What makes Port Louis a favourite tourist destination?


          Port Louis is the capital and the most populous city of the island of Mauritius. The city, in fact, is the country’s economic, cultural and political heart. The city is located between a well-sheltered deep-water harbour and a semicircle of mountains. Ships could easily get access to the land through a break in the coral reef in the sea. Therefore, as a port, Port Louis has wielded great strategic significance throughout history.



          The city’s economy depends on the port, tourism and the manufacturing sector that includes textiles, chemicals, plastics and pharmaceuticals. Cathedrals, a natural history museum and an art gallery, several libraries, educational institutions, publishing and research institutes, government offices and the colonial-era Government House are exemplarily constructed and are exquisite masterpieces of architectural sublimity.



          Aapravasi Ghat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the St. Louis Cathedral, the Chinatown District, the Mauritius National History Museum and the Blue Penny Museum are some places tourists seldom fail to visit. Horseracing is a popular sport in Port Louis. Port Louis racetrack, founded in 1812, is another attraction in the city.



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Which city is known as the ‘Mermaid of the Mediterranean’?


          Tripoli, the capital of Libya, is an ancient city. The city was founded by the Phoenicians on a small rocky plain in the 7th century BC. Many rulers took over the city several times after its inception. The Barbary Wars between Tripoli and the U.S. government which spanned over fifteen years were legendary.



         Until recently, Libya, and Tripoli in particular, underwent fluctuating political fortunes. The city witnessed fierce civil wars during the regime of Colonel Gaddafi, who governed Libya from 1969 to 2011. Owing to the instability in the region, Tripoli has gained notoriety as the world’s third least livable city, trailing only Damascus in Syria and Lagos in Nigeria. The economy of the city depends on the export of citrus fruits, cotton and other goods.



         Tripoli in Greek literally means ‘Three cities’. It is sometimes called ‘the Mermaid of the Mediterranean’ because of its turquoise waters and its buildings painted white. The Medina, Tripoli’s old town, the Red Castle Museum and the bazaar are some places of great tourist interest.



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Which is the ‘Green City in the Sun’?


         Some cities are born in a short span of time. About a hundred and fifty years ago, the region where the city of Nairobi sits today was an uninhabited swamp. Only the Indian labourers working, for the Uganda railway camped in the place. The city grew out of this swamp, gradually yet steadily.



         Nairobi’s name comes from a water hole in the region called ‘Enkare Nairobi’ in Maasai language. It meant ‘a place of cool water’. The city was founded in 1899. Today, the city is the main commercial and cultural centre of East Africa and is the capital of the most developed country there, Kenya. The city presents a blend of all major Kenyan ethnic groups such as Kikuyu, Luo, Luhya, Kalenjin Kisii, and Kamba.



          The white settlers who came to Kenya during the colonial period had their farms and homes in the Ngong Hills and Limuru, situated west of Nairobi. Due to the lush green forests of the city, it is often nicknamed as the ‘Green City in the Sun’. The Nairobi National Park is an attempt by the government to preserve the natural beauty of the city.



         However, crime is a growing problem in Nairobi. Therefore, the ‘Green City in the Sun’ is often nicknamed as ‘Nairobbery’ to point out the alarming rate of crimes in the city.



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Why does the Ivory Coast have two capitals?


          It is not uncommon for countries to have two capitals simultaneously. Holding multiple capitals helps legislation and administration of the country. Ivory Coast, a West African country, has two capitals: Yamoussoukro and Abidjan. 



        The Ivory Coast was under French rule for hundreds of years. Abidjan was declared the capital of the country in 1933, when the country was still under the French rule and it continued to be the capital for a long time. Felix Houphouet-Boigny, the first President of Ivory Coast, however, felt that the central part of the country was still underdeveloped and moving the capital from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro would help this situation. However, even today, most of the embassies and government institutions continue to exist in Abidjan.



        Abidjan is a beautiful city, and has many nicknames such as the “Manhattan of the tropics”, “Small Manhattan” or “Pearl of the lagoons”. The city has one of the largest wood processing plants. Yamoussoukro, on the other hand, is claimed to be home of the largest Christian place of worship. The town’s economy is sustained by fishing, forestry, and perfume industries.



