A historical tour around Old Delhi

Old Delhi is a walled part of New Delhi, founded by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1639 and originally named Shahjahanabad. It remained the capital of the Mughals until the end of the Mughal dynasty and was later rechristened Old Delhi by the British. It offers spectacular pieces of architecture, a mouthwatering variety of food, and a living, breathing a piece of history.

Old Delhi Food

Food is a religion in this city. The narrow gullies of old Delhi have an overwhelming variety of cuisines to offer. The heavenly aroma of food literally liberates the taste buds here. Acclaimed by national and international food guides, the food will never fail to tempt you. The cuisine is generally dominated by meat, and also offers delicious hot parathas, chats, and sweets. The famous Paranthe Wali Gali is a narrow street located in Chandni Chowk and has a series of shops offering parathas, a fried Indian bread which is stuffed with fillings and served with mint chutney, tamarind chutney, pickles, and curries. Over 30 variety of parathas are available. The Ghantewala Halwai is one of the oldest sweet shops in India, founded in the year 1790. It is famous for its sohan halwa and Karachi halwa along with badaam barfi, kalakand, pista samosa and mootichoor ladoo.

Chandni Chowk and Chawri have many street joints that offer spicy and tangy chaats, dahi bhalle, tikki, kulle fruit chaat, and phirni (a sweet dish). Karim’s Place is very famous for its kebabs. It is situated in the area of Jama Masjid. It was established by Haji Karimuddin with the idea of opening a dhaba in 1913. All meat lovers must make a pit stop at Karim’s for their wonderful kebabs and divine mutton nahari.

Old Delhi Architecture

Old Delhi architecture is a spectacular example of Mughal architecture, with plenty of charisma and nostalgia. While walking the bylanes of old Delhi you realize every wall has a story to tell. Old Delhi is a walled city shaped roughly like a quarter circle with the Red Fort as a focal point. The old city was surrounded by a wall enclosing about 1500 acres with 14 gates. Although the walls have largely disappeared, most of the gates are still present.

The Red Fort is named for its massive walls of red sandstone and its proximity to the Salimgarh Fort. It was a political and ceremonial center for the Mughals. Constructed in 1648 by Shah Jahan, the architecture reflects the fusion of Persian and Timurid traditions, along with a huge beautiful garden. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007. The Red Fort has an area of 254.67 acres enclosed by 2.41 kilometers of defensive walls, punctuated by turrets and bastions varying in height from 18 meters on the riverside to 33 meters on the city side. The fort is octagonal, with the north-south axis longer than the east-west axis. The marble, floral decorations and double domes in the fort’s buildings exemplify later Mughal architecture.

Located in Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India. Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1644 and 1656 at a cost of one million rupees, it has three gates, four towers, and two 40m high minarets constructed of strips of red sandstone and white marble. The mosque is built on a red sandstone porch which is about 30 feet from ground level. The courtyard can accommodate 25,000 people. The Red Fort stands opposite to Jama Masjid. The floor is covered with white and black ornamented marble to look like a Muslim prayer mat. Beside it, a thin black border is marked for worshippers.

The immense culture of Old Delhi never loses its charm, giving us a window to look into history.

Read more: The most colorful places in Asia you must visit

By Suyasha Kale/ The Culture Trip

Relax on weekend with the best cinemas in Saigon

Tired of strolling around the city all day in Vietnam vacation? Watching a movie in Ho Chi Minh City cinemas is a great way to relax after a long day of going sightseeing. Nothing is more wonderful than rewarding yourself with the latest movie to learn more about Vietnamese film culture as well as enjoying blockbuster movies all over the world at state-of-the-art cinemas in Saigon. Consider top 5 best cinemas that you should pay a visit in your Ho Chi Minh City tours below.

CGV Cinema 

CGV is one of the top five global movie theaters and publishers. Therefore, CGV is the biggest cinema in Vietnam and the best cinema in Ho Chi Minh City. In CGV cinema, you will not only enjoy a wide variety of movies through innovative technologies such as IMAX, STARIUM, 4DX, Dolby Atmos audio system but also enjoy a whole new and different cuisine while experiencing the highest quality service. This is the first cinema system in Vietnam with luxurious cinema rooms such as L’amour, Premium, Gold Class, Stadium, Art House and Sweet Box for couples who love privacy.

In addition, CGV always has attractive promotions for students and CGV members. Especially, every last Monday of the month, in CGV, you can enjoy all films in the 2D format with only VND 50,000 / ticket for all types of seats.

Address:

• Floor 5th, Crescent Mall, Tan Phu, Ho Chi Minh City
• Liberty Central Citypoint Hotel, District 1, 59 Pasteur, Ben Nghe, Ho Chi Minh City
• 126, Tan Da, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
• Floor 3rd, Pandora City, 1, Truong Chinh, Ho Chi Minh City
• Level 3, Aeon Mall, 30, Bao Tan Thang, Celadon City, Son Ly, Ho Chi Minh City
• Floor 5th, Parkson Paragon, 3, Nguyen Luong Bang, Tan Phu, Ho Chi Minh City

Lotte Cinema

Also from Korea, Lotte Cinema is another popular choice for both locals and tourists to watch movies in Ho Chi Minh city. Lotte Cinema are equipped with fully newest facility and systems including  Dolby Atmos, Digital screen, 4-way speakers, couple-seat. And the most specially, Lotte Cinema has luxurious waiting rooms for V.I.P members. When coming to Lotte cinema, you will have a comfortable time enjoying movies on the big screen.

