The Church That Was a Mosque

It’s the Holy Week this week (the week of Good Friday and Easter). So, here’s a church for a change! From the series of mosques in the last few posts. (Incidentally, it was also Songkran, the Thai New Year, (and a horde of other new years) a few days back – How contrastingly different these festivals are, huh? That's the beauty of diversity!)


Anyway, back to the post, this church happens to actually be a former mosque! No, it isn't the only mosque to be converted into a church, but it’s one of the more renowned ones. Welcome to Andalucia, Spain!


This is the cathedral of Seville. The bell tower on the right of the photo (aka the Giralda) used to be the minaret of the Grand Mosque of Seville (or Ishbiliya in Arabic). This is how it is with humans. To the victors, go the spoils. This is a church that used to be a mosque. We've visited a mosque, which used to be a church, the Hagia Sofia. When we visited, it was a museum! Now, it's a functioning mosque, once again

Andalucia got its name from Al-Andalus, the Arabic name for the region in current Spain & Portugal that used to be under the control of Islamic rulers. Al-Andalus was under Islamic rule for 7+ centuries until the Reconquista, when the Christian kingdoms in Europe reconquered the area and made them into Spain and Portugal as what they are today. The new rulers either forced converted the remaining Muslims and Jews, or drove them out altogether. I suspect Israel and Trump have the same ideas for Palestine… Sigh… (I would’ve thought that modern people were less ‘barbaric’ than our ruthless ancestors, but it looks like we remain the same, barbarians by nature) …


I diverge. Back to my post. Here’re more photos of the Catedral de Santa María de la Sede (Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See), or more commonly, the Seville Cathedral.


A view of Seville city, from the Giralda


In this view from the Giralda, you can see the Court of Oranges (the courtyard with orange trees, in the lower part of the photo, or in Spanish, Patio de los Naranjos). The lone skyscraper in the background, is the Torre Sevilla (Seville Tower), which housed the Eurostars Hotel, which was one of the hotels yours truly stayed in, during his 3-day business visit to Seville! More specifically, I was there for a function, the IPMA (International Project Management Association) Global Awards actually, thanks to my Malaysian passport (because of that dang Schengen Visa, my bosses and colleagues, who’re mostly Chinese, Indians, Egyptians, etc, couldn’t attend, and I, being Malaysian, do not need a visa for Europe! 3 cheers for Malaysia!!!)

Being an ardent traveller, how could I be in Seville, and not experience a little something of the city? I’ve missed out on a whole lot of opportunities travelling with other, less travel enthusiastic people, on business trips. Not this time. And that’s how I planned a trip to the cathedral! (Tip: BOOK ONLINE BEFORE YOU VISIT, AT LEAST BEFORE THE SLOTS FILL UP. It’ll save you a whole lot of time! I did it on the morning of the day of my visit). (And if my company, would’ve stuck to the earlier, ungodly flight schedule they said they’d book me into at first, for the return leg of my journey to Dubai that is, I would’ve spent a half-day in Lisboa as well! And seen a whole new city, and a new country! But luck would have it, that they finally booked me into a more sensible flight, departing mid-morning, with a stopover in Barcelona. I’ve seen Barcelona before (in 1994). It’s a huge city, too big to get around, so I just stuck around in the airport, eating Iberian Ham sandwiches and drinking sangria, Salud! The Lisboa flight was like 6am, on the morning after the award function, which ended past midnight, meaning that if I’d taken that, I’d have to make do with only a couple of hours of sleep, before I head off to the airport… Urgghhh, that’d be too tiring. Luckily, they found a ‘better’ flight!)


Back to the cathedral, this is one of the largest cathedrals in the world. Yeah, believe me not! It’s in fact, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Yeah, sez Wikipedia… But it doesn’t feel as big as the Milan Duomo. Is it because the Milan cathedral was surrounded by a huge, spacious square, whereas the Seville cathedral is sorta hemmed in by the surrounding buildings??


Look at that humongous pipe organ!! And it’s not the only one. It has a twin on the other side


The Choir! Now, if only they were people singing… Those rib vaults (on the golden ceiling) are one of the defining features of Gothic architecture by the way


Not every part is Gothic though, here’s a Renaissance dome in the cathedral. I think this is the Chapter House, whatever that is…


That’s the screen that shields the Retablo Mayor, the largest altarpiece in the world, from visitors. Aww shucks, but why?


