Religion of the Cathars. Religion in Qatar Unusual culture of Qatar
Religion of the Cathars
The heretical movement gained mass character in Europe in the 10th-11th centuries.
The famous Russian scientist N. A. Osokin wrote:
“Shortly after the 1000th year after the birth of Christ, the year expected by many of the end of the world, a wave of fascination with strange beliefs swept through Europe. Their common source lay in the East, in the spurs of the Transcaucasus, where a real principality of Paulician heretics existed several centuries before, who preserved here, in shelter from many historical storms, the ideas of those generations of people who were witnesses to the rise of Christianity, ideas that are now completely did not appear to be Christian. The Paulicians believed that the world was created with the participation of an evil god, that Christ only took on the form of a man, descending into the vale of suffering; they demanded from the Church a fundamental separation from the state, they did not accept Orthodox ritual and the authority of both Eastern and Western popes-patriarchs. The concepts of the past and the future were an abstraction for them, because everything for which a person lived happened right now and here. They were not looking for halftones, pastel shades; their world was colored with only two colors - not even colors, but the extremes of polar life - white and black.
When the Byzantine emperors defeated the strange heretics, some of the captive Paulicians settled in Thrace. There they mixed with the Slavic tribes, and then ended up in the sphere of influence of the Bulgarian kingdom.
It was there, in Bulgaria, that the teachings of the Bogomils took shape - the first shaft of the storm, which subsequently fell upon Christian Europe. The Patareni of Italy, the Albigensians of the south of France revered the Bogomils as elder and wise brothers, keeping the thread of some tradition already known to us.
However, the Albigensians nevertheless became the most famous branch of this tradition - both because of the connection of their history with the emergence of the Inquisition, the Dominican and Franciscan orders, and because of the heroic, purely medieval knightly struggle, to which local viscounts, barons, counts were moved. and even three kings - French, Aragonese and English. The Albigensian wars are not a history of purely religious contradictions, they are woven into the general history of the culture of that time, they are directly connected with the process of folding the French nation and the French state.
The flourishing state of Southern France was destroyed by the wars that were waged against it by the crusaders of the north at the behest of Innocent III - this is where our criminal dad appears on the scene. His will was carried out exactly. Devastating wars continued for 20 years, the lands of southern France were devastated for 20 years.
The dying poetry of the south became at that time the expression of the vicious and vengeful feelings of the vanquished. Their immoderate, like all passions, but completely understandable to us, extraneous judges, malice was directed against Rome, which pronounced an anathema on them, and against Northern France, which assumed the duties of an executioner. It was on this soil that a lot of caustic satires grew up against "deceptions, betrayals, greed, vices and tyranny of the clergy", against the predatory and treacherous cruelty of the northern French. In the sirvents directed against Rome, we find indications of those vices of her, which subsequently caused a great reformation movement. Rome is accused of a policy of deceit, of excessive greed.
Rome, on the other hand, struck at southern France, not only because it was saturated with the Albigensian heresy, but also because the freedom of conscience, which was unpleasant to it, flourished there.
The King of France, Louis the Saint, tried to help the southern provinces of the country and somehow alleviate the consequences of the troubles that befell Provence through the will and fault of his father and grandfather. But the ruined nests of the barons have not regained their former splendor, the past greatness has perished forever.
Why were the baronial nests destroyed, the flower of chivalry destroyed, the flowering land of the south of France trampled?
The thing is that since ancient times, heresy, in the words of the chronicler monk, “made a strong nest for itself in the south of France in Provence and Languedoc.” The perverse ideas of the Manicheans, Paulicians, Bogomils, Patareni and Cathars penetrated here from the far East - as "children of equally vile delusions" were called in different places. Transmitted from country to country, from one people to another, from one generation to another, these ideas, changing and developing, finally reached the south of France, happily passing all the outposts and customs erected on their way by the faithful servants of the pope.
These ideas were assimilated by people of all classes; they were kept in their souls even by the powerful dukes of Toulouse, the owners of castles and the barons of Narbonne, Vincennes, Saint-Gilles, Foix, Commens, Albijoie. They were preached by both noble knights and peaceful merchants, heresy sounded in the sincere songs of the Provencal troubadours and in the quiet songs of the Languedoc villagers.
The heretics rejected all the books of the Old Testament, arguing that it had already been canceled, and read the books of the New in their own language.
They taught that God is one, denied the Trinity, believed that communion and marriage were not sacraments at all.
They said that Christ did not “die and did not rise again”, but the word of God should be understood spiritually, and not letter for letter, for “the letter is dead, but the spirit is alive”, that in the matter of religion one should obey God alone, and not people.
They taught that God created human souls, and none other than the devil clothed them with flesh, and people should wear their flesh until they are freed from sins and earthly bonds. Only then will the souls return to the heavenly abode, to heaven, and until then they will wander and suffer on earth, for the Cathars denied the existence of hell.
Heretics called themselves "poor in Christ" and, which is especially terrible for those in power, it was wealth that they considered a sin.
Heretics taught to disobey the authorities, incited slaves not to work for their masters, they considered oath and swearing, murder and war to be a mortal sin. “Though for the most holy cause blood was shed,” they said, “it is not pleasing to God.”
Finally, they said that for all peoples there is one God, one Father, that all peoples are the children of one Father, that there are neither better nor worse nations before God, but in every nation there are bad and good people.
