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Saturday 4 July 2015

Visiting Places In Chicago

Visiting Places In Chicago
Chicago attractions: The 25 best sights and attractions in Chicago
Chicago, on Lake Michigan in Illinois, is among the largest cities in the U.S. Famed for its bold architecture, it has a skyline bristling with skyscrapers such as the iconic John Hancock Center, sleek, 1,451-ft. Willis Tower and neo-Gothic Tribune Tower. The city is also renowned for its museums, including the Art Institute and its expansive collections, including noted Impressionist works.

Among the city's parks, museums and skyscrapers, these are the very best Chicago attractions to help you fast-track your sightseeing around town
Whether you're entertaining out-of-town guests or simply want to act like a tourist in your hometown by revisiting the best Chicago attractions, iconic venues and historical spots, make sightseeing a lot easier by consulting Time Out's definitive guide to Chicago's best sights, top attractions and things to do. We've compiled our favorite popular sights in the city, featuring the best parks, museums, and hubs of arts and culture.
1-Adler Planetarium

Though it’s staffed by world-class researchers at the forefront of their field, the museum’s real draw will always be the virtual-reality trips through time and space in the Sky Theater, which features the "highest resolution and quality possible." Themes usually center around the known and unknown universe and how humans have engaged with it throughout history. The recently rennovated "Mission Moon" exhibit allows visitors to see the Gemini 12 capsule and learn more about the early days of the space race.
2-Chicago History Museum

Not so long ago this vibrant museum was the stodgy ol' Chicago Historical Society, which let you cull through thousands of archived photographs and curio. Well, that library still exists, but joining it are several permanent and temporary exhibits, the largest of which is "Chicago: Crossroads of America," a treasure trove of historical objects. Not so long ago this vibrant museum was the stodgy ol' Chicago Historical Society, which let you cull through thousands of archived photographs and curio. Well, that library still exists, but joining it are several permanent and temporary exhibits, the largest of which is "Chicago: Crossroads of America," a treasure trove of historical objects, including a chunk of the original Fort Dearborn. Other exhibits include “Sensing Chicago” (kids swarm around the giant Chicago hot dog) and revolving displays showing off one of the world's largest costume collections.
 3-Brookfield Zoo

Set on 216 acres, the zoo is home to nearly 6,000 animals, including 3,000 invertebrates, representing 436 species. The star of the show is the Great Bear Wilderness exhibit, a 7.5-acre replication of a North American habitat for the zoo’s polar bears, grizzlies, Mexican gray wolves, bison, bald eagles and ravens.
4-DuSable Museum of African American History

When this institution opened in 1961, African-American history was suffering serious neglect at the hands of the city’s—and for that matter the nation’s—cultural institutions. The Hyde Park cultural hub is now one of the oldest African-American–focused museums in the country, displaying documents and artifacts from the lives of overlooked or unjustly marginalized movers and shakers.
5-Grant Park

Spanning 319 acres of lakefront property, Chicago's "front yard" is filled with notable landmarks like the Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, the Art Institute and Museum Campus. In the summer, Grant Park's sprawling terrain plays host to festivals like Lollapalooza, Blues Fest and the Taste of Chicago.
6-360 Chicago

Formerly known as the John Hancock Observatory, 360 Chicago offers dining, sights and an interactive tour far above the city streets. From 1,000 feet up on the 94th floor, you can see up to 55 miles out and four states—you'll feel as if you're along for the ride as you watch airplanes whiz by. A recent addition is the Tilt attraction, which allows visitors to step onto an enclosed platform that extends from the building at a 30-degree angle.


7-Lincoln Park Zoo

See some 1,200 animals, from apes to zebras, at the oldest—and one of only a few free—zoos left in the country. It is small, only 35 acres, but attractions like the Kovler Lion House and the Regenstein Center for African Apes are worth the trip.
8-Museum of Contemporary Art

The Museum of Contemporary Art houses one of the largest collections of modern art in the nation and frequently hosts major touring exhibits. In addition to its galleries, the MCA also boasts a gift store, bookstore, restaurant, 300-seat theater, and a picturesque sculpture garden.
9-Music Box

For movie lovers who don't care for traditional Hollywood blockbusters there's no better theater than the Music Box, a two-screen cinema that shows the latest art house films and documentaries. The theater's gorgeous, main theater regularly hosts director Q&A's as well as weekly midnight screenings of cult classics.
10-Navy Pier

