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Abbas

(Encyclopedia)Abbas äbäsˈ, ăbäsˈ, ăbˈəs [key], d. 653, uncle of Muhammad the Prophet and of Ali the caliph. A wealthy merchant of Mecca, he was at first opposed to the religious movement initiated by his n...

Tughril Beg

(Encyclopedia)Tughril Beg to͞ogˈrēl bĕg [key], 990–1063, founder of the Seljuk Turk dynasty ruling (11th–14th cent.) parts of Anatolia, Iraq, Persia, and Syria. He was early successful in conquests with his...

Uni

(Encyclopedia)Uni o͞oˈnē [key], fl. c.2300 b.c., Egyptian official of the VI dynasty. His career is known through his private inscription. After rising from an obscure court position to a position of command, he...

Pollonarrua

(Encyclopedia)Pollonarrua or Polonnaruwa both: pŏlˌənəro͞oˈə [key], ruined ancient city, NE Sri Lanka. Pollonarrua, beautifully situated on a lake, was once the most splendid city of Sri Lanka. It became a r...

Opole

(Encyclopedia)Opole ôpôˈlĕ [key], Ger. Oppeln, city (1992 est. pop. 129,000), capital of Opolskie prov., S Poland, on the Oder River. A river port and rail junction, it is also an important trade center, with m...

Aosta

(Encyclopedia)Aosta äôˈstä [key], city, capital of Valle d'Aosta region and of Aosta prov., NW Italy, near the junction of the Great and Little St. Bernard roads. Aosta is an indust...

Khosrow II

(Encyclopedia)Khosrow II (Khosrow Parviz) pärvēzˈ [key], d. 628, king of Persia of the Sassanid, or Sassanian, dynasty; grandson of Khosrow I. He is also called Chosroes II or Khosru II. He succeeded his father ...

brocade

(Encyclopedia)brocade brōkādˈ [key], fabric, originally silk, generally reputed to have been developed to a high state of perfection in the 16th and 17th cent. in France, Italy, and Spain. In China the weaving o...

Bubastis

(Encyclopedia)Bubastis byo͞obăsˈtĭs [key], ancient city, NE Egypt, in the Nile delta, near the modern Zagazig. Capital of Egypt in the XXII and XXIII dynasties, it began to decline after the second Persian conq...

New Year's Day

(Encyclopedia)New Year's Day, among ancient peoples the first day of the year frequently corresponded to the vernal or autumnal equinox, or to the summer or winter solstice. In the Middle Ages it was celebrated amo...