Zouérat Islamic Federation

[elavery 1,013]

The Zouérat Islamic Federation is a loose confederation of diverse countries that adhere to the Islamic faith. The flag of the federation is a simple star and crescent (the universal symbols of Islam) with a black background.

The first country we will be visiting is Gharbiyya which is located on the western coast of Africa, south of Morocco and north of Mauritania. Gharbiyya was annexed by the French in the late 19th century and formed part of French West Africa from 1920. Independence was gained in 1960 but many French influences remain such as language, religion, and architecture.

Gharbiyya General Information

Flag

Official Name: Islamic Republic of Gharbiyya

Short Name: Gharbiyya

Demonym: Gharbiyyan

Capital: Lagouira

Largest city: Lagouira

Currency: Zouérat Dirham

Official Languages: Arabic, French

Demographics: Arab-Berber (96%), European (2%), Other (2%)

Religion: Sunni Islam (98%), Christianity (2%)

Internet TLD: .ig

Total Population: 4,000,000

Life expectancy: Men - 65, Women - 68

Literacy rate: 95%

Climate

Gharbiyya has a mediterranean climate along the coast, although temperatures are higher due to the effects of the vast Sahara desert that makes up the interior of the country. Rainfall is rare, particularly in the arid desert.

Politics

Gharbiyya is a relatively peaceful country after overcoming instability in the first few decades after independence from France. Membership of the Zouérat Islamic Federation has lead to political stability despite the one party democracy that exists currently as this membership has lead to a big increase in the standard of living.

The first Gharbiyyan city we will be visiting is the capital and largest city, Lagouira.

A preview of what is to come:

[vivapanda 422]

Great start of your cj! I'm looking forward to see more!

[Dumanios 35]

This looks good.

[elavery 1,013]

A prominent feature along the waterfront of Lagouira is the Maidan Al-Jazair Mosque. Completed in 1990 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Gharbiyya's independence, the mosque is built on reclaimed land. This was inspired by the verse in the Qur'an that states "the throne of Allah was built on water". The minaret towers 210 m (689 ft) into the sky and is the world's tallest.

The interior of the mosque is a sight to behold with almost all of the materials used in the construction taken from Gharbiyya, except for the columns and chandeliers. It took six thousand traditional Gharbiyyan artisans five years to create the abundant and beautiful mosaics, stone and marble floors and columns, sculpted plaster moldings, and carved and painted wood ceilings.

The Maidan Al-Jazair Mosque sits infront of the French Quarter of Gharbiyya which contains the exclusive Hotel Cambronne and Le Grand Cafe. This section of Gharbiyya is always teeming with tourists who are eager to see the little part of Europe that exists in this Western Saharan country.

The next destination on this City Journal will be a visit to the ancient walled part of Lagouira, the Medina. A glimpse of the Medina can be seen below.

[Dumanios 35]

Nice!

[vivapanda 422]

Great that you showed pictures of the actual mosque. The city looks very realistic to me, good work!

[Benedict 3,119]

This is a very well conceived and executed start to your CJ. Unique in the CJ section in terms of the Islamic influence.

[reaps 105]

very great start on your CJ it's amazing can't wait to see more

[Bastet69008 1,102]

Very interesting to see European architecture in the middle of those arab buildings, makes me think of Algiers the capital of Algeria. Though the architecture is a little bit different, it looks realistic. Great start!

[elavery 1,013]

Thank you everyone for your kind comments. I hope you enjoy the next update.

Medina & Notre Dame de Lagouira

Today we will be visiting the medina. A medina is an ancient walled city frequently found in North Africa. The streets are very narrow and maze-like but are packed with people and markets selling everything one could think of. Sitting in the middle of Lagouira's medina is the Al-Qadereya Mosque.

By night, the medina is quiet with the green glow of Al-Qadereya mosque accompanying a few late night card-games.

Notre Dame de Lagouira was completed in 1892 and is the largest cathedral in Northern Africa. It sits on the promenade which runs along the Atlantic ocean and surely boasts one of the best setting for a cathedral in the world. While Gharbiyya is mostly Muslim, there is a sizeable Roman Catholic community, particularly amongst the French Gharbiyyan people (Gharbiyyan's with French ancestry).

I hope you have enjoyed this latest visit to the city of Lagouira but for now the sun sets on another Gharbiyyan day.

  Edited February 11, 2012 by elavery  

[Benedict 3,119]

Stunning variety of scenes - perfect medina, amazing cathedral, splendid beach.

[Jack³ 291]

I love all the w2w buildings. Great photoshopping too!

[vivapanda 422]

There arrived a new top CJ to simtropolis! The kast picture of the cathedral is one of the best I've ever seen.

[emperordaniel 1,281]

Wholly PHENOMENAL

[elavery 1,013]

Replies

Benedict: Thanks for your kind words.

Jack3oh3: Thanks! I am still new to photoshopping.

Vivapanda: Thanks so much.

Emperordaniel: Thanks for your compliments.

Today's update is a mosaic of the city of Lagouira. Enjoy!

[vivapanda 422]

WOW! that's amazing

[elavery 1,013]

Replies

Vivapanda: Thanks for your comment and for being the only person to reply.

