Jordan By Irene Butler Pics by Rick Jordan Photos/ Hashemite? I had to look this up. The Hashemite trace their ancestry back to the great-grandfather of Prophet Muhammad. In the Kingdom of Jordan the current ruler from this line is His Majesty King Abdulla II, who ascended to the throne in 1999. He has continued…
Syria by Irene Butler Pics by Rick Syria Photos/ Damascus Syria – one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world – and the locals claim it is the oldest “capital” in the world. A feast of the senses surrounded us. The architecture holds a richness as glorious as it’s past. The chaos of…
Bahrain – By Irene Butler Pics by Rick Bahrain Photos/ Sweet water bubbling up from the ocean depths has prompted continual settlements on the island of Bahrain for over 4,000 years, coupled with its being strategically located on ancient sea trade routes. For many centuries Bahrain’s pearl diving industry was the backbone of its economy,…
Qatar by Irene Butler Pix by Rick Qatar Pics/ Rick and I trekked through the desert without water; my parched tongue felt double its size and my voice was reduced to a croak….okay, we were really walking along Al Corniche Street in Doha, the capital of Qatar – but the remaining detail is true. We…
by Irene Butler – Oman Pics/ – Visibly absent in Oman is the sky-scraper obsession of the UAE. The architecture in Muscat, the capital city, is tied closely to tradition with most buildings ranging from between three and seven storeys in white or sandy shades, many with the arched windows common in Arabic design. The…
