– New Julfa (literally Jolfa quarter of Isfahan) is the Armenian quarter of Isfahan, Iran, located along the south bank of the river Zayandeh River.
Established by Armenians from Julfa, Nakhichevan in the early 17th century, it is still one of the oldest and largest Armenian quarters in the world.
New Julfa was established in 1606 as an Armenian quarter by edict of Shah Abbas I, the influential shah from the Safavid dynasty. Over 150,000 Armenians were moved there from Julfa in Nakhichevan.
All history accounts agree that, as the residents of Julfa were famous for their silk trade, Shah Abbas treated the population well and hoped that their resettlement in Isfahan would be beneficial to Persia.
New Julfa is still an Armenian-populated area with an Armenian school and sixteen churches, including Surp Amenaprgitch Vank, which is a Unesco World Heritage site, and undoubtebly one of the most beautiful churches in Iran.
Armenians in New Julfa observe Iranian law with regard to clothing, but otherwise retain a distinct Armenian language, identity cuisine, and culture.
The policy of the Safavids was very tolerant towards the Armenians as compared to other minorities, such as the Iranian Georgians and Circassians.
New Julfa had between 10,000-12,000 Armenian inhabitants in 1998. As of today it is still one of the largest ethnic Armenian quarters in the world.
Popular with young people in Isfahan, it is experiencing considerable growth compared to other districts.
A rocket and mortar barrage struck a government-controlled neighborhood in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo on Sunday, killing 13 civilians and wounding 40, the government and an opposition group said.
State-run news agency SANA said the attack by ‘‘terrorists’’ occurred in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsoud, which has been subjected to insurgent shelling for days despite a shaky US and Russian-brokered cease-fire that took effect Feb. 27.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based opposition group that monitors the conflict, said more than 70 rockets and mortar shells were fired at Sheikh Maqsoud and reported nine civilians killed, including four children, and 30 wounded.
The Observatory said the shells were fired by insurgents, including the Al Qaeda branch in Syria known as the Nusra Front. That group and its rival, the Islamic State group, are excluded from the cease-fire.
Apple Inc customers were targeted by hackers over the weekend in the first campaign against Macintosh computers using a pernicious type of software known as ransomware, researchers with Palo Alto Networks Inc told on Sunday.
Ransomware, one of the fastest-growing types of cyber threats, encrypts data on infected machines, then typically asks users to pay ransoms in hard-to-trace digital currencies to get an electronic key so they can retrieve their data.
Security experts estimate that ransoms total hundreds of millions of dollars a year from such cyber criminals, who typically target users of Microsoft Corp’s Windows operating system.
Palo Alto Threat Intelligence Director Ryan Olson said the “KeRanger” malware, which appeared on Friday, was the first functioning ransomware attacking Apple’s Mac computers.
“This is the first one in the wild that is definitely functional, encrypts your files and seeks a ransom,” Olson said in a telephone interview.
Hackers infected Macs through a tainted copy of a popular program known as Transmission, which is used to transfer data through the BitTorrent peer-to-peer file sharing network, Palo Alto said on a blog posted on Sunday afternoon.
When users downloaded version 2.90 of Transmission, which was released on Friday, their Macs were infected with the ransomware, the blog said.
An Apple representative said the company had taken steps over the weekend to prevent further infections by revoking a digital certificate that enabled the rogue software to install on Macs. The representative declined to provide other details.
Transmission responded by removing the malicious version of its software from its website, www.transmissionbt.com. On Sunday it released a version that its website said automatically removes the ransomware from infected Macs.
The website advised Transmission users to immediately install the new update, version 2.92, if they suspected they might be infected.
The entertainment blog, The Playlist is predicting that much-anticipated Genocide-themed film, “The Promise,” with its lead actors Oscar Isaac and Christian Bale, will be on a short list for Academy Award consideration in 2017.
“Right now, ’The Promise,’ from ‘Hotel Rwanda’ director Terry George, is a little under the radar, but we don’t expect that to last. Firstly, it’s a lavish period love triangle set against the Armenian genocide in the last days of the Ottoman Empire, a subject matter rarely examined on film but is long overdue for the big-budget treatment. Secondly, it has a heavyweight cast, particularly when it comes to its two male leads Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac, and we think either one could end up registering with the Academy. It’ll depend on which actor ends up campaigning for lead (assuming it’s picked up in time for an awards season release), but both are deserving: Bale earned his third nomination last year for ‘The Big Short’ (having won for ‘The Fighter,’ his first nod), while Isaac has never been recognized but is much more familiar to voters now after ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ and likely stands his best chance yet. Either could follow in the footsteps of George’s ‘Hotel Rwanda’ star Don Cheadle for a nod,” wrote Oliver Lyttelton of the Playlist Blog, published on the entertainment website,
Golden Globe-winner Issac and Oscar winner Bale were announced as leads of “The Promise” in June when Survivor Pictures, founded by late-billionaire Kirk Kerkorian revealed the long-rumored film project.
Longtime Kerkorian attorney and spokesperson , “Survival Pictures was born out of Kirk Kerkorian’s unwavering dedication to telling inspiring human stories for audiences around the world. ‘The Priomise’ will be a wonderful love story and will open the door to the championing of human rights. This film fulfills a longstanding dream for Mr. Kerkorian, who was thrilled to participate in the development and casting process.”
After shooting was completed on the film, Survival Pictures co-manager and a producer of the film, Eric Esrailian told in an email that “Kirk will be proud,” referring to Kerkorian. “That makes all of the hard work even more special.”The film is slated for release in 2016.
lists Armenia’s capital Yerevan among Europe’s 16 oldest continually inhabited cities.
While many of the world’s oldest cities, settled around the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East, are off-limits to travellers at present, Europe’s most ancient settlements are very much open to visitors.
