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BAY OF BENGAL (Dec. 4, 2021) Mineman 1st Class Nigel Littleton, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, uses a thermal imager to look for hotspots in main machinery room number two during damage control training aboard the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Tulsa (LCS 16). Tulsa, part of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7, is on a rotational deployment, operating in U.S. 7th Fleet to enhance interoperability with partners and serve as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Devin M. Langer)
Verizon Center, Washington DC.
February 2015.
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Focusing on continued collaboration between College of DuPage, area business, community groups and others, COD Interim President Dr. Brian W. Caputo welcomed more than 200 local leaders and other constituents at the College’s second annual community breakfast.
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - NOVEMBER 16: Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong of T1 at the League of Legends World Championship 2023 Finals Features Day on November 16, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
The nest of two small tables almost completed, just a bit of polishing left to do.
Tops and shelf of 1" thick curly soft Maple and legs and rails of African Makore.
Rounded through tenons pegged with Rosewood wedges.
What Obama has actually done:
1. Ordered all federal agencies to undertake a study and make
recommendations for ways to cut spending
2. Ordered a review of all federal operations to identify and cut wasteful
spending and practices
3. Instituted enforcement for equal pay for women
4. Beginning the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq
5. Families of fallen soldiers have expenses covered to be on hand when the
body arrives at Dover AFB
6 Ended media blackout on war casualties; reporting full information
7. Ended media blackout on covering the return of fallen soldiers to Dover
AFB; the media is now permitted to do so pending adherence to respectful
rules and approval of fallen soldier’s family
8. The White House and federal government are respecting the Freedom of
Information Act
9. Instructed all federal agencies to promote openness and transparency as
much as possible
10. Limits on lobbyist’s access to the White House
11. Limits on White House aides working for lobbyists after their tenure in
the administration
12. Ended the previous stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in
Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date
13. Phasing out the expensive F-22 war plane and other outdated weapons
systems, which weren’t even used or needed in Iraq/Afghanistan
14. Removed restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research
15. Federal support for stem-cell and new biomedical research
16. New federal funding for science and research labs
17. States are permitted to enact federal fuel efficiency standards above
federal standards
18. Increased infrastructure spending (roads, bridges, power plants) after
years of neglect
19. Funds for high-speed, broadband Internet access to K-12 schools
20. New funds for school construction
21 The prison at Guantanamo Bay is being phased out
22. US Auto industry rescue plan
23. Housing rescue plan
24. $789 billion economic stimulus plan
25. The public can meet with federal housing insurers to refinance (the new
plan can be completed in one day) a mortgage if they are having trouble
paying
26. US financial and banking rescue plan
27. The secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere are
being closed
28. Ended the previous policy; the US now has a no torture policy and is in
compliance with theGeneva Convention standards
29. Better body armor is now being provided to our troops
30. The missile defense program is being cut by $1.4 billion in 2010
31. Restarted the nuclear nonproliferation talks and building back up the
nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols
32. Reengaged in the treaties/agreements to protect the Antarctic
33. Reengaged in the agreements/talks on global warming and greenhouse gas
emissions
34. Visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any
president in his first six months in office
35. Successful release of US captain held bySomali pirates; authorized the
SEALS to do their job
36. US Navy increasing patrols off Somali coast
37. Attractive tax write-offs for those who buy hybrid automobiles
38. Cash for clunkers program offers vouchers to trade in fuel inefficient,
polluting old cars for new cars; stimulated auto sales
39. Announced plans to purchase fuel efficient American-made fleet for the
federal government
40. Expanded the SCHIP program to cover health care for 4 million more
children
41. Signed national service legislation; expandednational youth service
program
42. Instituted a new policy on Cuba, allowing Cuban families to return home
to visit loved ones
43. Ended the previous policy of not regulating and labeling carbon dioxide
emissions
44. Expanding vaccination programs
45. Immediate and efficient response to the floods in North Dakota and
other natural disasters
46. Closed offshore tax safe havens
47. Negotiated deal with Swiss banks to permit US government to gain access
to records of tax evaders and criminals
48. Ended the previous policy of offering tax benefits to corporations who
outsource American jobs; the new policy is to promote in-sourcing to bring
jobs back
49.. Ended the previous practice of protecting credit card companies; in
place of it are new consumer protections from credit card industry’s
predatory practices
50. Energy producing plants must begin preparing to produce 15% of their
energy from renewable sources
51. Lower drug costs for seniors
52. Ended the previous practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating
with drug manufacturers for cheaper drugs; the federal government is now
realizing hundreds of millions in savings
53. Increasing pay and benefits for military personnel
54. Improved housing for military personnel
55. Initiating a new policy to promote federal hiring of military spouses
56. Improved conditions at Walter Reed Military Hospital and other military
hospitals
57 Increasing student loans
58. Increasing opportunities in AmeriCorps program
59. Sent envoys to Middle East and other parts of the world that had been
neglected for years; reengaging in multilateral and bilateral talks and
diplomacy
60. Established a new cyber security office
61. Beginning the process of reforming and restructuring the military 20
years after the Cold War to a more modern fighting force; this includes new
procurement policies, increasing size of military, new technology and cyber
units and operations, etc.
62. Ended previous policy of awarding no-bid defense contracts
63. Ordered a review of hurricane and natural disaster preparedness
64. Established a National Performance Officer charged with saving the
federal government money and making federal operations more efficient
65. Students struggling to make college loan payments can have their loans
refinanced
66. Improving benefits for veterans
67. Many more press conferences and town halls and much more media access
than previous administration
68. Instituted a new focus on mortgage fraud
69. The FDA is now regulating tobacco
70. Ended previous policy of cutting the FDA and circumventing FDA rules
71. Ended previous practice of having White House aides rewrite scientific
and environmental rules, regulations, and reports
72. Authorized discussions with North Korea and private mission by Pres.
Bill Clinton to secure the release of two Americans held in prisons
73. Authorized discussions with Myanmar and mission by Sen. Jim Web to
secure the release of an American held captive
74. Making more loans available to small businesses
75. Established independent commission to make recommendations on slowing
the costs of Medicare
76. Appointment of first Latina to the Supreme Court
77. Authorized construction/opening of additional health centers to care
for veterans
78. Limited salaries of senior White House aides; cut to $100,000
79. Renewed loan guarantees for Israel
80. Changed the failing/status quo military command in Afghanistan
81. Deployed additional troops to Afghanistan
82. New Afghan War policy that limits aerial bombing and prioritizes aid,
development of infrastructure, diplomacy, and good government practices by
Afghans
83. Announced the long-term development of a national energy grid with
renewable sources and cleaner, efficient energy production
84. Returned money authorized for refurbishment of White House offices and
private living quarters
85. Paid for redecoration of White House living quarters out of his own
86. Held first Seder in White House
87. Attempting to reform the nation’s healthcare system which is the most
expensive in the world yet leaves almost 50 million without health
insurance and millions more under insured
88. Has put the ball in play for comprehensive immigration reform
89. Has announced his intention to push for energy reform
90. Has announced his intention to push for education reform
Oh, and he built a swing set for the girls outside the Oval Office.
Did I mention he passed health care reform ?
There are policies that many of us disagree with or wish he would improve
or facilitate more quickly, but come on, this is a pretty sweet list.
Members of the Eastern Washington University delegation at PNNL’s Systems Engineering Building. PNNL Chief Science and Technology Officer Suresh Baskaran is seated front-left.
