Constructions of Power and Piety in Medieval Aleppo

Constructions of Power and Piety in Medieval Aleppo
Yasser Tabbaa (Author)

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Syria

In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the Ayyubid dynasty brought unprecedented architectural development to Aleppo, the most important city in medieval Syria. While early Islamic empires usually expressed their grandeur by founding new cities with vast extra-urban palaces, the Ayyubids asserted their power by 'modernizing' existing towns. With its large, well-preserved citadel and a wide variety of pious institutions, Aleppo is the ideal subject for Yasser Tabbaa's study of the pan-Islamic transformation in urban architecture. Tabbaa argues that the intense palatial and religious architectural activity of the period was intended to create a royal image of the Ayyubid state while also fostering links between it and the urban population. His study is based on an entirely new evaluation of the architectural and epigraphic aspects of the standing monuments of the period. It presents for the first time full photographic coverage of these monuments, as well as many new plans and other renderings, and pays close attention to monumental inscriptions, correcting and augmenting previous studies. The book utilizes the full panoply of the available literary sources, including topographies, chronicles, travel accounts, and poetry. The juxtaposition of thorough architectural analysis and keen evaluation of literary sources sheds new light on nearly all aspects of this architecture: its links with the city, its place within Ayubbid patronage, its role in the prevalent sectarian rivalry in the city, and, perhaps most important, its function as the propagator of royal power and integrator of this power within the urban population. At a time when Arabic poetry and court culture had lost much of their earlier resonance, Tabbaa finds that these architectural institutions contributed to the creation of a later medieval Islamic culture, one more closely tied to the grandeur of monuments than to the eloquence of ideas.

• Rank: #678834 in Books
• Published on: 1997-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 11.02" h x 8.56" w x .89" l, 3.15 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

Syria, the desert & the sown : with a map

Syria, the desert & the sown : with a map
Gertrude Lowthian Bell (Author)
(1)

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Syria

Syria, the desert & the sown : with a map. 378 Pages.

• Rank: #320432 in eBooks
• Published on: 2013-11-13
• Released on: 2013-11-13
• Format: Kindle eBook

Syria: Neither Bread nor Freedom

Syria: Neither Bread nor Freedom
Alan George (Author)
(1)

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Syria

Based on the testimony of key players, Syria: Neither Bread nor Freedom recounts the drama of the "Damascus Spring" and its repression, and reveals what happens in a state like Syria to the institutions that occupy the political space between government and governed. From political parties to parliament; from the media to the judicial system and universities, the official veil of rhetoric and propaganda is lifted to reveal a system so demoralized and corrupted that power is wielded for no purpose but power itself; a system which, as Bashar al-Assad himself is discovering, is virtually incapable of reform.

• Rank: #1051065 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 8.44" h x 5.24" w x .48" l, .63 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Gerasa and the Decapolis (Duckworth Debates in Archaeology)

Gerasa and the Decapolis (Duckworth Debates in Archaeology)
David Kennedy (Author)

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Syria

During the Long Classical Millennium (fourth century BC to eighth century AD), Northwest Jordan was part of two worlds, looking west to the Mediterranean as well as east towards the Arabian desert. It was not only a collection of distinctive micro-regions but a 'virtual island', isolated by geography on all sides. Here one finds historical and archaeological data of an intensity and quality probably superior to that of any region in the Near East other than Israel.

This book exploits some of that evidence to explain the character of an unusual region with a dense network of cities and an unexpected surge of settlement which reached a peak and extent not encountered again until the mid-twentieth century. It explores and develops some of the principal themes one may investigate for the region of Northwest Jordan, but which often apply to the Near East as a whole.

• Rank: #185104 in eBooks
• Published on: 2013-11-us.html
• Released on: 2013-11-us.html
• Format: Kindle eBook

Architect of Global Jihad: The Life of Al Qaeda Strategist Abu Mus'ab Al-Suri

Architect of Global Jihad: The Life of Al Qaeda Strategist Abu Mus'ab Al-Suri
Brynjar Lia (Author)
(3)

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Syria

Despite his alleged capture in Pakistan in late 2005, Abu Mus'ab al-Suri, a Syrian originally known as Mustafa Sethmarian Nasar, remains a potent political and ideological figure. One of the foremost theoreticians of the global jihadist movement, al-Suri trained a generation of young jihadis at al-Qaeda's Afghan camps and helped to establish the organization's vast European networks. Having gained extensive military experience fighting in the Syrian Islamist insurgency of the early 1980s, he helped to shape al-Qaeda's global strategy in a series of writings, including his influential Global Islamic Call. In that 1,600 page book, al-Suri outlined a broad strategy for al-Qaeda's younger generation to follow and described practical ways to implement the theories and tactics of jihadi guerrilla warfare.

