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Kosrau I
Kosrau I (r. 531-579 CE) was the greatest king of the Sassanian Empire (224-651 CE) in virtually every aspect of his reign. He reformed the military, the Persian government, expanded his territories, engaged in large-scale building projects...

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Wine Culture in the Hellenistic Mediterranean
The culture of drinking wine was enjoyed throughout the Mediterranean world, and what is true now was true in antiquity, too: wine is always good business. The Hellenistic Period (c. 335-30 BCE), between Alexander the Great and Cleopatra...

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Prophetic Mosque in Medina, Ottoman Era
A 19th Century CE drawing of the Mosque of the Prophet (Arabic: Al-Masjid an-Nabawī) in Medina, Saudi Arabia. The Mosque of the Prophet was originally founded in 622 CE by Prophet Muhammad, and underwent numerous expansions and renovations...

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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...

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Inscriptions at Jabal Ikmah
Jabal Ikmah, often referred to as an ‘open-air library’, contains hundreds of inscriptions engraved and carved in relief on the rock faces and boulders of a gorge, not far from Dadan, the seat of the Dadanite and Lihhyanite kingdoms, Saudi...

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Nabatean Tomb at Hegra
Nabatean tomb at the archaeological site of Hegra, one of many found at AlUla in Saudi Arabia. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hegra was a key city of the Kingdom of Nabatea, whose capital was based at Petra in Jordan. The Nabateans were based...

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The Lion Tomb, Hegra
The Lion Tomb is located in the Qasr al-Bint Nabataean Necropolis of Hegra (now in Saudi Arabia). The façade of the tomb is decorated with a carving of two felines on either side of a rosette. The name of the stonemason who carved the tomb...

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Jabal Ikmah
Jabal Ikmah, often referred to as an 'open-air library', contains hundreds of inscriptions engraved and carved in relief on the rock faces and boulders of a gorge, not far from Dadan, the seat of the Dadanite and Lihhyanite kingdoms, in Saudi...

Definition
Magi
The Magi are the visitors who came to Bethlehem to worship the newly-born Jesus of Nazareth in the gospel of Matthew (2:1-2). 'Magi' is a transliteration of the Greek magos from old Persian magus ("powerful") as a reference to the Zoroastrian...

Definition
Mavia
Mavia (r. c. 375-c. 425 CE) was a warrior-queen of the semi-nomadic Tanukhid Arab tribe of Syria and Jordan who led a successful insurrection against Rome in 378 CE. She is also known as Maowiva, Mu`awiya, Mauia, Mania, and Mawiyya. Her control...