The Muslim Quarter of Xi’an
Culture, Food, Religion Christopher Wilton-Steer Culture, Food, Religion Christopher Wilton-Steer

The Muslim Quarter of Xi’an

Over the centuries, many Muslims travelled eastwards and ended up settling in Xi’an creating the Muslim Quarter. This area contains numerous eateries serving Central Asia food and is visited by both locals and tourists alike. It’s also home to China’s oldest mosque.

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Vestiges of Zoroastrianism in Iran
Religion Christopher Wilton-Steer Religion Christopher Wilton-Steer

Vestiges of Zoroastrianism in Iran

Yazd is Iran’s unofficial capital of Zoroastrianism; one of the world’s oldest continuously practiced religions and Persia’s dominant religion before the the arrival of Islam in the 7th century.

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Life and death along the ghats of Varanasi
Religion Christopher Wilton-Steer Religion Christopher Wilton-Steer

Life and death along the ghats of Varanasi

I had barely slept the last few days so I asked the proprietor of the hotel for a quiet room. He paused briefly and then meeting my eyes said: “this is a very difficult place to find peace.” Ironic, I thought, since this is where people come to die.

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Sufi mystics, Istanbul
Religion Christopher Wilton-Steer Religion Christopher Wilton-Steer

Sufi mystics, Istanbul

On the outskirts of Istanbul lies one of the few remaining Sufi monasteries in Turkey. Here, the local community gather to watch a performance of ‘whirling dervishes’ - a practice which originated from the teachings of the 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic theologian and Sufi mystic, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi.

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Dervish Mystics of Historic Cairo
Religion Christopher Wilton-Steer Religion Christopher Wilton-Steer

Dervish Mystics of Historic Cairo

I was lucky enough to catch this performance in Wekalet el Ghouri arts centre on a visit to Cairo in October 2018. The Whirling Dervishes perform their dhikr in the form of a dance which involves whirling.

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Pilgrimage to Djerba
Religion Christopher Wilton-Steer Religion Christopher Wilton-Steer

Pilgrimage to Djerba

The ancient El Ghriba Synagogue, is located on the Tunisian island of Djerba.

The synagogue is the ‘oldest in Tunisia, and besides being the centre of the island's Jewish life is also a site of pilgrimage, whose status approaches that of the Holy Land; one of the legends associated with its founding claims that either a stone or a door from Solomon's Temple or the Second Temple is incorporated in the building.’ (Wikipedia)

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