This tourist hot spot features shops, eateries, an IMAX cinema and a bevy of sightseeing boat tours. Pier Park is home to a 150-foot-high Ferris wheel, plus an old-fashioned swing ride and 18-hole mini-golf course great for tourists or an afternoon of people-watching.
11-Shedd Aquarium

Anchoring the aquatic offerings at this 75-year-old institution are enduring favorites such as piranhas, frogs and snakes of the Amazon; rays, turtles and moray eel of the Caribbean; frightening predator sharks and, the most storied of them all, a 100-plus-year-old Australian lungfish believed to be the longest-living fish in any aquarium in the world. A 2009 rehab of the Oceanarium gave Shedd a lifelike river and tide-pool, a reworked otter habitat, and an attempt to revamp its daily mammal presentations with choreography.
12-Art Institute of Chicago

Well-known treasures beckon inside the Art Institute of Chicago.
What to Do.?
Devote an entire day to this magnificent Beaux-Arts building — with two stone lions guarding its Michigan Avenue entrance — that is home to works of art that span 5,000 years of human history, as well as the globe.
What to See.?
The recently unveiled Modern Wing, which opened in 2009, that houses contemporary art and modern European paintings and sculpture in a breathtaking setting. This is one of the places to visit in Chicago that you just have to take the time to see!
13-The Field Museum

The Field Museum is your passport to travel the world and back in time with 4.5 billion years under one roof.
What to Do.?
Journey through 4 billion years of life on Earth in the Evolving Planet exhibit and marvel over precious stones — from their rough beginnings to sparkling jewelry — in the Grainger Hall of Gems.
What to See.?
The remarkable Sue -- the world’s largest, most complete, and best-preserved Tyrannosaurus rex. Find her holding court in The Field Museum’s grand Stanley Field Hall. Every trip to Chicago should include a date with Sue.
14-Skydeck Chicago

The tallest building in the Western Hemisphere beckons with its eye-popping views of Chicago and beyond. Located atop the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), Skydeck Chicago attracts nearly 1.3 million visitors each year to its 103rd floor observation deck, which rises 1,353 feet (412.4 meters) above street level.
What to Do.?
The brave of heart can step out onto The Ledge, a glass-enclosed balcony, for a view unlike any other.
What to See.?
On a clear day, you can spot many of Chicago’s landmarks and scan the horizon to Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois.
15-Museum of Science and Industry

The largest science center in the Western Hemisphere, the Museum of Science and Industry was the first museum in North America to offer visitors the chance to touch and interact with exhibits.
What to Do.?
Continue that tradition to this day with exhibits that encourage people to do more than spectate: you can make a giant heart beat in time to your own or open a Chicago River drawbridge for a model train.
What to See.?
Examine your moves on the basketball court with the help of a virtual instructor.
16-Millennium Park

With hundreds of free concerts and performances offered throughout the year at the dramatic Jay Pritzker Pavilion, this may be one of Chicago’s newest places to visit, but Millennium Park has quickly become a destination of choice for travelers and locals alike.
What to Do.?
Explore a 5-acre (2.2 hectares) garden, which confirms that Millennium Park lives up to the Chicago’s official Latin motto: Urbs in Horto — City in a Garden.
What to See.?
An immense, walk-up-and-touch sculpture known affectionately as "The Bean."
17-The Magnificent Mile

Aptly named, the Magnificent Mile is a mecca for tourists and business people, and bolsters Chicago’s claim as one of the great cities on the world stage.
What to Do.?
Try not to miss a single storefront! -Start on Michigan Avenue, at the Chicago River and head north for, yes, 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) to Oak Street.
What to See.?
Observe this district of architecture, shopping, dining and business that has few peers.
 18-Wrigley Field

Wrigley Field, home to the Chicago Cubs, was built in 1914. The stadium seats 39,000 people and is the second-oldest ballpark in the majors.
19-Shakespeare Theater

The Shakespeare Theater in Chicago has a permanent facility at the Navy Pier. The seven-story, glass curtain-walled theater houses a 500 seat courtyard theater and a 200 seat flexible black box theater.
20-Lyric Opera of Chicago

The Lyric Opera of Chicago offers a full opera season, from October to March, with well known classics. It began in 1954 and is today world-renowned.
21-Oriental Institute Museum

