210 Stories
You couldn’t be reading this without having a knowledge of what these combinations of letters indicate; for that, you have one of the most outstand...
The state of Algeria is a relatively modern creation. It has a long history that connects the Ottoman Turks and the French empire. In this article,...
Ancient Egyptian cities emerged in history as the birthplace of discoveries. Their legacy is beyond our imagination, and modern civilizations are g...
Numerous hieroglyphic carvings and symbolic pictures of ancient Egyptian food from the Old and New Kingdoms have been discovered in temples and tom...
Ancient Egyptian hairstyles reveal many secrets about the inner workings of Egyptian society. As is the case today, there was much more than being ...
Thousands of years before the birth of the modern fashion industry, ancient Egyptian makeup and beauty rituals shaped the art and culture of one of...
Thousands of years before the first appearance of the first musical notation system, ancient Egyptian music and dance played an important role in t...
Ancient Egyptian sports are one of the many physical activities enjoyed for fun in ancient Egypt. They are similar to the sports activities and gam...
Ancient Egyptian tattooing is likely as old as Egypt itself, with archeologists discovering tattoos on mummies dating back to the Predynastic perio...
During the 3000 years of existence of Pharaonic Egypt, Ancient Egyptian temples functioned as places of worship and centers of wisdom and learning....
Ancient Egypt was ruled by the pharaoh, but it was the ancient Egyptian vizier that helped him govern the country , settle disputes, oversee provin...
Ancient Egyptian wars had played a decisive role in the destiny of this great civilization and helped the pharaohs defeat Egypt’s many enemies. Dur...
Modern people are fascinated by how an ancient Egyptian wedding was held. Surprisingly, no wedding ceremony was performed in the past to formally a...
Ancient Egyptian slaves existed since the dawn of Egyptian civilization. Each period in the history of ancient Egypt had slaves, although the roles...
Ancient Egypt’s animals hold the key to the proper understanding of ancient Egyptian society and culture. The animal had a larger place in Ancient ...
Ancient Egypt’s jobs and job specializations made it possible to undertake complex engineering projects using only primitive tools. Ancient Egypt w...
Ancient Mesopotamian foods included a wide variety of vegetables, fruit, and meat. The so-called Fertile Crescent — a crescent-shaped region of the...
Ancient Persian clothing is one of the most celebrated and extravagant fashions in the history of the world. From decorated head turbans to metal c...
Ancient Persian women did not enjoy the same freedom as ancient Persian men. The Persian women had to fight hard for their lives and to make a name...
Understanding the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty requires knowing what transpired during the inter-war years in Egypt. In the inter-war years, an unsettled ...
The Anglo-Iraqi War, or the Rashid Ali Coup, was an important battle that took place in Iraq during WW2. The clash was part of the wider military c...
The accounts of Ankhesenamun are some of the most celebrated stories in the ancient history of Egypt , although her reign was short compared with t...
The Armenians, an ancient people of the North Caucasus, have a history of thousands of years and a colorful, varied culture that makes them differe...
With its humble beginnings as a small Mesopotamian city-state, Assyria eventually became one of the first great empires of the Middle East. During ...
Babylonian women and Sumerian women had vital and specific roles in ancient Mesopotamia. From sex workers to homemakers to being divine fill-ins po...
Baghdad's history began during the Islamic Golden Age when the city was founded by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mansur. From humble beginnings, the city w...
Baibars is one of Egypt’s most important Sultans, a Mamluk warrior, and an influential figure in the Middle East during the 13th century. Baibars’ ...
The Battle of Kadesh , also known as the Battle of Qadesh, took place near the present Lebanon-Syria border and was a battle between the armies of ...
The Battle of Montgisard is one of the most famous battles during the Crusades , which ranged from the years 1095-1291. The Battle of Montgisard to...
Two foremost powers of the ancient Near East, Egypt, and Persia clashed in the Battle of Pelusium , which decided the future of Ancient Egypt. For ...
Cairo's history is well known and mysterious to nearly anyone who has ever seen a picture of the pyramids. Have you ever wondered how the ancient c...
