The Holy City of Madinah

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday approved the master plan for the largest expansion of the Prophet's Mosque, after experts made necessary changes onto the plan as per his instructions.

The first phase will accommodate more than 800,000 worshippers while the second and third will accommodate an equal number of worshippers bringing the total number of people the mosque can accommodate at a gvien time to more than 1.6 million,

This is how the prophet mosque will look after the expansion

 Madina youth provide Suhoor, Iftar to visitors

Since 1994, the Madina Gift for Umrah and Haj Pilgrims has provided more than nine million Iftar and Suhoor (pre-dawn) meals on buses for visitors when they arrive in Madina or depart via the Al-Hijra Expressway. This year, about 120 Saudi youths are distributing about 60 Iftar meals on each bus.

Al-Masjid al-Ḥaram Makkah

Al-Masjid al-Ḥarām (Arabic: المسجد الحرام‎, pronounced "The Sacred Mosque") or the Grand Mosque surrounds Islam's holiest place, the Kaaba. It is located in the city of Mecca and is the largest mosque in the world. Muslims around the world turn toward Kaaba while performing any prayer. One of the Five Pillars of Islam requires every Muslim to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, at least once in his or her lifetime if able to do so, including circumambulation of the Kaaba.
The current structure covers an area of 356,800 square metres (88.2 acres) including the outdoor and indoor praying spaces and can accommodate up to four million worshipers during the Hajj period, one of the largest annual gatherings of people in the world. Unlike many other mosques which are segregated, men and women worship at Masjid al-Haram together.

 The cave of Hirâ' is located in one of the outlying mountains surrounding Mecca. It is the place where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) received the first revelation.

Before he began receiving revelation, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to go to the cave of Hirâ' to meditate in solitude. It was on one of these retreats that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was first visited by the angel Gabriel and heard from him the first verses of the Qur'ân.

Jamia Masjid Srinagar

Jamia Masjid is a mosque in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir,  The Jamia Masjid of Srinagar is situated at Nowhatta, in the middle of the old city. An important mosque in Srinagar, it was built by Sultan Sikandar in 1400 AD. Later, the son of Sultan Sikandar, Zain-ul-Abidin got the mosque extended. The attractions of the Jamia Masjid of Srinagar, Kashmir include beautiful Indo-Saracenic architecture, a magnificent courtyard and 370 wooden pillars. Another feature of the mosque is the peace and tranquility inside it, standing out against the hustle of the old bazaars around it. Thousands of Muslims assemble at the mosque every Friday to offer their prayers.

Kashmir Gardens

The Shalimar was a royal garden, and as it is fortunately kept up by His Highness the Maharaja of Kashmir, it still shows the charming old plan of a Mughal Imperial summer residence. The present enclosure is five hundred and ninety yards long by about two hundred and sixty-seven yards broad, divided, as was usual in royal pleasure-grounds, into three separate parts: the outer garden, the central or Emperors garden, and last and most beautiful of the three, the garden for the special use of the Empress and her ladies. The outer or public garden, starting with the grand canal leading from the lake, terminates at the first large pavilion, the Diwan-i-Am. The small black marble throne still stands over the waterfall in the centre of the canal which flows through the building into the tank below. From time to time this garden was thrown open to the people so that they might see the Emperor enthroned in his Hall of Public Audience.

Manasbal Lake is located about 30 km north of Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir State. It has predominantly rural surroundings with three villages, Kondabal, Jarokbal and Gratbal overlooking the lake. Manasbal is considered as the 'supreme gem of all Kashmir lakes' with lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) nowhere more abundant or beautiful than on the margins of this lake during July and August. It is the deepest lake of Kashmir valley and perhaps the only one that develops stable summer stratification. Manasbal is classified as warm monomictic lake and circulates once in a year for a short time. The other lakes in the region either have weak stratification or are polymictic. Close to the northern shore are the ruins of a fort which was built in 17th century by a Moghul king to cater the needs of caravans that used to travel from Panjab to Srinagar. On the south, overlooking the lake is a hillock-Ahtung which is used for limestone extraction. The eastern part is mainly mountainous and towards the north is an elevated plateau known as 'Karewa' consisting of lacustrine, fluviatile and loessic deposits.

 Pari Mahal was built in the mid-seventeenth century on the ruins of a Buddhist monastery by Prince Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan. Prince Dara, a follower of the Qadiri order of Sufi Islam, had a great interest in mysticism, and he built the garden for his Sufi tutor, Mullah Shah Badakhshi. It was used as an observatory for the teaching of astrology and astronomy. Prince Dara was assassinated in 1659 by his younger brother, Aurangazeb, who went on to take control of the empire.

 Asia's largest tulip garden in Kashmir was started as an ornamental display in 2008 with an aim of advancing the tourist season but floriculturists here have seized a business opportunity by introducing the flowers on a commercial scale.

Achabal Bagh

Achabal Bagh is located in the town of Achabal town, about 69 kilometers southeast of Srinagar in the district of Anantnag at the southeastern end of the Kashmir Valley. The Himalayan mountains end in the Sosanwar hills, where Achabal lies. Considered one of the smaller Mughal gardens in Vale of Kashmir,

A summer retreat for the Mughals, the garden is the work of Nur Jahan, wife of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. In addition to her interest in gardens, Nur Jahan also had a great interest in the arts. Villiers-Stuart, the author of the 1913 publication "Gardens of the Great Mughals," called Nur Jahan and Babur the "greatest garden lovers of them all.

Winter In Kashmir

The white sheet of snow spread far and wide concealing the resonating beauty of this paradise. The soft snowflakes adorning the coniferous, the misty hazy breath, the chilly breeze gently tingling your senses, the tender sunlight deflecting from the ice capped peaks and spreading the much needed warmth. All so milky and pure. It is picture of a true heaven on earth.