The Sankore mosque and Islamic school was built on the site of the ancient University of Timbuktu. Built from 1325 – 1433, this once vast centre of learning still houses manuscripts from that era.

This photo was taken 30 years ago. Since then the mosque has been restored, but given the fighting and destructions in Timbuktu by jihadists, the current situation is unknown and uncertain.

Orgosolo, Italy

www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Mischief+Manhattan/3370303/sto...

drybonesblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/shepherd-hotel.html

PLEASE follow the link above to the source of this cartoon and the background story by the cartoonist.

NEVER let anyone fool you that the anti-Semitism in the Muslim world has anything to do with the little strip of land called Israel. Destruction of Jews and Christians is a Koranic principle; it is a goal and a shortcut pathway to heaven for the jihadists.

Prior to Israel's creation there were multiple campaigns by Islamic leadership aimed at mass murder of all Jewish people. Please follow the link above for more information.

This image of the ancient Roman temple in Palmyra , Syria , was taken before the barbarians of ISIL arrived. Palmyra was considered by many to be the most important & beautiful Roman city in the world. But this meant nothing to the fanatical Jihadists of ISIL as they trashed the whole site.

Click on image to enlarge.

The community board meeting took place in order to discuss the proposed mosque to be built next to ground zero. While the project is usually referred to as the “mosque at ground zero”, the project’s official name is the Cordoba Initiative. The Imam and the developers were in attendance to present the project, and many politicians (or rather their representatives) were on hand, along with many of those in favor or opposed.

First spoke the elected officials, who—in the typical New York political elitist fashion— slandered and insulted their opposition. Councilwoman Margaret Chin spoke before a single opponent of the mosque ever came up to the microphone to state their position, but that didn’t stop her from accusing those against it of “bigotry”.

And while Margaret Chin chose to offend the opposition to the mosque (most of whom present were families of 9-11 victims and first responders) in person, other local figures sent their cronies. A representative of Scott Stringer, President of the Borough of Manhattan, handed out a letter to everyone prior to the meeting in which he refers to the mosque as a “multi-faith community and cultural center” and claims that this “center has been the subject of bigoted attacks that contain a strain of religious and racial hatred more extreme than anything we have seen in NYC for some time.” I guess an attempt to kill hundreds of New Yorkers and tourists at Times Square by an Islamist Faisal Shahzad less than a month prior was not extreme enough for Stringer and, instead of jihadism, Stringer seems to have identified the enemy as a TEA Party leader whom he rips apart throughout this unsolicited letter. While the TEA Party’s opposition is referred to as a “bigoted agenda”, the mosque itself is referred to as a “vibrant and world-class facility in NYC which will promote tolerance and pluralism”. Of course he fails to provide any example of mosques in NYC or in the world that have EVER promoted tolerance or pluralism, but perhaps he didn’t think that any attendee would dare question his superior judgment in the matter. Please be sure to read his disgusting letter

After the political cronies spoke, Feisal Abdul Rauf', the Imam in charge of this “community center” was given time to present his proposal. He started his speech with “for many years I’ve had a dream…” (I wonder what Dr. King would have thought of a ‘grand wizard’ proposing to build a “community center” at the site of the bombed 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama). The Imam also claimed that this “community center” would promote multi-culturalism; he was so sure of it that his speech was sprinkled throughout with that deceiving phrase. But his presentation brought with it an unexpected turning point. Not because of anything he planned to share with us in his carefully prepared PC jargoned speech, but because of a question by one of the board members who wanted to know if the proposed “community center” would hold prayer. The Imam said “yes”, to which the board member replied, “then it is a house of worship, not a community center”.

Without any objection to that by the Imam or speakers that followed, the term “community center” began to very gradually disappear. But don’t think that anyone’s opinion actually changed as a result. The supporters of the project “formerly” known as a “community center” still believed that it was somehow related to diversity and that it would in no way be an insult to those who died due to Islamist ideology, nor would it serve as a monument of jihadist victory.

But neither the councilwoman nor the Imam were the most offensive or distasteful of the proponents of the mosque. Daisy Khan of the American Society for Muslim Advancement, who also happens to be Imam’s wife, blew their insults and lies out of the water. (I don’t recall her being introduced as Rauf’s wife at the meeting, but I can’t be sure.) She lectured and she yelled – yes, yelled – at the families of victims, the first responders, and her fellow New Yorkers. She yelled that she is “tired of bearing the cross [and will do so] no longer” because apparently she and the Muslim community were the real victims of the 9-11 attacks—not the families who lost their loved ones, not the cities that lost their monuments, and not the country that lost its feeling of security.

Without a single mosque destroyed and with very few anti-Muslim incidents, hearing from this woman about her supposed victimization in that auditorium was absolutely sickening. It didn’t help when for weeks after (and prior) she dominated the time on television appearing calm and together and claiming among other nonsense – I kid you not – that the reason they chose the ground zero site to build a mosque is to provide a “blow to the extremists”. I’m sure radical Muslims would just hate it if New York built a mosque on the ground where American buildings were destroyed and thousands of Americans were murdered by jihadists … right? READ HER RIDICULOUS QUOTE AGAIN. Now listen to it for yourself from the horse’s mouth because I wouldn’t have believed it either. (starts at 1:10) www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7WbTv_gsx4&playnext_from=TL&...

Other supporters of the mosque included two priests and a rabbi (no, it isn’t a start to a joke – although I wish it was) of the leftist “co-exist” variety all of whom supported the mosque. And while there were some clergy present that (judging by applause and reactions) opposed the mosque, they did not come up to the microphone. The supporting clergy seemed to have gone to the same rhetoric school as the Imam, using terms like “multi-culturalism”, “tolerance”, “community relations and understanding”, and other jargon that had no actual relevance to the topic.

There was also a Caucasian woman with a baby who introduced herself as someone who had converted to Islam … in 2006, if I’m not mistaken. She lied about how difficult it is to find information and resources on Islam in NY. I say she lied not only because there are hundreds of mosques in the 5 boroughs, but also because as a recent convert she is a prime example of someone who was able to find and act on this information. Of course, she didn’t specify why ground zero is a better location than any other for this apparently “valuable to the city” information about the religion all 911 hijackers belonged to.

Now that I have gone on and on about the supporters of the mosque (aka “community center”) and the temple’s money changers, let me talk about the opponents of a mosque being build at ground zero ... Not a single one of them opposed a mosque being built; the prevailing request was simply “build it somewhere else”.

First opponent to speak was the celebrated publisher, editor, and columnist Pamela Geller. She was the one to point out what Cordoba means to the Muslim world. Cordoba is a city in Spain that was the first major city to fall to Muslim conquerors and become an Islamic caliphate and a symbol of Islamic conquest of the West. She also called the mosque “a shrine to the very ideology that inspired 9-11”. Sure seems a lot more plausible than Daisy’s explanation for why the mosque has to overlook ground zero.

A gentleman who lost his brother in WTC and represents the largest ‘families of victims of 9-11’ groups introduced some of those present who lost loved ones at ground zero. He protested the lectures and the labels that were bestowed on these families for their “legitimate, legal opposition to this Muslim ‘multi-cultural center’”. He pointed out that while there is proposed building of this mosque at ground zero, the committees have refused to allow monuments to the tragedy of 9-11, including the WTC sphere which was heavily damaged during the terrorist attack and has become an iconic symbol of the tragedy. At this time the sphere is temporarily housed at Battery Park. “If we should honor multi-culturalism and diversity at ground zero, we should honor and remember victims of 9-11,” he concluded.

