History and Democracy of the Modern Middle East - HIST 235 Resource Guide

Travel through the Wadi Rum Desert and the ancient ruins of Petra, swim in the Dead Sea, see the oil fields of Kuwait, tee off at a desert golf course in Abu Dhabi, marvel at the awe inspiring structures of Dubai and discover a warm welcome in Beirut then visit the ancient Syrian trading centers of Aleppo, Damascus, and the Greco-Roman city of Apamea; experience the beauty of Iran, the ancient relics of the Persian empire and the modern day Holy Lands.

As the founder of Judaism, he is said to have instituted the rite of circumcision as a sign of the covenant between God and the Jews, who are descended from Isaac, son of Abraham's old age.

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
1st caliph, friend, father-in-law, and successor of Muhammad. He was probably Muhammad's first convert outside the Prophet's family and alone accompanied Muhammad on the Hegira.

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
Son of Abraham and Hagar; ancestor of 12 tribes in N Arabia. Through Sara's jealousy he and his mother were sent into the desert, where the angel of the Lord encountered them at a spring.

Hebrew lawgiver, probably b. Egypt. The prototype of the prophets, he led his people in the 13th cent. B.C. out of bondage in Egypt.

c.570-632 Arab prophet and religious leader who founded Islam . He was born in Mecca. At the age of 25 he began working as a trading agent.

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia
The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. Dominating the city's skyline with its golden dome and lustrous blue walls, the Dome of the Rock was built in 687 BC.

[Gr.,=Holy Wisdom] or Santa Sophia, Turkish Aya Sofia, originally a Christian church at Constantinople (now Istanbul), later a mosque, and now converted into a museum.

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia
Holy site in Jerusalem where the Muslim shrine, the Dome of the Rock, and the al-Aqsa mosque are situated.

The capital of Israel, Jerusalem is an administrative, religious, educational, cultural, and market center.

The central, cubic, stone structure, covered by a black cloth, within the Great Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The sacred nature of the site predates Islam: tradition says that the Kaaba was built by Adam and rebuilt by Abraham and the descendants of Noah.

Holy city of the Shiite Muslims and administrative centre of the governorate of the same name, in Iraq, 96 km/60 mi southwest of Baghdad; population (2007 est) 449,000.

City in Saudi Arabia and, as birthplace of Muhammad, the holiest city of the Islamic world and a place of annual pilgrimage.

Saudi Arabian city, about 355 km/220 mi north of Mecca; population (2004) 918,900. It is the second holiest city in the Islamic world after Mecca, and contains the tomb of Muhammad, a focus for Muslim pilgrims during the hajj (annual pilgrimage).

A Muslim place of worship, usually having one or more minarets and often decorated with elaborate tracery and texts from the Koran.

It is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and the finest example of the late style of Indian Islamic architecture.

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia
The Blue Mosque, also known as the Mosque of Sultan Ahmed I, in Istanbul, Turkey. Renowned for its distinctively coloured tilework and six fluted minarets, the Blue Mosque was built in the early 17th century by the architect Sedefkar Mehmed Agha.

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
House of worship built on the site of Muhammad's house in Medina, considered one of the three holiest places of Islam.

The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque and Kampong Ayer (Water Village), Brunei. The mosque was built in 1958 at the edge of an artificial lagoon, and has a gold-plated dome.

This website, from PBS, provides information about the role of women in the Middle East, with particular attention to those in predominantly Muslim countries. Excellent bibliography with links to other websites that address this issue.

The title of the religious leader and imam of the Ismaili Nizari sect of Islam, originally bestowed by the Persian shah Fath Ali on Hasan Ali Shah, 1800–1881, the 46th Ismaili imam, in 1818.

From Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
A title given to any of a class of Shi'ite religious leaders in Iran.

The rulership of Islam; caliphkălʹĭfˌ, the spiritual head and temporal ruler of the Islamic state. In principle, Islam is theocratic: when Muhammad died, a caliph [Arab.,=successor] was chosen to rule in his place.

In Islam, a recognized leader or a religious teacher. Among the Sunni the term refers to the leader in the Friday prayer at the mosque; any pious Muslim may function as imam.

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
In Islamic law, attorney or judicial/religious scholar who writes his opinion (fatwa) on legal subjects for private clients or to assist judges in deciding cases.

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Muslim title applied to a scholar or religious leader, especially in the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. It means ‘lord’ and has also been used in North Africa as an honorific attached to the name of a king, sultan, or member of the nobility.