Southwest & Central Asia Flashcards
1
Q
Alphabet
A
A set of letters that can be combined to form words
2
Q
Arable
A
Land that is suitable for growing crops
3
Q
Architecture
A
The science of building
4
Q
Bedouins
A
Arabic-speaking nomads that live mostly in the deserts of Southwest Asia
5
Q
Bible
A
The holy book of Judaism and Christianity
6
Q
Byzantine Empire
A
the society that developed in the eastern Roman Empire after the west fell
7
Q
Caliph
A
A title that Muslims use for the highest leader of Islam
8
Q
Calligraphy
A
decorative writing
9
Q
Canal
A
A human-made waterway
10
Q
Chariot
A
A wheeled, horse-drawn cart used in battle
11
Q
Christianity
A
A major world religion based on the teachings of Jesus
12
Q
City-state
A
A political unit consisting of a city and its surrounding countryside
13
Q
Cuneiform
A
The world’s first system of writing; it developed in Sumer
14
Q
Diaspora
A
The dispersal of the Jewish population outside of Israel
15
Q
Disciples
A
followers (particularly, followers of Jesus)
16
Q
Division of labor
A
An arrangement in which each worker specializes in a particular task or job
17
Q
Dryland farming
A
Farming that relies on rainfall instead of irrigation
18
Q
Embargo
A
A limit on trade
19
Q
Empire
A
Land with different territories and peoples under a single rule
20
Q
Epics
A
long poems that tell the stories of heroes
21
Q
Exodus
A
The journey in which Moses led his people out of Egypt
22
Q
Fertile Crescent
A
An area of rich farmland in Southwest Asia where the first civilizations began
23
Q
Five Pillars of Islam
A
Five acts of worship required of all Muslims
24
Q
Fossil water
A
Water underground that is not being replaced by rainfall
25
Hammurabi's Code
A set of 282 laws governing daily life in Babylon; the earliest known collection of written laws
26
Irrigation
A way of supplying water to an area of land
27
Islam
A religion based on the messages that Muhammad is believed to have received from God
28
Janissary
An Ottoman slave soldier
29
Jihad
To make an effort, or to struggle; has also been interpreted to mean holy war.
30
Judaism
The religion of the Hebrews (practiced by Jews today); it is the world's oldest monotheistic religion.
31
Kibbutz
In Israel, a large farm where people share everything in common.
32
Kosher
A term used to refer to the food allowed under Jewish dietary laws; it means "fit" in Hebrew
33
Landlocked
Completely surrounded by land with no direct access to the ocean.
34
Messiah
In Judaism, a new leader that would appear among the Jews and restore the greatness of ancient Israel
35
Minaret
A narrow tower from which Muslims are called to prayer
36
Monotheism
The belief in only one God
37
Mosaic
A picture made with pieces of colored stone or glass
38
Mosque
A building for Muslim prayer
39
Muslim
A follower of Islam
40
Nomads
people who move often from place to place
41
Oasis
A wet, fertile area in a desert that forms where underground water bubbles to the surface
42
OPEC
An international organization whose members work to influence the price of oil on world markets by controlling the supply.
43
Phosphate
A mineral salt containing the element phosphorus
44
Pictograph
A picture symbol
45
Polytheism
The worship of many gods
46
Priest
A person who performs religious ceremonies
47
Qur'an
The holy book of Islam
48
Rabbi
A Jewish religious leader and teacher
49
Resurrection
In Christianity, Jesus' rise from the dead
50
Revolution
A drastic change in a country's government and way of life
51
Saint
A person known and admired for his or her holiness
52
Scribe
A writer
53
Secular
The separation of religion and government; non-religious
54
Shah
A Persian title that means "king"
55
Shia
Muslims who believe that true interpretation of Islamic teaching can only come from certain religious and political leaders called imams; they make up one of the two main branches of Islam
56
Silt
A mixture of rich soil and tiny rocks that can make land ideal for farming
57
Social Hierarchy
The division of society by rank or class
58
Sufism
A movement in Islam that taught people they can find God's love by having a personal relationship with God
59
Sunnah
A collection of writings about the way Muhammad lived that provides a model for Muslims to follow
60
Sunni
Muslims who believe in the ability of the majority of the community to interpret Islamic teachings; they make up one of the two main branches of Islam
61
Surplus
More of something than is needed
62
Taliban
A radical Muslim group that rose to power in Afghanistan in the mid-1990s
63
Theocracy
A government ruled by religious leaders
64
Tolerance
Acceptance
65
Torah
The most sacred text of Judaism
66
Wadi
A dry streambed
67
Yurt
A movable round house made of wool felt mats hung over a wood frame
68
Ziggurat
A pyramid-shaped temple in Sumer
69
Zionism
A nationalist movement that began in the late 1800s and called for Jews to reestablish a Jewish state in their original homeland
70
Kemal Ataturk
The first president of modern Turkey, he was given the name Ataturk, which means "father of the Turks". He worked to free Turkey from foreign control and began many programs to reform and modernize the country.
71
George W. Bush
President of the United States, he was president on September 11, 2001, when the country suffered its worst terrorist attack. This attack led to the country's War on Terror.
72
Constantine
Roman emperor, he was the first Roman emperor to become a Christian. Constantine moved the empire's capital from Rome to Constantinople and removed bans on Christianity.
73
Shirin Ebadi
Iranian lawyer, writer, and teacher, she was the first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2003. She has received many awards for her work to promote democracy and human rights, especially for women and children in Iran.
74
Enheduanna
Daughter of Sargon, she is the first known female writer in history. Two of her hymns still exist and she may have helped to start a collection of songs dedicated to the temples of Babylonia.
75
Hammurabi
Babylonian ruler, he was a brilliant military leader who brought all of Mesopotamia into the Babylonian Empire. Hammurabi is known for a unified code of 282 laws, that was produced during his reign.
76
Saddam Hussein
Iraqi dictator, he became president of Iraq in 1979 and led Iraq into two devastating wars. Known for his brutal suppression of opposition, Hussein was overthrown and captured by the United States in 2003 as part of the War on Terror.
77
Ibn-Sina
Muslim doctor, he wrote an influential book on medicine that was used throughout Europe until the 1600s. He is known in the West as Avicenna
78
Jesus
Founder of Christianity, he taught about kindness and love for God. His teachings eventually spread throughout the Roman Empire and the world.
79
Justinian
Byzantine emperor, he reunited the Roman Empire, simplified Roman laws with Justinian's Code, and ordered Hagia Sophia built in Constantinople
80
Mehmed II
Ottoman sultan, he captured Constantinople in 1453, which brought an end to the Byzantine Empire. Later, he worked to restore Constantinople, which the Ottomans called Istanbul.
81
Moses
Bibilical figure, according to the Bible, he led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and back to Canaan in the Exodus. During this journey, Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments from God.
82
Muhammad
Founder of Islam, he spread Islam's teachings to the people of Arabia. Muhammad's teachings make up the Qur'an.
83
Nebuchadnezzar
Chaldean king, he rebuilt Babylon into a beautiful city, which featured the famed Hanging Gardens.
84
Sargon
King of Akkad, a land north of Sumer, he built the world's first empire after defeating Sumer and northern Mesopotamia.
85
Suleyman I
Ottoman ruler, he governed the empire at its height. During his rule, the empire included much of the eastern Mediterranean and parts of Europe.
