11/1/2010 to 11/4/2010 | Delhi , IndiaBy Micah Hanson, on November 4th, 2010 123► With my flight back to the states a day away I had finished my requisite Christmas shopping. Despite shopping 2 months before Christmas I had managed to get the holiday shopping experiences anyway, as I had unknowingly scheduled my flight on the Indian holiday of Diwali. In retrospect this unintentional scheduling was […] By Micah Hanson, on February 27th, 2010 12345► The following morning I returned to the Charminar area for the procession I had been told about the night before. More and more people flooded in to the area opposite the Jamma Masjid on the street leading North to the Charminar. Some colored there faces with green sparkling paint, a Muslim answer […] By Micah Hanson, on February 26th, 2010 12► We went down to the Charminar, the iconic center of Hyderabad’s Islamic old city center, on the eve of Malid un Nabi the day Muslims celebrate the birthday of the prophet Mohammad. It was a festive atmosphere as people stood along the streets waving flags and dancing, while others drove around on […] 1/10/2009 to 1/13/2009 | BangladeshBy Micah Hanson, on January 13th, 2009 123► I spent my one day in Khulna taking a day trip to Bagerhat, site of several 15th century mosques and tombs, including the tomb of a venerated sufi saint by the name of Khan Jahan Ali which is the primary draw for Bangladeshi pilgrims. While the architecture is not spectacular (especially when […] 1/28/2008 to 1/29/2008 | India , KarnatakaBy Micah Hanson, on January 29th, 2008 123► Bijapur, the last in my three city tour of central India’s former Islamic kingdom capitals, was the capital of the Adil Shani kings from 1489 to 1686 AD. Bijapur became one of the major centers of power in the region after the disintegration of the Bahmani Empire centered at my previous abode, […] 1/27/2008 to 1/28/2008 | India , KarnatakaBy Micah Hanson, on January 28th, 2008 12► The city of Bidar is not on the way to much, trains from Bombay heading south blow by town with little more than a honk of the horn, and few tourist make the effort to get to this provincial backwater town, tucked away in the far north of Karnataka. The city was […] 12/5/2007 to 12/9/2007 | India , Madhya PradeshBy Micah Hanson, on December 9th, 2007 1234► The collection of villages now scattered across the Mandu plateau sit in the shadow of a deserted capital dotted with ruined mosques, palaces, and tombs. It was once a capital and fortress of a Muslim dynasty that ruled the area during the 15th and early 16th century. Today it lies in a […] | Currently in:Chicago, Illinois, USA |