SUBMITTED TO

SIR FAISAL KAREEM

SUBMITTED BY:

HAMZA HUSSAIN

ROLL NO:

1004

SECTION:

TOPIC:

FIRST TRIP TO ABROAD

DEPARTMENT :

DOMS

UNIVERSITY OF OKARA

DOMS
 My First Trip Abroad

These days visiting a foreign country has become quite common and easy, and I, too, have had
the opportunity to do so. I travelled to New York, (the city of sky scrapers) and Turkey. Lucky
are those who read a lot and those who travel a lot. The rich experience, which they gain, not
only makes them discover new ways of life but also makes them wiser. My Father, who is in the
Foreign Service, is widely travelled and thanks to him I, too, have had the opportunity of visiting
many countries.

Visit to New York

When I was in Class VI, my father got transferred to New York thus our whole family shifted to
New York. Our passports and visas were ready hence we left within a week’s time. I was very
excited because it was my first visit abroad. This was a major step for me, as I've never traveled
outside of the Pakistan before, so I was very excited. I love traveling. I love seeing new
places. And this is exactly what I was going to get. The morning of my big departure, I was
fifty shades of excited. I had minimal sleep, there wasn't a lot of packing I had to do, I
wishfully hoped to be able to get some sleep on the plane, but I knew my chances were slim.
After double-checking our things, we called an Uber. This guy was extremely friendly, and
even offered to make a stop at a Subway store on the way to the Allama Iqbal international
airport and reached there at time. I was sitting in aeroplane. Aeroplane was ready for flight. It
was very big and Spacious aeroplane with luxurious seats. It looked so royal, impressive and
wonderful. It was for the first time that I had seen Aeroplan’s. I was really excited and full of
many expectations. Our seats were near the windows, which gave us a fine view of the outside
world. The landscape below presenting an enchanting sight.
I had heard that New York is a city of skyscrapers. Our own house in Lahore was single
storied but in New York while going towards our apartment I saw dozens of buildings with
more than 50 storey’s. My father told us that our apartment was also in one of the skyscrapers
and a lift, within seconds, would take us to the 40th floor.

The streets of New York were very busy and I was told that they are called avenues. The
greater part of New York was on an Island and there were seven avenues running from one
end to the other. Crossing these avenues were streets which were all numbered. All people in
New York speak English but other languages are also spoken. New York is a place where
people from all countries have made their home. Most of the black Americans live in a district
called Harlem. New York City, often called simply New York and abbreviated as NYC, is
the most populous city in the United states. With an estimated 2019 population of 8,336,817
distributed over about 784 km, New York City is also the most densely populated major city in
the United States. Located at the southern tip of the U.S. state of New York, the city is the center
of the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass
With almost 20 million people in its metropolitan statistical area and approximately 23 million in
its combined statistical area, it is one of the world's most populous megacities. New York City
has been described as the cultural, financial, and media capital of the world, significantly
influencing commerce, entertainment, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, art,
fashion, and sports. Home to the headquarters of united nations New York is an important center
for international diplomacy. New York City comprises 5 boroughs sitting where the Hudson
River meets the Atlantic Ocean. At its core is Manhattan, a densely populated borough that’s
among the world’s major commercial, financial and cultural centers. Its iconic sites include
skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building and sprawling Central Park. Some pictures of
skyscrapers are here.
Here is some history of New York, New York City traces its origins to a trading post founded by
colonists from the Dutch Republic in 1624 on Lower Manhattan; the post was named New
Amsterdam in 1626. The city and its surroundings came under English control in 1664 and were
renamed New York after King Charles II of England granted the lands to his brother, the Duke of
York. New York was the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790, and has been the
largest U.S. city since 1790.The Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to
the U.S. by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and is a symbol of the U.S. and its
ideals of liberty and peace. In the 21st century, New York has emerged as a global node of
creativity, entrepreneurship, and environmental sustainability, and as a symbol of freedom and
cultural diversity. In 2019, New York was voted the greatest city in the world per a survey of
over thirty thousand people from fourty eight cities worldwide, citing its cultural diversity.
I found that people in America are very conscious of saving time. All people in New York are so
busy that they always seem to be on the move. All the houses and apartments are so well
maintained that they appear to be as good as new. You can hardly see any building which is in a
dilapidated state. The garbage removal system is also so regular and well planned that the sight
of overflowing dustbins is a rarity. Nor can we see cows roaming on the streets, as a matter of
fact there are ranches at the outskirts of the city. You can see lush green fields with proper
fencing and good healthy cows enjoying their meal, there. It is very exciting to take a tour of
New York on a double decker bus. The roof of the bus has seats for tourists to sit and enjoy the
New York City. The bus moves from one avenue to the other and takes you on a sight-seeing
tour of the city. One can get down at any stop and can board any other tourist bus for visiting
another place. It is very comfortable as you have to buy a ticket only once and it can be used
throughout the day. You don’t have to travel in the same bus.

