(Encyclopedia) Assad, Hafez al-Assad, Hafez al-häfĕzˈ [key]Assad, Hafez al- äl-äsˈsäd [key], 1930–2000, president of Syria (1971–2000). He graduated (1955) from the Syrian Military Academy and…
(Encyclopedia) Kitab al-AghaniKitab al-Aghanikētäbˈ äl-ägänēˈ [key] [Arab.,=book of songs], collection of poems in many volumes compiled by Abu al-Faraj Ali of Esfahan. It contains poems from the…
(Encyclopedia) Abu al-FidaAbu al-Fidaäˌb&oomacr; äl-fēˈdä, –fĭdäˈ [key], 1273–1331, Arab historian, b. Damascus. He fought against the Christians in the last period of the Crusades and later…
(Encyclopedia) Yaqut al-HamawiYaqut al-Hamawiyäk&oomacr;tˈ äl-hämäwēˈ [key], 1179–1229, Arab geographer. Born in Byzantium, he was bought as a slave by a merchant, al-Hamawi. He was freed on the…
(Encyclopedia) Abd al-AzizAbd al-Azizäbˌdäl-äzēzˈ [key] or AbdülazizAbdülazizTurk. äbdülˈäzēzˈ [key], 1830–76, Ottoman sultan (1861–76), brother and successor of Abd al-Majid. The economic and…
(Encyclopedia) Zawahiri or Zawahri, Ayman al-Zawahiri or Zawahri, Ayman al-both: īˈmän äl-zäwäˈrē [key], 1951–, militant Egyptian Islamist. A surgeon by education and training, he became involved…
(Encyclopedia) Ras al-KhaimahRas al-Khaimahräs äl-khīˈmä [key], sheikhdom (1995 pop. 144,430), c.650 sq mi (1,680 sq km), United Arab Emirates, SE Arabia, on the Persian Gulf; the northernmost of the…
(Encyclopedia) Umm al-QaiwainUmm al-Qaiwain&oomacr;m äl-kīwīnˈ [key], sheikhdom (1995 pop. 35,157), c.300 sq mi (780 sq km), part of the federation of seven United Arab Emirates, SE Arabia, on…
(Encyclopedia) Shatt al ArabShatt al Arabshät äl äˈräb [key], tidal river, 120 mi (193 km) long, formed by the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, flowing SE to the Persian Gulf, forming…
