Articles related to "Middle Eastern History"

The Middle East has endured years of conflict and war between its people. This divergence has lead groups and individuals to take extreme actions.

Mount Sinai (Jebel Musa) on Egypt's Sinai Peninsula is believed by some traditionalists to be the site where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God.

Once the thriving capital of the Roman province of Arabia, Bosra, now part of modern Syria, owes much to the building work of second century C. E. Roman emperor Trajan.

Today the Gaza Strip is an isolated, overcrowded enclave bordered by Egypt to the south, Mediterranean Sea to the west and a hostile Israel to the north and east.

Around five hundred and eighteen years before the birth of Jesus, Darius I, perhaps the greatest of all the Achaemenid kings, founded the Persian city of Persepolis.

The Amarna tablets are a unique collection of writings from the Egyptian New Kingdom, scribed in the 14th century BCE and re-discovered by Egyptian peasants in 1887.

Shia constitute 10 to 15 percent of Muslims, but are actually a majority around the oil-rich rim of the Persian Gulf.

Built at the foot of Mount Sinai, St Catherine's Monastery, is one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world and the original home of the Codex Sinaiticus.

After a shaky six-month ceasefire between Israel and Hamas controlled Gaza, hostilities have restarted following rocket attacks by Hamas on Israeli towns.

In the first year of the 20th century the Ottoman sultan ordered the start of building work on the Hejaz railway to allow easier access for pilgrims to the holy places.

Karak Castle lies near the southern end of the Dead Sea and stands on the site of Kir Moab which in the days of Mesha resisted the attack of Jehoshaphat, King of Judah.

The emergence and survival of King Hussein in the early years of the Kingdom of Jordan is one of the most remarkable political and personal stories of a generation.

The Temple Mount or Al-Haram al-Sharif, perched, high above the narrow streets of East Jerusalem is the holiest and most disputed religious site in the Israeli capital.

Bosra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and once ancient capital of the Roman province of Arabia, lies 120 kilometres south of the Syrian city of Damascus.

The BBC has recently reported that Iran has threatened to stop cultural co-operation with the British Museum if the Babylonian Cyrus Cylinder is not returned on loan.

The military education program aimed at veterans in the new GI bill benefits offers the promise of a university or college education to 1.8 million former soldiers.

Buddha images are intended to be depictions of the human qualities that he perfected - Compassion, Wisdom, Patience, Generosity and Kindness.

The ancient city of Megiddo, now a World Heritage Site, is one of the most remarkable tells (hills) in the Levant and scene of the first ever recorded battle in history.

Samarkand, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is a hugely important historical site standing proudly on the ancient Silk Route in what is now modern Uzbekistan.

The Church of the Nativity in Manger Square in the centre of Bethlehem is one of Christianity's most revered sites. It is according to tradition the birthplace of Jesus

Until the discovery in 1868 of the 9th century Mesha Stele at Dhiban (modern Jordan), scant evidence of Moab, a vassal state of the Kingdom of Israel survived.

West Bank Bethlehem sits almost 2,500 feet above sea level only five miles from Jerusalem. It is for Christians, Jews and Muslims a special place.

The Nabateans are remembered today for their ingenious water aqueducts and impressive architectural buildings in Petra, Jordan.

A Christmas visit to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus Christ and King David is for many travellers a long held ambition.

The fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon's Temple in 70 C.E. marked the formal end of the five-year war between the Jews and Romans.

The terrible final events of the first Jewish Revolt against the Romans in 70 C.E. remain a defining moment in Jewish history.

For serious researchers of Biblical history, early Jewish history and life in Roman Judea, between 200 BCE and 75 CE, the works of Flavius Josephus are an essential tool.

The Jordanian city of Umm Qays formally known as Gadara, one of the Greco-Roman cities of the Decapolis, is today a place for quiet contemplation and exploration.

Hatra, Iraq, capital of the first Arab Kingdom, is one of the best-preserved examples of a Parthian city and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.

Isfahan (Esfahan) in the Islamic Republic of Iran was chosen by the Safavid Shah Abbas (reigned 1587-1629) as his capital and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The birth of Jesus according to the gospels of Matthew and Luke, and the significance of Nativity.

The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on August 2,1990 started a major international crisis resulting six months later in the first Persian Gulf War.

A Semite from the city-state of Akkad, Sargon would create an empire that would change the political and cultural identity of Sumer.

Hunters/gatherers became farmers, and farmers became lawmakers and artisans, who transformed scattered villages into civilized cities.

Approaching the height of its power, Sumer was a confederacy (loose union) of city-states, often with one dominating at a given period of time until the rise of Akkad.

Mount Nebo, Jordan is today a place of pilgrimage for thousands of people who visit the spot, where according to the Bible, Moses saw the Promised Land.

From the 3rd century BCE until the 2nd century CE great camel caravans made the trip from the southern shores of the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean port of Gaza.

When Ottoman Sultan, Selim I appeared, with an army, at the gates of Jerusalem in 1517 he was welcomed by the Ulama who peacefully presented him with the keys to the city

Palmyra, (Tadmor) Syria now a UNESCO World Heritage Site was, for many years a caravan stop on the great Silk Road that stretched from China to the Mediterranean coast.

Hussein bin Talal became King of Jordan in 1952, taking full constitutional power in May 1953, and stepped into the dangerous world of Middle Eastern pan-Arab politics.

The Jordanian village of Mkawer, 25 miles southwest of Madaba, is home to the ruins of Machaerus, the Black Fortress, the place of execution of John the Baptist.

A great star heralded the birth of a king. Wise men saw and followed it. Who were they? Where did they come from?

Palmyra is one of the jewels set in the Syrian crown. In a city crammed with evocative memories and historical treasures the great Temple of Bel beckons to the curious.

Damascus, Syria is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and home to the Umayyad Mosque, one of the great holy sites of Islam.

In response to a call to arms by Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont, Christian armies of the First Crusade took Jerusalem in 1099.

Need a history course for college credit? Here's how to choose the right course and ace it.

Pictorial symbols, used for religious purposes, would become phonetic characters out of necessity for something simpler, leading to the first written language, and epic

Sumerians lived a life typical of most ancient civilization, a life which was simplified with the onset of numerous innovations like pottery, the wheel, and metallurgy.

Early laws focused on monetary compensation for offenses, but later Sumerian civilization will see harsher, and more brutal penalties.

While the practice of veiling is predominantly a Muslim custom today, its roots go back to the ancient Near East and Mediterranean, long before the days of Muhammad.