Magic castles, amazing landscapes, fantastic cities - both children and adults enjoy traveling in fictional animated spaces. However, it is known that a person cannot come up with something completely divorced from the real world."Around the World" found out where the incredible places that fell into fairy tales are located.
Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany
The "New Swan Castle" (translated from German) is located on one of the Bavarian hills near the Austrian border. It was built in the 19th century by order of the hermit king Ludwig II. Due to its location, the castle survived two world wars. Walt Disney first saw Neuschwanstein in the 1930s while traveling through Europe. Towering above the deserted Bavarian forests, the castle seemed to the animator a gateway to a fairy-tale world. At that time, Disney was considering the idea of creating an amusement park, and in 1955, Sleeping Beauty Castle, stylized as Neuschwanstein, was located in the center of the first Disneyland. He later, in 1959, was drawn in Sleeping Beauty cartoon. And in 1985, the silhouette of the "Swan Castle" became the company's logo. Walt Disney Pictures.
Snow-white walls and golden domes of the palace from cartoon "Aladdin" very reminiscent of this mausoleum. Today it is impossible to find official confirmation that it was the Taj Mahal that inspired the creators of Aladdin. But the general similarity of the stories removes doubts. The mosque was built in the 17th century by order of the padishah in memory of his wife, who died during childbirth. A similar story unfolds in the cartoon: a cartoon sultan is raising his daughter Jasmine on his own. In addition, the Taj Mahal is located in the city of Agra, and the cartoon palace is in the fictional city of Agrabah.
Golden Gate Bridge, USA
One of the most recognizable bridges in the world is the hallmark of not only the real San Francisco, but also the fictional metropolis of San Francocchio from cartoon "City of Heroes", which has been in theaters since October 25th. "San Francocchio is a mixture of two cities: San Francisco and Tokyo," says producer Roy Conley. “We took the best of them and created a city of heroes.”
Harvard University, USA
"Monsters university" copied from Harvard, one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world: the same architecture, similar auditoriums and dormitories for students.
Angel Falls, Venezuela
The largest waterfall in the world (979 meters - almost twice as high as the Ostankino TV tower) became the prototype of Paradise Falls from cartoon "Up". Angel is located in Venezuela, on the territory of the Canaima National Park. Water falls from the top of Mount Auyan-Tepui, the stream is sprayed into tiny particles and turns into fog.
Mont Saint Michel, France
An island with a fortress, located 285 kilometers from Paris, on the northwestern coast of France, resembles a royal palace from cartoon "Rapunzel: a tangled story". The animators do not confirm that it was Mont Saint-Michel that inspired them to create a fictional castle, but they do not deny the similarities. The island with the highest tide in Europe (up to 15 meters) from the time of the French Revolution (end of the 18th century) until 1863 was used as a prison and at that time bore the ironic name "Freedom Mountain". According to some reports, up to 300 prisoners were kept here.
Nidaros Cathedral, Norway
The church, located in the city of Trondheim (the obsolete name Nidaros), inspired the animators to create the ice palace of Elsa, one of the heroines "Cold Heart". The cathedral was built on the burial site of King Olaf the Saint of Norway. The fairy-tale palace differs from the Nidaros Cathedral only in that it is completely made of ice. Otherwise - Gothic vaults, several pointed towers and the location on the river bank - everything is as in reality. In addition, the landscapes of the kingdom of Arendelle, where the cartoon takes place, are copied from the landscapes of Norway.
Photo: Alamy / Legion-Media (х3), Shutterstock, Diomedia, Arco Images, AGE Fotostock / Russian Look, The Walt Disney Company Russia (х3)
A beggar youth, a beautiful princess and a genie who grants any wish - the tale of Aladdin's adventures is known to children all over the world. The legend of a poor man with a heart full of love proves that the fulfillment of cherished desires is possible. To do this, you just need to believe in yourself ... and rub the old lamp.