Terms of Use: Our images are freely and publicly available for use with the credit line, "Courtesy of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory"; Please use provided caption information for use in appropriate context.
1966 Ford F3L / P68 Sportscar.
All of photographs published here are copyright © Anthony Fosh All Rights Reserved. They may not be reproduced and/or used in any form of publication, print or the Internet without my written permission
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Technician William Anderson contacts and works with state and local partners to survey and stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, seen here in Manheim, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018. Swing sets are a known location that egg masses have been found.
The spotted lanternfly is a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources. The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.
Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly.
Inspect trucks for egg masses before leaving parking lots or work sites. Scrape off any egg masses you find into rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. While parked, keep windows closed so hitchhiking nymphs and adults stay out. Make sure you also check other equipment being moved, like outdoor machinery, propane tanks, and shipping containers. If youâre a business owner, keep a close watch over your property. Park in areas away from the tree line. To capture nymphs and adults, you can wrap tree trunks with adhesive bands from May to August. You can also remove ailanthus trees, known as âThe Tree of Heaven.â These invasive weed trees are a favorite of spotted lanternflies. Most importantly, be vigilant to inspect both incoming and outgoing goods â and the containers and equipment that carry them â they could be carrying a hitching pest as well. In a quarantine area, you can get information on management controls at aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf. If you do encounter spotted lanternfly eggs, nymphs, or adults outside of quarantined areas, report the sighting to your State Department of Agriculture. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
*Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching.
Find it, report it!
Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.
Stop the Spread
Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly
Remove and Destroy
Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.
For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf
For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) District Conservationist for Arkansas Derrek Nokes, and State Grazing Lands Specialists such as Jeremy Huff assisted Kenny and Annette Sites with a conservation plan that includes prescribed grazing (528); and the forage and biomass planting (524) of the pastures, in Sheridan, AR, on June 27, 2019.
A companion video can be seen at youtu.be/JOiyO31rOis
Prescribed Grazing manages the harvest of vegetation by grazing and/or browsing animals.
This improves or maintains desired species composition and vigor of plant communities. Improves or maintains quantity and quality of forage for grazing and browsing animals’ health and productivity. Improves or maintains surface and/or subsurface water quality and quantity. Improve or maintain riparian and watershed function. Reduce accelerated soil erosion and maintain or improve soil condition. Improve or maintain the quantity and quality of food and/or cover available for wildlife. Manage fine fuel loads to achieve desired conditions.
Forage and Biomass Planting establishes adapted and/or compatible species, varieties, or cultivars of herbaceous species suitable for pasture, hay, or biomass production.
These pastures improve or maintain livestock nutrition and/or health. Provide or increase forage supply during periods of low forage production. Reduce soil erosion. Improve soil and water quality. Produce feedstock for biofuel or energy production
NRCS has a proud history of supporting America’s farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat.
As the USDA’s primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science.
And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.
Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Department’s focal point for the nation’s farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.
The agencies and service supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA).
For more information please see www.usda.gov.
Prescribed Grazing, Practice Code 528, nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/programs/?cid=nrcs144p2_027164
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Another view of workers using their strength to move engine blocks in Rivera's depiction of the Ford Motor Company Rouge plant.
Before painting the "Detroit Industry" frescoes, Rivera spent months observing work at the plant with a photographer in tow. The murals are universally lauded for capturing the rhythms and motion of work at a car factory.
Prince Dastan, Prince of Persia, a video game by Ubisoft.
Supanova Expo, Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, Australia (Saturday 17 June 2017)
Trees of West Vancouver coming out of the fog in the front and trees of Stanley Park in the background coming out of the fog. I can't remember when Vancouver had so much fog for such a long time. We have had fog for weeks and this is one of the only times I have seen a opening.
Gears of War 4
www.facebook.com/PlaneteJeu/photos/a.713415208823510.1073...
Source : site de jeux vidéos
ICA institute of contemporary arts, boston, MA, USA!
after a day on several planes, i finally got in boston yesterday!
when i got here the girl at the reception of the hostel where i'm staying told me that the entrance to the ica was free on thursday afternoons. could i miss a free thing? certainly not!
by the way..ica is such a cool museum. the location is simply perfect, the building design is beautiful!!! and the art stuff they got inside is simply precious!
in these days they're giving an exhibition Damian Ortega; in my opinion, A GENIUS!!
(From Wikipedia) The City Walls. A line of walls that encircled the entire city defended Ani. The most powerful defences were along the northern side of the city, the only part of the site not protected by rivers or ravines. Here the city was protected by a double line of walls, the much taller inner wall studded by numerous large and closely-space semicircular towers. Contemporary chroniclers wrote that King Smbat (977-989) built these walls. Later rulers strengthened Smbat's walls by making them substantially higher and thicker, and by adding more towers. Armenian inscriptions from the 12th and 13th century show that private individuals paid for some of these newer towers. The northern walls had three gateways, known as the Lion Gate, the Kars Gate, and the Dvin Gate (also known as the Chequer-Board Gate because of a panel of red and black stone squares over its entrance).
The east-west axis, comprised of la Fontaine de Latone (Fountain of Latona) and the les bassins des lézards (lizard fountains), was designed by Le Nôtre and constructed between 1663 and 1666, at the cost of considerable excavation work.
Balthazar and Gaspard Marcy carved the marble figure of Latona holding her children, Apollo and Diana for the centerpiece of the Fountain of Latona, from 1668 to 1670. The fountain was altered between 1687 and 1689 by Jules-Hardoin Mansar, who gave it its current pyramidal form. The statue of Latona, looking towards the château was rotated 180 derees to face the grand perspective of L'Allée Royale (The Royal Avenue).
The fountain depicts Latona (Lētṓ in Greek), the daughter of titans Coeus and Phoebe, holding her children, Apollo and Diana (or Artemis), imploring their father Jupiter (or Zeus) to avenege the ridcule of the Lycian peasants. Juno (or Hera), Jupiter's wife, jealous of Latona for bearing his children, realizing that the offspring would cement a new order, banned her from giving birth on "terra firma"--the mainland, any island at sea, or any place under the sun. She found the island of Delos, which was neither mainland nor a real island, and gave birth there. According to Ovid's Metamorphoses, when Leto was wandering the earth after giving birth, she attempted to drink water and bathe from a pure spring in the province Lycia. The peasants protested by stirring the mud at the bottom of the pond, and driving her out with insults. Enraged, Latona, cried out to Jupiter, who turned them into frogs. The metamorphosis of the peasants is depicted on the bottom three tiers--the first with semi-metamorphosed peasants and frogs, and the 2nd and 3rd with fully-metamorphosed frogs.
Original Caption: Experimental House Being Built of Empty Aluminum Beer and Soft Drink Cans. It Is the First to Use All Aluminum Cans; Two Other Houses Used Steel Cans. the Picture Shows the Finished Foundation with Upright Forms for Pouring Concrete Beams. the Owner and A
U.S. National Archives’ Local Identifier: 412-DA-14184
Photographer: Hiser, David, 1937-
Subjects:
Taos (Taos county, New Mexico, United States) inhabited place
Environmental Protection Agency
Project DOCUMERICA
Persistent URL: catalog.archives.gov/id/556636
Repository: Still Picture Records Section, Special Media Archives Services Division (NWCS-S), National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD, 20740-6001.
