London, for the first time, has put up Ramadan lights to celebrate the holy month. I was able to go and see them near Piccadilly Circus, and in the daytime the lanterns, stars and moons shimmered and sparkled. I wasn’t able to stay until dark when they light up but I was delighted to see these wonderful lights celebrate a special month in a city as great as mine.
I did some shopping in Istanbul (of course), starting with a market in the area of Eminonu. It was a market that locals shop at so my sisters and I were hoping for some good bargains. We looked around and bought backlava, some oud in pretty colourful bottles and turkish delight.
There was lots to see, great smells and some lovely looking fresh produce. It took us a while to look around and finally make our way to the famous Grand Bazaar.
The Grand Bazaar was pretty touristy and really busy. We looked around but I didn’t find anything particularly appealing. There were lots of shops selling counterfeit designer bags and clothes and others selling jewellery and food. I only ended up buying some sweets for myself before heading for lunch at the famous Nusr-et.
After lunch we went to nearby Nuruosmaniye Mosque to pray. Afterwards we found a really steep narrow staircase to one side and putting in the effort and courage to climb the small uneven steps, we found ourselves on the top tier of the mosque. The view was beautiful and worth the effort.
I absolutely loved the beautifully detailed designs and colours of the tiles. And the mosque has high ceilings and was really spacious and light. We sat for a while taking in the view and soaking up the atmosphere.
At the end of our Istanbul trip we visited the Basilica Cistern, a place I was keen to see (even more since it was in the film Inferno). The cistern was built in the 6th century and the roof is supported by 336 marble columns. The space was lit up with atmospheric lighting and in modern time includes some art pieces too.
The walkways wound through the columns and artworks and it was cool and quiet. I really enjoyed seeing how well kept it all was and how the light created some stunning reflections.
We then decided to get something to eat and look at a few more shops. We were accompanied by one of the many cats we saw on the streets that are very tame and look well looked after.
I really enjoyed my trip to Istanbul, we saw lots but there was still so much to see that we didn’t have time for. The food was delicious, the people friendly and welcoming and the history unlike any other. I really hope that I can come back one day and continue to learn about this special city and experience more of what it has to offer.
Happy Eid to everyone who is celebrating Eid-ul-Adha. I hope you all have a great day with your families and friends, enjoying lots of nice food and receiving gifts. Taqabbal Allahu Minna Wa Minkum (May Allah accept it from you and us).
I have visited the Frieze art festival for the last few years and after the absence of last year’s display, it was nice to see it back. The pieces are displayed in Regents park and is free to the public.
Here’s what we saw at this year’s festival. Some of the pieces were huge and others were quite playful. I like the huge colourful panels that you could walk through. The red shape in the trees was made up of recycled bottles which I thought was a timely piece.
I think my favourite art piece on display was the cloud with lightening strikes. I just love storms and lightening.
Other pieces had more poignant messages. The mass of tangles wire was wrought from the salvaged remains of the security fence raised around the U.S. Embassy in Oslo after 9/11. The stack of colourful spheres depicted motherhood and the female body. The red circular piece allowed you to sit on it and play, I had to ask some kids to get off for a moment so I could take a picture as they were clearly enjoying themselves.
I also liked the more odd pieces. The giant pineapple was fun and the meaning of it was amusing as it was meant to be wry commentary on the ‘prickly woman’. And the monster was strange, I wasn’t sure if I liked it or whether it made me uncomfortable.
Another fun piece I enjoyed was a huge semi circle made up of colourful panels. I enjoyed looking through the different colours at the landscape around me.
I thought there were some interesting art pieces at this year’s Frieze and I enjoyed having a look, and pondering about the meaning of some of them. I look forward to seeing what will be shown for next year.
The holy month of Ramadan begins this week, and all around the world Muslims are fasting from sunrise to sunset. This year will be a unique one for us all, as there will be no gatherings at the mosque for evening prayers and no iftars (breaking of fasts) with extended kin, friends and the community. Instead we will all be spending more time at home with family, spending time praying and reflecting on our faith and it’s teachings, and to hoping to re-connect with God. I pray that mankind gets through this difficult time in good health, keeping our selves and our loved ones safe, and that our we all are kinder and more generous to each other when this is all over. Ramadan Mubarak to you all.
Regent’s Park was host to the Frieze Sculpture event again this year. I’ve enjoyed the artworks displayed in previous years so decided to take a look to see what was on offer this time. The park has been called a museum without walls and it seems like that’s just what it is with artworks surrounded by greenery.
There were some interesting pieces on show; one that caught my eye was a golden cello made of bees. I also liked the giant toy car and I really liked what the Superhero Cog woman represented by strong, stable cogs
Other pieces that stood out to me included the large Japanese cartoon character, My Melody, and the weather vanes that had inspiring words on them. I also thought that the Laura Asia’s Dream sculpture of a large face set at an angle was quite skillfully made.
