Nick Redmayne reports from Sana'a, a city originally designed to comprise 48 quarters, 48 mosques and 48 gardens, to this day maintaining its unmistakable multi-story skyline of uniquely decorated brick towers.   For those in search of a MacDonalds-free zone, a country devoid of ostentatious ephemeral glitz, where time is still a virtue and language a reason for national pride, Yemen is a destination that's hard to beat.

 

Charles Stirling visits Oman and delights in going local in Barka a small town where the shops specialise in one product range and the owners come out to chat. In the small cafes, almost an institution in themselves, tourists are a novelty and prices are low. There are also 3000 old forts to explore from the times when there was much tribal and foreign hostility. Oman is also a magnificent destination for diving in its coral-covered islands.

 

Jordan and Iraq are two other Middle East destinations featured in ITM. In Jerash, Jordan, the Roman Army and Chariot Experience, also called RACE, began in 2004 and now employs 60 people, including 44 Jordanian army veterans turned actors who take on the roles of Roman legionnaires, gladiators and chariot race competitors. Ian Stalker was there for the show.

 

Aid El Ghader, the day El Ghad, or Bayate El Ghader, is an important occasion that Iraqi Muslims celebrate. Walid Abdul-Amir Alwan describes the festivities in the holy city of Najaf and samples the unique delicacies: "Qima", made with or without rice, consisting of meat (lamb is preferred), chickpeas and "Al-Dahine", a mixture of flour, shredded coconut, sugar and animal fat.

 

Motaz Othman visited the Indian state of Kerala, whose name Khair-Allah means a land blessed by Allah. His visit coincided with the holy month of Ramadan and he discovered many unique Islamic traditions. Kerala's tourist attractions include boat trips in the backwaters, magnificent scenery, rare birds, clean and beautiful beaches along the Arabian Sea, mountains and tea plantations. There are many festivals and the state is rich in heritage. The efforts of the private and public sector in Kerala combined to make a success of the travel mart held between September 20th - 23rd.

 

Zubair Tahir visits the Green Ruins of Taxila - Pakistan's oldest archaeological site. Takshakas ruled Taxila in the Bronze Age as evidenced by some finds. They called it 'Takshasila' which in Sanskrit implies "State of King Taksha". Taxila was also known as "The city of cut stones" and occupied a holy place in Buddhism. On account of its antiquity, it has been mentioned in many ! languages with slight phonetic difference. The Greeks called it 'Taxila"

 

European destinations are also featured in this issue of ITM. Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, Cordoba - there are many beautiful women in Spain but there is only one queen - or so an old saying tells us. Which Spanish city is the most beautiful will probably continue to be a point of discussion for the next 100 years. But only Madrid is responsible for forming the specific character of modern Spain. Since its nomination as the capital city in the year 1556, no other city has been able to threaten its supremacy. Armin Gemmer traces Madrid's history and visits its main attractions.

 

Through sheer clumsiness, Dominick Merle managed to lose all of his cold hard cash and credit cards on his first day in Budapest. He describes four days as a tourist living on $10 or less a day: "A late full breakfast to tide me through lunch, carrying away an assortment of fruits and muffins and a large water bottle. Fortunately, the hotel backed onto Budapest's famed pedestrian street, the Vaci Utca so I joined all of the other tourists on the colorful trail".

 

Karen Dabrowska visits Leigh-on-Sea an upper class fishing village where heritage is everything. The village did what it does best: it held a folk festival. The festival was first held in June 1992 as part of National Music Day. In Leigh its success prompted a repeat performance during the past seventeen years each incarnation bigger, better and brighter than the last.

 

The tourism of cemeteries is the tourism of open historical and artistic museums. Because of their historical, architectura! l, artistic and symbolic value, many cemeteries have become important World Heritage Sites, such as Makli cemetery in Pakistan, the pyramids of Egypt, which were awarded the World Tourism Organization's prize in 2007 for the best tourist attraction worldwide, and the Taj Mahal, which became a symbol of love and loyalty. ITM's publisher, Mr A S Shakiry describes the main cemeteries in the Islamic world and makes suggestions for their development as tourist sites.

 

The spiritual significance of hajj is discussed   in a note from the editor by Dr A.R. Hassan. Hajj is a renewal, reaffirmation of repentance, a seeking of forgiveness and a promise to stay with God for the remaining years of one's life. One aim is to reach peace internally and to be at peace with other Muslims (and humanity). It is highly advised on this occasion to live the speech of the Prophet on his last pilgrimage when he said that it is forbidden to shed a Muslim's blood, injure his honour or unlawfully take his wealth.