Travel – Page 10 – Arabian Records (1st post : Eid Al Fitr – 01st Shawwal 1439 (AH) / 15th June 2018 ) / (BETA testing – Research

Monastery of St Paul: Unique Religious Heritage Site in Egypt’s Eastern Desert

Monastery has three churches, most important of which is underground Church of St Paul.

The Monastery of St Paul the Anchorite, also known as the Monastery of the Tigers, is a Coptic Orthodox monastery dating back to the 4^th Century CE located in Egypt’s Eastern Desert, near the Red Sea Mountains.

Located about 155 km south east of Cairo, the monastery gained the moniker the Monastery of the Tigers due to its isolated location out in the wilderness of Egypt’s desert moonscape. It covers an area of about five acres of land, and is a rectangular shape of 200 metres long by 100 metres wide.

By the 5^th Century CE, the monastery was built over the cave where St Paul the Anchorite lived for more than 80 years.

St Paul, also known as St Paul of Thebes, or Anba Bola in Arabic, was a Coptic Orthodox saint born in Alexandria in 228 CE. Following his father’s death, the teenage Paul decided to become a hermit and live a simple life.

At the age of 16, he converted to Christianity and escaped Alexandria to avoid Roman persecution. According to one story, God sent Paul an angel who guided him to Egypt’s arid Western Desert, where he could live alone as a hermit.

The same story relates how God sent Paul a crow every day carrying half a loaf of bread to feed him. One day St Anthony joined Paul, and when the crow came, it had a full loaf of bread. St Paul then realised that it was God who had sent St Anthony, after 80 years of his worshipping in solitude.

As legend tells it, when St Paul died St Anthony saw two lions standing by the door of the cave in which the former had made his home. The lions approached the corpse, and used their claws dug in the ground, for St Anthony put St Paul’s body into the hole for burial.

It is for this reason that St Paul’s icon in any Coptic museum in Egypt shows him flanked by two lions with a crown above his head.

The first travel narrative associated with the monastery belongs to an anonymous pilgrim from the Italian city of Piacenza who visited the tomb of St Paul the Anchorite between the years 560 CE and 570 CE. The pilgrim is not to be confused with Antoninus Martyr.

The first monks to occupy the monastery were some of the disciples of Anthony the Great, after they learned the story of St Paul the Anchorite. It may have been occupied by Melkites for a short period, although they were followed by Egyptian and Syrian monks.

The Syrians may have had a sustained existence at the monastery, for it appears that they also occupied the monastery during the first half of the 15th Century, after which their presence disappeared. According to an isolated Ethiopian reference, the 70th Coptic Orthodox Pope, Gabriel II (1131–45 CE), was banished to the monastery of St Paul the Anchorite for three years.

Throughout its history, the monastery has suffered from several Bedouin raids, the worst of which occurred in 1484. This particularly painful attack saw all the monks murdered and the monastery plundered, following which the Bedouins occupied the building for 80 years.

The monastery was rebuilt under the patronage of Pope Gabriel VII of Alexandria (1526-69 CE), then attacked and destroyed again towards the end of the century. The monastery was deserted for 119 years, then extensively reconstructed and repopulated by monks from St Anthony’s Monastery, under the patronage of Pope John XVI of Alexandria (1676-1718 CE).

The monastery has three churches, the most important of which is the underground Church of St Paul that contains the hermit’s cave and burial place. Its walls are painted with well-preserved frescoes, and the ceiling is hung with ostrich eggs, symbols of the resurrection. The larger Church of St Michael has a gilded icon of John the Baptist’s severed head.

There is no public transportation to St Paul’s Monastery and, as the original hermit intended, it is a long journey from civilisation to get there. Visitors can take the bus from Cairo to Hurghada and get off at the turn-off for St Paul’s Monastery, following which there is a 13 km uphill trek to the monastery itself. This may sound daunting at first, but the road is well-paved and has plenty of traffic.

The Monastery of St Paul is an incredibly important site in Egypt’s long and varied history, and is the second ancient Coptic Christian monastery tucked away in the Eastern Desert.

Visitors may also view some of the manuscripts in the monastery’s possession, which includes a Coptic language version of the “Divine Liturgy”. A tour of the site may include a trip up the tower, and a glimpse of the “Pool of Mary” where Mary, the sister of Moses, washed her feet during the Exodus.

Along with the nearby Monastery of St Anthony, the Monastery of St Paul is quite possibly the most impressive structure in the desert. It is for this reason that it is included in several Egyptian desert tours.

source/content: dailynewsegypt.com

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EGYPT

Dubai Bags Record for World’s Largest Inflatable Water Park : January 2022

AquaFun, anchored in the Gulf waters alongside the JBR beach, has received a Guinness World Record certificate for being the world’s largest inflatable water park.

