The Rise of Mauryans and the Foreign Invaders in India

By Seif Kamel

Maurya, the ruler of Magadha, was able quickly to control the situation after the attack of the soldiers of Alexander the Great on India. Many tourists who spend their hot deals in India are found of its rich diverse history.

Maurya was able to defeat the huge army of Alexander that consisted of more than half a million soldiers and he drove the Greeks to the West taking all the lands under his control.

Afterwards, Seleucus Nicator, the army general of Alexander tried to regain power over the Macedonian lands in India but Maurya was able to defeat him as well and took control of the lands that are now called Afghanistan.

Starting from 297 BC, the son of Maurya, with the name Bindusara, extended the lands of the Mauryan Empire to reach Mysore. Many historical attractions are located in the country today and this is why many Europeans and Americans prefer to have a tour India during their holidays.

When the son of Bindusara, Ashoka, came after his father to rule over the empire, he became the most famous of India early rulers to the extent that Nehru, the founder of independent India took the lion capital of Ashoka as the emblem of the new nation. Ashoka is defined by many historians as the founder of India and many of his architectural achievements are included in many travel packages to India.

Ashoka has invaded the tribal kingdom of Kalinga in 260 BC and two years afterwards he got sick with allergy. After he converted to Buddhism, he started denouncing the use of violence in favor of the law of moral righteousness.

Ashoka was credited for establishing a number of traditions as well. His administrative records were carved on stones and rock pillars. One of the most remarkable of these items is still present in the Sarnth in Uttar Pradesh.  These monuments can be included in many affordable tours to India

Despite his conversion to Buddhism, Ashoka continued ruling over his kingdom including the newly occupied territories of Kalinga where he warned their fighters against any attacks on the civilized villages of his empire.

At the end of his ruling period, the empire of Akosha extended almost all around India except the Northern sections that were occupied by three independent kingdoms; the Cholas, Cheras, and the Pandyas.

Ashoka has good diplomatic relation with his neighboring counties like Egypt, Syria, Macedonia, and Cyrene. These civilizations with their architectural achievements attract many travelers to spend their holidays in India and many other nations with long history.

The empire of Ashoka depended mainly on military achievements, a central administration, and a systematic style of revenues. This is besides his overwhelming character that made all his people loyal to him.

As usual when a great leader dies, his empire falls down immediately and this is what happened after Ashoka passed away in 232 BC. All the local governors declared themselves independent from the central empire ruling and administration.

Ashoka was able to create a civilization that remained for ages to impress travelers going on tours to India.Many invaders from central Asia appeared in the scene and in 184 BC, the last Mauryan King, Birhadratha, was killed to put an end to more than 180 years of the rule of Mauryans

The following five centuries after the decline of the Mauryans has witnessed the most complex period of the Indian subcontinent, many independent kingdoms, and a large number of outer invasions, considered being the dark ages of India.

The first invaders were the Bactrian Greeks, a section of the vast Seleucid Empire that was established by the army general of Alexander the Great, Seleucus.
 In around 180 BC, the Bactrian Greeks declared their independence from the rule or Selecus and they even extended their power to occupy Punjab and Mathura in India.

The Greek position in Bactria, however, was soon threatened by the arrival of newcomers from Central Asia.  Because of the history of the country, different than any other region in the world, many tourists would love to travel to India to enjoy their holidays.

Large –scale movements of central Asian Yueh – Chi nomads had precipitated the migration of the Shakes (Scythians), from the Aral sea area, who displaced the Parthians (Pahlavas) from Iran, who in turn wrested control of Bactria from the Greeks ( who henceforth administered their Indian territories from  a new capital in Kabul).

The finer details of these various population movements remain unclear, and they were probably more in the nature of migrations than invasions. Whatever the details, however, both the Yeuh-Chi and Shakes continued to drift slowly in the direction of India, finally arriving during the first century AD.

The Shakas were the first to arrive, establishing themselves in northwestern India until the coming of the Kushan branch of the Yueh-Chi, who drove the Shakes off into Gujarat and Malwa (the area around Ujjain), where they settled and became Indianized.

