Fatima Faize in London(Part1)

If you’re visiting London for the first time and have a few days of vacation, then be sure to put these attractions at the top of your itinerary.

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Houses of Parliament (and Big Ben)

Located on the banks of the Thames are the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Take a guided tour inside the Houses of Parliament into the Commons and the Lords chambers, which are offered on Saturdays and certain weekdays when Parliament is on recess. You can also see the famous giant clock tower known as Big Ben, but unfortunately only UK residents can actually tour it.

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Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey is a 700-year-old church located in the heart of London. Several royal weddings and coronations have taken place here. Since it’s known as a living pageant of British history, it stays busy and the staff usually keeps visitors moving at a fairly quick pace on their guided tours. You can also choose an audio guide and go about the Abbey at your own pace. Either way, taking pictures or videos aren’t allowed inside Westminster Abbey at any time so be sure to take lots of mental pictures.

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 British Museum

The British Museum is a world-renowned human history and culture museum that’s been open to the public since 1759. It houses a permanent collection of more than 8 million works of art and artifacts from all around the world that date from prehistoric to modern times. Some of its collection includes the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures and several mummies in the Ancient Egypt collection. Visiting the Museum is free and is the perfect place for any history buffs or antiquities lovers. As one of the best museums some have said they’ve ever been to, the British Museum has something for people of all ages to see and learn.

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Tower Bridge

Come to  Tower Bridge, a Victorian bridge that’s one of the most famous ones in the world that crosses the River Thames, to get a beautiful view and plenty of pictures of London. A full visit to Tower Bridge Exhibition or a personal guided tour lasts about 1 hour and 30 minutes and lets you see all of Tower Bridge and hear all about its history and inner workings.

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 Buckingham Palace

You can’t visit London for the first time and not visit the official London residence of Britian’s sovereigns since the mid-1800’s. Buckingham Palace is the current London home of The Queen, as well as the Monarch’s administrative headquarters. There are 775 rooms furnished and decorated with beautiful and priceless pieces of furniture and art from the Royal Collection. The State Rooms are open to Palace visitors all year so you should plan on spending at least two hours on your visit.

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London Eye

Come to Lodon Eye to get a bird’s-eye view of London’s South Bank at more than 400 feet up in the sky. On one of this giant Ferris wheel’s 32 capsules, which can hold up to 25 people, you’ll spend roughly 30 minutes checking out the city of London and 50 of its famous landmarks. For a more personal experience, get a private capsule or go for the romantic and private Cupid’s capsule, complete with a bottle of champagne and a box of luxury chocolates.

 ♔ I stayed at the Hotel Holiday INN, which was uncomfortable.

Rome, Italy

Top things to do in Rome:

Visit the Colosseum 

The biggest amphitheatre ever built and the ultimate symbol of imperial Rome. It’s every tourist's rite of passage to stroll through the crumbling stadium, once sheethed in marble, and imagine the blood-spattered gladiatorial combats, the lions that once prowled the stadium, the roar of the crowd.

Located just east of the Roman Forum, the massive stone amphitheater known as the Colosseum was commissioned around A.D. 70-72 by Emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty as a gift to the Roman people.

In A.D. 80, Vespasian’s son Titus opened the Colosseum–officially known as the Flavian Amphitheater–with 100 days of games, including gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights. 

After four centuries of active use, the magnificent arena fell into neglect, and up until the 18th century it was used as a source of building materials.

Though two-thirds of the original Colosseum has been destroyed over time, the amphitheater remains a popular tourist destination, as well as an iconic symbol of Rome and its long, tumultuous history.

Even after the decadent Roman emperor Nero took his own life in A.D. 68, his misrule and excesses fueled a series of civil wars. No fewer than four emperors took the throne in the tumultuous year after Nero’s death; the fourth, Vespasian, would end up ruling for 10 years (A.D. 69-79).

The Flavian emperors, as Vespasian and his sons Titus (79-81) and Domitian (81-96) were known, attempted to tone down the excesses of the Roman court, restore Senate authority and promote public welfare. Around 70-72, Vespasian returned to the Roman people the lush land near the center of the city, where Nero had built an enormous palace for himself after a great fire ripped through Rome in A.D. 64. On the site of that Golden Palace, he decreed, would be built a new amphitheater where the public could enjoy gladiatorial combats and other forms of entertainment.

Archaeologists believe that the Colosseum contained both drinking fountains and latrines.