The Telegraph reminds that Some 30 years before Rome was founded, the city that is now Armenia’s capital was serving as an important stop along the caravan routes from Asia to Europe.”
“It was invaded by Assyrians, Romans, Byzantines, Persians, Arabs, Seljuks, Mongols and Turks, and later by the Soviet Red Army in 1920. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the capital of the Republic of Armenia has seen the growth of cultural institutions (it is home to a bewildering number of museums). Tourism is also developing slowly – a handful operators currently offer guided trips to the country.”
Other cities in the list include: Zadar, Croatia; Mtskheta, Georgia; Cádiz, Spain; Mytilene, Lesbos, Greece; Lisbon, Portugal; Chalcis, Greece; Larnaca, Cyprus; Kutaisi, Georgia; Thebes, Greece; Trikala, Greece; Patra, Greece; Chania, Crete; Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Athens, Greece; Argos, Greece.
The has included the Armenian Embassy in Cairo among the 17 places that “belong in a fairy tale.”
Other places that could go right between the tales of Cinderella and Rumpelstiltskin include:
Baron Empain Palace, Heliopolis
Photo Credit: Christian Papiermacher
The Baron Empain Palace was built in the early 1900s by Belgian Edouard Louis Joseph, the founder of Heliopolis. The residence has long been abandoned, and visitors are not allowed. This combined with the stories of the Baron’s daughter’s death in the basement and other hauntings make this Cambodian-temple inspired palace the prime setting for a modern, if not eery, fairy tale.
Champollian House, or Prince Said Halim’s Palace, Downtown
Here is another abandoned masterpiece. Once the home to Ottoman Empire Grand Vizier and Muhammad Ali’s grandson, Said Halim, the mansion became Al-Nassiriyah Secondary School for Boys after his assassination by an Armenian Revolutionary Federation Agent. Now its crippled beauty stands alone in a forest of concrete apartment buildings, just waiting to inspire our imagination.
Armenian Embassy, Zamalek
Speaking of the Armenians, this quaint cottage looks like it could be a part of Sleeping Beauty or Hansel and Gretel, but with some sort of extra spell put on it because it looks exquisitely out of place surrounded by palm trees.
Bab al Futuh, Old Cairo
Soaring towers? Check. Arched entrance? Check. High walls? Check. The Gates of Conquest have got it all. Let the daydreaming of knights and dragons begin.
Residential Home, Korba
There’s something about turrets and picturesque windows that just get our whimsical fairytale-loving minds running.
Coptic Graveyard
Photo Credit: Michal Huniewicz
How can even death look so enchanting? It’s official; Cairo is magical.
Marriott Hotel, Zamalek
Magic could definitely happen here, or at least a “happily ever after.” Cue the “Beauty and the Beast” soundtrack. Or Cinderella. Or anything that we can swirl around in big dresses to!
Al-Muizz Al-Deen Street
Going back to the Fatimads and the construction of Cairo, Al-Muizz street has a fairytale vibe to it with a generous splash of Islamic influence. In our opinion, it would make the perfect setting for a modern-day Aladdin musical!
Abdeen Palace, Abdeen
Whimsical and romantic, what else does a fairy tale require? Once the home of kings, the Abdeen Palace is now a museum, gracing Cairo with its presence since the mid 1800s.
Basilique Church, Heliopolis
Imposing and majestic, all we need are gargoyles and a baby Quasimodo dropped at the door to get our very own “Hunchback of Basilique.” It is the home of Cairo’s first pipe organ. Did we mention some say there is a secret tunnel connecting this church to the Baron Palace? The plot thickens…
Gates of Islamic Cairo
Those towers could easily be the home to an enchanted princess. Fairy tale picture perfect.
Qasr El Nile Lions, Downtown
The formidable guardians of the Qasr el Nil Bridge. Why haven’t these magnificent warriors inspired their storybooks of myths and legends yet? Somebody please write them now.
Sabil, Islamic Cairo
Photo Credit: Michal Huniewicz
The underground level of an ancient water dispensary carved out of pure stone equals the perfect mysterious setting for a dark fairy tale.
Banyan Trees, Zamalek and Garden City
These banyan trees supernaturally growing in the midst of Cairo’s concrete jungle look like witches’ hair, or at least like the home to mischievous sprites!
Maison du Canada, Zamalek
Perfect for a princess, what now belongs to Canada once hosted Queen Farida herself. A dream is a wish a heart makes, and our hearts are wishing to move in!
Spanish Embassy, Zamalek
Maybe they don’t match the rest of Cairo, but we love the creativity of these embassies!
The Citadel, the Overseer of Cairo
The Citadel could be included on this list out of magnificence alone, but it’s hard to find anything that can compete with the romantic allure of this formidable structure. Standing tall on the hilltop, with the city sprawling below it…
NKR Defense Ministry reports rise of tensions at the line of contact between the armed forces of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan March 3-4.
The rival fired more than 1,800 shots from weapons of different caliber in the direction of the Armenian positioned in the reported time.
The adversary also used HAN-17 grenades in the eastern direction of the line of contact, the Ministry said.
Front divisions of the NKR Defense Army gave a worthy response to the attacking actions of the rival and continued to confidently perform their military duty.
This picture is believed to be the only photograph of Vincent Van Gogh as an adult.
An art historian claims to have identified the Dutch painter among a group of 34 men who posed for the image in Paris in 1888, the Daily Mail reports.
Until now, the only images the world had of him were those drawn by the artist himself because he was famously camera shy.
Other photographs had only been taken of him when the Impressionist painter was a teenager.
But Antonio De Robertis, a leading authority on the artist, believes one of the men in the Paris photograph ‘is, in all probability, Vincent Van Gogh’ after comparing the image with his self-portraits.