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Abbas - person - (ah-BASS) (1813 - 1854; Governor of Egypt 1849-1854). Son of Muhammad Ali who succeeded his father as ruler of Egypt. Abbas Hilmi - person - (1874 - 1944, Khedive of Egypt 1892-1914) Ruler of Egypt who was constantly at odds with the Europeans who dominated the country. Deposed in 1914 when he encouraged Egyptians to support to Ottoman Empire in its fight against the British and French. Abbassid Empire - place - (uh-BASS-id) Islamic Empire based in Baghdad and Samarra (modern day Iraq) that ruled much of the Islamic world from 750-1258 CE. Abdin Palace - building - (ab-DEEN) Home of the Khedival family from the time of the Khedive Ismail until the 1952 revolution. Abolutions fountain - thing - Feature of many mosques where Muslims can wash themselves before prayer. Abu Bakr - person - (570? - 634) One of Muhammad's companions, who was chosen by the Prophet to succed him as leader of the Muslim community. Ali - person - (d. 661) Successor to Othman as Caliph. The Shi'a believe that Ali, not Abu Bakr, was the rightful successor to Muhammad as leader of the Islamic community. Allah - Arabic - (ah-LAH) God. Amr Ibn al-'As - person - (570? - 663) The Muslim general who conquered Egypt from the Byzantines in 640 CE and founded the city of al-Fustat. al-Askar, Medinat - place - (meh-DEEN-at al-ASK-ur) city built by the Abbassids to replace al-Fustat, which never caught on as a place of trade or business, and was eventually absorbed by al-Fustat. Ayn Musa - place - (ayn MOOSA) A site in the old Babylon settlement reputed to be the site where Pharaoh's daughter drew the infant Moses from the Nile in the Biblical story. al-Azhar - mosque and university - (al AZ-har) "The Splendid." The chief mosque founded by the Fatimids in 969, which was established as a school of Shi'i religious thought, and is, arguably, the oldest institution of higher learning in the world. You can visit the Al-Azhar website. Bab - Arabic - door, gate Bab al-Futuh - structure - (bab al-foo-TOOH) "The Gate of Conquest," one of the northern gates to the Fatimid royal city of Cairo. Bab al-Nasir - structure - (bab al-NAAS-ir) "The Gate of Victory," one of the northern gates to the Fatimid royal city of Cairo. Bab al-Wazir - structure - (bab al-wah-ZEER) "The Gate of the Minister," gate from the Mamluk city at the foot of the Citadel. Bab al-Zuwayla - structure - (bab al-zoo-WAY-la) The southern gate to the Fatimid royal city of Cairo, named after a tribe of Berber soldiers who lived in the adjacent quarter of the city. Babylon - place - The Byzantine settlement and fort in the Cairo area. Baring, Evelyn - person - (1841-1917) First Earl of Cromer, the British Consul General in Cairo, who was the de-facto ruler of Egypt after the 1882 invasion. Bayikbey - person - Influential Turk at the Abbassid court, whom the Caliph wanted to exile by offering him the governorship of Egypt. Bayikbey instead sent his son-in-law, Ahmad Ibn Tulun. For his insolence, Bayikbey was later killed by the Caliph. Bayn al-Qasrayn - road - (bayn al-kass-RAYN) "Between the Two Palaces," the main street of the Fatimid royal city of Cairo. BCE - abbreviation - Before Common (or Christian) Era. Refers with reference to years before the year 1. Used in place of B.C. (Before Christ) Bimaristan - Persian - hospital. Byzantine - adjective - Pertaining to the Byzantine Empire, whose rulers were Christian and spoke Greek. Byzantine Empire - place - name of the Eastern Roman Empire after 476 C.E. Byzantium - place - name of the village that was refounded in 330 CE as Constantinople CE - abbreviation - Common (or Christian) era. Used to refer to years after the year 1. Used in place of A.D. (Anno Domini) Citadel - place - military and administrative complex built on an outcrop of rock at the base of the Muqattam hills. Established by Salah-al-din in the 12th century, it remains an important strategic complex for the Egyptian police and armed forces. City of the Dead - place - nickname for the Northern and Southern Cemetaries in Cairo, Mamluk cemetaries that house large mausoleums