History of Islam.

Mecca

Islam

History of Islam

Beliefs and practices
Oneness of God
Profession of Faith
Prayer • Fasting
Pilgrimage • Charity

Major figures
Muhammad
Ali • Abu Bakr
Companions of Muhammad
Household of Muhammad
Prophets of Islam

Texts & Laws
Qur'an • Hadith • Sharia
Jurisprudence • Theology
Biographies of Muhammad

Branches of Islam
Sunni • Shi'a • Sufi


Sociopolitical aspects
Art • Architecture
Cities • Calendar
Science • Philosophy
Religious leaders
Women in Islam
Political Islam • Jihad
Liberal Islam


See also
Vocabulary of Islam
Index of articles on Islam

This article is about the holy city in Saudi Arabia. For other uses, see Mecca (disambiguation)
Mecca or Makkah (in full: Makkah al-Mukarramah; Arabic: مكة المكرمة) is the capital city of Saudi Arabia's Makkah province, in the historic Hijaz region. It has a population of 1,294,168 (2004 census). The city is located at 21°25′N 39°49′E, 73 kilometers (45 mi) inland from Jeddah, in the narrow sandy Valley of Abraham, 277 meters (909 ft) above sea level. It is located 80 kilometers (50 mi) from the Red Sea.

The city is revered as the holiest site of Islam, and a pilgrimage to it is required of all able-bodied Muslims who can afford to go, at least once in their lifetime. Muslims regard the al-Masjid al-Haram (or 'The Sacred Mosque') as the holiest place on Earth.

The term 'Mecca' has come into common usage metaphorically to mean any all-important site for any particular group of people. In the 1980s the government of Saudi Arabia changed the official English transliteration of the city's name from 'Mecca', as it had been commonly spelled by westerners, to 'Makkah'. See below for the reasons.

Contents
1 Muhammad
2 Non-Muslims and Mecca
3 Is Mecca the city of the Valley of Bakkah?
4 The spelling of the name
5 See also
6 External links




Muhammad

Muhammad, the final prophet of Islam, was born in Mecca in 571 CE. When he was forty years old, he received the first revelation in a cave called Hira in Jabal al-Nour (Mountain of Light), approximately 2 miles from Mecca. In the year 622, after suffering persecution and numerous attempts on his life, he moved to Yathrib (now Madinah), which also became a holy city. Later, Muhammad led the Muslims and conquered Mecca from the pagans.


Non-Muslims and Mecca

Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter Mecca, according to the Saudi embassy in London
. Road blocks are stationed along roads leading to the city. The most celebrated case of a non-Muslim visiting Mecca was that of the British explorer Sir Richard Burton in 1853. Burton disguised himself as an Afghan Muslim to visit and write his Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al Madinah and Meccah.


The Kaaba in the Masjid al-Haram, Mecca[edit]

-Is Mecca the city of the Valley of Bakkah?
-See main article: Bakkah
-Some have identified Mecca as the ancient city Bakkah, the Biblical "valley of Baca" in Psalm 84, but this association is controversial. It is known that the name Bakkah was changed to Mecca at some time, which is the location identified in the Qur'an.


The spelling of the name

For most English-speakers, Mecca has long been the accepted spelling for the holy city. The word is a transliteration of the original Arabic, and has become part of the English language. In an effort to distinguish between the metaphorical and official references to the holy site, the Saudi Arabian government in the 1980s began promoting a new transliteration, 'Makkah al-Mukarramah', which is even closer to the original Arabic. This new usage has been adopted in many places and by certain organizations, such as the U.S. Department of State, but is not part of the active vocabulary of English-speakers at large. Some leading media organisations such as the BBC and the New York Times continue to use Mecca.

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Home Furnishing.

A Place for Everything.

So, you've made the excellent decision to get organized, you've sorted through your belongings and you now have only items that you love and are usable. This may be for one small area of your home, a few areas, a drawer or two, or the whole house. However much you have done, it is an accomplishment no matter how big or small, so congratulations!

A very important aspect of being and staying organized it to have a place for everything. If you don't have a place for everything, then it all starts piling up again and pretty soon you're keeping everything because it's hard to tell what's what and what's where. Here's the scenario: You don't have a home for anything and whenever the mail comes in or you go shopping, you just put the items wherever you find room. Pretty soon, you have a mess! Believe me, I know; I've been through it.