For information about ordering reproductions of photographs held by the Still Picture Unit, visit: www.archives.gov/research/order/still-pictures.html
Reproductions may be ordered via an independent vendor. NARA maintains a list of vendors at www.archives.gov/research/order/vendors-photos-maps-dc.html
Access Restrictions: Unrestricted
Use Restrictions: Unrestricted
Selfie of me wearing my new Portsmouth Football Club Away shirt for season 2023 / 2024. I have only seen 2 and a half games over the past few seasons and not at all this season yet. I have a couple of health problems that just make going to football difficult. Anyway I still love the club. Football / Soccer is the greatest team sport in the world and in the now distant past Portsmouth were a very good club and have been champions of England twice but sadly not in my life time.
Created by Sandra Fernandes of Small Impressions.
Blogged: www.allthingspaper.net/2013/03/quilled-gardens-of-versail...
Following the successful hosting of the 1st UK South India Business Meet at the Houses of Parliament on 12th July 2012, British South India Chamber of Commerce (BSICC) is organising the 2nd UK South India Business Meet on 27th June 2013 at Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London, chaired by Mr Virendra Sharma MP, Chairperson of BSICC and supported by UK Trade and Investment, a UK Government department .The audience will include government representatives from Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry, and Members of House of Lords & House of Commons, representatives from UK companies and Indian companies who are interested in South India and businessmen from South India who are successful in UK.
Horses of Cheshire
Depending on breed, management and environment, the modern domestic horse has a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years. Uncommonly, a few animals live into their 40s and, occasionally, beyond. The oldest verifiable record was "Old Billy", a 19th-century horse that lived to the age of 62. In modern times, Sugar Puff, who had been listed in Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living pony, died in 2007 at age 56.
Regardless of a horse or pony's actual birth date, for most competition purposes a year is added to its age each January 1 of each year in the Northern Hemisphere and each August 1 in the Southern Hemisphere. The exception is in endurance riding, where the minimum age to compete is based on the animal's actual calendar age.
The following terminology is used to describe horses of various ages:
Colt: a male horse under the age of four. A common terminology error is to call any young horse a "colt", when the term actually only refers to young male horses.
Filly: a female horse under the age of four.
Foal: a horse of either sex less than one year old. A nursing foal is sometimes called a suckling and a foal that has been weaned is called a weanling. Most domesticated foals are weaned at five to seven months of age, although foals can be weaned at four months with no adverse physical effects.
Gelding: a castrated male horse of any age.
Mare: a female horse four years old and older.
Stallion: a non-castrated male horse four years old and older. The term "horse" is sometimes used colloquially to refer specifically to a stallion.
Yearling: a horse of either sex that is between one and two years old.
In horse racing, these definitions may differ: For example, in the British Isles, Thoroughbred horse racing defines colts and fillies as less than five years old. However, Australian Thoroughbred racing defines colts and fillies as less than four years old.
1st day of Autumn time in Little Stanney Cheshire 2014
The City of North Charleston held its Fourth of July Festival at Riverfront Park on Thursday, July 4, 2013, an all-day event featuring live music, family-friendly activities, and local food vendors.
North Charleston’s Fourth of July Festival featured the largest show of fireworks in the Lowcountry and one of the largest in the State of South Carolina
Photo by Ryan Johnson
My turkey, 'tis of thee,
Sweet bird of cranberry,
Of thee I sing.
I love thy breast and wings,
Back, legs, and other things,
I love thy good stuffings,
O lucuious bird.
The large building left of centre was being used as flats and was demolished to make way for the new road. Shops on the right hand side of London Road at this time included Roland Thursby chemist at nos.73-75, S D Brewer grocer at no.79 (run by two nice elderly ladies), H A Harold funeral director, Baxters Butchers at the Park St. junction, 100% Dry Cleaners at no.59, Y A Lucas tobacconist at no.71, Marshments stationers at 47-49, Brian Bailey hairdresser at no.41, T G Ing and Sons greengrocer, A J Sparrow grocer and post office, Cath Rogers hardware and taxi business at no.37, Auto-Plus (London Road Garage) at nos. 33-35 run by a motor cycle racer who's name I cannot remember, and Ken's Hairdressing at no.21. Mike Jackson lived at no.83. At this time London Road was a virtually self-sufficient suburb and at Christmas time most of the businesses made an effort to decorate their shop windows. The St Mark's roundabout had already been completed by the time this photo was taken.
Rogers Taxis at no.37 London Road hit the news when one of their drivers, Sidney George Spicer was murdered by army deserter Percy Topliss on 30th April 1920, his body being found near Thruxton. Mr Spicer lived at no.59 London Road. Check out the film The Monocled Mutineer.
This is not about world peace.
This is a restless dream of existence. The unceasing cycle of feeding and living.
Terns hover and glide and fly away. Nimble and fleet winged, they put on an aerial display of swiftness.
This picture kept untouched for the dreamy soft look.
I have been trying for 3 years to capture the terns in flight with a singular lack of success.
Today was a lucky day . I was trying to capture the dive sequence of Brahminy kites diving in to the water and picking up their prey with a swift leg motion.
The terns can not employ the fast leg movement as their muscles and talons will not support the movement and the strength required. The terns have to perforce pick up the food with their beaks and that is the opportunity that gives you the split second advantage in capturing this bird as it has to slow down its movement in the air just before it can actually use its beak to pick the food up from the water.
DSC_4261 hand held jpeg trans
- Primary Image
Manufacturer = NIKON CORPORATION
Model = NIKON D70
- Exif Specific
Exposure Time = 1/1000 sec [0.001]
F Number = 53/10 [5.300]
Metering mode = Pattern
Light Source = Unknown
Flash = Flash did not fire
Focal Length = 190 mm
I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Allah’s peace be upon Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), the glorious Prophet of Islam, and on his Companions and his followers.
TASAWWUF
"There is no doubt that Tasawwuf is an important branch of Islam. The word itself may have been derived form the Arabic word "Soof" (Wool) or from "Safa" (cleanliness), but its foundation lies in one’s personal sincerity in seeking Allah’s nearness and trying to live a life pleasing to Him. Study of the Quran, the Hadith, and the practical life of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) and his faithful Companions provide unmistakable support to this reality." (Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A)
SUFISM, AN ESSENTIAL PART OF ISLAM
Doubts exist not only in the minds of the Muslim faithful but also among the Ulema, notably the exoteric about Tasawwuf and its votaries. Often they lead to misunderstanding, as if Shariah and Tariqah were two separate entries, or that Tasawwuf was some obscure discipline foreign to Islam, or that it was altogether above the established laws and injunctions of our Religion. To help remove these misgivings and to reassure seekers, as well as scholars, our Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), Sheikh Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia, wrote Al-Jamal Wal Kamal, Aqaid-O-Kamalaat Ulmai-e-Deoband, Binat-e-Rasool (S.A.W), Daamad-e-Ali (R.A), Dalael-us-Salook, Ejaad-e-Mazhab Shia, Hayat-un-Nabi (S.A.W), Hayat Barzakhia, Ilm-o-Irfan, Niffaz-e-Shariat Aur Fiqah-e-Jaferia, Saif-e-Owaisi, Shikast-e-Ahdai Hussain and Tahkeek Halal Haram books.
