Southwest & Central Asia Flashcards
Alphabet
A set of letters that can be combined to form words
Arable
Land that is suitable for growing crops
Architecture
The science of building
Bedouins
Arabic-speaking nomads that live mostly in the deserts of Southwest Asia
Bible
The holy book of Judaism and Christianity
Byzantine Empire
the society that developed in the eastern Roman Empire after the west fell
Caliph
A title that Muslims use for the highest leader of Islam
Calligraphy
decorative writing
Canal
A human-made waterway
Chariot
A wheeled, horse-drawn cart used in battle
Christianity
A major world religion based on the teachings of Jesus
City-state
A political unit consisting of a city and its surrounding countryside
Cuneiform
The world’s first system of writing; it developed in Sumer
Diaspora
The dispersal of the Jewish population outside of Israel
Disciples
followers (particularly, followers of Jesus)
Division of labor
An arrangement in which each worker specializes in a particular task or job
Dryland farming
Farming that relies on rainfall instead of irrigation
Embargo
A limit on trade
Empire
Land with different territories and peoples under a single rule
Epics
long poems that tell the stories of heroes
Exodus
The journey in which Moses led his people out of Egypt
Fertile Crescent
An area of rich farmland in Southwest Asia where the first civilizations began
Five Pillars of Islam
Five acts of worship required of all Muslims
Fossil water
Water underground that is not being replaced by rainfall
Hammurabi’s Code
A set of 282 laws governing daily life in Babylon; the earliest known collection of written laws
Irrigation
A way of supplying water to an area of land
Islam
A religion based on the messages that Muhammad is believed to have received from God
Janissary
An Ottoman slave soldier
Jihad
To make an effort, or to struggle; has also been interpreted to mean holy war.
Judaism
The religion of the Hebrews (practiced by Jews today); it is the world’s oldest monotheistic religion.
Kibbutz
In Israel, a large farm where people share everything in common.
Kosher
A term used to refer to the food allowed under Jewish dietary laws; it means “fit” in Hebrew
Landlocked
Completely surrounded by land with no direct access to the ocean.
Messiah
In Judaism, a new leader that would appear among the Jews and restore the greatness of ancient Israel
Minaret
A narrow tower from which Muslims are called to prayer
Monotheism
The belief in only one God
Mosaic
A picture made with pieces of colored stone or glass
Mosque
A building for Muslim prayer
Muslim
A follower of Islam
Nomads
people who move often from place to place
Oasis
A wet, fertile area in a desert that forms where underground water bubbles to the surface
OPEC
An international organization whose members work to influence the price of oil on world markets by controlling the supply.
Phosphate
A mineral salt containing the element phosphorus
Pictograph
A picture symbol
Polytheism
The worship of many gods
Priest
A person who performs religious ceremonies
Qur’an
The holy book of Islam
Rabbi
A Jewish religious leader and teacher
Resurrection
In Christianity, Jesus’ rise from the dead
Revolution
A drastic change in a country’s government and way of life
Saint
A person known and admired for his or her holiness
Scribe
A writer
Secular
The separation of religion and government; non-religious
Shah
A Persian title that means “king”
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
Silt
A mixture of rich soil and tiny rocks that can make land ideal for farming
Social Hierarchy
The division of society by rank or class
Sufism
A movement in Islam that taught people they can find God’s love by having a personal relationship with God
Sunnah
A collection of writings about the way Muhammad lived that provides a model for Muslims to follow
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
Surplus
More of something than is needed
Taliban
A radical Muslim group that rose to power in Afghanistan in the mid-1990s
Theocracy
A government ruled by religious leaders
Tolerance
Acceptance
Torah
The most sacred text of Judaism
Wadi
A dry streambed
Yurt
A movable round house made of wool felt mats hung over a wood frame
Ziggurat
A pyramid-shaped temple in Sumer
Zionism
A nationalist movement that began in the late 1800s and called for Jews to reestablish a Jewish state in their original homeland
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Jesus
Founder of Christianity, he taught about kindness and love for God. His teachings eventually spread throughout the Roman Empire and the world.
Justinian
Byzantine emperor, he reunited the Roman Empire, simplified Roman laws with Justinian’s Code, and ordered Hagia Sophia built in Constantinople
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.
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.
Muhammad
Founder of Islam, he spread Islam’s teachings to the people of Arabia. Muhammad’s teachings make up the Qur’an.
Nebuchadnezzar
Chaldean king, he rebuilt Babylon into a beautiful city, which featured the famed Hanging Gardens.
Sargon
King of Akkad, a land north of Sumer, he built the world’s first empire after defeating Sumer and northern Mesopotamia.
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.