Situated on the eastern shore of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia is Carthage . This city was at one time the capital of ancient Carthagini...
The County of Edessa was one of the states under crusader rule in the 12th century . Today, the county of Edessa would be somewhere along the borde...
The crusaders were at the forefront of the holy wars in medieval times. To become a crusader, one had to take a vow, proposed by Pope Urban II on a...
Writing is a form of human communication that involves the use of language, and Cuneiform writing is recognized as humankind’s earliest form of wri...
The Egyptian lifestyle that is shown in movies nowadays is not what it was at all compared with the daily life in ancient Egypt long ago. The movie...
Damascus' history reveals the secrets of the city known as the Pearl of the East, referring to the city of Damascus, the capital of Syria. It has e...
On the west bank of the Nile, directly across the Karnak Temple Complex at Luxor, lies Deir el-Bahri , a complex of mortuary temples and tombs and ...
Djedefre, known as the immediate successor to the throne of Khufu , was poised to shape the course of the royal kingdom of Egypt through his enduri...
Egyptian history is closely intertwined with the history of civilization itself. From its humble beginnings, Egypt rose to become the world’s first...
Egypt’s major industries have changed drastically, thanks to an economic transformation. Access to services, energy, and water spurred economic act...
A wall inscription in the Temple of Hathor at Dendera seemingly depicts an ancient Egyptian light bulb which some interpret as evidence that the Eg...
Also known as Al Fashir, El Fasher city is one of the biggest cities to be found in North Darfur, Sudan. It is the capital of Northern Darfur, Suda...
Great nations are made by great rulers, and ancient Egypt was built by the wisdom and courage of famous pharaohs through their distinct approach to...
Fustat is the “Old City” of Cairo, Egypt’s capital. Fustat was the first Muslim capital of Egypt when a Caliphate’s general conquered it in 640 A.D...
Gift of the Nile is an expression that you have surely heard if you ever read about ancient Egypt. Ancient Egyptians believed that the Nile was a g...
The Golan Heights refers to a fertile mesa in southwestern Syria with political and strategic importance, belying its size. Israel confiscated the ...
The history of Algeria can be tracked down to the time of Numidia or the army that rode horses. You may recall that they were called cavalry and th...
In a country officially known as the Kingdom of Bahrain, the history of Bahrain unfolds in this beautiful island nation formed from two seas in the...
The history of Kuwait tells another invigorating story of humanity. Interestingly, it is one of the smallest countries in the world, with only 10 i...
To have a deeper understanding of the history of Lebanon , you have to know its location. Lebanon is one of the member states of the Levant, which ...
During the Second Intermediate Period 1700-1550 BC, the Hyksos introduced horses to ancient Egypt . Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of horse...
The Persian army numbered over a million, according to ancient sources, and naturally, that worked to their advantage at war. Today, experts believ...
The desert impacted ancient Egyptian civilization by protecting its people from invasion. So, the people and civilization of ancient Egypt were gen...
When we think about ancient Egypt, we often reflect on how old it is; from the beginning of its Dynastic Period to the Fall of Egypt, a harmonious ...
Mesopotamia changed their nomadic way of life around 3500 BC, when agriculture was introduced from India. Before this period, the usual lifestyle a...
The steps that led to the Assyrian Empire fall are tragic. The Assyrians were one of the most resilient and developed nations of all time. The reas...
Given the underlying factors, how the Crusades affected the Byzantine Empire is evident. Though the Crusades are assumed to have been wars of right...
How did the Nile shape ancient Egypt into the glorious kingdom that we read about today? Egypt, once a complete desert, rose to power and civilizat...
For how long did the Egyptian empire last? From its unification by Menes around 3100 BC until its conquest by Alexander the Great in 332 BC, Ancien...
Egyptian pyramids are one of the most magnificent man-made structures in the world, and everyone has heard about the pyramids at least once in thei...
You will be in awe of Imhotep because of his achievements as the second king of the third dynasty of ancient Egypt. He became famous as a vizier, s...
Iran's history is often thought to have begun as early as the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age), approximately 10,000 years BCE when the first semi-perma...
