The arabian nights: Did you mean...?

Two pages from the Galland manuscript, the oldest text of The Thousand and One Nights. Arabic manuscript, 14th century CE. Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris

A 1919 photograph of the Arabian Commission to the Paris Peace Conference at Versailles which decided peace terms after the First World War (1914-18). Standing in the foreground is Emir Faisal while to the rear and immediate right of Faisal...

This bronze hand was found in Yemen (100-300 CE). The inscription on the hand asks for good fortune for the devotee Ta'lab. This image was taken at the National Museum of Australia in the travelling exhibition A History of the World in...

Before Islam, many Arabs worshiped idols, like this one. First century CE. From the Temple of the Winged Lions at Petra, modern-day Jordan Hashemite Kingdom. (The Jordan Museum, Amman, Jordan).

Lamp handle made of bronze in the shape of an ibex. 1st century BCE to 1st century CE. Southern Arabia. Louvre Museum, Paris.

This video discusses the civilizations of Ancient Persia and the Arabian Peninsula. In this episode, the grand residences at Persepolis and the imperial palaces of Darius are toured. The second half of the video discusses the Arabian...

The first four caliphs of the Islamic empire – Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali are referred to as Rashidun (rightly guided) Caliphs (632-661 CE) by mainstream Sunni Muslims. Their tenure started with the death of Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE...

The Rashidun Caliphate (632-661 CE) was responsible for setting up the basis of the Islamic empire and expanding its borders beyond the Arabian soil. These leaders were selected by the consent of the people and based on their own merits...

Islam arose as a religious and socio-political force in Arabia in the 7th century CE (610 CE onwards). The Islamic Prophet Muhammad (l. 570-632 CE), despite facing resistance and persecution, amassed a huge following and started building...

While Oman is perhaps the most mysterious corner of the Arabian peninsula to Westerners, the country retains a strong sense of identity, a pride in its ancient past, and unique surprises in the domain of cultural heritage. In this exclusive...