The buses do not have conductors and for the old and handicapped, people they have been made
barrier free. When the driver sees a handicapped person, he stops the bus and gets down helping
him/her get into the bus. The buses are so designed that the handicapped person in his wheel
chair can also enter the bus with ease. I found it so unlike Pakistan where no such provisions are
in place. New York is a very interesting place and here one must visit the statue of Liberty which
stands tall inside the ocean. It looks so majestic and awesome that one is forced to think about
the sculptor who made this. It is indeed an amazing sight and it gives New York an identity of its
own. I also happened to visit the Malls and was surprised to see that they were cities in
themselves. One can spend hours and hours together discovering them.
I also happened to visit the Malls and was surprised to see that they were cities in themselves.
One can spend hours and hours together discovering them. Needless to say, that the Mall culture
also becoming popular in Pakistan but we still have a long way to go when we compare them
with the Malls abroad. One could exchange or return anything purchased from the Mall without
the sales girls making any fuss about it. My mother exchanged a dress which she had purchased a
month back even though she had lost the cash memo for the same. Had it been in Pakistan, it
would definitely not have been possible. The best thing which I liked was the warmth and the
behaviour of the people, whom I met, even strangers welcomed us with a smile and wished. I
hardly saw any frowning face and no one broke the queue. The discipline was amazing!
Everyone was using the dustbins, the streets, the malls, the stations; the bus stops all were neat
and clean though there were so many people moving around. Everything abroad reflects the
country’s progress, development and discipline. It would not be an exaggeration to say that New
York is indeed a great city where people from all countries and different religions, races live in
peace and harmony. My experience in New York was very good and we were stay there for 2
weeks and then my father had to go to turkey for some foreign affairs so after that we set our
journey for turkey.

Visit to Turkey
The next morning was another early wake-up, and immediately after breakfast at nine, we got
on a bus and heading to Airport of New York city at a time. I was very excited for turkey trip
after the visit of New York city. So, after double-checking our luggage at airport, and making
it through security, it was only an hour and a half wait until I boarded our flight and headed to
Turkey. After 11 hours flight we arrived at Istanbul nine, o clock. Istanbul is the largest city
of the Turkey. It is the financial city of the Turkey, making it busiest city of the Turkey.
Istanbul is a major city in Turkey that straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait.
Its Old City reflects cultural influences of the many empires that once ruled here. In the
Sultanahmet district, the open-air, Roman-era Hippodrome was for centuries the site of
chariot races, and Egyptian obelisks also remain. The iconic Byzantine Hagia Sophia features
a soaring 6th-century dome and rare Christian mosaics. After leaving airport I went to a hotel
and stay there for night and take rest and shower. Now, it was my first Pleasant morning in
Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey.
Istanbul is one of the world’s great cities. There are so many wonderful reasons why you
should visit this city. Istanbul is old, dating back thousands of years, and with that, there are
many historical places to visit. Istanbul is gorgeous, with its assortment of mosques and their
colorful tile work and dramatic architecture. Istanbul is charming; we met so many
welcoming, friendly people here.
After taking breakfast we set to our journey to visit the whole city.so first of all we take bus
and arrived at Hagia Sophia.
The Hagia Sophia:
I already had some knowledge about this place. I have studied it during My studies. We took a
taxi from the front of our apartment and reached there. This cathedral was constructed in 537
AD. For 900 years it was the seat of the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople. The Hagia
Sophia was the single greatest architectural achievement of the Byzantine Empire. In 1453,
when the Ottomans took over Constantinople, the Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque.
Now, it was a museum.
After that we took taxi and went to the blue masjid.
THE BLUE MOSQUE:
I have studied about the blue mosque which is known as Sultan Ahmed Masjid. Walk across
Sultanahmet Square to the Blue Mosque. Built in 1616, the Blue Mosque is famous for the
intricate blue tile work the covers the interior of the building. It is free to enter, and if you
have never been inside of a mosque before, this is a good one to start with. There are
particular rules you must follow when entering a mosque, and because of the large numbers of
tourists that visit the Blue Mosque every day.
The Masjid has a spacious for escort surrounded by a continuous vaulted arcade. It has
ablution facilities on both the sides. In the center, there is a fountain which Is rather small in
contrast with the magnitude of the courtyard. The interior of the Masjid at the lower level is
lined with more than 20,000 hand Made ceramic tiles in more than 50 different tulip designs.
At the gallery level, The design becomes flamboyant with representation of flowers, fruit and
Cypresses. The upper level of the interior is adorned with blue paint. More than 200 stained
glass windows with intricate designs allow natural light to brighten Up its interior. The
decorations impressed me much that include Ayat from the Holy Quran. The floors are
covered with carpets.
The interior:
The prayer hall itself is punctuated with several architectural features including the sultan’s
platform and an arcaded gallery running along the interior walls except on the qibla wall facing
Mecca. A carved marble niche set into the center of this wall guides the faithful to the correct
direction for prayer. To its right is a tall and thin marble pulpit capped with an ornamental turret.