The Iran-Iraq War, also known as the First Persian Gulf War , was an eight-year war from 1980 to 1988. It claimed millions of lives and amounted to...
Iraq’s history makes it one of the oldest human civilizations in the world. From its ancient Mesopotamian roots to its tumultuous modern history, I...
Israel's historical timeline is a long and arduous road towards independence. It is one in which the series of events that transpired from Biblical...
Janissary is a term that designates one of the elite members of the Ottoman Sultan’s army. They were established during the rule of Sultan Orhan, t...
Khufu is regarded as one of the most significant leaders in the ancient world. Also known as Cheops to the Greeks, he was the second pharaoh of the...
Kutahya is a prominent city in Turkey, known widely as one of the capitals for ceramic and tile production throughout the Middle East. Kutahya attr...
You could almost miss Leontius of Byzantium with such a short reign, but if you did, you would miss out on a mystery. Who was this flash in the pan...
High life expectancy in Libya remains elusive and nowhere near close to a panacea. You can take the pulse of a society by looking at its life expec...
Have you ever asked yourself, “ what’s the longest train in the world ?” What are its dimensions? How fascinating can it be to watch the train move...
The Republic of Mahabad was founded in January 1946. Although it survived for less than a year, it hugely influenced Kurdish nationalists around th...
Mani the Prophet had followers who were neither Muslim, Buddhist, nor Christian. He believed salvation was possible and that he was an apostle of J...
The ancient city of Bakkah (Arabic Makkah), known to most as Mecca , is in western Saudi Arabia. Its location is in the Sirat Mountains, inland fro...
Mentuhotep II, also known as Nebrehepetre, was the pharaoh that unified Upper and Lower Egypt , thus leaving an indelible mark in ancient Egyptian ...
The Mesopotamian climate is an interesting, as well as crucial, facet of Ancient Mesopotamian history. Ancient Mesopotamia is one of the earliest a...
The Mesopotamian climate is hot and dry. An arid climate in the mainly desert region of Mesopotamia, its latitude and elevation are on the mid to h...
The early concept and importance of money were first felt in ancient Egypt and in the commencement of the flourishing Mesopotamian economy, which p...
Believed to be one of the places where the early civilization was born, Mesopotamia geography unveils a glorious era in the development of mankind....
Since time immemorial, western Asians relied on the Mesopotamia irrigation canals for a promise of immense agricultural harvest. Strategically loca...
Mesopotamian major cities varied greatly in terms of their foundation and specific culture. They were also very different from the major cities of ...
The Mesopotamian military is famous for its inventions and warfare tactics. The ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia were at constant war with each...
Mesopotamian social structure differed from that of the other civilizations that superseded it. Furthermore, unlike the other great civilizations, ...
Mesopotamian specialized workers were crucial for building the many incredible civilizations of the Fertile Crescent. Their existence allowed for a...
The story of writing, astronomy, and law begins in one place, the Mesopotamian Civilization. Mesopotamia came from the Greek for middle—mesos—and r...
Mesopotamian homes were the center of community and family, the same way the home is today. In times of old, ancient Mesopotamian housing consisted...
The Mesopotamian political structure is the earliest form of democracy that we know today. With this, the ancient Mesopotamians undoubtedly gave us...
Mesopotamian record-keeping was the reason literacy in the Near East and the rest of the world was born. The development of writing in Mesopotamia ...
Middle Kingdom Egypt refers to a time in Ancient Egyptian history that stretched from approximately 2030 BCE to 1640 BCE. The Middle Kingdom is def...
Morocco is one of the most fascinating countries in the Maghreb region. Its geographical location presents a distinct blend of African, Mediterrane...
Mosul, Iraq is one of the few cities in the Kurdish region that experienced diversity in its ethnic groups over time. The people of this city thriv...
The Ninth Crusade, sometimes paired with the Eighth Crusade, is widely regarded as a major medieval campaign to the Holy Land led by the military e...
The city of Nouadhibou is on the Atlantic west coast of Africa in the country of Mauritania. It boasts the world’s largest ship graveyard, with 300...
The Ottoman Empire trade routes grew from the narrow streets of Anatolia to the Silk Road. The Ottomans were big on farming and trading, which chan...