I urge you to put some thought into making a home for every single type of item that you keep; this is so important! If you bring something new and different home and you don't have a place for it, make a place for it immediately or as soon as possible. If you don't have room, you'd better get sorting again. Here are a few suggestions on how and where to store some common items found around the house.


In the office:

Paperwork: A filing cabinet is a huge lifesaver when it comes to organizing your paperwork. I made files for every type of paper I had lying around, from movie reviews to our house papers and this has made my life a lot easier. I put these files in alphabetical order in my filing cabinet and now everything is put away, but even more thrilling is the fact that I can actually find a piece of paper in about five seconds! This is a huge improvement for me when before, I wouldn't even know where to begin searching for a piece of paper let alone have success in finding it.

Magazines: Cereal boxes are very handy for keeping magazines neat. To make a magazine holder out of a cereal box, cut off the top inch or so of the box, then, starting at one side of the top and cutting at a downwards angle, cut down half to one third the height of the box. Do this on the other side also and you will then have a magazine holder. At this point, you can decorate the holder by pasting pretty magazine pictures on it or painting it, then adding lace or ribbon. You can also put magazines in big wide wicker baskets.

Coupons: I have found envelopes very handy for storing coupons. Just label them the way you'd like them labeled (alphabetically or by type of food) and put your clipped coupons in them. The envelopes can be stored in a recipe or card file box of appropriate size.


In the closet:

Blankets: Laundry baskets make excellent holders for blankets that sometimes fit awkwardly on shelves.

Shoes: An over-the-door shoe hanger is a great way to get shoes off the floor.

Travel bags, purses and totes: Plastic storage bins are very handy for storing these.


In the craft room:

Crafting items: See-through plastic storage bins are a very good container for this because you can see where your items are and thus find things quickly. In the living room: Remote controls: A great way to store these is in small wicker or wire baskets.

Odds and ends: We use a wooden chest as a coffee table and it's handy because it doubles as storage. We keep some of our collectibles in there along with craft pattern books and other odds and ends. Another idea for this is to put a wooden or glass circle on top of a new garbage can. You would then drape a decorative tablecloth over the top of the circle. The garbage container can then be used to store your odds and ends and you would also have a decorative table for fresh flower arrangements or knick-knacks.


In the bathroom:

Miscellaneous items: Wicker baskets are great for storing a lot of items in the bathroom. You can put all your hair styling aids in a large one, washrags in another and cosmetics in another.

Medicines: For the medicine cabinet, I bought short, plastic drawer organizers that fit the shelves just right. I have one for headache medicines, one for cold medicines, one for owies (band-aids, ointment, etc.), one for stomach medicines, etc. This not only makes it easier to find items, but it also makes it easier to wipe the shelves when they become dirty.

Toilet Paper: I crocheted a toilet paper holder to hang right above the toilet, so when someone runs out of toilet paper, there should be a roll in the holder for easy retrieval. You may be able to find one of these at a craft bazaar.


In the bedrooms:

Miscellaneous items: Under the bed storage organizers are great for storing seasonal clothes, Christmas wrapping supplies, gifts to give, books, and other items.

Kids toys: The see-through plastic bins are great for toys because the kids can see what goes where. You can also mark the bin with a picture or word.

Crayons: Save baby wipe containers or coffee cans to store crayons in. If using a coffee can be sure there are no sharp edges to cut the children

Home Decoration.

2006 Decorating Do's and Don'ts for Home Sellers

"Real estate author and expert Mark Nash defines what home sellers should do decorating-wise in 2006 to prepare their home for sale. Commitment colors and visual veneers are out. Nash serves his advice straight up to those looking to position their home in the post real estate bubble housing market."
(PRWEB) -- Today's savvy post-real estate bubble (it's only a correction) homebuyers require quality finishes and neutral color palettes in homes they ultimately purchase. If you are contemplating selling your home in 2006 and need to decorate before placing your home on market remember that cutting-edge interior design and commitment colors ( strong, bold, trendy) are usually a red flag to home buyers. Buyers consider "visual veneer" a mask for defects in a home.

After a year of property showings in 2005 and eight previous years on property searches with homebuyers as well as requests from consumers after the review of "1001 Tips for Buying & Selling a Home" in The New York Times I've complied a list of home runs and strike-outs for those looking to sell to home in 2006.