Tim Brown, a former NYC firefighter who lost dozens of his friends and colleagues, fellow first responders, to the jihadist terrorist attack, has been a tireless voice for memories of victims and their loved ones. He questioned where the money for the mosque was coming from. He had received “5 different answers on 5 different occasions from them”, which included my favorite “we don’t have to tell you, talk to our lawyers”, as well as “three different organizations, but [the Imam] refused to name them” and “from American taxpayers”. Mr. Brown also pointed out that Cordoba Initiative has been very deceiving in other ways, such as removing the word “mosque” from their web site despite the fact that they explicitly wrote initially that there will be a mosque at the top of the building (overlooking ground zero).

Questions were also raised about the Imam Rauf, his public statements, and his pro-Sharia stance as described in his publications and interviews. His travels to countries that openly support terrorism and forced Islamization of the West were also questioned and may indicate where funding from the mosque could be coming from.

Follow up note: Listening to the Imam Rauf speak to various news organizations in the days following the meeting, he offered even more non-specific answers to where the money comes from, such as it comes from people who “want to see peace between Muslims and non-Muslims”. Again, nice politically savvy keywords… but no actual answer to a rather direct question he obviously knows the answer to. Trying to hide something, Faisal Abdul?

One of the many victim’s families present was a woman with a photo of her son who was murdered by the Islamic terrorists. She didn’t yell like Daisy, the Imam’s wife, and she did not dish out insults like Congresswoman Chin. Her voice trembled as she mentioned her son’s name and held his photo towards the committee, “this is my son”, she said, “this is firefighter George Kane.” She held back tears as she spoke. She said that “the location [of the mosque] is insensitive to families. It is also insensitive to the voiceless victims the possibility that anyone who supports Islamic extremism could walk on graves of the victims … [it is] an outrage.”

Another woman spoke with a similar shaking voice about her 23-year-old son who “was murdered on September 11th”. She also wasn’t a bigot, but wanted to know “why are you suggesting that it be two blocks from ground zero?”

Mrs. Kane and the others who spoke through tears and with photos of their murdered children in their trembling hands, made me think of what they were being asked to do. Nine years later, they were being asked to “move on” or “heal”, as mosque supporters were suggesting. I can’t even begin to imagine what that ignorant request could do to an eternally grieving mother.

A sweet elderly couple’s last conversation with their son was via cell phone while he was on a hijacked plane… just before he was murdered. They mentioned that there were 20 mosques that located around the area where they lived, and that they would be ok with another one being built close to them, but they also asked for “understanding and sensitivity” when it comes to building one near ground zero.

Yet from the comments of NYC politicians and supporters of the mosque, we know that understanding and sensitivity will not be shown to the victims’ families nor reflect the wishes of voting New Yorkers. They will instead be shown to others who are apparently deemed more – not even equally but more – crucial to the future of NYC and the memories of those who perished in the terrorist attacks.

Here are a few youtube links on regarding this meeting:

Pamela Geller's full 2 minute speech from the meeting

a firefighter and first responder Tim Brown speaks A MUST SEE

COUNCILWOMAN INSULTS ATTENDEES MANY OF WHOM WERE FAMILIES OF VICTIMS OF 9-11 AND FIRST RESPONDERS ... also see a response from a man who lost his family respond to her, his presentation was so moving I came up to him before leaving shook his hand and thanked him - we chatted briefly but all I could do was offer my support and gratitude for his ability to fight and actually face these people

not a very friendly one from foxnews - their Islamization is begging to show ... still, you can see me there way in the back briefly : )

a brilliant and passionate woman being interviewed before the meeting ... her speech at the actual meeting was much better (I'm in this one too for fraction of a second)

Tessalit is a beautiful, but very dry, little town in the North East of Mali, surrounded by rocky hills and desert. When I was there I found the people, nearly all Tuareg, were quiet, very welcoming and the most friendly people you could hope to find anywhere. Just like the people I met all around Mali, they are among the poorest in the world.

In early February 2013 this area became the focus for bombings by French warplanes, seeking to drive jihadist and salafist groups out of Mali, 65% of whose territory they had held for the past ten months. On Sunday 3rd February 2013 around 30 French warplanes bombed bases and depots in this area of northern Mali and were also seeking to cut off supply routes.

As part of the UN-sanctioned operation, African troops are moving into Mali to gradually take over from French forces, before the UN assumes overall command. The aim is to restore Mali's territorial integrity before peacekeeping operations begin.

Even when the territory has been recovered it seems likely that Mali (and other Sahelian and Saharan states) will have entered a new phase of many years - possibly decades - of instability. Unless these States and the International Community tackle the root causes of this instability it will probably continue.

In particular, the Tuareg people in Mali and across the Sahara and Sahel have had a strong case for development and resources which has been denied over many decades. That has been a factor in the instability.

Many are forecasting a future of deadly 'hit and run' raids by the salafists and jihadists across the whole region.

This is a close-up photo of a purple plastic vase featuring a cartoonish smiling face. The leaf patterns on the vase in the background suggest the location of the narrative might be a south seas island, or Florida. The purple face conveys all the manic energy of a serious personality disorder, driving at you like a big truck with a jihadist behind the wheel, or four years of a Trump presidency culminating in a right-wing insurrection, and a world-wide pandemic.

These collective traumatic shared cultural tragedies become part of the inner landscape of an individual's consciousness, where hopefully their toxicity can be transmuted by conscious love.

A #Dysturb photo on a street in Tbilisi, Georgia. Here's a video about the #Dysturb project (it's mainly photojournalists pasting huge photos on the walls on the street to expose more people to international conflicts and photojournalism). Unfortunately I couldn't find out who the photographer is (it was probably part of the torn caption) - google was of no help either. The part of the caption that remains legible goes:

"South of Girke Lege, North East of Syria, Syrian Kurdistan. October 2014.

The gazole (sic) produced in the refineries is poured into barrels, and sold everywhere in Syria, including areas under Kurdish regime’s or even jihadist’s control. ..."

Dodecanese < 🔹 > Kastellorizo island < 🔹 > The Blue Cave

New York

Madrid

Paris

Brussels

London

Nice

Berlin........etc

Una de las tácticas habituales entre los terroristas asesinos yihadistas es el atentado suicida,para causar el mayor numero de victimas posibles.

Los métodos utilizados para conseguir sus fines son muy variados, siendo los más destacables los atentados terroristas perpetrados en territorio occidental entre la población civil ( Europa y America del norte ) con los que buscan un gran impacto mediático por esa razón suelen producirse frecuentemente de madrugada pero también a cualquier hora del dia para que tengan la máxima repercusión en los medios de comunicación a lo largo de los siguientes días, pretendiendo siempre crear una sensación de enorme terror y confusión con la que forzar aterrorizar y chantajear a la opinión publica y voluntad de los gobiernos y sociedades libres civilizadas hostiles a sus alocadas doctrinas.

Oddly we have to thank the person who stole his bicycle . or we would never have heard of him ..

' When he was 12, he reported his bicycle had been stolen and told a police officer he was going to "whup" the culprit.

The officer, Joe Martin, trained young fighters at a local gym and suggested the youngster learn to box before he challenged the thief. '

......

"I am a Muslim and there is nothing Islamic about killing innocent people in Paris, San Bernardino, or anywhere else in the world. True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so called Islamic Jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion." -

Ali, 2015.

"Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go ten thousand miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights?"

Ali, February, 17, 1966.

In African villages and even within plantations, the village hall is synonymous with conviviality, a place to welcome strangers and exchange the latest news. The village of Toulfé has an exceptionally large village hall. During our visit there in 2008, the locals indicated that this hall had been built at least 75 years earlier. No longer appearing on satellite imagery, it seems that the hall has burned down, especially given the high level of insecurity in the area due to jihadist attacks in recent years.