Having seen of the Shakas, the Kushans established a new dynasty in the northwest. The third and most famous of their kings, Kanishka ruled from Purushpura (modern-day Peshawar in Pakistan) for more than twenty years around 100AD and extended his rule east to Varanasi an south to Sanchi.

His empire prospered through control of trade routes between India, China and the West, and his court attracted artists and musicians as well as merchants. Many tourists who travel to India really admire its magic and long distinctive history.

Ashvaghosha, one of the first classical Sanskrit poets, wrote a life of the Buddha, the Buddha Charita, and is credited with converting the king of Buddhism. Many Buddhist worship sites are marvelous and attract many travelers to spend group tours in India.

Despite the disintegration of the Mauryan Empire and the proliferation of fiercely rival kingdoms, the period from 200 BC to 300AD was also one of unprecedented economic wealth and cultural development. The rulers of this period had many architectural achievements that are included in many custom tours to India.

The growing importance of the mercantile community encouraged the monetization of the economy and stimulated the growth of urban centers all over India. Merchants and artisans organized themselves into guilds, while external trade, overland and maritime, opened up lines of communication with the outside world.
The main highway from Pataliputra to Taxila (in northern Pakistan) gave India access to the old Silk Road, the most important trade route of the time, linking China to the Mediterranean via Central Asia.

Maritime trade traversed the coastal routes between the seaports in Gujarat and southern India and as far as south Arabia; and Indian merchants established trading communities in various parts of south Asia.

The arrival of so many foreigners, the growth of trade and increasing urbanization together had a considerable impact on the structure of society.  Many tours to India give the traveler the chance to view an interpretation of the history of the country reflected in its monuments.

Foreign conquerors and traders had to be integrated within the varna system of caste, while the burgeoning importance of the Vishay (merchant) class and the influence of urban liberalism all presented new challenges to the social order.

The Law Books (Dharma shastras ) were composed in this period in an attempt and duties. Important developments in India’s religious can also be linked to socioeconomic changes.

Radical schisms occurred in both Buddhism and Jainism and may be attributed to the increasing participation and patronage of the vaishyas; while the Vedic religion , which had been the exclusive domain of the Brahmins and kshatryas, underwent fundamental transformations to widen its social base.

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The Terracotta Soldiers in China
By Seif Kamel

One of the Shaanxi farmers, who was digging for a water well, led to the most important archeological finding in the 20th century, the Terracotta Soldiers of Qin Shihuang. These real life statues of around 8000 soldiers armed with real weapons and accompanied by horses and chariots were to escort Shihuang in his afterlife. This museum hosting the Terracotta soldiers has become one of the highlights of any tour to China.

About Qin Shihuang

After the last of his rivals was destroyed in 221 BC, Qin Shihuang became the first king to rule over unified China. He was able to establish a centralized government near the today.

To the contrary to the formal governments of China at the time where each province had its own local governing, the new centralized government gave all the powers to the divine godlike emperor.

Because of the ambitious construction projects that were initiated by Qin Shihuang, high public unrest was created among the peoples of China. These projects that included the establishment of the first section of the Great Walls of China, his own charming massive tomb, and a huge number of routs and canals needed the forced labor of millions of Chinese people. Many of the achievements of Qin became the highlights of many China tours today.

Actually Qin passed away from a mercury poison during a false attempt to make himself immortal. Only four years afterwards, his son was murdered and this made an end to the first dynasty ruling over a unified China.

More than 700,000 soldiers worked for more than 40 years to finish the construction of the tomb of Qin and the section of the Terracotta soldiers as well. These constructions have become the most fabulous touristic attraction in the country added to any travel package to China.

The warriors themselves are believed that they stood in line in the process of sculpturing. Legs and torsos were fired separately and then combined with sculpture heads.

Since most of the workers were unskilled, the more skillful craftsmen were responsible for more delicate work such as the ornamentation of the tomb and the design and production of the heads of the soldiers.

The structures in the Terracotta Soldiers Museum still gather the attention of tourists who visit the museum as part of their holidays in China

Afterwards, the soldiers were painted to make them look more realistic and durable. It was said that all of the soldiers were buried alive to keep the location of the tomb as a secret to protect it against robbers and thieves.

