WORTH SEEING OLDEST CITIES.

When I published my first blog in Jan 2020, I had a plan to visit few countries of eastern Europe but unfortunately due to covid-19, I could not travel. Feeling necessary to provide Good, informative, and interesting blogs to my readers, I thought it proper to write a blog about ancient cities of the world which I had the opportunity to visit in the past. From 1996 to 2012. I traveled many times to the far east and stayed a few days in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand. Below is the detail of my visit to these cities as well as to some European and African cities.

NARA JAPAN…..To me, Old God sure was in a good mood when he made this place.

On my first visit to Nara, I genuinely couldn’t accept the obvious reality. Running uninhibitedly through the deepest sanctuary region was a huge number of tame deer. This region is called Nara Park and ought to be at the actual top of spots to visit in Nara. In Nara Prefecture, you get the extraordinary chance to dive into Japan’s generally old past. Nara was the main perpetual capital of the then still youthful Japanese realm. Some may state, it never got outperformed. Epic Buddhist sanctuaries and unpredictable Shinto sanctums endure the ages as a demonstration of its previous magnificence. Japan is known as perhaps the most seasoned country in Asia. It is a spot loaded with convention, and long periods of evading Westerners have kept their legacy rich. Nara, the most established city in the entirety of Japan, is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai locale. This city was additionally Japan’s capital somewhere in the range of 710 and 794. A snappy look at the Nara Map will reveal to you that there are several sanctuaries and hallowed places to visit.

                                                            LANTERN TEMPLE IN NARA

Chŏnju South Korea. ……I visited many places, Some of the quiet, Exotic and far away.

My business friend Mr.K.M.Song arrived at my hotel early in the morning and told me that we are going to visit Chonju,(one of the oldest city of south Korea.) It was a sunny day and I enjoyed traveling along with Mr. Song by road.

It is 21 miles east of the Yellow Sea and is encircled by steep slopes with sustained strongholds, Perhaps the oldest city in Korea. the city has numerous historical structures, including Korea’s biggest leftover neighborhood of customary houses (hanok). . It is connected by rail and thruway with Seoulnorth through Taejŏn (Daejeon) and with the port urban communities of Kunsan (Gunsan) and Yŏsu (Yeosu). The city is famous for paper processing and car parts production.The city is additionally the instructive focal point of the territory, being the site of Chungbuk National University, Cheongju University, Seowon University, and the Cheongju National University of Education. An authentic printing historical center remembers Korea’s initial improvement of printing by methods for versatile sort—of which a privately created treasure, an assortment of Buddhist lessons known as the Jikji  is a prominent model.

Lopburi, Thailand … Over the course of my life, I’ve been to lots of places.

The “City of Monkeys” is around three hours drive from Bangkok. It is one of the most seasoned possessed urban areas in Thailand. Lopburi was one of the urban communities of the old Angkor Empire (presently Cambodia), and it turned into the second capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the sixth century A.D. Lopburi a previous capital and the second capital after Ayutthaya was set up in 1350. It was deserted subsequent to King Narai’s died in 1688, yet parts were re-established in 1856 by King Mongkut (King Rama IV) and in 1864 it was made the mid-year capital. Lopburi is known for the many crab-eating macaques that overwhelm the Old Town, particularly in the territory around Phra Prang Sam Yod and Phra Kaan Shrine. Lopburi is likewise known by different names, for example, Lavo, Luovo, and Lavapura. Isolated into old and new towns, visitors won’t be baffled as there are a lot of things to see. One feature of this antiquated city is the Phra Prang Sam Yot Temple or “Monkey Temple.” Heat can be a significant trouble, however visiting a wonderful illustration of Angkor or Khmer Empire design can be justified, despite any trouble

Beirut, Lebanon …… Better to see something once than hear about it a thousand times.