Tilework And Stained Glass:

Upper sections of the mosque are painted in geometric bands and organic medallions of bright
reds and blues, but much of this is not original. Rather, the careful choreography of more than
20,000 Zink tiles rise from the mid-sections of the mosque and dazzle the visitor with their
brilliant blue, green, and turquoise hues, and lend the mosque its popular sobriquet.

Traditional motifs on the tiles such as cypress trees, tulips, roses, and fruits evoke visions of a
bountiful paradise. Sultan Ahmet requisitioned these specifically for the building. The lavish use
of tile decoration on the interior was a first in Imperial Ottoman mosque architecture. The
intensity of the tiles is accentuated by the play of natural light from more than 200 windows that
pierce the drums of the central dome, each of the half-domes, and the side walls. These windows
originally contained Venetian stained glass.
Legacy:
The Sultan Ahmet Mosque is particularly remarkable in that it was conceived and built during a
time of relative decline. In the past, grand mosques were constructed as markers of prosperity
and political strength. Even though Ahmet I showed promise when he first assumed the throne,
he is now seen as a weak and incompetent sultan. A few short years into his reign, he conceded
autonomy to the Habsburg rulers and freed them from paying tribute. His inability to control and
sustain a stable administration inaugurated an era of malaise and contributed to the reversal of
Ottoman fortunes. In spite of these troubles, his legacy remains cemented in the breathtaking
beauty of the Blue Mosque.

Cappadocia
Cappadocia is the most famous and attractive
place in turkey.so that is why we want to
visit that place and our experience was so
good for this place. There are many places in
Cappadocia so we have decided to go
UCHISAR.
UCHISAR:
The rock castle at UCHISAR is the highest
point in Cappadocia, giving visitors the best
views over the area. Climbing up through the
castle gives you your first chance of many to
explore the many caves in the area. This is
great for kids; immediately Tyler and Kara knew that Cappadocia was going to be an adventure
and not some boring museum-hopping vacation. Our photos don’t give the views justice as we
were here when it was raining.

GOREME OPEN AIR MUSEUM:

Just a short drive away is the GOREME Open Air Museum. This is a series of Catholic churches
carved into the side of a mountain dating from 1000 years ago. Paintings in the churches were
preserved by the splattering of pigeon poop that accumulated on the walls. Gross, huh? Well, the
pigeon poop is all gone but the artwork remains.

Hot Air Balloon Ride:

Seeing the unique scenery of Cappadocia from the vantage point of a hot air balloon is an
unforgettable experience. If you do one thing while in Cappadocia, a hot air balloon ride gets my
vote. It may be painful paying the fee, but the memories and photos you will have make it
worthwhile. Your day will start very early. We were picked up at 5 am at our hotel by Royal
Balloon and at 6:30 am we were floating up into the air. During the flight you will ascend 300
meters into the air and then down into Love Valley. We got so close to the ground that our basket
almost brushed the treetops.
Love Valley Hike:

The Love Valley hike is a 1.5-mile hike (one-way), mostly flat with some gentle climbs. This
hike takes you through one of the local valleys with the reward of seeing large cone shaped
spires at the end of the hike. Unique 3 days in Cappadocia

This hike is named for the phallic-shaped rock formations at the end of the hike. It is a beautiful
area, comical for adults and question raising for our kids. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours for the hike.

CAVUSIN:

Cavusin is a village in the district of Avanos in Nevsehir Province in the Cappadocia region of
Turkey. It is on the road between Avanos and Gerome, about five kilometers north of Gerome.
This is another popular town in Cappadocia with more caves to explore and an ancient village
built into the hillside. It also gives visitors more awesome views over Cappadocia.

MONKS VALLEY:
Monks Valley, another popular set of caves (there are tons of these in Cappadocia), is located in
Pasabag. This makes for a very quick stop. The fairy chimneys truly are quite amazing. Often a
rock, sits atop of the chimney, ominously balancing its way through storms and heavy winds.
Amongst the valley, you’ll find lots of cave dwellings, which are often double and triple stories.
You are able to venture inside to
Explore the different levels.

After that trip we comeback to Pakistan. That first experience taught me that there is a long-long
way to go in learning the world. And I did, in many more ways than one. We stayed in abroad
for ten days and had a fantastic time. I loved everything about this romantic city and vowed to
never hesitate to come back to experience it again and again. But I promised myself that I would
come back again because my first experience was very good, So I wished to come back again
here.