Calliope articles from February 2000

Calliope archives from February 2000

MUSINGS.(reflections on the history of Baghdad)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... ... all the treasures of the world are gathered there [Baghdad], and all the blessings of the universe concentrated there. Besides, it is the capital of the Abbasids, the center of their empire... What makes a ruler great? hat about a...

The Road to Power.(transfer of power of Caliphate of Baghdad during Abbasid dynasty)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... The events of September 15, 786, permanently altered the future of the Islamic empire. That night, the reigning caliph was killed, a new caliph assumed the throne, and a future caliph was born. The infant's right to the throne, however, was not...

The Dynasties: The Umayyads and the Abbasids.(ruling powers during early centuries of Islam)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Uthman, the third caliph (successor of the Prophet Muhammad), was a member of the Umayyad family. A weak leader, his policies angered many of his subjects, and he was killed in 656. Ali, a cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, succeeded Uthman...

None Wiser Than He.(civil conflict between competing Islamic states in early centuries of Islam)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... "In the year 198, the war between the two sons of Harun al-Rashid, Muhammad [al-Amin] and `Abdallah [al-Ma'mun], came to an end," the historian al-Tabari wrote, "and the people in the eastern lands, in Iraq and the Hijaz, came together and gave...

By Land and By Air: All Roads Led to Baghdad's Four Gates.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Al-Ma'mun used the postal system that had been organized during the previous dynasty, the Umayyad Dynasty. He did so because he knew good government depended on good communications between Baghdad and the major cities of his huge empire. ...

A Flowering of Arts and Wisdom.(golden age of Islamic scholarship Abbasid dynasty)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... The five centuries of the Abbasid era (A.D. 750-1258) saw the flowering of the arts and sciences. Unlike the Umayyads, the Abbasids sought to assimilate all Muslims -- both Arabs and non-Arabs -- into one Muslim community with equal rights for...

Life in the House of Wisdom.(Baghdad's history as capital of Islamic art and science)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Seek ye knowledge, from the cradle to the grave. From the Hadith As Islam and its followers spread east and west from the Arabian Peninsula, Muslims intermingled with many peoples whom they had never previously encountered. It was not...

Fun With Words.(influence of Arabic language on English)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... WORD ORIGINS Saffron Saffron is made from a species of crocus that has purple flowers. Since approximately 40,000 blossoms are needed to make an ounce of saffron, it is one of the world's most expensive spices. The English language...

ZUBAIDAH: A Power Behind the Throne.(wife of early Islamic ruler Harun al-Rashid)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Al-Ma'mun's two wives lived with female relatives and slaves in women's quarters, which were off limits to all but the men of the family. The English word "harem" comes directly from the Arabic haram, meaning "forbidden." Although Muslim...

A Celebration Fit for a Caliph.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Lucky were the guests invited to the wedding of al-Ma'mun and his second wife, Buran ibn Sahl. Buran's father, Hasan, threw a party that lasted 17 days, or rather 17 nights, since the wedding took place during the holy month of Ramadan, when...

After al-Ma'mun.(transfer of power during period of Islamic Caliphate in Baghdad)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... During the last years of al-Ma'mun's reign, religious differences threatened to divide the empire. To prevent such a disaster, al-Ma'mun ordered government officials to reject radical religious beliefs as un-Islamic. Unfortunately, this decree...

From Market Town to ... Cosmopolitan City.(founding of Baghdad as capital city of Islamic caliphate during 8th century)
February 1, 2000... Baghdad Becomes a City In 758, al-Mansur, the second Abbasid caliph, traveled along the Tigris River in search of a site to build a new capital. He stopped at a village named "Baghdad." The town seemed healthy, with many breezes but few...

Images of Life in Baghdad.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... An Arabic scholar and public official named al-Hariri wrote a collection of tales entitled Maqamat al-Hariri. A copy of the publication from the early 1200s has survived, which includes several illustrations by the artist al-Wasiti. These...

The Caliph's Palaces.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... In early Abbasid times, so much wealth came from the vast territories that it seemed impossible to spend it all. Caliphs, their families, and courtiers created an atmosphere of splendor. Few ruins or objects from the palaces have survived, but...

Iraqi Art Today.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... No other country in the world has the quality and quantity of art and artists (considering its size and population) as does Iraq, and yet has such a low profile. Its people are inexperienced in marketing and promoting the arts. In addition,...

Suq al-Warraqin.(art of papermaking in Iraq during period of Abbasid dynasty)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... In the shadow of the Round City by the Basra Gate was the Suq al-Warraqin ("Market of the Paper-sellers"). Just as office supply and photocopy stores feed paper into federal offices today, the Muslim state had a big appetite for documents. As...

A Royal Weave: Make a Bookmark.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... During the A.D. 700s and 800s, court weavers of Baghdad created luxurious fabrics for royal garments and trimmings. They made intricate designs by adding decorative threads during the weaving process. These threads were woven only into design...

The Tale of the Fisherman and the Genie.(Excerpt)
February 1, 2000... Long ago in Persia there lived two kings who were brothers. Each of their wives was unfaithful to them and, in revenge, the eldest brother decided to sleep with a different woman each night and to slay her in the morning. Every day, the king's...

Homer's Odyssey.(Poem)
February 1, 2000... Homer's Odyssey is really exciting. The adventures and tales make me wish the author kept writing. At times it's a little unbelievable, How Odysseus always lives through the impossible. The ending was great and well deserved. A beggar...

History Test F-.(Poem)
February 1, 2000... Julius Caesar was king of Spain, Marco Polo discovered Maine Christopher Columbus spoke Mandarin Mark Twain's real name was Thomas Edison. Indians built the Statue of Liberty, Abe Lincoln drowned in the Aegean...

ON THE NET.(Web-based information services on Islamic history)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... For a site with links to a wealth of maps relating to the spread of Islam, including during the Abbasid caliphate, try this: www.princeton.edu/~humcomp/dimensions.html For in-depth information on the coinage system of the Abbasid period,...

BOOKS.(Brief Article)(Bibliography)
February 1, 2000... The Arabs in the Golden Age by Mokhtar Moktefi and Veronique Ageorges (The Millbrook Press, 1992) complements chapters on Islam, caliphs, Arab society, and daily life with a great variety of specially-drawn, color illustrations. Ibn Tulun:...

RESOURCES.
February 1, 2000... AMIDEAST (1730 M Street, NW, Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 20036-4505) has a variety of books and other educational materials on the Middle East, North Africa, and the Arab World. AWAIR, which stands for Arab World and Islamic Resources, is...

ALSO RECOMMENDED.(Brief Article)(Bibliography)
February 1, 2000... Beyond A Thousand and One Nights: A Sampler of Literature from Muslim Civilization with introductions and teaching aids by Susan Douglass (Council on Islamic Education, 2000) The Emergence of Renaissance: Cultural Interactions between...