Top 10 Famous Islamic Cities to be visited

With many restrictions on food intake and the rather tight daily prayer schedule, Muslims traveling abroad to countries across oceans where people are of different religions may find it a conundrum. The number of restaurants to eat would be limited indeed if the local people do not practice cooking halal food and you, as Muslim tourists, would be in a hurry to find an appropriate place to perform your prayers without any mosques or surau nearby.

This would dampen the excitement of your adventures in the foreign land. Therefore, it is best if you were to simply visit Islamic cities where your Islamic lifestyle will not be disrupted.

In the entire world, the one country with the most Muslims residing in is Indonesia. People usually come here for the shopping, with the currency low in this country, everything is cheaper and you can bargain for the best price with the sellers. If all of a sudden you get bored of the city life and need a tranquil time to relax; you can just hop on a boat and sail to the Thousand Islands where the ocean water is a translucent blue.

Agra in India is another Islamic city worth visiting. The breathtakingly beautiful world-renowned white-marbled mausoleum, Taj Mahal, stands in this city on the banks of River Yamuna. The stunning architecture is not the only attraction this resting chamber has, but the history of its building as well. Shah Jahan had it built in memory of his beloved wife who died giving birth to their fourteenth child, because of this; it is now a symbol of romance.

Marrakesh in Morocco has more gorgeous architecture to see, the walls of the buildings here are decorated with bright intricate tiles that form intriguing geometrical patterns and the windows and doors have a delightful arch. The shopping here is a must as you cannot purchase the items sold anywhere else in the world, every kind of extravagantly designed hand crafted trinket you can think of can be bought at the market places, from lamps to silk kaftans.    

A city that has both beautiful architecture and splendid landscapes is Muscat, Oman. The Hajar Mountains serve as a terrific hiking terrain, you get to exercise your strength and the scenery you view from the top is incredibly lovely. For those dolphin lovers out there, you can enjoy watching adorable friendly spinner dolphins leap out of the surface of the ocean on a tour of Ocean Blue Oman.  

Jerash in Jordan is a city thousands from the entire globe visit as it has ancient Roman ruins that pique everyone’s curiosity. It houses remnants of temples and theatres where you can sit and wonder about the people from long ago who came to watch performances and pray.

For more historical monuments, Istanbul, Turkey has a wonderful church-turned-mosque-turned museum named Hagia Sophia which showcases Byzantine mosaics and boasts its marvellous architecture. The Topkapi Palace is another monument you ought to visit as it has a weapon’s room, among its many attractions, where you can see old intricately crafted swords and bows.

Constantine in Algeria, also known as the City of Bridges, should also be on your list of places to visit. 
The reason why the city has four bridges which cross the ravine is because it is situated more than two thousand feet above sea level. Though this city is unbeknownst to many, it is fascinating to go as it has a long interesting history.

One of the numerous wonders of the world, the Egyptian pyramids, can be found in Giza. The third largest city in Egypt, it proudly offers tourists exciting adventures at its four most famous pyramids. In addition, the Great Sphinx is definitely an awe-inspiring sight for you to see while your mind boggles over the idea of how everything was built back in the old day.

Malé is the capital of Maldives and it is unique for its hectic streets which gives you a break from the usual relaxing paradise found elsewhere in Maldives. Tourists love to go to the Old Friday mosque located in the city which was built in 1656 from coral stone and is still used for prayers today.

In Spain’s autonomous community Andalusia, Seville has the world’s largest Gothic cathedral, Catedral de Santa María de la Sede. The story behind the building of this mosque-turned cathedral starting in the fifteenth century is captivating as well as the art collection displayed and the tomb of the great explorer, Christopher Columbus, who found America.

The next time you plan a vacation with your loved ones; this list is a nifty one for you to refer to. Your holiday mood would not be weakened by the lack of food choices to eat and the hardship of locating a place to pray in the cities above.  Furthermore, you get to enjoy different Islamic culture and learn more about Islam through the history written in the tourist spots.

Reference:

https://mic.com/articles/160214/12-islamic-countries-you-should-visit#.EfvEMrRkX

Article is written by: 

Nur Jalilah Binti Abdul Aziz, freelance writer of this blog at Zaahara. Interests include blog writing, academic writing and creative writing.

-Photos are taken from google images

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