PAMUKKALE - TURKEY One of The Ten strangePlaces

TEN STRANGE PLACES

Our planet Earth has many strange and often beautiful places that retain the power to inspire and mystify. They remind us that even in this age of technical and technological marvels there are still amazing places to be discovered.

1. PAMUKKALE - TURKEY

The strange and weirdly beautiful terraced pools of Pamukkale have been appreciated for over two millennia and yet still remain a little known wonder of the world. Thousands of years ago earthquakes, which are common in Turkey, created fractures that allowed powerful hot springs to bring water rich in calcium carbonate to the surface. As the water evaporated the chalky material condensed and formed layer-upon-layer of Travertine and thus slowly built up the walls over time in the same way that a stalactite forms in a cave. Apparently Pammakale means Castle of Cotton but the Greco-Romans built a town above it called Heirapolis – meaning “Holy City” or “Sacred City”. They too recognised it as a rare and important place attributing healing powers to the milky-white waters.


Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

You Learn

“After a while you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,

And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
And company doesn’t mean security.

And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises,

And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,

And you learn to build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.

After a while you learn…
That even sunshine burns if you get too much.

So you plant your garden and decorate your own soul,
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure…

That you really are strong

And you really do have worth…

And you learn and learn…

With every good-bye you learn.”Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Every Kindness is Rewarded

Ahmad the shepherd was very sad. He had lost almost everything he owned during the terrible years of war.

His wife had died and he had also lost his son.

When he lost his job in town, he began to work as a shepherd in the countryside.

One day, as his sheep grazed near the road, he saw a group of people taking a young man to the hospital in town.

It was obvious that this young man was even poorer than him. He was shivering in his thin jacket.

Ahmad the shepherd immediately took off his own coat, which he had owned for years, and put it on the young man. As the young man was waiting in the hospital to be examined, he was surprised to hear someone calling him “Dad.”

He looked up but he couldn’t recognize the young man standing in front of him. The latter, who had called him dad, was surprised as well. He apologized, saying, “I’m sorry, sir. I had mistaken your coat for my father’s, whom I haven’t seen for many years. I thought you were my father.” The sick man asked him who his father was. After talking for a few minutes, he realized that the young man was the

How true is the saying of our beloved Prophet, “Every kindness will be rewarded tenfold.”

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

The Thorn..

Once upon a time there was a terrible punishment under way in a certain country.

They were feeding the criminals to the hungry lions. People would gather to watch this horrifying scene.

The criminal that day was a slave who had escaped from his owner. He was left in the middle of an arena surrounded by high walls. They let a hungry lion into the arena.

At first the lion got ready to pounce on the poor man, but suddenly it stopped and started to lick the slave’s hands! The spectators were astonished.


They asked the slave why the lion had not attacked him.

The slave said: ”One day, I saw this lion in the forest. A thorn had lodged itself in its paw, and it was in great pain. I pulled out the thorn and since that day we have been good friends.”

People got touched by this story. They set both the lion and the slave free. To the people’s amazement the lion was following the slave as if it was his pet cat.

“God shows his mercy to those who are merciful. Have compassion to creatures on earth so that those in heaven may have mercy upon you.”

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You