An Oasis City

An Oasis City
Author: Roger S. Bagnall
Publisher: NYU Press
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2016-02-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 147986031X

Scattered through the vast expanse of stone and sand that makes up Egypt’s Western Desert are several oases. These islands of green in the midst of the Sahara owe their existence to springs and wells drawing on ancient aquifers. In antiquity, as today, they supported agricultural communities, going back to Neolithic times but expanding greatly in the millennium from the Saite pharaohs to the Roman emperors. New technologies of irrigation and transportation made the oases integral parts of an imperial economy. Amheida, ancient Trimithis, was one of those oasis communities. Located in the western part of the Dakhla Oasis, it was an important regional center, reaching a peak in the Roman period before being abandoned. Over the past decade, excavations at this well-preserved site have revealed its urban layout and brought to light houses, streets, a bath, a school, and a church. The only standing brick pyramid of the Roman period in Egypt has been restored. Wall-paintings, temple reliefs, pottery, and texts all contribute to give a lively sense of its political, religious, economic, and cultural life. This book presents these aspects of the city’s existence and its close ties to the Nile valley, by way of long desert roads, in an accessible and richly illustrated fashion.

The Last Civilized Place

The Last Civilized Place
Author: Ronald A. Messier
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Total Pages: 297
Release: 2015-06-15
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0292766653

Set along the Sahara's edge, Sijilmasa was an African El Dorado, a legendary city of gold. But unlike El Dorado, Sijilmasa was a real city, the pivot in the gold trade between ancient Ghana and the Mediterranean world. Following its emergence as an independent city-state controlling a monopoly on gold during its first 250 years, Sijilmasa was incorporated into empire—Almoravid, Almohad, and onward—leading to the "last civilized place" becoming the cradle of today's Moroccan dynasty, the Alaouites. Sijilmasa's millennium of greatness ebbed with periods of war, renewal, and abandonment. Today, its ruins lie adjacent to and under the modern town of Rissani, bypassed by time. The Moroccan-American Project at Sijilmasa draws on archaeology, historical texts, field reconnaissance, oral tradition, and legend to weave the story of how this fabled city mastered its fate. The authors' deep local knowledge and interpretation of the written and ecological record allow them to describe how people and place molded four distinct periods in the city's history. Messier and Miller compare models of Islamic cities to what they found on the ground to understand how Sijilmasa functioned as a city. Continuities and discontinuities between Sijilmasa and the contemporary landscape sharpen questions regarding the nature of human life on the rim of the desert. What, they ask, allows places like Sijilmasa to rise to greatness? What causes them to fall away and disappear into the desert sands?

Oasis in the City

Oasis in the City
Author: Peter Reed
Publisher: Museum of Modern Art, New York
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2018-10-23
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 9780870709074

A deluxe large-scale book celebrating the life and design of The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, an oasis at the heart of The Museum of Modern Art. The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden at The Museum of Modern Art is beloved by all, whether artists or ordinary museum goers, New Yorkers or visitors from around the world. It is a respite from the crowds and skyscrapers that surround it, as well as a place to commune with major works of modern and contemporary art. Through essays and archival images, this lavishly illustrated volume pays tribute to the Garden_s beauty and remarkable history, while offering a behind-the-scenes look at the many exhibitions, programmes and events that have taken place there over the past eighty years. The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden at The Museum of Modern Art features the sculptures that have become synonymous with the Garden, along with the many architects, artists and curators who have worked on and in this remarkable space. This unique publication also debuts a portfolio of images of the Garden by some of the world_s most renowned contemporary photographers, demonstrating that while the outdoor gallery is constantly changing with the seasons, new programming, and rotations of the art on display, it continues to be an inspiration to artists and the broader public alike.

Arabian Oasis City

Arabian Oasis City
Author: Soraya Altorki
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Total Pages: 285
Release: 2013-06-06
Genre: History
ISBN: 0292757298

Vast social change has occurred in the Middle East since the oil boom of the mid-1970s. As the first anthropological study of an urban community in Saudi Arabia since that oil boom, Arabian Oasis City is also the first to document those changes. Based on extensive interviews and participant observation with both men and women, the authors record and analyze the transformation that has occurred in this ancient oasis city throughout the twentieth century: the creation of the present Saudi Arabian state and of a new national economy based on the export of oil and the economic boom brought about by the dramatic increases in the price of oil following the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War. In addition, the authors reveal the changes brought about by the fall in the price of oil beginning in 1982 and analyze the problems confronting ‘Unayzah in its aftermath. By demonstrating that the area was not exclusively dominated by tribalism and Bedouin nomads, this empirical case study destroys stereotypical views about Saudi Arabia. Indeed, it proves the existence—prior to the coming of the modern Saudi Arabian state— of surplus agricultural and craft production and the full development of local, regional, and long-distance trade networks. It shows that women, although veiled, played active roles in work outside the household. The social impact of change over the years is, however, profound—especially the gradual replacement of the extended family by the nuclear family, changing patterns of husband-wife relationships, the impact of self-earned income on the status of women, and the emergence of a new middle class of employees and entrepreneurs. Because of the high degree of gender segregation in this area of research, Altorki and Cole give us a fortunate collaboration between a Saudi Arabian female scholar and an American male scholar experienced in research in the Middle East.