The Oriental Institute Museum, located on the University of Chicago campus, is dedicated to the archeology and art of the Near East. Some of the antiquities on display include finds from excavations in Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Turkey, and Israel.
22-Garfield Park Conservatory
Built in the early 1900s, the Garfield Park Conservatory is an historic, publicly owned botanical garden, operated by the Chicago Park District. The gardens grow plants which are used in the numerous city parks and gardens. The glass and metal prairie-school structure was designed by noted landscape architect Jens Jensen. His revolutionary design has been referred to as "landscape art under glass".
Some of the highlights include the Children's Garden, the Demonstration Gardens, and the Monet Garden, based on Claude Monet's garden at Giverney, France.
23-John Hancock Center
The John Hancock Center stands 1,125 ft high and is easy to recognize by its dark metallic looking exterior and cross-braced steel design which runs up the outside of the building. As well, two 345 ft high telecommunications aerials project up from the roof. Visitors can enjoy the views from the 94th floor observatory. The building, constructed in 1970, contains a variety of shops, offices and apartments.
Address: 875 North Michigan Avenue, Chicag
24-Lincoln Park

Lincoln Park is a 6 mile stretch of green space along the edge of Lake Michigan, and Chicago's biggest park. This popular park is home to the lovely Lincoln Park Conservatory and the Lincoln Park Zoo, one of the oldest zoos in the country. Also located here are the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, and the Chicago History Museum. For those who simply want to enjoy the outdoor space there are playing fields, bike trails, jogging paths, and beaches. Visitors can see a number of significant statues and pieces of public art within the park grounds including Augustus Saint Gaudens' Standing Statue of Lincoln (1887).
25-The Rookery Building

The Rookery Building was designed by architects Daniel Burnham and John Root in 1888, but the interior lobby and patio were remodelled by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1907. This 12 story building has a Roman Revival and Queen Anne style facade but it is the inside and courtyard that are the true gems. The Rookery, named for the large number of pigeons that frequented the building, is listed on the Register of National Historic Places.
Address: 209 South LaSalle Street, Chicago

Thursday 2 July 2015

Hawke's Bay Beach

Hawke's Bay Beach
Hawke's Bay Or Hawkesbay is a beach in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It is situated 20 km south west of Karachi. It is accessible through Mauripur Road (formerly Hawkes Bay Road) or the Mubarak Goth Road from Karachi. The beach is named after Bladen Wilmer Hawke, later 9th Baron Hawke of Towton, who had a beach house there in the 1930s. He used it for the weekends and other of his contemporaries joined him building houses.
It is a very famous tourist resort. It is a sandy beach with crystal blue water. Every day a large number of people from Karachi visit there and enjoy picnicking, swimming, fishing, and camel and horse riding. Huts are also available for rental there.
Hawksbay is one of the few beaches in the world where green sea turtles come to lay eggs. It hosts one of the rarest reptile species.
This is dynamic View of Sea shore And A Health friendly Atmosphere one should must visit at least a single time in one's life.






















Lahore Zoo

Lahore Zoo
Lahore Zoo  in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, established in 1872, one of the largest zoos in South Asia. It is currently managed by the Wildlife and Parks department of the Government of Pakistan. Today the zoo houses a collection of about 1380 animals of 136 species. Lahore Zoo was the host of the fifth annual conference of SAZARC in 2004. The stated mission of the zoo is: To carry out ex-situ conservation of species and to actively contribute to Pakistan’s International commitment in terms of the Convention on Biological Diversity in addition to provide excellent educational and recreational facilities. Lahore Zoo is thought to be the third or fourth oldest zoo in the world. Vienna Zoo of Austria, established in 1752 as a menagerie, was opened to public as a zoo in 1779. London Zoo of England, established in 1828, was opened to public in 1847. The Alipore Zoo of India, established some time in the early 19th century, was opened to public as a zoo in 1876.