Do's

-Purchase the best quality carpet pad which can make any new carpeting "cushy", and home buyers love cushy. Stay away from shag styles, buyers know it won't be around long in style cycles.
-Install bamboo floors in contemporary settings, bamboo is out-pacing maple as the "new" light colored wood floor.
-Forget parquet and veneered wood flooring. Parquet is still out-of-favor and buyers are aware that thin wood veneer over wood products can't handle many sanding's to change stain colors.
-Take the time to paint walls, trim and ceilings. Keep adjoining rooms in the same color palette which will make your home appear larger and flow better. Clean up spills from messy painters. Hire professionals to paint mullions on windows and staircase spindles.
-Slipcover mismatched furniture in a room that requires visual unification. Streamline window fashions. Heavy drapes are in the minority. Think "let the light shine in" when placing placing blinds and shades. Light and bright can overcome other issues with home.
Test all door and cabinet knobs. Replace mis-matched or inexpensive hardware for a quick update. Buyers rarely can get beyond a knob that comes off in their hand as they attempt to use a door.
-Freshen-up closets with closet organizers to maximize storage space and paint a neutral washable color. Make sure buyers can see the back of all closets and cupboards. Lighting is often overlooked feature in closets, but buyers will always turn on lights when viewing a closet, big or small. Locate wall spaces for large and flat screen tv's. They are a "must-have" for the majority of homebuyers. Plasma tv's are quickly becoming the "Monet" over the fireplace.
-Install technology wiring for high-speed Internet, cable, and wi-fi, if you have walls opened up. "Wired homes" are becoming one of the top whistle and bells buyers demand. Don't overlook the bathrooms!
-Consider the appropriate level for finishes in kitchens and bathrooms. Buyers in a mid-priced neighborhood aren't looking for high-end finishes. Clean every surface until it shimmers and shines. Clean can seal a deal. Don't forget the windows.
-Polish and wax hardwood floors to brighten and blend an old finish.
-Get rid of family and highly personal photos. Buyers can't visualize themselves in a home that's still territorially yours.
-Edit your furniture and accessories in every room. Less is more, buyers are looking to purchase your real estate not your personal property.
-Make sure there is balanced lighting in every room for dusk and evening showings. Dimmers help set the right tone.
-Take the time to clean, organize and paint basements, attics and garages. Many a home buyer has passed on a home they otherwise liked because it had a "creepy" attic or basement.
-Invite three full-time real estate agents to view your home before and after your interior design pre-market update.
-Install new light switch covers. Most buyers interact with these on home showings. Worn or out-of-date covers lack attention to detail.

Don'ts

-Install kitchen cabinets with the drawer fronts stapled on, buyers look for quality dove-tailed construction.
-Assume everyone loves stainless steel appliances. Word-of-mouth says the cleaning requirements aren't for everyone.
-Wallpaper. Buyers never have the same taste as decorators. Take it down (carefully) and paint.
-Install inexpensive home-center light fixtures and use interior fixtures outside. The right fixtures say quality to buyers.
-Use and do remove all mirror's placed as backsplash's in kitchens, dining room accent walls, bedroom ceilings (I see them way to much) and long hallways. Mirrored walls and ceilings say more about the homeowner than buyers want to know.
-Block good room and house flow. Awkward furniture placement can make a room feel smaller than it is. Keep in mind that groups of people will be walking through your home together. Overlook the front door. First impressions count. Paint the door, polish the hardware and illuminate the entry area and house numbers.
-Stain newly refinished floors dark colors. Buyers if they want lighter floors will factor in refinishing costs when presenting an offer.
-Forget to remove all dated and dusty sill flowers and plants. Budget for weekly fresh flowers and potted plants while your home is being toured.
-Dismiss your location, southwestern looks out-of-place in most northern climates and contemporary is hard to pull off in a vintage saltbox colonial.
-Install inexpensive laminate flooring instead of hardwood in living and family rooms. Buyers walking across it, hate the hollow noise that echoes up from it.

House History.

House

Houses in Fishpool Street, St Albans, EnglandFor other meanings of the word "house", see

House (disambiguation).

A house in its most general sense is a human-built dwelling with enclosing walls, a floor, and a roof. It provides shelter against precipitation, wind, heat, cold and intruding humans and animals. When occupied as a routine dwelling for humans, a house is called a home (though animals may often live in the house as well, both domestic pets and "unauthorised" animals such as mice living in the walls). People may be away from home most of the day for work and recreation, but typically are home at least for sleeping.

