9,000-km Java to Makkah journey on foot in a year

http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/516051/SAUDI-ARABIA/Indonesians

Rare Look Inside North Korea's Massive Military: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/04/north-korea-military-photography/

Haunting Relics of a Country That No Longer Exists: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/europe/former-yugoslavia-monuments/

নেহেরু যে কারণে ভারত ভাগ করতে রাজী হলেন: BBC

http://www.bbc.com/bengali/news-41092064

রোহিঙ্গা ইতিহাস নিয়ে সাতটি বিচিত্র তথ্য: BBC

http://www.bbc.com/bengali/news-38225004

The 100 greatest comedies of all time: BBC

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170821-the-100-greatest-comedies-of-all-time

Exclusive First Photos of the 2017 Solar Eclipse: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/08/sun-moon-solar-eclipse-photos/

The solar eclipse, in pictures: CNN

http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2017/08/us/eclipse-photos/index.html

No ropes, no shoes and 300m drops: BBC

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20140814-in-ethiopia-an-adrenaline-filled-act-of-faith

The hottest inhabited place on Earth: BBC

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20160913-inside-ethiopias-sizzling-cauldron

Africa's mystical underground churches: BBC

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170817-ethiopias-miraculous-underground-churches

The secret world of Granada’s Alhambra palace: BBC

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20170817-the-secret-world-of-granadas-alhambra-palace

USS Indianapolis discovered 18,000 feet below Pacific surface: CNN

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/19/us/uss-indianapolis-wreckage-found/index.html

The Motherland Calls

 

1. Spring Temple Buddha 153 m (incl. 25 m pedestal and 20 m throne)
2. Statue of Liberty 93 m (incl. 47 m pedestal) 3.
The Motherland Calls 91 m (excl. pedestal)
4. Christ the Redeemer 38 m (incl. 8 m pedestal)

Picture Source: Collected from Internet

Salang Pass, Afghanistan

The Salang Pass (Persian: كتل سالنگ‎‎, el. 3,878 m or 12,723 ft) is nowadays the major mountain pass connecting northern Afghanistan with Parwan Province, with onward connections to Kabul Province, southern Afghanistan, and to the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.^[1] Located on the border of Parwan Province and Baghlan Province, it is just to the east of the Kushan Pass, and both of them were of great importance in early times as they provided the most direct connections between the Kabul region with northern Afghanistan or Tokharistan. The Salang River originates nearby and flows south.

The pass crosses the Hindu Kush mountains but is now bypassed through the Salang Tunnel, which runs underneath it at a height of about 3,400 m. It links Charikar and Kabul in the south with Mazar-i-Sharif and Kunduz in the north. Before the road and tunnel were built, the main route between Kabul and northern Afghanistan was via the Shibar Pass, a much longer route which took three days. Source: Wikipedia

Picture Source: Collected from Internet

50 reasons London is the world's greatest city: CNN

http://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/london-greatest-city/index.html

Darul Aman Palace, Afghanistan

Darul Aman Palace (Pashto: د دارالامان ماڼۍ‎; Persian: قصر دارالامان‎‎; "abode of peace" or, in a double meaning "abode of Aman[ullah]")^[1] is a ruined palace located about sixteen kilometers (ten miles) outside of the center of Kabul, Afghanistan. As of 2017, progress is being made on a major project intended to fully renovate the building by 2019.

Construction of the Darul Aman Palace began in the early 1920s as a part of the endeavours of King Amanullah Khan to modernize Afghanistan. It was to be part of the new capital city (also called Darul Aman or Darulaman) that the king intended to build, connected to Kabul by a narrow gauge railway.

The palace is an imposing neoclassical building on a hilltop overlooking a flat, dusty valley in the western part of the Afghan capital. Designed by French and German architects, it was one of the first buildings in the country to get central heating and running water. Intended as the seat of a future parliament, the building remained unused and partially complete for many years after religious conservatives forced Amanullah from power in 1929, and halted his reforms. In later years it served as the medical school for Kabul University, as well a warehouse, and the seat of several smaller ministries.

The building was gutted by fire in 1969, and afterwards restored to house the Ministry of Defense during the 1970s and 1980s. In the Communist coup of 1978, the building was once more set on fire. It was damaged again as rival Mujahideen factions fought for control of Kabul in the early 1990s after the end of the Soviet invasion. Heavy shelling by the Mujahideen left the palace a gutted ruin, and it was mostly used as a refugee settlement and a nomad camp until the early 2000s, when it became a battalion headquarters for the Afghan National Army.