Architect of Global Jihad is a biography of this powerful, charismatic, and prophetic individual. Examining not only the life of Al-Suri but also the world that gave rise to him, Brynjar Lia reveals al-Suri's skill for maximizing the political impact of jihadi violence. Lia provides the first and only English translation of two key chapters from al-Suri's Global Islamic Call and exposes his methods for building successful, autonomous cells for "individualized terrorism." Al-Suri's words have inspired thousands of today's militants, making Lia's carefully researched, detailed portrait required reading for students and specialists of Islamist movements and the study of contemporary forms of terrorism.

• Rank: #51112 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 8.58" h x 5.75" w x 1.30" l, 1.71 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Syria and the Assad Family: The History Behind Bashar al-Assad's Rise to Power and the Civil War

Syria and the Assad Family: The History Behind Bashar al-Assad's Rise to Power and the Civil War
Charles River Editors (Author)

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Syria

*Includes pictures.
*Includes excerpts of interviews done by the Assad family.
*Explains the history of the Alawites and the Ba'ath Party, as well as Hafez al-Assad's presidency.
*Includes a bibliography for further reading.
*Includes a table of contents.

“I'm not a puppet. I wasn't made by the west to go to the west or any other country. I'm Syrian. I'm made in Syria. I have to live in Syria and die in Syria." – Bashar al-Assad, 2012

In early 2011, a political movement swept across the Arabic speaking world that toppled despotic regimes and dictatorships. The political movement, which became known as the “Arab Spring,” was popular in nature and made use of the internet, particularly social networking websites, to remove dictators such as Ben Ali of Tunisia, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, and Muammar Qadaffi of Libya. Those dictators, who ruled their countries for decades, were unable to stem the tide of popular indignation against them even though they tried using force and propaganda in ways reminiscent of the Cold War era.

While some of these dictators bowed to the political pressure and others were pushed out by force through civil wars, the events of the Arab Spring have come to be overshadowed by the civil war in the Arabic speaking nation of Syria, which has been ruled throughout the 21st century by Bashar al-Assad. Though he had not planned on ruling Syria, several events conspired to make Bashar the successor of his father Hafez, who himself was notorious for crushing an uprising in the Syrian city of Hama by massacring thousands of inhabitants. Though the West frequently looked for signs that Bashar might be a reformer, due in part to his formerly popular Western wife, Assad remained part of a critical alliance with Iran and the sub-state groups Hamas and Hezbollah, forming an influential bloc that has influenced events across the Middle East, and one that Israel and the West have tried to break over the past decade.

Like the other dictators, Assad faced popular demonstrations against his regime at the height of the Arab Spring, but the outcome has proved to be much different there than in the other Arab nations. Assad steadfastly refused to step down from power, and the protests against him and his government quickly turned violent, which eventually enveloped Syria in a civil war that has already killed over 100,000, left over half a million refugees, and shows no signs of ending anytime soon. Furthermore, on August 21, 2013, a chemical weapon attack outside of the capital city Damascus left around 1,500 civilians dead, and anti-Assad factions in Syria, as well as enemies of the Assad regime in other countries, have blamed Bashar for the attack, while Assad claims his enemies are responsible.

A crisis that may have threatened to involve either the United States, Russia, or both, appears to have been solved at least temporarily, but bigger issues concerning Syria still remain. The two major questions that concern the future of Syria are whether Bashar al-Assad will literally and politically survive the civil war, and what Syria’s future will be in the wake of the civil war. Answering these questions requires an understanding of Bashar’s religious sect, the Alawites, the regional strife among Sunni and Shiite nations, Arab nationalism, and the Assad family as a whole.

Syria and the Assad Family explains how Hafez al-Assad’s son grew up and the events that brought him to power in Syria. It also comprehensively analyzes the ongoing civil war against Assad. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Syria’s notorious dictator like you never have before.

• Rank: #187629 in eBooks
• Published on: 2013-11-13
• Released on: 2013-11-13
• Format: Kindle eBook

Cook's Tourists' Handbook for Palestine and Syria

Cook's Tourists' Handbook for Palestine and Syria
Thomas Cook Ltd (Author), Ltd Cook Thomas And Son (Author)

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Syria

This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an important historical work, maintaining the same format as the original work. While some publishers have opted to apply OCR (optical character recognition) technology to the process, we believe this leads to sub-optimal results (frequent typographical errors, strange characters and confusing formatting) and does not adequately preserve the historical character of the original artifact. We believe this work is culturally important in its original archival form. While we strive to adequately clean and digitally enhance the original work, there are occasionally instances where imperfections such as blurred or missing pages, poor pictures or errant marks may have been introduced due to either the quality of the original work or the scanning process itself. Despite these occasional imperfections, we have brought it back into print as part of our ongoing global book preservation commitment, providing customers with access to the best possible historical reprints. We appreciate your understanding of these occasional imperfections, and sincerely hope you enjoy seeing the book in a format as close as possible to that intended by the original publisher.