My favourite artwork was a quintessentially English ball that represented a country house. I love how neat it has been tied up into a ball.
I thought the giant blue egg was cool, it was supposed to emit sounds that a baby bird in an egg would make but I couldn’t hear anything myself.
Other sculptures made you think, like the bridges which you could also walk over, words about climate change carved in them.
Another piece that I thought was quite immersive and one of the highlights was One through Zero, which consisted of giant bronze numbers in a circle, like a clock.
I thought some of the sculptures in this year’s Frieze were fun, interesting and quite unique, and I enjoyed looking at and contemplating what they stood for. I look forward to seeing what next year brings.
My cousin’s wedding reception took place a few days after the wedding which is quite traditional according to Islam. This event was a much more laid back affair, especially for us as the groom’s family hosted this one (the wedding day was hosted by the bride’s family).
The venue was decorated nicely and the stage looked great with white flowers and pretty lighting. There was also a cake that tied in with the theme.
All the ladies on our side of the family decided to wear pastel coloured outfits, and my nieces all matched too. I decided on a blue ombre outfit with diamantes and my sister bought me a blue clutch to go with it which I love.
The bride and groom arrived together shortly after and sat on the stage so everyone could say hello and take pictures. The bride was dressed in a lovely light pink and blue outfit that sparkled in the light, and the groom looked dashing in his black tie.
After dinner everyone gathered on stage and took pictures with the couple to remember the happy occasion and celebrate them. I pray the my cousin and her husband have a long, happy, healthy life ahead together. They’ll be able to relax on their honeymoon to Dubai soon, which I’m sure will be very welcome.
My cousin’s wedding day finally arrived. It was a much anticipated event as we don’t have many big family weddings here. The wedding was an evening event, which was a good thing as it turned out to be the hottest day on record here in the UK! Having got dressed in our finest we drove to in our much needed air conditioned cars to the other side of London to the wedding venue.
The venue was beautifully decorated and the stage was adorned with pretty flowers and rose petals for when the bride and groom arrive.
The wedding cake was set up with matching cupcakes which I thought were great, and the favours were placed on tables for each guest, which consisted of a small pot of honey and small bottles of zamzam water, which is considered holy.
As guests started to arrive they were greeted with welcome drinks and asked to write a note to the bride and groom in their guestbook. The bride’s sister looked lovely with all her matching jewellery and the rest of the family all looked dashing too. My little nieces had matching pink and gold outfits that looked really cute.
Finally the groom and his family arrived and the bride walked in on her brother’s arm to take her side with her husband. My cousin looked beautiful in her traditional red wedding dress; her hair, make up and outfit looked perfect and her henna a dark red as it should be.
The wedding went well with good food and it was nice to see the family and relatives all together. It was an emotional affair, especially when the bride had to say goodbye to her family and go home with the groom, but all the hard work that everyone put in paid off. The reception traditionally takes place a few days after the wedding so I’ll see them again soon.
Ramadan Mubarak everyone. I pray that this month is a beneficial one for all of us, that we break old habits and create new ones, that we have an increase in peace, blessings and mercy and that we all come closer to God. Ameen.
I was recently asked to take photos at a dholki party that a friend of my sister’s was having. A dholki is a party that takes place before a wedding which involves dancing and singing traditional songs to the beat of a drum – a dholki. The event was held in a private space in a restaurant meaning that we would be able to have good food and then have a space for the entertainment. Dholkis are mainly for women (and young children), giving the women a chance to let their hair down without any inhibitions.
The theme of the event was peacock feathers with colours pulled out to decorate other parts of the space which I really liked.
The bride-to-be’s friends set up dessert tables near the entrance that I though were really creative and colourful. I thought the popcorn was a nice way to keep the kids happy until food was served. I also loved the cake shaped in a cushion.
After everyone had dinner cushions, the drum and song books were placed together so that everyone could sit and sing songs together.
Once everyone had sung enough songs, the floor space was cleared so that people could dance. The bride and her friends had choreographed a few dances together, which was fun to watch.
It was a fun evening and a nice way to give women close to the bride-to-be a chance to spend time together with the her and her family.
a daily photo
"enlightenment. don't know what it is"
The world around through my camera's lens
A photo-blog journey.
Photography Lecturer
Insight, information, and inspiration for the inquisitive nature photographer
Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow
Just because you CAN read Moby Dick doesn't mean you should!
A continuing mission to produce flash fiction stories in 300 words (or less)
The Best of the visual Web, sifted, sorted and summarized
trying to capture the world...my way
islam | motherhood | feminism
The Art and Craft of Blogging
Trey Ratcliff's Travel Photography blog with daily inspiration to motivate you!
Visual Learning Materials and More for Your Classroom
trying to capture the world...my way
everyphototunity 