The heretics did not want to know “any Christianity other than evangelical and apostolic” and led a simple, strictly moral life, did not want to know monks and bishops, who were considered sinners and parasites, did not recognize the pope himself, arguing that long ago “the dominant church of Rome refused from the true faith, and became a harlot of Babylon, that barren fig tree whom Jesus cursed and commanded to be destroyed.
These were the basic principles of the "Albigensian heresy", which received its name from the city of Albi in the province of Languedoc - one of the centers of the movement of the Cathars, or Good People, or Elders.
Historians believe that the Cathars are missionaries who came from the East during the 2nd Crusade between 1140 and 1150. It was at this time that Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, an active fighter against heresies, the organizer and inspirer of the 2nd Crusade, traveled around the south of France and wrote with horror that the churches were empty, and not a single believer was found in Verfey, one of the large castles of the Toulouse county. who would like to hear him preach. It could be said that the teaching of the Cathars defeated the teaching of the Catholic Church.
The main reason for the unwillingness of Romania to be under the rule of Rome was, undoubtedly, the depravity of the morals of the ministers of the Catholic Church. Many bishops visited their parishes only to collect church taxes. Many priests, at enmity with their brethren, excommunicated each other from the Church. Many hid their belonging to the clergy and wore secular dress.
How did the Cathars attract people?
First of all, the fact that, unlike the dissolute Catholic priests leading a daring life, they were ascetic people. They always moved in pairs, on foot, always dressed in black. They lived on the alms of believers, and when they were not engaged in missionary work, they spent time in men's and women's houses, which very much resembled monasteries. They avoided carnal pleasures and especially condemned marital relations, because as a result, new souls could fall into the dungeons of human bodies. They believed in reincarnation, and therefore did not eat meat and avoided not only the killing of any living being, but also any kind of violence. They condemned the oath, for it is impossible to remember the name of the Lord in vain.
The Cathars believed that the imperfect earthly world, in which there is so much injustice, lies and sin, was created by Satan, who imprisoned innocent souls in the bodies - the creations of God, who will receive freedom only after the death of a person.
In order to stop wandering from one body to another, reborn again and again, one should receive the baptism of the Spirit - "comfort".
"Consolation" can be obtained both at the last moment before death, and in the prime of life. In the first case, the ritual is performed by people who are weak in spirit, unable to give up earthly joys. In the second - strong people who become mentors to the flock.
Those who have received "consolation" become practically monks. They are required to abstain from sexual intercourse and all food of animal origin. They are only allowed to eat fish, because fish have cold blood and "no spiritual heat" - remember the Russian expression "cold like a fish"? In addition, the Cathars believed that fish reproduced by spontaneous generation.
Many people who are not very strong in spirit, as we have already said, accepted “consolation” just before their death. Since the Cathars objected to any violence, they could not commit suicide - for example, take poison or throw themselves out of a window. But they found another way to get out of life. They either refused to eat at all, or took a very hot bath and then lay down on the cold marble floor slabs. In the latter case, they were "guaranteed" severe pneumonia with an almost one hundred percent fatal outcome.
It should be especially noted that after accepting the "consolation" the Cathars happily expected death - it freed their souls from the dungeon of the human body. It is precisely this joy of anticipation of spiritual freedom that explains the readiness with which Good people ascended the fires of the Inquisition.
Those who accepted the "consolation" voluntarily in the prime of life became shepherds. They were distinguished from the crowd not only by their black attire, pale appearance and terrible thinness - the consequences of an ascetic life, but also by the fact that they almost never remained alone.
Immediately after the ceremony, a person who was ordered to become a Qatari priest was "given" a couple: a man - a woman, and a woman - a man. This was the custom of comradeship until death - two inseparable Cathars faithfully and faithfully supported each other in the most difficult moments of life.
A feature of the Cathar church was, according to some historians, a somewhat lightweight morality for adherents of the Good People - as opposed to the strict asceticism of the Cathar priests themselves. Morality for adherents was fully consistent with the easy mores of the south of France. Since sins are the result of evil in the world created by the devil, it is not worth judging them too harshly. All you have to do is repent and be forgiven.
Other features of the Qatari church were also observed. So, for example, denying wealth, the Cathar priests were forced to accept gifts from believers - for the church itself. There were legends about the accumulated wealth of the Cathars. The greatest treasures were, according to legend, collected in the castle of Montsegur.
This castle belonged to the sister of the Comte de Foix, Esclarmonde. Her acceptance of "consolation" attracted the attention of all the nobility of the area. There are many legends about Esclarmonde de Foix in Provence, and she is still revered. Provençal poetry made her queen of the fairy castle. She was considered the keeper of the greatest shrine of the Cathars.
I must say that among the Cathars there were many representatives of the nobility and a lot of women. They behaved with amazing courage and, not to mention the fact that, by accepting Catharism, they abandoned their way of life, accustomed to them from birth in wealth and bliss, with joy - yes, yes! it was with joy that they went to the stake or were martyred.
So, Geralda de Lavor, the lord (owner of a large landed fief) of Lavor, was a true Cathar. In 1211, after a long siege, her city and castle were captured by the "army of the faith", and the "good" conquerors first gave Geralda herself for reproach to the soldiers, and then threw her alive into the well, filling it with huge stones. Senora Lavora died twice, for she carried a child under her heart.
Such was the teaching of the Cathars, and such were the Cathars themselves.