Dans les villages africains et même au sein des concessions, le hangar est synonyme de convivialité, de lieu d'accueil des étrangers et d'échanges sur les dernières nouvelles. Le village de Toulfé dispose d'un hangar à palabres exceptionnel par sa taille. Lors de notre visite sur le terrain en 2008, la population avait indiqué que cet hangar avait été construit il y a au moins 75 ans. N'apparaissant plus sur l'imagerie satellitaire, il semble que cet hangar ait été incendié, d'autant que la zone est soumise à une forte insécurité liée aux attaques djihadistes depuis quelques années

The Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic is a long-range maritime patrol aircraft designed and manufactured by Breguet Aviation. Introduced to service in 1965, it has been operated by several NATO countries, commonly performing maritime roles such as reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare. The Atlantic is also capable of carrying air-to-ground missiles, and some German Navy aircraft were also equipped to perform ELINT duties. An updated version, the Atlantique 2 or ATL2, was produced by Dassault Aviation for the French Navy in the 1980s.

The Royal Netherlands Navy lost three Atlantics out of nine aircraft in a series of failures over the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in the grounding of the type in 1981 and its eventual replacement by the P-3 Orion. The German Marineflieger operated their fleet from 1963 to 2005, losing one in an accident. The German Atlantics were also replaced by former Dutch P-3 Orions.

In 1999, a Pakistan Navy Atlantic which was probing Indian air defense inadvertently flew into Indian airspace, it was shot down by Indian Air Force MiG-21s after they failed to force it to land at an Indian base, raising tensions in the region, in what was dubbed the Atlantique Incident. Disobeying instructions from the MiG pilots, the Atlantic maneuvered to escape from them and was shot down by a heat-seeking air-to-air missile over the Rann of Kutch region.

Several German Atlantics have been donated to museums, including the Luftwaffenmuseum and the Dutch Air Force Museum, Soesterberg, Netherlands.

French Atlantics flew search flights during efforts to find the location of the crashed Air France Flight 447. French Navy Atlantique-2s were employed as ground-strike aircraft during Operation Serval over Northern Mali in January 2013; a number of laser-guided GBU-12 bombs were dropped by the Atlantiques against Malian jihadist seeking to overthrow the Malian government.

El mercadillo de Navidad de Estrasburgo, el más antiguo de Francia y uno de los primeros también de toda Europa.estaba en el punto de mira de los Yihadistas, ya lo habían anunciado en noviembre y ahora dejaron varios muertos y heridos tras su acción criminal.Europa entera llora por esas familias rotas que dos minutos antes estaban felices haciendo sus compras navideñas

The Christmas market in Strasbourg, the oldest in France and one of the first in Europe too. It was in the spotlight of the Jihadists, they had announced it in November and now they left several dead and wounded after their criminal action. Whole Europe cries for those broken families who two minutes ago were happy doing their Christmas shopping

Dodecanese < 🔹 > Kastellorizo island < 🔹 > The Blue Cave

Dodecanese islands album ◄ 🔹 ► Blue Cave slideshow (45pics)

Greek islands # < 🔹 > # Greece < 🔹 > Kastellorizo

Dodecanese islands album

Turkey's Hybrid War against Greece and Cyprus and the

turkish paranoia of the so called blue homeland (mavi vatan) claiming several big & small Greek islands of internationally recognized Greek sovereignty while also inhabited by native for millennia Greek people ....

Military Invasion, along with proxy Jihadists, of Syria 2019

...... typical barbarism & islamization processes of the ottoman and neo-ottoman Turkey alike .... with the usual apathy, if not collaboration, of the big powers & world organizations, i.e. the USA, Russia, the UK, Germany, as well as the UN, NATO & the EU .....

Related tweets

2022 JUN 13 :: Realities M.Cavusoglu "forgets"

2022 JUN 11 :: Turkey's Nazist background exposed

2022 MAY 1 :: Turkish neofascism officially self-exposed

2020 DEC 18 :: on M. Cavusoglu's revisionist narrative

These Kurdish Women Fought on the Frontlines Against ISIS.

There is nothing harder than to

Your Homeland Dies while you are alive

The Kurds are seen as the world's largest ethnic group without an official homeland.

Look to the Lord!

Trust Him. He will get you through to victory!

Amen!

Nothing can wash away the stain of our Kurdish betrayal

Turkey is subdued and calls these Kurdish heroes terrorists. We all know that the Kurds have lost over 11,000 men and women fighting Isis, and they have never been a threat to anyone else, their sole purpose was and always will be to resist invasions and terrorists. The Turkish attack is clearly against the will of the people of Syria and war crimes such as the use of chemicals weapons (white phosphorus) have been used, the UN has even accused Turkey of the use of illegal weapons, and we have seen Turkish troops invade NE Syria with Jihadist-groups.

I almost never post two photos on one day but I had a yearning to post a patriotic picture about freedom, given all that is going on in the world right now. I am thinking about "Radical Islam" and how these jihadists would, if they could, make us all bow to their wishes. Do they really think cutting off a few heads will make us bow down to them?

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Benjamin Franklin, founding father.

The New Hampshire state Motto is "live free or die" and to that I say Amen.

I added some red to the photo to make the American Flags stand out a little more.

These Kurdish Women Fought on the Frontlines Against ISIS.

There is nothing harder than to

Your Homeland Dies while you are alive

The Kurds are seen as the world's largest ethnic group without an official homeland.

Look to the Lord!

Trust Him. He will get you through to victory!

Amen!

Turkey is subdued and calls these Kurdish heroes terrorists. We all know that the Kurds have lost over 11,000 men and women fighting Isis, and they have never been a threat to anyone else, their sole purpose was and always will be to resist invasions and terrorists. The Turkish attack is clearly against the will of the people of Syria and war crimes such as the use of chemicals weapons (white phosphorus) have been used, the UN has even accused Turkey of the use of illegal weapons, and we have seen Turkish troops invade NE Syria with Jihadist-groups.

Chios Island . Chios Massacre . Smyrna Catastrophe

# Greek islands

Turkey's Hybrid War against Greece and Cyprus and the

turkish paranoia of the so called blue homeland (mavi vatan) claiming several big & small Greek islands of internationally recognized Greek sovereignty while also inhabited by native for millennia Greek people ....

Military Invasion, along with proxy Jihadists, of Syria 2019

...... typical barbarism & islamization processes of the ottoman and neo-ottoman Turkey alike .... with the usual apathy, if not collaboration, of the big powers & world organizations, i.e. the USA, Russia, the UK, Germany, as well as the UN, NATO & the EU .....

Related tweets

2022 JUN 13 :: Realities M.Cavusoglu "forgets"

2022 JUN 11 :: Turkey's Nazist background exposed

2022 MAY 1 :: Turkish neofascism officially self-exposed

2020 DEC 18 :: on M. Cavusoglu's revisionist narrative

# Greek islands

Turkey's Hybrid War against Greece and Cyprus and the

turkish paranoia of the so called blue homeland (mavi vatan) claiming several big & small Greek islands of internationally recognized Greek sovereignty while also inhabited by native for millennia Greek people ....

Military Invasion, along with proxy Jihadists, of Syria 2019

...... typical barbarism & islamization processes of the ottoman and neo-ottoman Turkey alike .... with the usual apathy, if not collaboration, of the big powers & world organizations, i.e. the USA, Russia, the UK, Germany, as well as the UN, NATO & the EU .....