Around five years after the death of Qin, looting soldiers burned the thick wooden beams supporting the vaults. The beams and the Eastern walls fell down burying the soldiers and the whole structure under the sand.

The Terracotta soldiers were buried for long centuries but the lack of oxygen and sunlight has preserved the whole place in the way we still view until today.

Since its discovery in the beginning of the 20th century, only a small portion was unearthed and excavation work is still carried on to discover more soldiers and other sections.

No historian or archeologist were able to know for sure how many warriors are left unearthed beyond the excavated area that extends for almost 700 X 200 foot in surface area.

The excavation works had to stop because scientists were busy thinking of the best ways to preserve the discovered soldiers and parts which are destroyed quickly if they are exposed to oxygen.

The first vault contains most of the figures that were unearthed until now. The other two vaults contain broken soldiers with their weapons providing the visitors with an idea of how much time and effort was exerted to transform the vault number one to become in the way we view today.

The first vault is the section that is visited the most by tourists exploring the complex as part of their vacations in China

Before entering into vault number one, a movie is shown to the visitors, coming from all over the world to spend a tour in China, illustrating how these soldiers were constructed, destroyed, forgotten, and then rediscovered. This movie is very entertaining and provides valuable historical information and it gives the visitor a sense of how this area looked like 2200 in the past.

The first vault hosts around 6000 soldiers although only 1000 were put together and restored by the archeologists. The soldiers stand in their original  pits and the visitors can only view them form above from the walkways erected recently. Usually these walkways welcome hundreds of tourists daily who travel to China to view the marvelous characteristics of the ancient civilization. 

Those soldiers in the front lines are fully preserved in their original colors and outfits, but the weapons were put in another section as the weapon holders were destroyed with time passing by.

Vault number 2 gives the visitor the chance to view broken soldiers scattered on the ground in the way they were discovered. They are in the same shape and position when the first soldiers were discovered in 1999.

The visitor can actually see the pink original colors of the soldieries in this vault. As the Greeks, the ancient Chinese used to paint their statues with lifelike red and pink colors.

Around the sides of the vault, the visitors can view the best preserved soldiers put in glass galleries in a perfect shape and condition. Many affordable tours to China include a visit to the Terracotta Soldiers Museum.

The vault number 3 contains 68 soldiers and officers from different ranks and in various stages of construction. This vault looks similar to the number 2, except that there is a significant sculpture in this section; a charioteer ready to attack and it used to have a wooden chariot that was lost with centuries passing by. A visit to the museum can always be added to any custom tour to China.

The Tomb of Qin

It was said that the huge tomb of Qin used to have an underground palace where 100 rivers used to flow with mercury. This is besides the ceilings of the tomb that were decorated with precious stones and pearls representing the stars in the sky.

Actually the percentage of mercury in the soil of the areas of lands around the tomb is much higher than average indicating that some of these legends were actually true.

Although the location of the tomb of Qin was discovered in 1974 near the East of Xian, the Chinese authority haven’t went into excavating it,  because they didn't have the sophisticated machinery to carry out such a complicated process.

Only in 1999, experienced archeologists have started excavating the area around the tomb finding marvelous treasures.  They have only unearthed the surface of the tomb while the rest of the deep tomb is still untouched.

The scientists were not even able to indentify the main entrance to the tomb, but it is most probably where much copper was discovered.

The Chinese authorities delayed any more further excavations until the part discovered is totally best preserved. They had the fear to loose what was already discovered as the most important archeological finding in the history of China.   

The museum of the Terracotta Soldiers, which opens from 8 30 in the morning till 5 30 in the afternoon, has a nice gift shop selling all sorts of Chinese souvenirs, especially replicas of the Terracotta soldiers of course. Many group tours include a visit to the most important historical site in India nowadays.    

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Attractions Away From the Center of Istanbul

By Seif Kamel

Away from the heart of the city of Istanbul, there are several monuments and historical sites that are quite remarkable. For example the Theodosia Walls that stretches from the Golden Horn to the Marmara Sea is one of the marvelous monuments of Istanbul.

