1.
Observatory
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An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed, historically, observatories were as simple as containing an astronomical sextant or Stonehenge. Astronomical observatories are mainly divided into four categories, space based, airborne, ground based, ground-based observatories, located on the surface of Earth, are used to make observations in the radio and visible light portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Most optical telescopes are housed within a dome or similar structure, Telescope domes have a slit or other opening in the roof that can be opened during observing, and closed when the telescope is not in use. In most cases, the upper portion of the telescope dome can be rotated to allow the instrument to observe different sections of the night sky. Radio telescopes usually do not have domes, for optical telescopes, most ground-based observatories are located far from major centers of population, to avoid the effects of light pollution. The ideal locations for modern observatories are sites that have dark skies, a percentage of clear nights per year, dry air. At high elevations, the Earths atmosphere is thinner, thereby minimizing the effects of atmospheric turbulence, sites that meet the above criteria for modern observatories include the southwestern United States, Hawaii, Canary Islands, the Andes, and high mountains in Mexico such as Sierra Negra. Major optical observatories include Mauna Kea Observatory and Kitt Peak National Observatory in the USA, Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in Spain, and Paranal Observatory in Chile. Specific research study performed in 2009 shows that the best possible location for ground-based observatory on Earth is Ridge A — a place in the part of Eastern Antarctica. This location provides the least atmospheric disturbances and best visibility, beginning in 1930s, radio telescopes have been built for use in the field of radio astronomy to observe the Universe in the radio portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Since the mid-20th century, a number of observatories have been constructed at very high altitudes, above 4. The largest and most notable of these is the Mauna Kea Observatory, the Chacaltaya Astrophysical Observatory in Bolivia, at 5,230 m, was the worlds highest permanent astronomical observatory from the time of its construction during the 1940s until 2009. It has now surpassed by the new University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory. As a result, the resolution of space telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope is often much smaller than a ground-based telescope with a similar aperture. However, all these advantages do come with a price, Space telescopes are much more expensive to build than ground-based telescopes. Due to their location, space telescopes are also difficult to maintain. The Hubble Space Telescope was serviced by the Space Shuttle while many other space telescopes cannot be serviced at all, Airborne observatories have the advantage of height over ground installations, putting them above most of the Earths atmosphere
2.
BASE jumping
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BASE jumping, also sometimes written as B. A. S. E. Jumping, is parachuting or wingsuit flying from a structure or cliff. BASE is an acronym that stands for four categories of fixed objects from one can jump, building, antenna, span. Due to the altitudes of the jumps, BASE jumping is significantly more dangerous than skydiving from a plane. BASE jumping is currently regarded by many as an extreme sport or stunt. In some jurisdictions or locations, BASE jumping is prohibited or illegal, in places, however, it is permitted, like Perrine Bridge, in Twin Falls, Idaho. BASE jumping became known to the public by depictions of BASE jumping in a number of action movies and was featured in the 2014 documentary Sunshine Superman. The acronym B. A. S. E. was coined by filmmaker Carl Boenish, his wife Jean Boenish, Phil Smith, and Phil Mayfield. Carl Boenish was the catalyst behind modern BASE jumping, and in 1978, he filmed the first BASE jumps to be made using ram-air parachutes and the freefall tracking technique. While BASE jumps had been prior to that time, the El Capitan activity was the effective birth of what is now called BASE jumping. BASE numbers are awarded to those who have made at least one jump from each of the four categories, Jean and Carl Boenish qualified for BASE numbers 3 and 4 soon after. A separate award was enacted for Night BASE jumping when Mayfield completed each category at night, becoming Night BASE #1. However, these and other incidents were one-time experiments, not the systematic pursuit of a new form of parachuting. After 1978, the jumps from El Capitan were repeated, not as a publicity exercise or as a movie stunt. It was this that popularized BASE jumping more widely among parachutists, Carl Boenish continued to publish films and informational magazines on BASE jumping until his death in 1984 after a BASE-jump off of the Troll Wall. By this time, the concept had spread among skydivers worldwide, during the early eighties, nearly all BASE jumps were made using standard skydiving equipment, including two parachutes, and deployment components. Later on, specialized equipment and techniques were developed specifically for the needs of BASE jumping. Upon completing a jump from all of the four object categories, the 1000th application for a BASE number was filed in March 2005 and BASE #1000 was awarded to Matt Harley Moilanen of Grand Rapids, Michigan
3.
Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur, officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, or more commonly called KL is the national capital of Malaysia as well as its largest city. Being rated as an Alpha world city, Kuala Lumpur is the global city in Malaysia which covers an area of 243 km2 and has an estimated population of 1.73 million as of 2016. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an agglomeration of 7.25 million people as of 2017. It is among the fastest growing regions in South-East Asia, in terms of population. Kuala Lumpur is the seat of the Parliament of Malaysia, the city was once home to the executive and judicial branches of the federal government, but they were moved to Putrajaya in early 1999. Some sections of the judiciary still remain in the city of Kuala Lumpur. The official residence of the Malaysian King, the Istana Negara, is situated in Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur is the cultural, financial and economic centre of Malaysia due to its position as the capital as well as being a key city. Kuala Lumpur is one of three Federal Territories of Malaysia, enclaved within the state of Selangor, on the central west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Since the 1990s, the city has played host to international sporting, political and cultural events including the 1998 Commonwealth Games. Kuala Lumpur has undergone rapid development in recent decades and it is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas Twin Towers, which have become an iconic symbol of Malaysias futuristic development. Kuala Lumpur means muddy confluence, kuala is the point where two rivers join together or an estuary, and lumpur means mud. One suggestion is that it was named after Sungai Lumpur, it was recorded in 1824 that Sungei Lumpoor was the most important tin-producing settlement up the Klang River. It has also proposed that Kuala Lumpur was originally named Pengkalan Lumpur in the same way that Klang was once called Pengkalan Batu. Another suggestion is that it was initially a Cantonese word lam-pa meaning flooded jungle or decayed jungle, there is however no firm contemporary evidence for these suggestions other than anecdotes. It is also possible that the name is a form of an earlier. It is unknown who founded or named the settlement called Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur was originally a small hamlet of just a few houses and shops at the confluence of Sungai Gombak and Sungai Klang before it grew into a town. The miners landed at Kuala Lumpur and continued their journey on foot to Ampang where the first mine was opened
4.
Geographic coordinate system
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A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
5.
Malay language
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Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It has a status in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia. As the Bahasa Kebangsaan or Bahasa Nasional of several states, Standard Malay has various official names, in Singapore and Brunei it is called Bahasa Melayu, in Malaysia, Bahasa Malaysia, and in Indonesia, Bahasa Indonesia and is designated the Bahasa Persatuan/Pemersatu. However, in areas of central to southern Sumatra where the language is indigenous, Indonesians refer to it as Bahasa Melayu and consider it one of their regional languages. There are also several Malay trade and creole languages which are based on a lingua franca derived from Classical Malay, as well as Macassar Malay, Malay historical linguists agree on the likelihood of the Malay homeland being in western Borneo stretching to the Bruneian coast. A form known as Proto-Malay language was spoken in Borneo at least by 1000 BCE and was, it has been argued, the ancestral language of all subsequent Malayan languages. The history of the Malay language can be divided into five periods, Old Malay, the Transitional Period, the Malacca Period, Late Modern Malay and it is not clear that Old Malay was actually the ancestor of Classical Malay, but this is thought to be quite possible. Old Malay was influenced by Sanskrit literary language of Classical India, Sanskrit loanwords can be found in Old Malay vocabulary. Batenburg on November 29,1920 at Kedukan Bukit, South Sumatra, on the banks of the Tatang and it is a small stone of 45 by 80 centimetres. The earliest surviving manuscript in Malay is the Tanjong Tanah Law in post-Pallava letters and this 14th-century pre-Islamic legal text produced in the Adityawarman era of Dharmasraya, a Hindu-Buddhist kingdom that arose after the end of Srivijayan rule in Sumatra. The laws were for the Minangkabau people, who still live in the highlands of Sumatra. The Malay language came into use as the lingua franca of the Malacca Sultanate. During this period, the Malay language developed rapidly under the influence of Islamic literature, the development changed the nature of the language with massive infusion of Arabic, Malayalam and Sanskrit vocabularies, called Classical Malay. Under the Sultanate of Malacca the language evolved into a form recognisable to speakers of modern Malay, however, there is no connection between Malaccan Malay as used on Riau and the Riau vernacular. One of the oldest surviving letters written in Malay is a letter from Sultan Abu Hayat of Ternate, Maluku Islands in present-day Indonesia, the letter is addressed to the king of Portugal, following contact with Portuguese explorer Francisco Serrão. The letters show sign of non-native usage, the Ternateans used the unrelated Ternate language, Malay was used solely as a lingua franca for inter-ethnic communications. Malay is a member of the Austronesian family of languages, which includes languages from Southeast Asia, malagasy, a geographic outlier spoken in Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, is also a member of this language family. Although each language of the family is mutually unintelligible, their similarities are rather striking, many roots have come virtually unchanged from their common ancestor, Proto-Austronesian language
6.