Related tweets

2022 JUN 13 :: Realities M.Cavusoglu "forgets"

2022 JUN 11 :: Turkey's Nazist background exposed

2022 MAY 1 :: Turkish neofascism officially self-exposed

2020 DEC 18 :: on M. Cavusoglu's revisionist narrative

The Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic is a long-range maritime patrol aircraft designed and manufactured by Breguet Aviation. Introduced to service in 1965, it has been operated by several NATO countries, commonly performing maritime roles such as reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare. The Atlantic is also capable of carrying air-to-ground missiles, and some German Navy aircraft were also equipped to perform ELINT duties. An updated version, the Atlantique 2 or ATL2, was produced by Dassault Aviation for the French Navy in the 1980s.

The Royal Netherlands Navy lost three Atlantics out of nine aircraft in a series of failures over the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in the grounding of the type in 1981 and its eventual replacement by the P-3 Orion. The German Marineflieger operated their fleet from 1963 to 2005, losing one in an accident. The German Atlantics were also replaced by former Dutch P-3 Orions.

In 1999, a Pakistan Navy Atlantic which was probing Indian air defense inadvertently flew into Indian airspace, it was shot down by Indian Air Force MiG-21s after they failed to force it to land at an Indian base, raising tensions in the region, in what was dubbed the Atlantique Incident. Disobeying instructions from the MiG pilots, the Atlantic maneuvered to escape from them and was shot down by a heat-seeking air-to-air missile over the Rann of Kutch region.

Several German Atlantics have been donated to museums, including the Luftwaffenmuseum and the Dutch Air Force Museum, Soesterberg, Netherlands.

French Atlantics flew search flights during efforts to find the location of the crashed Air France Flight 447. French Navy Atlantique-2s were employed as ground-strike aircraft during Operation Serval over Northern Mali in January 2013; a number of laser-guided GBU-12 bombs were dropped by the Atlantiques against Malian jihadist seeking to overthrow the Malian government.

During the Russian invasion of Afghanista in 1985 the amount of Soviet troops throughout the country was increased to 108,800. At the same time more foreign aid from the U.S., China, Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UK increased causing strained relations with the Soviet Union. Also jihadists from all over the Muslim world increased their presence declaring holy war against the "atheist soviets". One of these jihadists included Osama Bin Laden. This led to fighting throughout the whole country making 1985 the bloodiest year of the war.

Yes the Afghans did used SMLEs and they even used ceremonial tribal muskets against the Soviets.

One of the parents of the "Decorah Eagles" shot at the Decorah Trout Hatchery. Here, this mature adult eagle strikes a stunning pose for me just before he flies off.

These eagles have their own Facebook page, with a large following which maybe found: www.facebook.com/Decorah-Eagles-166402660081214/timeline/ I posted two eagles shots to this facebook page yesterday and they have over 800 likes and 54 shares in less than a day.

Thanks in advance for any comments/favs. A good weekend to all.

I think this photo is particularly significant on this date as it is the 14th anniversary of a day that will go down in infamy as the day cowardly Islamic jihadists attacked and killed 3000 of our citizens without provocation.

A photo taken on the harbor of Pozzallo in Sicily for a reportage for Der Spiegel, during the landing of the migrants from the Syria m, Africa, Libia, etc... This man looks like a fighter from the Syrian war, really a powerful gaze!

Here's a video of the scene: youtu.be/zmFBjPKCBg4

And here is the article on Der Spiegel Online: spiegel.de/panorama/a-988517.html

For unreleased photos of the Sicilian migrants: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.giuliomagnifico.it/sicilys-migrants/&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;www.giuliomagnifico.it/sicilys-migrants/&lt;/a&gt;

For unreleased photos on Flickr: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.giuliomagnifico.it&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;www.giuliomagnifico.it&lt;/a&gt;

PHOTO BY RED SQUIRREL @ Vigilantsquirrelbrigade.blogspot.com all rights reserved to the photographer.

(taken from Geenstijl, uncredited there, but check out the photographer's stuff)

Uhhmmm... that might not be smart...take your sign away

Huh? What's wrong with my sign...

Well, er,....

Nothing really....

L'arc triomphal à l'entrée d'une rue à colonnades (le "decumanus") a été entièrement détruit par des djihadistes de l'Etat islamique à l'été 2015.

Datant de Septime Sévère (début du IIIe siècle), il ouvrait la voie triomphale et présentait de riches décorations.

The triumphal arch at the entrance to a colonnaded street ("decumanus") was completely destroyed by ISIS jihadists in the summer of 2015.

Dating from Septimius Severus (early 3rd century), it opened the triumphal way and presented rich decorations.

[Photo prise avec un Voigtländer Vitoret D]

i was texting Rilke

)with the right of way

i might add(

but Demosthenes refused to yield

& at the moment of impact

i suffered an epiphany:

“a god can do it.

but tell me.

how can a man follow him

through the lyre’s strings?

his soul is split.

and at the intersection

of two heart-riven roads,

there is no temple to Apollo.

song, as you have taught,

is not mere longing,

the wooing of whatever lovely

can be attained;

singing is being.

easy for a god.

but when are we?

and when does he fill us

with earth and stars?”

yes,

last kisses,

hemingway’s big two-hearted river,

frost’s roads diverging in a yellow wood,

rilke’s heart-riven roads:

it’s all an accident waiting to happen.

from “Gesang ist Dasein”

by Rainer Maria Rilke

translated by William Gass

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh4se9YMV3A

in the end

the jihadists

be they muslim, christian or jewish

or some lesser brand

will annihilate the world

and with it

all conscious thought;

once again

the world will fall asleep

beneath the ocean

with the buddhas,

beneath the ocean

about which Neruda spoke:

… una orilla,

es allí donde azota

el mar con furia

y las olas golpean

los muros de ceniza.

¿qué es esto?

¿es una sombra?

no es la sombra,

es la arena de la triste república,

es un sistema de algas,

hay alas,

hay un picotazo en el pecho del cielo:

oh manantial del mar,

si la lluvia asegura tus secretos,

si el viento interminable mata los pájaros,

si solamente el cielo,

sólo quiero morder tus costas y morirme,

sólo quiero mirar la boca de las piedras

por donde los secretos

salen llenos de espuma.

…

es una región sola

…

donde la tierra está llena de océano,

y no hay nadie

sino unas huellas de caballo,

no hay nadie

sino el viento

no hay nadie

sino la lluvia

que cae sobre las aguas del mar,

nadie sino la lluvia que crece

sobre el mar.

a place where with fury

the sea lashes the shore

and the waves strike

the ashen walls.

what is this?

is it a shadow?

it is not the shadow,

it is the ground rock

of a sad republic,

a system of seaweed,

there are wings,

there is the pecking

at the heart of the sky:

oh waters wounded by the waves,

oh fountain of the sea,

as if the rain assures your secrets,

as if the unrelenting wind kills the birds,

if only the sky …

i alone wish to bite your coasts and die,

i alone wish to gaze into the mouths of the stones,

through which emerge

the secrets full of foam

…

it is a lonely region

…

where the earth

is overwhelmed by the ocean

and there is no one

only hoof prints,

there is no one

but the wind,

there is no one

but the rain that falls over the waters of the sea,

no one but the rain

that swells above the sea.

> view windmill in slideshow

# Greek islands

Turkey's Hybrid War against Greece and Cyprus and the

turkish paranoia of the so called blue homeland (mavi vatan) claiming several big & small Greek islands of internationally recognized Greek sovereignty while also inhabited by native for millennia Greek people ....

Military Invasion, along with proxy Jihadists, of Syria 2019

...... typical barbarism & islamization processes of the ottoman and neo-ottoman Turkey alike .... with the usual apathy, if not collaboration, of the big powers & world organizations, i.e. the USA, Russia, the UK, Germany, as well as the UN, NATO & the EU .....

