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Lepanto, battle of

(Encyclopedia)Lepanto, battle of lĭpănˈtō [key], Oct. 7, 1571, naval battle between the Christians and Ottomans fought in the strait between the gulfs of Pátrai and Corinth, off Lepanto (Návpaktos), Greece. T...

imam

(Encyclopedia)imam ĭmämˈ [key] [Arab.,=leader], in Islam, a recognized leader or a religious teacher. Among the Sunni the term refers to the leader in the Friday prayer at the mosque; any pious Muslim may functi...

Botsaris, Markos

(Encyclopedia)Botsaris, Markos bōzărˈĭs, –zäˈrĭs, Gr. bôtˈsärēs [key], c.1788–1823, Greek patriot. Exiled from his native Epirus in 1803, he joined Ali Pasha in 1820 and later was prominent in the Gr...

Bozzaris, Marcos

(Encyclopedia)Bozzaris, Marcos bōzărˈĭs, –zäˈrĭs, Gr. bôtˈsärēs [key], c.1788–1823, Greek patriot. Exiled from his native Epirus in 1803, he joined Ali Pasha in 1820 and later was prominent in the Gr...

Bolkiah Mu'izzadin Waddaulah, Sir Hassanal

(Encyclopedia)Bolkiah Mu'izzadin Waddaulah, Sir Hassanal, 1946–, sultan of Brunei (1967–). He succeeded to the throne after the abdication of his father, Sultan Sir Omar Ali Saifuddin. Known as a playboy, he no...

Kufa

(Encyclopedia)Kufa ko͞oˈfə [key], former Mesopotamian city, near the Euphrates River, c.110 mi (177 km) S of Baghdad. Founded in 638, Kufa soon rivaled Basra in size. The Arab governor of Iraq resided there unti...

Kitab al-Aghani

(Encyclopedia)Kitab al-Aghani kētäbˈ 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 oldest epoch of Arabic li...

Munger

(Encyclopedia)Munger or Monghyr both: mŭngˈgĭr [key], city (1991 pop. 150,112), Bihar state, NE India, on the Ganges River. It is a district administrative center and a grain market, with important road, rail, a...

Muzaffar ad-Din

(Encyclopedia)Muzaffar ad-Din mo͞ozäf-färˈ äd-dēnˈ [key], 1853–1907, shah of Persia (1896–1907), son of Nasir ad-Din. A weak ruler, he borrowed money from Russia and failed to oppose the encroachments of...

Songhai

(Encyclopedia)Songhai or Songhay both: sŏngˈgīˈ [key], largest of the former empires in the western Sudan region of N Africa. The state was founded (c.700) by Berbers on the Middle Niger, in what is now central...