“It is unlikely that all those who were converted by Cathar preachers became true believers,” write M. Baigent and R. Lee. – There are suspicions that many took their new faith no more seriously than other Christians of that time took their Catholicism. But the Cathar heresy certainly seemed attractive. For the knights, nobles, merchants, shopkeepers and peasants of the south of France, she seemed to represent an acceptable alternative to Rome - flexibility, tolerance, generosity, honesty, which were not easy to find among the official clergy.
In practical terms, this promised salvation from the ubiquitous clergy of Rome, from the impudence of the clergy, and from the abuses of the corrupt Church, whose extortions were becoming more and more unbearable. There is no doubt that the Church at that time was monstrously corrupt. At the beginning of the thirteenth century, the pope said of his own priests that they were "worse than animals wallowing in their own feces." It is no coincidence, apparently, that the greatest medieval German lyric poet Walther von der Vogelweide (c. 1170 - c. 1230) wrote: “O Lord, how long will You rest in Your sleep? Your lieutenants rob here and kill there. And the wolf looks after Your sheep.”
The bishops of that time were described by a contemporary as "catchers of money, not of souls, having a thousand tricks to empty the pockets of the poor." The papal legate in Germany complained that the clergy under his jurisdiction indulged in luxury and gluttony, did not observe fasts, hunted, gambled and engaged in commerce. The opportunities for corruption were enormous, and few priests made any serious effort to resist the temptation. Many demanded payment even for the performance of their official duties. Weddings and funerals could only take place after they had been paid for. Communion was refused until the donation was received. Even a dying person was not communed until the required amount was extorted from him. The right to grant indulgences, exemption from punishment due to the absolution of sins gave a considerable additional income.
In the south of France, such corruption was particularly rampant. There were churches, for example, in which Mass had not been celebrated for more than thirty years. Many priests neglected the salvation of the souls of their parishioners and were engaged in commercial activities or ran large estates. The Archbishop of Tours, a well-known homosexual who was the lover of his predecessor, demanded that the vacant seat of Bishop of Orleans be given to his own lover. The archbishop of Narbonne never bothered to visit the city or his diocese. Many other clerics feasted, took mistresses, traveled in magnificent carriages, had a huge staff of servants and led a life to match the top of the nobility, while the souls entrusted to their care vegetated in terrible slavery, poverty and sins.
Therefore, it is hardly surprising that a significant part of the population of these lands, far from any spiritual well-being, turned away from Rome and accepted the views of the Cathars. It is also hardly surprising that Rome, faced with such massive apostasy and a marked drop in income, became increasingly anxious about her position. Such anxiety was not unfounded. There was a very real prospect of the Cathar doctrine replacing Catholicism as the dominant religion in the south of France, and from there it could easily spread everywhere.”
Pope Innocent III, the vicar of St. this hand. And, pointing to Provence, the pope said to the king: “It's time to go to the aid of God! You know, our beloved son, that secular power has the right to use the material sword when the spiritual power is not able to stop wickedness, that sovereigns must drive bad people out of their possessions, and that the Church, in case of their negligence, has the right to take away their property. We ask and exhort Your Majesty to attach all the lands of heretics to Your hereditary possession; you can wield them inviolably. So, work tirelessly and in unison with us, as befits royal splendor, to hasten this work.
The pope said to the barons: “You are obliged by loyalty and oath to serve the king against all who attack the kingdom, and the state has no more dangerous oppressors, like heretics - people of different faiths and dissidents. Whoever does not eradicate heretics with fire and sword is himself a heretic. He who harbors heretics, who does not inform on them, is worthy of punishment together with them.
In those days, few doubted the teachings of the Catholic saint, Blessed Augustine, who argued that heretics should be persecuted, that violence is necessary and useful, blessed by God. “Doesn’t Scripture say,” Augustine taught, “compel everyone you meet to enter? Wasn't the apostle Paul forced by Christ's coercion to honor the truth? Didn't Christ Himself say, "No one comes to Me, whom the Father does not bring to Me?" Finally, God Himself did not spare His Son and handed him over to the executioners for us. This means that a person who persecutes heretics follows the Scriptures - imitates God. The chief is God's servant, avenging in punishment the one who does evil.
The opinion of St. Augustine was the dominant opinion, and, without delving into its essence, this opinion was shared and convinced of its justice not only by the crowd - “dark crowd, flock, flock”, but especially the shepherds - people who towered over the crowd.
And the words of the pope could not remain a voice crying in the wilderness. They found an echo and sympathy among both the nobility and the common people. Moreover, among those who supported the pope there were many people who saw practical benefits in the establishment of the Inquisition and the fight against heretics.
The pope did not disdain anything to raise fire and sword against heretics. He wrote to the French king that Christians who were indebted to the Jews, going to war against the Albigensians, might not pay their creditors not only current interest, but also previous interest, and the payment of capital, by command of the pope, might be delayed. He wrote that all those who went to fight the Cathars would receive a full remission of sins. And then the pope allowed to persuade heretics to surrender by false promises.
The inquisitors also did not bother themselves much with proving the guilt of the Cathars. “If you ask heretics,” writes St. Bernard, “it turns out that they are the best Christians; in their speeches you will not find anything reprehensible, and their deeds do not differ from their words. According to their moral teaching, they do not deceive anyone, they do not oppress anyone, they do not hit anyone; their cheeks are pale from constant fasting, they do not sit idly by and earn their bread with labor. We have in our hands a document, incredible in its cynicism, confirming the innocence of the persecuted. There is nothing to add here.