BIOGRAPHY
Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chakrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The very year, he met Shaykh Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Shaykh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was right away established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years. In 1962 he was directed to carry out the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular enthusiasm and devotion for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss as per his/her sincerity and capacity. Shaykh Allah Yar Khan's mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and distinction.
Although Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A) have lived a major portion of his life as a scholar, with the avowed mission of illuminating the truth of Islam and the negation of fallacious sects, and this would appear quite removed from Tasawwuf, yet the only practical difference between the two, namely the use of the former as a media to expound the truth, and the latter to imbue people with positive faith. Nevertheless, people are amazed that a man, who until the other day, was known as a dialectician and a preacher of Islam, is not only talking of Mystic Path, but is also claiming spiritual bonds with the veteran Sufi Masters of the Past. This amazement is obviously out of place in the view of Quranic injunction: This is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills. (62:4)
THE PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL
The purification of the soul always formed part of the main mission of the Prophets; that is, the dissemination and propagation of the Devine Message. This responsibility later fell directly on the shoulders of the true Ulema in the Ummah of the last Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), who, as his genuine successors, have continued to shed brave light in every Dark Age of materialism and sacrilege. In the present age of ruinous confusion, the importance of this responsibility has increased manifold; of the utter neglect of Islam by Muslims has not only driven them to misery, but also grievously weakened their bonds of faith in Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). The decay in their belief and consequent perversion in their conduct has reached a stage that any attempt to pull them out of the depth of ignominy and the heedless chaos of faithlessness, attracts grave uncertainties and apprehensions rather than a encouraging will to follow the Shariah, to purify the soul and to reform within. The Quranic Verse: Layers upon layers of darkness… (24:40) provides the nearest expression of their present state.
SHARIAH & SUFISM
Any action against the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) cannot be called Sufism. Singing and dancing, and the prostration on tombs are not part of Sufism. Nor is predicting the future and predicting the outcome of cases in the courts of law, a part of Sufism. Sufis are not required to abandon their worldly possessions or live in the wilderness far from the practical world. In fact these absurdities are just its opposites. It is an established fact that Tazkiyah (soul purification) stands for that inner purity which inspires a person’s spirit to obey the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If a false claimant of Sufism teaches tricks and jugglery, ignoring religious obligations, he is an impostor. A true Sheikh will lead a believer to the august spiritual audience of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). If you are fortunate enough to be blessed with the company of an accomplished spiritual guide and Sheikh of Sufism, and if you follow his instructions, you will observe a positive change in yourself, transferring you from vice to virtue.
ISLAM, AS A COMPLETE CODE OF LIFE
Islam, as a complete code of life or Deen, was perfected during the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). He was the sole teacher and his mosque was the core institution for the community. Although Islam in its entirety was practiced during that blessed era, the classification and compilation of its knowledge into distinct branches like ‘Tafsir’ (interpretation of the Quran), Hadith (traditions or sayings of the holy Prophet- SAWS), Fiqh (Islamic law), and Sufism (the soul purification) were undertaken subsequently. This Deen of Allah passed from the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) to his illustrious Companions in two ways: the outward and the inward. The former comprised the knowledge defined by speech and conduct, i.e., the Quran and Sunnah. The latter comprised the invisible blessings or the Prophetic lights transmitted by his blessed self. These blessings purified the hearts and instilled in them a passionate desire to follow Islam with utmost love, honesty and loyalty.
WHAT’S SUFISM
Sufism is the attempt to attain these Barakah (Blessings). The Companions handed down Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) teachings as well as blessings to the Taba’een. Their strong hearts were capable of infusing these blessings into the hearts of their followers. Both aspects of Islam were similarly passed on by the Taba’een to the Taba Taba’een. The compilation of knowledge and its interpretation led to the establishment of many schools of religious thought; famous four being the Hanafi, the Hanbali, the Maliki, and the Shafa'i, all named after their founders. Similarly, in order to acquire, safeguard and distribute his blessings, an organized effort was initiated by four schools of Sufism: The Naqshbandia, the Qadria, the Chishtia, and the Suharwardia. These schools were also named after their organizers and came to be known as Sufi Orders. All these Orders intend to purify the hearts of sincere Muslims with Prophetic lights. These Sufi Orders also grew into many branches with the passage of time and are known by other names as well. The holy Quran has linked success in this life and the Hereafter with Tazkiyah (soul purification). He, who purified, is successful. (87: 14) Sufi Orders of Islam are the institutions where the basics of Tazkiyah (soul purification) and its practical application are taught. They have graded programs in which every new seeker is instructed in Zikr-e Lisani (oral Zikr) and is finally taught the Zikr-e Qalbi (Remembrance in heart).
ZIKR-E QALBI
However, in the Naqshbandia Order, Zikr-e Qalbi is practiced from the very beginning. Adherence to the Sunnah (Prophet’s way of life) is greatly emphasized in this Order, because the seeker achieves greater and quicker progress through its blessings. The essence of Zikr is that the Qalb should sincerely accept Islamic beliefs and gain the strength to follow the Sunnah with even greater devotion. ‘If the heart is acquainted with Allah and is engaged in His Zikr; then it is filled with Barakaat-e Nabuwwat (Prophetic blessings) which infuse their purity in the mind and body. This not only helps in controlling sensual drives but also removes traces of abhorrence, voracity, envy and insecurity from human soul. The person therefore becomes an embodiment of love, both for the Divine and the corporeal. This is the meaning of a Hadith, “There is a lump of flesh in the human body; if it goes astray the entire body is misguided, and if it is reformed the entire body is reformed. Know that this lump is the Qalb”.’
PAS ANFAS
Recent History Khawajah Naqshband (d. 1389 CE) organized the Naqshbandia Order at Bukhara (Central Asia). This Order has two main branches – the Mujaddidia and the Owaisiah. The former is identified with Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi, known as Mujaddid Alif Sani (literally: reviver of the second Muslim millennium), a successor to Khawajah Baqi Billah, who introduced the Order to the Indo- Pakistan sub-continent. The Owaisiah Order employs a similar method of Zikr but acquires the Prophetic blessings in the manner of Khawajah Owais Qarni, who received this beneficence from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) without a formal physical meeting. The Zikr employed by the Naqshbandia is ‘Zikr-e Khafi Qalbi’ (remembrance of Allah’s Name within the heart) and the method is termed ‘Pas Anfas’, which (in Persian) means guarding every breath. The Chain of Transmission of these Barakah, of course, emanates from the holy Prophet- SAWS.
SPIRITUAL BAI’AT (OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
It is necessary in all Sufi Orders that the Sheikh and the seekers must be contemporaries and must physically meet each other for the transfer of these blessings. However, the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order goes beyond this requirement and Sufis of this Order receive these Barakah regardless of physical meeting with their Sheikh or even when the Sheikh is not their contemporary. Yet, it must be underscored that physical meeting with the Sheikh of this Order still holds great importance in dissemination of these Barakah. Sheikh Sirhindi writes about the Owaisiah Order in his book ‘Tazkirah’: ‘It is the most sublime, the most exalted, and the most effective…and the highest station of all others is only its stepping stone.’ By far the greatest singular distinction of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order is the honor of Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance) directly at the blessed hands of the holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).