There, the Retablo Mayor (High Altarpiece)! No iron grill is gonna stop my phone from squeezing in, and getting a shot, haha. I didn’t even know what it was, until I started writing this blogpost! And there it was, on Google. Apparently, it’s a masterpiece designed by Pierre Dancart, and it took 80+ years (in the 15th to 16th century) to finish (No, Pierre Dancart did not live to see the completed works)


The cathedral isn’t only famous for the things I’ve said above. Some famous people are also buried there. The most prominent one, Christopher Columbus, discoverer of the new world! That’s his tomb / catafalque above, carried by four figures


The tomb of Columbus, Seville Cathedral


Holy Santa Maria, what’s it with the heads? If anyone knows why Mother Mary is standing on some heads, pray do tell, OK? An exhibit in the Main Vestry of the Cathedral


There you are. Signing out, Catedral de Sevilla, Sep 2023. Happy Easter everyone!

Guess the Mosque

C’mon, guess where this elegant mosque is from?


Looks like it came right out of Central Asia, doesn’t it? Or Iran? Uzbekistan is a likely guess…


Just look at the entrance portal! With its exquisite ‘muqarnas’ (those beehive-like formations on the inner side of the arch)


Except that the weather looks too sunny and green. Look at those flowering trees! Wonder what they are?


Heck, the wooden pillars look exactly like the ones we’ve seen in Uzbek mosques or Iranian palaces!


But, it’s too new and shiny, not like the medieval structures we typically see in Uzbekistan or Iran


And look at that gorgeous interior!

Give up already??


It’s actually a mosque much nearer to home! Across the Gulf of Oman from Iran. It’s the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Sohar, Oman

Oman is one of our favourite destinations on short holidays! It’s full of majestic mountains, mysterious gorges, beautiful wadis where you can swim in, astounding castles and mosques, quaint little villages where local tradition is still very much alive, and locals who are friendly, unpretentious and honest, not the type of people who would make a quick buck out of you!

And that’s why from 2022, we’ve travelled to Oman every year, and this year was no exception. We’ve visited the Sohar Mosque twice now, en route to our destination, the first time last year, and the second time, just a couple of weeks ago, during the ‘short’ Eid holidays. Here’re the rest of the photos of the mosque. Go, see Oman for yourself if you can!


Anu, at the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Sohar, Oman – Apr 2024


Anu again, Sohar, Oman – Mar 2025


Jayden and Papa, Mar 2025 – Too bad, Koko isn’t around. Justin has never visited this mosque. It’s because, we usually do Oman trips on short trips when there’s a longer weekend in the UAE. Maybe next time, when Justin completes his studies, the kids could go on their own! The last time Justin visited this side of Oman was in 2013, when Jayden wasn't even born!


The central chandelier of the mosque


That’s all for now folks! Signing out, Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Sohar, Oman, Mar 2025

However Mighty You May Be

The mausoleum of Timur the Conqueror, aka Tamerlane, the founder of the Timurid Empire, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Eid Al Fitr is on the way. It’s this weekend actually. Looks like it’s gonna be another short Eid holiday. But never mind, we’ll make the best out of it, what the heck! Now, let’s see where we’d go for this short trip…

I’m leaving some photos of Islamic architecture for the season. Wishing all who celebrate, a joyful and blessed Eid Al Fitr. Eid Mubarak! Selamat Hari Raya! Happy Holidays!


The Gur-e Amir (the tomb of the king, in Persian), the final resting place of Timur the Conqueror. Timur was a Turko-Mongol general who considered himself an heir to Genghis Khan (they shared a same common ancestor). He was also the great-great-great grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire. Never defeated in battle, Timur is regarded as one of the greatest military leaders in history. But however mighty you are, you will eventually pass on, as do all things in life… Only God is permanent. All that remains is this beautiful tomb. The world is shaped by the powerful. They leave their marks and imprints from their actions, sometimes for good, and sometimes bad. Our only hope is that we have more kind leaders than ruthless ones. God help us.