that look like houses. Today, due to the population increase in Cairo, many of these structures actually house poor families. Estimates suggest that over one million people live in the Cities of the Dead. Cleopatra - person - (69 - 30 BCE) The last Ptolemaic Pharaoh of Egypt. She sided with Marc Antony against Ceasar Octavian, and her subsequent suicide brought about Roman annexation of Egypt. Full Name: Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator Constantinople - place - The "New Rome" founded by the Emperor Constantine in 330 C.E. that served as the capitol of the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire. After the Ottomans occupied the city in 1453, it was renamed Istanbul. Coptic - adjective - The name of the Egyptian Christian Church, as well as of the language used in its liturgy. Coptic is derived from the ancient Pharaonic language, using the Greek alphabet. Those who belong to the church are called Copts. Crusades - wars - Wars waged by Christian Europeans in the Middle Ages (from about 1000 - 1300) to reclaim the Holy Land from the Muslims. Cupola - structure - Dome that allows natural light to enter into a building or covered area. Dahshur - place - (dash-hoor) A site south of Sakkara and Giza where the Pharaoh Sneferu built several pyramids, including the so-called "Bent" Pyramid. de Lesseps, Ferdinand - person - (1805-1894) French architect of the Suez Canal. Full Name: Ferdinand-Marie, Vicomte de Lesseps Denshawai - place - (DEN-shaw-way) village in the Nile Delta that was the site of the first major clash (1906) between the British and the Egyptians after the 1882 occupation by Britain and France. Eid al-Adha - holiday - (EED al-OD-ha) "Day of Sacrifice," holiday on the 9th month of the month of Muharram that commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son at God's request. Eid al-Fitr - holiday - (EED al-FIT-r) "Breaking of the Fast," the holiday that comes at the end of the month of Ramadan. Eugenie, Empress - person - (1826-1920) Wife of the French Emperor Napoleon III. Legend has it that she was the unrequited love of Khedive Ismail. For her visit to the festivities for the opening of the Suez Canal, Ismail built her a luxurious palace and a paved road so that her carriage could travel to the pyramids. Farouk - person - (1920 -1965; King of Egypt 1936-1952) Originally seen as a dynamic monarch, after a 1942 incident in which he was forced to capitulate to the British, he became disinterested in politics and lived a playboy lifestyle, leading to the revolution in 1952 that sent him into exile. He died in Rome in 1965. Fatimids - dynasty - (FAT-ee-mid) Shi'i group who originated in Tunisia and conquered Egypt in 969 as part of a plan to spread eastward and expand Shi'i thought throughout the Islamic world. The Fatimids founded the city of al-Qahira, and also established al-Azhar Mosque (now University) in Cairo, which is one of the oldest schools of higher learning in the world. Four Rightly Guided Caliphs - people - Name given to Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman, and Ali, all companions of the Prophet Muhammad. According to one tradition, Muhammad's wife Aisha had a vision in which the Prophet named each of these four, in order, as his successors. Fuad - person - (FOO-ad) (1868 - 1936; Khedive of Egypt 1917-1922; King of Egypt 1922-1936). Ruler of Egypt who supported the independence movement, on the grounds that only he could negotiate a settlement with the British. al-Fustat - place - (al-FUSS-tot) The city founded by Amr Ibn al-'As in 640 CE that served as the administrative capital of Egypt until 868. Al-Fustat was one of the largest and most important cities in the world at its peak. Officially Misr al-Fustat, meaning "The Tented City." Gezira - place - (geh-ZEE-rah) meaning "Island," one of the two islands in the Nile River in the Cairo area, site of the Zamalek subdivision. Giza - place - (GEE-za) Cairo's "sister city" officially occupying all of the land of the Cairo metropolitain area on the west side of the Nile River. Giza has long been a village on the Nile. Giza is also the