History
Lahore Zoo had its beginnings in a small aviary donated by Lal Mahundra Ram in 1872 to the Lahore Municipal Corporation. Over time the animal collection increased and the zoo expanded. It later began to take interest in conservation, education and research in addition to providing recreational facilities to the public. By 2010, the zoo was home to about 1280 trees of 71 species and 1380 animals of 136 species including 996 birds of 82 species, 49 reptiles of 8 and 336 mammals of 45 species.
The zoo was managed by the Lahore Municipal Corporation from 1872 to 1923, when management was turned over to the Deputy Commissioner of Lahore. Management was transferred to the Livestock and Dairy Development department in 1962, and then to the Wildlife and Parks department in 1982. Between its founding in 1872 and its turnover to the Wildlife and Parks department in 1982 there was very little development at the zoo. Since 1982, it has upgraded its exhibits, layout, and landscaping, and has become a self-financing organization.
A master planning, improvement and development project of 18 months duration was approved in on July 25, 2005. It was carried out by 'Zoo Maintenance Committee' and sponsored by Planning and Development Department of Government of Punjab. The project cost around 202.830 million Pakistani rupees and aimed for the improvement and addition of facilities.

Areas and attractions (Animal exhibits)
Fancy Aviary is as old as the zoo itself as it started as an aviary in 1872. The section houses a number of bird species, most of which are parrots, fowls, doves and pigeons and birds of prey. Other species housed are European rabbits, Indian crested porcupines, spur-thighed tortoises, Indian wolves, a wild boar and a jungle cat.
Tiger House was constructed in 1872 for a few hundred rupees and renovated in 1987 at a cost of about 5.1 million rupees. It has seven rooms and two moats which currently house Bengal tigers and lions. A bear pit exhibits a pair and two cubs of Asian black bears. Other animals include a pair of leopards and a pair of cougars.

Elephant House was constructed in 1972 at a cost of about 500,000 rupees. It has three rooms and three moats. It houses three endangered species endemic to Africa: a pair of hippos (named 'Raja' and 'Rani'), two white rhinoceros and a female African bush elephant (named 'Suzi'). Suzi was brought to the zoo in 1972 on its 100th anniversary.

Giraffe House is home to a variable number of plains zebras and dromedary camels, a pair of giraffes (named 'Twinkle' and 'Sunny'), two Bactrian camels and a llama. It also exhibits three species of flightless birds or ratites: emu, ostrich and southern cassowary.
Deer House contains more mammals than any other house in the zoo, including axis deer (chital), blue bull (nilgai), fallow deer, Indian gazelle (chinkara), red deer, sika deer, the near-threatened species of blackbuck and mouflon as well as threatened species of hog deer, sambar and urial. It also houses red-necked wallabies.
Monkey House gained popularity when a pair of chimpanzees were introduced in 1994 and gave birth to triplets. As of June 2010, only three chimpanzees remain. Other animals in the section include black-footed gray langurs, olive baboons, capuchin monkeys, rhesus monkeys and vervet monkeys.
Crocodile Ponds are one of the more popular exhibits of the zoo. One pond houses two female gharials (locally called 'gavial'). Another large pond houses a variety of aquatic birds including great white pelicans, greater flamingos, mute swans and black swans. Another area is home to a European otter.
 Snake House is the serpentarium of the Lahore Zoo. It was closed in June 2007 when about 20 snakes died because of suffocation. After being renovated, it was reopened on April 30, 2010. The exhibit houses species including Indian cobras, Indian phythons, Indian sand boas and Russell's vipers.

Kund Malir

Kund Malir
Kund Malir is a desert beach in Balochistan, Pakistan near Hingol, about 145 km from Zero-Point on Makran Coastal Highway. The drive between Kund Malir and Ormara is considered to be scenic. The area is part of Hingol National Park which is the largest in Pakistan. Travelling time from Karachi is around 3 hours and there are no food and fuel facilities available on the way.

Sandpit Beach Karachi

Sandpit Beach Karachi
Quite beside hawksbay, it is a good location for turtle observing and a good view. A totally immaculate and positively admirable area, if you visit it at evening there are turtles there everywhere. If you are very careful, you might even get a enjoying ride on one of them.
Sandpit Beach Karachi





Sandpit Beach Karachi

Faisal Mosque (Shah Faisal Masjid)