Chinese language
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Chinese is a group of related, but in many cases mutually unintelligible, language varieties, forming a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. Chinese is spoken by the Han majority and many ethnic groups in China. Nearly 1.2 billion people speak some form of Chinese as their first language, the varieties of Chinese are usually described by native speakers as dialects of a single Chinese language, but linguists note that they are as diverse as a language family. The internal diversity of Chinese has been likened to that of the Romance languages, There are between 7 and 13 main regional groups of Chinese, of which the most spoken by far is Mandarin, followed by Wu, Min, and Yue. Most of these groups are mutually unintelligible, although some, like Xiang and certain Southwest Mandarin dialects, may share common terms, all varieties of Chinese are tonal and analytic. Standard Chinese is a form of spoken Chinese based on the Beijing dialect of Mandarin. It is the language of China and Taiwan, as well as one of four official languages of Singapore. It is one of the six languages of the United Nations. The written form of the language, based on the logograms known as Chinese characters, is shared by literate speakers of otherwise unintelligible dialects. Of the other varieties of Chinese, Cantonese is the spoken language and official in Hong Kong and Macau. It is also influential in Guangdong province and much of Guangxi, dialects of Southern Min, part of the Min group, are widely spoken in southern Fujian, with notable variants also spoken in neighboring Taiwan and in Southeast Asia. Hakka also has a diaspora in Taiwan and southeast Asia. Shanghainese and other Wu varieties are prominent in the lower Yangtze region of eastern China, Chinese can be traced back to a hypothetical Sino-Tibetan proto-language. The first written records appeared over 3,000 years ago during the Shang dynasty, as the language evolved over this period, the various local varieties became mutually unintelligible. In reaction, central governments have sought to promulgate a unified standard. Difficulties have included the great diversity of the languages, the lack of inflection in many of them, in addition, many of the smaller languages are spoken in mountainous areas that are difficult to reach, and are often also sensitive border zones. Without a secure reconstruction of proto-Sino-Tibetan, the structure of the family remains unclear. A top-level branching into Chinese and Tibeto-Burman languages is often assumed, the earliest examples of Chinese are divinatory inscriptions on oracle bones from around 1250 BCE in the late Shang dynasty
7.
Malaysia
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Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy located in Southeast Asia. Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, East Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Brunei and Indonesia and a maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam. The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government, with a population of over 30 million, Malaysia is the 44th most populous country. The southernmost point of continental Eurasia, Tanjung Piai, is in Malaysia, located in the tropics, Malaysia is one of 17 megadiverse countries on earth, with large numbers of endemic species. Malaysia has its origins in the Malay kingdoms present in the area which, from the 18th century, the first British territories were known as the Straits Settlements, whose establishment was followed by the Malay kingdoms becoming British protectorates. The territories on Peninsular Malaysia were first unified as the Malayan Union in 1946, Malaya was restructured as the Federation of Malaya in 1948, and achieved independence on 31 August 1957. Malaya united with North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore on 16 September 1963 to become Malaysia, less than two years later in 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation. The country is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, which plays a role in politics. About half the population is ethnically Malay, with minorities of Malaysian Chinese, Malaysian Indians. The constitution declares Islam the state religion while allowing freedom of religion for non-Muslims, the government system is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system and the legal system is based on common law. The head of state is the king, known as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and he is an elected monarch chosen from the hereditary rulers of the nine Malay states every five years. The head of government is the prime minister, since its independence, Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia, with its GDP growing at an average of 6. 5% per annum for almost 50 years. The economy has traditionally been fuelled by its resources, but is expanding in the sectors of science, tourism, commerce. Today, Malaysia has a newly industrialised market economy, ranked third largest in Southeast Asia, the name Malaysia is a combination of the word Malay and the Latin-Greek suffix -sia/-σία. The word melayu in Malay may derive from the Tamil words malai and ur meaning mountain and city, land, malayadvipa was the word used by ancient Indian traders when referring to the Malay Peninsula. Whether or not it originated from these roots, the word melayu or mlayu may have used in early Malay/Javanese to mean to steadily accelerate or run. This term was applied to describe the current of the river Melayu in Sumatra. The name was adopted by the Melayu Kingdom that existed in the seventh century on Sumatra
8.
Antenna (radio)
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In radio and electronics, an antenna, or aerial, is an electrical device which converts electric power into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a transmitter or radio receiver. In reception, an antenna intercepts some of the power of a wave in order to produce a tiny voltage at its terminals. Antennas are essential components of all equipment that uses radio, typically an antenna consists of an arrangement of metallic conductors, electrically connected to the receiver or transmitter. These time-varying fields radiate away from the antenna into space as a transverse electromagnetic field wave. Antennas can be designed to transmit and receive radio waves in all directions equally. The first antennas were built in 1888 by German physicist Heinrich Hertz in his experiments to prove the existence of electromagnetic waves predicted by the theory of James Clerk Maxwell. Hertz placed dipole antennas at the point of parabolic reflectors for both transmitting and receiving. He published his work in Annalen der Physik und Chemie, the words antenna and aerial are used interchangeably. Occasionally the term aerial is used to mean a wire antenna, however, note the important international technical journal, the IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation. In the United Kingdom and other areas where British English is used, the origin of the word antenna relative to wireless apparatus is attributed to Italian radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi. In the summer of 1895, Marconi began testing his wireless system outdoors on his fathers estate near Bologna, Marconi discovered that by raising the aerial wire above the ground and connecting the other side of his transmitter to ground, the transmission range was increased. Soon he was able to transmit signals over a hill, a distance of approximately 2.4 kilometres, in Italian a tent pole is known as lantenna centrale, and the pole with the wire was simply called lantenna. Until then wireless radiating transmitting and receiving elements were simply as aerials or terminals. Because of his prominence, Marconis use of the word spread among wireless researchers. In common usage, the antenna may refer broadly to an entire assembly including support structure, enclosure. Especially at microwave frequencies, an antenna may include not only the actual electrical antenna. An antenna, in converting radio waves to electrical signals or vice versa, is a form of transducer, Antennas are required by any radio receiver or transmitter to couple its electrical connection to the electromagnetic field
9.
Elevator
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An elevator or lift is a type of vertical transportation that moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel, or other structure. Elevators are generally powered by electric motors that either drive traction cables or counterweight systems like a hoist, in agriculture and manufacturing, an elevator is any type of conveyor device used to lift materials in a continuous stream into bins or silos. Several types exist, such as the chain and bucket elevator, grain auger screw conveyor using the principle of Archimedes screw, or the chain, languages other than English may have loanwords based on either elevator or lift. Because of wheelchair access laws, elevators are often a requirement in new multistory buildings. The earliest known reference to an elevator is in the works of the Roman architect Vitruvius, some sources from later historical periods mention elevators as cabs on a hemp rope powered by hand or by animals. In 1000, the Book of Secrets by al-Muradi in Islamic Spain described the use of a lifting device. In the 17th century the prototypes of elevators were located in the buildings of England. Louis XV of France had a flying chair built for one of his mistresses at the Chateau de Versailles in 1743. Ancient and medieval elevators used drive systems based on hoists or winders, the invention of a system based on the screw drive was perhaps the most important step in elevator technology since ancient times, leading to the creation of modern passenger elevators. The first screw drive elevator was built by Ivan Kulibin and installed in Winter Palace in 1793, several years later another of Kulibins elevators was installed in Arkhangelskoye near Moscow. The development of elevators was led by the need for movement of raw materials including coal, the technology developed by these industries and the introduction of steel beam construction worked together to provide the passenger and freight elevators in use today. Starting in the mines, by the mid-19th century elevators were operated with steam power and were used for moving goods in bulk in mines and factories. It elevated paying customers to a height in the center of London. Early, crude steam-driven elevators were refined in the decade, – in 1835 an innovative elevator called the Teagle was developed by the company Frost. The elevator was belt-driven and used a counterweight for extra power, the hydraulic crane was invented by Sir William Armstrong in 1846, primarily for use at the Tyneside docks for loading cargo. These quickly supplanted the steam driven elevators, exploiting Pascals law. A water pump supplied a variable level of pressure to a plunger encased inside a vertical cylinder. Counterweights and balances were used to increase the lifting power of the apparatus
10.
Revolving restaurant
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A revolving restaurant or rotating restaurant is usually a tower restaurant eating space designed to rest atop a broad circular revolving platform that operates as a large turntable. The building remains stationary and the diners are carried on the revolving floor, the revolving rate varies between one and three times per hour and enables patrons to enjoy a panoramic view without leaving their seats. The slow speed only requires less than a horsepower, such restaurants are often located on upper stories of hotels, communication towers, and skyscrapers. It is believed that Emperor Nero had a dining room in his palace Domus Aurea on the Palatine Hill with a magnificent view on the Forum Romanum and Colosseum. A barrel-shaped, but stationary, restaurant on Fernsehturm Stuttgart, a TV tower in Stuttgart, Germany, a revolving restaurant on Florianturm, a TV tower in Dortmund, Germany, was brought into service in 1959. The Egyptian architect Naoum Shebib designed the Cairo tower with a restaurant at its top. Floating restaurant Googie architecture List of revolving restaurants Revolving Restaurants - Turntables - Macton Corporation
11.
Astronomy in the medieval Islamic world
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Islamic astronomy comprises the astronomical developments made in the Islamic world, particularly during the Islamic Golden Age, and mostly written in the Arabic language. These developments mostly took place in the Middle East, Central Asia, Al-Andalus, and North Africa and these included Greek, Sassanid, and Indian works in particular, which were translated and built upon. Islamic astronomy also had an influence on Chinese astronomy and Malian astronomy, a significant number of stars in the sky, such as Aldebaran, Altair and Deneb, and astronomical terms such as alidade, azimuth, and nadir, are still referred to by their Arabic names. A large corpus of literature from Islamic astronomy remains today, numbering approximately 10,000 manuscripts scattered throughout the world, even so, a reasonably accurate picture of Islamic activity in the field of astronomy can be reconstructed. These observations were based on the rising and setting of stars. Anwa continued to be developed after Islamization by the Arabs, where Islamic astronomers added mathematical methods to their empirical observations, according to David King, after the rise of Islam, the religious obligation to determine the qibla and prayer times inspired more progress in astronomy for centuries. The first astronomical texts that were translated into Arabic were of Indian and Persian origin, another text translated was the Zij al-Shah, a collection of astronomical tables compiled in Sasanid Persia over two centuries. Fragments of texts during this period indicate that Arabs adopted the function in place of the chords of arc used in Greek trigonometry. The House of Wisdom was an established in Baghdad under Abbasid caliph Al-Mamun in the early 9th century. From this time, independent investigation into the Ptolemaic system became possible, Astronomical research was greatly supported by the Abbasid caliph al-Mamun through The House of Wisdom. Baghdad and Damascus became the centers of such activity, the caliphs not only supported this work financially, but endowed the work with formal prestige. The first major Muslim work of astronomy was Zij al-Sindh by al-Khwarizmi in 830, the work contains tables for the movements of the sun, the moon and the five planets known at the time. The work is significant as it introduced Ptolemaic concepts into Islamic sciences and this work also marks the turning point in Islamic astronomy. Hitherto, Muslim astronomers had adopted a primarily research approach to the field, translating works of others, al-Khwarizmis work marked the beginning of nontraditional methods of study and calculations. In 850, al-Farghani wrote Kitab fi Jawani, the book primarily gave a summary of Ptolemic cosmography. However, it also corrected Ptolemy based on findings of earlier Arab astronomers, al-Farghani gave revised values for the obliquity of the ecliptic, the precessional movement of the apogees of the sun and the moon, and the circumference of the earth. The book was circulated through the Muslim world, and even translated into Latin. The period when a distinctive Islamic system of astronomy flourished, the period began as the Muslim astronomers began questioning the framework of the Ptolemaic system of astronomy
12.
