Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Berbers of Morocco
"Berber" refers to any native speaker of a dialect of the Berber language, although many Arabic speakers in North Africa are also Berber by descent, even if they have lost the language. Especially in Morocco, "Imazighen" is today the...
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Samaritans
The Samaritans are a sect numbering about 500 who currently reside in Nablus, on the west bank of the Jordan River in Israeli-occupied Jordan, and in Holon, south of Tel Aviv, on the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The Samaritans call...
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Arabs
The Arab world is usually considered to be comprised of the following nineteen countries: Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Chad, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi...
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Jews of Yemen
Jews have lived in Yemen, a large and rugged country in the southwest part of the Arabian Peninsula, for at least 1,500 years. They identify themselves and are identified by others, as part of the widespread Jewish people. They...
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Jews of Israel
The state of Israel came into formal existence on 14 May 1948. The United States recognized the new state on the same day, and the Soviet Union followed on 18 May. On 15 May 1948 the new state was invaded by the armies of Egypt, Iraq,...
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Syriacs
Syriac is a branch of the Aramaic family of languages and was the lingua franca of the eastern Roman Empire at the beginning of the Christian era. It is also spoken extensively in the regions farther east. It became the language of...
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Jews of Kurdistan
Kurdish Jews, a largely rural people, have lived in the mountains and plains of Kurdistan since time immemorial. They have been geographically isolated throughout much of their history and are thought to have retained some old Jewish...
Countries and Their Cultures
Countries and Their Cultures: Peripatetics of the Maghreb
Very little is known of peripatetic communities in the Maghreb. It is known, however, that in Morocco the Bez Carne were known to others as Beni Bacchar and consisted of four subgroups. The community that called itself Romani was known...
eLanguage
E Language: Arabic Culture
A brief introduction to the unifying elements of Arabic culture--language and religion--in a collection of images from around the Arabic world.
Other
Nezar: Stories, Articles, and News in Arabic
Though most of the short stories here are incomplete (to be completed at a later date), the articles are complete. The author has also included some links to Arabic-language news sites, as well as his own lessons on learning French....
Middle East Policy Council
Middle East Policy Council: Teach Mideast
TeachMideast, a comprehensive instructional portal home to a variety of resources on the Middle East and Islam, considers this region of the world from seven thematic perspectives: stereotypes, geography, history, language, religion,...
Travel Document Systems
Tds: Chad: People
A brief discussion of the people of Chad accompanied by a chart that gives information about the population, ethnic group percentages, languages, and religions. From the CIA World Fact Book.
Travel Document Systems
Tds: Morocco: People
Read about the people of Morocco, their languages, religion, education, and their cities. Information is from the U.S. State Dept. Background Notes.
Other
Art of Arabic Calligraphy: The Language and the Script
A four part essay by Mamoun Sakkal regarding the history and use of the Arabic Alphabet. The site has intriguing articles about the evolution of the alphabet.
Other
Ammar Khammash: Architecture and Artwork From Jordan
Jordanian artist and architect Ammar Khammash displays his work and the work of his firm on this site, along with articles that he has written for the English-language "Jordan Times" on places of interest in the Middle East. Opens eyes...
Travel Document Systems
Tds: Algeria: People
You can read about the relatively homogenous population of Algeria in this information from the CIA World Fact Book. Find out about the education levels, languages, and religion.
Other
Watching America: What the World Thinks About America
A collection of articles from foreign newspapers about America and American policies, translated into English from their languages of origin. These articles give readers a view of America from abroad. Site includes both English...
Other
Saudi Aramco World: Keyboard Calligraphy
In a recent exhibition on Ottoman culture held in Amsterdam's Nieuwe Kerk was an unimpressive-looking little 18th-century book, a printed version of a manuscript produced 150 years earlier. Usually a manuscript is more rare than a...
Other
Al Mashriq: Naguib Mahfouz
Article describes Mahfouz and his acceptance of the Nobel Prize in 1989. Includes pictures and links to related information.