As reported by Arab news, on August 19 Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz laid the foundation stone for the historic expansion project of the Grand Mosque, which covers 400 thousand square meters northwest and northeast of the mosque, and will increase its total capacity to more than 2.5 million. According to informed sources, the total area of the existing Grand Mosque is 356 thousand square meters accommodating 770 thousand worshippers, while the new expansion covering an area of 456 thousand square meters will accommodate 1.2 million. The new US$ 21.8 million project will comprise three parts: construction of a new building, expansion and development of courtyards around the mosque, including walkways, tunnels and toilets, and development of service facilities for air-conditioning, electricity and drinking water. A number of new multistoried hotels will establish at the end of the courtyards of the new expansion. Vast pathways will be created between the building for pilgrims and worshippers to reach the mosque. Al-Masjid al-Haram is the largest mosque in the world. Located in the city of Makkah, it surrounds the Kaaba, the place which worldwide Muslims turn towards while performing daily prayers and is Islam's holiest place. The mosque is also known as the Grand Mosque.

As reported by the Armenian Weekly, earlier this month His Eminence Archbishop Avak Asadourian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of Iraq, paid a pastoral visit to the autonomous region of Kurdistan in Northern Iraq, mainly to inspect the work of a new church which is being built in the village of Havresk (Hye Verejh) in the province of Duhok. Due to a state of insecurity, especially in Baghdad and Mosul cities since 2003, the Armenian communities in Iraq have been experiencing inner migration as is the case with other Christian denominations and minorities. As a consequence, a number of Armenians relocated to the Kurdish autonomous region of Iraq. Hence, the Armenian Diocese of Iraq is faced with the obligation and Christian duty of building new churches for the faithful. Due to limited funding the church was not built in an entirely Armenian architectural style. The church is expected to be completed early next year. The new house of worship is being built through a generous donation by the Association of churches in Germany and Switzerland.

As reported by emirates247.com, non-resident Indians in the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries are contributing to build what is claimed to be India's biggest mosque, Share Mubarak Masjid, which will come up in the outskirts of Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala, home to a large number of NRIs living in the UAE. Dr MA Hakkim Azhari Kanthapuram, joint secretary of Markazu Ssaquafathi Ssunniyya of Calicut (a leading religious and charitable institution in India, helping the destitute Muslims and orphans in their education and overall socio-cultural development), during his visit to the UAE said, that about one million members of the organisation, many of them living in the UAE, each contributed US$ 22 to build the largest Indian mosque in a proposed Knowledge City, which is located on the outskirts of Calicut. To be built at a cost of US$ 8.8 million, the mosque will have a built-up area of 23 thousand square meters, accommodating up to 30 thousand worshippers. There will be a library for Islamic research and a conference hall where both Muslims and non-Muslims can come in pursuit of knowledge. The mosque will also be surrounded by Moghul-style garden and landscaping. The entire township would cost US$ 265 million. According to article, in Knowledge City will be professional engineering and medical colleges, a multidisciplinary hospital and healthcare city, a shopping mall, star hotels and convention center. The City layout has been finalised and urban planning is going on. Within the next six months, construction work will start. Currently, the biggest Indian mosque is Delhi's Jamia Masjid, built in the 17th century by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The Jamia Masjid is built with red sandstone and white marble. About 25 thousand people can pray here at a time.

St Paul's Cathedral, one of Britain's most spectacular buildings, has been fully restored to its glory as a 15-year renovation finally came to an end, reported news.yahoo.com. For the first time for years, Londoners were able to see the historic building without the hindrance of scaffolding. St Paul's, which sits atop Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London financial district, is the capital's architectural centrepiece and dominated the skyline before the era of tower blocks. The US$ 58 million restoration project, one of the largest ever undertaken in Britain, has been completed in time to mark the giant cathedral's 300th anniversary. What has been the first comprehensive restoration of the cathedral began in summer 1996. Work has included landscaping the South Churchyard gardens, restoring the Grand Organ and adding wheelchair access to the crypt and Whispering and South Triforium Galleries. Throughout, the bells peeled and services were uninterrupted. The smoke and filth of three centuries of London pollution had left the exterior blackened and damaged, but this has now been completely cleaned. More than 150,000 blocks of Portland stone were restored. Designed by Christopher Wren and built in grey Portland limestone, like many of London's most significant buildings, the Renaissance-style cathedral took 36 years to complete. It replaced the previous St Paul's, built by the Normans, which was gutted in the 1666 Great Fire of London. Construction of this great building was completed in 1711. The funerals of wartime heroes the Duke of Wellington, Horatio Nelson and Winston Churchill took place there, as did the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer.

On November 17 in Nairobi, Kenya, at a meeting of Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding by UNESCO, a list of 47-cultural traditions of peoples around the world was approved. The art of creation Armenian Khachkars (cross-stones) was also included in the list, as the centuries-old tradition of the Armenian people, transmitted from generation to generation. As reported in the official site of UNESCO, among more than 50,000 Khachkars in Armenia, each has its own pattern, and no two are alike. The source also notes the height of the cross-stones up to 1.5 m, but most likely the authors have forgotten about such magnificent works of art as cross-stones in monastery complex Sanahin (complex included in the list of UNESCO's historical heritage by in the year 2000) or Goshavank, that astonish not only by their bigger size but also by perfect craftsmanship. Also note that when information like this appears in such well-known news portals as REGNUM.RU, (http://www.regnum.ru/news/fd-abroad/armenia/1347782.html) the news must be accompanied by photographs, that really would help the reader better understand the centuries-old fine art of khachkar creation. Also, we'd like to mention a sad fact of recent vandalism of this "cultural heritage". Since 1987-2005 in the territory of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan, thousands of beautiful cross-stones of the monastery complex Nor Jugha have been completely destroyed, and the facts of this heinous vandalism, for many years was "pestering" by Armenian government to UNESCO and other concerned international organizations. More than 500-hundred Armenian cemetery with khachkars and 218 Armenian churches were destroyed in Nakhichevan. The reason for the complete destruction of the cross-stones and churches by Azerbaijani side is certainly understandable; it's a destruction of all identification evidences for centuries-old Armenian stay on this land. But we want to live in the world where everything that relates to the history and culture will be really appreciated, to live in the world where neighbor nations will respect each other, and will recognize real history and existing reality. Watch the video of the destruction of khachkars in Nor Jugha.