Launched for the first time in 2016, AquaFun has now expanded to three times its original size to reach 42,400 square metres. It currently forms the words ‘I love (heart symbol) Expo 2020 Dubai’, which can be seen from aircraft flying into Dubai.

It features over 72 obstacles and operates all year round. Prices start from Dh155 for an all-day pass ticket.

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), said: “To secure another world record for Dubai during such an important event in our calendar, the Dubai Shopping Festival, is a moment of real pride for the city.

Ahmed Ben Chaibah, CEO & Founder of AquaFun, said the aim with the project five years ago was to enrich the Dubai Marina and JBR areas’ offerings.

Emirate bagged yet another world record in the final week of its shopping festival.

source/content: khaleejtimes.com

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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

Ras Al Khaimah, UAE – Spectacular #RAKNYE 2022 Fireworks Show Sets 2 GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ titles : 01 Jan 2022

Ras Al Khaimah ushers in New Year with record-breaking firework drones flying at 1,055.8 meters high (over 1KM) and 452 firework drones simultaneously launching a breathtakingly choreographed ‘Happy New Year’ message in the sky

Spectacular #RAKNYE 2022 fireworks show sets two GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ titles, mesmerising thousands of visitors

12-minute show with over 15,000 firework effects pays glorious tribute to the nation as it marks its 50^th anniversary
The dazzling show marked a moment for people to reunite, with visitors arriving to Ras Al Khaimah from across the world to celebrate the New Year
Two GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ titles set for the ‘Most Remote Operated Multirotors/Drones Launching Fireworks Simultaneously’ and ‘Highest Altitude Multirotor/Drone Firework Display’

Welcoming hundreds of thousands of spectators from around the world, the Ras Al Khaimah New Year’s Eve Celebrations (#RAKNYE 2022) dazzled all with a never-before-seen fireworks display that smashed two GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ titles.

Rising majestically from the Arabian Gulf, the fireworks display featured innovative pyrotechnic drone performances, over 15,000 effects, spanning an area of over 4.7 kilometres. The 12-minute spectacle was specially choreographed to reflect the joy of reunion with six themes set to epic orchestral music.

A Six-Act Show of Wonders

#RAKNYE 2020 fireworks display was conducted in a six-act sequence starting with the countdown just before midnight setting the stage for an ephemeral theatre of wonder. Ushering in the New Year with a spectacular tower of lights at a height of 1,055.8 metres (over 1 km) taller than any building in the world. This was followed by the ‘Happy New Year’ message written in the sky with firework drones, the sequence lit up the arena in multiple hues. These two sequences broke two new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ for Ras Al Khaimah.

Record-breaking feats

Setting the first GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the ‘Highest Altitude Multirotor/Drone Fireworks Display’ was the tower of fireworks 1,055.8 metres high, taller than any skyscraper in the world.

The second GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title was for the ‘Most Remote Operated Multirotors/Drones Launching Fireworks Simultaneously’, when 452 drones launched fireworks simultaneously to create the ‘Happy New Year’ visual in the sky.

More than 5,000 hours of work went into preparing for the show that also deployed over 130 sea pontoons and a fleet of hundreds of pyrotechnic drones.

A community event like no other

Many others followed the celebration live on raknye.com.

Ras Al Khaimah had welcomed 2021 with a dazzling 10-minute fireworks show that underlined the UAE’s message of hope, peace and achievements. Ras Al Khaimah also made history with the New Year’s Eve Gala of 2020, which broke the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ titles for the ‘Most remote operated Multirotors/drones launching fireworks simultaneously’ and the ‘Longest Firework Waterfall.’ The Emirate secured two GUINNESS ORLD RECORDS™ titles for the ‘Longest chain of fireworks’ and the ‘Longest straight-line fireworks display’ with the 2019 New Year’s Eve Fireworks.

source/content: rakmediaoffice.ae

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RAS AL KHAIMAH (RAK), UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E.)

UNWTO – World Tourism Organization’s First Regional Office for Africa to Open in Marrakech: December 2021

Morocco’s bid to host the first African office of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) was ratified at the 24th session of the Organization’s General Assembly.

The bid was approved amid strong competition from four other African countries, and UNWTO’s first regional office will open in Marrakech.

Morocco’s bid to host the first African office of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) was ratified at the 24th session of the Organization’s General Assembly.