SHEIKH HAZRAT MOULANA ALLAH YAR KHAN (R.A)
The Reviver Sheikh Allah Yar Khan was born in Chikrala, a remote village of Mianwali District of Pakistan, in 1904. He completed his religious education in 1934. The same year, he met Sheikh ‘Abdul Rahim, who took him to the shrine of Sheikh Allah Deen Madni. By Divine Will his spiritual connection was immediately established with the saint of the 10th century Hijra (sixteenth century CE) and he started receiving spiritual beneficence. His sublime education in Sufism, signifying progressive spiritual growth and advancement, continued for about twenty-five years, after which he was directed to undertake the propagation of Prophetic blessings - a noble mission that he accomplished with singular zeal and dedication for a period spanning half a century. Anybody who visited him was duly rewarded with a share of spiritual bliss commensurate with his/her sincerity and capacity. Sheikh Allah Yar Khan’s mission produced men and women of deep spiritual vision and eminence. He authored eighteen books, the most distinguished being Dalael us-Sulook (Sufism - An Objective Appraisal), Hayat-e Barzakhiah (Life Beyond Life) and Israr ul- Haramain (Secrets of the two holy Mosques). He was undoubtedly one of the most distinguished Sufi saints of the Muslim Ummah and a reviver of the Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order. He passed away on 18 February 1984 in Islamabad at the age of eighty.
THE CHAIN OF TRANSMISSION OF NAQSHBANDIA OWAISIAH
1. Hazrat Muhammad ur-Rasool Allah (Sall Allah-o Alaihi wa Sallam), 2. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (Radhi Allah-o Unho), 3. Hazrat Imam Hassan Basri (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 4. Hazrat Daud Tai (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 5. Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 6. Hazrat Ubaid Ullah Ahrar (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 7. Hazrat Abdur Rahman Jami (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 8. Hazrat Abu Ayub Muhammad Salih (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 9. Hazrat Allah Deen Madni (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi), 10. Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (Rahmat Ullah Alaihi).
THE SPIRIT OR RUH
The spirit or Ruh of every person is a created reflection of the Divine Attributes and it originates in Alam-e Amar (Realm of Command). Its food is the Light of Allah or the Divine Refulgence, which it acquires from the Realm of Command through the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him), whose status in the spiritual world is like that of the sun in the solar system. The Quran refers to him as the ‘bright lamp’. Indeed, he is the divinely selected channel of all Barakah. All Exalted Messengers themselves receive these Barakah from him.
LATAIF
The human Ruh also possesses vital organs like the physical body; through which it acquires its knowledge, food and energy. These are called Lataif (singular Latifah: subtlety). Scholars of various Sufi Orders have associated them with specific areas of the human body. The Naqshbandia Owaisiah Order identifies these Lataif as follows. First - Qalb: This spiritual faculty is located within the physical heart. Its function is Zikr. Its strength increases one’s capacity for Allah’s Zikr. Second – Ruh: The site of this Latifah, which is a distinct faculty of the human Ruh, is on the right side of the chest at the level of Qalb. Its primary function is concentration towards Allah. Third – Sirri: This is located above the Qalb and functions to make possible Kashf. Forth – Khaffi: This is located above the Ruh and functions to perceive the omnipresence of Allah. Fifth – Akhfa: This is located in the middle of chest, at the centre of the first four Lataif and makes it possible for the Ruh to perceive the closeness of Allah, Who is closer to us than our own selves. Sixth – Nafs: This Latifah is located at the forehead and functions to purify the human soul. Seventh – Sultan al-Azkar: This Latifah is located at the top centre of the head and serves to absorb the Barakah of Allah into the entire body, so that every cell resonates with Zikr.
FIVE EXALTED MESSENGERS OF GOD
There are Five Exalted Messengers among the many known and unknown Messengers of Allah. They are Hazrat Muhammad, Hazrat Nuh (Noah), Hazrat Ibrahim (Abraham), Hazrat Musa (Moses), and Hazrat Esa (Jesus), peace be upon them all. Hazrat Adam is the first Prophet of Allah and the father of mankind. Each Latifah is associated with a particular Prophet. The Barakah and lights from Hazrat Adam (peace be upon him), descend on the first Latifah Qalb; its lights are reflected from the first heaven and are yellowish. The second Latifah is associated with Hazrat Nuh and Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon them). Its lights descend from the second heaven and appear as golden red. The lights descending upon the third Latifah are from Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) and are white. One the fourth Latifah, the lights of Hazrat Esa (peace be upon him) descend from the fourth heaven and are deep blue. The fifth Latifah receives its Barakah directly from the holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s choicest favors and peace be upon him). The lights associated with this Latifah are green, descend from the fifth heaven, and overwhelm all the first four Lataif. The Lights descending upon the sixth and seventh Lataif are the Divine Lights, whose color and condition cannot be determined. These are like flashes of lightening that defy comprehension. If Allah blesses a seeker with Kashf, he can observe all of this. The vision is slightly diffused in the beginning, but gradually the clarity improves.
SULOOK
Stages of the Path After all seven Lataif of a seeker have been illuminated with Divine Lights through Tawajjuh of the Sheikh and his Ruh has acquired the ability to fly, the Sheikh initiates its journey on the sublime Path of Divine nearness. The Path is known as Sulook, and its stages are not hypothetical imaginations but real and actually existing stations on the spiritual Path. These are also referred to as Meditations, because a seeker mentally meditates about a station while his/her Ruh actually ascends towards it. The first three stations that form the base of whole Sulook are described as; Ahadiyyat, a station of Absolute Unity of Divinity. It is above and beyond the seven heavens. It is so vast a station that the seven heavens and all that they encompass are lost within Ahadiyyat as a ring is lost in a vast desert. Its lights are white in color. Maiyyat station denotes Divine Company, ‘He is with you, wherever you might be.’ This station is so vast that Ahadiyyat along with the seven heavens beneath are lost within it as a ring is lost in a desert. Its lights are green in color. Aqrabiyyat station denotes Divine Nearness, ‘He is nearer to you than your life- vein.’ Again, Aqrabiyyat is vast as compared to Maiyyat in the same proportion. Its lights are golden red and are reflected from the Divine Throne. It is indeed the greatest favor of Almighty Allah that He blesses a seeker with an accomplished Sheikh, who takes him to these sublime stations. The final station that a seeker attains to during his/her lifetime becomes his/her Iliyyeen (blessed abode) in Barzakh and his/her Ruh stays at this station after death.
ZIKR
Why is Zikr Necessary for Everyone? Allah ordains every soul in the Quran to Perform Zikr. This not only means reciting the Quran and Tasbeeh but also Zikr-e Qalb. It is only through Zikr-e Qalbi that Prophetic Lights reach the depths of human soul and purify it from all vice and evil. Zikr infuses a realization of constant Divine Presence and a seeker feels great improvement in the level of sincerity and love towards Allah and the holy Prophet- SAWS. Such levels of sincerity, love and feelings of Divine Presence can never be obtained without Zikr. It would be a mistake to believe that Zikr may be a requirement only for the very pious and virtuous people. Zikr provides the Prophetic blessings which are in effect the life line of every human soul. It transforms even the most corrupted humans into virtuous souls by bringing out the best in them. The fact is that Zikr is the only way to achieve true contentment and satisfaction in life. The holy Quran has pointed to this eternal fact that it is only through Zikr Allah that hearts can find satisfaction. Such satisfaction and peace are the ultimate requirements of every person, regardless of religion, race and ethnicity. Practicing Zikr regularly removes all traces of anxiety and restlessness, and guides the human soul to eternal bliss and peace.