Related tweets

2022 JUN 13 :: Realities M.Cavusoglu "forgets"

2022 JUN 11 :: Turkey's Nazist background exposed

2022 MAY 1 :: Turkish neofascism officially self-exposed

2020 DEC 18 :: on M. Cavusoglu's revisionist narrative

Daniel Pearl was born in Atlanta, Georgia, into a Jewish family shaped by strong intellectual and ethical values. His father, an Israeli engineer, and his mother, an educator, encouraged curiosity, critical thinking, music, and engagement with the world. He studied Communication at Stanford University, where he developed a deep interest in international affairs, cultural dialogue, and the power of journalism as a bridge between societies. From the beginning of his career, Pearl showed a preference for on-the-ground reporting rather than distant analysis, believing that truth could only be approached through direct human contact. He worked for several newspapers, including the San Jose Mercury News, before joining The Wall Street Journal, where he specialized in global economics, foreign policy, and security issues. His reporting took him across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, always focusing on how political decisions affected ordinary people. Pearl eventually became South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, based in Pakistan, a position that placed him at the center of some of the most complex geopolitical tensions in the world. Privately, Daniel Pearl was known as gentle, humorous, curious, and deeply humane. He loved music, played the violin, and believed strongly in dialogue between cultures and religions. He was married to journalist Mariane Pearl, who was pregnant with their first child at the time of his abduction. In early 2002, Pearl was investigating the hidden infrastructure behind jihadist movements: how extremist groups were financed, how they recruited, how they operated across borders, and how they maintained connections with criminal networks and elements inside state and intelligence structures. He traveled to Karachi seeking sources who could clarify the relationship between militant organizations, Al-Qaeda operatives, and international funding channels. On January 23, 2002, Pearl was abducted after going to meet a supposed intermediary. His captors accused him of being a spy, an allegation never supported by evidence. During captivity, he was forced to appear in propaganda videos designed to intimidate journalists and governments. After days of imprisonment, Daniel Pearl was brutally murdered by beheading. The execution was filmed and distributed as a political message. Investigations later identified individuals involved in the kidnapping and killing, but serious questions remain about broader networks, logistical support, and possible intelligence failures or cover-ups. Daniel Pearl’s death became one of the most infamous attacks on a journalist in modern history. He came to represent the extreme risks faced by reporters who investigate terrorism and power structures. His legacy lives on through journalism awards, foundations supporting press freedom, and the continued struggle of journalists worldwide who refuse to stop asking difficult questions. Daniel Pearl is remembered not only as a victim of terror, but as a man who believed that understanding, truth, and human connection were stronger than fear.

I publish this series to remember real history, to honor those who gave their lives for dignity, freedom, and justice, to oppose propaganda and manipulated narratives, to speak to younger generations, and to invite conscience, awareness, and resistance against injustice, oppression, and silence.

# Greek islands

Turkey's Hybrid War against Greece and Cyprus and the

turkish paranoia of the so called blue homeland (mavi vatan) claiming several big & small Greek islands of internationally recognized Greek sovereignty while also inhabited by native for millennia Greek people ....

Military Invasion, along with proxy Jihadists, of Syria 2019

...... typical barbarism & islamization processes of the ottoman and neo-ottoman Turkey alike .... with the usual apathy, if not collaboration, of the big powers & world organizations, i.e. the USA, Russia, the UK, Germany, as well as the UN, NATO & the EU .....

Related tweets

2022 JUN 13 :: Realities M.Cavusoglu "forgets"

2022 JUN 11 :: Turkey's Nazist background exposed

2022 MAY 1 :: Turkish neofascism officially self-exposed

2020 DEC 18 :: on M. Cavusoglu's revisionist narrative

Dodecanese < 🔹 > Kastellorizo island < 🔹 > The Blue Cave

Dodecanese islands album ◄ 🔹 ► Blue Cave slideshow (45pics)

Muezza and her catgirl jihadists seized power in Papillon, and soon realized they had two almost finished carriers on sea trials, as well as fighters and torpedo bombers, but no dive bombers. So they dragged this prototype plane out of a warehouse and demanded that it be put into production, no matter how unrefined it was (and indeed, the Pierrot has some aesthetic as well as performance problems). Not wanting to offend the Amira, the engineers obliged, and the plane has been pressed into service.

# Greek islands

Turkey's Hybrid War against Greece and Cyprus and the

turkish paranoia of the so called blue homeland (mavi vatan) claiming several big & small Greek islands of internationally recognized Greek sovereignty while also inhabited by native for millennia Greek people ....

Military Invasion, along with proxy Jihadists, of Syria 2019

...... typical barbarism & islamization processes of the ottoman and neo-ottoman Turkey alike .... with the usual apathy, if not collaboration, of the big powers & world organizations, i.e. the USA, Russia, the UK, Germany, as well as the UN, NATO & the EU .....

Related tweets

2022 JUN 13 :: Realities M.Cavusoglu "forgets"

2022 JUN 11 :: Turkey's Nazist background exposed

2022 MAY 1 :: Turkish neofascism officially self-exposed

2020 DEC 18 :: on M. Cavusoglu's revisionist narrative

Ezekiel 38:2 “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.”

It’s interesting to watch as the road is being paved towards the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. We won’t see it yet, but the battle of Gog and Magog is not too far off.

It’s no shock they’ve called this Israel’s 9/11! The New World Order dialectic: problem, reaction, solution.

“The Taliban is much better positioned to wage major offensives in the Middle East thanks to Joe Biden’s strategically inept withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 which saw $86 billion in abandoned military equipment fall into the hands of the jihadist group.”

“Obama administration acknowledges $1.7B transfer to Iran was all cash.” (Hamas is an Iranian proxy)

“Iran can produce enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb in less than two weeks, the United States warned.”

None of this stuff is by accident! Just ask blackface Trudeau (along with all parliament [political theater/actors/puppets/controlled opposition]) and Zelensky about honouring a nazi with a standing ovation in the Canadian Parliament! The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Birds of a feather flock together.

WEF - Klaus Schwab (founder of The World Economic Forum): “We penetrate the cabinets”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjxJ1wPnkk4

I'm trying to decide which Democrat President was worse.... Jimmy Carter or Joe Biden. Strongly leaning toward old Joe. The chaotic and unplanned withdrawal from Afghanistan has led to thousands of Americans and American-friendly Afghans left totally stranded in a country overrun with violent Taliban jihadists. The Taliban saw nothing wrong several days ago with decapitating a woman because she wasn't wearing a head-covering. The video of it is grotesque. Our President and his "woke" military leaders couldn't foresee this? C'mon, man!

An excerpt: 'The answer which is coming from terrorists – that God is more important to them than their family – proves the fact that this mindset is not carved by the teachings of the Quran and Bible. This is a manmade doctrine and these are manmade teachings.'

www.theawaitedone.com/articles/2015/11/24/is-god-more-imp...

Hoy Domingo 11 de Septiembre de 2011 se cumplen 10 años de los Atentados Suicidas en EEUU.

Los atentados del 11 de septiembre de 2001 fueron una serie de atentados suicidas que implicaron el secuestro de cuatro aviones de pasajeros por parte de 19 miembros de la red yihadista Al-Qaeda. Una ciudad que sigue adelante.

New York - September 11

Today Sunday September 11, 2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the suicide attacks in the U.S..

The attacks of September 11, 2001 were a series of suicide bombings that involved the hijacking of four airliners from 19 members of the jihadist network Al-Qaeda. A city that continues.

These Kurdish Women Fought on the Frontlines Against ISIS.

There is nothing harder than to

Your Homeland Dies while you are alive

The Kurds are seen as the world's largest ethnic group without an official homeland.

Look to the Lord!

Trust Him. He will get you through to victory!

Amen!