Address:

• Floor 7, Cantavil Premier, Hanoi Highway, An Phu Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City
• Floor 4, Pico Plaza, 20 Cong Hoa, Ward 12, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City
• 13th Floor Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

BHD Cinema

As a famous cinema system in Saigon, BHD cinema is loved by young people, not only by its large space but also with its cheap price. Located at floor 3 and 4 of Bitexco Building in the heart of District 1, BHD Star Bitexco is one of the most popular movie theaters in BHD cinema system on weekends with a romantic and lively space design. This cinema will give you the most emotional movie, the happiest time with your friends, or simply a fun movie night in Saigon.

Address:

• 3rd and 4th floor, ICON 68, 2 Hai Trieu, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
• Floor B1 & B2, Vincom Business Center, No. 190 Quang Trung, Go Vap, Ho Chi Minh City
• 5th floor, Vincom Business Center, 159 Ha Noi Highway, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City
• 4th floor, Vincom Plaza Le Van Viet, 50 Le Van Viet, District 9, Ho Chi Minh City
• 4th floor, Satra Pham Hung, C6 / 27 Pham Hung, Binh Chanh, Ho Chi Minh City
• 5th floor, Vincom Supermarket 3/2, 3C 3/2 Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City

CineStar Cinema

CineStar has become a favored cinema system by extremely cheap ticket, popcorn and drinks prices with a premium service. Visitors can experience the Dolby Atmos audio system designed specifically for high-end movie theaters. Moreover, many events are constantly launching new films and exciting promotions available only at CineStar.

Address: 

• 271 Nguyen Trai Street, Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
• 135 Hai Ba Trung street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Galaxy Cinema

Galaxy Cinema has several locations in the city like CGV and BHD. However, this cinema is the most convenient for you to find when you get a house on Pham Ngu Lao street. From the centre of Ho Chi Minh city, you can reach either of their cinemas (one on Nguyen Trai street, the other on Pham Ngu Lao street) in very close distance, approximately in a 5 to 10 minute walk.

Having Western standards, the admission fee for a ticket is considered inexpensive. Prices do vary according to the day and the time you want to watch a movie. Prices for a 2D ticket start around 90,000 VND while the same ticket on a Wednesday afternoon is only 60,000 VND. For a 3D movie, you should expect to pay around 120,000 VND and if you want to have a VIP seat, which gives you the best seats in the cinema for an optimized viewing experience, you will pay around 160,000 VND on the weekend, but this option often comes with a drink and popcorn.

Address: 

• 116 Nguyen Du Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
• 230 Nguyen Trai, Ho Chi Minh City
• 3rd floor, CoopMart Foodcosa, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City

Read more: Discover the most unique streets in Saigon

Source Internet

An introduction to 5 best foods of Israel

While you explore the heritage sights, religious institutions, and Tel Aviv party scene during your visit, don’t forget to stop along the way to try some of Israel’s tastiest dishes. Here are five of the best foods to try on your next trip to the holy land.

Shakshuka

Shakshuka is the perfect vegetarian breakfast dish for people who like joy. It’s traditionally made with poached eggs in a tomato sauce with chili peppers, garlic, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Shakshuka is simple to make, healthy, and light (if you take it easy on the bucket of challah bread it’s served with). Its origins stem from North Africa, but it has become a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine, taking on slight variations cross-culturally (sometimes served with feta on top, for instance). If you happen to be in Jaffa, do not skip a visit to Dr. Shakshuka, one of the most famous spots in the world to feast on the spicy tomato dish.

Msabbaha

If you fall victim to the plague of “hummus’d out” while gorging yourself across Israel, you might want to try hummus msabbaha, or “deconstructed hummus,” a delicious variant on the traditional creamy staple. Msabbaha is a spread that leaves the chickpeas whole, mixing them in with tahini, which adds an interesting texture and consistency. Order the triple plate at Abu Hassan, which comes with traditional hummus, msabbaha, and ful (fava beans). But if you’re feeling adventurous, head to Halil, a hidden gem and casual lunch spot owned by Arab Christians in the town of Ramle.

Falafel

If you’ve never tried falafel — those spiced, deep-fried chickpea balls — we're so, so sorry. Falafel is a staple of Israeli cuisine and the food your vegetarian friends have been eating for decades. While you can find falafel everywhere in Israel, Falafel Razon, a cheap takeaway spot right by the Carmel Market, is the best. It offers some of the freshest falafel pita sandwiches for under $2. For a finer dining experience, try the falafel at Old Man and the Sea, a gorgeous restaurant right on the Old Port in Jaffa where the falafel balls are perfectly crispy on the outside, and soft and moist on the inside.

Shawarma

Much like falafel, shawarma is the quintessential quick and cheap lunch option. Have you ever seen those revolving spits with fat sacks of meat glistening in rotation? That’s shawarma: a hunk of lamb, chicken, turkey, beef, or veal (sometimes mixtures of two) that’s shaved into thin slices and stuffed into a sandwich. Try Shawarma Bino if you’re a veal or lamb lover, or Dabush for perfectly seasoned turkey and chicken shawarma.

Kanafeh

Think of kanafeh as a crunchy cheese blintz that tastes like a sweet mozzarella stick. With Levantine Arab roots in Egypt, Turkey, and Yemen, kanafeh was largely popularized by Palestinians. This stringy pastry dessert is stuffed with goat or sheep cheese, soaked in sugary syrup and butter, and topped with crushed pistachios. Try Haifa's Café Shtroudl for baked kanafeh with pistachio ice cream on top.

See more: 7 reasons why you should visit Tel Aviv, Israel

Source: Internet