Lagouira's skyline mostly consists of low-rise commercial and residential buildings built in a typical north african architectural style.

Lagouira however does have a few notable skyscrapers including the Gharbiyyan Interior Ministry building which was built in the 1970s and towers 113m (371ft) above the city.

The Gharbiyyan Parliamentary Building is perhaps the most modern-looking structure in the city and houses offices of all the most important people in the country. Across the road from the Parliamentary Building is Gharbiyya's largest shopping complex.

Near the Medina is the Djama'a al-Kebir Mosque which gently illuminates the night sky.

Finally, I will leave you with an overview of the city...

and a huge mosaic. Thank you again for visiting the great country of Gharbiyya and the city of Lagouira.

[emperordaniel 1,281]

Astounding job as always!

[vivapanda 422]

That overview is really nice! I love the mosaic, it took forever to load but it was definately worth it!

[Benedict 3,119]

The night view of Djama'a al-Kebir Mosque is fabulous.

And I thought that your earlier mosaic was good, the latest one blows it out of the water.

[elavery 1,013]

Replies

emperordaniel: Thanks for your regular visits to the nation of Gharbiyya.

Vivapanda: Thanks. The mosaic took forever to put together.

Benedict: There will be more mosaics, though none today.

Today you will just be seeing some random scenes from the city of Lagouira.

The French Quarter.

A couple of Lagouira's leading hotels for the growing tourism industry.

And a small football ground which is one of the home stadiums for cities football teams (more about them in the next update).

Thank you for once again visiting Lagouira. For now, the sun sets on another Gharbiyyan day.

[Ace3 1,209]

Very Inspiring, truly fantastic work! Whenever I see you have updated your CJ, I immediately check it out! It's is amazing!

[emperordaniel 1,281]

Nearly choked on my breakfast, I did.

[Benedict 3,119]

I still really like the French Quarter. And, echoing something another person wrote, the W2W Parisian-style buildings really do look good next to the Arabic-style ones.

[elavery 1,013]

Replies

10000000000000: Thanks, I always check Atlantsia as soon as I see it updated. Well done on the trixie also!

emperordaniel: I don't want this CJ to cause you health issues.

Benedict: I really like the french quarter also and the quality of those Parisian BATs is immense. They would work in any setting.

Lagouira's Olympic Stadium (capacity 50,000) fills the role of the National Stadium of Gharbiyya. The national football team plays all of its international matches here and both of Lagouira's football clubs (Al Nasr & Al Ittihad) also play here. The Olympic Stadium sits on the waterfront and is very close to the International Airport.

Al Nasr

Al Nasr (Victory in Arabic) is Gharbiyya's most popular club with a fanatical fanbase. Al Nasr has won the Gharbiyyan League 10 times, the Gharbiyyan Cup 5 times, and the Gharbiyyan SuperCup 1 time. The club has recently been going through a tough period having not won the League title in over 10 years. This drought has not affected their fan support however, as you can see below.

Al Ittihad

Al Ittihad (United in Arabic) is Gharbiyya's second most popular club, but the most succesful. Al Ittihad has won the League 16 times, the Cup 6 times, and the SuperCup 10 times. Al Ittihad has also had the most success in African Continental Football of any Gharbiyyan club, having reached the semi finals of the CAF Champions League in 2007. Similar to Al Nasr, Al Ittihad also has fanatical fans who cover themselves in red at any chance they get.

Finally, I will be leaving you with another mosaic which offers a sneak peak at the next update, Lagouira's International Airport.

[nathanthemayor 1,263]

Wow!Your CJ is amazing! Can't wait to see more!

[Benedict 3,119]

Another great update, with a surprising focus on sport.

[vivapanda 422]

As Benedict said, I enjoyed the unique showcase of those clubs! I can't wait to see the airport

[elavery 1,013]

Replies

Nathanthemayor: Thanks! I hope you like today's update.

Benedict: Thanks!

Vivapanda: The airport is here!

Samima: No I am not a Muslim, I am a Christian. But I am interested in North Africa and the Middle East.

Today we will be visiting Lagouira International Airport; a small, poorly planned, yet bustling airport.

The terminal has recently been upgraded and was designed by a Japanese firm. Due to space constrictions the airport only has eight gates and a small cargo terminal on the other side of the runway.

Another interesting feature of the airport is how close the runway is to a major avenue and the beach. Plane-spotting tourists often gather on the beach to get a close-up view of the airport.

There are five airlines that primarily fly into Lagouira.

Air France

Daily flights to Paris and Marseille

Afriqiyah Airways

Daily flights to Tripoli and Benghazi

Emirates

Daily flights to Dubai and Dhahran

Qatar Airways

Daily flights to Doha and Riyadh

Royal Jordanian

Flights three times a week to Ammann and Aqaba

Now that you know how to get to Gharbiyya there is no excuse not to visit this fine country! We are almost finished with the city of Lagouira and will probably be moving on to another country in the Zouérat Islamic Federation, either the Mahibadhoos (a collection of atolls off the coast of Africa), or the Emirate of Dhahran (an ultra modern, oil-rich Emirate in the Middle East). Let me know which you would like to visit next and I will see what can be arranged.

[vivapanda 422]

Amazing airport! Those different airplanes look very nice too! Where can I book my tickets?