#AlUla's Old Town

[hiroshitanaka]

Discover the Hidden Treasures of AlUla

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, widely recognised for its sacred cities of Makkah and Medina, has so much more to offer than many realise. From expansive deserts to crystal-clear waters brimming with coral reefs and countless royal palaces, Saudi Arabia is a land full of surprises.

Since opening its doors to leisure tourism in September 2019, Saudi has quickly become a fascinating, offbeat destination. It offers a blend of rich heritage, welcoming locals, and diverse natural landscapes, including some of the world's most pristine diving spots in the Red Sea. Visitors can experience a blend of mystery, adventure, and deep cultural immersion, along with delicious Arabian coffee and mouth-watering Middle Eastern cuisine. Saudi Arabia promises unforgettable stories and unique adventures.

One destination that truly captivates travellers is the ancient city of AlUla.

Saudi Arabia's Hidden Gem

AlUla, tucked away in the northwestern desert, boasts over 200,000 years of human history. This walled city, dotted with oases, feels untouched by time. It invites visitors to explore ancient tombs, incredible rock formations, and awe-inspiring art installations, making it a must-visit for those with a passion for archaeology and history.

What Makes AlUla Unique?

AlUla’s stunning cliffs, canyons, ancient petroglyphs, and rock art make it an unparalleled destination for natural and cultural wonders. With its open landscapes, free from skyscrapers and traffic, AlUla offers unobstructed, breathtaking views. The dramatic contrast between the arid desert and the lush oases with date farms creates a striking visual experience that you won’t find elsewhere.

A Living Museum

Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers a fascinating glimpse into the region's past. Once part of the ancient Nabataean Kingdom, Hegra was a vital trade route and is now considered an archaeologist’s dream, with over 23,000 sites of archaeological interest. Visitors can explore more than 100 preserved monumental tombs, the 18th-century fort at Hegra, the Hijaz railway station, and the ancient capital of Dadan. Jabal Ikmah, known as the 'open library' for its stone inscriptions, is another remarkable highlight.

The Nabataeans, influenced by various cultures, left behind architectural wonders inspired by Greek, Egyptian, Roman, and Mesopotamian styles, making these sites even more intriguing.

AlUla's Old Town, abandoned in the 1980s for the new city, is another gem waiting to be discovered. Wandering through its narrow streets and ancient ruins feels like stepping back in time, revealing the magic and mystery of this captivating destination.

Desert Serenity

Away from the usual tourist routes, AlUla offers the perfect setting for peace and reflection. The vast, quiet desert provides a tranquil escape from the busy city life. For an immersive experience, consider renting an RV and reconnecting with nature as you explore this incredible region.

While there, visit the local date palm farms for a taste of the most delicious dates or grab some moringa oil as a memorable souvenir to take home.

Arabian Adventures

AlUla’s surreal landscape is a paradise for adventure enthusiasts. Whether you prefer hiking, stargazing, riding Arabian horses, cycling, or exploring sand dunes in a 4x4, the opportunities for outdoor fun are endless. Dive into the area’s ancient history by visiting the tombs and uncovering the secrets of the past at your own pace.

For a truly unique experience, take to the skies with a hot air balloon ride or a trip in a vintage aircraft to get a bird’s eye view of the breathtaking ancient city below.

A Destination for Every Season

One of Saudi Arabia’s greatest advantages is its appeal as a year-round destination. During the winter months, the Tantora Festival draws visitors with international musical performances at the Maraya Concert Hall, known for being the largest mirrored building in the world.

Another must-see is Elephant Rock, which transforms into a lively cultural hub in winter with live entertainment and pop-up dining. Art lovers can explore Desert X AlUla, an art exhibition inspired by Coachella that fosters cultural dialogue through stunning displays.

With nearly 50% of its population under 25, Saudi Arabia blends youthful energy with a deep respect for tradition. This makes it an exciting destination for all kinds of travellers, from those seeking adventure to those looking to immerse themselves in rich cultural experiences.

Conclusion

Once a bustling hub of trade and culture, AlUla is now emerging as one of the world’s top cultural tourism spots. This ancient city, lost to time, is ready to be rediscovered. Offering the perfect mix of adventure, mystery, and awe-inspiring beauty, AlUla promises an unforgettable journey.

So why wait? Head to Saudi Arabia’s eVisa Portal and start planning your adventure today!

[tonyrossmcmahon]

Hegra - lost civilisation in the Arabian desert!

