Uncovering the echo of history: 9 charming cities steeped in Islamic heritage

Past Islamic cities do not only inhabit ancient times. It pulsates with the present. Here are 9 cities from around the world, giving you a glimpse of past glories and the tranquility of the present.

Entering these cities is embarking on a captivating journey through time. Watch the intertwined art of Arabic calligraphy that whispered prayers centuries ago, marvel at architectural innovations that defied gravity, and immerse yourself in the vibrant fabric of languages and customs that continue to flourish.

Furthermore, explore interactive exhibits that bridge the gap between historical artifacts and modern life, and participated in workshops organized by renowned scholars and artists, promoting intergenerational dialogue and understanding. Discover bustling places where ancient craftsmen showcase their skills and create contemporary masterpieces that reflect timeless techniques.

It is a living story of the past. From ancient treasures to contemporary and vibrant forms of expression of faith.

1.Bukhara

In the heart of Central Asia, where the sun dyes the desert with a warm yellowish color, lies Bukhara. Caravans loaded with silk and spices gave birth to the labyrinthine heart of Bukhara. Sunny alleys bathe in the aroma of freshly baked flatbread, and their warmth mingles with dreams of exotic lands.

Located on the Silk Road, the city has long served as a center of commerce, scholarship, culture, and religion. Bukhara was the capital of the Samanid Empire, the Khanate of Bukhara and the Emirate of Bukhara.

Bukhara is one of the best and well-preserved Islamic cities in Central Asia between the tenth and seventeenth centuries, with an urban fabric that remained largely intact, mainly due to the abandonment of the city after Soviet control.

Bukhara not only looks like a destination, but a gateway to another era. Here, history is not a museum exhibition, it is alive in every complex mosaic, every dilapidated corridor, whispering tales of conquering invaders and mysterious Sufi poets.

2.Gyrocaster

The gyrocaster rises from the bottom of the valley, like a united crown above rocky hills. Its fortress-like shades are a testament to a city steeped in defiance and beauty. Cobbled streets sway through Ottoman houses decorated with delicate stonework and stand side by side with Byzantine churches whispering forgotten prayers.

Blended with the aroma of grilled peppers and Turkish coffee, let's head to this southern Albanian city.

The Gyrocaster grew rapidly in Ottoman times and was a major area of Ottoman urbanization in the Balkans. From the sixteenth century until the early nineteenth century, the Jerokaster went from a predominantly Christian city to a Muslim-majority city.

It is home to Albanian and Greek polyphonic singing, as well as the five-year National Folklore Festival. Launched in 1968, the festival takes place at Gjirocaster Castle.

The Jerocaster features an old Ottoman market originally built in the XVII century. There are more than 500 houses preserved as "cultural monuments" in Gjirocaster today. The Jerocaster Mosque, built in 1757, dominates the market.

3.Kashgar

Kashgar, a burning oasis with pomegranate colors and cymbal sounds. Under the gaze of the snow-capped Kunlun peaks, the westernmost city of China sits near the country's borders with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

For more than 2,000 years, Kashgar has been a strategically important oasis on the Silk Road between China, the Middle East and Europe. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

At the meeting point of highly diverse cultures and empires, Kashgar was ruled by the Chinese, Turkish, Mongol, and Tibetan empires. The city was also the site of a number of battles between different groups of people in that steppe.

Kashgar's famous Uyghur cuisine features ingredients such as roast lamb and beef, as well as kebab and rice dishes. Traditionally, specific dishes such as pilaf are eaten by hands instead of utensils such as spoons, forks or chopsticks.

4.Samarkand

Samarkand, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Centre for Islamic Architecture and Heritage in Central Asia, is the birthplace of the Timurid Renaissance. In the fourteenth century, Timur made it the capital of his empire and the site of his mausoleum.

Timur has a reputation as a patron of the arts, and Samarkand has grown into a centre for the Trans-Mesopotamia region. Timur's commitment to the arts is very evident, in contrast to the cruelty he showed to his enemies, he showed compassion towards those with special artistic abilities.

Artists, craftsmen, and architects were saved from murder so they could improve and beautify the capital of Timor.

Ibn Battuta, who visited it in 1333, described Samarkand as "one of the greatest, most prestigious and most beautiful cities.

5.Timbuktu

Timbuktu, a city long associated with mystery and adventure, lies twenty kilometers (12 miles) north of the Niger River in Mali.

In its golden age, many Muslim scholars of the city, as well as its extensive trade network, supported the trade of important books, along with the Sancor school, an Islamic university. This made Timbuktu a scientific center in Ifriqiya.