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From the book History of Religions. Volume 2 author Kryvelev Iosif Aronovich From the book The Idea of the State. Critical experience of the history of social and political theories in France since the revolution by Michel Henri (Arabic قطر, English Qatar), like most countries in this part of the world, exactly repeats the general pattern of development: an ancient prosperous civilization - the advantage of a geographical position - the claims of numerous invaders - colonial rule - late independence. The territory of the Qatar Peninsula has been inhabited since ancient times. The earliest archaeological finds date back to the end of the 4th millennium BC. e. and confirm the existence of a developed and prosperous civilization here. After the adoption in the VII century. By local residents of Islam, the territory of Qatar became part of the Arab Caliphate - during the reign of the Umayyad dynasty and later the Abassids. In the nale of the XVI century. The first Europeans landed on the shores of the Persian Gulf - the Portuguese and the British. After a long resistance, the Sheikh of Qatar in 1868 was forced to conclude a peace treaty with Great Britain, which actually consolidated its colonial rule. Since 1871, Qatar was again occupied by the Ottoman Empire, which appointed its own governor there. But in reality, the country was ruled by Sheikh Qassem bin Mohammed, who founded the dynasty of the Al Thani clan, now ruling in Qatar (since 1878). However, Great Britain did not leave its imperial ambitions. During the First World War Türkiye was forced to renounce claims to Qatar, and in 1916 the new ruler of Qatar, Sheikh Abdullah ibn Qasem Al Thani, signed an agreement establishing an English protectorate. Further, in 1935, the rulers of Qatar were forced to enter into a concession agreement with the British Petroleum Development of Qatar, which gave it unlimited rights for 75 years to explore, produce, sell oil and gas, build industrial facilities, and import foreign workers. But by the end of the 60s. the crisis of the British colonial policy became obvious. Its attempt to maintain its influence in the region by creating a federation of nine emirates: (Bahrain), Qatar and the seven emirates of Treaty Oman failed. The countries could not agree among themselves, and following Bahrain on September 3, 1971, Qatar declared its independence and in the same year became a member of the UN. On February 22, 1972, the Prime Minister of the country, Sheikh Khalifa, with the consent of the Council of Elders, appointed himself Emir of Qatar, declaring the ruling Sheikh Ahmed, who was abroad, deposed. The new government continued the initiated reforms, paying special attention to the modernization of the economy. In 1995, the son of Emir Khalifa, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, inherited the throne. He managed to resolve years of border disputes with neighboring Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The aggravation of relations with Bahrain occurred in March 1982 due to territorial affiliation and the Fasht ad-Dibal region. After hearings in the Hague court in March 2001, a verdict was adopted according to which Khawar Islands (Hawar Islands) went to Bahrain, and the shoals of Fasht ad-Dibal were transferred to Qatar. In 1992, due to events in the border area, a conflict arose between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. And in March 2001, Qatar signed an agreement and maps with a demarcation line between the two countries, where the delimitation of sea and land borders was finally approved.Flag of the State of Qatar, perhaps the narrowest and longest of all independent states in the world. It consists of two parts - white and red-brown (burgundy), separated by a zigzag line. The white color symbolizes peace, the burgundy represents the Kharijites of Qatar and the bloodshed in numerous armed clashes and wars in which the Qataris participated. The flag was adopted on July 9, 1971, just two months before independence from Great Britain.
See the presentation of Qatar.
Presentation of Qatar, accompanied by national music.
Geography
Qatar is located in Southwest Asia, on the peninsula of the same name in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, washed by the waters of the Persian Gulf on three sides. In the south, Qatar borders on Saudi Arabia and, however, the borders are conditional and practically not demarcated. In the northwest it has a maritime border with. If you look at the map of Qatar, you will notice that the country's relief is predominantly flat: the middle part is a rocky desert with occasional hills; coastal - sandy lowlands with marshes and salt marshes. There are no rivers, streams or lakes in Qatar. However, in oases, underground waters come to the surface in the form of springs, and there are many wells.
Population
Qataris are not uniform in appearance: the stocky fishermen and pearl divers of the coastal villages differ from the tall, lean Bedouins of the interior of the peninsula. Qataris make up 2/3 of the country, and a third of the population are Iranians, Baluchis, people from Africa, etc. In the coastal regions, such ethnic groups as Bu Kawarra, Mukhadana, Bu Ainain, Ben Ali, Sallata Madyd, Khalifa and Khulya live settled (about 3 thousand people each). The Naim, Hajir, Kiaban, Manasyr, Marijat, Khabbab tribes roam in the deep regions of the peninsula. The discovery of large oil fields in the late 30s. 20th century fundamentally changed the entire structure of traditional Arabian society. This affected both the Bedouins and the settled inhabitants in the "outback" - in oases and small settlements. By the end of the XX century. Almost the entire population of Qatar has become urban. The share of the urban population in 1990 was almost 90%. Thousands of foreigners came to work in Qatar. All this led to ethnic diversity. At present, out of more than 800 thousand citizens of the country, 40% are Arabs, 18% are Pakistanis, 18% are Indians, 10% are Iranians and 14% are from other countries. As of 2004, the total population of Qatar was 744,029.
Language
Arabic, Urdu, in communication with foreigners - English. Website where you can learn more about the dialects of the Arabic Persian Gulf and even try to start learning online (eng).
