Category Archives: Faith
The places in between: wanders through Fener and Balat.
I saw them from the above, a rare treat for a city like Istanbul, where landings seldom come from the north: huddled close together, squashed between the Golden Horn and the minarets of Ottoman mosques, were the houses and streets … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, Faith, Istanbul, Turkey
Tagged Balat, Beyazid, Constantinople, Fener, Galata, Golden Horn, Istanbul, Mehmed II, Saint Mary of the Mongols, Turkey
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Bethlehem, or how the other half lives.
Call me ignorant, but Bethlehem always evoked pastoral ideas, of secluded grottos – or shacks, depending on the version you liked the most – and of comets. What we found was (once we got on the Arab bus that no … Continue reading
(Not finding) my religion in the Holy Land: confession of a sceptical in Jerusalem.
For some people, the moment of detachment from a religious view they used to hold is a momentous one, the culmination of days – perhaps months – of introspection, self-assessment and doubt. In my case, instead, I cannot point out … Continue reading
Posted in Asia, Faith, Israel
Tagged Abraham, Al Aqsa, Allah, Christianity, Conflict, Dome of the Rock, God, Hebrew, Holy Land, Holy Sepulchre, Isaac, Islam, Israel, Jerusalem, Jesus, Jordan, Judaism, King of Jordan, Moshe Dayan, Muhammad, Muslim, Temple Mount, Wailing wall, Wall, War, Western wall
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Marooned in Muscat
“How are you, brother? You look a little lost.” The young, tall Omani – immaculate in his neatly pressed green dishdasha – was absolutely right. I was tired, red-eyed, yearning for a shower and, above all, utterly lost. Faithful to … Continue reading
Posted in Faith, Middle East, Oman, Overlooked locations
Tagged Arabic Peninsula, Auto, Failure, Gulf, Islam, Muscat, Oman, Sultan Qaboos, Sultanate, Tourism, Understanding Arabia
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A quiet day at the Atelier
A few months ago I wrote about Jozséf Perlaki and his son Vince who, in the Hungarian town of Veszprém, are busy reviving the ancient art of stained glass. Today I paid a visit to their atelier, finding them in-between jobs. A … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, Faith, Hungary
Tagged Abstract Art, Art, Craftmanship, Hungary, Jozséf Perlaki, Magyarorszag, Modern Art, Mosaic, Religion, Stained glass, Veszprém, Vince Perlaki
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Irrelevant differences: visiting Mellah, the Jewish quarter of Marrakech
“Est-ce que ceci a été le quartier juif, donc?” Is this the old Jewish quarter, I ask, rather timorously, to my self-appointed guide. It’s Sunday, the day that will pass to history for the biggest gathering of people in a single … Continue reading
Posted in Africa, Faith, Morocco, Overlooked locations, Politics
Tagged Africa, Islam, Jews, Juifs, Marrakech, Marranos, Mellah, Morocco, Muslims, Peace, Slat El Azama, Spain expulsion, Synagogue
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“To a Mountain in Tibet’, by Colin Thubron, Vintage
Courtesy Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9571766-to-a-mountain-in-tibet There’s an expression that Stephen King seemingly likes to use when describing the rapture of writing or reading, the feeling of concentrating on the task at hand so much that we end up being oblivious to the passing … Continue reading
Posted in Asia, Books review, Faith
Tagged Buddhism, Colin Thubron, death, Hindu, Hinduism, Kailas, Nepal, Tibet, To a Mountain in Tibet, Trekking, Vintage Press
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Sacred and Profane – The art of the Neapolitan Nativity scene
When, in a remote Italian village, Saint Francis of Assisi put a baby in a crib well padded with hay, under the watchful eye of an ox and a donkey, he couldn’t have possibly foreseen what his idea to re-enact … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, Faith, Italy, Napoli, Overlooked locations
Tagged Christianity, Christmas, Crib, Italia, Italy, Naples, Napoli, Nativity scene, Pazzariello, Presepe, Pulcinella, Tradition
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Naples: unearthing the treasure trove (Part II)
It’d be wrong to portray this city only as an idyllic cradle of craftmanship, fine food and mild weather: it is all that, but it’s still a place scarred by neglect, crippled by unemployment and still heavily affected by crime … Continue reading
Posted in Campania, Europe, Faith, Italy, Napoli, Overlooked locations
Tagged caffé sospeso, Christianity, Coffee, Crime, Espresso, Italy, Mezzogiorno, Naples, Napoli, Purgatory, Religion, Superstition, Taboos
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Faithful London – The London Central Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre
This is part 3 of my journey to discover if, and how, Londoners still practice religion. I started off by visiting Chiswick’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral and then visited the Thai Buddhapadipa Temple in Wimbledon. This time my quest brings me … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, Faith, London
Tagged Faithful London, Is faith alive in London?, Islam, Islamic Cultural Centre, London, Mosque, Park Road Mosque, Religion
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