Turkey is subdued and calls these Kurdish heroes terrorists. We all know that the Kurds have lost over 11,000 men and women fighting Isis, and they have never been a threat to anyone else, their sole purpose was and always will be to resist invasions and terrorists. The Turkish attack is clearly against the will of the people of Syria and war crimes such as the use of chemicals weapons (white phosphorus) have been used, the UN has even accused Turkey of the use of illegal weapons, and we have seen Turkish troops invade NE Syria with Jihadist-groups.

Pointed arches were an important characteristic of Gothic architecture that could give the impression of soaring height and more practically they could support heavier loads than the earlier round arches. Wikipedia, Barcelona (/ˌbɑːrsəˈloʊnə/ ⓘ BAR-sə-LOH-nə; Catalan: [bəɾsəˈlonə] ⓘ; Spanish: [baɾθeˈlona] ⓘ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within city limits,[8] its urban area extends to numerous neighbouring municipalities within the province of Barcelona and is home to around 5.3 million people,[3] making it the fifth most populous urban area of the European Union after Paris, the Ruhr area, Madrid and Milan.[3] It is one of the largest metropolises on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain range.

Barcelona

City and municipality

Skyline of Barcelona

Sagrada Família

Torre Glòries

Arc de Triomf

Edificio Colón and La Rambla

Venetian Towers and Palau Nacional

La Barceloneta

Casa Milà

Flag of Barcelona

Flag

Coat of arms of Barcelona

Coat of arms

Nicknames: Ciutat Comtal (Catalan)

Ciudad Condal (Spanish)

"Comital City" or "City of Counts"

Cap i Casal de Catalunya (Catalan)

'Head and Hearth of Catalonia'

Abbreviation(s):

Barna, BCN

Map

Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

Location of Barcelona

Barcelona is located in CataloniaBarcelonaBarcelona

Show map of Catalonia

Show map of Spain

Show map of Europe

Show all

Coordinates: 41°23′N 2°11′E

Country

Spain

Autonomous community

Catalonia

Province

Barcelona

Comarca

Barcelonès

Districts

10 districts

Government

• Type

Ajuntament

• Body

City Council of Barcelona

• Mayor

Jaume Collboni[1] (PSC–PSOE)

Area[2]

• City

101.4 km2 (39.2 sq mi)

Elevation (AMSL)

12 m (39 ft)

Population (2018)[5]

• City

1,620,343

• Rank

2nd

• Density

16,000/km2 (41,000/sq mi)

• Urban

4,840,000[3]

• Metro

5,474,482[4]

Demonyms

Barcelonan, Barcelonian

barceloní, -ina (Catalan)

barcelonés, -esa (Spanish)

GDP[6]

• Metro

€159.8 billion (2020)

Postal code

080xx

Area code

+34 (E) 93 (B)

INE code

08 0193

City budget (2023)

€3.6 billion[7]

Official language

Catalan and Spanish

Main festivity

La Mercè

Patron saint

Eulalia of Barcelona

Website

www.barcelona.cat Edit this at Wikidata

According to tradition, Barcelona was founded by either the Phoenicians or the Carthaginians, who had trading posts along the Catalonian coast.[9] In the Middle Ages, Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After joining with the Kingdom of Aragon to form the confederation of the Crown of Aragon, Barcelona, which continued to be the capital of the Principality of Catalonia, became the most important city in the Crown of Aragon and the main economic and administrative centre of the Crown, only to be overtaken by Valencia, wrested from Moorish control by the Catalans, shortly before the dynastic union between the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon in 1492. Barcelona became the centre of Catalan separatism, briefly becoming part of France during the 17th century Reapers' War and again in 1812 until 1814 under Napoleon. It was the capital of Revolutionary Catalonia during the Spanish Revolution of 1936, and the seat of government of the Second Spanish Republic later in the Spanish Civil War, until its capture by the fascists in 1939. After the Spanish transition to democracy in the 1970s, Barcelona once again became the capital of an autonomous Catalonia.

Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city is home to two of the most prestigious universities in Spain: the University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean are located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and expositions. In addition, many international sport tournaments have been played here.

Barcelona is a major cultural, economic, and financial centre in southwestern Europe,[10] as well as the main biotech hub in Spain.[11] As a leading world city, Barcelona's influence in global socio-economic affairs qualifies it for global city status (Beta +).[12]

Barcelona is a transport hub, with the Port of Barcelona being one of Europe's principal seaports and busiest European passenger port,[13] an international airport, Barcelona–El Prat Airport, which handles over 50-million passengers per year,[14] an extensive motorway network, and a high-speed rail line with a link to France and the rest of Europe.[15] The name Barcelona comes from the ancient Iberian Baŕkeno, attested in an ancient coin inscription found on the right side of the coin in Iberian script as Barkeno in Levantine Iberian script,[16] in Ancient Greek sources as Βαρκινών, Barkinṓn;[17][18] and in Latin as Barcino,[19] Barcilonum[20] and Barcenona.[21][22][23]

Other sources suggest that the city may have been named after the Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, who was supposed to have founded the city in the 3rd century BC,[9][24] but there is no evidence its name in antiquity, Barcino, was connected with the Barcid family of Hamilcar.[25] During the Middle Ages, the city was variously known as Barchinona, Barçalona, Barchelonaa, and Barchenona.

An abbreviated form sometimes used by locals for the city is Barna. Barça is only applied to the local football club FC Barcelona, not to the city. Another common abbreviation is 'BCN', which is also the IATA airport code of the Barcelona-El Prat Airport.

The city is referred to as the Ciutat Comtal in Catalan and Ciudad Condal in Spanish (i.e., "Comital City" or "City of Counts"), owing to its past as the seat of the Count of Barcelona.[26]

History

Main article: History of Barcelona

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Barcelona.

See also: Street names in Barcelona

See also: Jews of Catalonia

Legendary founding

The origin of the earliest settlement at the site of present-day Barcelona is unclear. The ruins of an early settlement have been found, including different tombs and dwellings dating to earlier than 5000 BC.[27][28] In Greek mythology, the founding of Barcelona had been attributed to the mythological Hercules.

Punic Barcelona

According to tradition, Barcelona was founded by Punic (Phoenician) settlers, who had trading posts along the Catalonian coast.[9][29][30] In particular, some historians attribute the foundation of the city directly to the historical Carthaginian general, Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, who supposedly named the city Barcino after his family in the 3rd century BC,[9][31] but this theory has been questioned.[25] Archeological evidence in the form of coins from the 3rd century BC have been found on the hills at the foot of Montjuïc with the name Bárkeno written in an ancient script in the Iberian language[citation needed]. Thus, we can conclude[clarification needed] that the Laietani[citation needed], an ancient Iberian (pre-Roman) people of the Iberian peninsula, who inhabited the area occupied by the city of Barcelona around 3–2 BC[clarification needed], called the area Bàrkeno, which means "The Place of the Plains" (Barrke = plains/terrace).[32][better source needed]

Roman Barcelona

See also: Roman Sepulchral way and Roman walls of Barcelona

A marble plaque in the Museu d'Història de la Ciutat de Barcelona, dated from around 110–130 AD and dedicated to the Roman colony of Barcino

In about 15 BC, the Romans redrew the town as a castrum (Roman military camp) centred on the "Mons Taber", a little hill near the Generalitat (Catalan Government) and city hall buildings. The Roman Forum, at the crossing of the Cardo Maximus and Decumanus Maximus, was approximately placed where current Plaça de Sant Jaume is. Thus, the political centre of the city, Catalonia, and its domains has remained in the same place for over 2,000 years.