In 2005, a plan was unveiled to refurbish the palace for use as the seat of Afghanistan's future parliament.It was to be funded primarily by private donations from foreigners and wealthy Afghans. As of July 2010 there were still no signs of any renovations. The palace one of several targets in a series of attacks launched on April 15, 2012, for which the Taliban claimed responsibility.

In early 2016 work began on a US$ 20 million restoration project, intended to renovate the palace in time for the centenary of Afghanistan’s independence from Britain in 1919. Nearly 600 tons of debris was initially removed from the 150-room building, and by the spring of 2017, workers were taking down plaster and concrete from the inner walls. Source: Wikipedia

 

 

Before destruction

Picture Source: Collected from Internet

Tajbeg Palace, Afghanistan

Tajbeg Palace or Tapa-e-Tajbeg (Pashto: د تاج بېګ ماڼۍ‎; Persian: قصر تاج بيگ‎‎; Palace of the Large Crown) is a palace built in the 1920s and located about 10 miles (16 km) outside the centre of Kabul, Afghanistan. The stately mansion sits atop a knoll among foothills where the Afghan royal family once hunted and picnicked. It should not be confused with Darul Aman Palace, which is about 1.3 kilometres (0.81 mi) northeast from Tajbeg.

Built to house the Afghan royal family, Tajbeg Palace is one of the most impressive landmarks of "Darulaman," newly created during the era of Amānullāh Khān by a team of European architects in an attempt to establish a new seat of government and modernise Afghanistan, both of which ultimately failed when religious conservatives forced Amānullāh from power and halted his reforms, leaving the palace in ruins as it has been for much of its existence.

Not far from the castle or Tapa e Taj Beg (Taj Beg hill), a palace for the Queen of the Timurids is said to have been found a long time ago. Terraced garden designs were preferred by Timurids and Moguls, and today some ruins remain. The Timurids and their successors, the Moguls, have kinship relations with the Pashtun tribes of Abdali Durrani and later Yusufzai. The daughter-in-law of Ahmad Khan Abdali (the wife of Timur Shah Durrani) was the daughter of Alamgir II.

According to some historians. the palace seems to have been renovated by Zaman Shah in 1795 (1210 H.), which was subsequently destroyed in military conflicts, and the ruins from ancient times remain. Foreign soldiers of ISAF have documented ruins of the former castle. As with many historical sites in Afghanistan, current dynasties try to reduce the historical achievements of their predecessors.

On December 27, 1979, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics launched its invasion of Afghanistan. That evening, the Soviet military launched Operation Storm-333, in which some 700 troops, including 54 KGB spetsnaz special forces troops from the Alpha Group and Zenith Group, stormed the Palace and killed President Hafizullah Amin, who resided there.

During the Soviet war in Afghanistan it served as the headquarters of the Soviet 40th Army. The palace was severely damaged in the years after the Soviet withdrawal, when different mujahideen factions fought for control of Kabul after the fall of President Najibullah's Moscow-backed government. Source: Wikipedia

Picture Source: Collected from Internet

30 of India's most beautiful places: CNN

http://edition.cnn.com/travel/gallery/india-beautiful-places/index.html

Natural wonders: The ultimate list of scenic splendor: CNN

http://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/natural-wonder-bucket-list/index.html

28 Surprising Adventures in the Tropics: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/lists/31-surprising-adventures-tropics/

This Man Searched for the Yeti for 60 Years—and Found It: National Geographic

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/08/yeti-abominable-snowman-bear-daniel-taylor/

Powerful Pictures Show What Nuclear ‘Fire and Fury’ Really Looks Like: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/08/fire-fury-hiroshima-nagasaki-anniversary-nuclear-atomic-bomb-pictures/

Vintage Photos Show the Beauty of Brides Around the World: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/08/bride-groom-wedding-archive/

A Million People Live in These Underground Nuclear Bunkers: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/02/atomic-rooms-beijing-china-housing/

An Ethereal Forest Where Japanese Commit Suicide: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/02/aokigahara-jukai-suicide-forest/

10 Breathtaking Pictures of Icy Worlds: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/04/earth-day-pictures-wildlife/

This Man Endured Bee Stings and a Death-Defying Climb to Photograph Last Honey Hunter: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/07/ozturk-honey-hunter-nepal/

See 22 Spectacular Pictures of Snakes: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/07/snakes-world-snake-day-environment-animals-joel-sartore-photos/

See a Rare Red Full Moon: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/07/full-moonrise-boston/

Rare Views of the Moon, as Seen by Apollo Astronauts: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/07/apollo-missions-nasa-lunar-moon-landing/

In the Wonderland of Peru—Rediscovering Machu Picchu: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/1913/04/machu-picchu-peru-inca-hiram-bingham-discovery/