Along these walls, many historical palaces and churches are situated, especially this of Saint Savior in Chora with its impressive mosaic works. Many of these attractions are included in many Istanbul tour packages.

If one goes to the north direction with the Bosporus, he will reach the Dolmabache Palace, one of the wonders of Istanbul that should not be ever missed.  There is also the Yildiz Park with many other palaces and pavilions.

Not all the tourists who spend their holiday in Istanbul have the time to explore the Asian section of the city; however it is always worth a visit at least on a half day tour.  The attractions there include impressive mosques, an old railway station, and a museum built for Florence Nightingale. Any private tour to Turkey would include a visit to these monuments.

The Dolmabache Palace

The Dolmabache Palace was built by Sultan Abdel Megid in 1856 and he assigned Karabet Balyan and his son Nikogos as the designers of the palace. They were members of the Armenian community that built many marvelous structures and palaces around the Bosporus during the 19th century.

The marvelous architecture and extensive expensive decorations of the Dolmabache Palace contradicts the fact that the palace was constructed during the period that witnessed the decline of the Ottoman Empire and control over many regions in the Middle East and even beyond.

The reason behind this high class construction of this palace is that the Sultan has funded the building of the Dolmabache Palace depending mainly on foreign loans from other European countries,

When the guests who spend their vacations in Turkey visit the Dolmabache Palace they have to go on one of the two guided tours. The most enjoyable among them is the tour that explores the Salamlek, the section of the palace that was reserved for men and it contains the states room and the Economic Ceremonial Hall.

The other tour takes you to the Haramlek, the section specified for the women in the palace which also contains some amazing sections and remarkable features.

Once the guest reaches the entrance of the Dolmabache Palace, they will be amazed by the Imperial Gates. Once only used by the Sultan and his ministers, this gate now is the main entrance to the palace. The Janissary band performs their show every Tuesday in front of the Imperial Gate.

Among the most astonishing features of the Dolmabache Palace is the crystal staircases that never failed to amaze any of the guests of the palace since its establishment and even until today.  It has the shape of a double horseshoe and it was made out of crystal and brass.

The Dolmabache Palace contains many remarkable features including the Swan Fountain built in the original 16th century garden near the palace. There is also the Ceremonial Hall that was designed to host up to 2500 persons in official ceremonies.

The Church of Saint Saviour in Chora

 This is one of the best preserved Byzantine Churches in Turkey. The complex has some of the finest mosaics and frescos in the whole country. This is the most popular Christian monument in Turkey that is visited by hundreds of tourists everyday who spend marvelous trips in Turkey.

Scholars were not able to know a lot about the early history of the Church, however, its name "In Chora" that means "in the country" assert that it was originally built in a rural area.

The Church that we see today was built around the 11th century and it was rebuilt again in the middle of the 14th century adding the mosaics and frescos. Many Turkey private tours include a visit to the church as part of the guest’s stay in Istanbul.

The crown of the southern dome of the church has the figure of the Christ and his ancestors were drawn on the flutes of the dome in a marvelously designed scene.

There are three panels in the nave of the church with one of them demonstrating the "Dorrmation of the Virgin" and it was well preserved because of its outer marble protection frame. The Virgin is depicted lying down watched by Apostles and Christ seated at the back.

The frescoes of the church were probably built around 1320 and most of them display scenes from the Old and the New Testaments.  Anastasia is the name of the most famous fresco in the church. It has a central image of the Christ and beneath him there are the gates of hell and an image of Satan.

This Church is one of the greatest all over Europe and it is usually added to many escorted Turkey tours.

The Theodosian Walls

This set of double walls that contains 11 gates and 192 monitoring towers has defended Constantinople against outer invasions for more than one thousand years.

The walls stretch for a distance that is around 6.5 kilometers from the Golden Horn to the Marmara Sea. The walls are built out of red rocks that are empowered by limestone blocks. Many vacations in Turkey would include a visit to the walls and the monuments around them.

The guests who spend tours in Istanbul can reach the walls by metro. However touring all around the long length of the walls will require hiring a taxi to go along the road that inline with the walls.