Unearthing’s during the 1990s uncovered proof of 5,000 years of progress, dating the city, which is presently Lebanon’s capital, to around 3,000 B.C., It is said that Beirut was home of the most noticeable graduate school in the Roman Empire before it was demolished in a tremor in A.D. 551. Byblos, a port city on the bank of the Mediterranean, has been persistently possessed since in any event 5,000 B.C. As per Ancient History Encyclopedia, papyrus was one of the city’s fundamental exchange things old occasions, and therefore, the Greeks took the name of the city as their promise for book – “biblos.”

Sidon, which signifies “fishery” in Greek, is a port city around 25 miles from Beirut. It was possessed as right on time as 4,000 B.C., Sidon was one of the principal spots to produce purple color, which was so costly and extraordinary that the shading purple got representative of sovereignty. It is perhaps the most established city on the planet, occupied over 5,000 years back. The primary chronicled notice of Beirut is found in the old Egyptian Tell el Amarna letters dating from the fifteenth century BC. The Beirut River flows towards north on the east corner of the city.All above mentioned information about Beirut was provided by Mr.Bassam *(Liaison officer in Lebanon during my one week stay there. )

Faiyum, Egypt ……..  Traveling is almost like talking with men of other centuries.

Truly speaking I had no plan to visit Egypt and I had not arranged any visa. My flight was from New York to Frankfurt to Cairo to Karachi. Landing at Cairo airport was very jumpy, uncomfortable, and rough. Anyway thanks to God we landed safely and came to know that during landing a tyre of the plane is burst. The Crew of the plane advised that all passengers should remain seated inside plane as the management of the airline is trying to arrange a transit visa for one day because it will take many hours to arrange a new tyer. To make a long story short, we got visas and rooms in a hotel, and thus during my one-day stay in Egypt, I availed myself the opportunity to visit Faiyum, which is only two hours & twenty minutes’ drive from Cairo.On old occasions, Faiyum was a huge desert garden in Egypt known for its fruitfulness and nearness to a part of the Nile River. People were living in the locale at some point before 7,200 B.C., and its first rural local area was set up around 5,200 B.C. The district in the long run got home to a few towns and urban areas and is most popular for the Faiyum Portraits, an assortment of mummy covers. Current Faiyum sits in the Faiyum Oasis. Important sites to visit are as below:

Hawara, archeological site 27 km (17 mi) from the city. Lahun Pyramids, 4 km (2 mi) outside the city. Qaitbay Mosque, in the city, and was worked by the spouse of the Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay. Channel Elrayan or Wadi Rayan, the biggest cascades in Egypt, around 50 km (31 mi) from the city. Aqueduct Al-Hitan or Valley of whales, a paleontological site in the Al Fayyum Governorate, exactly 150 km (93 mi) southwest of Cairo.

Susa, Iran …  To Travel is to Live.

The occasion was Asian games and the venue was Tehran. I was part of My country’s sports delegate but we lost our first match(it was knock-out base) and became free for few days till the return of the entire delegate. My colleague Mr. Dawood had some knowledge of the Persian spoken language and told me that some Iranian players had a lot of praise for Susa which is the oldest city of Iran. Considering it a golden opportunity, we planned to visit this oldest city of Iran. The manager of Empire hotel was very kind to arrange transport for us thus we manage to visit this city.  After driving almost 8 hours, we reached at Susa. rambling in the southwest of present-day Iran, Susa is one of the most seasoned at this point heavenly urban areas on the planet. No compelling reason to take off of town, the advanced desert garden of Shush spreads around the base of old Susa, whose relics possess the level beat focal slope. Susa is around 708 kilometers from Tehran.

The old city of Susa, which is currently called Shush, started as a little settlement in 7,000 B.C. furthermore, transformed into a metropolitan territory in 4,200 B.C., as per the Ancient History Encyclopedia. In 324 B.C., it was the site of the Susa Weddings, where Alexander the Great organized the marriage of in excess of 10,000 Macedonians and Persians trying to join the way of life. Susa is referenced in the Ketuvim of the Hebrew Bible by the name Shushan, Nehemiah likewise lived in Susa during the Babylonian imprisonment of the sixth century BCE while Esther became sovereign there, wedded to King Ahasuerus, and saved the Jews from the massacre. A burial chamber ventured to be that of Daniel is situated in the region, known as Shush-Daniel. Notwithstanding, a huge segment of the current design is really a lot later development dated to the late nineteenth century.

