(Encyclopedia) Assad, Bashar al- Assad, Bashar al- bäshärˈ äl-äsˈsäd [key], 1965–, Syrian political leader, son of Hafez al-Assad. A medical doctor, he left Syria (1992) for an…
(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) 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) Abd al-HafizAbd al-Hafizäbˌdäl-häfēdˈ [key], 1875?–1937, sultan of Morocco (1908–12). Placed on the throne by the revolution that deposed his brother Abd al-Aziz IV, he was soon…
(Encyclopedia) Abd al-MajidAbd al-Majidäbˌdäl-mäjēdˈ [key] or AbdülmecitAbdülmecitTurk. äbdülˈ mäjēdˈ [key], 1823–61, Ottoman sultan (1839–61), son and successor of Mahmud II to the throne of the…
(Encyclopedia) Abd al-MalikAbd al-Malikäbˌd&oobreve;l-mälĭkˈ [key], c.646–705, 5th Umayyad caliph (685–705); son of Marwan I. At his accession, Islam was torn by dissension and threatened by the…
(Encyclopedia) Abd al-MuminAbd al-Muminäbˌdäl-mŭˈmĭn [key], d. 1163, founder of the empire of the Almohads. He was the favorite of the Almohad religious reformer Ibn Tumart and became (1130) his…