A house generally has at least one entrance, usually in the form of a door or a portal. Many houses have back doors that open into the back yard and may have any number of windows or none at all.

Contents.
1 Types of house
2 Inside the house
3 Shelters
4 Construction
5 Animal houses
6 Usage in language
7 Heraldry
8 See also
8.1 Articles
8.2 Lists
9 External link



[edit]
Types of house
See also list of house types.
There are three basic house types:

-houses standing on their own (detached houses)
-houses attached to one other house (semi-detached houses)
-houses attached to two other houses, possibly in a row (terraced (GB) or rowhouse (USA) houses).
-In Britain terraced or semi-detached houses are the most common type of accommodation, with 27% of all British people living in a terraced house and 32% in semi-detached houses (2002). In the USA in 2000, 61.4% of people lived in detached houses and 5.6% in semi-detached houses, the rest living in rowhouses or apartments, except 7% living in mobile homes.

A treehouse is built in one or more trees; though its most common use is a fort or playhouse for children, this design is sometimes used as a house for adults.


Inside the house

Houses consist of many specific designated rooms. Basic design consists of a living/eating area, a sleeping area, and (if indoor facilities are available) a washing/lavatory area. Often, in traditional agrarian societies, domestic animals such as chickens or larger livestock share part of the house with human beings. In the West, where plumbing is common and the standard of living fairly high, each house will at least contain a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen or kitchen area, and a living room. These rooms should be designed to meet the needs of the people who live in the house. This designing is known as interior design and it is a popular subject in universities. Feng shui, originally a Chinese method of situating houses according to such factors as sunlight and microclimates, has recently been expanded to include designing house interiors with the intention of giving harmonious effects to the people living inside the house.




Shelters

Forms of shelter simpler than a house include dugouts, yaodongs, tents (see also camp), campers, huts, roofs without walls, or a structure with roof and partial walls, such as often at a bus stop (see picture there), and a gazebo.


Construction

Popular modern house construction techniques include light-frame construction in areas with access to supplies of wood, and adobe or sometimes rammed-earth construction in arid regions with scarce wood resources. In some areas brick is used almost exclusively. Increasingly popular alternative construction methods include insulated concrete forms (foam forms filled with concrete), structural insulated panels (foam panels faced with oriented strand board or fiber cement), and light-gauge steel framing and heavy-gauge steel framing. Some home designers have begun to collaborate with structural engineers who use computers and finite element analysis to design kitted and pre-cut steel framed homes with known resistance to high wind loads and seismic forces. These newer products provide labor savings, more consistent quality, and may accelerate the construction process. They are more consistently used than are the lesser used approaches described below. Lesser used construction methods which have recently gained (or regained) popularity in recent years. Examples of these are Cannabrick construction, cordwood construction, straw bale construction, and geodesic domes. These methods are not widely used and frequently are adopted by homeowners who may be actively involved in the construction process.


Animal houses

Humans often build houses for domestic or wild animals, often resembling smaller versions of human domiciles. Familiar animal houses built by humans include bird houses and dog houses, while domiciles for agricultural animals are more often called barns.

However, human interest in building houses for animals does not stop at the domestic pet. People build bird houses, bat houses, nesting sites for wild ducks, and more.


Usage in language

As a verb, to house (pronounced "haʊz") is to provide a routine locale for an object, a person or an organization. Historic or artistic artifacts, for example, are said to be housed in museums. A business may be housed in a storefront, or a family may be housed in an apartment or a house. A collection of domiciles, either for persons, for organizations, for animals or for objects, is often called housing. An individual person or a single object might also find housing in an appropriate domicile.

In English the word "house" on its own usually refers to a dwelling for one family, or for more than one family living together, sharing the house. In other languages the translation for "house" often covers other types of building such as tower blocks or commercial property: in German, for example, a "Haus" can also refer to a hotel or a block of flats.

In English, the word "house" can be used in combination with other words to describe buildings other than residential dwellings, such as an opera house, a "monkey house" (a building for several cages) in a zoo, etc. A "madhouse" is a disparaging term for a mental hospital or insane asylum (also see House (disambiguation) for more.) The White House also has only a secondary use as a dwelling.

"House" and "home" are not synonymous. "Home" has a more abstract and poetic meaning.