The bid was approved amid strong competition from four other African countries, and UNWTO’s first regional office will open in Marrakech.

Ammor led the Moroccan delegation at UNWTO’s General Assembly, which was attended by more than 500 government officials and several tourism professionals from member countries.

Morocco’s participation shed light on the village of Sidi Kaouki in the province of Essaouira as “Best Tourism Village 2021.”

The seaside village of Sidi Kaouki was selected from more than 170 villages from 75 countries, echoing Morocco’s continuous efforts to build an eco-friendly destination for global tourism.

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com

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UNWTO Regional Office for Africa to Open in Marrakech. Credits: UNWTO

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MOROCCO

Cairo Selected as ‘Culture Capital of Islamic World for 2022’ : December 2021

Minister of Culture Dr. Ines Abdel-Daim said Egypt being chosen as the capital of Islamic culture for 2022 attests to Egypt’s outstanding cultural role in the world.

Ines Abdel-Daim said Cairo is a city of diversity and cultural richness reflecting many of the salient features of human civilisation in general and the Islamic civilisation in particular, as it has always been a meeting-point of civilisations, old and modern, and a unique centre of art, intellect, and creativity.

Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) Salim bin Mohammad Al-Malik participated in the gathering that took place in the Cairo Opera House’s Small Hall to elaborate on the details marking the start of the festivity.

source/content: english.ahram.org.eg

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EGYPT

UAE Breaks 2 World Records for ‘ Biggest Flower Word and Number ‘ to Mark Golden Jubilee : November 26th, 2021

To mark the UAE’s Golden Jubilee, local flower delivery service Floward organised an event to break not one but two world records.

Visitors showed up at the Address Montgomerie in Dubai, to help create the world’s largest word and number made out of flowers.

The floral display spelt out “UAE 50”.

Dubai delivery service Floward is the creator of the floral display now in the Guinness World Records.

source/content: thenationalnews.com

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Ahmed Bucheeri, Official Adjudicator – MENA giving Abdulaziz B. Al Loughani, Floward CEO the Guinness World Record certificate for the World’s Largest Flower Number and the Largest Flower, Floward Word Guinness World Record. Ruel Pableo for The National

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E.)

Saudia Airlines Commemorates the Founding King’s First Flight on September 30th, 1945

Saudia Airlines celebrated the 76th anniversary of King Abdul Aziz bin Abdulrahman’s first flight on Thursday as a special Boeing B777-300 — decorated with an airline logo from the 1970s and 1980s era — flew from the capital in Riyadh to Taif.

The flight was a commemoration of the first flight the founding king took on Sunday, Sept. 30, 1945, from Afif to Hawiyah in a Douglas DC-3 aircraft. That aircraft was a gift received by King Abdul Aziz during a meeting with then US president President Franklin Roosevel

audia marked the occasion on the ground and in the air. A statue of King Abdul Aziz was installed in the departure hall at King Khalid International Airport, while airline staff handed out souvenirs and printed boarding passes in the old traditional style.

source / content: arabnews.com

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Saudia Airlines operated a special Boeing B777-300 flight from Riyadh to Taif, which was decorated with the logo from the 70s and 80s era. (SPA) / pix: arabnews.com

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SAUDI ARABIA

Majid Al Mansouri Unanimously Re-elected President of ‘The Int’l Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey’ (IAF): October 02nd, 2021

Majid Ali Al Mansouri

The International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF), an international organisation that includes 110 clubs and agencies that are concerned with falcon hunting, where this organisation represents 90 countries, with which over 100,000 falconers around the world are affiliated, has announced the unanimous re-election of Majid Ali Al Mansouri – Secretary-General of the Emirates Falconers’ Club – as President of the International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF).

Al Mansouri has been unanimously re-elected for 3 new years effective beginning of 2022, which was at the conclusion of the IAF General Assembly agenda. This assembly was held on the sidelines of the International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (Abu Dhabi 2021) activities, and with the unanimous decision of all (IAF) members.

Among his key achievements in the leadership of the (IAF) is the representation of falconers all over the world, and the follow-up to the establishment of falconry clubs in Luxembourg, Finland, and Norway.

Majid Ali Al Mansouri co-founded the Emirates Falconers’ Club in 2001, and he is a member of the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC). Moreover, he had a leading role – in parallel with his previous position as the Secretary General of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) – in strengthening efforts to implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Since 2003, he has contributed to the fact that the Emirates Falconers’ Club organises the Abu Dhabi International Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) on an annual basis, which is the largest of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa.