Islamic calendar
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The Islamic, Muslim, or Hijri calendar is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries and it is also used by Muslims to determine the proper days of Islamic holidays and rituals, such as the annual period of fasting and the proper time for the pilgrimage to Mecca. The Islamic calendar employs the Hijri era whose epoch was retrospectively established as the Islamic New Year of AD622, during that year, Muhammad and his followers migrated from Mecca to Yathrib and established the first Muslim community, an event commemorated as the Hijra. In the West, dates in this era are usually denoted AH in parallel with the Christian, in Muslim countries, it is also sometimes denoted as H from its Arabic form. In English, years prior to the Hijra are reckoned as BH, the current Islamic year is 1438 AH. In the Gregorian calendar,1438 AH runs from approximately 3 October 2016 to 21 September 2017, four of the twelve Hijri months are considered sacred, Rajab, and the three consecutive months of Dhū al-Qa‘dah, Dhu al-Ḥijjah and Muḥarram. As the lunar calendar lags behind the solar calendar by about ten days every gregorian year, the cycle repeats every 33 lunar years. Each month of the Islamic calendar commences on the birth of the new lunar cycle, traditionally this is based on actual observation of the crescent marking the end of the previous lunar cycle and hence the previous month, thereby beginning the new month. Consequently, each month can have 29 or 30 days depending on the visibility of the moon, astronomical positioning of the earth and weather conditions. However, certain sects and groups, most notably Dawoodi Bohra Muslims and Shia Ismaili Muslims, use a tabular Islamic calendar in which odd-numbered months have thirty days, in Arabic, the first day of the week corresponds with Sunday of the planetary week. The Islamic weekdays, like those in the Hebrew and Baháí calendars, the Christian liturgical day, kept in monasteries, begins with vespers, which is evening, in line with the other Abrahamic traditions. Christian and planetary weekdays begin at the following midnight, Muslims gather for worship at a mosque at noon on gathering day which corresponds with Friday. Thus gathering day is regarded as the weekly day of rest. A few others have adopted the Saturday-Sunday weekend while making Friday a working day with a midday break to allow time off for worship. Inscriptions of the ancient South Arabian calendars reveal the use of a number of local calendars, at least some of these calendars followed the lunisolar system. For Central Arabia, especially Mecca, there is a lack of epigraphical evidence, both al-Biruni and al-Masudi suggest that the Ancient Arabs used the same month names as the Muslims, though they also record other month names used by the pre-Islamic Arabs. Nevertheless, the Islamic position equating Nisan with Dhū al-Ḥijja has prevailed, for a comparison between the Islamic and pre-Islamic months, see Islamic and Jahili months. The Islamic tradition is unanimous in stating that Arabs of Tihamah, Hejaz, the forbidden months were four months during which fighting is forbidden, listed as Rajab and the three months around the pilgrimage season, Dhu al-Qa‘dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram
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Ramadan
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Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic belief. This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam, the month lasts 29–30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon, according to numerous biographical accounts compiled in the hadiths. The word Ramadan comes from the Arabic root ramiḍa or ar-ramaḍ, fasting is fardh for adult Muslims, except those who are suffering from an illness, travelling, are elderly, pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic or going through menstrual bleeding. Fasting the month of Ramadan was made obligatory during the month of Shaban, while fasting from dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from consuming food, drinking liquids, smoking, and engaging in sexual relations. Muslims are also instructed to refrain from behavior that may negate the reward of fasting, such as false speech. Food and drinks are served daily, before dawn and after sunset, spiritual rewards for fasting are also believed to be multiplied within the month of Ramadan. Fasting for Muslims during Ramadan typically includes the offering of salat. Chapter 2, Verse 185, of the Quran states, The month of Ramadan is that in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the criterion. And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, a number of other days. Allah desires for you ease, He desires not hardship for you, and that you should complete the period, and that you should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that perhaps you may be thankful. It is believed that the Quran was first revealed to Muhammad during the month of Ramadan which has been referred to as the best of times, the first revelation was sent down on Laylat al-Qadr which is one of the five odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan. According to hadith, all holy scriptures were sent down during Ramadan, the tablets of Ibrahim, the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel and the Quran were sent down on 1st, 6th, 12th, 13th and 24th Ramadan respectively. According to the Quran, fasting was also obligatory for prior nations, God proclaimed to Muhammad that fasting for His sake was not a new innovation in monotheism, but rather an obligation practiced by those truly devoted to the oneness of God. The pagans of Mecca also fasted, but only on tenth day of Muharram to expiate sins, the ruling to observe fasting during Ramadan was sent down 18 months after Hijra, during the month of Shaban in the second year of Hijra in 624 CE. According to Philip Jenkins, Ramadan comes from the strict Lenten discipline of the Syrian churches, however, this suggestion is based on the orientalist idea that the Quran itself has Syrian origins, which was refuted by Muslim academics such as M. Al-Azami. The beginning and end of Ramadan are determined by the lunar Islamic calendar, hilāl is typically a day after the astronomical new moon. Since the new moon marks the beginning of the new month, however, to many Muslims, this is not in accordance with authenticated Hadiths stating that visual confirmation per region is recommended. The consistent variations of a day have existed since the time of Muhammad, Laylat al-Qadr, which in Arabic means the night of power or the night of decree, is considered the holiest night of the year
14.
Fasting in Islam
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Fasting in Islam, known as Sawm or siyam صيام, the Arabic words for fasting, is abstaining from eating and drinking. In the terminology of Islamic law, sawm means to abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours, the observance of sawm during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, but is not confined to that month. Sawm is a cognate to Syriac, ܨܘܡܐ ṣawmā. Literally, it means to abstain, cognates to Hebrew tsom, fasting is not unique to the Muslims. It has been practiced for centuries in connection with religious ceremonies by Christians, Jews, Confucianists, Hindus, Taoists, for example, the Muslims of Central Asia, Afghanistan, India, Iran, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Turkey use the words roza/rozha/roja/oruç, which comes from Farsi. While the Malay community in Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore call it puasa, Muslims are prohibited from eating, drinking and engaging in conjugal sexual relationships from dawn to sunset. Fasting helps Muslims develop self-control, gain an understanding of God’s gifts. Fasting in Islam involves abstaining from all bodily pleasures between dawn and sunset, not only is food forbidden, but also any sexual activity. All things which are regarded as prohibited is even more so in this month, each and every moment during the fast, a person suppresses their passions and desires in loving obedience to God. This consciousness of duty and the spirit of patience helps in strengthening ones faith, fasting helps a person gain self-control. A person who abstains from permissible things like food and drink is likely to feel conscious of his sins, a heightened sense of spirituality helps break the habits of lying, staring with lust at the opposite sex, gossiping, and wasting time. Fasting is also viewed as a means of controlling ones desires, Sawm also carries a significant spiritual meaning. It teaches one the principle of God Consciousness, because when one observes fasting, it is out of deep love for God. Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, the month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion. And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, number of other days. God desireth for you ease, he desireth not hardship for you, and that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify God for having guided you, the intention means resolving to fast. It is essential to have the intention the night before, night by night, throughout the duration of the fast itself, Muslims will abstain from certain provisions that the Quran has otherwise allowed, namely eating, drinking and sexual intercourse. This is in addition to the standard obligation already observed by Muslims of avoiding that which is not permissible under Quranic or sharia law, without observing this standard obligation, sawm is rendered useless and is seen simply as an act of starvation
15.
Eid al-Fitr
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Eid al-Fitr is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. The religious Eid is the first and only day in the month of Shawwal during which Muslims are not permitted to fast, the holiday celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. The day of Eid, therefore, falls on the first day of the month of Shawwal, the date for the start of any lunar Hijri month varies based on the observation of new moon by local religious authorities, so the exact day of celebration varies by locality. Eid al-Fitr has a particular Salat consisting of two Rakats and generally offered in a field or large hall. Other Sunni schools usually have twelve Takbirs, seven in the first and this Eid al-Fitr salat is, depending on which juristic opinion is followed, Fard فرض, Mustahabb مستحب or mandoob مندوب. Muslims believe that they are commanded by Allah, as mentioned in the Quran, to continue their fast until the last day of Ramadan and pay the Zakat and fitra before offering the Eid prayers. If the moon is not observed immediately after the 29th day of the lunar month. Before the advent of Islam in Arabia, there is mention of festivals as well as some others among the Arabs, the Israelites had festivals as well, some directly prescribed in the Old Testament and others commemorating important days of their history. Eid al-Fitr was originated by the Islamic prophet Muhammad and it is observed on the first of the month of Shawwal at the end of the month of Ramadan, during which Muslims undergo a period of fasting. According to certain traditions, these festivals were initiated in Medina after the migration of Muhammad from Mecca, anas reports, When the Prophet arrived in Madinah, he found people celebrating two specific days in which they used to entertain themselves with recreation and merriment. He asked them about the nature of these festivities at which they replied that these days were occasions of fun, Eid al-Fitr is celebrated for one, two or three days. Common greetings during this holiday are the Arabic greeting ‘Eid Mubārak or ‘Eid Sa‘īd. In addition, many countries have their own greetings in the local language – in Turkey, for example, Muslims are also encouraged on this day to forgive and forget any differences with others or animosities that may have occurred during the year. It is forbidden to fast on the Day of Eid and it is customary to acknowledge this with a small sweet breakfast, preferably of date, before attending a special Eid prayer. As an obligatory act of charity, money is paid to the poor and you can speak once youve left the Masjid, or mosque or any other place you were praying. Say Eid Mubarak to other Muslims Muslims recite the following incantation in a low voice while going to the Eid prayer, Allāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbar, lā ilāha illà l-Lāh wal-Lāhu akbar, Allahu akbar walil-Lāhi l-ḥamd. Recitation ceases when they get to the place of Eid or once the Imam commences activities, Muslims are recommended to use separate routes to and from the prayer grounds. No call to prayer is given for this Eid prayer, the Eid prayer is followed by the sermon and then a supplication asking for Allahs forgiveness, mercy, peace and blessings for all living beings across the world
16.