History of creation
The author of legends about a smart poor man named Aladdin is a beauty. The daughter of the vizier told the legend of the young man and the magic lamp to the bloodthirsty husband-sultan. The man planned to get rid of his wife in the morning, but the captivating narration captured the tyrant, giving the girl hope to survive another night. Exactly a thousand and one tales were told by a cunning girl to her master.
The Arabic legend was included in a collection entitled "1000 and One Nights", translated and published by Antoine Gallant. But the researchers believe that the work was not included in the original version of the collection, the legend was added later. Perhaps the author of the tale is a friend of the translator named Hannah (a Syrian traveler):
“Yesterday I undertook to read an Arabic tale about a lamp, which more than a year ago was written for me in Arabic by a Maronite from Damascus - Monsieur Lucas brought it with him. It will have to be translated into French. By morning I had read it in its entirety. Here is its full title: "The story of Aladdin, the tailor's son, and the adventures that fell to his lot through the fault of an African sorcerer and through the lamp."
The possibility that Antoine Galland wrote the fairy tale himself is not ruled out. The man lived in the East for a long time. After the death of the translator, the original text of the legends was not found among the rest of the French archives.
Biography
Aladdin was born into the family of a poor tailor. From childhood, the father taught his son to work, but the boy was not interested in the craft. The child spent his free time outdoors with friends. This behavior upset the parent, and the man died of great grief. Aladdin stayed with his mother.
At the age of 15, a mature young man did not change his habits. The guy did not like to work, an old mother earned money in the family. One unremarkable day, a sorcerer approached Aladdin on the street. The man introduced himself as the boy's uncle. For more than a month, the man visited a poor family, gave the young man gifts and promised to make the guy rich.
During the usual walk, the sorcerer led the unintelligent young man into the desert and ordered him to open a strange hatch. Aladdin obeyed the words of "uncle" and ended up in the treasury. Taking the old lamp, which the sorcerer asked the guy for, the hero tried to get out of the cave. But the weight of the treasures taken along the road did not allow the young man to cope on his own. The sorcerer demanded a lamp, which Aladdin hid deep in his clothes. An easy dispute turned into a scandal:
“But I, mother, put the lamp in my pocket and stuffed my pockets with fruits from the trees from the garden, and therefore I could not get the lamp and give it to the Maghrebian.”
In a rage, the sorcerer slammed the entrance to the cave, burying the young man and the lamp. Aladdin was saved by a ring that a fake uncle gave the guy. Returning home, the guy told about the adventures of his mother. To feed his family, the young man decided to sell the old lamp. The sudden appearance of a creature from the lamp confused the cards.
It turned out that a genie lives in the lamp, which fulfills any desire of the owner of the lamp. From that moment on, Aladdin entrusted the care of his daily bread to an unusual slave. One day, walking around the square, the poor young man saw the daughter of the Sultan - Mrs. Badr-al-Budur. The young man was captivated by the beauty of the girl and lost his peace.
The young man persuaded his mother to marry the daughter of the Sultan, and as a dowry he collected a plate of incredible gems. The matchmaking ended in success - the sultan promised his daughter's hand, leaving three months to prepare for the wedding. Two months later, Aladdin accidentally found out that the ruler had not kept his word. The son of the vizier became the new bridegroom of the beauty. To break up the marriage, Aladdin gave the genie an unusual task:
“This is what I want from you: when you see that the young, husband and wife, lie down together, take both and bring them to me.”
By separating the newlyweds, Aladdin interfered with the wedding night. Just a few such antics - and the marriage of the beauty and the vizier's son was terminated at the behest of the Sultan. Aladdin reminded the great ruler of the promise. The Sultan demanded a new dowry from the young man, and when the young man complied with the request (not without the help of a genie), he agreed to the marriage.
So the poor young man became the husband of a beautiful and noble woman. Aladdin built a palace for his wife and helped the Sultan to administer justice. Soon the whole city started talking about the young ruler.