KHALIFA MAJAZEEN
Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), during his life time in 1974, presented a nomination list to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), during Maraqba, of expected Khalifa Majazeen for Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia. Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) approved some names, deleted some of the names, and added down the name of Major Ghulam Muhammad as also Khalifa Majaaz of Silsila Naqshbandia Awaisia (which was not previously included in the list)
The approved names at that time included:
1. Mr. Muhammad Akram Awan Sahib,
2. Mr. Sayed Bunyad Hussain Shah Sahib,
3. Mr. Major Ahsan Baig Sahib,
4. Mr. Col. Matloob Hussain Sahib,
5. Mr. Major Ghulam Muhammad Sahib of Wan Bhachran Mianwali,
6. Mr. Molvi Abdul Haq Sahib,
7. Mr. Hafiz Abdul Razzaq Sahib,
8. Mr. Hafiz Ghulam Qadri Sahib,
9. Mr. Khan Muhammad Irani Sahib,
10. Mr. Maolana Abdul Ghafoor Sahib,
11. Mr. Syed Muhammad Hassan Sahib of Zohb.
These Majazeen were authorized to; held Majalis of Zikar (Pas Anfas) in their respective areas, arrange Majalis of Zikar in neighboring areas, train them on the way of Sulook, prepare them for Spiritual Bai’at (Oath of Allegiance), and present them to Sheikh Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan for Spiritual Bai’at at the Hand of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), in the life of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A), and were all equal in status as Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).
Presently we are following Hazrat Major ® Ghulam Muhammad Sahib, Khalifa Majaaz of Hazrat Moulana Allah Yar Khan (R.A).
Patron, Madrasa Sultan Hasan: Badr al-Din Hasan (al-Nasir Badr al-Din Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Qalawun, or al-Nasir Hasan) 1334/35-1361, Bahri Mamluk sultan of Egypt (r.1347–1351 & 1354-61).
Construction Supervisor: Muhammad ibn Bilik al-Muhsini, prominent emir, engineer & administrator.
Completed by: Bashir al-Gandar.
Islamic Monument #133
Mosque of al-Rifa'i: replaced a zawiya (shrine) of the sufi saint Ahmed ibn 'Ali Abu 'Abbas al-Rifa'i 1118-1182, founder of the Rifa'i tariqa Sufi order. It is also the royal mausoleum of Muhammad 'Ali's family, in addition to Hosh al-Basha (the Courtyard of the Pasha), in the Southern Cemetery.
Patron: commissioned by Hoshiyar Qadin (Hoşyar Kadın) d.1885, consort to Ibrahim Pasha & Walida Pasha to their son, Isma'il Pasha.
Original architect: Hussein Pasha Fahmi (a distant cousin of Muhammad 'Ali), Minister of Awqaf, who died in 1880 when work stopped.
Construction Supervisor: Khalil Agha chief eunuch & director of estates for Isma'il Pasha.
Completed: work resumed in 1905 when the Khedive, Abbas II, ordered its completion. Work was supervised by architect Max Herz (Herz Miksa, Hungarian) 1856-1919, head of the Comité de Conservation des Monuments de l'Art Arabe.
Islamic Monument #U103
Prompt: create a digital fine art of a smiling princess walking with a prince hand in hand and a west highland white terrier, in a garden with butterflies with wings shaped as hearts. Little river. In pastel colors, 3D illustration, 4k resolution, vertical aspect ratio
This digital fine art was created using Google Whisk AI and Photoshop
The Port of Tórshavn is the largest and busiest of the many harbours dotted throughout the Faroe Islands. Tórshavn enjoys success as a base for North Atlantic fishing fleets, a focus for the nation’s container and ro-ro ferry traffic and a growing summer call for cruise ships.
Vaslav Nijinsky was expected to create choreography for and assume the leading role in "The Legend of Joseph," but he was fired in 1913. Diaghilev then turned to Michel Fokine to create the choreography. Leonide Massine was Diaghilev's new protege and Nijinsky's successor, but he didn't hold a candle to Nijinsky as a dancer. So, Massine let his stage presence and acting ability make up for the lack of dancing technique.
Famed opera singer Maria Kuznetsova participated in, and helped to finance, Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in London and Paris on the eve of World War I. With the help of her friend, the artist and designer Léon Bakst, Kuznetsova won the role of Potiphar's wife in Richard Strauss's ballet “La Légende de Joseph” in 1914. It was produced by Diaghilev, composed and conducted by Strauss, choreographed by Michel Fokine, and designed by Leon Bakst, Alexandre Benois and José Maria Sert, while the lead was danced by Léonide Massine.
It was an important role, and Kuznetsova was certainly in good company, but they were held to a punishing schedule with little time to rehearse. To make matters worse, Strauss was in a foul mood because his lover, Ida Rubinstein, who was to have danced Lydia Sokolova's role, had abruptly abandoned the project. Furthermore, Strauss abhorred working with French musicians, and was constantly at daggers drawn with the orchestra. Diaghilev, meanwhile, had not yet recovered from Vaslav Nijinsky's departure the previous year from the Ballets Russes. Nijinsky had choreographed and created the title role – replaced after his marriage and fall from grace by Fokine and Massine.
Despite the problems backstage and an outraged British press, who found the work obscene, the ballet successfully debuted in both London and Paris that spring. The initial run lasted seven performances. This was shortly followed by a further seven in London conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham, who had loaned the money for the commission to Diaghilev. With the looming war, Strauss never received his fee of 6,000 francs. In 1947 Strauss prepared a Symphonic Fragment from The Legend of Joseph, for reduced orchestra. This was premiered in March 1949 in Cincinnati under Fritz Reiner.
The ballet is based on the biblical story of Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers. Of all the brothers, Joseph was loved the most and given a long coat of many colors by his father. Jealousy led the brothers to sell Joseph to serve Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. Joseph found favor with Potiphar and prospered in everything he did, eventually becoming overseer of Potiphar’s entire household. Potiphar’s wife began to desire Joseph and sought to have an affair with him. He refused but she persisted and, after some days of begging for him, she made a false claim against him by charging that he tried to rape her. This resulted in Joseph’s imprisonment. [Based on Information in Wikipedia]
Different ballet companies offer portions of Strauss’ “Legend of Joseph” in the following Youtube videos:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6Axre3KPP8
Non-original binding. Rebound in France, ca. 1820; black straight-grain goatskin, blind-tooled foliate, rope, and geometric patterns; gold-tooled framing fillets on outer boards, and Greek key designs on turn-ins; marbelized pastedowns; spine inscribed in gold amid three wreaths: HEURES/SUR/VELIN; pink and white silk endbands and pink ribbon marker; housed within a black telescopic case inscribed HEURES in gold.
This pocket-size Flemish Book of Hours was created in Bruges between 1460 and 1470. A heavy contingent of South Netherlandish saints in the litany helps localize its production. Although small in scale, it is notable for its abundance of illuminations, nearly thirty extant, by artists working in the style of the prolific mid-fifteenth-century Flemish illuminator Willem Vrelant. Three artists worked on this book. The best painted the full-page miniature of David Penitent on fol. 85v; an able artist painted the other two full-page miniatures; the historiated initials and minor decoration are routine. Several other Books of Hours in the Walters' collection are similar in style to this manuscript, exhibiting the characteristics of the Vrelant circle, notably W.177, W.179, and W.180.
