Landmarks - St John's Malta

ST JOHN’S MALTA THE CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND OF MALTA IS KNOWN TO MOST EUROPEANS AS A SUNNY HOLIDAY DESTINATION BUT LIKE MANY OF ITS NEIGHBOURS THE MALTESE ARCHIPELAGO IS HOME TO AN ANCIENT TREASURE HOUSE. ITS FAMOUS 40 KILOMETRE LONG GRAND HARBOUR AND STRATEGIC LOCATION JUST SOUTH OF SICILY MADE IT A CROSSROAD FROM EASTERN TO WESTERN EUROPE AND FROM AFRICA TO THE EUROPEAN MAINLAND.MALAYSIAN DOMES WHAT DO A RACING YACHT AND A MOSQUE DOME HAVE IN COMMON? IN MALAYSIA, THEY ARE MADE OF THE SAME MATERIAL - FIBRE GLASS AND OTHER COMPOSITE MATERIALS. MOSQUE DOMES AND MINARETS ARE PROMINENT FEATURES IN MALAYSIAN CITIES, REFLECTING THE MUSLIM MAJORITY IN THE SOUTH EAST ASIAN NATION. THE ONION-SHAPED DOMES WHICH GRACE THE SKYLINE OF CITIES IN MALAYSIA USED TO BE MADE OF CONCRETE, BRICKS AND SOMETIMES EVEN COPPER AND STEEL. INDIAN FESTIVAL - MAKAR SANKRANTI FESTIVAL EACH JANUARY THOUSANDS OF PILGRIMS, WORSHIPPERS AND TOURISTS MAKE THE PILGRIMAGE TO THE 5,000 YEAR-OLD SACRED INDIAN CITY OF VARANASI TO TAKE PART IN THE HINDU HARVEST FESTIVAL OF MAKAR SANKRANTI. VARANASI IS THE SITE OF POSSIBLY THE MOST SPECTACULAR FESTIVITIES ON A DAY THAT IS CELEBRATED NATION WIDE AND, IN THE FINE TRADITION OF INDIA, IN UNIQUE FASHION BY EACH OF THE PARTICIPATING REGIONS. LOVE HOTELS THE NEED FOR PRIVACY IN JAPAN MUST BE GREAT AS IT’S ONE OF THE BIGGEST AND FASTEST GROWING HOTEL SECTORS IN THE WORLD. MOST MAJOR INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC FIRMS ARE STEERING WELL CLEAR BECAUSE OF FEARS OF ITS LINKS WITH THE UNDERWORLD BUT SCOTT DELANY’S COMPANY SEES IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY. WIMBLEDON MENTION THE NAME WIMBLEDON ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND YOU WILL USUALLY GET THE SAME RESPONSE - INSTANT RECOGNITION THAT IT IS THE HOME OF TENNIS AND PERHAPS THE HEART OF ENGLAND. ALTHOUGH IT MOVED TO ITS PRESENT HOME IN CHURCH ST, WIMBLEDON IN 1922 THE ALL ENGLAND LAWN TENNIS AND CROQUET CLUB HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIPS SINCE 1877.