Eid al-Adha
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Eid al-Adha, also called the Sacrifice Feast, is the second of two Muslim holidays celebrated worldwide each year, and considered the holier of the two. It honors the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son, as an act of submission to Gods command, before he sacrificed his son God intervened by sending his angel Jibrail, who then put a sheep in his sons place. In the Islamic lunar calendar, Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, in the international calendar, the dates vary from year to year drifting approximately 11 days earlier each year. Eid al-Adha is the latter of the two Eid holidays, the former being Eid al-Fitr, the word Eid appears once in Al-Maida, the fifth sura of the Quran, with the meaning solemn festival. Like Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha begins with a prayer of two followed by a sermon. Eid al-Adha celebrations start after the descent of the Hujjaj, the performing the Hajj, from Mount Arafat. Eid sacrifice may take place until sunset on the 13th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the days of Eid have been singled out in the Hadith as days of remembrance and considered the holiest days in the Islamic Calendar. Another Arabic word for sacrifice is Qurbani The Semitic root Q-R-B means to be close to someone/something, other words from the root include qarov, close, the senses of root meaning to offer suggest that the act of offering brings one closer to the receiver of the offering. The same stem is found in Hebrew and for example in the Akkadian language noun aqribtu act of offering, Eid al-Kabir, an Arabic term meaning the Greater Eid, is used in Yemen, Syria, and North Africa. The term was borrowed directly into French as Aïd el-Kebir, translations of Big Eid or Greater Eid are used in Pashto, Kashmiri, Urdu and Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam. Albanian, however, uses Bajram i vogël or the Lesser Eid as a reference to Eid al-Adha. This term is borrowed into other Indian languages, such as Tamil Bakr Īd Peru Nāl. Some names refer to the fact that the holiday occurs after the culmination of the annual Hajj, such names are used in Malaysian and Indonesian (Hari Raya Haji Hajj celebration day, Lebaran Haji, Lebaran Kaji. When this was not yet an official feast in the Philippines, when it became a legal holiday in 2009, it became officially known as Eid al-Adha. Some also reference it with local names like Kapistahan ng Pagsasakripisyo in Tagalog. Eid al-Adha has had other names outside the Muslim world, in Spanish it is known as Fiesta del Cordero or Fiesta del Borrego. According to Islamic tradition, the valley of Mecca was a dry, rocky, God instructed Abraham to bring Hagar, his Arabian wife, and Ishmael to Arabia from the land of Canaan. As Abraham was preparing for his journey back to Canaan, Hagar asked him
17.
Prime Minister of Malaysia
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It is in practice, the most powerful political position in Malaysia. The Prime Minister has always been from the United Malays National Organisation part of Barisan Nasional since independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman was the Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya, restyled to Prime Minister of Malaysia on 16 September 1963 after the formation of Malaysia. Federation of Malaya became independent on 31 August 1957, the 6th and current prime minister is Najib Razak, who took office on 3 April 2009. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the Prime Ministers advice shall appoint other Ministers from either Dewan Rakyat or Dewan Negara, the Cabinet shall be collectively responsible to Parliament of Malaysia. The members of the Cabinet shall not hold any office of profit and engage in any trade, the Prime Ministers Department is the body and ministry in which the Prime Minister exercises its functions and powers. The Yang di-Pertuan Agongs choice of replacement prime minister will be dictated by the circumstances, the power of the prime minister is subject to a number of limitations. Conventionally, between the dissolution of one Parliament and the convening of the next, the prime minister, from time to time prime ministers are required to leave the country on business and a deputy is appointed to take their place during that time. In the days before jet aeroplanes, such absences could be for extended periods, ismail Abdul Rahman occasionally acted as Acting Prime Minister when Tunku Abdul Rahman and Abdul Razak Hussein was on leave for going abroad. In 1988, when UMNO as the member of the Barisan Nasional coalition was declared unlawful and illegal political party. Ling Liong Sik became the new Chairman of the Barisan Nasional and served as an Acting Prime Minister for a couple of days until the new party, anwar Ibrahim acted as an Acting Prime Minister for two months started from 19 May 1997 as Mahathir Mohamad was on vacation. Colour key, Alliance Party Barisan Nasional Note Prime ministers are granted certain privileges after leaving office at government expense. Former prime ministers continue to be important national figures, the most recently deceased prime minister was Tunku Abdul Rahman, who died on 6 December 1990. Air transports of heads of state and government Official state car Spouse of the Prime Minister of Malaysia Leader of the Opposition Chief Ministers in Malaysia
18.
Mahathir Mohamad
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Mahathir bin Mohamad is a Malaysian politician who was the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1981 to 2003, making him longest-serving holder of that office. His political career spanned more than 70 years since he first joined a newly-formed UMNO in 1946, born and raised in Alor Setar, Kedah, Mahathir excelled at school and became a medical doctor. He became active in the United Malays National Organisation, Malaysias largest political party and he served one term before losing his seat, subsequently falling out with Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman and being expelled from UMNO. When Abdul Rahman resigned, Mahathir re-entered UMNO and Parliament, and was promoted to the Cabinet, by 1976 he had risen to Deputy Prime Minister, and in 1981 was sworn in as Prime Minister after the resignation of his predecessor, Hussein Onn. During Mahathirs tenure as Prime Minister, Malaysia experienced a period of modernisation and economic growth. Mahathir was a dominant political figure, winning five consecutive general elections, however, his accumulation of power came at the expense of the independence of the judiciary and the traditional powers and privileges of Malaysias royalty. He deployed the controversial Internal Security Act to detain activists, non-mainstream religious figures, as Prime Minister, he was an advocate of third-world development and a prominent international activist. He remains a political figure after his retirement. He became a strident critic of his hand-picked successor Abdullah Badawi in 2006 and later and his son Mukhriz Mahathir was the Chief Minister of Kedah until early 2016. On 29 February 2016, Mahathir Mohamad quit UMNO in light of UMNOs support for the actions of Prime Minister Najib Razak, among the other reasons are the RM2. 6bil and 1Malaysia Development Berhad issues. On 9 September 2016, the Registrar of Societies gave his stamp of approval for Mahathir Mohamad’s new Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia. Mahathir is currently the chairman of the party, Mahathir was born at his parents home in a poor neighbourhood of Alor Setar, the capital of the state of Kedah, British Malaya, on 10 July 1925. Mahathirs birth certificate gives his date of birth as 20 December and he was actually born on 10 July, his biographer Barry Wain explains that 20 December was an arbitrary date. An aspect of Mahathirs birth set him apart, he was not born into the aristocracy or a prominent religious or political family, both parents had been married previously, Mahathir had six half-siblings and two full-siblings. Discipline imposed by his father motivated him to study, and he showed little interest in sports and he won a position in a selective English medium secondary school, having become fluent in English well ahead of his primary school peers. With schools closed during the Japanese occupation of Malaya during World War II, he went into business, first selling coffee and later pisang goreng and other snacks. After the war, he graduated from school with high marks. There he met his wife, Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali
19.
Bukit Nanas
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Bukit Nanas, meaning Pineapple Hill, is a small hill in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It contains the only tropical rain forest left in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. The Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve is located here, and is open to the public, there are jungle trails, a visitors centre, and a forestry museum. A number of buildings, such as the landmark Kuala Lumpur Tower, are located on Bukit Nanas. The area is served by the Bukit Nanas Monorail station, Bukit Nanas is known to be one of the earliest Malay settlements in Kuala Lumpur and the center of Malay power there. In order to strengthen his authority in the area, Raja Abdullah then sent his Bugis lieutenant Syahbandar Yaseh with some armed men to serve as the garrison for Kuala Lumpur, Yaseh selected Bukit Nanas as the location to build a stockade in the 1860s. A map of Kuala Lumpur sketched by Sir Frank Swettenham in 1875 showed a marked as Malay Rajahs house on hill which is likely to be the Bukit Nanas stockade. According to one story, pineapples were grown all around the stockade as a deterrence against attackers, the place, said to be originally called Bukit Gombak by this account, then came to be known as Bukit Nanas meaning Pineapple Hill. In 1872 Raja Asal and Sutan Puasa, leaders of Sumatran Mandailing settlers in Selangor, Raja Asal laid siege to Bukit Nanas, where Tengku Kudins men and various mercenaries including Europeans were stationed. The siege forced Tengku Kudins men to try to escape, but they were captured at Petaling, yap Ah Loy, the Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur, however, managed to escape to Klang. Kuala Lumpur was then taken by Raja Mahdis forces and destroyed, traces of a tunnel dating to the Klang War period have been found in Bukit Nanas. In 1906,17.5 hectare of land on Bukit Nanas was gazetted as a forest reserve, large parts however have since been used for the development of the Kuala Lumpur Tower and other purposes, and now only 9.3 hectares of the forest reserve remains. It was initially known as Bucket Weld Forest Reserve, later renamed Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve, two of Malaysias many British colonial era schools were built on this hill in the early twentieth century. They are the St Johns Institution first established in 1904 and Convent Bukit Nanas, St. Johns Institution has been gazetted as a National Heritage Site by the federal government. Another landmark on Bukit Nanas is the Roman Catholic St Johns Cathedral, a cable car service was built in Bukit Nanas in the 1970s but it has been discontinued since the 1980s. In August 2012 the forest was closed to the public whilst the car was rebuilt. The forest trail has since reopened, however, the car service has not yet been restored as of January 2017. In 1996, the Kuala Lumpur Tower, which is the seventh tallest telecommunications tower in the world was built on the hill and it has an observation deck, a banquet floor and a revolving restaurant
20.