The old sorcerer, about whom Aladdin safely forgot, returned. The villain found out what changes had taken place in the fate of the guy, and realized that the reason for the youth's victories was the genie. Careless Aladdin left the lamp in the house and went hunting. By cunning, the sorcerer got a lamp and transferred the castle and Princess Budur to his hometown.
And then the hero was again rescued by an unusual ring. The magic item carried the young man to the sorcerer. The young wife put the villain to sleep, and Aladdin cut off the head of the cruel wizard.
It would seem that now the young lovers are not in danger. But another sorcerer finds out about the death of his brother, who is not ready to forgive the upstart for the murder of a close relative. This time, the resident of the lamp warns about the danger of Aladdin. Jin opens the young man's eyes to the old woman who pretends to be a sorcerer:
“If I knew that you would have such a request, I would have breathed on you and your wife, and you would have taken off and ended up between heaven and earth. But the reason for this is not in you, but in this damned brother of the Maghreb, who is in your palace and pretends to be Fatima the pilgrim.”
Aladdin kills another enemy. Now there are no secrets and barriers between lovers. The main characters live a long and happy life filled with fun and pleasure.
Screen adaptations
In 1961, the first motion picture was released, dedicated to the adventures of a poor young man. The film "A Thousand and One Nights" is a joint creation of France, Italy and the United States. Donald O'Connor played the title role. Despite the loud title, the tape only touches on the story of Aladdin.
In 1966, the film "Aladdin's Magic Lamp" was released on the screens of the cinemas of the USSR. Filming took place in the Crimea. The image of a charming slob was brought to life by an actor.
In 1992, the most famous work dedicated to Aladdin was published. The cartoon of the same name won two Oscars. The adventures of an orphan boy and his friend, a monkey named Abu, grossed $504 million at the box office. The successful project was continued: later the cartoon "The Return of Jafar" and the animated series were released. The heroes of the fairy tale remained the same - Aladdin, his girlfriend Jasmine, a restless genie, a monkey and a parrot.
In the wake of the transformation of popular cartoons into equally popular films, Pictures began shooting a new film, Aladdin. Tape director. The main role will be played by actor Mena Massoud, Jasmine will play. In the form of a charming genie, he will perform. Estimated year of release of the picture - 2019.
- Aladdin became a resident of Agrabah after the release of the cartoon of the same name. The collection "1001 Nights" states that the young man was born and raised in China.
- In the original fairy tale, the number of wishes for the protagonist is unlimited.
- Aladdin's pants in the cartoon are copied from the costume.
- The Walt Disney Company took the hero as a prototype, but the character turned out to be too young. The prototype of the second and final version of Aladdin became.
Quotes
“To live, you need to eat, and to eat, I have to steal!”
“If you want, take all the treasures for yourself, but remember - gold has a terrible power. It disfigures both the soul and the body.
“I want you to be attacked by a lion and I will kill him. To set fire to all of Baghdad, and I would take you out of the fire. And so that the earthquake, and so that everyone fails, and only you and I remain.
“Someday, Abu, everything will change. We'll get rich, we'll live in a palace, and we won't have any problems."
“Love for her went deep into my heart, and it’s impossible for me not to get her as a wife, and I decided to ask her from her father, the Sultan, according to the law of the great Allah.”[d], Avery, James, Val Bettin[d], Gilbert Gottfried, Frank Welker, Dan Castellaneta, Wagner, Scott And Jason Alexander
Howard Ashman
Alan Menken
Rick Leon
CBS
Return Jafar
Arabian Nights
"The Adventures of Aladdin"(eng. Disney's Aladdin: The Series) - American adventure animated seriescreated by Walt's Disney studio. Episodes aired from 1994 to 1995. The series is based on the cartoon Aladdin and is a continuation of the cartoon The Return of Jafar "- according to the plot, Aladdin is engaged to the princess Jasmine, but does not yet live in the Agrabah palace, and the parrot Iago switched to the side of good and became a friend of Aladdin and Abu. his faithful friend Genie.
