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Faisal I

(Encyclopedia)Faisal I or Faysal I both: fīˈsəl [key], 1885–1933, king of Iraq (1921–33). The third son of Husayn ibn Ali, sherif of Mecca, he is also called Faisal ibn Husayn. Faisal was educated in Constan...

Faisal bin Abd al-Aziz al-Saud

(Encyclopedia)Faisal bin Abd al-Aziz al-Saud ĭˈbən abdäl äzēzˈ ĭˈbən säo͞odˈ fīˈsäl [key], 1905–75, king of Saudi Arabia (1964–75), son of Ibn Saud, brother of Saud. Faisal led several military ...

Husseini, Amin al-

(Encyclopedia)Husseini, Amin al- ämēnˈ äl ho͝osāˈnē [key], 1896?–1974, Arab political and religious leader. He was inveterately opposed to the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine, and, suspected of co...

Bedouin

(Encyclopedia)Bedouin bĕdˈo͞oĭn [key] [Arab.,=desert dwellers], primarily nomad Arab peoples of the Middle East, where they form about 10% of the population. They are of the same Semitic stock as their sedentar...

Jordan, country, Asia

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Jordan, officially Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, kingdom (2015 est. pop. 8,117,000), 35,637 sq mi (92,300 sq km), SW Asia. It borders on Israel and the West Bank in the west, on Syria in the nor...

Sunni

(Encyclopedia)Sunni so͞oˈnī [key] [Arab. Sunna,=tradition], from ahl al-sunnah wa-l-jamaa [Arab.,=the people of the custom of the Prophet and community], the largest division of Islam. Sunni Islam is the heir to...

houri

(Encyclopedia)houri ho͞oˈrē, houˈ– [key] [Arab.,=black-eyed], one of the beautiful maidens said by some Muslims to dwell in paradise for the enjoyment of the faithful. The passages in the Qur'an detailing the...

Nova Sofala

(Encyclopedia)Nova Sofala nôˈvə so͝ofäˈlə [key], city, SE Mozambique, on Mozambique Channel. An early Arab trading post, it was settled by the Portuguese in 1505, when a fort was built. Nova Sofala was the s...

sirocco

(Encyclopedia)sirocco sərŏkˈō [key] [Ital., from Arab. sharq=east], hot, dust-laden, dry, southerly wind originating in the N African desert (most commonly in the spring) and reaching Italy and nearby Mediterra...

Oujda

(Encyclopedia)Oujda or Oudjda both: o͞ojdäˈ [key], Arab. Ujda, city (1994 pop. 357,278), NE Morocco, near the Algerian border. It is a railroad junction, agricultural market, and commercial center. It was occupi...