These walls were built of Theodosia, the Byzantine Empire in the period between 412 and 422 and they have stopped many attackers from entering the city and endured many sieges.

The Theodosian Walls were the last obstacle that faced Mohamed the Conqueror and he was able to pass through them in May of the year 1453 and enter Constantinople. Passing by the walls and entering the city are the achievements of Sultan Mohamed which gave him the title, the conqueror. This Sultan had many establishments in the country that remain visited by a large number of tourists who spend trips in Turkey.

Off course many sections of the walls were rebuilt for a number of times but the new constructions indicate how the original walls looked like. Several gates are still original and survived in a good shape. However, a section of the walls was destroyed in 1954 to give way to a new road.

The Yedikule Gate, standing near the castle that holds the same name, is one of the most remarkable gates of the Theodosian Walls with its Byzantine eagle carved above the main archway.

The main hall of the palace, designed to host around 2500 guests, is the ceremonial hall. The chandelier being the heaviest in the whole world, 4.5 tons, was brought to the palace from England.

Alabaster from Egypt was imported to coat the walls of the main bathroom of the palace. With the taps made out of pure silver, the colored windows of the bathroom of the palace used to offer the Sultan, his guests, and his wives amazing views of the Bosporus.

The Church of Saint John the Studius

This is the oldest surviving Church in Istanbul. However, what remains of what was once a great structure is a shell consisting of its outer walls. However, the guests can still view the beauty of one of the most important Byzantine churches in the region. Many tours to Turkey would include exploring the Christian monuments of the Istanbul.

The Church which was built by Studius, a roman Patriarch, was constructed in 463 AD.  The church was associated with the most powerful monastery in the Byzantine Empire and it was modified to be a famous spiritual and intellectual center in the 8th century.

The most sacred relics among the church was the head of John the Baptist until it was removed by the forth crusade soldiers.The church was transformed into a university in the 15th century and at the end it was converted into a mosque by the Ottomans.

The whole structure of the church was ruined in 1894 due to an earthquake and it was abandoned. An escorted tour to Turkey that combines Christian with Ottoman monuments would be quite enjoyable.

The Church of Saint John the Studius originally consisted of a beautiful basilica with a marvelous entrance portal with many rich decorations that travelers going on Turkey private tours explore everyday.

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Discovering Casablanca

By Seif Kamel

About Casa

Casablanca or the city of white houses has become the commercial heart of Morocco. Over the past few decades the importance of the city has been ever growing higher and higher everyday.  Many travelers who spend their Luxury vacation Morocco would surly love to visit Casa.

The center of the new town of Casablanca revolves around two focal points, the Place des Nations Unies and the Mohamed V Palace squares with many marvelous 1930s structures and buildings.

To the north of this section, the old medina of Casa is still surrounded with old walls and gates and the green section of Casablanca, the Arab League Park, is in the southeast section of the city.

To the west there are the coastal area of Ain Diab and the residential section of Anfa. The monumental mosque of Mohamed V is at the end of the Kornish Street.

There is also the Quarteir Habous, a neighborhood with many interesting architectural designs and buildings.  Many tourists who travel to Morocco would admire the architecture of Casablanca.

The Arab League Park

Designed by architect Laprade in 1019, this large sized garden has many cafes and terraces making it a marvelous place for a summer picnic.

There are many tall palm trees, ficus, arcades, and pergolas are set about a huge flowerbed. Many families who spend their holidays in morocco would like to pay this park a visit.

Northwest of the park, there is the Church of the Sacred Heart which was built in 1915 by Paul Tournon. It consists of a white concert twin towered building. The Church is now deconstructed and it is used to host several cultural events.

In the South East direction, we have the Church of Notre Dame that was constructed in 1956. This church is famous for its colored glass that displays scenes of the life of the Virgin Mary with some rational Moroccan carpets motifs. Many travel tours to Morocco include visits to some monuments of Casablanca.

The South West section of the park is dominated with the Center of the Arts that displays many works of temporary Moroccan North African arts.

The New Medina of Casablanca

The French city planners have a new city in the beginning of the 1930s to solve the problem of the expanding urbanization and the increasing number of the population of Casa.