There are a wide variety of Ottoman weapons used by the army forces of the Ottoman Empire throughout the centuries, including swords, bows, guns, r...
Palestine's history unveils an incredibly turbulent part of the historical and political side of the Middle East. Marked by perennial invasions and...
Palmyra, Syria is the birthplace of the Palmyrene Empire. The Palmyrene Empire was a short-lived, small city-state of the Roman Empire. It was born...
Ptolemy II Philadelphus or Ptolemy the Great, who served as the pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt (283 – 246 BC) was one of the impressive leaders of the ...
Many people have surely heard of names like “ Hannibal ” and “ Carthage ” from high school history, but the colossal legacy of the Punic Wars has b...
The Pyramid of Khafre is located in Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo, known as being the home of the remarkable ancient Egyptian pyramids. Several o...
A qadi is a Sharia law judge who interprets and passes judgments following Sharia law. Find out more about these Muslim magistrates by reading on. ...
The Qarmatians were a sect in Shia Islam whose actions sent shockwaves in the Islamic world after the sacrilege they committed in Mecca. The sect’s...
Qatar’s history is interesting. The country was once an impoverished British protectorate but is now one of the world’s wealthiest countries. This ...
Many Egyptian pharaohs had built grand monuments, but only a few of them can match the majesty of the Ramesseum . A mortuary temple of Ramses II, t...
Raymond III of Tripoli was a crusader, living here and there in Jerusalem and Tripoli. His life was connected to some of the main characters of tha...
The royal library of Ashurbanipal housed the knowledge of the ancient world more than a thousand years prior to the founding of the world-famous Li...
Shiraz is one of Iran’s most prominent cities, acting as the economic and administrative hub of southern Iran. The city is well-known as a prominen...
Sibylla, queen of Jerusalem , reigned from 1186-1190 AD. She was a woman of passion and love, and she lived during a tumultuous time. She became th...
The inevitable decline of the Phoenicians during the siege of Carthage in 146 BC marked a crucial time in world history. Knowing Carthage’s superio...
The Sipahi or Ottoman cavalry troops were effective, well-armed, and dangerous knights who met enemies on their army’s flanks or when they got clos...
The accounts of slavery in Mesopotamia are a woeful series of events. From mutilations to murders and rapes, the masters were lawfully entitled to ...
Smenkhkare was an enigmatic ruler whose legacy echoed throughout ancient Egypt. His name means “vigorous is the soul of Re,” and his unknown backgr...
The Suez Canal’s opening in 1869 brought fundamental change to the international trade system. The waterway eliminated an estimated 10,000 kilomete...
The Suez war , or popularly known as the Battle of Suez Canal, was a historical turning point in geopolitics. The dispute over access to the Suez c...
The Sumer and Elam war was the first recorded war in human history. It occurred in 2700 BCE between the Sumerians and the Elamites over trading rou...
Sumerian inventions changed the course of history and enabled humankind to build the first true civilization. The Sumerian civilization flourished ...
The Sumerian military contributed in large measure to the success of the Sumerian civilization , one of the earliest in the world. Flourishing betw...
Syria's history is full of political instability and hostility with both the West and neighboring countries. The unrest and widespread violence cha...
The Talysh are a tiny minority group of people in northern Iran and southern Azerbaijan who speak a language called Talysh and have a unique identi...
In Egypt’s Aswan Governorate, 30 miles north of the eponymous city, stands one of the unique buildings of Ancient Egypt: the Temple of Kom Ombo. Bu...
The Six Day War , which happened in 1967, is often cited by historians as the creation of modern Israel’s presence both in the Middle East and inte...
The Battle of Arsuf occurred on September 7, 1191, between England and the forces which controlled Jerusalem. King Richard I and Saladin fought aga...
Tunisia's history is long and rich, owing to the fact that the territory of modern-day Tunisia was home to many diverse cultures. The recorded hist...
The ancient Egyptians themselves cited the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt into a single state at the start of their civilization. While you a...
Many Assyrian inventions were so advanced that we make use of them today in one way or another. People from the 21st century might not expect that ...
