Tag: Additional Resources

A printable version of this timeline is available for download at the bottom of this page. 1901 Oil is discovered in Iran. 1905 Death of the great Muslim reformer, Muhammad Abdu. 1906 The Algeciras Conference, organized with the help of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, prevents war between France and Germany over colonial rights in Morocco. Control of [...]

The Smithsonian’s Museums of Asian Art website contains a fascinating feature on the 1,005-year old literary masterpiece, the Shahnama, also called the Book of Kings. The feature, with in-depth details of a number of stories in the poem along with selections of art from the Safavid and other eras, is based on an exhibit at the museum in 2011 that celebrated the 1000-year anniversary of the completion of the captivating epic poem.

It is a common belief that Islam forbids art that shows the human figure, but the issue is more nuanced. Depictions of the Prophet Mohammed are taboo and socially unacceptable. A proliferation of images of the prophet in comics, newspapers, contests and other media has created extensive controversy in the United States and beyond in [...]

History Resources for EducatorsClassroom ResourcesGeneral Middle Eastern HistoryIsraeli-Palestinian ConflictIslamic HistorySpecific Periods, People and PlacesClassroom Resources Best of History Websites With links to over 1000 sites that have lesson plans, activities, games, quizzes and solid information, Best of History is a rich resource of tools and information. This is a project of the Center for Teaching [...]

A printable version of this timeline is available for download at the bottom of this page. 1469 Death of Aztec leader Montezuma I in modern-day Mexico. 1492 Muslims and Jews are expelled from Spain at the behest of the Catholic Inquisition. The Muslims return to North Africa. The Spanish Jews, known as the Sephardim, scatter throughout [...]

A printable version of this timeline is available for download at the bottom of this page. 661 Ali is murdered, presumably by a Kharijite extremist. His son Hassan loses a battle for succession to Mu'awiyah and retires to Medina. Mu'awiyah establishes the Umayyad dynasty and transfers the imperial capital to Damascus. 680 Caliph Mu'awiyah dies. His [...]

A printable version of this timeline is available for download at the bottom of this page. 822 BCE The Phoenicians establish the historic city of Carthage (in present-day Tunisia) and set up trading posts along the North African coast. c. 208 BCE Massinisa becomes king of Eastern Numidian Massyli (east of current Algeria), succeeding his father [...]

An interview with William Cleveland, Professor of History at Simon Fraser University and author of the widely used textbook A History of the Modern Middle East, on the importance of understanding the historical context of the Middle East. A Teacher’s Guide to the interview is included at the end. Interview conducted by Michael A. Toler. This [...]

There is a universal fascination with space and Manoug Manougian of Lebanon was one of those youngsters with space exploration on his mind. The BBC spoke with Manougian about the 1960s Rocket Society he began at Haigazian College.

Prolific author, Middle East expert, and history professor at the University of Michigan, Juan Cole argues that despite the upheaval resulting from the Arab Spring, youth movements on the street and through social media across the Arab world have demonstrated a true surge in political awareness and civic engagement.