Cologne ……   The world is a book and those who don’t travel read only one page.

During my one-year stay in Germany, I tried to explore many cities of Germany. I have been to Koln, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Koblenz, Humburg, Bonn, Speyer, and trier. I also visited Wuppertal, Remscheid, Gummer Bach, and Denis burg.

I also worked in a metal factory for few weeks in Radevormwald where I met a German girl. Her name was Rose merry Taut. she was secretary of chief executive of said metal factory. Very nice very polite and good-looking women. Today, Cologne is Germany’s fourth biggest city and is generally known for its noteworthy Gothic basilica, Christmas markets and Karneval festivities. An early Roman settlement established the framework for the city Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium which was established in 50 AD. A few memorable locales demonstrate the veracity of these occasions and can be seen today. Other than the remaining parts of the old city dividers and lookouts across the city, features incorporate a very much safeguarded vaulted sewage framework and the Praetorium, the previous Roman Governor’s Palace. The Romano-Germanic Museum shows a huge range of uncovering finds, including pottery, coins, weaponry and the incredibly famous Dionysus mosaic remaining parts. It is pertinent to mention here that it took 632 years to complete Konner Dom. ( Nowadays, my friend Mr.Rana Khan lives in Koln and whenever I visit Germany I am always his un-paid guest)

BONN….    Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.

Bonn isn’t just the origin of Ludwig van Beethoven, but at the same time is the previous capital of Germany, also home to the German UN-seat and based on establishments that are over 2,000 years of age. Over hundreds of years, the 12 BC Roman settlement Castra Bonnensia developed to be a significant city along the river Rhine. You can see the pieces of hand-painted paintings and different displays at the Haus der Geschichte, while the lasting presentation at the LVR Landesmuseum grandstands a broad assortment of the curio from the locale.

Koblenz …… Adventures are the best way to learn

Directly at the intersection of Germany’s most sentimental waterway and the Moselle sits Koblenz. Troops under the order of Julius Caesar perceived the essential significance of the area and raised the garrison named Castellum apud Confluences in 9 BC. Some remaining parts are as yet noticeable today, however, in the over 2,000 years of its reality, Koblenz has offered to ascend to great sights from all ages. The St Kastor basilica, the Electoral Palace, and the Deutsches Eck landmark only a couple of notoriety But the supreme features are the streetcar ride up to Ehrenbreitstein stronghold and the all-encompassing perspectives over Koblenz that sit tight for you up top and the neo-Gothic Stolzenfels Castle.

Trier…    Travel is my therapy

Trier is usually named as Germany’s most established city, going back to the main century BC. Despite the fact that the city has an interesting history, various Roman sights, and is inside simple reach from significant centers, for example, Cologne and Frankfurt, it’s as yet fairly outside of what might be expected objective. Visiting the all-around safeguarded Porta Nigra, supreme bathhouses and the amphitheater here resembles making a stride back so as to the antiquated universe of the Roman Empire. The bathhouse represents an ancient beauty parlor, swimming pool, cafe, park, or plaza. It was a place where members of the community came to socialize, enjoy a day of pampering, rejuvenation, and experience some culture.

Speyer …… Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.

Speyer is exactly thirty minutes drive from Heidelberg and wows with millennia of history. In 10 BC Romans raised a military camp in what is presently Speyer’s downtown area and later called the settlement Noviomagus. In the Middle Ages, the city of Speyer (formerly Spira), Germany, was home to one of the most significant Jewish communities. during Roman Empire Discoveries from that time are shown at the Historical Museum of the Palatinate, however, the city’s most noticeable milestone is the supreme Cathedral, Jewish cemetery, and a lot of other historical monuments. You can also enjoy there a menu of popular dishes of Jewish/Israeli cuisine, such as hummus, falafel, cholent, and halva parfait. (Everything is prepared according to the Jewish food regulations (kosher).

                                                                          AN OLD HOUSE IN SPEYER.

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I’ve got something big to write in my next blog very soon.