Religion
The state religion of Qatar is Islam. The indigenous people of the country profess Wahhabism - a religious and political movement in Islam, the founder of which was Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703 - 1787). Standing up for the "purity" of Islam, the Wahhabis preach the simplicity of morals and the idea of uniting the Arabs. Wahhabism is the official ideology in Saudi Arabia. The rest of the Muslims of Qatar are supporters of Sunnism and Shiism.
Connection
Qatar provides direct telephone international communication with almost every country in the world. A call from a local or international hotel room can be made for a small fee. Calls can also be made using the phone booth card, which can be purchased at Qatar Telecom branches ( Qtel) or at newsstands and supermarkets. Many hotels in Qatar provide services Internet connections.
Lead mobile operator Vodafone.
Calls within Qatar are carried out by a simple dialing of numbers of the subscriber's number without additional codes. Most numbers are seven digits, landline numbers start with "4", mobile numbers start with "5-6".
Calls from Qatar carried out through 00+ country code.
Calls to Qatar are made by dialing +974 or 8-10-974+subscriber's number.
Time
In summer, it is 1 hour behind Moscow, from the last Sunday of September to the last Sunday of March it coincides with Moscow.
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Qatar is one of the young directions of Russian tourism. This country boasts a wonderful combination of oceanfront holidays, inexpensive shopping and soft Islamic traditions. The best time to visit Qatar is September-January and March-May. There are quality hotels and sandy beaches. On many beaches, the pools are interconnected and equipped with water slides. The Persian Gulf is considered to be an excellent place for diving. Qatar today is Dubai five or seven years ago. The resort is developing dynamically. But since now it is not very popular yet, the prices here with the same quality of service are an order of magnitude lower. Russian tourists are treated with great friendliness here.
The capital is Doha, which is also the main resort.
Visa
For citizens of Russia, a visa to Qatar is issued on a photocopy of the first page of the passport. Processing time - 1 week. The cost is 39 USD. There is no urgent visa. The validity of the passport must exceed one month from the date of return from the intended trip.
Customs in Qatar
The import of printed publications and audiovisual products containing materials that are contrary to the cultural traditions of the country is prohibited.
Phone numbers
Embassy of Russia: st. Al-Amir, 104, As-Sadd district; tel.: 329-117, fax 329-118
Consular section of the Embassy of Qatar in Moscow: Koroviy Val, 7, apt. 197-198; tel. (095) 230-1577, 230-1678
Police, Ambulance, Firemen: 999
International airport (inquiries upon arrival/departure): 435-1550
Representative Office of Aeroflot: 443-7186
Religion
The official religion of Qatar is Islam. It is necessary to take into account the fact that the Qataris belong to the Wahabi sect, which professes strict fundamentalism. Therefore, here you must always adhere to strict rules in dress and behavior. The main holidays, as in other countries of the Persian Gulf, are Eid Al-Fitr, which comes at the end of Ramadan, and Eid Al-Adha - 10 weeks after Ramadan. The exact dates of the holidays are determined by the lunar calendar.
Qatar Transport
Visitors to Qatar can use taxi services: they are cheap, available at any time of the day or night, everywhere and easily recognizable by their orange and white colors. Taxi fare: during the day within Doha -10 dirhams for every 200 m, and outside the city - 15 dirhams for every 200 m. A minute of waiting during the day costs 10 dirhams. At night, the fare within Doha is 20 dirhams, and outside the city - 30 dirhams. A minute of waiting at night - 20 dirhams. The night rate is valid from 9 pm to 5 am.
Tourist safety
The country is absolutely safe, even late at night you can safely walk the streets here.
Climate of Qatar
Shopping and shops
In Qatar, as well as in the UAE, there is an extensive system of supermarkets and shopping centers where you can buy inexpensive and high-quality textiles. Many stores arrange seasonal sales, prices in Qatar stores are lower than in the centers of Dubai. In Qatar, you can buy inexpensive gold items (gold will be of a low standard, but the items themselves are quite high quality), as well as fabrics.
Entertainment, excursions and attractions in Qatar
Doha (or Ad-Doura), Qatar National Museum, Qatar Ethnographic Museum, Aladdin's Kingdom amusement park, zoo, Zubar Region, trip to Umm Salal Mohammed, (a town 25 km north of Doha).
More recently, Qatar was a forgotten country in the Persian Gulf. However, as it turned out, there are very large deposits of oil and gas in Katera, and therefore the country has been actively developing in recent decades, including in terms of tourism. Tourists in Qatar are waiting for a desert safari, Bedouin villages, rich markets, ancient mosques with minarets, camel races, and, of course, excellent long sandy beaches on the Persian Gulf.
Geography of Qatar
Qatar is located on the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. In the south, Qatar borders on Saudi Arabia (this is its only land border). A strait in the Persian Gulf separates Qatar from the neighboring island nation of Bahrain. The total area of Qatar is 11,586 square meters. km., and the total length of the state land border is only 60 km.
Most of Qatar is desert. In the south of Qatar there are high hills, and in the north - a sandy plain with oases. The highest point in the country is Qurayn Abu al Bawl (103 meters).
Capital
The capital of Qatar is Doha, which is now home to more than 600 thousand people. Doha was built in 1825 (then called Al Bida).
Official language
The official language of the population of Qatar is Arabic, belonging to the Semitic group of the Afroasian language family.
Religion
More than 77% of the population of Qatar are Muslims (72% are Sunnis, 5% are Shiites). Another 8.5% are Christians.
State structure
According to the current Constitution of 2003, Qatar is an absolute monarchy headed by the Emir of the al-Thani dynasty. By the way, the al-Thani dynasty has been ruling Qatar since 1825, i.e. since the formation of this state.