town closest to the famous pyramid site, although "Giza" is the modern name for this site, as the ancient name is unknown. Goa - place - Portugese colony in India, held from the 1500s until the mid-1960s. Gohar al-Sicili - person - (d. 991) Leader of the Fatimid armies that conquered Egypt in 969. Golden Age - era - Refers to the era of Mamluk control when literature, art, and scholarship flourished in Egypt. Hadith - thing - (ha-DEETH) Collected sayings of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions that give further instruction and clarification on Islamic doctrine, law, and procedure. Hajj - action - Pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims who are financially able are to undertake at least once in their lives. A person who has undertaken the Hajj may add the title Hajj or Hajja (fem.) to their name. al-Hakim - person - (al ha-KEEM) (985 - 1021) Ruler of Egypt from 996-1021, who issued strange proclamations and laws banning, for example, work during daylight hours, the manufacture of women's shoes, and rode around the city in disguise on his donkey, looking for merchants who would try to cheat him. Heliopolis - place - European built city northeast of Cairo designed as a retreat for the wealthy elite in the 1910s, connected to downtown Cairo by tram. Herod, King - person - (73 - 4 BCE) Governor of the Roman province of Judea, who ordered the death of all Jewish newborns after hearing a prophecy that the Messiah had been born and would overthrow him, causing the Holy Family to flee to Egypt. Herodotus - person - (484? - 425? BCE) Greek historian who wrote The Histories, which chronicle, among other things, the building of the pyramids. Hijra - event - (HIJ-rah) the flight of the Prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE, which marks the first year of the Islamic, or Hijra calendar. Also spelled Hegira. Horus - deity - Egyptian god, son of Osiris and Isis Hussein - person - (who-SAYN) (626 - 680) son of Ali, whom the Shi'a believe should have succeeded him as Caliph. That position went instead to Muawiyah. When Muawiyah died in 680, Hussein attempted to claim the Caliphate, but the position went to Muawiyah's son Yazid. Hussein then set out with troops to lead an insurrection, but was killed in the battle of Kerbala on 10th Muharram 61 / October 680. Hussein Kamil - person - (1853-1917) Khedive of Egypt 1914-1917. Ibn Tulun, Ahmed - person - (ih-bin too-LOON) (835 - 884) Emissary of the Abbassid Caliph who founded the city of al-Qatta'i in 868, and had a large mosque built in his name as the centerpiece of that city. Ikshids - dynasty - (ick-shid) Dynasty of the descendants of Suleiman al-Katib, who ruled Egypt from 905-969. Imam - person - (eem-AAM) In Sunni Islam, the Imam is the prayer leader, who can be made up of any person from the congregation who is capable of leading the prayer. Shi'i Islam has a set clergical hierarchy, and an imam is the rough equivalent of a rabbi or priest. Imhotep - person - (2700s BCE) Advisor to the Old Kingdom Pharaoh Zoser, who came up with the idea for the Step Pyramid at Sakkara. For his achievements, after his death, he was elevated to the status of a god. Ismail - person - (iss-my-EEL) (1830 - 1895) Khedive of Egypt (1863-1875) who built the European city of Cairo and spent lavish sums of money to make Egypt part of Europe. Jesus of Nazareth - person - (6 BCE? - 27 CE?) A Jewish Rabbi whose ministry in Palestine brought about the formation of the Christian faith. Also Jesus Christ Ka'aba - place - (ka-A-ba) Shrine in Mecca that, according to tradition, was built by the Prophet Abraham, but fell into use as a pagan temple before God was restored by Muhammad and his followers. The Ka'aba is the center of the Hajj pilgrimage, and all Muslims are instructed to face the Ka'aba during prayer. Kerbala - place - (care-ball-AH) city in Iraq that was the site of the martyrdom of Hussein in 681, still a site of pilgrimage for many Shi'a. Khafre - person - (2500s BCE) Pharaoh of Old Kingdom Egypt, son of Khufu, who built the second largest pyramid at the Giza site, along with the Sphinx. Also