Encyclopedic YouTube
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✪ Aladdin uses his first wish! Aladdin (1992)
✪ Aladdin and the magic lamp fairy tale for kids, animation and cartoon
✪ Aladdin: Return of Jafar on Disney Channel!
✪ Aladdin and the magic lamp | Fairy tales for children | animation | Cartoon
✪ Aladdin (1992) - translation by Alexei Mikhalev
Subtitles
Plot
The plot of the series develops after the second film called The Return of Jafar and precedes the third film called Aladdin and the King of Thieves. Although chronologically the series is a continuation of The Return of Jafar, it was aired before the premiere of the picture, which is why it was not entirely clear to the audience how the parrot Iago turned out to be a positive character. Although the name Jafar is mentioned several times in the series, the character himself appears only in the first two feature films and in the crossover with the Hercules show - Arabian Nights.
The animated series tells about the adventures of Aladdin and his friends in Agrabah and beyond, about the opposition of heroes to the forces of Evil. The story introduces many new recurring characters and villains. Basically, the events take place in the characters' hometown, the Arabian city of Agrabah (eng. Agrabah), located in the middle of the desert. But most often, the heroes leave it, and find themselves in other parts:
- Odifer(eng. Odiferous) - a country in which the strong influence of German Europe is felt, Bavaria served as the prototype of this country. The inhabitants of this country are medieval barbarians who are used to solving any problems with the help of force. Odiferians are admirers of military science and military strategy. The main delicacy is odorous Odifer cheese. The country is ruled by Prince Ankutma, a friend of Aladdin and Jasmine.
- Country of Black Sands(eng. The Land Of The Black Sand) - a state in which there are no people, but Mameluke zombies live. The kingdom is ruled by the black magician Mozenrath. The most famous parts of the kingdom are the Citadel (Mozenrath Castle); zombies live in the Dead City, over which the Citadel rises; The dagger rock that Mozenrath turned into the X-Crystal.
- Getzistan(eng. Getzistan) is a vibrant city famous for its gambling establishments. Ruled by Getzistan - Sultan Pastah Al Zubai. The heroes end up in this city several times to help the sultan. The parrot Iago is especially glad to visit this paradise for gambling lovers.
- Morbia(eng. Morbia) - the other world, ruled by the sorceress Mirage. The environment of this kingdom resembles an open space filled with asteroids. Every time the audience sees Morbia, a soaring Sphinx is depicted surrounded by stars, inside of which the Mirage's lair is located.
- rainy valley(eng. Valley Of Thundra) - a rainforest ruled by Queen Tandra - a green-feathered bird that controls the world's weather.
- Skull and dagger(eng. Skull & Dagger) - a thieves' den in Agrabah. Most of the regular visitors to the establishment are members of the Thieves Guild.
Voice actors
| Voice actors | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Character | In original | ||
| Aladdin | Scott Winger | ||
| Genie | Dan Castellaneta | ||
| Iago | Gilberd Gottfried | ||
| Princess Jasmine | Linda Larkin | ||
| Sultan | Val Battin | ||
| Rasul | Jim Cummings | ||
| Fazir | Ed Gilbert | ||
| Abis Mal | Jason Alexander | ||
| Mozenrath | Jonathan Brandis | ||
| Mirage | Bibi Neuvert | ||
| Mechanicus | Charles Adler | ||
| Ayyam-Agul | Hamilton Camp | ||
| Malcho | Hector Elizondo | ||
| Prince Ankutma | Tino Insana | ||
| Amin Damula | Jeff Bennett | ||
| Aziz | Michael Bell | ||
| Nefir | René Auberjonois | ||
| A-Mon-Ra | Tim Curry | ||
| Tandra | Candy Milo | ||
| Salina | Julie Brown | ||
| Minos | Keith David | ||
| Sultan Pastah Al Zubai | Stuart Pankin | ||
| Arbatas | Ron Pearlman | ||
| Eden | Debi Derryberry | ||
| Gippsodet | Keith Mulgrew | ||
| Captain Mork | Dorian Harewood | ||
| Fairy | Nancy Cartwright | ||
| Fatima | Charity James | ||
| King Mamud | Taj Mowry | ||
| Magma | Tone Lok | ||
| Lord Chaos | Matt Frewer | ||
| Khartoum | Tony Jay | ||
| sand monster | Nick Jamison | ||
| Hamed | Kay Cater | ||
| Abnor Mal | Jason Alexander | ||
| Caliph Kapouk | Irv Immerman | ||
| Qing | Robert Itoh | ||
| Tsang | Brian Tochi | ||
| Tsar Pector | Neil Ross | ||
| Advisor Runtar | Michael Jeter | ||
| Prince Vasu | Jim Cummings | ||
| General Gouda | n/a | ||
| King Sbar | n/a | ||
| Odiferets | n/a | ||
Series credits
The song written for the 1992 cartoon, Arabian Nights, is used as the main theme song of the series. The opening screensaver contains fragments from the cartoon "The Return Jafar". By the third season, they were cut and replaced with scenes from previous episodes of the series.
