Humility is equivalent to submission to Allah. We should abandon all selfishness and pride in our human power, and stand humbled, meek, and submissive as servants of Allah above all else.
Among the Jahliyya Arabs (before Islam), this was unheard of. They followed the rules of no one except themselves, and preserved their personal honor above all else. They would humble themselves to no one, neither a man nor a God. They were proud of their absolute independence, their human power; they had limitless self-confidence and refused to bow down to any authority. A man was lord of himself. Indeed, these qualities are what made someone a "real man." Humility and submissiveness were considered weak - not a quality of a noble man. The Jahliyya Arabs had a fierce, passionate nature and would scorn anything which might make them humbled or humiliated in any way, or feel like their personal dignity and status were being degraded.

Islam came and demanded of them, before anything else, to submit themselves wholly to the one and only Creator, and abandon all pride, arrogance, and feelings of self-sufficiency. Many among the pagan Arabs felt that this was an outrageous demand - to stand as equals with each other, in submission to Allah alone. For many, these feelings did not pass - indeed we still see them today in much of the world's people, and unfortunately, sometimes in ourselves. Human presumptuousness, insolence, arrogance, elevated self-worth, are around us everywhere. We have to fight it in our own hearts.

More about this subject: http://islam.about.com/od/prayer/a/humility.htm

And my favorite subject: Prayer Rugs

http://islam.about.com/od/prayer/f/prayer_rugs.htm

I just came back from Istanbul,Kurt. I repeat: When did this exhibition START. Already in May or in June?????

Too bad if I missed that, Kurt, did this exhibition start now or before June?

What were the major differences between Mosques and Churches? What can make a mosque more beautiful than a church and vice versa?

Always wanted to go there, maybe in my next life:

http://www.etereaestudios.com/movies/isfahan_movies/isfahan_mov_youtube.htm

last year's article, Turkish Daily News:

Roma neighborhood of Sulukule awaits demolition

For many Turks, a film made more than three decades ago is an icon of local Roma culture. In the movie, Arkadaş (Friend) made in 1974, two friends meet after many years and head to a familiar entertainment place: one of the Roma houses of “Sulukule” where the scene quickly turns to traditional music, swirling dance and laughter.

But if the film still captures the image of Istanbul's Sulukule in the popular imagination, there is little laughter in the district today. For soon, this millennium-old center of Roma culture will meet the wrecking ball.

“It's a done deal,” said Şadi Çatı, who continues to live in Sulukule after more than a decade after the neighborhood's decline started. “Some may not like the way we live, but these are our houses.”

Not only for Turks, but for tourists too, Sulukule was an attraction that ranked in popularity with Sultanahmet's Blue Mosque and Aya Sophia.

But in 1992, the Istanbul Municipality shut down the houses, which at nights had been turning into lively bistros. The decision pushed the area into an economic decline. Today the residents of the area say that they are struggling to find a way to survive.

But even intervention by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO), which listed the city walls that surround the neighborhood as a site of international heritage did not stop the process.

The area was first populated by the Roma during the Byzantine times and became the first sedentary settlement of the Roma anywhere in the world in the 15th century under Mehmet the Conqueror, the sultan who captured Constantinople from Byzatine rule in 1453.

Neither did the weight of such history, a similar declaration by Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, stop the process. The ministry formally decreed that Sulukule should be protected.



Problems: not only one

The neighborhood and its culture that survived through the Byzantine and Ottoman empires are not nearing extinction in the face of modern urban transformation.

The Greater Istanbul Municipality has lined up the area for demolition as part of a broad urban transformation effort along the shores of the Golden Horn waterway that intersects the European half of Istanbul.

“We accept that our buildings are very old and not the best places to live,” said Çati. “Some might not approve of them, but they are not wrecks. These are our homes. Officials have not involved us in the process. That is not fair. We have lived here for centuries. We do not want apartments.”

Once full of laughter and sounds of music, the narrow streets today are silent with fear and grief. Colorful two-three story buildings are now waiting for bulldozers to come. Even children are aware of the tension in the air and play in silence.

In today's Sulukule there are 503 house owners, 371 tenants and more than a hundred unregistered residencies. When the bulldozers have demolished the area 3,500 people will have to find somewhere else to live.

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in cooperation with Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKI) and Fatih Municipality pushed the button for the urban transformation project.

The project, which could bring the bulldozers to Sulukule soon, envisions restoring many neighborhoods of Istanbul that were constructed devoid of plans, security conditions, green fields, and social and sanity facilities.

Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş explained that the restructuring of Istanbul brings in many potential problems such as earthquake risks and security. People, who live in that kind of structured areas, are not happy, he said in the ceremony celebrating the launch of the urban transformation project in the neighborhood. The municipality started the urban transformation projects in order to solve the problems, Topbaş argued.

But the Sulukule part of the project has been a subject of disagreements between the project leaders and local non-governmental organizations who have sought to defend the rights of Sulukule's Roma.

Instead of destroying the neighborhood, the Faith Municipality claims that the project will protect and honor two thousand years of history reflected in the city walls and nearby grand buildings. The residents, they say, will receive compensation that will allow them to move to modern and safe apartments. The project is an opportunity for them, officials say.

