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Umm Ar-Rasas Mosaics
The Umm ar-Rasas mosaics are a number of Byzantine mosaics discovered by Michele Piccirillo (archaeologist), Michele Piccirillo in the ruins of the Church of St. Stephen in Umm ar-Rasas, Jordan, in 1986. Of particular note is a mosaic floor dated to 785, the largest one in Jordan, with a series of panels depicting the most important cities of the region. Town mosaic Outer frame, left (northern) side A series of eight cities in Palestine (region), Palestine are shown in the frame: * Jerusalem (Hagia-polis [Holy City]) * Nablus (Neapolis) * Sebastia, Nablus, Sebastia (Sebastis) * Caesarea Maritima, Caesarea * Lydda (Diospolis) * Bayt Jibrin (Eleutheropolis) * Ascalon (Askalon) * Gaza City, Gaza File:Umm ar-Rasas Church of St. Stephen Jerusalem 2785.jpg , Jerusalem File:Umm ar-Rasas Church of St. Stephen Nablus 2786.jpg, Nablus File:Umm ar-Rasas Church of St. Stephen Sebastia 2787.jpg, Sebastia File:Umm ar-Rasas Church of St. Stephen Caesarea 2788.jpg , Caesarea File:Umm ar-Ra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Umm Ar-Rasas Church Of St
Umm () means ''mother'' in Arabic. It is a common Arabic feminine given name and generic prefix for Semitic place names. It may refer to: Places Bahrain *Ain Umm Sujoor, an archaeological site *Umm an Nasan, an island *Umm as Sabaan, an islet Egypt *Umm Kulthum Museum, in Old Cairo *Umm Naggat mine *Umm El Qa'ab, a necropolis *Zawyet Umm El Rakham, an archaeological site Iraq *Umm al Binni lake *Umm Qasr, a port city **Umm Qasr Port Israel *Umm Batin, a village *Umm al-Fahm, a city *Shibli–Umm al-Ghanam, a town *Umm al-Hiran, a village *Umm al-Qutuf, a village Jordan *Umm al Birak, a town *Jabal Umm Fruth Bridge *Jabal Umm ad Dami, a mountain *Mount Umm Daraj *Umm el-Jimal, a village *Umm al Kundum, a town *Umm Qais, a town *Umm al Qanafidh, a town *Umm Shujayrah al Gharbiyah, a town *Umm Zuwaytinah, a town Kuwait *Umm al Maradim Island *Umm an Namil Island, Kuwait Bay, Persian Gulf Libya *Umm al Ahrar, an oasis *Qabr Umm al Hishah, an oasis *Umm al Rizam, a town Palestin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amman
Amman ( , ; , ) is the capital and the largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of four million as of 2021, Amman is Jordan's primate city and is the largest city in the Levant region, the fifth-largest city in the Arab world, and the tenth-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East. The earliest evidence of settlement in Amman dates to the 8th millennium BC in 'Ain Ghazal, home to the world's oldest statues of the human form. During the Iron Age, the city was known as ''Rabat Aman'', the capital of the Ammonite Kingdom. In the 3rd century BC, the city was renamed ''Philadelphia'' and became one of the ten Greco-Roman cities of the Decapolis. Later, in the 7th century AD, the Rashidun Caliphate renamed the city Amman. Throughout most of the Islamic era, the city alternated between periods of devastation and periods of relative prosperity. Amman was largely abandoned during the Ottoman period from the 15 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1986 Archaeological Discoveries
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal enter the European Community, which becomes the European Union in 1993. * January 11 – The Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges, Gateway Bridge in Brisbane, Australia, at this time the world's longest prestressed concrete free-cantilever bridge, is opened. * January 13–January 24, 24 – South Yemen Civil War. * January 20 – The United Kingdom and France announce plans to construct the Channel Tunnel. * January 24 – The Voyager 2 space probe makes its first encounter with Uranus. * January 25 – Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Army Rebel group takes over Uganda after leading a Ugandan Bush War, five-year guerrilla war in which up to half a million people are believed to have been killed. They will later use January 26 as the official date ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Early Byzantine Mosaics In The Middle East