• Rank: #74903 in Books
• Published on: 2012-08-31
• Released on: 2012-08-31
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 548 pages

Syria and the Syrians

Syria and the Syrians
Adel Beshara (Author)

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Syria

“Syria and the Syrians” is a contribution to the attempt to understand the present through the lens of the past. It is an epic chronicle of a people and a land that has seen it all and knows it all, as told and retold by scholars of different backgrounds and disparate eras. While this chronicle displays implicit notions of heroism and a nostalgic glorification of a bygone era, it is about real history, a real people, and a real land. The history is life-like. It provides entry into the “mind” of great ages, a return to an aesthetic world, and an introduction to the actions and ideas that helped shape our thinking for generations on end. It is a breathtaking blend of triumph, adventure, failure, and survival. It is also a poignant reminder of the sacrifices and contributions of a nation and a tribute to the important, perilous, and often-overlooked work of its people.

• Rank: #423336 in Books
• Published on: 2013-11-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 396 pages

The Six Day War 1967: Jordan and Syria (Campaign)

The Six Day War 1967: Jordan and Syria (Campaign)
Simon Dunstan (Author), Peter Dennis (Illustrator)
(5)

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Syria

Osprey's examination of Jordan and Syria's involvement in the Six Day War (1967). Following the lightning destruction of the Egyptian forces at the outbreak of the Six Day War, Israel turned to the forces of Jordan and Syria, with whom Egypt had signed a mutual-defence pact, and who had now entered the war. Jordan's army moved against West Jerusalem and central Israel, while Syria began shelling Israeli towns from the seemingly impregnable Golan Heights.

The IDF's invasion of the Golan was as daring and successful as its more famous Egyptian victory, but its success in Jordan - taking the West Bank - sowed the seeds of its future troubles. Comprehensively illustrated with artwork, maps and battlefield views, this new history brings one of the most important of 20th century campaigns to life.

• Rank: #326120 in Books
• Published on: 2009-11-24
• Released on: 2009-11-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 9.80" h x 7.36" w x .39" l, .65 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Syria through Jihadist Eyes: A Perfect Enemy (Hoover Institution Press Publication)

Syria through Jihadist Eyes: A Perfect Enemy (Hoover Institution Press Publication)
Nibras Kazimi (Author)

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Syria

With field notes accumulated in a Syrian environment not generally hospitable to research and inquiry, Nibras Kazimi provides a unique view of the Syrian regime and its base at home, filling a void in our understanding of the intelligence barons and soldiers who run that country. He offers a look at the tactical, propagandists and strategic ingredients required, in jihadist eyes, for a successful jihad—and whether those ingredients are available in Syria.

• Rank: #134823 in Books
• Published on: 2010-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 6.81" h x 4.33" w x .51" l, .35 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 124 pages

Methods of Investigation of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Khirbet Qumran Site: Present Realities and Future Prospects (Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences)

Methods of Investigation of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Khirbet Qumran Site: Present Realities and Future Prospects (Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences)
Norman Golb (Author), Michael Owen Wise (Author, Editor), John J. Collins (Contributor)
(1)

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Syria

• Rank: #5756538 in Books
• Published on: 1994-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 450 pages

Democratic Desert: The War in Syria

Democratic Desert: The War in Syria
Robert King (Author)

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Syria

Since February of 2012 Robert King has documented an unprecedented tragedy of the blatant targeting of civilians and hospitals by the al-Assad regime as well as a number of other serious human rights violations and war crimes.

As the conflict is entering its third year there has been little if any international support from democratic leaders to end the killing despite the fact that over 100,000 Syrians have been killed, as well as over 28,000 have gone missing. 4.5 million Syrians are dispaced within their country and over 1.5 million Syrians are now refugees in neighboring countries.

"As a photographer it is not my job to aspire towards aesthetically pleasing images of war that are palatable to the public or the photographic community. I have found, many viewers find it easier to condemn the image maker rather than the perpetrators of war crimes against humanity."

Democratic Desert is the first comprehensive photo journlistic book about the war in Syria. Robert King entered the country when almost all conflict photographers left, and he stayed. Therefore King is the only photographer able to show us what really happens there. This book shows a gruesome story without any constraint. In contains a DVD with a forceful documentary film made by King during his stay in Syria.

