Author: NancyCouturier (Page 5 of 6)

This article is written by an archaeological illustrator who argues for the use of comic (and other) visual aids, but is also concerned about, basically, too much of a good thing:

“Audiences are perhaps now so used to seeing photographs, paintings, cutaway drawings and 3D models – even filmed reconstructions – of the ancient Near East that I wonder if they have stopped really “seeing” the information they contain. These ways of representing have become so familiar to people that they may think they already know all there is to know about the subject, making it harder to communicate the importance or impact of new research.”

If you can make sense of this, you’re an adult–a very adulty adult. There are lots of nine-dollar college terms in the article I’ve heard before but loath to be tested on: nationalism, geopolitics, transnational, nation-states, political economies, sectarian . . .

I mean, the author’s “about” info is even beyond me: “George Friedman is an internationally recognized geopolitical forecaster and strategist on international affairs and the founder and chairman of Geopolitical Futures.”

It does have some useful maps (read pictures), though, like this one:

It has an intriguing title. Give it a read and let us know what it’s about.

This is a site (arabic-for-nerds.com) to learn anything about the Arabic language and its linguistic family tree. The link here is to an article about what type of language Arabic is (Semitic), but the author warns us: “It is all very complicated and academic.”

Go to this website and click on the links under the “Virtual Walking Tours” header (see pic below).

Walk around Alhambra, Suleymaniye Mosque, and Al-Haram al-Sharif.

“‘Antiquarianism’ is the term of art used to describe the investigation of the European past through its material remains before art history and archaeology emerged in the nineteenth century as the disciplines devoted to its study.”

This symposium is on the study of how the Islamic world studied the past.

Titles of ~30-45 minute talks include: -The Wisdom in Ruins: Veneration of the Material Past in the Medieval Islamic World —The Notion of Ruins in the Medieval Islamic World -Appreciating, Collecting, and the Meaning of Ancient Objects in the Early and Middle Islamic Period -Negotiating Cultural Continuity in Early Islam: The Future of Ancient Knowledge –The Near Past, the Distant Past, and the Political Legitimacy of the Fatimids and Buyids -Antiquarianism and Encyclopedism in the Fourteenth Century -Artefacts as Evidence in Muslim Historical-Legal Scholarship -Philology, Forgery, and Superstition: The Fierce Debate over the Shrine of Sayyida Zaynab in Early Twentieth-Century Egypt

(“Bard Graduate Center is devoted to the study of decorative arts, design history, and material culture through research, advanced degrees, exhibitions, publications, and events.”)

“In 17th-century England, talking about Islam was a way of criticising the powers that be. When an introduction to the first translation of the Quran described a ‘leader of a band of fugitives’, was it aimed at the Prophet or Oliver Cromwell?”

Link

The important take away from this is the denegrating tone toward Islam in the 17th century.

Here’s the link.

There sure is–brand new and complete with seasonal exhibits and everything.

Here’s the info from their “visit us” page on their website:

Open Thursday – Saturday, 12pm-6pm.

General admission – $5/person. Purchase at the door. Donations are welcome.

*Tours for 5+ people can be arranged outside normal weekly hours when booked at least two weeks in advance by emailing info@mpp-dc.org.

Located at 1900 18th St. NW, Washington, DC 20009, on the corner of 18th and T street.

The Islamic Society of the Washington Area is hosting an international bazaar in a few weeks:

I found this on their Facebook page, and now you know as much about it as I do.

Fantastic research topic. Here’s a teaser of the article (and topic):

“Only a gang of experienced burglars would be abroad at such an hour [3 am] equipped with a tortoise.”

Mike Dash, Smithsonian.com

Truly, it sounds too ridiculous to be true. And there’s the rabbit hole.