Timbuktu's libraries were full of manuscripts on a variety of subjects, including religion, law, mathematics, and astronomy. The city was also home to a thriving art community, and its artisans produced beautiful works of art, including textiles, jewellery and pottery.

This distant world, fueled by tales of strange treasures, has sparked speculation in Europe, where the city's reputation has gone from being extremely rich to being mysterious.

Today, Timbuktu is a popular tourist destination, and the city's three great mosques, Dingariber, Sankor and Sidi Yahia, still stand, a testament to Timbuktu's rich history.

6.Alexandria

Alexandria, the pearl of the Nile, is forever young, breathing its own rhythm, the melody of sun-bleached facades, crowded squares, and the lingering smell of forgotten empires.

Alexandria is the second largest city in Egypt and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Originally founded in the vicinity of an Egyptian settlement, Alexandria grew rapidly, becoming a major center of Hellenic civilization and replacing Memphis as the capital of Egypt during the reign of the Ptolemaic pharaohs who succeeded Alexander.

It retained this status for nearly a thousand years, during the period of Eastern Roman and Roman rule until the Muslim conquest of Egypt in 641 CE, when a new capital was established.

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina was inaugurated in 2002 in memory of the ancient Bibliotheca Alexandrina, once one of the largest libraries in the world, which was lost in ancient times. The library has a shelving area that can accommodate eight million books, and the main reading room covers an area of 20,000 square meters. The complex also includes specialized libraries for maps, multimedia, the blind, visually impaired, youth and children.

7.Malacca

The historic state of Malacca is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, facing the Strait of Malacca. Malacca, once the capital of the peninsula-based Islamic Sultanate of Malay, founded in the early fifteenth century, embodies the daily cosmopolitanism of Southeast Asia.

The city of Malacca is located 148 kilometers southeast of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur and 247 kilometers from Singapore.

Melaka is famous for its unique history and is one of the main tourist destinations in Malaysia. Thanks to the country's very strategic location for international trade routes, Malacca was once a well-known international trade center in the east. Many merchants settled in Malacca, especially merchants from Arabia, China and India, and traded in the port of Malacca. It was from there that many descendants and tribes were born that are present in Malacca to this day.

There has long been a great diversity of ethnicities and nationalities in the Malacca community, reflecting its history. Malaysians, Chinese, Indians and other ethnicities such as the Papa Nionia, Krisang, Chitty and Eurasians are important ethnic groups living in Malacca to this day.

8.Fez

After the destruction of Aleppo, Fez is perhaps the only Islamic city that not only retains its original character and cultural characteristics, but still functions as a living, thriving and viable city.

Surrounded by hills, the old medina is centered around the Fez River that flows from west to east. Fez was nicknamed "Athens of Africa." Fez is also the spiritual and cultural capital of Morocco.

The city of Fez was founded during the reign of the Idrisids in 789 AD, and most of its inhabitants are Arab immigrants from Ifriqiya (Tunisia) and Andalusia (Spanish/Portugal) who moved to it in the early ninth century, giving the emerging city its Arab character. Under Almoravids, the city gained a reputation for religious science and commercial activity.

Fez reached its peak in the Marinid period (between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries), and regained its status as a political capital. Many new schools and mosques were built, many of which still exist today, while others were restored.

In 1276, the Marinid Sultan Abu Yusuf Yacoub established the royal administrative region of New Fez, where the royal palace (Dar al-Makhzen) is still located today, with extensive gardens later added.

Fez has become an increasingly popular tourist destination, and many non-Moroccans are now restoring the traditional houses of Riad and Dur as secondary houses in the old city. In 1981, the United Nations designated the Old City of Fez as a World Heritage Site, describing it as "one of the most extensive and best-preserved historic cities in the Arab-Islamic world." It was the first website in Morocco to receive this classification.

9.Kyrenia

Known as the "jewel of Cyprus" and home to a picturesque port and castle, Kyrenia is full of hotels, leisure facilities, vibrant nightlife and shopping areas.

Kyrenia and its surroundings have traditionally been a magnet for beach holidays as a pristine land. Its mild climate, rich history and nature are seen as attraction. A large sector of ecotourism has been developed in recent times, with tourists visiting it for bird watching, cycling, walking and watching flowers in the wild. The well-preserved Karpas Peninsula hosts the tourist area of Bafra as a hub for beachgoers, where luxury and large hotels have been constructed, as well as many regular facilities and festivals that highlight its rural qualities and highlight local traditions.

The castle of "Qantara" with Byzantine and Frankish architectural elements, which served as a watchtower for pirate raids when it was established, attracts visitors, in addition to a marina built to host international yachts and boats, along with large facilities.