Early Byzantine mosaics in the Middle East are a group of Christian mosaics created between the 4th and the 8th centuries in ancient Syria, Palestine, Transjordan and Egypt when the area belonged to the Byzantine Empire. The eastern provinces of the Eastern Roman Empire and its continuation, the Byzantine Empire, inherited a strong artistic tradition from pagan Late Antiquity. The tradition of making mosaics was carried on in the Umayyad era until the end of the 8th century. The great majority of these works of art were later destroyed but archeological excavations unearthed many surviving examples. The Holy Land (Palestine) Jerusalem, Judaean hill country and Shephelah Jerusalem with its many holy places probably had the highest concentration of mosaic-covered churches but very few of them survived the subsequent waves of destructions. The present remains do not do justice to the original richness of the city. The most important is the Birds Mosaic, popularly known as the "Arme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cynopolis
Cynopolis ( for "city of the dog") was the Hellenistic toponym for two cities in ancient Egypt. Both Cynopolis superior and Cynopolis inferior were bishoprics in Christian times. Cynopolis superior Cynopolis was the Greek name for the ancient Egyptian town of Saka (or Hardai?); () in the seventeenth nome of Upper Egypt, was home to the cult of Anubis, a canine-shaped deity. According to Claudius Ptolemy, the town was situated on an island in the river. The modern settlement of El Kays now stands on the site. The nome of Cynopolis extended to both banks of the Nile. A burial ground for dogs was discovered on the opposite bank of the Nile, near Hamatha. The neighbouring cities were rivals according to Plutarch, who wrote (''De Iside'', 72) that when a Cynopolis resident ate an Oxyrhynchos fish, the people of Oxyrhynchos started attacking dogs in revenge, which resulted in a minor civil war. Cynopolis was destroyed by the viceroy of Nubia Pinehesy during the reign of Ramses ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heracleion
Heracleion (Ancient Greek: ), also known as Thonis (Ancient Greek: ; from the Egyptian language, Ancient Egyptian: ; ) and sometimes called Thonis-Heracleion, was an ancient Egyptian port city located near the Canopic Mouth of the Nile, about northeast of Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea. It became inundated and its remains are located in Abu Qir Bay, currently off the coast, under ca. of water, and near Abukir. The sanctuary of Neith of Sais was located in Thonis. A stele found on the site indicates that late in its history the city was known by both its Egyptian and Greek names. The legendary beginnings of Thonis go back to as early as the 12th century BC, and it is mentioned by ancient Greeks, Greek historians. Its importance grew particularly during the Late Period of ancient Egypt, waning days of the pharaohs. History Thonis was originally built on some adjoining islands in the Nile Delta. The city was built around a central temple, and was intersected by canals ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pelusium
Pelusium (Ancient Egyptian: ; /, romanized: , or , romanized: ; ; ; ; ) was an important city in the eastern extremes of Egypt's Nile Delta, to the southeast of the modern Port Said. It became a Roman provincial capital and Metropolitan archbishopric and remained a multiple Catholic titular see and an Eastern Orthodox active archdiocese. Location Pelusium lay between the seaboard and the marshes of the Nile Delta, about two-and-a-half miles from the sea. The port was choked by sand as early as the first century BC, and the coastline has now advanced far beyond its ancient limits that the city, even in the third century AD, was at least four miles from the Mediterranean. The principal product of the neighbouring lands was flax, and the ''linum Pelusiacum'' (Pliny's Natural History xix. 1. s. 3) was both abundant and of a very fine quality. Pelusium was also known for being an early producer of beer, known as the Pelusian drink. Pelusium stood as a border-fortress, a place ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ras Kouroun
Ras Kasaroun () or El-Kas (), also known as Casius Mons in Latin, or Kasion Oros () to Greek geographers such as Herodotus (who considered it to mark the boundary between Egypt and Syria), is a small mountain and a former town near the marshy Lake Bardawil, the "Serbonian Bog" of Herodotus, where Zeus' ancient opponent Typhon was "said to be hidden". Here, Greeks knew, Baal Sephon was worshipped. The sandy mount stands out about the flat landscape, though it is a mere 100 metres above the sea. Its name is given to the Catholic titular see of Casius. Like the other Mount Casius in Syria, it was historically associated with a shrine to Zeus Zeus (, ) is the chief deity of the List of Greek deities, Greek pantheon. He is a sky father, sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, who rules as king of the gods on Mount Olympus. Zeus is the child ..., one of whose epithets was Kasios. The saying "Kasiotic knot", which in Medieval Greek ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alexandria
Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile Delta, Nile River delta. Founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great, Alexandria grew rapidly and became a major centre of Hellenic civilisation, eventually replacing Memphis, Egypt, Memphis, in present-day Greater Cairo, as Egypt's capital. Called the "Bride of the Mediterranean" and "Pearl of the Mediterranean Coast" internationally, Alexandria is a popular tourist destination and an important industrial centre due to its natural gas and petroleum, oil pipeline transport, pipelines from Suez. The city extends about along the northern coast of Egypt and is the largest city on the Mediterranean, the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second-largest in Egypt (after Cairo), the List of largest cities in the Arab world, fourth- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nile Delta
The Nile Delta (, or simply , ) is the River delta, delta formed in Lower Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's larger deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east; it covers of the Mediterranean coastline and is a rich agricultural region. From north to south the delta is approximately in length. The Delta begins slightly down-river from Cairo. Geography From north to south, the delta is approximately in length. From west to east, it covers some of coastline. The delta is sometimes divided into sections, with the Nile dividing into two main distributary, distributaries, the Damietta and the Rosetta, flowing into the Mediterranean at port cities with the same names. In the past, the delta had several distributaries, but these have been lost due to flood management, flood control, silting and changing relief. One such defunct distributary is Wadi Tumilat. The Suez Canal is east of the delta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Al-Karak
Al-Karak (), in English sources often simply Karak, is a city in Jordan known for its medieval castle, the Kerak Castle. The castle is one of the three largest castles in the region, the other two being in Syria. Al-Karak is the capital city of the Karak Governorate. Al-Karak lies to the south of Amman on the ancient King's Highway. It is situated on a hilltop about above sea level and is surrounded on three sides by a valley. Al-Karak has a view of the Dead Sea. A city of about 32,216 people (2005) grew up around castle. The town is built on a triangular plateau with the castle at its narrow southern tip. History Iron Age to Assyrian period Al-Karak has been inhabited since at least the Iron Age, and was an important city for the Moabites. In the Bible it is called ''Kir-haresh'', ''Kir-hareseth'' or Kir of Moab, and is identified as having been subject to the Neo-Assyrian Empire; in the Books of Kings () and Book of Amos (), it is mentioned as the place where the Ara ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rabba
Rabba () is a town in Jordan in the Karak Governorate. As ancient Areopolis, it is a former bishopric and present Latin Catholic titular see. Rabba lies about north of the city of Al-Karak. It had a population of about 7200 in 2015. Geography Rabba lies on the historical King's Highway (ancient), King's Highway. It is situated on a thin semi-fertile plain, giving way to Wadi Ibn Hammad in the west, and the desert in the east. Located near the northern edge of the town is the Farming College, a branch of Mu'tah University. Climate History Iron Age to Byzantine period Rabba was formerly known as Rabbath Moab. In the Hellenistic and Roman times it was called Areopolis, its Greek name. It was one of the two leading cities of the Karak Plateau at this time. Areopolis is mentioned by Ptolemy, Eusebius, who cited the ''terrifying nature of the place'', Hierocles (author of Synecdemus), Hierocles and Stephen of Byzantium, Sozomen and also the ''Notitia Dignitatum'' The town is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
