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Hammurabi

(Encyclopedia)Hammurabi hämo͝oräˈbē [key], fl. 1792–1750 b.c., king of Babylonia. He founded an empire that was eventually destroyed by raids from Asia Minor. Hammurabi may have begun building the tower of B...

Vatican City

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Vatican City vătˈĭkən [key] or Holy See, officially Holy See (State of the Vatican City), independent state (2015 est. pop. 1,000), 108.7 acres (44 hectares), within the city of Rome, Italy...

orientation

(Encyclopedia)orientation, in architecture, the disposition of the parts of a building with reference to the points of the compass. From remote antiquity the traditional belief in the efficacy of religious ceremoni...

Indus valley civilization

(Encyclopedia)Indus valley civilization, ancient civilization that arose about 3300 b.c. in the valley of the Indus River and its tributaries, in the northwestern portion of the Indian subcontinent, i.e., present-d...

tile

(Encyclopedia)tile, one of the ceramic products used in building, to which group brick and terra-cotta also belong. The term designates the finished baked clay—the material of a wide variety of units used in arch...

Semiramis

(Encyclopedia)Semiramis sĕmĭrˈəmĭs [key], mythical Assyrian queen, noted for her beauty and wisdom. She was reputed to have conquered many lands and founded the city of Babylon. After a long and prosperous rei...

Babel

(Encyclopedia)Babel bāˈbəl [key] [Heb.,=confused], in the Bible, place where Noah's descendants (who spoke one language) tried to build a tower reaching up to heaven to make a name for themselves. For this presu...

Alhambra, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Alhambra ălhămˈbrə [key], city (2020 pop. 82,868), Los Angeles co., S Calif., a suburb E of Los Angeles; inc. 1903. It has iron and aluminum foundries and manufactures...

Durango, city, United States

(Encyclopedia)Durango do͝orăngˈgō [key], city (2020 pop. 19,071), seat of La Plata co., SW Colo., on the ...

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