Faisal Mosque  (Shah Faisal Masjid)
Faisal Mosque is located in Pakistan
Coordinates                                    : 33.729944°N 73.038436°ECoordinates: 33.729944°N 73.038436°E
Location                                         : Islamabad, Pakistan
Established                                     : 1987
Architectural information
Architect                                        : Vedat Dalokay
Style                                              : Contemporary Islamic
Capacity                                        : 74,000 within the main areas, approx. 200,000 in adjoining grounds
Covered area                                 : 5,000 m2 (54,000 sq ft)
Minaret(s)                                      : 04
Minaret height                                : 90 m (300 ft)
Construction cost                           : 120 million USD
The Faisal Mosque  is the largest mosque in Pakistan, located in the national capital city of Islamabad. Completed in 1986, it was designed by Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay, shaped like a desert Bedouin's tent, is an iconic symbol of Islamabad throughout the world.
It is situated at the north end of Faisal Avenue, putting it at the northernmost end of the city and at the foot of Margalla Hills, the westernmost foothills of the Himalayas. It is located on an elevated area of land against a picturesque backdrop of the Margalla Hills. This enviable location represents the mosque's great importance and allows it to be seen from miles around day and night.
The Faisal Mosque was conceived as the National Mosque of Pakistan and named after the late King Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia, who supported and financed the project.
The largest mosque in Pakistan, the Faisal Mosque was the largest mosque in the world from 1986 until 1993, when it was overtaken in size by the newly completed Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. Subsequent expansions of the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of Mecca and the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina, Saudi Arabia, during the 1990s relegated Faisal Mosque to fourth place in terms of size.
History
The impetus for the mosque began in 1966 when King Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz supported the initiative of the Pakistani Government to build a national mosque in Islamabad during an official visit to Pakistan.
In 1969, an international competition was held in which architects from 17 countries submitted 43 proposals. The winning design was that of Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay.Construction of the mosque began in 1976 by National Construction of Pakistan, led by Azim Khan and was funded by the government of Saudi Arabia, at a cost of over 130 million Saudi riyals (approximately 120 million USD today). King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz was instrumental in the funding, and both the mosque and the road leading to it were named after him after his assassination in 1975. The mosque was completed in 1986, and used to house the International Islamic University. Many conservative Muslims criticised the design at first for its unconventional design and lack of a traditional dome structure, but most criticism ended when the completed mosque's scale, form, and setting against the Margalla Hills became evident.
Design
The Faisal Mosque is the work of Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay, who won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for the project. The mosque's architecture is modern and unique, lacking both the traditional domes and arches of most other mosques around the world.
Shah Faisal Masjid, also known as Faisal Mosque, located in the start of Margala hill sector E-7 Islamabad Pakistan
The mosque's unusual design is a departure from the long history of South Asian Islamic architecture, fusing contemporary lines with the more traditional look of an Arab Bedouin's tent, with its large triangular prayer hall and four minarets. However, unlike traditional masjid design, it lacks a dome. The minarets borrow their design from Turkish tradition and are thin and pencil like.
The shape of the Faisal Mosque is an eight-sided concrete shell inspired by a desert Beduoin's tent and the cubic Kaaba in Mecca, flanked by four unusual minarets inspired by Turkish architecture. The architect later explained his thinking to design school students:
“ I tried to capture the spirit, proportion and geometry of Kaaba in a purely abstract manner. Imagine the apex of each of the four minaret as a scaled explosion of four highest corners of Kaaba – thus an unseen Kaaba form is bounded by the minarets at the four corners in a proportion of height to base.
Now, if you join the apex of each minaret to the base of the minaret diagonally opposite to it correspondingly, a four-sided pyramid shall be bound by these lines at the base side within that invisible cube. That lower level pyramid is treated as a solid body while four minarets with their apex complete the imaginary cube of Kaaba.
Entrance is from the east, where the prayer hall is fronted by a courtyard with porticoes. The International Islamic University was housed under the main courtyard, but recently relocated to a new campus. The mosque still houses a library, lecture hall, museum and cafe. The interior of the main tent-shaped hall is covered in white marble and decorated with mosaics and calligraphy by the famous Pakistani artist Sadequain, and a spectacular Turkish-style chandelier. The mosaic pattern adorns the west wall, and has the kalimah written in early Kufic script, repeated in mirror image pattern. Nekka Phullai is the adjacent hill to the mosque in Margalla Hills.
Capacity
The Faisal Mosque has covered area of 5,000 m2 (54,000 sq ft). It can accommodate 10,000 worshipers in its main prayer hall, 24,000 in its porticoes, 40,000 in its courtyard, and another 200,000 in its adjoining grounds. Although its covered main prayer hall is smaller than that of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca (the world's third largest mosque), Faisal Mosque has the third largest capacity of accommodating worshipers in its adjoining grounds after the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of Mecca, the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina[citation needed]. Each of the Mosque's four minarets are 80 m (260 ft) high (the tallest minarets in South Asia) and measure 10 x 10 m in circumference.