The song is sung in English by Brian Hannan.
In the Russian dubbing, the song under the new translation is performed by Anton Derov.
Series
Release
US Broadcast
During the existence of the series for 3 seasons (in fact, these are two series broadcast simultaneously on different channels, but created by the same animation team), 86 episodes of 20 minutes each were filmed. In addition, after the release of the final part of the animated trilogy, on February 10, 1999, the episode Arabian Nights (English Arabian Nights) of another Disney animated series called Hercules was released, in which Aladdin meets the ancient Greek hero Hercules in his youth. With this in mind, the series has 87 episodes. Show schedule:
| Season | Episodes | US airing | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiere | Ending | |||
| Disney Afternoon(Season 1) | 65 | September 5, 1994 | February 28, 1995 | |
| CBS(Season 2) | 13 | September 17, 1994 | December 10, 1994 | |
| CBS(Season 3) | 8 | September 16, 1995 | November 25, 1995 | |
Broadcast in Russia
It was first shown on the RTR channel in 1996-1997.
Prizes
| Awards and nominations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Prize | Nomination | Nominees | Result |
| 1995 | Kids" Choice Awards | Blimp Award For Favorite Cartoon | n/a | Nomination |
| Golden Reel Award | Best Music Editor Television Series | Alex Wilkinson | Nomination | |
| Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Music Direction & Composition | Mark Watters, John Given, Harvey Cohen Carl Johnson and Thomas Richard Sharp |
Victory | |
| Outstanding Film Sound Mixing | Timtoy Jay Garrity, Melissa Ellis, Deb Adair, Bill Kopnick, Jim Hodson and Timothy Borquez |
Victory | ||
| Outstanding Film Sound Editing | Joon O. Robinson III, Michael Geisler, Mark S. Perlman, William Griggis, Melissa Ellis, Ray Leonard, Phyllis Ginter Michael Gollom, Timothy Borkes, Tom Jaeger, Charles Rishwalski Greg LaPlante, Kennett Young, Jennifer Mertens Robert Duran, Bill Kopnik, Jim Hodson and Ales Wilkinson |
Victory | ||
| Tad Stones and Alan Zaslov | Nomination | |||
| Annie Awards | Outstanding Animated Children's Program | Warwick Gilbert | Nomination | |
| Best Individual Achievement For Storyboarding In The Field Of Animation |
Denis Koyama | Nomination | ||
| Best Individual Achievement For Writing In The Field Of Animation |
Douglas Langdale | Nomination | ||
| 1996 | Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Sound Mixing: Special Class | Michael Giron, Allen L. Stone and Deb Eder | Victory |
| Outstanding Achievement In Animation | Mirchi Mantta, Gerard Baldwin, Barbara Durmashkin Alan Zaslov, Jamie Thomason, Rob LaDuca, Dale Case Bob Roth, Bill Morts, Mark Seidenberg Mirit Jay Colao, Denis Koyama and Lonnie Lloyd |
Nomination | ||
Home video
American VHS releases
For the first time, several episodes of the show were published in 1995 under the title "Aladdin and Jasmine: The Magic of Moonlight" (eng. Aladdin & Jasmine's Moonlight Magic) . The edition included the episodes "Moonlight Madness" and "The Enchanted Genie".
