Religious Sites

In Lahore, Pakistan, a Taliban-allied group bombed two Christian churches in Youhanabad, a suburb of the capital, on March 15, killing at least 17 people.

On March 16, Christian groups gathered at the churches to protest violence against Christians. However, the scene turned violent, with protesters damaging cars and throwing stones at police. Three people were reported injured. Pakistani Christians make up about 1.6% of the population of Pakistan, which is predominantly Muslim.

The trip to Portugal that my wife, Yuki, and I took in August 2014 might not have been as exotic as some of our past vacations, but we met some really nice folks and ate some interesting food.

I have long been an admirer of James Tufenkian via articles published in design magazines. He has partially restored Armenia’s rug industry and is now building hotels in his homeland. In September ’13, my daughter, Amanda, and I vacationed in Armenia.

A 16-year restoration of the Virgin Mary Church in Cairo, Egypt, was completed in October.

Once the seat of the Coptic Pope, the church, also known as El Muallaqa, or the Hanging Church, because it sits above the gatehouse of the Babylon Fortress, is one of the most important and oldest sites in Coptic Christianity. It houses 110 religious icons, including one of the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ and St. John the Baptist that dates back to the eighth century.

(First of two parts)