They have chose the located to the South of the old Medina city center to found this new city and the Habous, the administration of the religious foundations, was responsible for the development of the new city and therefore the city took the foundation’s name, Habous.

This new town was constructed in the old traditional Arab style of housing with a mixture with the modern requirements of the 20th century.

The new city contains public areas like markets, mosques, and baths, together with a lot of private residences.  Many tourists would like to include a visit to Casa to their trip to Morocco.

The new Medina represents another example for the architecture of Morocco during the French Protectorate over the country. The city is full of flowers and arcades that provide visitors with a marvelous chance to have an enjoyable walk.

Most of the more modest houses are located near the market, as most of its residences used to work in it, while the area around the mosque is dominated with finer houses and villas.

There are many shops around the new Medina which is featured with the most famous pastries. There are also some stores for collectors’ items and curios.
A large variety of Moroccan rugs and traditional carpets are on sale in the weekly carpet market near the new Medina.

On the edge of the new Medina, there is the Royal Palace, which was built in the 1920s and it is featured with its Mediterranean gardens and luxurious buildings.

Casablanca Twin Center

Featured with its twin towers which are 100 meters long, this complex but marvelous piece of architectural art has become a landmark of Casa and its commercial importance. Many travelers especially those fond of shopping would go explore this commercial mall while they are spend their tours in Morocco.

This center hosts the offices, stores, shops, restaurants, and cafes.  With its amazing layout and huge structure, the Casablanca Twin Tower reflects the economical role of Casablanca on the local and international levels.

The Museum of the Moroccan Judaism

The Museum of the Moroccan Judaism contains many displays of scarves, prayer shawls, other religious items, and a reconstructed synagogue. A lot of Jewish monuments are included to many of the tours to Morocco.

Since the Roman period and until the independence of Morocco in 1925, the country has always had a considerable Jews community. Today the number of Jews in Morocco is around 5000 people.

Anfa

Occupying a hill that overlooks Casa from the Northwest direction, Anfa hosts the most luxurious residences and villas in Casa, with many gardens, flower fields, and swimming pools.

The construction of villas has started here from the 1930s and since that time, a large number of villas have been erected in the neighborhood with different and several architectural styles.  Anfa, with its luxurious style, attract some of the travelers who go on Morocco private tours to explore the neighborhood or maybe invest in a summer house there.

The Hotel of Anfa, which didn’t survive until today, was where the historical meeting of the United States president, Franklin Roosevelt, and the British Prime Minster, Winston Churchill, took place in 1943 during World War II.

During this meeting Roosevelt has pledged to Support King Mohamed V to gain the independence of Morocco from the French Protectorate and occupation.

The Cornish of Ain Diab

The Cornish of Ain Diab has always been a section of importance to Casa. It stretches from the Al Hank lighthouse, built in 1916, in the East, till the“Marabout” of Sidi Abdel Rahman in the West.

This Cornish is filled with hotels, swimming pools, many different restaurants, discos, and a large number of fashionable nightclubs.  Many guests spending trips in Morocco would enjoy an exotic night outing in the Kornish of Ain Diab.

The construction work of this area has started in the 1930s with the need to have many restaurants and hotels to serves the wealthy of Casa.

The first restaurant to be built here was “La Reserve”, that has marvelous panoramic views and it was built in 1934.

At the foot of the Anfa Hill, there is a mosque and one of the largest and most comprehensive libraries in the Northern African region.  Many packages to Morocco would surly include a visit to explore the wonders of the Kornish of Ain Daib.

At the far Western end of the Cornish, there is the Marabout of Sidi Abdel Rahman, which is accessed only when there is low tide and it attracts many Muslims in different periods of the year.

The Mohamedeya

In the beginning of the 20th century, the Mohamedeya, that was called, Fedala at the time, was nothing but a Kasbah. All of this changed when the port of the town started receiving oil ships from different places around the world.

Nowadays, it has become part of Greater Casablanca and it has more than 18% of Morocco’s porting traffic. The city has a population of more than 150,000 and it is one of the wonderful places to live within Casa.

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