The Minaret of Jam, Afghanistan

The Minaret of Jam is located in Ghor Province of Western Afghanistan, by the Hari River. It is a 65-meter high minaret and is surrounded by mountains that reach up to 2400 meters. It was built in circa 119s with baked-bricks. It is famous for its tile decoration which consists of kufic and naskhi calligraphy, geometric patterns and verses from Surah Maryam of Qur'an. It was declared as first UNESCO World Heritage site in Afghanistan.

The Minaret of Jam was lost in sands of times for centuries until rediscovered in 1886 by Afghan Boundary Commission and then came into world's attention in 1957 through the work of French Archaeologists. It is said as a direct inspiration of Qutub Minar in Delhi, India. It is also the second-tallest brick minaret in world after the Qutub Minar of Delhi.

There are around 60 Minarets and Towers in central Asia, Iran and Afghanistan built between the 11th and 13th Centuries. The Minarets are thought to be symbols of Islam's Victory.

Other archaeological Landscapes around Jam are the ruins of a palace, Fortifications and a Jewish Cemetry. All these are said to be remains of the lost city of Turquoise Mountain. As the Minaret of Jam is located near Hari and Jam Rivers, it has been threatened by erosion and floods. Frequent Earthquakes and illegal excavations by locals and other looters have also damaged the surroundings of the Minaret and the it has now started to lean, but restoration work is in progress to halt this danger.

Alhambra, Spain

One of the marvels of the middle ages Al Hambra still stands tall in Spain. Near the city of Granada the beautiful building was constructed by the Muslim rulers of Spain. It names AL HAMBRA (the RED in Arabic) is due to its red color because the use of the surrounding red mud. Its first trace in the history can be found in the 9th century and from time to time every new Muslim ruler added to the building as to put his own share in the beauty of the site until the 14th century . After Christian Monarchs re-conquered the Spain they also added several new building to Al-Hambra .

In its peak, Al-Hambra was a fairy tale place in the Spain, specially the local poets added the enthusiasm in the local populace for Al-Hambra. The Spanish governors Yusuf I (1333-1353) and Mohammed V (1353-1391) have the most of the share in the Al-Hambra. There are many rooms in the building all opening into the central open hall. A 10 KM canal was constructed from the nearby river Darro to maintain water supply in the building. There are several fountains in the building to add to the beauty of the building. On the artistic front, Al-Hambra is also not lagging back, all the building is filled with Muslim sculpture, with various poems in all the building. Al-Hambra lost its importance in 17th century and there was a danger of this great site being lost in the sands of the time, but in early 19th century it was rediscovered and repaired since then its been maintained properly and now generating a good amount of money for Spain as one of their most appealing tourist attractions. Al-Hambra is also a UNESCO world heritage site.