        The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace and the National Museum are some of the places of interest in these cities.



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Which is the largest city in Egypt?


         Do you know which part of the world is known as the cradle of human civilization? Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt are places where several civilizations developed independently. Some of the earliest developments in writing, agriculture, urbanization, organized religion and government took place in Egypt. Cairo is the capital of Egypt. The city is the largest city not only of Egypt, but also of the Arab world.



        Cairo has an ancient history. The city was 'Al-Qahira’ by Al-Mu’izz li Din Allah, the fourth Fatimid Caliph in 973. The name meant ‘the victorious’. The Al-Azhar University, the third-oldest university in the world, was founded during this time. Even today, Cairo remains the cultural capital of the Arab world. The city’s premier collection of over 100,000 artefacts from nearly every period of Egyptian history is well preserved in the Egyptian Museum at Maydan Tahrir. The chief source of Cairo’s local economy is tourism. It also depends on manufacturing textiles, food and tobacco products, chemicals, plastics, metals, and automobiles.



         The Tahrir Square, Cairo Tower, the old Cairo and Khan el-Khalili are some of the landmarks that attract tourists.



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What is the speciality of the city of Yaoundé?


            Have you heard of Roger Milla, who, at the age of 38, scored four goals at the 1990 football World Cup? Roger Milla hails from Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. Cameroon is a country in the African continent located near Nigeria and Yaoundé is the second largest city of Cameroon. The city is situated in the hills on the edge of a dense forest in Cameroon’s centre region. Yaoundé was founded by German traders in the late 1880s.           



            The city has the history of many invasions and occupations. Belgian troops conquered the city during World War I and made it the capital of the French Cameroon. After independence from the French, however, the city made steady progress. It served as a market for coffee, cacao and sugar for the neighbouring places.



            The Cathedrale Notre Dame des Victoires, the Basilique Marie-Reine-des-Apotres, the Cameroon Art Museum and the Cameroon National Museum are some of the places of interest in Yaoundé.



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Why is Luanda called the ‘Paris of Africa’?


              The city of Paris is considered the epitome of high culture and capital of eclectic taste and fashion. Cities are often compared to Paris in order to show that they are modern. Luanda, the capital and largest city of Angola in Africa, is often compared to Paris.



               Luanda is located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the country’s primary seaport and government centre. A self-sustaining city, there is almost everything, such as processed foods, beverages, textiles, cement, and other building materials, plastic products, metal-ware, cigarettes, and shoes, manufactured in the city. In terms of comfort and fashion, there are no comparable cities in Africa; and that is why the city is known as ‘Paris of Africa’. However, intermittent civil wars have troubled the city and they have repeatedly damaged the petroleum refining facility, which is a chief source of income for the city.



               Founded by Paulo Dias de Novais, a Portuguese explorer, the city’s origin dates back to 1576. The official language of the city, therefore, has been Portuguese, though other indigenous languages have also been used. Beautiful beaches and a number of sites such as a Military Museum, the National Anthropological Museum, and Roque Santeiro, a huge open-air market, Funtogo market, the Slavery Museum etc. are the most popular attractions in the city.



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Why is Algiers a unique city?


            A city is not built in a day. Besides the brick and mortar it is built of, a city is the sum total of the numerous civilizations and cultures of its visitors, traders, raiders and conquerors. Algiers, the capital and the largest city of Algeria, has a long history of foreign rule by powers such as the Ottoman and the French. The Romans, Berber Arabs, Turks and Barbary pirates have colonized the city for centuries.



           The word Algiers derives from the Arabic name Al-Jazair which means ‘the islands’, referring to the four islands that became part of the mainland in 1525. The city was built in 944 by Bologhine ibn Ziri, a ruler from the Zirid dynasty. Algiers is founded on the Sahel Hills and the city runs for some 16 kilometres along the Bay of Algiers.