After nearly a decade of construction–a relatively quick time period for a project of such a grand scale–Titus officially dedicated the Colosseum in A.D. 80 with a festival including 100 days of games. A well-loved ruler, Titus had earned his people’s devotion with his handling of recovery efforts after the infamous eruption of Vesuvius in A.D. 79, which destroyed the towns of Herculaneum and Pompeii. The final stages of construction of the Colosseum were completed under the reign of Titus’ brother and successor, Domitian.

THE COLOSSEUM: A GRAND AMPHITHEATER

Measuring some 620 by 513 feet (190 by 155 meters), the Colosseum was the largest amphitheater in the Roman world. Unlike many earlier amphitheaters, which had been dug into hillsides to provide adequate support, the Colosseum was a freestanding structure made of stone and concrete. The distinctive exterior had three stories of arched entrances–a total of around 80–supported by semi-circular columns. Each story contained columns of a different order (or style): At the bottom were columns of the relatively simple Doric order, followed by Ionic and topped by the ornate Corinthian order. Located just near the main entrance to the Colosseum was the Arch of Constantine, built in A.D. 315 in honor of Constantine I’s victory over Maxentius at Pons Milvius.

Inside, the Colosseum had seating for more than 50,000 spectators, who may have been arranged according to social ranking but were most likely packed into the space like sardines in a can (judging by evidence from the seating at other Roman amphitheaters). Awnings were unfurled from the top story in order to protect the audience from the hot Roman sun as they watched gladiatorial combats, hunts, wild animal fights and larger combats such as mock naval engagements (for which the arena was flooded with water) put on at great expense. The vast majority of the combatants who fought in front of Colosseum audiences in Ancient Rome were men (though there were some female gladiators). Gladiators were generally slaves, condemned criminals or prisoners of war.

THE COLOSSEUM OVER THE CENTURIES

The Colosseum saw some four centuries of active use, until the struggles of the Western Roman Empire and the gradual change in public tastes put an end to gladiatorial combats and other large public entertainments by the 6th century A.D. Even by that time, the arena had suffered damaged due to natural phenomena such as lightning and earthquakes. In the centuries to come, the Colosseum was abandoned completely, and used as a quarry for numerous building projects, including the cathedrals of St. Peter and St. John Lateran, the Palazzo Venezia and defense fortifications along the Tiber River. Beginning in the 18th century, however, various popes sought to conserve the arena as a sacred Christian site, though it is in fact uncertain whether early Christian martyrs met their fate in the Colosseum, as has been speculated.

By the 20th century, a combination of weather, natural disasters, neglect and vandalism had destroyed nearly two-thirds of the original Colosseum, including all of the arena’s marble seats and its decorative elements. Restoration efforts began in the 1990s, and have proceeded over the years, as the Colosseum continues to be a leading attraction for tourists from all over the world.

Best place to stay in Rome:

I stayed in 5 star Hotel : Sheraton Golf Parco de' Medici Rome Hotel & Resort is located in the business district of the city, The Sheraton Parco de’ Medici Rome Hotel is located to the south west of Rome and near to the New RomanTrade Fair, Fiumicino and Ciampino international Airports, while the city centre and most important shopping centres are just a few kilometres away. The hotel is divided into three main buildings: Sheraton Parco 1, 2 & 3 and is close to the nearby Golf Club Parco de’ Medici with its 27-hole golf course.Essential local events include: High Fashion, Rome Cinema Festival, International Tennis ,Roman Summer Events.

Fatima Faize In Egypt, Cairo (Part:1)

Are you planning to visit Egypt? Here i share for you things to do in Cairo Egypt in 7 days, including the Pyramids and other Cairo points of interest!

Great Pyramid of Giza (Khufu):

The Great Pyramid of Giza (Khufu), is the largest of the Giza Pyramids and the oldest member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This great structure was constructed on the orders of Khufu, the second ruler of the Fourth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, taking thousands of workers more than two decades to build.

The Great Pyramid incorporates 
more than two million stone blocks.

The original height was 146 meters, when it was covered by a casing that formed a smooth outer surface. Due to centuries of crumbling what is seen today is the underlying core structure, which reaches 139 meters tall. Some of the casing stones that once covered the building

 a pyramid required enormous resources and the maintenance of a wide array of all kinds of skilled and unskilled workers.  The kings of the 4th Dynasty - often referred to as "the pyramid builders". A strong central government, and a surplus of wealth, were both vital to any efforts at pyramid building and these resources were passed from Sneferu, upon his death, to his son Khufu.


