Area Studies: Semester 2 Flashcards
Largest City in Egypt
Cairo
The three Great Pyramids of Giza
Cairo / Giza
Second larges city in Egypt, 225 km from Cairo
Alexandria
- Economic, cultural, and commercial center
- Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 b.c.
- Capital of Greco-Roman Egypt
- Center of Learning in the Ancient World
- Was home to Pharaohs, ancient lighthouse
- Greco-Roman museum, Roman theater, Montazah Palace, Boardwalk
Alexandria
- South of Sinai
- Coral reef, rare colorful fish, scuba diving
Ras Muhammad
- Where Moses received the Ten Commandments
- In Sinai and part of The Holy Mountains
Mount Moses
- At the foot of Mount Moses
- Built to hold the remains of St. Catherine of Alexandria
- Has large collection of art and manuscripts
- Contains 10th century mosque and a small chapel called Skull House which holds the skulls of deceased monks.
St. Catherine’s Monastery
- 90km south of Baghdad
- Cradle of human civilization
- King Hammurabi created the Code of Hammurabi while ruling here
- Tower of Babel
- Hanging Gardens
Babylon
- 370km Southeast of Baghdad
- Was Sumerian Capital
- Built around 4000 b.c.
- Birthplace of Abraham
- Known for pyramid shaped tower and royal tombs
Ur
- In Northern Iraq on Eastern banks of Tigris River
- Known for palaces of Assyrian Kings
Nimrud
- Third Capital of Assyria
- Known for walls set with 15 Gateways named after Assyrian Gods
Ninevah
- Built in Pre-Roman times by the Nabataeans, nomadic bedouins
- Rose-red city carved into the hills of the Arabian Desert
- Known for the Treasury, Monestary, Ampitheater, and Royal Tombs.
- Shown in the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Petra
Known for its famous ancient gates
Jerash
- 25 miles from Amman
- Known for its hot springs
Ma’in Spa
- Located on the Red Sea
- Resort city with nightclubs, beaches and water sports
Aqaba
- One of the oldest cities in the world
- In Southwest Syria
- Was capital of Umayyad / Islamic Empire
- Founded approx. 2000 b.c.
- Known for Umayyad Mosque built in 705 a.d.
Damascus
- On the outskirts of Tadmor, 210km Northeast of Damascus
- Was known as the Rome of the East
- In 3rd Century was ruled by Queen Zenobia who conquered Roman provinces from Egypt to Asia Minor
- Was trading stop for the tribes on the road between Syria and Iraq
- Known for 2 miles of temples and colonnades, ampitheater, baths, triumphal arch and symmetrical roads
Palmyra
- Largest port in the Eastern Mediterranean
- Center for finance, commerce and tourism in the Middle East
- Economic and cultural center for Lebanon
- Known as the Paris of the Middle East
- Civil war lasted for more than 15 years
- Known for American University, National Museum, casinos, night clubs
Beirut
- 350km North of Damascus
- Established 3rd millenium b.c.
- Known for National Museum, Ummayad Mosque, citadel
- Second most important city in Syria
Aleppo (Haleb)
- 85km from Beirut
- Looks down on Beqqa Valley
- Known for Roman ruins including temples to gods such as Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, and Bacchus, especially the Great Temple to Saturn with its six well preserved columns
- Also known for its Ummayad Mosque
- The Baalbeck Festival is held in the Great Court complex
Baalbeck
- 102km from Beirut
- Known for Ski Resorts
The Cedars
- Located in Jerusalem
- Built in 687 a.d.
Dome of the Rock
- 3rd holiest place for Muslims
- Earliest mosque built in Palestine
- Rebuilt by the Abbasids after original was destroyed by earthquake in 8th Century
- Architectural expression of the Prophet’s Night Journey to Heaven
Al Aqsa Mosque
- Capital City
- Known for old city, markets, Ottoman museums, Zitouna Mosque, amusement park, zoo
Tunis