In addition, he also contributed to reviving the organisation of the International Festival of Falconry starting 2011, and establishment of the Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School in 2016 with the aim of raising awareness about falconry as a common heritage of mankind.

source/content : wam.ae

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

RECORDS : The Day Dubai Swapped Left-hand Driving for Right – September 01st, 1966

Hanging on the wall of a museum in Dubai is a simple notice in black and white.

Dated August 1966, and signed by the director of Dubai Municipality, Kamal Hamza, it states that at 5am on September 1, Dubai will switch to right-hand driving.

Roundabouts would now move counter-clockwise and drivers overtake on the left.

“All drivers are requested to co-operate with police and to follow all instructions and directions which are issued to them,” it states.

Fifty-five years on, the switch may seem mundane. Traffic, the road network and the amount of cars was nothing like the dizzying, relentless pace of Sheikh Zayed Road today.

But the decision spoke to just how fast Dubai was transforming and why 1966 was a pivotal year.

US oil company Continental had discovered oil in commercial quantities in Dubai that year.

British exploration companies had spent many frustrating years in the search and now an American company had seemingly delivered the goods.

“That summer was [one of the most] optimistic moments in Dubai history,” said Todd Reisz, architect and author of Showpiece City: How Architecture Made Dubai.

“It seemed the oil that had transformed other Gulf countries was now coming to Dubai.”

Sheikh Rashid, Ruler of Dubai, had already embarked on a huge modernisation of transport links the year before. An airport opened in 1960 and the emirate got its first asphalt road the same year. Major roundabouts such as Deira’s Clocktower and the Flame Roundabout – built to celebrate the arrival of oil – stitched these new networks together, making connections to areas once considered remote and only accessible by 4×4.

“Everything done before 1966 was defined by the hope oil would happen to Dubai,” said Mr Reisz.

Now, with the discovery of oil, schools and housing were planned for American families set to stream into the 70,000-strong city. Dubai already had the busiest roads of the Trucial States and American cars such as Chevrolets and AMC Ramblers became popular. More traffic was inevitable, so what better time to make the switch?

“With fast-build, single-family homes extending across the district of Jumeirah, the city’s future already looked more American, and therefore suitable for the greatest American pastime – cruising in big shiny American cars,” said Mr Reisz. “By then, US-made cars dominated Dubai imports, and that was one reason the switch to the right lane made sense.”

There was no record of protest from the British at Dubai’s change to an American system.

“There was no sense of any nationalist response from British authorities at the time,” said Mr Reisz. “They respected Sheikh Rashid.”

Sheikh Rashid had proposed the driving change to the Trucial States Council, a group of the seven rulers established by the British to encourage co-operation. The notice stated that the switch was to be introduced across the Trucial States on September 1 apart from Abu Dhabi, which was “expected to implement it soon”. The motorway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi was still several years away.

The change came into effect at 5am that Thursday. Until 2006, Thursday marked the first day of the weekend and presumably authorities hoped roads would be even quieter. There is little record of any problems apart from some initial confusion in more congested parts of Dubai, but drivers, just like today, had grown to expect sudden changes on the roads.

Studies have shown the reasons have much to do with geography. Papers from the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive show how Qatar changed in 1965, while Bahrain and Sweden would do the same in 1967. More recently, in 2009, the pacific island of Samoa changed to the left, but today, the majority of countries and protectorates around the world follow right-hand rules.

Fifty-five years on, a copy of the notice still hangs in the Dubai Municipality Museum on the shores of the Creek. It speaks to a moment and time in the emirate’s history where the initial euphoria of an oil discovery gave way to a more pragmatic approach as to how Dubai was going to become the global city it is today.

“Quickly the story switched to one we are familiar with,” said Mr Reisz.

“Dubai used ingenuity to create a city not dependent on oil wealth.”

source/content : thenationalnews.com

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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E)

Morocco’s Mohammed V, Marrakech Airports, Both Rank Amongst Top 10 in Africa : August 2021

Marrakech and Mohammed V airports ranked 5th and 6th, respectively.

The Marrakech-Menara airport was ranked 5th, while Casablanca’s Mohammed V airport came in 6th place. Skytrax surveyed travellers at major airports throughout Africa to determine its ranking for the top airport destinations on the continent.

Denver- British consultancy group Skytrax released its 2021 ‘best airports in Africa’ report, and two Moroccan airports were included in the prestigious list.

In addition to being recognized for top-notch service, Morocco’s airports were also commended by the international aviation community for high quality health and sanitation practices earlier this year. In the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the international NGO ACI awarded 15 Moroccan airports the Airport Health Accreditation.

source/content: moroccoworldnews.con

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MOROCCO