The power of the Emir in Qatar is absolute, and he is guided by the principles of Sharia when governing the country. It is the Emir who appoints the Prime Minister, ministers and members of the Consultative Council (35 people), which has legislative power. All laws in Qatar are approved by the Emir.
Climate and weather
Winters in Qatar are mild and summers are very hot. In January, the air temperature drops to +7C, and in August it rises to +45C. The average annual rainfall is 80 mm. The best time to visit Qatar is from October to May.
Sea in Qatar
Qatar is bordered by the Persian Gulf on all sides except the south. The total coastline is 563 km. The coast in Qatar is sandy with numerous small islands, sandbars and reefs.
Story
People on the territory of modern Qatar lived, according to archaeologists, even 7.5 thousand years ago. Around 178 BC. the inhabitants of Qatar traded with the ancient Greeks and Romans (they were intermediaries in the trade of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome with India).
In the 7th century AD. Islam began to spread on the territory of modern Qatar, and the country became part of the Arab Caliphate.
At the beginning of the 16th century, Portugal had a great influence in the Persian Gulf, including Qatar. Portuguese merchants buy gold, silver, silk, pearls and horses in the Persian Gulf countries.
In 1783, Qatar fell under the rule of Bahrain, and this continued until 1868. In 1871, Qatar became part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1916, Qatar left the Ottoman Empire, but fell under the protectorate of Great Britain.
Only in 1971 did Qatar gain independence from Great Britain.
Culture of Qatar
Culture and traditions in Qatar were formed under the influence of Islam, and everyday life in this country complies with Sharia norms. There are two main religious holidays in Qatar - Eid al-Fitr, which lasts three days in honor of the end of Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha (we know it as Eid al-Adha). Eid al-Adha is celebrated 70 days after Eid al-Fitra.
Kitchen
The traditional cuisine of Qatar has been heavily influenced by immigrants from Iran and India, and more recently from North Africa.
Many traditional Qatari dishes are based on seafood (especially lobster, crab, shrimp, tuna, and snapper). All meat in Kater is “halal”, i.e. complies with Islamic law.
One of the most popular traditional dishes in Qatar is machbous, which is a stew with rice or seafood. Also in Qatar, tourists are recommended to try Hummus (chickpea puree with sesame seeds), Waraq enab (grape leaves stuffed with rice), Taboulleh (chopped wheat seasoned with parsley and mint), Koussa mahshi (stuffed zucchini), "Biriani" (rice with chicken or lamb), "Ghuzi" (lamb with rice and nuts).
As for desserts in Qatar, pistachio pudding, bread pudding with nuts and raisins, and cheesecake with cream should be highlighted.
Traditional soft drinks in Qatar are coffee, fruit waters and herbal teas. Coffee inhabitants of this country prefer Arabic flavored with cardamom or slightly sweetened, or thickly brewed Turkish coffee. Sometimes sweet coffee "qahwa helw" (with saffron, cardamom and sugar) is served.
Fruit waters and herbal decoctions are sold right on the streets in all cities of Qatar.
You can drink alcohol only in restaurants and hotels that have a special license.
Sights of Qatar
Despite the fact that Qatar has a very ancient history, there are not very many sights in this country. This is due to the geographical position of Qatar, which has many deserts. However, the Top 10 best attractions in Qatar, in our opinion, may include the following:
- Umm Salal Mohammed Fort
- Mounds of Umm Salal Ali
- Doha Weapons Museum
- Fort at Al Zubar
- Ancient fortifications in Al-Zubar
- Fort Al-Waibah
- Palace of Abdullah bin Mohammed
- Government Mosque in Doha
- Al Raqiyat Fort
- Al Rayyan Mosque
Cities and resorts
The largest cities in Qatar are Doha, Ar Rayyan, Al Wakra, Al Khor and Umm Salal.
As we have already said, Qatar is washed by the Persian Gulf from all sides, except for the south. The total coastline is 563 km. The coast in Qatar is sandy with numerous small islands, sandbars and reefs. You can swim in the sea wherever you want, the main thing is not to leave garbage behind.
The best beaches (i.e. resorts) in Qatar, in our opinion, are as follows:
Al Ghariya Beach (80 km north of Doha)
- Dukhan (80 km west of Doha)
- Fuwairit Beach (80 km north of Doha)
- Khor Al Adaid (80 km south of Doha)
- Maroona (80 km north of Doha) - also known as French Beach
- Ras Abrouq (Bir Zekreet) (70 km west of Doha)
Souvenirs/Shopping
Tourists from Qatar usually bring handicrafts, Korans, gold jewelry, daggers, Dal-la coffee pot, bronze figurines, wooden boxes, henna, Arabic lamps, hookahs, rugs, scrolls with Arabic script, rosaries.
Office Hours
The working week in Qatar runs from Sunday to Thursday. Days off are Friday and Saturday. The official working day starts at 07:00 and ends at 15:30.
“If your right eye offends you, pluck it out and throw it away from you, for it is better for you that one of your members perish, and not your whole body be thrown into hell” (Matthew 18:9)
On the pages of TOPWAR more than once or twice it was told about the cruel religious wars that were unleashed in the name of God and for His glory. But perhaps the most revealing example is the Albigensian Wars in the South of France, launched to eradicate the heresy of the Cathars. Who they are, why Catholic Christians considered them heretics, and they themselves called themselves true Christians, as well as the castles of the Cathars that have survived to this day, and our story will go today ...