“Under the project the unhealthy residence areas will be transformed as healthy places,” said Topbaş.

http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/blog/blog.aspx?id=955

what an eye opener, Alameda, thank you so very much for giving us an insight!
http://www.lycianturkey.com/lycia-american-constitution.htm

even more food for thought!!!
Lycian Tombs
All pre-Greek people of Anatolia built beautiful monumental tombs associated with some form of ancestor worship. The Lycians developed this form of art to perfection, no doubt facilitated by the soft limestone of the region. The quality of stonemasonry of the Lycian people is noteworthy and is especially significant in the construction of tombs. Today the entire landscape of Lycia is still dotted with their fascinating funerary monuments. The most recent count has revealed one thousand and eighty-five examples still intact, rock-cut tombs being the most common form. Lycia is famous for the sheer number of tombs and their quality.

One thing that sets Lycian tombs apart from Hellenistic tradition is that whereas in Hellenistic culture the dead were placed outside of liveable areas (often flanking main roads into the cities), Lycian tombs are often integrated right into cities, displaying Lycia's ties with eastern traditions. This is very noticeable, for instance, at Patara, where monumental tombs are proudly placed right alongside the harbor. A monumental temple-tomb is even located beside the huge imperial granary and the main trade center. The Lycians, in effect, were always living with their departed ones.

The Lycians seem to have held a belief that the souls of their dead would be transported from the tombs to the afterworld by a sort of winged siren-like creature, and so often placed their tombs along the coast or at the top of cliffs when they were not integrated into the liveable areas of the cities.

The originality of Lycian art is special among that of ancient Anatolia, expressed especially in its funeral architecture, reliefs and sculpture. Though is was impacted by a variety of foreign influences, it retained a typically Lycian character. Bas reliefs and engraved drawing have been found on 36 Lycian rock tombs; mythological scenes, funerary feasts, battles and animal and figural motifs are some of the themes of the reliefs which are found on tombs dated to the first quarter of the 4th century BC. They have Greek and Persian elements as well as those of Lycian styles (Lycia had contact with the Greek world and was under Persain control for many years during the BC centuries). This is usually expressed (and is especially seen in the dynastic tombs of Xanthos) as a mixture of Persian iconography and Greek style overlaying the Lycian architectural core. For example, scenes depicting funerary feasts, banquet scenes, the inclusion of an audience and hunt and battle scenes are a direct Persian influence and were widespread in the funerary art of Achaemenid Anatolia. (The Harpy Tomb and Nereid Monument of Xanthos are two such examples) Persian influence can also be seen in the smallest details, such as the manner in which a horse is conducted. The clothing and headgear of warriors is often another Persian influence. Greek influence is apparent in mythological scenes and style. Lions, a favorite Lycian royal symbol, are often seen in their funerary art, especially at Cibyra, which had a "resting lion" motif as its symbol.

Round shaped altars decorated with inscriptions or ornamentation were sometimes placed near tombs, such as a necropolis at Patara, and these were used to make sacrificial offerings for the dead. Buried offerings for the dead were varied. Tombs have been found with tear collection bottles, terra-cotta statuettes and people were buried with their jewellery. Coins were placed in the mouths of the dead for payment to Charon. It is sometimes possible to determine the social standing of the person within a tomb, a writer might be buried with a plume and inkbottle. Unfortunately, most tombs have been looted by robbers. This must have been a problem even in the ancient times, since so many tomb insriptions are curses against desecrators (see below 'care of the tombs').

http://www.lycianturkey.com/lycian_tombs.htm

Lycian Tombs

http://www.livius.org/a/turkey/xanthus/xanthus_lycian_tomb2.JPG



http://www.livius.org/a/turkey/xanthus/xanthus.html

http://www.livius.org/a/turkey/myra/myra01.html

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.livius.org/a/turkey/halicarnassus/mausoleum_amazon_frieze1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.livius.org/a/turkey/halicarnassus/halicarnassus2.html&h=467&w=600&sz=60&hl=en&start=12&um=1&tbnid=MLYpgm9IesANvM:&tbnh=105&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtimotheus%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

German Toymaker Launches Barack Obama Doll
By David Gordon Smith

A German toymaker has paid the ultimate tribute to presidential hopeful Barack Obama by immortalizing him in the form of a collector's doll. But the maker of the mini-Obama admits that it was tricky to get the skin tone correct.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,558768,00.html

was first a star, second a filmmaker. Before the sudden appearance and disappearance of UMUT, Güney was already well known as a writer and political activist. But his most celebrated cultural role was that of "The Ugly King" (Cirkin Kiral) of the Turkish screen. In contrast to handsome matinee idols, Güney displayed a rough persona, something similar to Belmondo, John Garfield and the early Brando. Today he remains probably the most popular star of Turkish cinema, and in addition, has gained the aura of a political martyr. From prison, Güney coordinates the production activities of his followers in the Revolutionary Cinema movement, publishes political texts and screenplays. In short, he has achieved an almost mythical status in both the cinema and popular culture of Turkey.

http://www.bostonturkishfilmfestival.org/2005Festival/umut_info.htm

His film "Umut" looks heart wrenching:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hBBUAUAWoQ

NO CLUE