Also in America, 7 video cassettes were released, published between 1995 and 1996, in the series "Arab Adventure"(English Arabian Adventures), each of which had two episodes of the series:
In addition, several series were published in 1995-1996 in the series "Disney Princess Collection: Jasmine Magic Stories"(English) Disney Princess Collection: Jasmine's Enchanted Tales):
DVD release
Despite the popularity, the mass of fans and the viewer's obvious interest in the short adventures of Aladdin, the studio Walt Disney has not yet released the series on licensed DVD. Previously, there were several episodes in the selection of cartoons in the collection of Disney Princesses, but that was all. The versions available on the Internet are VHSRip and TVRip quality video, that is, digitized video from video cassettes and recordings from TV channels.
An anthology was released on DVD and VHS from 2004 to 2005 "Princess Stories"(Eng. Princess Stories), in which the following episodes were published:
In the 2nd region, a collection was also released "The Magical Story of Jasmine: The Journey of a Princess"(English Jasmine's Enchanted Tales), containing the episodes "It's simple, dear Jasmine", "Garden of Evil" and "What it's like to be a rat."
In 2005, the episode "Changeling" was released as part of an anthology “Having fun with the Disney princesses. Volume 2"(English) Disney Princess Party Volume 2) .
Release in Russia
Officially in Russia, some of the series were published on VHS. Two video cassettes were released under the title "Aladdin": "Treasures Unlimited" and "Wizards" and three issues "Princess Collection: Magic Stories of Jasmine": "Magic Mirror", "Magic Flower" and "Rival Jasmine".
Also in the 1990s, all series were distributed on "pirated" video cassettes in a one-voiced version of the dubbing of Anton Alekseev, Andrei Gavrilov, Vasily Gorchakov, Andrei Dolsky, Maxim Oshurkov, Mikhail Ivanov and Sergei Vizgunov.
Only 3 episodes - "It's simple, dear Jasmine", "Garden of Evil" and "What it's like to be a rat" - were released on DVD in the anthology "Magic Story of Jasmine: The Journey of a Princess" from the publishing house "The Walt Disney Company CIS" in 2007. .
Easter eggs
References to Disney films
Numerous references to other Disney films appear throughout the series:
- In episode 7, Ankutma, who is in love with Jasmine, begins to curl up his mustache in the same way as Roquefort's mouse from the animated series Chip and Dale Rescue Rush during an attack of dampness.
- In episode 10, the Genie turns into Jiminy the cricket from the cartoon "Pinocchio" (1940) - he acts as Aladdin's conscience when he wants to go on a date with Sallin instead of finding Jasmine and apologizing to her. In the same episode, he transforms into Sebastian the crab from The Little Mermaid (1989). Ginny also turns into a Black Cloak and says: "From the screw." Armand the octopus dyes Jasmine's hair red for a second, making her look like the little mermaid Ariel.
- In episode 19, the Genie transforms into the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland (1951). The same character served as the prototype for Chaos, who appeared in the 53rd episode, judging by his manner of successively disappearing and appearing, literally dissolving into thin air.
- In episode 25, Sadira wears the dress of Princess Aurora from the cartoon "Sleeping Beauty" (1959).
- In episode 26, when Iago began to turn to stone, the Genie turned into Scrooge McDuck from Duck Tales with the words "You break my heart" when a street vendor began to extract money from Aladdin for a purchase. In the same episode, when catching Ifrit, the Jinn uses the weapon of the Black Cloak from the animated series of the same name.