To explore fully digitized manuscripts with a virtual page-turning application, please visit Walters Ex Libris.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 07: Fans cheer in the audience at the League of Legends World Championship Groups Stage on October 7, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
The Xavier University of Louisisna Gold Nuggets Volleyball Team's season opener against Mississippi Valley State in the Big Easy Blastoff. Photo by Irving Johnson III
Chiesa protestante di Confessione Helvetica, iglesia de las confesiones helvéticas, eglise des Confessions helvétiques, Church of Helvetic Confessions (Evangelische Kirche nach Helvetischem Bekenntnis H.B.).
Evangelische Kirche nach Augustinischem Bekenntnis A.B., la chiesa protestante di Confessione augustana, la iglesia de las Confesiones de Augsburgo, l'église de la confession d'Augsbourg, the church of The Augsburg Confession
Protestant Cemetery Matzleinsdorf
Evang. A.B. parish church, Christ Church
The Protestant Cemetery Matzleinsdorf is a denominational cemetery in the 10th Vienna's district Favoriten. It is located at the beginning of this street up to No. 1 in Matzleinsdorf space (Matzleinsdorfer Platz) and is bounded on the north by the Gudrunstraße .
History
After the deaths of the two Protestant confessions A.B. and H.B. had been buried in Catholic cemeteries in Vienna until 1856, it was decided to create a separate Protestant cemetery. It was purchased a plot of land lying in front of the wall line at the edge of the former suburban Matzleinsdorf for this purpose. On 7 April 1858 the new cemetery was opened. The cemetery chapel was built by the famous architect Theophil Hansen, it was consecrated September 27nd 1860. Originally belonging to Wieden cemetery came to the division in 1861 as the new district Margarethen. Since 1874, the area is one of FavorIten (10th district). Since there were discussions about the further fate of the cemetery again, subsequently, a Protestant cemetery was established in the Vienna Central Cemetery also. But the Protestant cemetery Matzleinsdorf has survived to this day, so both cemeteries are occupied. During World War II the cemetery was badly damaged in the course of the bombings of the Southern Railway, near which it is located.
Christ Church on the Protestant cemetery in Vienna Matzleinsdorf
Interior of Christ Church
The former cemetery chapel was in 1899 a sermon station and branch church where services were held regularly. Since 1924 it is the seat of its own Protestant community AB (Lutheran), the parish church of the Evangelical Christ superintendency AB of Favoriten Vienna.
The church itself was built in the years 1858-1860 according to the plans of Theophil Hansen. Its striking appearance is reminiscent of an Orthodox church. Hansen had been based to the then at the time prevailing of historicism Byzantine style. A large dome rises above the crossing. The exterior is characterized by exposed brick and is divided by profiles and cornices. Strong cornerstones are crowned by pinnacles. Originally above the entrance was located a fresco by Carl Rahl, which showed the angel at the tomb of Christ. This image was at the beginning of the 20th Century replaced by a mosaic on a gold ground, representing the Christ with a banner.
Inside there are a total of 35 angels, mainly on the column capitals, but including under the organ loft four large, carved angel prayer, worship, teaching and preaching symbolize and remember figureheads on ships. At the spandrels beneath the dome frescoes are the symbols of the Evangelists. In 1968, Günther Baszel glass window in the chancel, showing the birth, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. 1971 was followed by the right and left of the altar room with four other glass window depicting the Resurrection of Lazarus, the young man of Nain, the daughter of Jairus, and the story of the rich man and Lazarus. After the death Baszels 1989, the remaining four windows were added after designs by E. Bauernfeind .
Tombs of important personalities
Grave of Friedrich Hebbel
Grave of Baron Karl
The Protestant Cemetery Matzleinsdorf has a large number of celebrity graves. Many celebrities are of local importance for Vienna, and some nationally important. One can find the graves of :
Heinrich Anschütz, actor
Friedrich Ludwig Arnsburg, actor (grave abandoned)
Rudolf von Arthaber, Austrian industrialist and patron
Baron Karl, Vienna original
Günther Baszel, glass artist
Karl Isidor Beck, poet
Friedrich Beckmann, actor
O. F. Berg, writer
Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust, the Austrian Foreign Minister
Carl Binder, composer and conductor (grave abandoned)
Henry Bornstein, theater director (grave 1941 eliminated)
Adam Noble Brandner of wolf tooth (Wolfszahn) , kuk Feldmarschallleutnant, Division Commander and military commander of Cracow
Karl Ludwig von Bruck, Austrian Finance Minister
Hans Canon, Austrian painter
Ada Christians, Austrian poet
Hugo Darnaut, Austrian painter
Karl Diener, Austrian geologist and paleontologist
Friedrich Dittes, educator
Christine Enghaus, actress, wife of Friedrich Hebbel
Emil Ertl, writer and librarian
Philipp Fahrbach, Austrian composer
Carl Faulmann, Stenographer
Charles Fichtner, actor
Alfred Formey, Protestant pastor in Favoriten
Gottfried Franz, Superintendent H. B.
August Förster, actor and director
Ludwig Gabillon, actor
Zerlina Gabillon, Actress
Andreas von Gunesch, Superintendent of Vienna, Lower Austria and Central Austria
Adolf Konrad Stein Hall, Burgtheater actor
John Hardy, inventor and entrepreneur
Justus porter, superintendent and chaplain advice
Friedrich Hebbel, German writer
Fritz Hellmuth, writer
Konrad Wilhelm Hellwag, civil engineer
Christian Heyser, Superintendent
Karl Wilhelm Hilchenbach, Consistory and superintendent HB
Theodor von Hornbostel, Austrian Minister of Commerce
Bela Jenbach Operettenlibrettist (light opera librettist)
Carl Karlweis, dramatist and storyteller
Oskar Karl Weis, Austrian actor
Johann Heinrich Knoell, District Director
Elizabeth Koberwein, Austrian actress (grave already abandoned)
Rudolf Koppitz, Austrian Photographer
Fritz L' Allemand, painter
Carl von La Roche, actors
Heinrich Laube, German writer and director of the Burgtheater
Edward Leisching, art historian
Gustav Leonhardt, secretary general of the Austro-Hungarian Bank and founder of the Compass Publishing
Julius Lott, builder of the Arlberg railway
Johann Mithlinger, resistance fighter
Robert Müller, essayist
Hermann Nothnagel, Surgeon
Ernst Pauer, superintendent and director of the Protestant theologicial educational establishment
Hermann Präuscher, animal trainer and showmen
Julie Rettich, Actress
Karl Rettich, actor and theater director
Adele Sandrock, Actress
Moritz Saphir, Austrian writer
Alexander Schoeller, German industrialist and big entrepreneur in Austria
Karl Julius Schroer, literary historian
Georg Julius Schultz , Baltic German physician and writer
Lorenz von Stein, economist
Hans Thirring, Physicist
Johann Wächter, k. and k. Konsistorialrat (councillor of the consistory) and superintendent
Charles Weinberger, operetta composer
Otto Weininger, Austrian philosopher
Erich Wilhelm, Superintendent
Friedrich Wilhelmi, actor
Gottlieb August Wimmer, Pastor
Max Winter, Austrian journalist and Socialdemocrat
The church is built on the edge of the site of the Roman city Melite, which included all of Mdina and a large part of present-day Rabat. There were numerous churches built on the site of the present church which dates from the 17th century. In 1336 bishop Hilarius refers to the church as ecclesia Sancti Pauli de crypta, and also mentions the cemetery and the Roman ditch.