Ottoman Empire inventions included equipment used for medical surgery such as forceps, scalpels, and lancets. They also made valuable contributions...
The Ottoman Empire was once one of the most famous and rapidly growing trade empires of the 15th century. This empire started with several poor tri...
The Epic of Gilgamesh is considered the oldest surviving piece of literature in the world. There are so many lessons taught through Gilgamesh’s jou...
The Ottoman Empire after WWI experienced a steady decline in power and influence. The once-great empire started breaking up into fragments till its...
Darius united the Persian Empire under his reign in 522 BC. Over the 36 years of his reign, King Darius guided Persia to the peak by his judicious ...
The Gaza Strip is a Palestinian-held territory situated north of Egypt, on the south-east of Israel. The capital of the Gaza Strip is Gaza City. Ma...
The Middle East refers to the nations around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea extending over the Arabian Peninsula. It is a ...
The obelisk of Senusret was an edifice to celebrate Senusret, a king of the Twelfth Dynasty. What was the original purpose of obelisks? Why do peop...
Technically, the gods were the principal rulers in the ancient Mesopotamian government system, but what about who ruled on earth ? Kings ruled the ...
Israel before 1948 was a scattered people or nation throughout Europe. After the Second World War, several events led to the formation of Israel. T...
The climate in ancient Egypt was harsh and dry throughout the year. The rainfall pattern was very scarce, contributing to the extreme heat. Ancient...
The ancient Persian Empire contributed immensely to the growth and development of the world around us, up to the point we are now. The Persian Empi...
The effects of the Persian war were different for Greeks and Persians and they shaped the fate of both nations for years to come. This series of co...
The Phoenicians’ history is an interesting one as they had a rich culture, heritage and history. On top of all that, the importance of the Phoenici...
The intended result of the Fourth Crusade was for the Christians to take back control of Jerusalem, but it didn’t turn out quite as they had hoped....
The Egyptians' origins are one of the most interesting and intriguing origin stories in the world. The tale starts with groups of people from diffe...
The last pharaoh of Egypt, Ptolemy XV Caesar, was there when the powerful empire and civilization fell to the Romans. Also nicknamed Caesarion, he ...
The Fall of Constantinople is considered the historical event when the Byzantines fell to the Ottomans on May 29, 1453 . Constantinople had fallen ...
Ancient Egyptians mummify their dead because they believed the body needed to be preserved in order to be able to enter the Afterlife. The essentia...
How did Persia become Iran? The country referred to itself as Iran from the onset. Other countries called it Persia until Reza Shah asked for a nam...
The Kingdom of Israel split because the northern tribes were not happy with the heavy taxes imposed by King Solomon. This made them withdraw from t...
We understand the importance of irrigation systems in Mesopotamia due to the continued existence of the ancient accounts for why the Mesopotamians ...
The fall of the Ottoman Empire is an important historical tale. The Ottoman Empire started with several tribes, who gathered under the name of thei...
The Ottoman empire joined WWI because of their personal interests and welfare, or so they thought. History reveals all the positives and negatives ...
The fall of the Persian Empire happened after a series of tumultuous periods, including an economic crisis, bad governance, power struggles within ...
The Phoenicians established Carthage to serve as a trading post on the western Mediterranean. The strategic location of Carthage meant that all maj...
Mesopotamia, called the cradle of civilization , was an ancient region located in modern-day Iraq. It was located between the Tigris and the Euphra...
The delta region to the north earned the name Lower Egypt due to the direction of the Nile . Ancient Egyptians relied on the Nile River for their l...
Why was a Mesopotamian priest so powerful in Mesopotamian society? Anyone who studies history knows that religion was a powerful institution in eve...
The Ottomans' conquests were an integral part of their way of life, and that’s one of the reasons why they were such successful conquerors. Through...
The Punic wars were serial clashes that occurred between the Carthaginians and the Romans. The reason for the conflicts was that both Empires wante...
Yemeni history reveals a rich and unique character that deserves recognition. Much can be read about this beautiful country in the southwestern cor...
The Exodus story tells us of how enslaved people fled to Canaan, but how did the Israelites become enslaved in Egypt in the first place? The Bible ...