Inside the beautifully restored interiors of the tomb of Timur, and some of his family. Legend has it that Timur’s tomb was inscribed with two warnings. The first read "When I rise from the dead, the world shall tremble". Once opened, another inscription read: “Whosoever disturbs my tomb will unleash an invader more terrible than I". And so it came to pass that 2 days after Timur’s tomb was opened by a Soviet archaeologist in 1941, the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union. Stalin was a believer of the curse, and had Timur reburied with full Islamic burial rites. One month after that was done, the Soviets routed the German Army in Stalingrad, which turned the tide of World War 2… (That’s something for you, history buffs…)


The gateway to the tomb, featuring elaborate muqarnas…


Hey, where does this small door go?


Do you think it goes all the way up there?? Into the minaret??


The tomb has a hidden souvenir shop underground. Fancy shopping among the dead!


Kids fooling around in the Amir Temur Park, flanking the boulevard leading to the Gur-e Amir


Here’s another monument in Samarkand, the Bibi Khanum Mosque… on a cold and gloomy day, brrrr….


Entrance of the Bibi Khanym Mosque. Timur had this mosque built, after one of his successful military campaigns, and named it after one of his wives, Saray Mulk Khanum, who was a direct descendant of Genghis Khan. (The title of Khanum means "daughter of a Khan or princess" by birth)


The mosque was left to slowly deteriorate for centuries after the decline of Samarkand (the seat of power had shifted to Bukhara, and along with it, the silk route), eventually succumbing to an earthquake in 1897 and then becoming a scouring ground for building materials for the local inhabitants. Only in the 70’s did the government (then under the Uzbek SSR (Soviet Socialist Republic)) started restoring the buildings…


The restored interior of the main dome. Restoration was still ongoing at the time of our visit in Dec 2023, the interior of one of the domes was still barren brickwork and peeling murals, looking like something from a horror movie


Can someone please tell me why all the minarets here have flat tops? Won’t topping them up, with a little dome, or a spire make them nicer? But then, it’d make them similar to all the other minarets in the Islamic world, wouldn’t it?..


A stone Quran stand… in the courtyard of the Bibi Khanum Mosque…


And finally, family picture time! Bibi Khanym Mosque, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Dec 2023

Enjoy your Eid holidays!

Building Railroads in the Sand

Etihad Rail Package 2A, Ruwais, Al Dhafra, UAE

What the heck! Might as well post these railways photos also! It’s a Project I sort of hitchhiked on. Didn’t do a thing, except gave some advice and attended some meetings, and in the process learned from it. So, you could say, I gained more from the Project than it gained from me, ahem.

What happened was that the management put the responsibility for this project’s closeout on the Close-Out Department, of which yours truly was a part of. (This was despite the Railway Project’s Team's insistence that they had the resources to close it out, and that they would close it out themselves). So, my good ‘ol Project Manager (of the Close-Out Dept) decided to assign this to me to follow up. (Well, it was sort of, out of the way, you know?) Umm… actually, it was, WAY OUT of the way, in the desert, at the tail end (or the head end, depends on how you see it) of the UAE, the part that connects to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Nobody from Dubai or the Northern Emirates, goes there, except if you wanna drive to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and beyond, or if you need to build a friggin railroad. The start of that Project is about 330km from our office in Dubai (3.5 hours drive there, and another 3.5 hours back, good thing that the speed limit in those parts are 160 km/h). And that’s how I end up being connected with this Project.

Anyway, those railway guys successfully closed out the Project at the end of last year, without much help from the Close-Out Department, frankly. Kudos guys! Here’re a few photos of the Etihad Rail Package 2A Project, from Ruwais in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi (aka Al Dhafra) to Ghweifat on the Saudi border, for your pleasure.


