Word: meccas
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...women's prison in California, serving a life sentence for eight of the most horrific murders in the annals of American crime. Atkins, a Los Angeles native, was 15 when her mother died; soon afterward, she left home to become a topless dancer in San Francisco. In the hippie mecca of Haight-Ashbury she met cult leader Charles Manson, who seduced her and his other young followers into believing that he was the second coming of Christ--and that the way to bring about a new social order was to commit mass murder and frame blacks, which would ignite...
...other city in Asia may have been deflated more quickly by the global recession than the Chinese gambling mecca of Macau. After the local government opened the gaming business to new casino operators in 2002, the former Portuguese colony (population 540,0000) boomed as billions of dollars of investment poured into new hotels and casinos and newly wealthy Chinese crowded baccarat and blackjack tables. But the good times came to a sudden end in late 2008 as the credit crunch paralyzed global financial markets. Gaming revenues sank and casinos laid off staff. Sheldon Adelson, chairman of casino operator Las Vegas...
...pious, generous man. Hailing from a small Shi'ite Muslim town in southern Lebanon, he was a success story among the country's poorest, historically marginalized religious sect. With his reputation for generosity (he built a stadium and a mosque for his hometown of Maaroub, sponsored pilgrimages to Mecca and published children's books), few were suspicious when Ezzeddine promised investors a share of his business with the lure of outstanding returns - from 20% to 40% - and few details of how the plan worked or guarantees or paperwork. Still, what he seemed to have - the implicit backing of Hizballah...
...traditional tourist mecca of Las Vegas is facing similar challenges. The coroner's office in Clark County, Nev., which includes Las Vegas, saw a 22% increase in burials and cremations of unclaimed bodies this year, jumping from 741 to 904. When burial costs exceeded $1 million in the 2003-04 fiscal year, the agency turned to cremating the unclaimed unless it could be determined that burial was required because of religious or other beliefs. Each cremation costs $425 to $475. (Read a grim story of unearthed graves outside Chicago...
...year-old Phoenician glass, 2,000-year-old textiles, 2nd century frescoes and a tiny stone tablet with the world's oldest alphabet. Next door there's the Tekkiye Suleymaniye Complex, built in 1553 as a gathering point for pilgrims preparing for their annual hajj to Mecca. These days, in alleys off the charming gardens and courtyards, you can buy leatherwork and jewelry. After shopping, cross the road to the Four Seasons Hotel, tel: (963-11) 339 1000, where the Al Halabi restaurant serves the best cuisine in town. Try the kabab karaz - succulent grilled lamb with a cherry sauce...