Entrance to the grotto is through the church of St Publius, linked to the Wignacourt Museum. The church is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.
The grotto is the place where according to tradition St Paul lived and preached during his three months stay in Malta in 60 A.D. In 1748 Grand Master Pinto donated a statue of St Paul for the grotto.
or a really good cup of coffee and a giant cookie? ^^
(baby updates: we needed a coffee break, still no signs of the babies, hurry up babies, the weather is very nice today and we would like to see you guys sometime soon!)
I visited Motherwell in Glasgow Scotland today Tuesday the 5th of March 2019, I checked Google Maps for recommended places to visit while I was there, this site caught my attention.
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit, it really was excellent , capturing my visit and archiving here on my Flickr .
Carfin Lourdes Grotto, a Roman Catholic shrine in Scotland dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes, was created in the early twentieth century.
The "Carfin Grotto", as the shrine is locally referred to, was the brainchild of Father, later Canon, Thomas N. Taylor (died 1963), parish priest of St. Francis Xavier's Parish in the small, mining village of Carfin, which lies two miles east of Motherwell, in the West of Scotland. Following a trip to France's principal Marian shrine at Lourdes, Canon Taylor's vision was to build a religious memorial in honour of Our Blessed Lady based on the template of the Grotto of Massabielle.
Realizing this vision was to become his life's work. Since its opening in the early 1920s, the "grotto" has attracted pilgrims in the hundreds of thousands and its environs have been modified and enhanced with rich Catholic symbols and buildings. For the past 90 plus years, the grotto shrine has offered a pilgrimage season with Sunday processions, rosaries, outdoor masses and dedicated Feast Day events which runs annually from early May until late September.
Early days
Statue of Mary at Carfin
Work on the Carfin version of the Lourdes Grotto began in the early 1920s.
The shrine was built, by hand, by local parishioners on a site opposite the St. Francis Xavier's parish Church. Many of the builders were coal miners from Carfin and neighbouring villages out of work during the 1921 Coal Miners' Strike. It is said that Fr. Taylor was aware of the need to keep these workers occupied to minimise the effects of unemployment on their morale.
Fr. Taylor inspired hard work and dedication from his workers.
Starting with a bare field in 1920, a frantic period of endeavour driven by the faith and zeal of the volunteers resulted in the shrine being largely complete within two years. It officially opened in 1922.
The grotto's central scene depicted Our Lady's appearance to Saint Bernadette in a bricked, terraced garden which included an altar for outdoor Mass, when the West of Scotland weather allowed. Canon Taylor's book of the shrine's first thirty years records over 300 volunteers working on the grotto in its first two decades. He also records a single pilgrimage of over fifty thousand pilgrims in 1924.
Growth and Development of the Shrine
Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima
The shrine opened in late 1922 and it quickly became a pilgrimage site for Catholics from across Scotland and the rest of the world. Services were held for the Polish and Lithuanian communities that had settled in Scotland. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims of different faiths have visited Carfin.
The shrine expanded beyond a single field to many acres between 1922 and the 1960s. The grotto later added a Glass Chapel situated on a raised "Headland" above the main pilgrim walkway. The grotto grounds house many life-size depictions of Christ, Our Blessed Lady and many saints. It also contains a life-size representation of Jesus' life with Mary and Joseph in their Loretto house and carpentry shop, which is depicted in a cave; a Reliquary; as well as a sunken garden. Many holy statues and artifacts were added to the central Lourdes Grotto scene. Other depictions include the Way of the Cross, a large number of statues of Saints, and a statue honouring Our Lady, Star of the Sea, complete with miniature lakes.
On Sunday afternoons at 3pm, between May and October, Rosary processions are held. These are traditionally attended by thousands of visitors. The rosary is led by the parish priest, a tradition started by Fr. Taylor and carried on by his successor, Fr. George Mullen (later Canon George Mullen).
The priest would stand on the parapet of the Glass Chapel, from which a clear view could be obtained, both of the Grotto itself and of the movement of the procession along the shrine's gravel paths.
Each Sunday procession culminated in Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in the upper Glass Chapel. Many local people remember the discomfort of kneeling in the gravel as children, at the moment of adoration in the Benediction service.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux
In addition to his devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes, Canon Taylor also admired Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, the "Little Flower". This admiration began during the Canon's visits to France where devotion to the Carmelite nun rose rapidly following her death in 1897. One catalyst for this growth was the posthumous publication of St. Thérèse's autobiography, "Story of A Soul". Canon Taylor was an acknowledged expert on the life and work of St. Thérèse and authored the first English translation of her autobiography in 1912.
He published subsequent articles in Catholic newspapers of the day to promote devotion to the little Carmelite nun of Lisieux throughout the United Kingdom.
Her enclosed life of devotion to Jesus and her "little way" to God attracted considerable admiration in Scotland, England and Ireland following these publications. Canon Taylor believed that St. Thérèse, a future Doctor of the Church, would become an important figure early in the new century. He also spoke to the Vatican Committee which considered St. Thérèse's cause for canonization and was present in Rome in 1925 when little Thérèse was proclaimed a Saint of the Church.
So, as a measure of his devotion to the Little Flower, the Canon added a statue of St. Thérèse directly across from that of Our Lady of Lourdes. The shrine's statue to St. Thérèse was erected within weeks of her beatification in Rome by Pope Pius XI on 29 April 1923, an event which the Canon attended.
The decision to erect the statue was controversial. Some pilgrims expressed the view that this "new" Saint's statue should not stand in such proximity to that of the Blessed Mother.
The Canon took the unusual step of collecting these opinions and sending copies to the Superior of the Carmelite convent in France where St. Thérèse had lived her vocational life.
The Mother Superior's advice was that the statue should remain in its location, and she predicted that the Carfin Lourdes Grotto would enjoy large numbers of pilgrims as a result.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux is the secondary patroness of the grotto after Our Lady.
National and International Pilgrims
By the time of Canon Taylor's death in 1963, the Carfin Lourdes Grotto enjoyed a high national profile and attracted tens of thousands of pilgrims annually. Among the many seasonal pilgrimages to the shrine, each May, First Communicants from surrounding diocesan parishes visited for procession, with lines of white-dressed girls and school-blazered boys.
As the region is rich in Irish immigrants, local Hibernian groups attended the shrine annually on procession. Lithuanian and Polish groups also attended the shrine on annual pilgrimage.
New Additions
Memorial to Black Madonna of Częstochowa
Following the 1988 Glasgow Garden Festival,[5] the glass chapel used at the event was relocated to Carfin Grotto, where it was placed near the arena of Our Lady, Star of the Sea in the lower garden area of the grotto. This building, the grotto's second Glass Chapel, was subsequently dedicated to the victims of the Lockerbie Disaster. Daily Mass is now celebrated in this glass chapel, now named Our Lady, Maid of the Seas after the ill-fated aircraft from Pan Am Flight 103, which crashed near the Scottish town of Lockerbie on 21 December 1988.
More recently, the Reliquary opened within the Grotto grounds and features many religious artifacts used throughout the years at various processions and celebrations.
Most recently, a new Pilgrimage Centre opened in 1997, featuring an exhibition of the history of different faiths and beliefs, as well as displaying various religious artifacts.
The centre also features a cafe and shop.
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