- In episode 50 ("Potion of Abis Mala"), the Genie turned into Geppetto from the cartoon "Pinocchio".
- In episode 51 ("The Offensive of Chaos"), the Genie turns into a bear Baloo with the cry "From the screw!" in the version of the animated series "Miracles on turns".
- In episode 61, the Genie turned into Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Talking about the magical properties of the Stone of Destiny, the Genie asks: "Can the stone give the Little Mermaid legs?!"
- The Genie turned into the Beast by dressing up Iago as Belle from the cartoon "Beauty and the Beast" (1991).
Pop culture references
- In one of the episodes, Iago says that he is late for the start of his favorite series called "Pig Twix". This reference is a play on words based on the name of David Lynch's popular mystical detective, "Twin Peaks".
- In episode 1x30 "Elementary, Jasmine", in response to Iago's question "What are you doing?", Genie replies "Trying to win an Oscar for Best Actor!".
- In episode 3x05 "The Enemy in the Mirror", Genie takes on the appearance of RoboCop, and in episode 1x32 "The Game" he transforms into a bull with a red eye and computer vision like a Terminator.
In Web of Fear, Genie says that Aladdin's enemy is Lex Luthor. Then he remembers that this is Superman's opponent
References to mythology and literature
Thanks to the tale of Aladdin, we all have an idea of the Arab world. Aladdin had a magic lamp dug out from under the sand and magically transformed his life. This is exactly the picture I saw in the state of Qatar, which is located on the tiny Asian peninsula of the Persian Gulf. In addition to the fact that there is an Aladdin-land like Disneyland, in this country you can find a lot of surprises for Russian citizens. First of all, Qatar is an oil and gas producing state, just like Russia. But there a liter of gasoline costs 10 rubles, the local population does not know what taxes, education fees, health care and social assistance are. A professor at a local university receives $15,000 a month.
Here they managed to use the resources of the land and the sea in favor of the citizens of Qatar. And although the emirate became open to tourists only at the end of the last century, the Qataris themselves are perfectly oriented in the international situation, actively participating in the new alliance of civilizations. The education of girls and boys is separate, but women only seem traditional in appearance, while their brains and souls are stuffed with modern knowledge and values. Sheikha Muza, who led the 4th Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in a graceful feminine and oriental way, was especially shocking. Our Russian men admired: "There is a woman in the Persian Gulf!"
Local Arabs are very caring towards guests and try to help in everything. But they do not strive to be accurate in time, as, for example, in Europe, they can change, correct, improve the program of stay on the go. They try to cook food according to world-famous recipes, leaving the exotic for the most curious. You can always negotiate with them, since there is no commitment to punctuality, which can be considered a big plus in the face of the inevitable uncertainty of a Russian tourist who crossed the Arab border for the first time. All serving people in restaurants, hotels, taxis know English, so there is no language barrier.
The capital Doha is a unique city on the sand of the Persian Gulf, built by the best architects in the world. It grows like a genie from white sand, showing the possibilities of self-government of the small people of Qatar. There are about 600 thousand local residents, the rest are a million who came to work. Each home is a symphony of creativity, wealth and an Arab worldview aimed at a better future. At the same time, minarets are preserved for whole quarters, stretching crescents on the tops of skyscrapers, protecting the spiritual world of desert nomads. Doha, translated as “earthly paradise”, demonstrates the advantages of building in clusters: there is a City of Education, a City of Sports, Venice, and each part of the city is expressive and practical, creating a man-made image of a modern paradise on earth.
A peculiar symbol of the Arab world of Qatar can be perceived as water pipes connecting every flower, bush, palm tree and leading them to life-giving moisture. And one more thing: on the streets there are billboards with the inscription “Think!” - Think! This is not what we are used to seeing and blindly following a poster like “Glory to the CPSU!”. Indeed, we need to think, then maybe we will someday achieve such a life as in Qatar.
Thanks to the brave Arab boy Aladdin for opening the paradise world of Qatar to us!