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THE HERESY OF THE CATHARS (Part 1)
“There is a time for everything, and a time
every thing under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die...
a time to embrace and a time to shirk
hugs...
a time for war and a time for peace" (Ecclesiastes 3:2-8)
Let's start with the fact that Christianity has long been split into two large currents (in this case, one can not even remember the numerous sects: there were and are so many of them!) - Catholicism and Orthodoxy, moreover, both of them considered each other in the past. friend as heretics, and some, especially zealous believers, consider their "opponents" as such even now! This split was long-standing: for example, the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople cursed each other back in 1054! However, the divergence of churches on the issue of a number of church dogmas and, above all, such an important dogma as, for example, the Creed, took place as early as the beginning of the 9th century, and, oddly enough, the initiator of such a disagreement was not the Pope or the Patriarch, and the emperor of the Franks, Charlemagne. This is a theological dispute on the issue of "Filioque" - "Filioque" (lat. filioque - "and the Son").
The Gospel of John clearly speaks of the Holy Spirit as proceeding from the Father and sent by the Son. Therefore, the First Council of Nicaea adopted the Creed as early as 352, which was subsequently approved by the Council of Constantinople in 381, according to which the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. But in the 6th century, at the Toledo local cathedral, “in order to better explain the dogma,” an addition was first introduced into the Creed: “and the Son” (Filioque), as a result of which the following phrase appeared: “I believe ... in the Holy Spirit, which comes from the Father and the Son." Charlemagne, who had a huge influence on the popes, insisted that this addition be made to the Creed. And this is precisely what became one of the reasons for the desperate church disputes, which eventually led to the split of the Christian church into Catholic and Orthodox. The Orthodox Creed reads like this: “I believe... And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father”... That is, the Orthodox Church is guided by the decisions of the First Council of Nicaea. One of the fundamental sacred festivities of Christians is also different - the Eucharist (Greek - an expression of gratitude), otherwise - communion, which is held in memory of the last meal arranged by Christ together with the disciples. In this sacrament, an Orthodox Christian, under the guise of bread and wine, partakes of the very body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, while Catholics partake of unleavened bread, Orthodox Christians partake of leavened bread.
Everything in the world is afraid of time, the last cathar burned down in the flames of a fire a long time ago, but the “Cross of Toulouse” is still visible on the wall of a house in the fortress of Carcassonne.
But besides the Catholics and the Orthodox, who considered each other as heretics, separated at that time from each other by the peculiarities of nature, even in Europe, within, for example, the same France and Germany, there were many religious movements that differed significantly from traditional Christianity according to the Catholic model. Especially a lot at the beginning of the XII century. there were such Christians in Languedoc, a region in the south of France. It was here that a very powerful movement of the Cathars arose (who, by the way, had other names, but this is the most famous, so we will stop there), whose religion was significantly different from traditional Christianity.
However, they began to be called Cathars (which in Greek means “clean”) later, and their most common name at first was “Albigensian heretics”, after the name of the city of Albi, which was given to them by adherents of Bernard of Clairvaux, who preached in the cities of Toulouse and Albi in 1145. They did not call themselves that, because they believed that real Christians are exactly what they are! Following Jesus Christ, who said: "I am the good shepherd," they called themselves "bon hommes" - that is, "good people." It was a dualistic religion of Eastern origin, recognizing two creative divine beings - one good, which is closely connected with the spiritual world, and the other evil, associated with life and the material world.
The Cathars rejected any compromise with the world, did not recognize marriage and procreation, justified suicide and abstained from any food of animal origin, with the exception of fish. Such was their small elite, which included both men and women from the aristocracy and the wealthy bourgeoisie. She also supplied cadres of clergy - preachers and bishops. There were even "houses of heretics" - real men's and women's monasteries. But the bulk of the faithful led a less strict lifestyle. If a person received before his death a unique sacrament - consolamentum (lat. - "consolation") - and if he agrees to leave this life, then he will be saved.
City of Albi. From here it all began, it was from here that the "Alibigoi heresy" began. Now it looks like this: an old arched bridge, the bulk of the cathedral-fortress of St. Cecilia in Albi, built after the defeat of the Cathars, as a reminder of the power of the mother church. Here, every stone is impregnated. There will be an opportunity, look into this city ...
The Cathars did not believe in either hell or heaven, or rather, they believed that hell is the life of people on earth, that confessing to priests is an empty business, and that prayer in a church is tantamount to praying in an open field. The cross for the Cathars was not a symbol of faith, but an instrument of torture, they say, in ancient Rome people were crucified on it. Souls, in their opinion, were forced to move from one body to another and could not return to God in any way, since the Catholic Church did not show them the way to salvation correctly. But, having believed, so to speak, “in the right direction”, that is, following the commandments of the Cathars, any soul can be saved.
This is how it looks from below... It was conceived by the local bishop (also an inquisitor) as a stronghold of the true faith, reliably protected from heretical inclinations. Hence such a strange, fortified architecture with thick walls and a minimum of openings. And all the Gothic lace adorns only the entrance portal, which is stuck to the side of this colossal structure. There is no entrance to the tower (its height is 90 m) from the outside.
