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Ujjain

(Encyclopedia)Ujjain o͞ojīnˈ, o͞oˈjīn [key], city (1991 pop. 362,633), Madhya Pradesh state, central India, on the Sipra River. Many pilgrims visit Ujjain, which Hindus consider one of the holiest places in I...

Wesel

(Encyclopedia)Wesel vāˈzəl [key], city (1994 pop. 61,111), North Rhine–Westphalia, W Germany, on the Rhine River near the mouth of the Lippe River. It is a river port, a transshipment point, and an industrial ...

Dura, ancient city, Syria

(Encyclopedia)Dura yo͝orōˈpəs [key], ancient city of Syria, E of Palmyra on a plateau above the Euphrates River. It is also called Dura-Europos or Dura-Europus. Founded (c.300 b.c.) by a general of Seleucus I, ...

Heliopolis, ancient city, Egypt

(Encyclopedia)Heliopolis hēlēŏpˈəlĭs [key] [Gr.,=city of the sun], ancient city, N Egypt, in the Nile delta, 6 mi (10 km) below modern Cairo. It was noted as the center of sun worship, and its god Ra or Re wa...

Haran, ancient city, Mesopotamia

(Encyclopedia)Haran or Harran both: häränˈ [key], ancient city of Mesopotamia, now in SE Asian Turkey, 24 mi (39 km) SE of Şanlıurfa. It was an important center on the trade route from Nineveh to Carchemish an...

Kadesh, oasis, ancient Palestine

(Encyclopedia)Kadesh –bärnēˈə [key], oasis in the desert S of ancient Palestine, mentioned frequently in the Bible, notably as a limit of Edom. Another biblical name is En-mishpat. ...

Olympia, city, ancient Greece

(Encyclopedia)Olympia, ancient city, important center of the worship of Zeus in ancient Greece, in Elis near the Alpheus (now Alfiós) R. It was the scene of the Olympic games. The great temple of Zeus was especial...

Magnesia, ancient cities, Lydia

(Encyclopedia)Magnesia măgnēˈzhə [key], two ancient cities of Lydia, W Asia Minor (now W Turkey). They were colonies of the Magnetes, a tribe of E Thessaly. One city (Magnesia ad Maeandrum), SE of Smyrna (Izmir...

Lydia, ancient country, Asia

(Encyclopedia)Lydia, ancient country, W Asia Minor, N of Caria and S of Mysia (now NW Turkey). The tyrant Gyges was the founder of the Mermnadae dynasty, which lasted from c.700 b.c. to 550 b.c. The little kingdom ...

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