           The city is known for the white-washed buildings of the Kasbah, Ottoman palaces and ruined citadels. The city has the first sea port in the country.



            Since the last rulers of Algeria were the French, there is a lot of French architecture in the city. Notre Dame d’Afrique, Monument des Martyrs and the El Jedid mosque are some of the popular tourist destinations of the city.



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Why is Delhi a city with two faces?


                 The city of Delhi has two faces: both ancient and modern. From the 6th century BC onwards, Delhi has been a city that has been almost continuously inhabited. It has seen the rise and fall of kings and emperors. It has been captured and ransacked, and has served as the capital of many kingdoms and empires. Delhi’s history has been one radiant with glory and bathed in tears. This is the face of Old Delhi, the city of the Tughlaks, the Khiljis and the Moghuls, a city of palaces and forts, tombs and crowded bazaars. From Hindu Kings to Muslim Sultans, the reins of the city kept shifting from one ruler to another. In the year 1803 AD, the city came under British rule. In 1911, the British shifted the capital from Calcutta to Delhi. After India won independence in 1947, New Delhi was officially declared as the Capital of India... and this is the modern face of Delhi. New Delhi is the city of the awe inspiring Rashtrapati Bhavan, the imposing Secretariat, the magnificent Parliament House and the graceful India Gate. It is a city of tree lined avenues and green expanses, towering skyscrapers and world class infrastructure, soaring flyovers and historic monuments that showcase the progressive and vibrant nation that India is today.



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Why is Kuwait city special?


            Some cities assume a global status after a period of growth. Then they are no longer mere cities of a particular country, but a destination the whole world would desire to visit. Kuwait City is one such city. The capital of Kuwait, the city is the centre of the country’s political, cultural and economic growth.



             Kuwait city is located on the Persian Gulf. Like Riyadh, Kuwait city too had a humble origin. It was a small fishing village when its first inhabitants arrived in 1613. The Bani Ut bah, a tribal confederation of Arab clans, settled in the city in 1714 and the village gradually transformed into an important trade centre with India and the Far East.



            What sent Kuwait city to great Heights was the discovery of oil in its land, Oil mining and export led the city into rapid urbanization.



            After Kuwait declared its inpendence from Britain in 1961, the country grew to become the most developed nation in the region. The war in the 1990s and the drop in oil prices devastated the city; however, Kuwait rebuilt itself in no time.



           The Grand Mosque, National Museum, Tareq Rajab Museum, Museum of Modern Art, the famous Kuwait Towers, Self Palace and the AI-Hashemi Marine Museum are some of the most sought after tourist destinations of the city.



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Which is the largest city in Saudi Arabia?


            Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. Correctly called Al-Riyad, the name derives from the Arabic word ‘rawdah’ meaning trees and gardens; and therefore, the name means ‘the garden’. From antiquity, Riyadh has been known as a fertile area located at the heart of the Arabian Peninsula.



            Saudi Arabia had two capitals from the late 1920s: Riyadh and Al-Hijaz. The king was in Riyadh and most of his government ministries and head offices were in Al-Hijaz. However, gradually, as the city progressed and expanded, Riyadh became the sole capital. The city is the economic heartland of the country. The oil boom that started in 1974 dramatically transformed the city. As the city grew, so did the population along with it. From a total population of 169,000 in 1962, it became 4.5 million in 2003. Riyadh is one of the leading havens of job hunters today. While the government is the largest employer in Riyadh, light industry and retail firms provide employment to people. The chief industry in the city is oil refining.



            The native architecture, various archaeological sites, Masmak Fortress, Kingdom Tower, Burj Rafal and Burj Al Faisaliyah are some of the monuments in Riyadh.



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Which city is the capital of Qatar?


            Some cities have very humble beginnings. Doha, the capital city of Qatar, was a small fishing and pearling port called al-Bida until the beginning of the twentieth century. At the end of the nineteenth century, the port had just around 12,000 inhabitants. The modern city Doha grew out of al-Bida port. Today, Doha is the largest city of Qatar, and is the country’s centre of administration, finance, culture, transportation, and social services.