TV historian Tony McMahon visits Hegra - a jewel in Arabian history located in Saudi Arabia and built by the Nabatean empire

This month, I gazed upon the remains of a two thousand year old civilisation lost for centuries in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. The second city of the Nabatean civilisation, famous for the tombs built at Petra in what is now the kingdom of Jordan. This was a Nabatean city that rivalled Petra for wealth and sumptuousness. Hegra – queen of the desert. Forgotten for centuries. But now, the Saudi…

[thetemplarknight]

Hegra - lost civilisation in the Arabian desert!

TV historian Tony McMahon visits Hegra - a jewel in Arabian history located in Saudi Arabia and built by the Nabatean empire

This month, I gazed upon the remains of a two thousand year old civilisation lost for centuries in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. The second city of the Nabatean civilisation, famous for the tombs built at Petra in what is now the kingdom of Jordan. This was a Nabatean city that rivalled Petra for wealth and sumptuousness. Hegra – queen of the desert. Forgotten for centuries. But now, the Saudi…

[oneshot-wme-archival]

Oneshot Friend Profiles: The Glen

All friend profiles are laid out as follows: Name/title at the top, arrows at the upper corners to switch friend profiles, a large block of text in the upper left (with a scroll wheel if the text's length exceeds the box size), sprites underneath the text, and art of the character along the right.

Calamus: A pilite young boy that leads a quiet life with his younger sister Alula in the ruins outside of town. He often has his hands full looking out for her and tends to worry when she's not around.

Calamus spends most of his time fishing and foraging around the ruins, and relies on his friend Magpie to trade for any goods that can't be scavenged. Though they don't have much in the way of luxuries, Calamus has a small collection of books gifted by an old friend that he likes to study when he gets a chance. Judging by the amount of progress he's made however, those chances don't come very often.

Alula: A cheerful, excitable young girl. She lives in the ruins under the care of her older brother Calamus. Too young to remember what much of the world was like before the sun was lost, Alula is optimistic and thrilled to be helping the messiah on their special quest.

When Alula isn't busy exploring every nook and cranny the ruins has to offer, she can usually be found helping out her big brother or playing around the courtyard near their home.

Maize: A benelovent and powerful plant spirit, acting as a sort of guardian for the Glen. The last of her kind, her life force has slowly dwindled in the absence of the sun's light. After all of these cold hungry years, her only wish is to see the sun once more.

Magpie: An easygoing merchant and purveyor of fine goods. "Fine" in this case mostly meaning "colorful and/or shiny". Still, it's always a good idea to check what's in stock - he might have just what you're looking for. The shop operates on barter however, so be prepared to give up something Magpie deems interesting enough for a trade.

Magpie used to have a much more impressive collection until his shop was tragically lost to the sinking grouns, forcing Magpie to flee in the wagon that's now his home. Calamus and Alula are some of Magpie's best customers, finding all sorts of curiosities lost in the ruins.

Shepherd: A shepherd woman who tends a flock of rams. Seems to have an endless supply of ram puns and computer puns. You could say she has a lot of "rammunition". A real "dyed-in-the-wool" pun fanatic. Her love of puns never "DIMM"s. The "MOS" puns you've ever "herd". Must have a really good "memory" to remember them all. Even so, you can't help but groan a "bit".

computer.

EXTRA TEXT DUPES:

[fandom-stealer]

Ghost! Hecate

Name: Hecate(?)

Age: Unknown

Info: Hecate died a while ago. Or maybe it was a long time ago. They can’t remember.

All they remember is a bloody chess set.

They haunt the house of their past, weeping for someone to keep them company, so much that they’ve become known as ‘The weeping wanderer’. The old cottage on the outskirts of town has been on sale for years.

Is someone brave enough to buy this house and comfort the lonley ghost inside?

Friends: None

Enemies: None

Family: Who?

Lover: . . .

@christelightlavo @refined-gotham-magic @safire-alula

[standfucker]

The scorpion crew sounds so cool! As does the Storm pirates! Please talk about your OCs as much as you want, it’s so incredible that you’ve come up with so many amazing characters

I know I'm late to answering this ask, and the reason for that is because I was saving it for when I wanted to talk about an OC.

First of all, thank you so much, I'm super flattered that you think they are interesting! ^/////^

So right now I am going to talk about more Storm Pirates.

The Storm Pirates started out as a group of four: Ravi (the captain), Mel, Shen, and Alula (who I've talked about here once). They meet in a town's jail, where they're each detained for a different reason, and start talking to each other.