Algeria

Algeria
Author: Jonathan Oakes
Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides
Total Pages: 276
Release: 2008
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 9781841622323

The first guide to focus on the renascent Algeria. After a decade of isolated but brutal civil unrest, peace is holding and tourism is emerging. From the northern coastal strip with bays reminiscent of southern Italy to the desert towns of the south, Algeria has a great deal to offer visitors.Algeria's World Heritage sites are free of thronging crowds. There is significant evidence of the country's Roman past; the ruins of Timgad are among the best-preserved in the world, while those at Tipasa overlook the Mediterranean Sea and are within easy reach of the capital, Algiers. The desert holds 8,000-year-old cave paintings and the wonderful Haggar Mountains.

The House of Serenos, Part II

The House of Serenos, Part II
Author: Paola Davoli
Publisher: NYU Press
Total Pages: 598
Release: 2022-09-06
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 147981346X

A comprehensive study of the archaeology of the House of Serenos The House of Serenos, Part II is the second of four books devoted to publishing the archaeology of the House of Serenos, a richly decorated, late antique villa of a local élite, located in Amheida (ancient Trimithis) in the Dakhla Oasis of Egypt. The House of Serenos, Part II synthesizes the archaeological information presented in detail in other volumes in a comprehensive study of the architectural and archaeological history of the house and its relationship to its natural and built environments, from construction through expansion and renovation to its eventual abandonment around the end of the fourth century. The volume includes discussions of archaeological method, stratigraphy, architecture, and the archaeological assemblages discovered in the House of Serenos—and reveals what all this can tell us about the inhabitants and their experience living in this high-status residence at the edge of the Roman Empire.

Sustainable Energy-Water-Environment Nexus in Deserts

Sustainable Energy-Water-Environment Nexus in Deserts
Author: Essam Heggy
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 811
Release: 2022-04-25
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3030760812

This book addresses challenges and opportunities in the Energy-Water-Environment (EWE) nexus, with a particular focus on research and technology development requirements in harsh desert climates. Its chapters include selected contributions presented during the 1st international conference on sustainable Energy-Water-Environment nexus in desert climates (ICSEWEN-19) held at the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) in Doha, Qatar in December 2019. This volume is comprised of three main chapters, each describing important case studies and progress on water, energy and environmental questions. A fourth chapter on policies and community outreach on these three areas is also included. This compilation aims to bridge the gap between research and industry to address the socioeconomic impacts of the nexus imbalance as perceived by scientists, industrial partners, and policymakers. The content of this book is of particular importance to graduate students, researchers and decision makers interested in understanding water, energy and environmental challenges in arid areas. Re searchers in environmental and civil engineering, chemistry, hydrology and environmental science can also find unique in-situ observations of the current nexus imbalance in deserts climate to validate their investigations. It is also an invaluable guide for industry professionals working in water, energy, environment and food sectors to understand the rapidly evolving landscape of the EWE nexus in arid areas. The analyses, observations and lessons-learned summarized herein are applicable to other arid areas outside North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula as well, such as central Australia, the southwest of the United States and deserts in central Asia.

One Story a Day for Science

One Story a Day for Science
Author: Kara Cybanski
Publisher: DC Canada Education Publishing
Total Pages: 133
Release: 2024-07-11T16:58:00Z
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1772057770

Where science meets storytelling, you'll find One Story a Day for Science, a collection of 365 stories each focused on a different scientific concept ranging from the wonders of nature to diseases, historical figures to tech advances, endangered animals to human DNA. Complete with thought-provoking questions and activities, this illustrated series is bound to inspire young readers to develop a keen interest in science while also practicing reading and comprehension abilities!

Tourism in Central Asia

Tourism in Central Asia
Author: Kemal Kantarci
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 398
Release: 2014-09-05
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1771880554

This book will be a major resource for all academic researchers and practitioners interested in issues dealing with the development of tourism, its potential and challenges, and policy and regulatory issues in the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. These countries are gaining more attention as emerging destinations. There is limited research that focuses on these countries with respect to their potential and characteristics as tourism destinations. This book aims to be an invaluable source for both practitioners and academicians who are in international marketing and tourism. The central Asia region (also termed the Silk Road region) as an emerging destination is ripe for future tourism development. The region is rich with historical, cultural, and natural beauty that could provide significant utility to many potential visitors. This book brings together key writings on this topic in a single resource.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Author: Geoffrey William Bromiley
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Total Pages: 1064
Release: 1979
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780802837813

This is Volume I of an encyclopedia representing the scholarship of hundreds of evangelical contributors who have prepared articles on virtually every person, place, and term mentioned in the Bible. The encyclopedia is based on the Revised Standard Version, but is cross-referenced so that readers of other versions can easily utilize it.