• Rank: #383004 in Books
• Published on: 2014-06-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .0" h x .0" w x .0" l, .0 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Euphrates River Valley Settlement: The Carchemish Sector in the Third Millennium BC (Levant Supplementary Volume)

Euphrates River Valley Settlement: The Carchemish Sector in the Third Millennium BC (Levant Supplementary Volume)
Edgar Peltenberg (Author)

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Syria

Pre-state ceremonial monuments, rich mortuary arrangements, forts, walled settlements and temples: all these occur in a narrow stretch of the Euphrates River valley prior to the rise of Carchemish, one of the major capital cities of the Ancient Near East. This well-illustrated book examines recently discovered evidence from the hinterlands of archaeologically inaccessible Carchemish in its regional context. Amongst the 18 contributors Tony Wilkinson characterizes the neighbouring regions of Carchemish, Guy Bunnens elaborates on a site hierarchy within the valley and Gioacchino Falsone appraises unpublished records from excavations at Carchemish itself. These material culture studies are important for those interested in the emergence of complex societies that do not conform to the Mesopotamian paradigm.

• Rank: #109265 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 11.55" h x 8.47" w x .98" l, 3.09 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 286 pages

The Shrines of the 'Alids in Medieval Syria: Sunnis, Shi'is and the Architecture of Coexistence (Edinburgh Studies in Islamic Art)

The Shrines of the 'Alids in Medieval Syria: Sunnis, Shi'is and the Architecture of Coexistence (Edinburgh Studies in Islamic Art)
Stephennie Mulder (Author)

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Syria

Though the headlines of today's newspapers suggest that the rift between Sunnis and Shi'is is eternal, the relationship between these two primary Islamic sects has not always been contentious. This is nowhere more evident than around the shrines of the 'Alids. Revered by Sunnis and Shi'is alike, shrines to the Prophet's family have often served as unique spaces of inter-sectarian exchange and shared devotion. In this study, Stephannie Mulder meaningfully links these shrines to the wider, pan-Islamic landscape of interconnected pilgrimage sites created from these acts of patronage.

• Rank: #478826 in Books
• Published on: 2014-04-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .0" h x .0" w x .0" l, .0 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Shattered Images: The Rise of Militant Iconoclasm in Syria

Shattered Images: The Rise of Militant Iconoclasm in Syria
Fred A. Reed (Author)

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Syria

Fred A. Reed’s fifth book on the Middle East and Athe wars of the Ottoman succession” traces the roots of Islamic fundamentalism, as currently enacted by Hezbollah and other Islamic fundamentalist organizations, to the iconoclasts of sixth- and seventh-century Damascus.

• Rank: #173077 in eBooks
• Published on: 2013-10-10
• Released on: 2013-10-10
• Format: Kindle eBook

History of Asceticism in the Syrian Orient. A Contribution to the History of Culture in the Near East, I. The Origin of Asceticism. Early Monasticism ... (Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium)

History of Asceticism in the Syrian Orient. A Contribution to the History of Culture in the Near East, I. The Origin of Asceticism. Early Monasticism ... (Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium)
A Voobus (Author)

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Syria

• Rank: #113711 in Books
• Published on: 1958-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .0" h x .0" w x .0" l, .0 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 342 pages

Ebla: A New Look at History (Near Eastern Studies)

Ebla: A New Look at History (Near Eastern Studies)
Professor Giovanni C. Pettinato (Author)
(2)

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Syria

"Pettinato has the erudition, industry, and detailed command of the sources to provide a reliable introduction to this rapidly growing branch of Near East studies."--American Journal of Archaeology

• Rank: #1380882 in Books
• Published on: 1991-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

Syria and the French Mandate: The Politics of Arab Nationalism, 1920-1945 (Princeton Studies on the Near East)

Syria and the French Mandate: The Politics of Arab Nationalism, 1920-1945 (Princeton Studies on the Near East)
Philip S. Khoury (Author)

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Syria

". . . this is an extremely readable book, and in fact one which is often hard to put down, so well written is it, so beautifully produced, and so coherent in its presentation. . . . Basing his study on an exhaustive array of sources, from the French, British, and Syrian archives to conversations with virtually every surviving prominent participant in the events described, Philip Khoury has given us what will undoubtedly henceforth be the standard work on the subject. Packed with information, all of it clearly presented and much in the form of fascinating biographical nuggets, this book will be indispensable to students of Syria, of modern Arab history and politics, and of Arab nationalism, for the Mandatory period, as well as earlier and later ones".--Rashid I. Khalidi, The Middle East Journal "[Khoury] has produced a formidable piece of scholarship which, as well as analyzing new data on the period, surely cannot fail to stimulate many ideas for future research. The product of years of careful work, this is a book to feast on. . . . With the author exercising such an able grasp of his subject, not to mention an obviously deep affection, this work is thoroughly recommended".--Philip Robins, MESA Bulletin

• Rank: #157586 in Books
• Published on: 1989-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 721 pages