                   

I’ll admit it, riding a camel at the Giza Pyramids is one of my best memories of all Egypt. The freedom and the sense of wonder is incredible as you imagine yourself in the shoes of the many travellers who came to this land centuries ago and were soon face to face with monuments beyond words or description.

Timeless pieces of history that once shined across the desert with their golden decorations. It is something truly special.

Did You Know: Each of the Giza Pyramids is dedicated to a different Pharaoh from the Old Kingdom’s Fourth Dynasty. Most theories about how the pyramids were built agree that they were constructed by thousands of workers quarrying huge stone blocks from the Nile then dragging and lifting them into place.

 Inside, the Great Pyramid features three burial chambers.

 There’s an underground chamber cut out from the bedrock of which the pyramid is built, while the second is above ground and known as the Queen's Chamber. 

The third, the King's Chamber at the top of the structure, holds a large red granite sarcophagus.

 Take a horse ride near the pyramids

I took the horse ride around the pyramids,which was an experience in itself by traveling in dessert and seeing the pyramids by different angels.
They even took me to an vintage point where all 9 pyramids are in an angle for the pictures. I recommend everyone to try it.

 

LuxuryYacht,Elegant Boat, Bed and Breakfas: Nile Smart Yacht

I stayed here for 10 nights in a suite with an amazing view of the Nile! 

  
I do recommend a nile view room, Yacht is clean, staff are helpful.I do recommend for others wgo want to try Nile experience.

Fatima Faize In Johannesburg, South Africa

Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa and comfortably lays claim to being the largest economic powerhouse in the whole of Africa.

Originally built on the discovery of gold, Johannesburg is now a vibrant megacity with a population of nearly 11 million people in the Greater Johannesburg area.

 Attractions are plentiful in the city. The Apartheid Museum is popular with tourists who can learn a lot about township life. Check out the Nelson Mandela Bridge which connects the Central Business District to the Newtown Cultural Precinct which houses all the museums and art galleries. Enjoy picnics at Zoo Lake, a park filled with oak and sycamore trees or go on a tour of Soweto which is the district with the largest population in the city.

Due to its proximity to Pretoria and other places, one can schedule a day trip to one of the game reserves to see the ‘big 5’ as well as some of the savannah.

Johannesburg is a great city for shopping with many different malls to explore. The malls in Sandton are well known for designer outfits and clothes in general whereas Rosebank has an African craft market including handmade artwork. Indian fabrics, antiques and general retro items can be found in Fordsburg.

 In respect of nightlife, Melville is an area where many bars and clubs can be found. Musicals, dance and opera are all regularly performed at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre. Various stage performances also occur in Mary Fitzgerald Square.

The Speciality Museums in Johannesburg are immensely popular with tourists and locals alike. In addition to the Apartheid Museum, the Origins Center showcases the origins of mankind. Johannesburg is the ideal place for this museum to be located since South Africa is considered to be the birthplace of the human race. The Peacemaker Museum commemorates the memories of past and present Nobel Peace Prize winners and their contribution to society.

Where to find Nelson Mandela attractions?

Go to Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton, Joburg public square and shopping centre in Sandton.  

This statue of Nelson Mandela was created by local artists Jacob Maponyane and Kobus Hattingh and stands six metres tall. The statue was commissioned in July 2002 and completed in 2004. At the time of its unveiling, the statue received mixed reactions from all quarters some loved it, some hated it and some thought it was just a little over the top. The proportions of this statue cannot be ignored: apart from its height it is 2.3m wide and has a shoulder width of 1.7m. Despite the somewhat awkward proportions of this one, it's still a firm favourite for visitors to Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton to have their photo taken with.

My Birthday Party: 13 Sep 2017

My Birthday Party: 13 Sep 2017

Hello Guys! I only want to share my pictures of my birthday party!

I would like to thank my Mother Ahlalia Afifi and my Brother Dr Ahmed Faize for being there for me and planned my surprise birthday party.

I am forever thankful for the fun surprise birthday party you thoughtfully arranged for me.

Pictures taken by:  The best photographer ever S.A

It’s My Birthday! 13 Sep Happy Birthday to Me!

 So today is my birthday and I want to celebrate with you.

After living another year, I’m thankful to God that he has blessed me so much- and that I’m a real blessing to others.

For the last 12 years I’ve spent my birthday in a different country and shared the occasion with my family and new  friends.

 Happy Birthday from me to I! It’s time to party because I’m superfly! Cheers to a brand new year full of laughter, love and new friendships 

I plan on having an amazing, awesome, super, fantastic year full of many new adventures and crazy travels! My birthday means I’m another year older and another year wiser! You better watch out!