Muqarnas
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It is used for domes, and especially half-domes in entrances, iwans and apses, mostly in traditional Islamic and Persian architecture. Where some elements project downwards, the style may be called mocárabe, these are reminiscent of stalactites, Muqarnas developed around the middle of the 10th century in northeastern Iran and almost simultaneously — but apparently independently — in North Africa. Examples can be found across Morocco and by extension, the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, the Abbasid Palace in Baghdad, Iraq, and the mausoleum of Sultan Qaitbay, Cairo, Egypt. Large rectangular roofs in wood with muqarnas-style decoration adorn the 12th century Cappella Palatina in Palermo, Sicily, Muqarnas is also found in Armenian architecture. Muqarnas is typically applied to the undersides of domes, pendentives, cornices, squinches, arches, Muqarnas is a downward-facing shape, that is, a vertical line can be traced from the floor to any point on a muqarnas surface. It is also arranged in courses, as in a corbelled vault. The edges of surfaces can all be traced on a single plan view, architects can thus plan out muqarnas geometrically. Muqarnas does not have a significant structural role, Muqarnas need not be carved into the structural blocks of a corbelled vault, it can be hung from a structural roof as a purely decorative surface. Muqarnas may be made of brick, stone, stucco, or wood, the individual cells may be called alveoles. Some modern muqarnas elements have been designed, if not built, with upwards-facing cells, Architecture of Iran Islamic architecture Islamic geometric patterns Mathematics and art Ottoman architecture Muqarnas, A Three-dimensional Decoration of Islam Architecture. Contains a database of over a thousand plans of extant muqarnas, indexed by location and geometry
21.
Artisan
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Artisans practice a craft and may through experience and aptitude reach the expressive levels of an artist. The adjective artisanal is sometimes used in describing hand-processing in what is viewed as an industrial process. Thus, artisanal is sometimes used in marketing and advertising as a word to describe or imply some relation with the crafting of handmade food products, such as bread. Many of these have traditionally been handmade, rural or pastoral goods but are now commonly made on a larger scale with automated mechanization in factories. Artisans were the dominant producers of products prior to the Industrial Revolution. In ancient Greece, artisans were drawn to agoras and often built workshops nearby, during the Middle Ages, the term artisan was applied to those who made things or provided services. It did not apply to unskilled manual labourers, Artisans were divided into two distinct groups, those who operated their own businesses and those who did not. Those who owned their businesses were called masters, while the latter were the journeymen, one misunderstanding many people have about this social group is that they picture them as workers in the modern sense, employed by someone. The most influential group among the artisans were the masters, the business owners, the owners enjoyed a higher social status in their communities. Shokunin is a Japanese word for artisan or craftsman, which implies a pride in ones own work. In the words of shokunin Tashio Odate, Shokunin means not only having technical skill, a social obligation to work his best for the general welfare of the people, obligation both material and spiritual. Applied art Artist Arts and Crafts movement Caste — Tarkhan Guild Handicraft The dictionary definition of artisan at Wiktionary History of Artisans
22.
Isfahan
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Isfahan, historically also rendered in English as Ispahan, Sepahan, Esfahan or Hispahan, is the capital of Isfahan Province in Iran, located about 340 kilometres south of Tehran. The Greater Isfahan Region had a population of 3,793,104 in the 2011 Census, the counties of Isfahan, Borkhar, Najafabad, Khomeynishahr, Shahinshahr, Mobarakeh, Falavarjan, Tiran o Karvan, Lenjan and Jay all constitute the metropolitan city of Isfahan. Isfahan is located on the main north–south and east–west routes crossing Iran and it flourished from 1050 to 1722, particularly in the 16th and 17th centuries under the Safavid dynasty, when it became the capital of Persia for the second time in its history. Even today, the city retains much of its past glory and it is famous for its Persian–Islamic architecture, with many beautiful boulevards, covered bridges, palaces, mosques, and minarets. This led to the Persian proverb Esfahān nesf-e- jahān ast, the Naghsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan is one of the largest city squares in the world. It has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the city also has a wide variety of historic monuments and is known for the paintings, history and architecture. Isfahan City Center is also the 5th largest shopping mall in the world, see also, Names of Isfahan The name of the region derives from Middle Persian Spahān. Spahān is attested in various Middle Persian seals and inscriptions, including that of Zoroastrian Magi Kartir, the present-day name is the Arabicized form of Ispahan. The region appears with the abbreviation GD on Sasanian numismatics, in Ptolemys Geographia it appears as Aspadana, translating to place of gathering for the army. It is believed that Spahān derives from spādānām the armies, Old Persian plural of spāda, the history of Isfahan can be traced back to the Palaeolithic period. In recent discoveries, archaeologists have found artifacts dating back to the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron ages. It is said that after Cyrus the Great freed the Jews from Babylon some Jews returned to Jerusalem whereas some others decided to live in Persia, but, actually this happened later in the Sasanid period when a Jewish colony was made in the vicinity of the Sasanid. They did not settle anywhere or in any city without examining the water. They did all along until they reached the city of Isfahan, there they rested, examined the water and soil and found that both resembled Jerusalem. Upon they settled there, cultivated the soil, raised children and grandchildren, under the Parthians, Arsacid governors administered a large province from Isfahan, and the citys urban development accelerated to accommodate the needs of a capital city. The next empire to rule Persia, the Sassanids, presided over changes in their realm, instituting sweeping agricultural reform and reviving Iranian culture. The city was called by the name and the region by the name Aspahan or Spahan. The city was governed by Espoohrans or the members of seven noble Iranian families who had important royal positions, extant foundations of some Sassanid-era bridges in Isfahan suggest that the kings were also fond of ambitious urban planning projects
23.
Radio masts and towers
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Radio masts and towers are, typically, tall structures designed to support antennas for telecommunications and broadcasting, including television. There are two types, guyed and self supporting structures. They are among the tallest man-made structures, masts are often named after the broadcasting organizations that originally built them or currently use them. In the case of a mast radiator or radiating tower, the whole mast or tower is itself the transmitting antenna, the terms mast and tower are often used interchangeably. However, in engineering terms, a tower is a self-supporting or cantilevered structure. Broadcast engineers in the UK use the same terminology, in US broadcast engineering, a tower is an antenna structure attached to the ground, whereas a mast is a vertical antenna support mounted on some other structure. Masts tend to be cheaper to build but require an extended area surrounding them to accommodate the guy wires, Towers are more commonly used in cities where land is in short supply. There are a few designs that are partly free-standing and partly guyed, called additionally guyed towers. For example, The Gerbrandy tower consists of a tower with a guyed mast on top. The few remaining Blaw-Knox towers do the opposite, they have a lower section surmounted by a freestanding part. Until August 8,1991, the Warsaw radio mast was the worlds tallest supported structure on land, there are over 50 radio structures in the United States that are 600 m or taller. The steel lattice is the most widespread form of construction and it provides great strength, low weight and wind resistance, and economy in the use of materials. Lattices of triangular cross-section are most common, and square lattices are also widely used, guyed masts are often used, the supporting guy lines carry lateral forces such as wind loads, allowing the mast to be very narrow and simply constructed. When built as a tower, the structure may be parallel-sided or taper over part or all of its height, when constructed of several sections which taper exponentially with height, in the manner of the Eiffel Tower, the tower is said to be an Eiffelized one. The Crystal Palace tower in London is an example, guyed masts are sometimes also constructed out of steel tubes. This construction type has the advantage that cables and other components can be protected from weather inside the tube and these masts are mainly used for FM-/TV-broadcasting, but sometimes also as mast radiator. The big mast of Mühlacker transmitting station is an example of this. A disadvantage of this mast type is that it is more affected by winds than masts with open bodies
24.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
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The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence from the United Kingdom, Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with an elected monarch as head of state. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is one of the few elected monarchs in the world and his queen consort is called Raja Permaisuri Agong. The couple are styled in English as His Majesty and Her Majesty, in Malaysias constitutional monarchy, Yang di-Pertuan Agong has extensive powers within the constitution. The constitution specifies that the power of the Federal government is vested in the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and is exercised by him on the advice of the federal Council of Ministers. The latter is headed by the Prime Minister, appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from among the members of Parliament. Among them, Yang di-Pertuan Agong has discretionary powers to choose who he wants as the Prime Minister and is not bound by the decision of the outgoing PM if no party has won a majority vote. It, however, does not afford him the right and authority to dismiss the PM and he also can dismiss or withhold consent to a request for the dissolution of Parliament. He may discontinue or dissolve Parliament but he can only dissolve Parliament at the request of the PM and he can reject any new laws or amendments to existing laws but if he still withholds permission, it will automatically become law after 30 days from the initial submission to him. The 15th and current Yang di-Pertuan Agong is Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan and his reign began on 13 December 2016, after his election on 14 October 2016 at the 243rd Conference of Rulers. The ceremonial installation of the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong will be held on 24 April 2017, common English terms used in the media and by the general public include King, Paramount Ruler, Head of State, Head of the Federation, and Head of State of the Federation. In Malaysian passports prior to the 2010 redesign, the title The Supreme Head of Malaysia was used in the English version of the passport note, since the issuance of ICAO compliant e-passports in 2010, the untranslated title His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia is used. In August 1957, having rejected the title of Yang di-Pertuan Besar in favour of Yang di-Pertuan Agong. By seniority, the 84-year-old major general Ibrahim of Johor, Sultan of Johor since 1895, was first in line, but he declined due to old age. The next in line, Abu Bakar of Pahang, Sultan of Pahang since 1932, was rejected five times by his fellow electors, abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan, having been elected to his state throne in 1933, was elected by eight votes to one. After a ruler had served as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, he may not stand for election until all rulers of the states have also stood for election. In the event of a vacancy of the office, the Conference of Rulers elects a new Yang di-Pertuan Agong as if the term had expired. The new Yang di-Pertuan Agong is elected for a full five-year term, after his term expires, the Conference holds a new election, in which the incumbent would not be re-elected
25.
