Modern Middle East Midterm Matching Section

Jumeirah Burj al Arab

One of the tallest hotels in the world structured to resemble the sail of a dau.

Jibreel (Gabriel)

Angel who provided Muhammad with revelations from God.

House of Wisdom

Al Ma-mun’s research institute established in 830 in Baghdad.

Abu Bakr

First caliph who took power after Muhammad.

Abdar Rahman the I

Umayyad prince who fled the Abbasid and established a new home in Spain.

Medina

Muhammad’s Journey to this city marks Year 1 of the Islamic calendar.

Zakat

Pillar of Islam that calls for giving to the weak and the poor.

Alhambra

One of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture located in Spain.

The Blackstone

Muslim relic that serves as the cornerstone of the Ka’ba.

Umayyad

Dynasty that initially commissioned the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

Jabir

Golden Age scientist believed to have developed a method of creating mercury and gold out of silver.

Rightly guided Caliphs

First four caliphs who ruled from 632-661.

Water mills

Devices used to raise water for irrigation.

Mongol

The conquest of the Middle East that brought the end to the Golden Age of Islam.

Ka’ba

Islamic holy site within the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

Baghdad

Referred to as the gem of Islam.

Hira

The cave of where Muhammad received his initial revelations.

Vizier

This person often served in place of an absent or dis-interested Caliph.

Qur’an

This holy book is said to communicate Muhammad’s revelations.

Jabal al Nour (Mountain of Light)

The mountain where Muhammad received his initial religious experience.

Suni and Shiite

The two primary branches within Islam.

Umayyad

Empire during which paper making was introduced to the Middle East.

New era

The Abbasid government called itself Dawlah or this in English.

8th Century

Century that marks the beginning of the Islamic Renaissance.

Hadith

Known as the supplementary text to the Qur’an.

Bedouin

Muhammad was raised within a this type of family led by his uncle.

Jabir

Also known as the father of chemistry.

Islam

Term that means submission to the will of God.

Jahiliyya

The Age of Ignorance before Islam.

Mysticism

The attempt to achieve a union with God or another divine being.

Abraham

The Qur’an presents Islam as a restoration of the religion of this patriarch.

Astronomy

Early translation work focused on medicine and this discipline.

Baghdad

With the ascension of the Abbasid, the capital shifted to this city.

Shari’a

Islamic law written in the centuries after Muhammad.

Poetry/poetic framework

The framework in which the Quran is written.

Al-Kindi

Known as the philosopher of the Arabs.

Zoroastrianism

Religion that was predominant shortly prior to Islam.

Sassanian and Byzantine

The two major powers that dominated the Middle East.

Abbasid

Dynasty that established the first state-run paper mill in the region.

Ibn-al-Haytham

Author of the Book of Optics.

Basmallah

A phrase found throughout the Quran meaning 'in the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate'.

Constantinople

Known as the jewel of the Christian world, later became the city of Istanbul.

Abu’l Abbas

Leader who overthrew the Umayyads and established the Abbasid dynasty.

Mawali

Anti-Umayyad group consisting of Non-Arab converts to Islam.

Saint Thomas Aquinas

13th century Catholic philosopher inspired by Golden Age philosophers.

Blue Cruise

Type of excursion on Turkey’s turquoise coast.

Battle of Tours

Battle in 732 when Muslim troops were pushed out of France.

Turkish Delight

A sweet popular within the Ottoman palace with unclear origins.

Khadija

Highly influential first wife of Muhammad.

Medina

Muhammad’s journey to this city marks Year 1 of the Islamic calendar.

Ghassanids and Lakhmids

Two major tribes.