Time Zone |
Africa/Sao_Tome |
Standard Time GMT / UTC |
UTC+0 |
Daylight Saving Time |
Daylight saving time is not observed in the current region. |
Time Zone |
Asia/Baghdad |
Standard Time GMT / UTC |
UTC+3 |
Daylight Saving Time |
Daylight saving time is not observed in the current region. |
São Tomé and Príncipe is an island country in west-central Africa, consisting of the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe and the surrounding islets, with the capital, São Tomé, located in the northeastern part of São Tomé. Located on the Gulf of Guinea, about 200 kilometers from the African continent, the country was colonized by Portugal in the 15th century and became independent in 1975, with Portuguese as the official language and an economy based on agriculture (cocoa, palm oil) and tourism. It should be noted that "Java" is not a city or region of the country; Java is the main island of Indonesia, with cities such as Jakarta and Surabaya, and has nothing to do with São Tomé and Príncipe, possibly due to a confusion of names.
Located on the banks of the Tigris River, about 125 kilometers north of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, Samarra is one of the most important Shiite holy places in Iraq and a UNESCO World Heritage City. The city was founded in the 9th century AD during the Abbasid period and served as the capital of the dynasty, and still retains a large number of architectural masterpieces from the Islamic Golden Age. The most famous landmark is the Al-Askari Mosque, whose golden-domed vault is famous for being inlaid with 24 tons of pure gold, and which houses the mausoleum of Muhammad Ibn Hassan, the twelfth Shia Imam, and attracts millions of worshippers from around the globe for pilgrimage every year. In addition, the Great Mosque of Samarra (Spiral Minaret), with its 52-meter-high spiral minaret, is a unique symbol of Islamic architectural art. After the war, Samarra is gradually restoring its historical monuments and has become an important showcase of Iraq's cultural heritage and religious diversity.