Ja'afar of Negeri Sembilan
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Tuanku Jaafar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman, GCB was the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 26 April 1994 until 25 April 1999 and the tenth Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan. Duli Yang Maha Mulia Tuanku Abdul Rahman ibni Almarhum Tuanku Muhammad married Che Engku Maimunah bt Abdullah @ Dulcie Campbell in 1919 and they have two sons and two daughters who are Tuanku Ja’afar, Tunku Abdullah, Tunku Aidah and Tunku Sheila. Tuanku Ja’afar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman was born on 19 July 1922 in Klang, Selangor and was raised in Seri Menanti, growing up in an affectionate and considerate family had a profound impact on Tuanku Ja’afar’s character. He had a close relationship with all his siblings. He also emulated his father’s practice of visiting the local villagers and this childhood experience helped form Tuanku Ja’afar’s extraordinary character as an approachable and highly respected individual. Tuanku Ja’afar received his education at the Seri Menanti Malay School. Tuanku Ja’afar then continued his studies at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar or better known as MCKK, sports were a compulsory subject at MCKK. Thanks to his zeal and talent for sports, Tuanku Ja’afar shone in a number of sports and was made the captain for five teams which were cricket, tennis, squash, football, on top of that, Tuanku Ja’afar was also an impressive badminton and chess player. It was at MCKK that he became close with Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, in 1940, after graduating from MCKK, Tuanku Ja’afar furthered his studies at Raffles College, Singapore. At the time, Raffles College was one of the higher education institutions in South East Asia. Tuanku Ja’afar had always favoured sports over studies, as a keen tennis player, he would always play with Lee Kuan Yew, the first Prime Minister of Singapore. Tuanku Ja’afar, who was supposed to complete the three-year programme, Tuanku Ja’afar’s return from Singapore did not dampen his high ambitions and thirst for knowledge. During the Japanese occupation of Malaya, he worked at the Seremban Land Office, Rembau, then, in the late 1940s, he was transferred to the Perak State Secretariat in Ipoh and was in charge of processing citizenship applications. In 1946, Tuanku Ja’afar started working in the Malay Administrative Service, later in 1947, Tuanku Jaafar was promoted to the position of Tax Assistant in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan. Tuanku Ja’afar was then promoted as the District Officer in Tampin, Negeri Sembilan until 1955, at this time he was also the Chairman of the Tampin District War Committee. Tuanku Ja’afar’s experiences and observation during the war years had enriched him, at this time in his life, he now had a higher goal, he wished to further his studies in law. He spent four years at University of Nottingham and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1947 before attending Balliol College, Oxford and this decision is driven by his interest in the subject of humanitarian, social and economic sciences. Tuanku Ja’afar was accompanied by Tuanku Najihah and their kids, while at university, he continued playing his favourite sports of cricket, football and badminton
26.
Raja Permaisuri Agong
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Raja Permaisuri Agong is the title given to the consort of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the elected, constitutional head of state of Malaysia. There is currently no Raja Permaisuri Agong, as the current and 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the Malay word permaisuri is derived from Tamil பரமேஸ்வரி, from Sanskrit परमेश्वरी, supreme lady. The Raja Permaisuri Agong immediately follows her husband, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is elected every five years among the nine hereditary rulers of the states of Malaysia. When a ruler is elected as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, his consort automatically becomes the Raja Permaisuri Agong. In effect, the holder of the title of Raja Permaisuri Agong changes every five years, like many spouses of heads of state, the Raja Permaisuri Agong has no stipulated role in the Constitution of Malaysia. She accompanies the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to official functions and state visits, as well as hosting visiting heads of state, article 34 of the Malaysian Constitution forbids the Raja Permaisuri Agong from holding any appointment carrying any remuneration or actively engaging in any commercial enterprise. The Raja Permaisuri Agong is, however, legally entitled to a payment which is included in the Civil List of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Previous holders of the title of Raja Permaisuri Agong whose husbands are deceased receive a pension from the Federal Governments Civil List, the following consorts have served as Raja Permaisuri Agong,1. ^ Tuanku Abdul Halim is the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong to reign twice. Sultanah Haminah has been his wife since 1975. Yang di-Pertuan Agong Royal Regalia of Malaysia Yang di-Pertuan Negara Malay titles Elective monarchy
27.
Tunku Ampuan Najihah
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Tuanku Najihah binti Tunku Besar Burhanuddin is the Tunku Ampuan of Negeri Sembilan. She was formerly the Tunku Ampuan Besar or Queen of Negeri Sembilan from 1967 to 2008 and she also served as Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia between 1994 and 1999. Tuanku Najihah was married to the former Yang di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Jaafar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Tuanku Jaafar is also the stepson of Tuanku Najihahs sister, Tunku Kurshiah binti Almarhum Tunku Besar Burhanuddin, who also served as Tunku Ampuan Besar. Tuanku Najihah succeeded her sister, Tunku Durah, as Tunku Ampuan Besar in 1967, born on 1 September 1924, Tuanku Najihah received her formal education at the Tuanku Muhammad School in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan. She graduated from the London School of Oriental Studies and she also attended the special language and training course provided for the wives of diplomats while Tuanku Ja’afar was pursuing a course in diplomatic services in London. Tuanku Najihah was made a member of the Associated Country Women of the World. She is the patron of various organizations such as the Girl Guides of Negeri Sembilan, the Islamic Women’s Welfare Council. He also served as first Chancellor of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
28.
Sultan of Brunei
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The Sultan of Brunei is the head of state and absolute monarch of Brunei. He is also head of government in his capacity as Prime Minister, since independence from the British in 1984, only one Sultan has reigned, though the royal institution dates back to the 14th century. It is not clear when the became known as the House of Bolkiah. The Sultans full title is, His Majesty The Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the earliest historical record of the Sultans of Brunei is not clearly known due to the poor early documentation of Bruneis history. Many elder members of the House of Bolkiah claim that their ancestors were the BaHassan and BaAlawi Saadah from Tarim, in addition there has been an effort to Islamise the history, with the official history not matching up with verifiable foreign sources. The Batu Tarsilah, the record of the kings of Brunei, was not started until 1807 CE. Therefore, much of the intepretation on history relied on earlier Chinese sources and it seems that the early Sultanate of Brunei was dependent on Chinese support, and perhaps early Sultans were of Chinese origin. Furthermore the earliest Sultans may have been practising the Hindu or Buddhist religions, House of Bolkiah Line of succession to the Bruneian throne Malay styles and titles
29.
Media Prima
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Media Prima Berhad is a fully integrated media company in Malaysia that has equity interests on television stations, newspapers, radio stations, content creation and digital media. Television stations in which it has an interest include TV3, 8TV, ntv7, Media Prima owns 98 percent of The New Straits Times Press Berhad, which publishes New Straits Times, BH and Harian Metro. Radio stations include Fly FM, Hot FM, one FM, the group also owns the production company Primeworks Studios Sdn Bhd, which produces television and film content, and a group of outdoor advertising companies under its out-of-home platform. Through its subsidiary Media Prima CJ O Shopping Sdn
30.
NTV7
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Natseven TV Sdn Bhd, better known as ntv7, is a free-to-air terrestrial television channel in Malaysia based in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. It began broadcasting nationwide on 7 April 1998, the station, which broadcasts on the UHF frequency band, offers a combination of Malay, English and Chinese programmes, produced locally as well as some from overseas. Ntv7 is also available over all Malaysian digital broadcasting platforms on Channel 107, the station was launched under the entity of Natseven TV Sdn Bhd in 1998 by businessman Mohd Effendi Norwawi, broadcasting daily from 6 am to 1 am the next day. In 2005, Media Prima Berhad announced its acquisition of ntv7 under a price of RM90 million. Media Prima also owns three other television stations in Malaysia, TV3, 8TV & TV9, as well as a controlling stake in the New Straits Times. There are also news bulletins in English, Mandarin and Malay, since 1 April 2016, A teleshopping block brought by the Korean conglomerate CJ Group called CJ WOW Shop has been broadcast across Media Prima channels. Some Media Prima channels are affected by the changes. Currently it is the analogue channel in Malaysia that supports Dual Sound, though it is not used, until the only digital channel in Malaysia. Previous and current slogans of the channel are listed below in Malay, English, saluran Ceria Anda Your Feel Good Channel Your Home Of Feel Good Feel Good 您的欢乐频道 感觉美好 It has had four logos dated 1998,2000,2002, and the current logo. The current logo has two colours since March 2012, one is the original version, and another one is a red version that can seen on Chinese programme promos on the channel. In November 2015, the red logo was dissolved and the logo were used on both English and Chinese. List of Malaysian television stations 8TV TV1 TV2 TV3 TV9 Circle 7 logo Official website
31.
Ultra high frequency
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Ultra high frequency is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 MHz and 3 GHz, also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one decimetre. Radio waves with frequencies above the UHF band fall into the SHF or microwave frequency range, lower frequency signals fall into the VHF or lower bands. UHF radio waves propagate mainly by line of sight, they are blocked by hills, the IEEE defines the UHF radar band as frequencies between 300 MHz and 1 GHz. Two other IEEE radar bands overlap the ITU UHF band, the L band between 1 and 2 GHz and the S band between 2 and 4 GHz. Radio waves in the UHF band travel almost entirely by propagation and ground reflection, there is very little reflection from the ionosphere. They are blocked by hills and cannot travel far beyond the horizon, atmospheric moisture reduces, or attenuates, the strength of UHF signals over long distances, and the attenuation increases with frequency. UHF TV signals are generally more degraded by moisture than lower bands, occasionally when conditions are right, UHF radio waves can travel long distances by tropospheric ducting as the atmosphere warms and cools throughout the day. The length of an antenna is related to the length of the radio waves used, the UHF antenna is stubby and short, at UHF frequencies a quarter-wave monopole, the most common omnidirectional antenna is between 2.5 and 25 cm long for example. UHF is widely used in telephones, cell phones, walkie-talkies and other two-way radio systems from short range up to the visual horizon. Their transmissions do not travel far, allowing frequency reuse, public safety, business communications and personal radio services such as GMRS, PMR446, and UHF CB are often found on UHF frequencies as well as IEEE802.11 wireless LANs. The widely adapted GSM and UMTS cellular networks use UHF cellular frequencies, radio repeaters are used to retransmit UHF signals when a distance greater than the line of sight is required. Omnidirectional UHF antennas used on mobile devices are usually short whips, higher gain omnidirectional UHF antennas can be made of collinear arrays of dipoles and are used for mobile base stations and cellular base station antennas. The short wavelengths also allow high gain antennas to be conveniently small, high gain antennas for point-to-point communication links and UHF television reception are usually Yagi, log periodic, corner reflectors, or reflective array antennas. At the top end of the band slot antennas and parabolic dishes become practical, for television broadcasting specialized vertical radiators that are mostly modifications of the slot antenna or helical antenna are used, the slotted cylinder, zig-zag, and panel antennas. UHF television broadcasting fulfilled the demand for additional over-the-air television channels in urban areas, today, much of the bandwidth has been reallocated to land mobile, trunked radio and mobile telephone use. UHF channels are used for digital television. UHF spectrum is used worldwide for mobile radio systems for commercial, industrial, public safety. Many personal radio services use frequencies allocated in the UHF band, major telecommunications providers have deployed voice and data cellular networks in UHF/VHF range
32.
