Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey is the only country that connects Europe and Asia. It is bordered by eight countries which are Greece to the west, Bulgaria to the northwest, Georgia to the northwest, Iran, Armenia and Azerbaijan to the east, Syria and Iraq to the southwest. Due to the excellent location and natural resources, turkey is now considered one of the most rising Islamic countries. It is making progress in almost all fields. Turkey has world 15th largest gross domestic product (GDP) and 17th largest nominal gross domestic product. It is listed among the G-20 major economies.

The Republic of Turkey has opened its market by reducing the government control on private investment, foreign trade and privatization of public companies through the economic reforms. These policies paved a way for Turkey to make significant and excellent progress. The real rate of gross domestic product of Turkey from 2002 to 2007 is averaged more than 6.8% annually. This growth rate made Turkey one of the fastest growing countries in the world.

The Republic of Turkey is on the rise , and it is making substantial progress in various industries. The Turkish fast economic growth, in the last few years, is becoming harder to ignore. Its economy grew from 8.5% to 9% within two years. Turkey is continueing to rise , and it seems to lead the growth tables of OECD. Various Turkish firms are expanding their investments in the other countries.

TAV, a most famous and popular Turkish company, is the world’s 4th largest airport contractor. It is expanding its investment aggressively and playing a key role in booming the Turkish economy in a notable way. Turkish construction companies are operating in more than 95 countries. It is predicted by HSBC that Turkey will be the 12th largest economy spot of the world in 2050.

The Turkish industry is gradually expanding overseas. The Turkish foreign investments are almost reaching all corners of the continents. According to the report of 2011, it is estimated that the Turkish trade volume with the Saharan Africa has gone to $7.5 billion in 2011, and it was just $750 million in 2000. A major contracting company of Turkey named Kolin has started $140 million project in Uganda, and is still looking for investment opportunities in Kenya and South Africa.

Tourism industry in Turkey also is hitting a powerful levels in the last few years. It is considered an important part of the country’s economy. According to a report, more than 31 million visitors from all over the world visit this country and contribute to the revenue of Turkey with about $22 billion.

Turkey has a strong automobile industry. During the year 2012, Turkey automobile company produced more than 1072335 vehicles. This automobile industry is considered as the 16th largest vehicles producer in the world. According to a recent report, Turkey is considered the fastest growing country in the Muslim world. You cannot ignore the progress and the influence of Turkey.

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Qasr Amr is located on the desert road to Azraq and is possibly the highlight of the chain of desert castles built in eastern Jordan. It was built by Caliph Walid I in around 715AD. As the name suggests, it was originally part of a castle, but now all the remains is a small stone structure which was built as a royal retreat, away from the noise and prying eyes of Damascus.

Renowned for its painted frescos on the interior walls and roofs, Qasr Amr is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The paintings, amongst other things, depict pagan images, animals, hunting scenes and naked women. Qasr Amr is widely to be considered what would these days be called a Pleasure Palace, and seemed to be a placed where the Caliph and his associates could cast off the stricter teachings of Islam.

It is a useful study place for those interested in the development and take-up of early Islam, in that some of the earlier followers found problems reconciling their new faith with their established cultural heritage. In a similar way, there are examples of coinages from Damascus and Jerusalem that show the slow evolution from Christian Byzantine coins to more recognizably Islamic coinage, something that took several decades.

For perhaps a thousand years, the building was lost from popular memory until its rediscovery by Alois Musil in 1898. The  frescoes were restored about 70 years later. Many paintings show influences of Persian culture and wildlife, perhaps due to the mother of Caliph Yazid III, who was from there. There is a victory image of the Caliph’s 6 major enemies; these being the Byzantine Emperor, Roderic; the Visigoth king; Sassanid, the Persian Shah; the Negus of Ethiopia; a Turkic rule from Central Asia; and an Indian Raja. One of the rooms has depictions of animals performing human actions, overlooked by an Angel and three figures of whom the middle is thought by local Christians to represent Jesus.

The domed roof of the hot bath room has a painted representation of the night sky, with 35 recognizable constellations on show. It is thought to be the first pictorial representation of the night sky on something other than a flat surface. It should be noted that however unexpected the interior images might be to modern visitors to an apparently Islamic building, the painting also followed the advice of contemporary Arab doctors, who believed that bathing drained the life force and spirit of bathers, and that the only way to recover their spirit was to surround themselves by the animal, the natural and the spiritual.

This is obviously something that those who enjoyed Qasr Amr took to heart. Qasr Amr is well worth a visit to anyone in or visiting Jordan since it is just meters off a main desert highway, and less than an hours drive from central Amman. A day trip can be made by visiting some of the other nearby castles, some of which are in better condition but none as unique.

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Stephen Liddell has both a Masters and BA Hons degree in African and Asian Politics specialising in the Middle-East and Islam. Stephen has backpacked throughout North Africa and much of the Middle-East living with locals and Bedouin along the way having amongst other locations, crossed the Sahara twice and sank on the Nile twice.
A published novelist through his first book 'Let Me Help', a true to life historical fiction epic set in the Middle East and Central Asia and keen blogger at http://stephenliddell.wordpress.com His major remaining travel wish is to travel the silk road, spend time on the Mongolian Steppe and have a cup of tea in a shop on the Si-o-Seh bridge in Isfahan, Iran.

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Saudi Arabia is the blessed land where every Muslim from around the world wants to go. The main reason is the presence of Khana Kaba over there. Khana Kaba is situated in Masjid Haram which is in the city called Makkah. Apart from the Khana Kaba, in Madinah Masjid Nabwi there is the house of Holy Prophet (PBUH). These two places are those places which are the main elements of Islamic community. Words cannot describe the beauty and peace found at these two places and most of all, what attracts all the Muslims from almost all the parts of the world is the ACTUAL presence of Allah and His Holy prophet (PBUH). Surely, Saudi Arabia is a best practicing country for Islamic Culture.
It is the best practicing country for Islamic Culture because, it is that very place where over thousands of years back, our beloved holy Prophet (PBUH) was born, grew up and finally became our Prophet. It is that place where Islam was spread, and it was just Saudi Arabia which was chosen to spread the word of Allah. No other country or part of the world was chosen, just this land named Saudi Arabia. The people of this land were known as “Arabis” because they belonged to Arab tribes which were numerous  and it was really tough to mold them into another religion when they were so indulged in just practicing their hand made gods.

Saudi culture

Each and every place of Makkah, where first revelation came down in the Cave of Hira on Holy Prophet (PBUH), reminds of when Islam was birthed. The way Holy Prophet (PBUH) has to protect and guard it from the evil eyes, evil people and evil thoughts with the help of Allah and the way He fought for the peace of the early converts. Walking on those roads, where Holy Prophet (PBUH) used to walk have left a feeling of his presence and the way he taught the people of Sauida Arabia to live, is how even today the living styles of those people remind us of Holy Prophet (PBUH). That is why the best practicing country for Islamic culture is Saudi Arabia.

Arab Islamic culture

According to Saudi cultures and traditions, women have got special dressing which does not include anything besides a gown which should cover their upper body parts till the ankles. You will find all of the women wearing that gown free in size so their figure is not prominent, and you will also see them wearing a piece of cloth on their heads. It is called a Hijab. As a whole; it is a best practicing country of Islamic culture in not just a way of dressing but living as well. Over there, all the laws, rules and regulations are based on Shariah as it is not the people’ land, it is the land of the people of Allah. There is a huge difference between a common man and a man of Allah. Saudi Arabia is by far the best country to teach your children about Islam.

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