The Cathars taught that, since the world is imperfect, only the elect can observe all the commandments of their religion, and all the rest should only follow their instructions, not binding themselves with the burden of fasting and prayers. The main thing was to receive “consolation” before death from one of the elect, or “perfect”, and so, until the deathbed, no religious morality of the believer mattered. Since the world is so hopelessly bad, the Cathars believed, then no bad deed would be worse than another. Again, just a wonderful faith for knights - something like a life "according to concepts", but not according to the law, because in "hell any law is bad."
What the Cathars instructed their flock can be imagined from examples that have come down to us in the descriptions of Catholic priests: for example, one peasant went to “good people” to ask if he can eat meat when true Christians fast? And they answered him that both in fasting and fasting days, meat food defiles the mouth in the same way. “But you, peasant, have nothing to worry about. Go in peace!" - the “perfect ones” consoled him and, of course, such parting words could not but reassure him. Returning to the village, he told what the “perfect ones” had taught him: “Since nothing is impossible for a perfect person, then everything is possible for us imperfect ones” - and the whole village began to eat meat during fasts!
Naturally, the Catholic abbots were horrified by such "sermons" and assured that the Cathars were true worshipers of Satan, and accused them of the fact that, in addition to eating meat during fasting, they also indulge in usury, theft, murder, perjury and all other carnal vices. At the same time, they sin with great enthusiasm and confidence, they are convinced that they do not need either confession or repentance. It is enough for them, according to their faith, to read “Our Father” before death and partake of the Holy Spirit - and they are all “saved”. It was believed that they take any oath and immediately break it, because their main commandment is this: “Swear and bear false witness, but do not divulge secrets!”
And this is how it looks from above and ... it's hard to imagine a building more majestic.
The Cathars wore on buckles and buttons the image of a bee, which symbolized the secret of fertilization without physical contact. Rejecting the cross, they deified the pentagon, which was for them a symbol of eternal diffusion - dispersion, dispersion of matter and the human body. By the way, their stronghold - Montsegur Castle - just had the shape of a pentagon, diagonally - 54 meters, wide - 13 meters. For the Cathars, the Sun was a symbol of Good, so Montsegur seemed to be their solar temple at the same time. Walls, doors, windows, and embrasures were oriented in it according to the sun, and in such a way that only by observing the sunrise on the day of the summer solstice it was possible to calculate its sunrise on any other days. Well, and, of course, it was not without the assertion that there is a secret underground passage in the castle, which, branching into many underground passages along the way, permeates all the nearest Pyrenees.
Castle of Montsegur, modern view. It is hard to imagine that hundreds of people were placed there during the siege!
This was a pessimistic faith, cut off from earthly life, but it received a fairly wide response, primarily because it allowed the feudal lords to reject the earthly and moral authority of the clergy. The extent of the influence of this heresy is evidenced by at least the fact that the own mother of Bernard-Roger de Roquefort, Bishop of Carcassonne, wore “perfect” clothes from 1208, his brother Guillaume was one of the most ardent Qatari lords, and the other two brothers were supporters of the Cathar faith ! The Cathar churches stood directly opposite the Catholic cathedrals. With such support from those in power, it quickly spread to the regions of Toulouse, Albi and Carcassonne, where the most important was the Count of Toulouse, who ruled the lands between the Garonne and the Rhone. However, his power did not extend directly to many fiefs, and he had to rely on the power of other vassals, such as his brother-in-law Raymond Roger Trancavel, the Viscount of Béziers and Carcassonne, or the King of Aragon or the Count of Barcelona allied to him.
Modern reconstruction of the Montsegur castle.
Since many of their vassals were themselves heretics or sympathetic to heretics, these lords could not or did not want to play the role of Christian princes defending the faith on their lands. The Count of Toulouse informed the Pope and the King of France about this, the church sent missionaries there, and, in particular, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, who in 1142 studied the state of affairs in the Provencal dioceses and delivered sermons there, which, however, did not have much success.
On becoming pope in 1198, Innocent III continued the policy of bringing the Cathars back into the fold of the Catholic Church through the methods of persuasion. But numerous preachers were met in Languedoc rather coolly than joyfully. Even Saint Dominic, distinguished by his eloquence, failed to achieve tangible results. Representatives of the local nobility, and even some bishops, who were dissatisfied with church orders, actively helped the Qatari leaders. In 1204, the pope removed these bishops from their positions, and appointed his legate in their place. That in 1206 he tried to find support from the aristocracy of Languedoc and turn it against the Cathars. Seniors, who continued to assist them, began to be excommunicated. In May 1207, even the powerful and influential Count Raymond VI of Toulouse fell under excommunication. However, after meeting with him in January 1208, the pope's vicegerent was found stabbed to death in his own bed, and this finally pissed the pope off.
Inside the Cathedral of St. Cicilia houses an equally impressive organ.
Then the angry pope reacted to this murder with a bull, in which he promised to give lands to the heretics of Languedoc, all those who would take part in the crusade against them, and already in the spring of 1209 he declared a crusade against them. On June 24, 1209, at the call of the Pope, the leaders of the crusade gathered in Lyon - bishops, archbishops, lords from all over the north of France, with the exception of King Philip Augustus, who expressed only restrained approval, but refused to lead the campaign itself, more fearful of the German emperor and the English king . The goal of the crusaders, as it was announced, was by no means the conquest of the Provencal lands, but their liberation from heresy, and at least 40 days in advance - that is, the period of traditional knightly service, above which the employer (whoever he may be!) was already paying!
And the ceiling is covered with simply fantastically beautiful painting, obviously to the envy of everyone who believed in the Lord otherwise!
To be continued...