যেভাবে পিতা শেখ মুজিবুর রহমানের হত্যাকাণ্ড সম্পর্কে জেনেছিলেন শেখ হাসিনা: BBC Bangla

http://www.bbc.com/bengali/news-40926853

শেখ মুজিব হত্যার পর জেনারেল জিয়া যে মন্তব্য করেছিলেন: BBC Bangla

http://www.bbc.com/bengali/news-40763116

শেখ মুজিব সপরিবারে হত্যার পর ৩২নং রোডের বাড়ীর ভেতরের দৃশ্য কেমন ছিল? BBC Bangla

http://www.bbc.com/bengali/news-40933121

১৫ অগাস্ট: কী ছিল সেদিনের পত্রিকায়: bdnews24.com

http://bangla.bdnews24.com/bangladesh/article1379504.bdnews

Inside the Haunting Remains of Secret WWII Bunkers

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/07/swiss-mountain-bunker-photos/

This Eclectic Community Transformed a Desert into a Fantastical Forest: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/08/reforestation-india-sustainable-sadhana-community-desert/

Found: National Geographic

http://natgeofound.tumblr.com/

Where Women Reign: An Intimate Look Inside a Rare Kingdom: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/08/portraits-of-chinese-Mosuo-matriarchs/

30 Jaw-Dropping Ways to Experience Chile: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/destinations/south-america/chile/photos-jaw-dropping-adventure-experiences-chile/

Breathtaking ‘Sky Islands’ Showcase Evolution in Action: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/08/skyislands-and-western-ghats/

These Photos Prove How Wild Burning Man Really Is: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/north-america/united-states/nevada/burning-man-nevada-art-festival/

This is Europe's Most Beautiful Hiking Trail: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/destinations/europe/hiking-gr5-grande-randonnee-trail/

7 Incredible Natural Wonders of Africa: National Geographic

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/africa/unexpected-places-to-go/

Borders and bloodshed: The making of India and Pakistan: CNN

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/08/asia/gallery/india-pakistan-independence-photos/index.html

Malta

Malta is an archipelago in the central Mediterranean between Sicily and the North African coast. It's a nation known for historic sites related to a succession of rulers including the Romans, Moors, Knights of Saint John, French and British. It has numerous fortresses, megalithic temples and the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, a subterranean complex of halls and burial chambers dating to circa 4000 B.C.

 

Photo Source: Collected from Internet

Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The United States, with the consent of the United Kingdom as laid down in the Quebec Agreement, dropped nuclear weapons on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. during the final stage of World War II. The two bombings, which killed at least 129,000 people, remain the only use of nuclear weapons for warfare in history.

Blast: 'Little Boy' - the first atomic bomb one used at war 

This photo shows the total destruction of the city of Hiroshima, Japan, on April 1, 1946.
The atomic bomb known as "Little Boy" was dropped over Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945
during World War II from the U.S. AAF Superfortress bomber plane called "Enola Gay

 The war in Europe had concluded when Nazi Germany signed its instrument of surrender on May 8, 1945. The Japanese, facing the same fate, refused to accept the Allies' demands for unconditional surrender and the Pacific War continued. Together with the United Kingdom and China, the United States called for the unconditional surrender of the Japanese armed forces but they refused to surrender. 

On August 6, the U.S. dropped a uranium gun-type atomic bomb (Little Boy) on the city of Hiroshima. American President Harry S. Truman called for Japan's surrender 16 hours later, warning them to "expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth". 

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay landing on the Marianas Island after the atomic.

Three days later, on August 9, the U.S. dropped a plutonium implosion-type bomb (Fat Man) on the city of Nagasaki. Within the first two to four months of the bombings, the acute effects of the atomic bombings killed 90,000–146,000 people in Hiroshima and 39,000–80,000 in Nagasaki; roughly half of the deaths in each city occurred on the first day. During the following months, large numbers died from the effect of burns, radiation sickness, and other injuries, compounded by illness and malnutrition. In both cities, most of the dead were civilians. 

Little Boy and Fat Man atomic bombs and their explosions over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively.

On August 15, six days after the bombing of Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's declaration of war, Japan announced its surrender to the Allies. On September 2, it signed the instrument of surrender, effectively ending World War II.

Hiroshima before the bombing.

Hardly any buildings in Hiroshima were left standing
after the massive atomic bomb blast

Hiroshima shortly after the atomic bomb was dropped

Hiroshima after the atomic bombing.

Photos of the Prefectural Industrial Promotion Building before (inset) and after the bombing of Hiroshima.
The remains were later preserved as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, Atomic Bomb Dome or Genbaku Dome.
The Atomic Bomb Dome was the only building to survive.

Nagasaki before bombing

Nagasaki after bombing

Picture source: Collected from Internet