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Desert Kites
Desert kites are mega-constructions that consist of two long walls converging upon an enclosed space that has on its periphery small stone constructions called cells. Seen from the sky, their shape suggests that of a windborne kite; they...
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Antoine Court & the Church of the Desert
In March 1715, Louis XIV of France (r. 1643-1715) issued a declaration stating that all subjects of the king were also subjects of the Catholic Church. In defiance of the king's decree, Antoine Court (l. 1696-1760) gathered a small group...
Definition
Operation Gomorrah
Operation Gomorrah (aka the Battle of Hamburg or Hamburg Air Offensive) was a sustained area bombing campaign of the German port of Hamburg in four night attacks by the Royal Air Force and two daytime attacks by the United States Air Force...
Definition
Operation Chastise
Operation Chastise, the 'Dambusters' raid, was an attack by a squadron of RAF Lancaster bombers on the dams of the Ruhr basin in Germany in May 1943. Led by Squadron Leader Guy Gibson, the bombers breached two dams causing enormous flooding...
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Allied Strategic Bombing of Germany, 1940 - 1945
A map illustrating the impact of the Allied Strategic Bombing Operations against Germany from 1940 to 1945, a sustained aerial campaign conducted by the RAF and USAAF during World War II. Its primary objective was to cripple Germany's industrial...
Article
The Salt Trade of Ancient West Africa
Salt from the Sahara desert was one of the major trade goods of ancient West Africa where very little naturally occurring deposits of the mineral could be found. Transported via camel caravans and by boat along such rivers as the Niger and...
Definition
Bellerophon
Bellerophon (aka Bellerophontes) is the Corinthian hero of Greek mythology who famously battled and killed the fantastical Chimera monster, a fearsome fire-breathing mix of lion, goat, and snake. Bellerophon was the son of Poseidon and he...
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Assembly in the Desert
Assembly in the Desert, painting by Jeanne Lombard, 1934.
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Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra VII
The iconic cinematic performance of Elizabeth Taylor in the motion picture Cleopatra (1963) left a lasting impression of the Egyptian queen’s supposed beauty. Despite its emphatic opulence, the movie still implies that Cleopatra could only...
Article
Alexander the Great: A Case Study in Martial Leadership
History is not predictable; in many ways it can take on a life of its own. But sometimes, an individual's sheer presence is enough to bend history to his will. One such individual was Alexander the Great. Through his conviction, vision, mental...