Tag Archives: colours

Istanbul – part 2

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On my visit to Istanbul I went to The Blue Mosque also known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. It was constructed between 1609 and 1616 during the rule of Ahmed I. It was being renovated so there was lots of scaffolding and parts covered up but you could still see how beautiful the visible parts were. It was really busy but I managed to take a few snaps.

We didn’t stay too long, and after praying and looking around I moved onto the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque which is opposite The Blue Mosque. Walking across the square the time for prayer came around and it was beautiful to hear the two mosques sounding the call to prayer in turn.

The Hagia Sophia was originally built as a Greek Orthodox church 1453. It served as a mosque until 1935 and then was converted into a a museum. In 2020, the Hagia Sophia became a mosque again.

Inside there were lots of circular chandeliers to brighten up the space and on the walls were plaques with Allah, Muhammed (PBUH) and the names of his closest companions written in Arabic. It was quite beautiful to take in the embellishment and architecture of the building.

Something I found interesting was that you could still see Christian embellishments in some parts like the walkway to the exit depicting what looked like Mary and Jesus and images of angles around the ceiling dome.

We stayed a while, soaking in the atmosphere and taking pictures. Again this mosque was very busy so we didn’t stay too long. It was really nice to have spent time in both The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Both are quite beautiful and I hope to come back again one day.

Istanbul – part 1

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I don’t often get to travel, in fact I have been abroad for a very long time, so when the chance arose I grabbed it. I went to Istanbul for a few days with my mum and sisters and we made the most of the time we had.

We went to Topkapi palace which was home to all the Ottoman sultans. The palace was huge it took a few hours to get around. There were several throne rooms and reading rooms, each with beautiful mosaic embellishment all around.

I loved some of the ceilings, just so beautifully and intricately detailed.

Every room was covered in tiled and mosaics and I couldn’t get enough of it. I loved these tiles where the same colours were used but they each had a different design.

There was one special place within the palace that we were all keen to visit. It was a room that held holy relics of Prophet Mohammed (SAW), of his companions and also other Prophets. We weren’t allowed to take photos, but there was Prophet Moses’ (AS) staff, Prophet David’s (AS) sword, Prophet Mohammed’s(SAW) footprint and hair strands. It was quite astonishing and moving to see belongings of Prophets that we all revered so much.

Having walked around most of the palace we decided to get some lunch. I really enjoyed Tokapi palace and it’s a place I would definitely want to come back and visit.

Chelsea in Bloom 2022

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The Chelsea Flower show takes place in London every year, showcasing beautiful gardens. To coincide with the event, businesses in the borough of Chelsea and Kensington hold an alternative floral art show called Chelsea in Bloom. Shopfronts are decorated with pretty displays and this year’s theme was the ‘British Icons’, to celebrate all things British and the Platinum Jubilee. My sister and I went to have a look at what creative designs would be on display.

There were so many displays but here are some I liked the best. Some displays were truly creative, like this Spitfire one, and other’s really detailed like the emblem with the horse and lion.

I really liked the display outside the Royal mail, Postmen on ladders and a collection of the iconic red postboxes. And the biscuit Buckingham Palace was artistic.

One of my favourites was this Queen’s head outline in different colours, I thought it was simple but really pretty.

I thought the bus was iconic too, and I really liked this floral tunnel with top hats, pocket watches, teacups and cards. It was super busy so only managed to get a couple of photos.

These cakes on a giant cake stand was another of my favourites, I thought it was really creative and very British.

Here are some more icons, The Beatles and Elton John, and representing fashion, Vivian Westwood. I thought the upside down table, chairs and cakes was cool.

I really liked the giant 50p coin, simple and fun. Paddington bear made of flowers was lovely too.

Another of my favourites was the Mini Cooper on show. It was quite a big display with flower hearts surrounding it.

These are only some of the displays we saw, there were many more with floral archways and window displays. It was really nice to go and see these imaginative displays, especially after it was cancelled for the last couple of years. The winners have been announced on the website.

Platinum Jubilee

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A bit late posting this but Queen Elizabeth celebrated 70 years on the throne this year. There were celebrations around the country for the Platinum Jubilee. I’m not a huge fan of the Royals but I think you have to respect the Queen for doing 70 years in her duty. Here are some of the decorations that I saw on my visit to London and around my local town.

I like the fridge with the Union Jack print and the throne and crown display, and I thought the giant party popper was fun.

Pall Mall had flags all the way down and the creative streetart was done in my local town centre.

There were lots of street parties and picnics in the park to celebrate, and I’m sure everyone enjoyed the extra days off work too.

Eid celebrations

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Eid-al-adha is celebrated by Muslims all around the world. It was a hot day in London this year, but my family all came together for food, gifts and games. Here’s a few photos I took to mark this year’s celebrations.

Dutch Garden

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In Holland park in West London there a place called the Dutch garden. The garden is called as such as every late spring/early summer hundreds of tulips bloom. When I heard about it I decided to make a trip to take a look; not only because I love tulips but who knows if I’ll ever go to the Netherlands and visit one of their famous tulip fields.

It was a really bright and sunny afternoon so I didn’t just get really hot, but unfortunately the flowers look quite saturated in my pictures.

In a nearby section there were other types of tulips and flowers too. This section was also a little less busy. I really like the sundial. And these murals are quite cool too, depicting people in old fashioned dress and how they might have enjoyed the garden in the past.

On my way out of the garden I spotted some wiseteria too.

The garden was really lovely, it was great to see swathes of tulips and just take in the colourful sight (also the sounds of a nearby quite loud peacock!).

Blossoms

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Spring has been in full force in London these last few weeks, with flowers and greenery sprouting everywhere. My sister and I visited a small park where there were some beautiful trees full of blossoms. Most parks are full of snappers but this one was tucked away, so we managed to take some pictures calmly and without lots of people around.

The blossom trees were full of pink and white blossoms. They looked so beautiful in the sunlight.

We took some time taking photos and just soaking in the lovely quiet atmosphere.

These blossoms and others really are a joy to look at and I hope to enjoy them for as long as they last.

Ramadan Mubarak 2022/1443

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Ramadan has started this weekend for Muslims around the world. I pray that this month is a beneficial one for all of us, that we are forgiven our sins, are able to re-connect with God, find peace and receive blessings. I pray that Muslims that are in hardship find ease and that we all be as charitable as possible to help those that need it wherever and whoever they are.

These pretty boxes were sent to me and my family for Ramadan. Filled with dates they are not only a staple for Ramadan, the money raised by buying these boxes go to important causes.

Ramadan Mubarak everyone. May God accept from you and us.

Trekking across London

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The weather has been really sunny and mild recently so I decided to make a trip to Central London.

I headed towards Regents Park where there were plenty of blossoms that looked lovely and Spring-like

I then decided to walk to the other end of Regents park, up to Primrose Hill to look at the London skyline. It looked great on this sunny and clear day

I then walked back to the other end (via the London Zoo entrance where I spotted some zebras) and walked through the well kept pretty gardens and near the lake where I saw a statue like Herring.

I left the park and made my way to Trafalgar Square and then Covent Garden. There was huge rainbow made of cans to encourage recycling which I though was a cool idea.

At this point, having walked almost 27k steps I was exhausted and made my way home to put my feet up. It’s always a joy to visit London, even more as things are starting to get back to normal after a couple of difficult years.

Willen park

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I went to visit my sister and her family in Luton recently. We went to Willen park and in between the storms that been and were expected it was very windy but quite refreshing. I didn’t take many pictures but here a few that I liked on a blustery but sunny day.