(Encyclopedia) Al-BattaniAl-Battaniäl-bät-täˈnē [key] or AlbateniusAlbateniusălˌbətēˈnēəs [key], b. before 858, d. 929, Arab astronomer and mathematician. He is best known in astronomy for his…
(Encyclopedia) Hasa, AlHasa, Aläl häˈsä, hăˈsə [key], region, E Saudi Arabia, on the Persian Gulf. Administrated as the Eastern Province, Hofuf is the chief town. Dates, wheat, and rice are produced…
(Encyclopedia) Qayrawan, AlQayrawan, Aläl kīräwänˈ [key] or KairouanKairouankīrwänˈ, Fr. kĕrwäNˈ [key], city (1994 pop. 102,600), NE Tunisia. It is a sacred city of Islam. Founded in 670 by Uqbah bin…
(Encyclopedia) Biqa, AlBiqa, Aläl bēkäˈ [key], or El BikaEl Bikaĕl bēkäˈ [key], upland valley of Lebanon and Syria, 75 mi (121 km) long and 5 to 9 mi (8–14.5 km) wide, between the Lebanon and Anti-…
(Encyclopedia) Farabi, al-Farabi, al-äl-färäˈbē [key], d. 950, Islamic philosopher. He studied in Baghdad and later flourished in Aleppo as a sufi mystic (see Sufism). He died in Damascus. Al-Farabi…
(Encyclopedia) Mutanabbi, al-, 915–65, Arab poet, considered the greatest classical Arabic poet, b. Iraq. His early involvement with a religious cult earned him the sobriquet “the would-be prophet.”…