Under the Romans, it was a colony with the surname of Faventia,[33] or, in full, Colonia Faventia Julia Augusta Pia Barcino[34] or Colonia Julia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino. Pomponius Mela[35] mentions it among the small towns of the district, probably as it was eclipsed by its neighbour Tarraco (modern Tarragona), but it may be gathered from later writers that it gradually grew in wealth and consequence, favoured as it was with a beautiful situation and an excellent harbour.[36] It enjoyed immunity from imperial burdens.[37] The city minted its own coins; some from the era of Galba survive.

Important Roman vestiges are displayed in Plaça del Rei underground, as a part of the Barcelona City History Museum (MUHBA); the typically Roman grid plan is still visible today in the layout of the historical centre, the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter). Some remaining fragments of the Roman walls have been incorporated into the cathedral.[38] The cathedral, Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Barcelona, is also sometimes called La Seu, which simply means cathedral (and see, among other things) in Catalan.[39][40] It is said to have been founded in 343.

Medieval Barcelona

The city was conquered by the Visigoths in the early 5th century, becoming for a few years the capital of all Hispania. After being conquered by the Umayyads in the early 8th century, it was conquered after a siege in 801 by Charlemagne's son Louis, who made Barcelona the seat of the Carolingian "Hispanic March" (Marca Hispanica), a buffer zone ruled by the Count of Barcelona.[41]

The remaining section of the medieval walls

The Counts of Barcelona became increasingly independent and expanded their territory to include much of modern Catalonia, although in 985, Barcelona was sacked by the army of Almanzor.[42] The sack was so traumatic that most of Barcelona's population was either killed or enslaved.[43] In 1137, Aragon and the County of Barcelona merged in dynastic union[44][45] by the marriage of Ramon Berenguer IV and Petronilla of Aragon, their titles finally borne by only one person when their son Alfonso II of Aragon ascended to the throne in 1162. His territories were later to be known as the Crown of Aragon, which conquered many overseas possessions and ruled the western Mediterranean Sea with outlying territories in Naples and Sicily and as far as Athens in the 13th century.

Barcelona also had a substantial Jewish community at the time, then the largest Jewish community in the Crown of Aragon. Called "the Call," for the many small streets that defined the area, it later became enclosed. Montjuïc or Montjuich, in medieval Latin and Catalan, meaning "Jewish Mountain" and the birthplace of the city, is the site of a medieval Jewish cemetery, Jews continued to live in Barcelona until the Massacre of 1391 diminished their numbers. The Spanish Inquisition forced the remaining Jews who refused to convert to Christianity to be burned at the stake, or sell their property and leave.

Barcelona was the leading slave trade centre of the Crown of Aragon up until the 15th century, when it was eclipsed by Valencia.[46] It initially fed from eastern and Balkan slave stock later drawing from a Maghribian and, ultimately, Subsaharan pool of slaves.[47]

The Bank or Taula de canvi de Barcelona, often viewed as the oldest public bank in Europe, was established by the city magistrates in 1401. It originated from necessities of the state, as did the Bank of Venice (1402) and the Bank of Genoa (1407).[48]

Barcelona under the Spanish monarchy

Barcelona in 1563 by Anton van den Wyngaerde

In the beginning of the Early Modern period, Barcelona lost political primacy, but the economy managed to achieve a balance between production capacity and imports.[49]

In the context of the wider early recovery of Catalonia from the 17th-century crisis in the second half of the century, increasing maritime activity since 1675 doubled traffic in the port of Barcelona compared to figures from the beginning of the 17th century.[50]

In the late 17th and early 18th century, Barcelona repeatedly endured the effects of war, including the 1691 bombing, the sieges of 1697, 1704, 1705, 1706, and the 1713 blockade and ensuing 1714 siege and assault.[51]

In the 18th century, the population grew from 30,000 to about 100,000 inhabitants, as the city became one of the key mercantile centres in the Western Mediterranean, with inland influence up to Zaragoza, and to the south up to Alicante.[52] A fortress was built at Montjuïc that overlooked the harbour.

Much of Barcelona was negatively affected by the Napoleonic wars, but the start of industrialization saw the fortunes of the province improve.

Transforming the city

In the mid-1850s, Barcelona was struggling with population density as it became an industrial, port city and European capital. The city's density was at 856 people per hectare, more than double that of Paris. Mortality rates were on the rise and any outbreaks of disease would devastate the population. To solve the issue, a civil engineer named Ildefons Cerdà proposed a plan for a new district known as the Eixample. The citizens of Barcelona had begun to demolish the medieval wall surrounding and constricting the city. Cerdà thought it best to transform the land outside the walls into an area characterized by a scientific approach to urbanization. His proposal consisted of a grid of streets to unite the old city and surrounding villages. There would also be wide streets to allow people to breathe clean air, gardens in the centre of each street block, integration of rich and poor giving both groups access to the same services, and smooth-flowing traffic. Urban quality, egalitarianism, hygiene, sunlight, and efficiency were all major keys for Cerdà's vision. Not everything he imagined would be realized within the Eixample district, but the iconic octagonal superblocks with chamfered corners for better visibility are his direct brainchild and remain immensely helpful even 170 years later. The district and its ideals were not appreciated at the time. The city council awarded the design of the extension plan to another architect. The Spanish government was the one to step in and impose Cerdà's plan, laying the groundwork for many more tensions between the Spanish and Catalan administrations. Regardless, some of the upper class citizens of Barcelona were excited by the new plan and began a race to build "the biggest, tallest, most attractive house" in the district. Their interest and money fueled the rich diversity that we now see in the district's architecture. In the end, Cerdà's ideas would have a lasting impact on Barcelona's development, earning it international recognition for its highly efficient approach to urban planning and design.[53][54]

The Spanish Civil War and the Franco period

Woman training for a Republican militia by Gerda Taro, Somorrostro beach (1936)

Barcelona was the capital of the Republic of Spain from November 1937 until January 1939.[55][56] During that Spanish Civil War period, both Barcelona and Madrid were still under the rule of the republic. In the image Azaña and Negrín on the city outskirts.

During the Spanish Civil War, the city, and Catalonia in general, were resolutely Republican. Many enterprises and public services were collectivized by the CNT and UGT unions. As the power of the Republican government and the Generalitat diminished, much of the city was under the effective control of anarchist groups. The anarchists lost control of the city to their own allies, the Communists and official government troops, after the street fighting of the Barcelona May Days. The fall of the city on 26 January 1939, caused a mass exodus of civilians who fled to the French border. The resistance of Barcelona to Franco's coup d'état was to have lasting effects after the defeat of the Republican government. The autonomous institutions of Catalonia were abolished,[57] and the use of the Catalan language in public life was suppressed. Barcelona remained the second largest city in Spain, at the heart of a region which was relatively industrialized and prosperous, despite the devastation of the civil war. The result was a large-scale immigration from poorer regions of Spain (particularly Andalusia, Murcia and Galicia), which in turn led to rapid urbanization.

