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Into the shrines of Karbala!! 🇮🇶

Into the shrines of Karbala!! 🇮🇶

✨️ Holy Shrine Of Abu Fadhl Al-Abbas ✨️

📌 Karbala, Iraq

Let's get back to my posts from Iraq and the Holy

Let's get back to my posts from Iraq and the Holy city of Karbala. 🇮🇶
One of the two most important shrines in the town is the Holy Shrine Of Imam Hussain.
The tomb of Hussain is one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam, outside of Mecca and Medina, and every year, millions of pilgrims visit the city to attend the Ashura festivities, which marks the commemoration of Husayn's death for all Muslims. ✨️✨️
The interior is stunning and the shrine is considered a perfect symbol of Islamic art!

Last days of summer....or not? 🌞 📌 Ammoulia

Last days of summer....or not? 🌞

📌 Ammouliani island 🇬🇷 🇬🇷 🇬🇷

Last, random shots from the mosques, madrasas, baz

Last, random shots from the mosques, madrasas, bazaars and monuments of Tajikistan 🇹🇯

Which one is your favorite? ❤️

📌 Hisor Fortress, Madrasa and surroundings 🇹

📌 Hisor Fortress, Madrasa and surroundings 🇹🇯 🇹🇯 🇹🇯 🇹🇯 🇹🇯 🇹🇯 🇹🇯
The impressive fortress in the middle of nowhere, is one of the best preserved historical sites in Tajikistan, built around 2500 years ago. The whole Complex of the Fortress and Madrasa is situated about 25 km west of Dushanbe.
Long history behind, but since you can find everything on the internet, I'll just give you some general info.
➡️ how to visit:
1- by private taxi from Dushanbe, or
2- by marshrutka to Hisor town (5tjs one way), and then by shared taxi to the complex (4tjs o/w), which lies just 5 km outside the downtown
The entrance fee to the fortress is 10tjs, paid on the spot, at the main gate. Both the fortress and madrasa on the other side of the complex are interesting sites to visit as a half-day tour, if you want to escape from the busy capital.
On my way back to Dushanbe I visited also Hisor town, which honestly, was nothing special. I just walked around the small city center and the tiny bazaar and left before sunset.
❗️10 tajik somonis = 0,85€
Tajikistan is indeed a very cheap country!

Istaravshan, one of the central Asia's oldest town

Istaravshan, one of the central Asia's oldest towns of commerce and crafts, was the second one I visited in northern Tajikistan. 🇹🇯 🇹🇯 🇹🇯 🇹🇯 🇹🇯 🇹🇯 🇹🇯 🇹🇯
The town is famous for the bust of Lenin, the largest bust of the central Asia and one of the largest in the world! The statue is actually very impressive, overlooking the Kattasoy reservoir and it can be visited only by private car/taxi, as it's located 6,5km south of the city center.
❗️ Well, I think I liked Istaravshan much more than Khujand.
I enjoyed walking around the small old town with the unique architecture, and the big, maze like bazaar with the friendly locals.
Additionaly, I visited the beautiful Kok Ghumbaz madrassa in the old town. Despite it was closed due to constructions, the locals who lived nearby opened the door for me and showed me around!!
Mug Tepe Fort was another one worth visiting highlight, placed on top of the hill at the entrance of the town, with amazing views to the whole area and the far away mountains.

Coming back from Uzbekistan 🇺🇿 to Tajikistan

Coming back from Uzbekistan 🇺🇿 to Tajikistan 🇹🇯 last November, I decided to have a last minute short visit to a couple of small towns in north Tajikistan, located on the way.
Khujand & Istaravshan, two of the most important historical places in the country and among the oldest in Central Asia, offer a unique blend of the Soviet and Islamic culture in buildings, monuments, bazaars and mosques.
I first visited Khujand, also known as Alexandria Eschate when captured by - who else - Alexander the Great in 329BC.
The town is home to the highest statue of Lenin in Central Asia! That 24m statue of my first photo can be found in the Victory park, on the other side of the town and it's the no.1 highlight of the entire area.
I mostly explored the old city center, the beautiful Mausoleum of Sheik Muslihiddin and the nearby famous bazaar Panjshanbe Bozor, while I left the next morning to Istaravshan by the local bus.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND WISHES on my named