Tokyo Skytree
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Tokyo Skytree is a broadcasting, restaurant, and observation tower in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. Skytree was completed on 29 February 2012, with the opening to the public on 22 May 2012. The tower is the centrepiece of a commercial development funded by Tobu Railway. Trains stop at the adjacent Tokyo Skytree Station and nearby Oshiage Station, the complex is 7 km north-east of Tokyo Station. The base of the tower has a similar to a tripod, from a height of about 350 m and above, the towers structure is cylindrical to offer panoramic views of the river. There are observatories at 350 m, with a capacity of up to 2000 people, the upper observatory features a spiral, glass-covered skywalk in which visitors ascend the last 5 meters to the highest point at the upper platform. A section of flooring gives visitors a direct downward view of the streets below. The tower has seismic proofing, including a central shaft made of reinforced concrete, the main internal pillar is attached to the outer tower structure for the first 125 meters above ground. From there until 375 meters the pillar is attached to the frame with oil dampers. According to the designers, the dampers can absorb 50 percent of the energy from an earthquake, the exterior lattice is painted a colour officially called Skytree White. This is an original colour based on a white traditional Japanese colour called aijiro. The illumination design was published on 16 October 2009, two illumination patterns Iki sky blue and Miyabi purple will be used, alternating daily. The tower is illuminated using LEDs, from October to November 2007, suggestions were collected from the general public for the name to be given to the tower. On 19 March 2008, a committee chose six final candidate names, Tōkyō Sukaitsurī, Tōkyō Edo Tawā, Raijingu Tawā, Mirai Tawā, Yumemi Yagura, the official name was decided in a nationwide vote, and was announced on 10 June 2008 as Tokyo Skytree. The name received around 33,000 votes out of 110,000 cast, since the name was decided in Japanese, which has no spaces between words, it is not possible to say whether it was intended to be Tokyo Skytree or Tokyo Sky Tree. The official website states TOKYO SKYTREE as a trademark in English. English-language publications are divided between the two versions, the height of 634 m was selected to be easily remembered. The figures 6,3,4 stand for Musashi, an old name of the region where the Tokyo Skytree stands, Tokyo Skytree is used as a radio/television broadcast and communications tower
33.
Canton Tower
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The tower was topped out in 2009 and it became operational on 29 September 2010 for the 2010 Asian Games. The tower briefly held the title of tallest tower in the world, replacing the CN Tower and it was the tallest structure in China prior to the topping out of Shanghai Tower on 3 August 2013. It is now the second tallest tower and the fifth-tallest freestanding structure in the world, there had been a long discussion about the naming of the Canton Tower since the commencement of its construction in 2005 after the groundbreaking ceremony. In September 2009, at the request of the towers investor, the contest attracted over 180,000 valid entries, among which Haixin Tower was awarded the first prize. The name alluded to the historical setting as the start of the Maritime Silk Road. However, this name was considered obscure to people unfamiliar with the history of the city, Local residents continued to refer to the tower by various nicknames including Slim Waist, Twisted Firewood and Yangdianfeng. The naming was reconsidered in 2010, after surveying a broad range of public opinions, Canton Tower was decided as the official name and announced at the end of September 2010. The new English name, alluded to the prosperous past, was considered the most identifying. Guangzhou Tower was constructed by Guangzhou New Television Tower Group who were responsible for the construction, in 2004, Information Based Architecture and Arup won the international competition, in which many internationally large architectural offices participated. The same year the IBA – Arup team in Amsterdam, developed the concept design. In later stages, IBA cooperated mainly with the local Chinese office of Arup, subsequently, in 2005, the groundbreaking of the Canton Tower took place. The tower, although not fully completed, opened to the public on 1 October 2010 in time for the 16th Asian Games, the rooftop observatory finally received its official opening in December 2011. The Canton towers twisted shape or hyperboloid structure corresponds to the Russian Empire patent No,1896, dated 12 March 1899 received by Vladimir Shukhov, the Russian engineer and architect. The structure is similar to the Adziogol Lighthouse in Ukraines Dnepr delta, the tower was designed by Information Based Architecture and Arup. The Arup team led by structural engineer Prof. Dr, the waist of the tower contains a 180 m open-air skywalk where visitors can physically climb the tower. There are outdoor gardens set within the structure, and at the top, just above 450 m, a deck at the base of the tower hides the towers functional workings. All infrastructural connections – metro and bus stations – are situated underground and this level also includes exhibition spaces, a food court, a commercial space, a parking area for cars and coaches. There are two types of lifts, slow-speed panoramic and high-speed double-decker, the zone from 80 to 170 m consists of a 4D cinema, a play-hall area, restaurants, coffee shops and outdoor gardens with teahouses
34.
CN Tower
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The CN Tower is a 553.3 m-high concrete communications and observation tower in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Built on the former Railway Lands, it was completed in 1976, becoming the worlds tallest free-standing structure and it held both records for 34 years until the completion of Burj Khalifa and Canton Tower in 2010. Its name CN originally referred to Canadian National, the company that built the tower. Since the name CN Tower became common in usage, the abbreviation was eventually expanded to Canadian National Tower or Canadas National Tower. However, neither of these names is commonly used, in 1995, the CN Tower was declared one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. It also belongs to the World Federation of Great Towers, where it holds second-place ranking and these plans evolved over the next few years, and the project became official in 1972. Key project team members were NCK Engineering as structural engineer, John Andrews Architects, Webb, Zerafa, Menkes, Housden Architects, Foundation Building Construction, and Canron. As Toronto grew rapidly during the late 1960s and early 1970s, multiple skyscrapers were constructed in the downtown core, the reflective nature of the new buildings compromised the quality of broadcast signals necessitating new, higher antennas that were at least 300 m tall. At the time, most data communications took place over point-to-point microwave links, as each new skyscraper was added to the downtown, former line-of-sight links were no longer possible. CN intended to rent hub space for microwave links, visible from almost any building in the Toronto area. S, the original plan for the tower envisioned a tripod consisting of three independent cylindrical pillars linked at various heights by structural bridges. Had it been built, this design would have considerably shorter. The idea for the level in its current form evolved around this time. One engineer in particular felt that visitors would feel the higher observation deck would be worth paying extra for, Construction on the CN Tower began on February 6,1973, with massive excavations at the tower base for the foundation.7 m. This portion of the construction was rapid, with only four months needed between the start and the foundation being ready for construction on top. To build the support pillar, a hydraulically raised slipform was built at the base. This was an impressive engineering feat on its own, consisting of a large metal platform that raised itself on jacks at about 6 m per day as the concrete below set. In total, the tower contains 40,500 m3 of concrete, through the pour, the vertical accuracy of the tower was maintained by comparing the slip forms location to massive plumb bobs hanging from it, observed by small telescopes from the ground. Over the height of the tower, it varies from true vertical accuracy by only 29 mm, in August 1974, construction of the main level commenced
35.
Ostankino Tower
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Ostankino Tower is a television and radio tower in Moscow, Russia, owned by the Moscow branch of unitary enterprise Russian TV and Radio Broadcasting Network. Standing 540.1 metres tall, Ostankino was designed by Nikolai Nikitin and it is currently the tallest freestanding structure in Europe and 11th tallest in the world. The tower was the first free-standing structure to exceed 500 m in height, Ostankino was built to mark the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It is named after the Ostankino district of Moscow in which it is located, construction began in 1963 and was completed in 1967. Extensive use of prestressed concrete resulted in a simple and sturdy structure that was a masterpiece of Soviet engineering in the period it was built. It surpassed the Empire State Building to become the tallest free-standing structure in the world and it held this record for nine years until the CN Tower was completed in Toronto, Canada in 1976, which surpassed its height by 13 metres. The Ostankino Tower remained the second-tallest structure in the world for another 31 years until the Burj Khalifa surpassed both it and the CN Tower in height in 2007, the Ostankino Tower has remained the tallest structure in Europe for 49 years. A1994 plan to increase the height to 561 metres by adding an antenna was not implemented for lack of funding. The tower caught fire on 27 August 2000, killing four people, three firefighters died in the attempt to extinguish the fire, and one lift operator died when her elevator cabin crashed to the ground level due to the fire. In addition, television and radio signals were disrupted around Moscow, the fire necessitated an evacuation of all visitors and staff from those locations. According to Russian news agencies, the evacuation was complete 90 minutes after the start of the fire, the loss was substantial due to the age and poor maintenance of the electronic equipment, much of which was installed in the 1960s. In addition, the tower had become increasingly packed with equipment, the failure of the fire suppression systems allowed the fire to destroy most of the towers interior. Temporary firewalls of asbestos placed 70 metres up stopped further spread, the fire knocked out virtually all television broadcasts in Moscow and the surrounding regions. The fire caused the upper spire to tilt slightly, triggering fears the tower might collapse. Subsequent inspection determined that although the structure sustained damage, the tower was not in danger of collapse. Efforts began immediately to rebuild the tower, which proved to be a long, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that This latest accident shows the shape of our vital installations and the overall state of our country. We should not fail to see problems in the country behind this accident. Whether or not such accidents happen again in the future depend on how we work in this vital direction
36.