Late twentieth century

In 1992, Barcelona hosted the Summer Olympics. The after-effects of this are credited with driving major changes in what had, up until then, been a largely industrial city. As part of the preparation for the games, industrial buildings along the sea-front were demolished and 3 km (2 mi) of beach were created. New construction increased the road capacity of the city by 17%, the sewage handling capacity by 27% and the amount of new green areas and beaches by 78%. Between 1990 and 2004, the number of hotel rooms in the city doubled. Perhaps more importantly, the outside perception of the city was changed making, by 2012, Barcelona the 12th most popular city destination in the world and the 5th amongst European cities.[58][59][60][61][62]

Recent history

Main articles: History of Barcelona and Timeline of Barcelona

Supporters of Catalan independence in October 2019

Protest against independence in October 2017

The death of Franco in 1975 brought on a period of democratization throughout Spain. Pressure for change was particularly strong in Barcelona, which considered that it had been punished during nearly forty years of Francoism for its support of the Republican government.[63] Massive, but peaceful, demonstrations on 11 September 1977 assembled over a million people in the streets of Barcelona to call for the restoration of Catalan autonomy. It was granted less than a month later.[64]

The development of Barcelona was promoted by two events in 1986: Spanish accession to the European Community, and particularly Barcelona's designation as host city of the 1992 Summer Olympics.[65][66] The process of urban regeneration has been rapid, and accompanied by a greatly increased international reputation of the city as a tourist destination. The increased cost of housing has led to a slight decline (−16.6%) in the population over the last two decades of the 20th century as many families move out into the suburbs. This decline has been reversed since 2001, as a new wave of immigration (particularly from Latin America and from Morocco) has gathered pace.[67]

In 1987, an ETA car bombing at Hipercor killed 21 people. On 17 August 2017, a van was driven into pedestrians on La Rambla, killing 14 and injuring at least 100, one of whom later died. Other attacks took place elsewhere in Catalonia. The Prime Minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy, called the attack in Barcelona a jihadist attack. Amaq News Agency attributed indirect responsibility for the attack to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).[68][69][70] During the 2010s, Barcelona became the focus city[citation needed] for the ongoing Catalan independence movement, its consequent standoff between the regional and national government and later protests.[71]

In July 2023, Barcelona was announced as the UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture for the 2024–2026 term. This means it will be the hub for discussion around global challenges including culture, heritage, urban planning and architecture. In addition to being the capital through 2026, it will also host the UIA World Congress of Architects for that year. The honour is befitting of Barcelona, as its history is peppered with architectural achievement and various iconic styles and influences. From its ancient Roman roots, to the Gothic and Modernisme movements, Barcelona has thrived through the way it ties together architecture and culture.[72]

Geography

A panoramic view of Barcelona

Location

Barcelona as seen by the European Space Agency's Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission

Map of Barcelona metropolitan area

Barcelona is located on the northeast coast of the Iberian Peninsula, facing the Mediterranean Sea, on a plain approximately 5 km (3 mi) wide limited by the mountain range of Collserola, the Llobregat river to the southwest and the Besòs river to the north.[73] This plain covers an area of 170 km2 (66 sq mi),[73] of which 101 km2 (39.0 sq mi)[74] are occupied by the city itself. It is 120 km (75 mi) south of the Pyrenees and the Catalan border with France.

Tibidabo, 512 m (1,680 ft) high, offers striking views over the city[75] and is topped by the 288.4 m (946.2 ft) Torre de Collserola, a telecommunications tower that is visible from most of the city. Barcelona is peppered with small hills, most of them urbanized, that gave their name to the neighbourhoods built upon them, such as Carmel (267 m or 876 ft), Putxet (es) (181 m or 594 ft) and Rovira (261 m or 856 ft). The escarpment of Montjuïc (173 m or 568 ft), situated to the southeast, overlooks the harbour and is topped by Montjuïc Castle, a fortress built in the 17–18th centuries to control the city as a replacement for the Ciutadella. Today, the fortress is a museum and Montjuïc is home to several sporting and cultural venues, as well as Barcelona's biggest park and gardens.

The city borders on the municipalities of Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Sant Adrià de Besòs to the north; the Mediterranean Sea to the east; El Prat de Llobregat and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat to the south; and Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Sant Just Desvern, Esplugues de Llobregat, Sant Cugat del Vallès, and Montcada i Reixac to the west. The municipality includes two small sparsely-inhabited exclaves to the north-west.

Climate

Main article: Climate of Barcelona

According to the Köppen climate classification, Barcelona has a hot summer Mediterranean climate (Csa), with mild winters and warm to hot summers,[76] while the rainiest seasons are autumn and spring. The rainfall pattern is characterized by a short (3 months) dry season in summer, as well as less winter rainfall than in a typical Mediterranean climate. However, both June and August are wetter than February, which is unusual for the Mediterranean climate. This subtype, labelled as "Portuguese" by the French geographer George Viers after the climate classification of Emmanuel de Martonne[77] and found in the NW Mediterranean area (e.g. Marseille), can be seen as transitional to the humid subtropical climate (Cfa) found in inland areas.

Barcelona is densely populated, thus heavily influenced by the urban heat island effect. Areas outside of the urbanized districts can have as much as 2 °C of difference in temperatures throughout the year.[78] Its average annual temperature is 21.2 °C (70.2 °F) during the day and 15.1 °C (59.2 °F) at night. The average annual temperature of the sea is about 20 °C (68 °F). In the coldest month, January, the temperature typically ranges from 12 to 18 °C (54 to 64 °F) during the day, 6 to 12 °C (43 to 54 °F) at night and the average sea temperature is 13 °C (55 °F).[79] In the warmest month, August, the typical temperature ranges from 27 to 31 °C (81 to 88 °F) during the day, about 23 °C (73 °F) at night and the average sea temperature is 26 °C (79 °F).[79] Generally, the summer or "holiday" season lasts about six months, from May to October. Two months – April and November – are transitional; sometimes the temperature exceeds 20 °C (68 °F), with an average temperature of 18–19 °C (64–66 °F) during the day and 11–13 °C (52–55 °F) at night. December, January and February are the coldest months, with average temperatures around 15 °C (59 °F) during the day and 9 °C (48 °F) at night. Large fluctuations in temperature are rare, particularly in the summer months. Because of the proximity to the warm sea plus the urban heat island, frosts are very rare in the city of Barcelona. Snow is also very infrequent in the city of Barcelona, but light snowfalls can occur yearly in the nearby Collserola mountains, such as in the Fabra Observatory located in a nearby mountain.[80]

Barcelona averages 78 rainy days per year (≥ 1 mm), and annual average relative humidity is 72%, ranging from 69% in July to 75% in October. Rainfall totals are highest in late summer and autumn (September–November) and lowest in early and mid-summer (June–August), with a secondary winter minimum (February–March). Sunshine duration is 2,524 hours per year, from 138 (average 4.5 hours of sunshine a day) in December to 310 (average 10 hours of sunshine a day) in July.[81]

Atemptat a la Rambla de Barcelona. El cap de la cel·lula jihadista era un confident de la policia espanyola.

Attack on the Rambla de Barcelona. The head of the jihadist cell was a confident of the Spanish police.

Catalonia, next state in Europe.

For decades, he was the bespectacled overseer of some of Syria’s greatest archaeological treasures, a man so tied to the reputation of the sprawling ancient ruins in his home city that one historian called him Mr. Palmyra.

Now, months after the city fell to the jihadists of the Islamic State, Khalid al-Asaad, the retired director of antiquities for Palmyra, has fallen, too.

After detaining him for weeks, the jihadists dragged him on Tuesday to a public square where a masked swordsman cut off his head, according to the Syrian government and Mr. Asaad’s relatives.

His blood-soaked body was then suspended with red twine by its wrists from a traffic light, his head resting on the ground between his feet, his glasses still on, according to a photo distributed on social media by supporters of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL.

# Greek islands

Turkey's Hybrid War against Greece and Cyprus and the

turkish paranoia of the so called blue homeland (mavi vatan) claiming several big & small Greek islands with internationally recognized Greek sovereignty while also inhabited by native for millennia Greek people ....

Military Invasion, along with proxy Jihadists, of Syria 2019

...... typical barbarism & islamization processes of the ottoman and neo-ottoman Turkey alike .... with the usual apathy, if not collaboration, of the big powers & world organizations, i.e. the USA, Russia, the UK, Germany, as well as the UN, NATO & the EU .....

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one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter,

most of the time