The Etihad Railway, Package 2A, from Ruwais to Ghweifat


As you can see, it’s surrounded by desert sand, for as far as you can see… One of the main challenges was ‘sand mitigation’ i.e. how to stop the sand from getting onto the railroad. And as you would’ve guessed, it’s next to impossible. You could only ‘mitigate’ it, by putting some preventive measures, and doing a lot of maintenance (which isn’t our job)… Those bunds and channels are part of the preventive measures


A culvert below the railway


And here’s a railway exhibition in Abu Dhabi’s ADNEC Centre… where our company was one of the presenters. (ADNEC by the way means Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, duh). That’s Kamran Taraz, on the podium, the Project Controls Manager of the Project. He’s left the Company. I heard he may be in the US. (He’s an Iranian, who isn’t a supporter of mullah-rule)


A train! That’s just a model… ADNEC Centre, Abu Dhabi. Hmmm, when will we be able to travel by train to Saudi or Qatar…?

That’s It for the Desert Road

The Sweihan Military Road Project, Sweihan, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Last week, we received the final payment of the Abu Dhabi Airport Project which yours truly was in charge of. We’re expecting our client to return our Performance Bond of the Project anytime soon. And that’ll be it, for the ADAC Project.

At the end of last year, we received all the payment for the Sweihan Military Road Project, another Project which yours truly was in charge of closing, which closed the project once and for all.

My two other ‘low-profile’ projects (due to them being executed completely by a partner/ specialist subcontractor), the ITS2020/1B and ITS2020/1C Projects are still running, in the background. But management is getting curious as to why we’re still having these 2 projects, which they know have been completed, umm… 3+ years ago, but are still generating income! That’s the beauty of maintenance projects! (The ITS2020 Projects have a separate construction phase (2 years) and maintenance phase (5 years)). They want them closed. OK, am on it, anyway.

This week, yours truly was transferred from my temporary role in the Dubai Island Bridge Project (building a new bridge across Dubai Creek), to another temporary role (or maybe permanent, which the company doesn’t seem to be able to confirm) in The Island Development Project, a mega-building project, aka the ‘biggest project our company currently has in the Middle East’, the construction of 4 ginormous luxury hotels, villas, spas and entertainment parks on a manmade island near the Burj Al Arab.

So, you could say that I’m in transition. Which I hope will be for the better. Fingers crossed. Pray for me willya? To be in a better position…

Meanwhile, here’s what the godforsaken Sweihan Military Road Project looks like. It’s a road in the middle of the Abu Dhabi desert, far off from all else, long neglected (and conveniently forgotten) by all, except yours truly (because I was entrusted to close it), with no one from the original team remaining (I think there may be some, but they’re all lying low, pretending not to know).


The starting point of the Project, (its western point, connecting to the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Truck Road or E75)


The Sweihan Military Road Project, or more accurately, ‘Internal Roads and Infrastructure for Military in Sweihan Area’ is a road project which started construction in 2013. I inherited the close out of this Project in 2019…


The problem with this Project is that although most of the stretch of this Project lies inside the area of Al Ain Municipality, the Contract was signed with Abu Dhabi Municipality. And it lies in a desolate area which serves only the odd camel farmer or two! As a result, none of the 2 municipalities seemed concerned with this forlorn stretch of road… Who’s gonna clear this sand away??


Oh, here comes some inhabitants! Hi, camels. It’s camels, or speeding cars (who come here to try out their drifting skills and stunts like that…) Yup, you guessed it, no police cameras!


And this WAS the ‘borrow area’ we ‘borrowed’ material from, for filling any low-lying areas to bring it up to the level needed for the road construction. I don’t know why we, construction people, call them ‘borrow pits’ as we never, ever return the materials. What? Dig it back out? They basically form the friggin base of the roads, OK?! I had to search for this friggin ‘borrow pit’ in the desert, 8 years after we were supposed to close them, and get our security bond back from the municipality. Yeah, we (my predecessors) forgot all about it, until our Finance Team asked about it! Somewhere in Al Ajban, 2021. I had to take photos for proof that we’ve tidied it all up! That’s why I was there!


Closing out this project sometimes felt like a scavenger hunt, in the vast Abu Dhabi desert. It brought me to places like Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Ajban (see photo above), Sweihan and Al Hiyar (which I found out, was the municipality in charge of the borrow area). The road between Al Hiyar and Sweihan, 2020


Oh, what’s that? Ziggurats in the desert??? On the E14, between Seih Al Sedeirah and the E75 Truck Road, Abu Dhabi Emirate, 2021

That’s it for now. Till I find time to post again. Super-busy, due to the multiple roles I’m doing!