Oriental Pearl Tower
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The Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower is a TV tower in Shanghai. Its location at the tip of Lujiazui in the Pudong district by the side of Huangpu River, opposite The Bund and its principal designers were Jiang Huan Chen, Lin Benlin, and Zhang Xiulin. Construction began in 1991, and the tower was completed in 1994, at 468 m high, it was the tallest structure in China from 1994–2007, when it was surpassed by the Shanghai World Financial Center. It is classified as an AAAAA scenic area by the China National Tourism Administration, the tower is brightly lit in different LED sequences at night. On 7 July 2007, Oriental Pearl Tower was host to the Chinese Live Earth concert, the tower features 11 spheres, big and small. The two largest spheres, along the length of the tower, have diameters of 50 m for the lower and 45 m for the upper and they are linked by three columns, each 9 m in diameter. The highest sphere is 14 m in diameter, the entire tower is supported by three enormous columns that start underground. The tower has fifteen observatory levels, the lower levels are at 263 m and at 90 m. There is a restaurant at the 267 m level. The project also contains facilities and a small shopping center. There is also a 20-room hotel called the Space Hotel between the two large spheres, the upper observation platform has an outside area with a 1.5 inch glass floor. An antenna, broadcasting TV and radio programs, extends the construction by another 118 m to a height of 468 meters. It is said to be based on a verse of the Tang Dynasty poem Pipa Song by Bai Juyi about the wonderful sprinkling sound of an instrument, like pearls, big. However, the designer Jiang Huancheng says that he did not have the poem in mind when designing the tower and it was the chief of the jury board who said it reminded him of that poem. On April 13,2010 the antenna at the top of the 468m tower caught fire at around 2,00 a. m, the fire was then put out by firefighters. Prior to the fire there was a series of thunderstorms
37.
Milad Tower
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Milad Tower, also known as the Tehran Tower, is a multi-purpose tower in Tehran, Iran. It is the sixth-tallest tower and the 17th-tallest freestanding structure in the world and it is located between the Qarb Town and Gisha District, standing at 435 metres from base to the tip of the antenna. The head consists of a pod with 12 floors, the roof of which is at 315 m. The tower is a part of a complex called International Trade, the complex also includes a five-star hotel, a convention center, a world trade center, and an IT park. The tower was first proposed as part of the Shahestan Pahlavi project, in Tehrans Abbas Abad district, the project would have cost $5 billion. The firm also employed Lisa Halaby, the future Queen Noor of Jordan, after the 1979 Revolution, the project was cancelled. Construction of the tower was commenced in 1997, upon completion of its 11-year-long construction in 2008, the Milad Tower was considered the fourth-tallest free-standing telecommunication tower in the world. The tower was opened on 20 February 2009 by the 55th Mayor of Tehran, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf. More than 250 local and foreign journalists were covering the event, Milad Tower, with its height of 435 m, is the tallest tower in Iran, and the sixth-tallest telecommunication tower in the world. It consists of five parts, including the foundation, transition structure, shaft, head structure. The lobby structure consists of six floors, the first three floors consist of 63 trade units,11 food courts, a cafeteria, and a commercial products exhibition which is supposed to be 260 m2. The first and second floors underground consist of official and installing sections, the ground floor is devoted to the entrance and visitors reception. The shaft is a structure which is 315 m-high from the ground floor. In three different sides of it,6 elevators are used to transfer the visitors to the head of the tower at the speed of 7 m/s, the head of the tower is a steel structure weighing about 25,000 tonnes and consisting of 12 floors. The four-stage antenna mast is 120 m-high, Milad Tower has an octagonal base, symbolising traditional Persian architecture. The design of the project was conducted by Dr. Mohammad Reza Hafezi, since he has known as the architect. The tower was built by Boland Payeh Company as the contractor, and customized by Yadman Sazeh Company. A five-star hotel with an area of 52,000 m2 has been established in order to local and global tourists
38.
Dyera costulata
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Dyera costulata, the jelutong, is a species of tree in the oleander subfamily. It grows to approximately 60 metres tall with diameters of 2 metres, or even to 80 m tall with diameters to 3 m and it grows in Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra and southern Thailand. Its natural distribution is scattered locales in low-elevation tropical evergreen forest, in addition, jelutong can be tapped for latex and from the 1920s through the 1960s, jelutong latex was an important source of chewing gum. Jelutong has been overharvested, and is a threatened species in many areas. It is a species in parts of Malaysia and Thailand. The tree is grown commercially for timber, sawdust from this species has been known to cause allergic dermatitis. Jelutong is used for its wood, along with balsa it is technically a hardwood with many properties similar to that wood. These properties such as the low density, straight grain and fine texture mean it is easy to work with and hence popular with model makers, the roots are used as a cork substitute. Wood dust from jelutong causes contact allergy
39.
Telekom Malaysia
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Telekom Malaysia Berhad DBA is Malaysia’s leading telecommunications company, with a history dating back to 1946. The company sees itself as transforming the way Malaysians connect, communicate and collaborate, most recently this has seen TM venture into the Long Term Evolution space with the launch of TMgo, its first 4G offering. With a total of 2.23 million broadband subscribers, TM’s UniFi is Malaysia’s first high-speed broadband service and is one of TM’s recent success stories, unifis rollout, in 24months, has been acknowledged as one of the fastest and lowest cost in the world. The British, who had a presence in Malaysia from the 18th century, were responsible for setting up the country’s earliest telecommunications facilities, the first public telephone exchange in the country was also set up in Ipoh, in 1902. In 1891, telephones made its debut in Kuala Lumpur, along with increased trade and the development of townships, the number of telephone subscribers in Peninsular Malaysia increased significantly. By 1930, to deal with the volume of telephony traffic, in the 1930s, all telephone exchanges in the Malayan Trunk System could communicate with exchanges in Java, the Philippines, the US, Canada and Mexico using shortwave radio-telephone transmitters. Towards the end of the decade, a Marconi Radio Terminal was installed at the Kuala Lumpur Telephone Exchange to handle overseas calls, much of this telecommunications infrastructure was damaged during the Second World War and the Japanese Occupation. During the Japanese Occupation, the Posts & Telegraphs Department had been split into two separate units, when the British returned, they initially re-united the two entities, but this effort was short-lived. During the Emergency, there was a focus on providing communications links for the police. This included the installation of radio stations in the jungle as well as Very High Frequency radiotelephony over the state network. By 1953, all hill stop stations required for the police VHF network were completed, enabling every police station and police vehicle to communicate with headquarters, the police radio services were thought to be the largest scheme of its kind in the world. At the same time, despite the Occupation, commercial activities began to flourish and this necessitated a third floor to be built at the telephone exchange building in Kuala Lumpur. Along with the issue of 10 cent coins, phone booths began to spring up in Kuala Lumpur, from 1950 to 1953, the Department’s revenue more than doubled from $8 million to $17 million as the number of telephones installed rose from 20,000 to 39,000. Accordingly, the trunk and junction networks expanded, and the number of radio stations grew by 10 times to more than 1,000, in 1953, too, the Penang Auto Exchange was opened catering for 5,000 lines. In 1954, the Main Trunk Route linking Singapore to Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, during this period, international connections have also increased, linking Malaysia with the rest of the world. As Independence became imminent, a comprehensive Malayanisation programme was embarked on to ensure the Department would continue to be run by local personnel. From as early as 1954, no less than 21 Malaysians were pursuing studies in telecommunications related areas in Britain and their numbers were boosted by youth enrolling at the Department’s Gracelyn Training School. Following the country’s Independence in 1957, the Malayan Telecommunications Department was renamed Jabatan Telekom, One of its first tasks was to provide telecommunications facilities throughout the nation, as part of the Rural Development Plan
40.
The Amazing Race Asia 1
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The Amazing Race Asia is a reality television game show based on the American series, The Amazing Race. The first season of the show features ten teams of two, with a relationship, in a race around Asia and the Pacific Rim to win US$100,000. Applications were accepted through 31 March 2006, the season began on 9 November 2006 and the season finale aired on 1 February 2007. Malaysian workers Zabrina Fernandez & Joe Jer Tee were the winners of the race, AXN Asia, which airs the original American series, had received many written requests for an Asian production from local viewers. In July 2006, Singaporean television personality Allan Wu was introduced as the host of The Amazing Race Asia. Ricky Ow, General Manager of SPE Networks Asia described Wu as a big fan of The Amazing Race and felt that his good looks, over 1000 teams across Asia applied for the series, with registration accepted through 31 March 2006. Ultimately, ten teams were selected to participate in the race, host Allan Wu commented that the producers definitely took the time and did their homework to select the most diverse, entertaining, and controversial batch of contestants for our first season. The cast consisted of a few local media representatives or their relatives, Zabrina is a Ntv7 and Channel V television producer, as well as the sister of Malaysian film director Joshua Fernandez and Hitz. FM DJ JJ Fernandez. Aubrey is an actress who acted in local movies such as Prosti, Xerex, Sanib, A Beautiful Life and Gagamboy. Prashant is an Indian actor who starred in the Bollywood movie Aag, melody Chen later appeared in The Amazing Race 25 as a Pit Stop greeter in Singapores Leg 9. The first season of the show was supported by the following regional sponsors, ltd, AirAsia, Caltex, MSN, Nokia, and Bintan Lagoon Resort. Ford was a sponsor, while the series was also supported by Tourism Malaysia. The sponsors played a role in the series by providing prizes. In addition, AirAsia was the airline used by racers. To introduce the new series to an Asian audience, a promotional tour visited Seoul, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, an additional episode, subtitled Memories was an after-race interview special that aired one week after the season finale. The following teams participated in the race, with their relationships at the time of filming, placements are listed in finishing order, A red team placement indicates that the team was eliminated. An underlined blue placement indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop in a non-elimination Leg of the race. The teams were forced to relinquish all of their money and were not allotted money for the next Leg, a green ƒ indicates that the team won a Fast Forward clue
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