Devshirme or devşirme was introduced by the Ottoman Empire, forcing Christian children to convert to Islam. During the 14th century, the Ottoman Em...
In the second battle of El Alamein , the Allied forces outdid the enemies. It happened when their military genius and good fortune corresponded to ...
Ottoman empire slavery was a legal and rampant practice in the empire, and it has been one of the biggest concerns of the civilized world. Since an...
The Ottoman Empire's social structure was integral to the nation and was strictly enforced. From its humble beginnings to its dynastic rule, the pe...
The Ottoman Empire trade routes grew from the narrow streets of Anatolia to the Silk Road. The Ottomans were big on farming and trading, which chan...
The Sultanate of women was a period in the Ottoman empire where the females that were close to the Sultan had a profound influence on the political...
The Temple of Horus is a temple located in Edfu City, Egypt, that was built to honor the ancient Egyptian god Horus. The Edfu temple is one of the ...
The Valley of the Queens is an ancient valley where female spouses lived after their death. It was where all the queens, princesses and other nobil...
The economy of ancient Persia was a wildly successful system that grew exponentially with time. The Persians were competitive people and brought we...
Ankh vs Cross is a centuries-long debate about two very important religious symbols. This debate has encompassed two of the most important religion...
The Battle of Actium was an ancient naval war between Octavian’s fleet and the two combined maritime fleets of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII of Egy...
Ottoman Architecture is world-famous for its illustrious structures and excessive use of tiles, minarets and tombs. The best thing about Ottoman ar...
The Assyrian captivity was when the northern kingdom of Israel began to be taken captive by the Assyrians from approximately 734 B.C.–732 B.C. Thei...
Enemies of Israel include countries that are openly anti-Israel as well as certain radical parties committed solely to the destruction of this tiny...
The first battle of El Alamein was one of the three encounters that occurred during World War II (1939–1945). It was when the world’s superpowers—t...
The Pyramid of Saqqara is the name of a structure that most commonly refers to the Stone pyramid of Djoser which is one of the earliest stone build...
The Battle of Jaffa was part of a series of military campaigns of the crusaders led by the King of England, Richard I, and Sultan Saladin, a Muslim...
Templars vs crusaders, what are their differences? While the two had many similarities, they were fundamentally different. The first was a holy mil...
A triangular bayonet is a type of bayonet characterized by its triangular cross-section. Bayonets were very useful and became popular in the early ...
The samurai shield functioned as an armor element and a samurai weapon, and its use has been misunderstood and questioned by many. Are you interest...
The temple of Philae from early times was sacredly intended to honor the cult goddess of magic and spells, Isis; it can also be called the temple o...
Were Romans Italians? Yes, as the Romans came from the Italian Peninsula —that is if the geographical location of the land they inhabited was the o...
The pronunciation of the name of Caesar has been a complicated topic to fully grasp as we all have different languages, accents, and manners of spe...
Huns and Mongols have been usually compared because of their similarities that have caused confusion in Eurasian history. The Huns came first, arri...
Hundreds of years ago, armor made of wood was a type of armor people wore while defending themselves in battle or against enemies. It was common am...
You may ask what happened in the year 666 because of the infamous history of the number 666, wondering both about the year 666 B.C. or the year 666...
Have you ever wondered how tall spartans were? We collected all the known facts and tried to be as precise as possible when answering the question....
Byzas was a colonist who laid the foundation of the Byzantium empire along with his people. He is most famous for being a true king and the founder...
The carnyx was a famous feature of Celtic culture in ancient times. To the Romans, it was so characteristic of the Celts that they sometimes used i...
The crusaders attacked Constantinople to avenge Alexius IV’s death and to repay the debts owed to them. The attack on Constantinople sent the ancie...
Indeed, why were scribes important? Scribes were the people tasked with recording information such as keeping track of business transactions, pacts...
The Battle of Llongborth is a fairly obscure battle in the Arthurian legends, but there is evidence that it was a very important one. In fact, the ...
Uther Pendragon is one of the key figures in the Arthurian legends, by virtue of the fact that he was the father of King Arthur himself. He was the...