I'm going to focus on Shen for now.

Shen Haklavim, aka the "Skull Mask Swordsman"

Shen is a swordsman who uses two-sword style. She wears a wolf skull in order to hide her face so that opponents don't make a snap judgement on her based on gender.

She's butch, has a mohawk, and thinks she's short (she's 6 ft) because the rest of her family is all taller than her.

Shen carries six swords (three on each hip), using two at a time, and they are all paired blades meant to be wielded together.

Her swords are:

-Fell and Larka, the Day and Night blades (one's black, one's white) - these are her primary swords. -Benizakura and Musashi, the Land and Sea blades (one's red, one's blue) - old swords that are duller, but she's too attached to get rid of) -Amaroq and Miyax, the Parent and Child blades (one's gold, one's silver) - only busts these out for serious battles against other swordsmen.)

Shen loves weaponry, armor, and especially swords (she and Tashigi could talk for HOURS) as she comes from a blacksmithing family. Is a gigantic tomboy, very masculine, and dresses and acts as such. A bit "pure of heart, dumb of ass" sometimes, as she tends to act on feeling and instinct rather than thinking things through. Extremely loyal, but will put her own needs and wants above those of most people, and only really listens to the captain. Very physical in interacting with others and showing affection.

Shen's dream is to forge the world's strongest swords. Her father is a blacksmith, and she is the youngest of 7 children, with 6 older brothers. Her brothers learned to use weapons, but as the only girl, her father tried to keep her away from such things. But she wanted to be like her cool older brothers, so she went to them behind his back to learn to fight. Having once heard her father say that a great blacksmith must first understand the weapons they craft, and thus know how to use them, she seeks to become a great swordsman in order to truly understand her craft.

All of her brothers are both blacksmiths and warriors that specialize in a different weapon. The brothers in birth order, and the names of their signature weapons: Regel, first son - uses the spear, "Akela" Ein, second son - uses the katana, "Akame" Ozen, third son - uses the kama, "Kurojaki" Tofer, fourth son - uses the claws, "Tsume" Parva, fifth son - uses the axe, "Gabu" Zanav, sixth son - uses the flail, "Balto" (Her father uses the greatsword, "Fenris," and her mother uses the saw, "Moro".)

At the advice of Tofer (her favorite brother, and also the strongest of the brothers) she set out to find a master to instruct her in the ways of the sword. After traveling, Shen met and found her teacher, a swordsman known as "Urva the Mongoose". Urva's training was brutal, and particularly focused on speed, Urva's specialty.

Backstory happened (I can go into it if you're really interested o.o ) and Shen set out to follow her dream, traveling in order to fight strong opponents and become a better swordsman in order to become a better blacksmith.

Shen gets a reputation as a fearsome warrior who will challenge anyone carrying a sword, and gets her epithet before meeting the future Storm Pirates.

Shen gets detained for allegedly stabbing someone. She claims that the person "ran into her sword," but no one believes her--except Ravi, her future captain.

To close, Shen is a love letter to all the canine media I grew up with. Books, shows, movies, everything that shaped me is reflected in her character. All of her moves are named after canine media I loved growing up.

Her signature move is "Silver Fang", a spinning attack with both swords. She does a modified version of it called "White Fang."

Bonus: After meeting and fighting Zoro, they become friends/rivals. Zoro steals her move, Silver Fang, doing a three-sword style version of it he calls "Cerberus." (She, in turn, steals his move, Oni Giri, doing a two-sword style version of it that she calls "Hellhounder".)

[vytelis]

AlUla Old Town

[trip500company]

Saudi Arabia Heritage Tours

Saudi Arabia Heritage Tours

Saudi Arabia is a land of ancient wonders and rich cultural heritage. From the majestic ruins of Hegra to the bustling streets of AlUla Old Town, the kingdom offers a unique glimpse into its storied past. The heritage of Saudi Arabia is not just about ancient monuments; it’s about the stories, traditions, and people that have shaped this incredible nation. So, are you ready to explore the hidden gems and historical treasures of Saudi Arabia? Then, join us on our exclusive “Saudi Arabia Heritage Tours” and embark on a journey through time.