            Pearling was one of the chief sources of income for the city. However, after oil revenues started flourishing the emirate in the 1960s, the city experienced rapid growth. Gas industry, fishing and trade also enriched the city. High-rise apartments and offices, palatial villas, and tree-lined subdivsions supported by modern infrastructure began appearing and they changed the city’s outlook altogether. Along with wealth, population increased too. However, most of the city’s residents are non-Qataris. There are large communities of Iranians, Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinos and Bangladeshis in Doha.



            Clock Tower Square, the souk (marketplace), and Government House built on reclaimed water-front land are some of the tourist interests.



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Which city is known as the ‘Pearl of the Orient’?


            Manila, the capital of Philippines, was established by the Spanish conquerors in 1571. The Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi made it the capital of their colony “Felipinas.” For 327 years, the Spanish kept Philippines as their colony. After a bloody revolution that saw hundreds of men die in the battlefield, the US took over the country until they granted Philippines independence in 1935.



            The city is known as the ‘Pearl of the Orient’ and is located in the southern Luzon, the largest of the more than 7,000 islands that make up the nation known as the Philippines. Manila is rich with natural resources. its greatest asset is the protected harbour upon which it sits, the finest in all of Asia. The city profits from fish, shells and salt it gets from the sea. The people of the country, with their high literacy rate and facility with languages, are another source of Manila’s wealth. The city offers various shopping experiences ranging from colourful open-air markets to air-conditioned shopping malls.



            Basketball is the most popular sport in Manila. It is also the land of music and arts.  Artists of international repute frequent the city for musical performances and live theatre. One of the most important tourist attractions of the city is the Rizal Shrine, a monument that honours the national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.



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What is the significance of Muscat?


            Muscat was a strategically significant spot in the Middle East; and therefore, the city has been a bone of contention among warring men from time immemorial. The city has a rich tradition of shipbuilding. Maritime travel has played a significant role in the Omanis’ ability to stay in contact with the civilisations of the ancient world. Various indigenous tribes and foreign powers such as the Persians, the Portuguese, the Iberian Union and the Ottoman Empire, have at various times conquered and ruled over it. The city has been an important trading port between the west and the east from the 1st century onwards. After the ascension of Qaboos bin Said, the Sultan of Oman in 1970, Muscat, Oman’s capital has enjoyed rapid infrastructural development and growth as a vibrant economy with a multiethnic society.



            The city is located on the Arabian Sea along the Gulf of Oman. The chief source of income of the city is trade. Petroleum and port handling are also vital to Muscat’s economy. Muscat is known for its hot, arid climate with long and very hot Summers and warm “winters”. The city is known for its shopping malls. Football and cricket are the most popular sports in Muscat. The Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex stadium contains a 50 metre swimming pool, which is used for international competitions. Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and various museums like Museum of Omani Heritage and National Museum of Oman are some of the most sought-after to spots of the city.



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What makes pyongyang a special city?


            The power of human will is immeasurable. It was the sheer will and perseverance of men that raised a city from its grave to glory. Pyongyang, a war-torn city, rose from its ashes like a phoenix, when its inhabitants chose to build it anew.



             According to Korean legends, Pyongyang, Korea’s oldest city, was founded in 1122 BC. The capital of North Korea, Pyongyang has witnessed many wars and much destruction. It was a colony of Japan; and under Japan, the city became an industrial centre and was known as Heijo. During the Korean War, the city was destroyed completely. Kim II-sung, the first Supreme Leader of North Korea, rebuilt the city according to his vision. The rebuilding made the city beautiful with wide, tree-lined boulevards and public buildings with terraced landscaping, mosaics and decorated ceilings. A longterm modernisation programme that was meant to rejuvenate the nation started in 2001.



             Pyongyang is North Korea’s industrial centre. The city has an abundance of natural resources like coal, iron and limestone, as well as good land and water transport systems. Therefore, it was not very difficult for the city to come back to its glory after the Korean War.



            Some of North Korea’s most recognisable landmarks are found in the city such as the Juche Tower, the Arch of Triumph and the Mansu Hill Grand Monument.



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