Safavid Dynasty: Did you mean...?

Religious practices in ancient China go back over 7,000 years. Long before the philosophical and spiritual teachings of Confucius and Lao-Tzu developed or before the teachings of the Buddha came to China, the people worshipped personifications...

Sima Qian (l. 145/135-86 BCE) was a court scribe, astrologer, and historian of the Han Dynasty (202 BCE - 220 CE) of ancient China, famous for his historical work Records of the Grand Historian for which he is remembered as the Father of...

The Ptolemaic Dynasty (305–30 BCE) ruled Egypt during the Hellenistic age, emerging from the fragmentation of Alexander the Great’s empire after his death in 323 BCE. Founded by Ptolemy I Soter (reign 305–282 BCE), one of Alexander’s generals...

The provinces of the Tang Dynasty c. 742 CE. The Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) is regularly cited as the greatest imperial dynasty in ancient Chinese history. It was a golden age of reform and cultural advancement, which lay the groundwork for...

Nasta 'liq is one of the styles of Islamic calligraphy that was developed on Persian grounds by Persian calligraphers. The art of calligraphy has always held a prominent position in Persia, and its usage extends beyond the limits of the pages...

The New Kingdom (circa 1570 to circa 1069 BCE) is the era in Egyptian history following the disunity of the Second Intermediate Period (circa 1782-1570 BCE) and preceding the dissolution of the central government at the start of the Third...

The Kuru dynasty of Hastinapur, as portrayed in the Mahabharata, represents a legendary royal lineage whose internal divisions drive one of the most influential narratives in South Asian literary and cultural history. Centered on succession...

Oracle bones or dragon bones were the shoulder blades of oxen or the flat underside of a turtle shell known as a plastron that were used for divination during the Shang Dynasty of China which dates between c. 1600 and 1046 BCE. The bones...

A map indicating the territory of the Mongol Yuan dynasty of China (1271-1368 CE).

A selection of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE) blue-and-white porcelain. From Chenghua reign, 1465-1487 CE. (British Museum, London)