Full article here : https://saudiprivatetours.com/saudi-arabia-heritage-tours/

#sauditravel #saudiprivatetours #sauditours

[sandratognarini]

AlUla da mille e una notte al Dar Tantora The House Hotel

AlUla da mille e una notte al Dar Tantora The House Hotel Scopri la località saudita, patrimonio dell'umanità UNESCO, e la struttura progettata dall’archistar Shahira Fahmy Dar Tantora The House Hotel offre un’esperienza unica nel cuore della Old Town di AlUla, un labirinto di edifici storici risalenti al Se ti appassionano la #storia e la #cultura, #AlUla, in #ArabiaSaudita, è la destinazione perfetta. Dal #DarTantoraTheHouseHotel, realizzato dall’archistar #ShahiraFahmy, si esplora #Hegra, patrimonio UNESCO. Leggi di più su ramingare.com! 🌍✨ ... Read the full article

[chasenews]

ALULA TO HOST INAUGURAL GATHERING OF BEST TOURISM VILLAGES BY UNWTO

Stock photo AlUla, the ancient crossroads of civilisations in north-west Arabia that is now emerging as a global destination for cultural and natural heritage, will be the site of the first-ever in-person meeting of representatives of the Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO. The villages, including AlUla Old Town District were recognised in December as part of UNWTO’s Best Tourism Villages (BTV)…

[farolero-posting]

Oh sure lemme add some of mine:

Niko makes a point of remembering their experience in The World and writes it down like a journal.

Later on they develop the habit of writing down their dreams.

Glowing eyes are part of the norm in Niko's world, though they can be other colors and not just yellow. Heterochromia (different colored eyes) is more common as well, since they're cat-like.

Niko is a bit of a picky eater D: That's why they rejected other food they were offered. When they're older they regret not trying out some of the food, at least to tell their mama what it was like.

Others plant spirits like Maize existed in the old world, and while there are books about them, only Maize could be brought.

There were likely some animal spirits as well. This may or may not be what Rue is, or what she is inspired by at least.

There's an underrated piece of lore in the Barrens stating that a metal alloy was a factor in developing better robots in body and mind. I think the use of this material is what allowed to create robots that could be tamed

The Author made the choice of using that alloy for The World Machine because it was malleable and could be practical for the flexibility in the simulation. Maybe this, and all the pool of memories added to TWM made it possible for them to become sentient.

There were definitely way more areas that could not be included in the simulation, so only a few mementos exist... yes this explains the cactus.

The books usually contain a lot of information on the World beyond what could be salvaged. I think of it like compressed files.

George was created for the simulation, and one of the perks about her is that she has records on many languages, which is what made it possible for her translate the journal. It is likely most of this information isn't available to her with ease though.

One difference between our world, that the Old World and Niko's world shared is that food and eating is done in community. In towns you see people taking turns to cook for their neighbors and in the city you see that they share kitchens as well.

This means everyone would find us having individual kitchens per household kind of weird.

Prophetbot has a lot of information stored in case the messiah were to ask. His limitations are that he doesn't have much first hand experience and he is hard coded not to reveal information about the true nature of the world.

^ In fact, if you wanted to tame him a good new purpose would be letting him be like a teacher for others.

Since the Solstice trio are not part of the simulation their memories do not get erased after a session ends. Rue shows this canonically but the fact that Cedric and Proto also know Niko's name before they arrive if they've talked to Rue enough shows that they keep in touch between sessions.

Sometimes The World Machine would drop robot parts in random places near square disruptions to make up for the ones they corrupted. Kip has noticed something is odd but doesn't know what yet.

The Lamplighter often did delivery to the labs, which is how the Author came to know him. The Lamplighter received the book about understanding robots from him, actually

Alula has a Really Good Intuition. If her gut feeling says something, she is usually correct.

The birdfolk definitely have a tradition of using bird inspired names. Go crazy with ideas for names ❤️

The Ruins had deeper levels, but most of it is gone or inaccessible.

Calamus would go fish with his mom when he was around Alula's age.

Robots tend to rename themselves when tamed, but many end up choosing names that the people around them use for them. Silver may be an exception and has somewhat mixed feelings about her own name

^ It's also very common for them to choose clothing as a way to adjust the way they look. Most just take an accessory but others like Kelvin put more effort into it.

I like to think the objectheads were like a fashion movement in the Old World, some people would put A Lot of effort into their design.

hgghghgfhgfv very bored want headcanons for oneshot..,

[desertshades]

AlUla, old town.

[indigoelfinspirit]

Instead Alula got down on one knee and pulled a ring out of her pocket. “Azalea Rainer you know I love you more than all the sweets in the world, and I don't have to say that I'd cross mountains and oceans for you because I already have. I'd follow you anywhere if you'd let me, and I am hoping you will let me follow you for the rest of our lives. So Azzie will you marry me?”

