Search
Search Results
Image
Ali & Aisha at the Battle of the Camel
A painting from manuscript of the "Rawdat al-safa" (Persian for "Gardens of Purity") made in Iran c. 1571 - 1572 CE. The painting depicts Ali (r. 656 - 661 CE) and Aisha (c. 613 - 678 CE), who led the opposing factions at the Battle of the...
Definition
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde was the European appanage of the Mongol Empire (1206-1368 CE). Begun in earnest by Batu Khan in 1227 CE, the territory that would eventually become the Golden Horde came to encompass parts of Central Asia, much of Russia...
Definition
Ilkhanate
The Ilkhanate (or Ilqanate, 1260-1335 CE) was that part of the Mongol Empire (1206-1368 CE) which mostly covered what is today Iran and parts of Turkmenistan, Turkey, Iraq, Armenia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Established by the Mongol general...
Image
Gates of the Prophet's Mosque, Medina
Photo of the inscription on the gates of the Mosque of the Prophet (Arabic: Al-Masjid an-Nabawī) in Medina, Saudi Arabia. The inscription has the name of Prophet Muhammad, followed by his title "the apostle of God". A black vignette has...
Definition
Sundiata Keita
Sundiata Keita (aka Sunjaata or Sundjata, r. 1230-1255 CE) was the founder of the Mali Empire (1240-1645 CE) in West Africa. A prince of the Malinke tribe, Sundiata would not only overthrow the rule of the kingdom of Sosso (c. 1180-1235 CE...
Definition
Timbuktu
Timbuktu (Timbuctoo) is a city in Mali, West Africa which was an important trade centre of the Mali Empire which flourished between the 13th and 15th centuries CE. The city, founded c. 1100 CE, gained wealth from access to and control of...
Definition
Borobudur
The Temple of Borobudur or sometimes "Barabudur" is a Mahayana Buddhist temple located close to Muntilan on the island of Java in Indonesia. Built during the rule of the Sailendra Dynasty (c. 650-1025 CE), Borobudur remains the world's largest...
Definition
Wolof Empire
The Wolof (aka Jolof or Djolof) Empire was a state on the coast of West Africa, located between the Senegal and Gambia rivers, which thrived from the mid-14th to mid-16th century CE. The empire prospered on trade thanks to the two rivers...
Article
Monotheism in the Ancient World
Monotheism is simply defined as the belief in one god and is usually positioned as the polar opposite of polytheism, the belief in many gods. However, the word monotheism is a relatively modern one that was coined in the mid-17th century...
Image
View of Mecca and the Sacred Mosque, 1900 CE
A picture of the Islamic holy city of Mecca, showing the Holy Mosque of Ka'aba. It has been extracted from a book called "Arabia: The Cradle of Islam", by Sameul Zwemer, published in 1900 CE in New York.