Chephren Khedive - title - (KHEAD-eev) Title of the rulers of Egypt from the time of Said until 1922, when Fuad adopted the title "King." Khufu - person - (2500s BCE) Pharaoh of Old Kingdom Egypt who built the Great Pyramid. Son of Sneferu, father of Khafre. Also Cheops. Khumarraweh - person - (KHOOM-air-a-way) (864 - 896) son of Ahmad ibn Tulun who succeeded his father in 883 as ruler of Egypt. Known for his honesty and generosity, but also to be somewhat foolish, he was murdered in 896. Maadi - place - (mah-A-dee) European built subdivision south of Cairo built in the early 1900s Macao - place - Portuguese colony in the Pearl River estuary, taken in 1517 until it reverted to Chinese control in 1999. Madrassa - place - (MAH-drah-sah) religious school. Sometimes, but not always, attached to a mosque. Mamluks - people - (mam-LUKE) Self-perpetuating class of slaves originally brought to Egypt by Salah al-Din in the twelfth centuries. They were of Christian origins, were recruited and brought to Egypt where they were converted to Islam and trained in military and administrative matters. Though their internal structure was rocky due to constant power struggles, the period of their rule was quite stable. The Mamluks were patrons of the arts and learning, and the period of their rule is known as the Golden Age of Egyptian Islamic civilization. They continued to be influential under the Ottomans. Their power came to an end in 1811 with the rise of Muhammad Ali. Mashrabiyya - thing - (mash-rub-BEE-yuh) Traditional Middle Eastern wood latticework design that is usually placed over windows to allow breezes to circulate, while maintaining the privacy of those inside. Mecca - place - City in the western Arabian Peninsula that is the holy city of Islam. Mecca is where the Prophet Muhammad received his divine revalations from God that became the Qur'an. All Muslims who are capable of doing so are supposed to make a pilgrimage, called the hajj, at least once during their lifetime. Also spelled Makkah. Meidum - place - (may-DOOM) Site about 75 miles southwest of Cairo where Sneferu built a pyramid which collapsed during construction. Memphis - place - (mem-FEES) Old Kingdom capital of Egypt until 1500 BCE. The village had 100,000 people living in it at the height of its power, and lasted until the first millennium, CE, when a shift in the Nile's course left the port city more than a mile away from the river. Menkaure - person - (2400s BCE) Pharaoh of Old Kingdom Egypt, who built the smallest of the three pyramids at Giza, Son of Khafre. Also Mycerinus. Menes - person - (ca. 2925 BCE) Legendary first Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt, who unified the two kingdoms and established his capital at Memphis. Modern scholarship suggests that the figure of Menes was either one of, or possibly a combination of, three different pharaohs who ruled around this time. Mihrab - thing - (mih-RAAB) Niche at the front of a mosque that indicates the direction one must face in order to pray facing Mecca. Minaret - structure - (min-nuh-RET) Tower that appears on many mosques that allows a muezzin to call the faithful to prayer from on high. Minbar - thing - (min-BAR) Elevated podium at the front of a mosque that allows the imam to be seen while leading prayer and delivering a sermon. Misr - Arabic - (MISS-ur) Egypt. al-Mo'izz - person - (931 - 975) the first Fatimid ruler of Egypt after the 969 conquest. Monophysite - adjective - descriptive of the Coptic Christian view that Christ was of solely a divine nature, not of both a human and divine nature, as is the view of the majority of Christian churches. Mosque - place - Islamic house of worship. Also masjid. Muawiyah - person - (moo-AH-wee-yuh) (600? - 680) Successor to Ali as leader of the Islamic community. Muawiyah had long been the governor of Syria, and moved the administrative capital to Damascus, where it became known as the Umayyad dynasty. Mubarak, Hosni - person - (moo-BAH-rak) (1928 - ) President of Egypt, 1981 - present. Muezzin - person - (moo-UZZ-in) A person who calls the faifthul to prayer at prayer time. Muhammad - person - (muh-HAM-mud) (570 - 632 CE) Prophet of Islam, who received the word of God in a series of divine revalations from the year 611 until his death. The verses received by Muhammad are compiled in the Qur'an, while his interpretations of them are compiled as the hadith. Muhammad Ali - person - (1760s - 1849) Nominally the Ottoman ruler of Egypt from 1801-1849, who came to power, eliminated the Mamluk class in 1811, and began a series of broad-scale reforms to modernize the country, acting completely independant of the Ottoman Sultan. Muslim - adjective - (muss-LEEM or muss-LIMM, never MOZZ-lim) describing a person who believes in the Islamic faith. People who follow Islam are called Muslim ("He/she is Muslim.") Muslim can also be used to describe a thing ("A mosque is a Muslim house of worship.") The word "Muslim," can never be used in place of the word "Islam." ("He/she is a follower of Muslim" should be "He/she is Muslim," or "He/she is a follower of Islam.") Napoleon Bonaparte - person - (1769 - 1821) French general who led the military expedition to Egypt in 1798. al-Nasir, Gamal Abd - person - (ga-MAHL ABD al-NAH-surr, sometimes pronounced NASS-ir) (1918 - 1970) Leader of the Free Officers who overthrew King Farouk in 1952, president from 1954-1970. He nationalized the Suez Canal and was, arguably, the first native Egyptian ruler of Egypt since the Pharaohs. He is still a very popular personality in Cairo, thirty years after his death. Also spelled Gamal Abdul Nasser. Nureddin - person - (NOO-rudd-deen) Ruler of Damascus who fought the Crusaders. Father of Salah al-Din. Omar - person - (aw-MAR) (586 - 644) Successor to Abu Bakr as Caliph, who sent Amr Ibn al-'As to conquer Egypt. Also spelled Umar. Osiris - deity - Egyptian god, whose death and rebirth was reminiscent of the story of Christ's resurrection. Othman - person - (d. 656) Successor to Omar as Caliph. Ottomans - people - Descendants of a Turkish chieftain named Osman, who conquered parts of Anatolia, Greece and the Balkans before taking Constantinople and then invading Syria, Egypt and the Hijaz. Their language was Turkish, and their Sultan ruled from Constantinople as an imperial capital, meaning that all foreign business was conducted through Constantinople, not directly with the provinces. "People of the Book" - phrase - (Arabic: Ahl al-Kitaab) Phrase used by Muslims to describe their co-religionists, Christians and Jews, who worship the same God. People of the Book are afforded a special position in Islam, with rules set out for their treatment and rights that are not afforded to those whose views are contrary to Islam. At various times, members of other faiths, notably Zoroastrians in Iran, have been and are considered People of the Book. Ptolemaic - dynasty - The Ptolemaic pharaohs of Egypt were descendants of the Greek general Ptolemy, who served in the army of Alexander the Great. After Alexander's forces conquered Egypt in 332 BCE, Ptolemy was put in charge. After Alexander's death, the Ptolemies set themselves up as the new dynasty of Pharaohs. The Ptolemies were a Greek dynasty, and most of the Ptolemaic pharaohs blended Greek and Egyptian traditions. al-Qahir - Arabic - (al-KA-hurr) Mars al-Qahira, Medinat - place - (al-KAH-her-rah) Arabic name for Cairo. Founded in 969 CE as a royal city by the Fatimids, who named it "The City Victorious." al-Qatta'i, Medinat - place - (al-cut-TIE-ya) City founded by Ahmed Ibn Tulun in 868 as his capital, which never succeeded al-Fustat, but became an important city in its own right. The name means "City of Sections," referring to the methodical grid layout that lent itself to subdivisions for various sections of society. Qibla - direction - (KEEB-lah) The direction of Mecca from any given point. Mosques are built to face the qibla, which may be indicated by a mihrab. Qur'an - book - (KOO-rawn, not KOH-ran) The compiled verses revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by God. The Qur'an is the holy scripture of Islam. Sometimes spelled Koran. Ramadan - month - (rum-mud-DAWN) The 9th month of the Islamic calendar, during which observant Muslims