Az just stared at her for a second while her brain caught up with reality. “Absolutely! Yes! 1000% yes!”

Alula laughed and slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her. “We are going to have such amazing lives and so much fun as the quirky lesbian couple with the book/coffee shop that somehow thrives in this weird little town even after we are old and wrinkly.”

Az rolled her eyes. “I don't plan on wrinkling thank you very much, but growing old with you seems like so much fun.”

“Now we have to plan a wedding!”

“Can't we just elope?” Alula just gave her The Look.

“Got it.”

[pancakesim]

i got tagged by @cherrylattesims​ <3

under the cut for this bad boy

Your name: jasmine

Languages you speak: english, i like to think i’m decent at basic spanish, a lil kreyol but anyway english >.>

Are you a mermaid?: i cannot swim so i cant be :U but i’m an alien or someim i sunno

Your play style: CAS for now because i’m hella busy w uni but like prior it was just gameplay stuff, i wanna do some storytelling or a BC or something someday

Your Simself picture: fun fact: this simself is my second one, i first made a simself when i first got ts4

Stories or gameplay, builds, lookbooks, edits or cc: for myself its lookbooks & edits but in general i like to see everything and anything from everyone else~

Your favorite age stage: toddlers are so cute~ so they’re like 1.5, number 1 is YA i guess (gimme more things EA)

Your favorite season: spring

Your favorite holiday: spoooooooky day lol

How was your day: it’s okay, both recognizing my responsibilities and ignoring them lol

Your favorite career: ctrl+shift+c: motherlode I like the astronaut career & the scientist one

Your favorite EP, GP or SP: EP: maybe seasons? | GP: vampires... probably only because i didn’t get to playing realm of magic yet | SP: toddler stuff

How old is your simblr: this ancient thang is..... gonna be 6 years in sept, and don’t ask me abt my total time on simblr

Have you woohooed?:

Your favorite skill: dancing~ mixology, uh uh any of the musical instruments

The size of your mod folder: 15.5 gb, wow

Your 3 favorite mods: teleporter mod, low fun is boring, falien superpowers

Your interests (other than The Sims): cosplay, music, video games, dancing, kpop & jpop, 90s-00s cartoons

Your favorite Sim (picture if possible): i’m cheating and im picking multiple but we got Amaranth, Alula, Amaraah, but like all my sims are my favs uwu (i needa chill w these a names i got sims named: amaranth, alula, amaraah, aaina, aylin, & aysha)

Which Sims games have you played (including mobile games): sims 2, sims 3, sims 4, sims mobile, my sims & my sims kingdom

Propose a crazy scheme: some baby overhauls, some more occults, making teens & kids fun

Best part of simblr: meeting people, seeing all the creativity

Worst part of simblr: anon hate, negativity

What other games you play: cook serve delicious! 3!?, minecraft occasionally, splatoooon 2

For the fun: CSD3, monster prom, the yawhg, monaco

For the thrills or just for the need to kill assholes: splatoon 2, i used to play paladins, town of salem to stress me but also for thrills, don’t starve together

Other websites or accounts (Origin, Twitter, etc…): my origin is also pancakesim, i got a kpop twitter, many instagrams (cosplay, personal, spam etc) all of which i shall give yall if we mutuals & ya ask otherwise you could always ask for my discord ^^

Are you single: depends who’s asking *finger guns*

i shall tag @hcneybeez​ @pastelperiwinkley​ @desysimmer​ @1trashplant1​ @oattoad​ @viiavi​ @oatbear​ & you the you really took the time to read me rambling lmao

[hulaalula]

Alula

The morning was golden, and surprisingly humid. Alula opened her eyes to see nothing but a tangled mess of her own glowing blonde hair obstructing her view. Brushing her mane away, she stared at the ceiling, a momentary feeling of bliss as she saw the light beams filtrating through the hazy room, before being interrupted by a snore. Turning to see a man next to her in bed, this blissful feeling evaporated with the morning dew. Sheets lazily draped over a fraction of his body, he was abnormally tall and scuffy, though his hair itself was disgustingly short for 1967. A 30 something year-old script writer and successful producer, he was mostly just a landlord and roommate (who one happens to sleep with) for the 19 year old gold dust woman. Sex in exchange for a gorgeous home in Laurel Canyon wasn’t a bad deal according to her. She was reminded of this as she felt the breeze from all the open windows on her clean, exposed skin, and inhaled the remnant strong perfume of sage. 