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND WISHES on my nameday! 🙏 💥🎉

Not my birthday though, and this is why:
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary on 15 August is a very important day for Christianity, both the Orthodox and Catholic.
🇬🇷 According to the Greek Orthodox tradition, every person named after a Greek Saint celebrates his/her nameday.
Since I am called Maria, I celebrate my name on this special day of Jesus mother. Nameday is celebrated almost the same way as birthday, but without the birthday cake.
This year I decided to skip the crowded Greek beaches and visit with my friends a small, picturesque village of Bulgaria. 🇧🇬
Meleniko or Melnik is placed on the foothills of the Pirin mountain range, just 2 hours drive away from my hometown Thessaloniki.
It is famous for the excellent wine, the views to the Melnik Earth Pyramids (those weird rock formations), and the beautiful houses, built in the Macedonian architecture.
Besides the cute village of Melnik, we also visited the Rozhen Monastery of the Nativity of Virgin Mary, one of the few medieval Bulgarian monasteries well preserved until today.
It was a short but very interesting full day roadtrip to our neighboring country, which I hadn't visited for a long time!

#15αύγουστος

BURQA in Afghanistan 🇦🇫 I've saved these pho

BURQA in Afghanistan 🇦🇫
I've saved these photos for my last post from Afghanistan on purpose, to clarify the misconception about this specific outfit.
Everybody thinks that the burqa- this huge piece of cloth that covers everything- is obligatory in the country and a lot of people have asked and keep asking me whether I had to wear it.
🚫 The answear is: NO and NO!
There is no rule or law or anything else that forces local women or female tourists to wear the burqa.
Even if it sounds weird for a very strict and conservative country like Afghanistan, women are free to choose their way of dressing, according to their/their family's beliefs and bonds with the religion.
✅️ The official rule is that all women, both locals and tourists, have to be dressed in a very conservative way covering the whole body and head, but it's their decision to choose between abaya and hijab, niqab, burqa or any other Muslim outfit.
In fact, I didn't meet many women wearing a burqa while in Afghanistan, and most of them were beggars.
Although I have no right to judge the decisions of the local people, the customs and laws of the countries I visit, my personal view on this outfit is totally negative.
To reply to some questions of yours:
👉 No, I didn't like wearing the hijab all the time, actually, it was very annoying!
👉 No, I wouldn't wear a burqa, I find it totally oppressive!
👉 Yes, I am against of patronising women!
👉 Yes, I support the women's rights all over the world!
However...
👉 I am free to choose my travel destinations without asking anyone, and it's my responsibility to respect the local customs of each culture. If I don't like them, it's my own problem. And if you don't like them, it's yours!

❗️Bottom line:
please do not criticize my decision to visit Afghanistan!
Just like everywhere, I try to keep an open mind and understand what's behind, whether I accept it or not. And people there, are so friendly and open to visitors; we are their one and only connection with the rest of the world!

ΝΕΟ ΑΡΘΡΟ 🇬🇷https://www.tripsofourlife.com/taxidi-afghanistan-prosklisi-se-gamilio-party-stin-kunduz/

Kabul has a special place in my heart ❤️ I lik

Kabul has a special place in my heart ❤️
I liked this chaotic city too much, actually it's one of my favorite capitals in the area of the Middle East and central Asia.
After 3 full days in Kabul, I decided to leave Afghanistan, not because I didn't like the country, but because I wasn't allowed to travel the way I wanted.
I met friendly people, tried tasty food, explored maze-like bazaars and experienced the genuine and traditional everyday life that took me back several years ago. It was a short but very interesting trip, so I made the promise to come back the soonest possible.

'till that time.... so long Afghanistan! 🇦🇫

📌 The mausoleum of King Mohammed Nadir Shah on

📌 The mausoleum of King Mohammed Nadir Shah on Maranjan Hill, overlooking the Afghan capital 🇦🇫

One of the best view points of Kabul, especially during the sunset!

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