are supposed to refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and other activities from sunrise to sunset. Rashid - place - (rash-EED) City at the confluence of the Nile River and the Mediterranean Sea, where the Rosetta stone was found. Also called Rosetta. Roda - place - (ROW-duh) one of the two islands in the Nile River in the Cairo area, site of the Manial subdivision. al-Sadat, Anwar - person - (suh-DAT) (1918 - 1981) President of Egypt 1970-1981. He signed the peace treaty with Israel in 1978, and negotiated Israel's withdrawal from the Sinai after the 1973 war Said - person - (si-YEED) (1822 - 1863) Successor of Abbas to the throne of Egypt, who initiated the Suez Canal project. First to use the title "Khedive," although it was not officialy adopted until Ismail came to power. al-Salih - person - (al-SAWL-ihh) (1206 - 1249) last of the line of Salah al-Din, who died as the Crusaders, led by Louis IX of France, were invading Egypt Sakkara - place - (suh-CAR-uh) The site of the first pyramid, the Step Pyramid, built by Imhotep for the Pharaoh Zoser. Salah al-Din - person - (sul-LAH ud-DEEN) (1138 - 1193) Son of Nureddin, who conquered Egypt to stop the Fatimids from negotiating with the Crusaders. Salah al-Din built the Citadel, which remains to this day an important military and administrative complex. Known in the west as Saladin. Selim - person - (suh-LEEM) (1470 - 1520) Ottoman Sultan who led the invasion of Egypt in 1517. Shajarat al-Durr - person - (shuh-juh-RUTT ad-DOOR) (d. 1257) Wife of al-Salih, who seized control of Egypt after her husband's death. Shi'a - sect - (SHE-ya) The Shi'a (adjective: Shi'i, or Shi'ite) are the followers of Ali, who believed that Ali should have been succeeded by his son Hussein as Caliph, rather than Muawiyah, who was actually chosen. The Shi'a believed that the Caliphate should remain in the control of the family of the Prophet Muhammad. The Shi'a split off from the Sunnis after Hussein was killed in the battle of Kerbala in 681 Sneferu - person - (2500s BCE) Enthusiastic Old Kingdom Pharaoh who built no less than four pyramids at the Dahshur and Meidum sites for himself. Father of Khufu. Suleiman al-Katib - person - Emissary of the Abbassid Caliph sent to reclaim Egypt from the descendants of Ibn Tulun in 905. Founder of the Ikhshid dynasty. Sunni - sect - (SOON-nee) The Sunni Muslims were those who supported Muawiyah rather than Hussein to succeed Ali as Caliph. The Sunni believed that the Caliphate could be held by any righteous individual, who did not necessarily have to be descended from Muhammad or his family. Suq - Arabic - (SOOK) market. Usually associated with a "bazaar," a collection of stalls and shops owned by small business owners specializing in the sale of a particular item. Also spelled souq or souk. Tewfiq - person - (taw-FEEK) (1852 - 1892) Khedive of Egypt 1879-1892, under whom the Urabi rebellion led to the British and French invasion of Egypt in 1882. Thebes - place - site in Upper Egypt that served as administrative and religious center for New Kingdom Egypt. Now called "Luxor" (from Arabic al-Uqsuur - "The Palaces"). Ummayad Empire - place - (ooh-MIE-yud) The first Islamic Empire founded after the death of Muhammad, based in Damascus, which held precendence over the Islamic world from 661-750 CE. Urabi, Colonel - person - (ooh-RAH-bee) (1839 - 1911) Leader of a pro-democracy , anti-monarchy movement in 1881-2 that sought to end European domination of Egypt, but in fact led to the European occupation in 1882. Wafd - political party - "Delegation," the name of Saad Zaghlul's nationalist party, outlawed by King Fuad after Zaghlul's death. Wog - durogatory term - "Worthy Oriental Gentleman," used by the British to refer to Egyptians. Zaghlul, Saad - person - (sad zag-LOOL) (1857 - 1927) Nationalist leader of the Wafd party who agitated for European withdrawal from Egypt in the 1910s, and was the leader of the main opposition to the King in the 1920s. Zoser - person - (2700s BCE) Pharaoh of Old Kingdom Egypt whose advisor, Imhotep, built the Step Pyramid at Sakkara as a funerary monument for him. |