Alula’s father was a skilled pilot in WWII. He became an astrophysicist in later years, and by the space race of the early 60s, he was contributing to complex NASA programs and even made it into brief orbital rotation of the earth. He was a natural born leader, Sam Hayes- and he often recounted stories of seeing the stars to his daughter. Maybe this is why, when Alula placed that tab of acid on her tongue the evening prior, she too, saw the stars. Maybe it was written in her name, as before she was born she was modelled in the sky as a constellation. Or maybe, and more realistically,  it was just the acid, and now she has “a fucking headache…” she mutters to herself, sliding out of bed, and pulling on a silken robe to protect her bare body. 

Walking to the mirror, she looked at herself- tan, glowing, but tired. The bags under her eyes were noticeable. Running her hands down her face, she exhaled, admiring all the little freckles and beauty marks on her face. With a pang of exhaustion hitting her, she turned to start her daily venture to the kitchen for her morning ritual. Usually, she sits with tea, reads, and does yoga on their patio overlooking the canyon. Today, she needed coffee. Black coffee, and loud records to instill in her unrelenting energy. Water bubbling on the stove, she put together a bowl of fruit, smiling at the thought of mango vendors on the summer streets of Paris she used to visit as a child. 

Rolling out a mat on the patio and rolling up a joint, she sat cross legged, wearing nothing but her open, silken robe, soaking in the sun. Her hair flowed with the wind, and she sipped her coffee, content with her quiet morning. Quiet at last. The past week had been filled with release parties for her glorified roommate’s films, and there was always fun to be had at some backstage for some band of boy looking men wearing leather pants and platforms. She was happy with partying. In fact, she loved it- but at the end of it all, there was nothing better than time to think. Other people’s thoughts can be exhausting, she thought. “But our own thoughts are always scarier,” she uttered aloud, a small smile crossing her peachy lips. “No wonder this town can’t get enough of the people around them… or maybe they’re all just fame whores,” she giggled, exhaling, taking a bite of watermelon, and taking a puff of her post come- down joint. 

[kayla1993-world]

Canadians are celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee as part of celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of her reign.

The Canadian festivities were more muted affairs compared to the boisterous four-day party in London. The lineup of concerts, military parades and tributes culminated Sunday with a brief appearance from the monarch herself, who waved to tens of thousands of cheering celebrants from the balcony of Buckingham Palace while surrounded by three generations of heirs to the throne.

Alula Hilawe, a tour guide for the Town of Sackville, N.B., said he helped set up the town's Jubilee celebration tea service at the Marshlands Inn. The Queen visited the very place where she stayed when she visited in 1984.

Hilawe said some attendees debated what year Elizabeth had visited. Plenty of attendees were old enough to recall that royal visit and shared their experiences meeting her, Hilawe said.

Saskatoon resident Tracy Pytlowany said the jubilee lunches people held across the U.K. inspired her to host a lunch of her own.

The Saturday- afternoon affair included sandwiches, British-inspired gin-based cocktails and British beers that Pytlowany said she managed to find from scouring the liquor stores. A friend made a toast at the lunch touching on the Queen's "dedication to the job," she said.

Maharaj is president of the Canadian Indo Caribbean Organization of Ottawa. A friend’s husband, who is Scottish, came in a full kilt, while other men showed up sporting bow ties, Pytlowany said.

About 300 people attended, enjoying a buffet of tandoori and butter chicken and watching performances that included The Sons of Scotland Pipe Band, Bollywood dancers and a singer who delivered a rendition of God Save the Queen. The event was a hybrid celebration for the Queen as well as a recognition of Indian Arrival Day, a public holiday in Trinidad and Tobago which commemorates the arrival of Indians to the Caribbean to work as indentured servants, said Maharaj.

Rideau Hall has been the backdrop for several jubilee festivities, including the Canadian Heraldic Authority creating Canada's own unique emblem for the Jubilee celebrations.

The 96-year-old monarch has curtailed her schedule in recent months due to difficulties in moving around. Before Sunday, the Queen had only appeared in public twice during the four-day holiday weekend.

In his speech, he noted that the Queen has visited Canada 22 times, to every province and territory, often more than once.

The City of Toronto says it planted 70 large trees, one for each year of the Queen's reign, throughout Rowntree Mills Park. The event was attended by Mayor John Tory and Ontario Lieut. Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell.