similar position in Baghdad for some time. Like many intellectuals in his day, he lived at various small courts under the patronage of minor rulers. With references to his Greek predecessors, al-Rāzī viewed himself as the Islamic version of Socrates in philosophy and of Hippocrates in medicine.

Hajjatul Tamatu is the secnod session of the Hajj for those who are not resident in Mecca or its vicinity.

The Hill 60 Cemetery in the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey is a Commonwealth Graves Commission burial site for 788 soldiers who died during the Gallipoli Campaign in World War I. The Hill 60 Cemetery is located on the site of the Battle of Hill 60.

The Gallipoli Campaign was an eight month effort by the Commonwealth and the French to remove the Ottoman Empire – Turkey – from the war and open supply lines to Russia. The west coast of the Gallipoli Peninsula, where the conflict took place, became known as Anzac as it was where the Australian and New Zealand forces were based. Hill 60 was a vital link between Anzac and the area of Suvla.

The remains of ancient Simena, now modern Kaleköy in the Kekova region, form one of the most impressive historical places in Turkey. The city’s striking crusader castle combines with a wealth of partly submerged ancient ruins and the beautiful Mediterranean waters to produce a truly inspiring place to explore.

Indeed, it comes as no surprise that Simena is an environmentally protected site; this unspoilt harbour town is surrounded by blue skies, white sand and a wealth of archaeological wonder. The surviving ancient ruins date to as far back as the 4th Century BC but most of the sites to have survived are from the Roman and Byzantine periods.

The Grand Mosque of Bursa, or Bursa Ulu Camii, was built between 1396 and 1399 by Ottoman Sultan Beyazit I. The Mosque is a landmark of early Ottoman architecture which used many elements from the Seljuk architectural style. The calligraphy, written on the walls and columns in the mosque on small and large plates, is one of the greatest examples of Islamic calligraphy in the world. The rectangular mosque on a land of 5,000 square meters, contains 20 domes and 2 minarets.

The Mausoleum of Mausolus, also called the Mausoleion, was once the magnificent tomb of the Caria ruler and eldest son of Hecatomnus, Mausolus.

Built between 353 and 350 BC at Halicarnassus, which is now modern day Bodrum in Turkey, the Mausoleum of Mausolus was such an impressive structure that the word “mausoleum” is derived from its occupant’s name and is now used to describe most large tombs. It was also considered one of Pliny’s Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Unfortunately, the Mausoleum of Mausolus was almost entirely destroyed by tomb robbers and earthquakes, leaving visitors today without any particular sense of its former grandeur.

The Mausoleum of Mausolus does contain some exhibits however, such a model of the mausoleum, but most of the structure itself is long gone. A trip to the Mausoleum of Mausolus usually accompanies one to Bodrum Castle, which houses the Museum of Underwater Archeology.

The ancient town of Myra in Lycia gives a unique insight into Turkey’s history and the many different civilisations which influenced the area.

Today a collection of mostly Roman ruins remain which give visitors the opportunity to envisage the bustling centre that is thought to have been established up to 2,500 years ago. Strolling through the Acropolis, the amphitheatre and the Roman baths, visitors can get a tangible feel for daily life in the ancient world.

According to Strabo, Myra was once a large city, making up one of the most influential parts of the Lycian League in the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. This League brought self-rule and semi-independence to Lycia under permission from Rome.

Arabic script calligraphy is the art of beautiful writing, using the letters of the Arabic alphabet.
This art form is also known as Islamic calligraphy, because it was first developed to write the Koran—the holy book of Islam. Calligraphy is one of the highest forms of visual art in the Islamic world. Today, this art form is practiced and enjoyed by people from many different countries and religions.
"Islam has exerted also a more subtle, a more indirect influence on the development of calligraphy: by discouraging the graphic representation of human beings and animals it channeled the creative energies of Muslim artists toward other decorative arts, especially calligraphy."
From: Al-Baba, Kamel. "Calligraphy: A Noble Art." Saudi Aramco World, 15:4: 1-7. July/August 1964.

A long time ago,
a great tribe lived in the
South of Arabia.
They were called Ad.
They were very clever and
could do many things.
They used the mountains
for their homes.
They carved out great mansions
with wonderful pillars.
They called their city Iram.
It was very famous.
As time went on,
the people of Ad
thought more about themselves
and less about Allah.
They thought they
didn't need Allah,
because they had
lots of money
and power.

They thought they were
being clever but really
they were foolish.
Before long they turned
to bad ways.
Gangs of them used to
rob and kill people
travelling by.
There was still one good man
among them.
His name was Hud.
He did not belong to any of
the gangs.
He did not agree
with the things they did.
He tried to tell them
to stop their bad ways
and told them
to follow Allah's ways.
Hud said Allah would punish
the bad ones but most of the
people still would not listen.
They thought they were
more clever than

God said in Quran that Prophets and Messengers were sent to every nation on earth and that they all spread the same message – to worship One God, alone, without partners, sons, or daughters. The majority of Prophets mentioned in the Quran and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad are recognisable, and considered prophets in both the Jewish and Christian faiths. Prophet Saleh however, is one of only four Arab prophets and his story is not universally known.
“And, indeed We have sent Messengers before you (O Muhammad); of some of them We have related to you their story and of some We have not related to you their story, and it was not given to any Messenger that he should bring a sign except by the Leave of God.” (Quran 40:78)

Refusing to engage into an arranged marriage is also such a dishonor. Said not to be Islamic by western apologists only, but understood by Muslims as the correct application of many Qur'anic verses: Q.24.31 (-Chr.102-); 33.32-36 59 (-Chr.90-); 65.1-6 (-Chr.95-); 66.5 (-Chr107-) and 4.34 (-Chr.92-).

Recitation of the Qur'an with precise articulation and exact intonation.

I am the heart of the Quran yet I am not in the center of the Quran. What am I?

Answer:Surah Yasin

Kaunos archaeological site in Turkey contains the remains of this ancient city which has witnessed the rise and fall of several empires, cultures and civilisations over almost 3,000 years of history. Though not as spectacular as many ancient cities in Turkey, it has the advantage of being quieter, tranquil and picturesque.
Founded around the 9th century BC, Kaunos was a Carian city and an important trading port which bordered Lycia and was culturally influenced by its neighbour. Later conquered by the Persian Empire, the city was also altered by the increasing influence of Hellenic culture in the region leading to many ancient Greek-era structures, the ruins of which can still be found in places within the site.
As with the rest of the locality, Kaunos was incorporated into the Roman Empire and later was part of the Byzantine territories. With the Muslim invasions and later the rise of the Ottoman Empire, Kaunos was re-fortified and walls were constructed on the Acropolis.