Ismail Shah, the ruler who converted Iran from Sunni to Shia Islam, was born on July 17, 1487.

Egypt opened its doors to foreign dancers and asked its hometown heroes to stay out of the competition at the Alf Leila We Leila Festival (Belly Dancing World Cup 2006). Since an Egyptian has won nearly every year of the competition, the local contestants decided to see what the rest of the world had to offer.

The Library of Congress has published a collection of 355 sheets of Arabic calligraphy from the 9th-19th centuries on its website. The site features digital reproductions of the manuscripts along with background material.

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The Barony of Twin Moons of the Kingdom of Atenveldt (Phoenix, Arizona) would like to invite you to experience the Middle East with us. We are holding our annual Middle East Feast on Saturday August, 19, 2006.

For those who have never attended, this is a day long, indoor event with drumming, dancing, merchants and a huge menu of Middle Eastern Food. You are encouraged to bring rugs, pillows, low coffee tables, drums, drapes so that the hall has an Eastern feel, and you have a place to lounge. All these elements go together to create a spectacular, one-of-a-kind event that is a great tradition in our lands Location:
Barony of Twin Moons (Phoenix, Arizona)

Nathan Santamaria, a reporter for National Public Radio, reports on his search for rare natural dyes in a Kabul, Afghanistan market. Listen to the All Things Considered report and view photos online.

On June 14, 1325, Ibn Batuta left his native Tangier on pilgrimage to Mecca. He was not to return for 29 years.

On May 28, 1291, during the Siege of Acre, the temple of the Knights Templar was destroyed. With it went the crusading Knights' last foothold in the Holy Land.

On May 27, 1218, the first ships of the Fifth Crusade reached Egypt.

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Summer brings the call to Glory!

Following in the footsteps of those who first brought goods to Rome, our caravan will find Adventure along the Silk Road. Merchants will gather from far and wide, and Guards will heed the call to protect their goods against the Brigands who await them. Experience the wonders of the Middle East, brave the dangers of the Taklimakan Desert, and join friends Old and New for food and fellowship in Chang’An, the Imperial City.

Up-to-date information is located at: http//www.glorywar.org/

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LCCC Campground Buford, WY

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In the past months, we have seen war rage in the Kingdom of Gleann Abhann. We celebrated great victories and mourned our losses. Rumors have now reached the ears of His Majesty Michael and His Highness Ragnarr that war will rage yet again between the Kingdoms of the East and the Middle. As we gear up to again take up arms in support of our Sovereigns, we look to find solace while we can. We look to the Wastelands, an oasis in the heart of our fair lands, a meeting place for the fierce enemies and loyal friends alike to gather in peace for a day of tournament, feasting, and fun.   Location:
Canton of Hindscroft (Booneville, North Carolina)

On May 15, 756, Abd ar-Rahman was proclaimed Emir of Cordoba, beginning the three-century Umayyad dynasty of Moorish Spain.

Cambridge University has received a grant of nearly half a million pounds to conserve and digitize its Genizah Collection of medieval Arabic and Jewish documents.

A cache of gold and silver jewelry dating to 638-1099CE has been discovered in Ramle, Israel.

Archaeologists have discovered the first provable remains of Knights Templar buried beneath a crusader castle in Israel.

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Mark your calendars - May 5-7 Formosa, AR...Aphar Faire XIV...theme is Tales from Apar!

Middle Eastern Miscellany! Fighting, archery, rapier, food, A & S competition, classes, food, children's classes, food, coffee house fundraiser, food, Merchants, fun (you thought I was going to say food didn't you :-)...dancing, hafla, and a chance to visit with old friends and make new ones! Remember it is MAY 5-7, 2006 (yes, May!) Location:
Shire Lagerdamm (Formosa, Arkansas)

A cache of 6th century Coptic manuscripts has been discovered at the Monastery of Deir al-Surian in western Egypt. The find includes a single completed manuscript and hundreds of fragments from the 6th through 10th centuries CE.

Back by popular request…the Cynaguan Culinary Guild invites you to join in an enchanted evening in Arab Spain. We have carefully chosen a menu of Middle Eastern delights, which will entice even the most critical palate which includes four courses beginning with appetizers and ending with a superb assortment of desserts and refreshing Moroccan Tea.

Two scholars discuss a historic flashpoint and its relevance today. Antonia Ryan conducted an e-mail exchange with two scholars of the Crusades -- one who writes about Christian perspectives and one who studies the Muslim experience of these medieval wars.

On February 25, 2006 the Barony of Dun Carraig is hosting "A Day in the Middle East", a very special indoor event that will include all kinds of fun for everyone. There will be food, dancing, drumming, classes, food...oh, and did I mention, food?

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies of the University of Chicago is calling for papers to be presented at the 21st Annual Middle East History and Theory Conference to be held May 12-13, 2006.

On the border between Syria and Iraq, archaeological excavation has uncovered the remains of a settlement from the fifth millenium BCE.

Judith of Troll Fen reports that the African and Middle Eastern Division of the Library of Congress has released Islamic Manuscripts from Mali as part of its Global Gateway collection. The collection is available online.

The Barony of Unser Hafen presents Winter Oasis.

Squabbling over repairs to the basilica commemorating the birthplace of Jesus may endanger the Church of the Nativity, according to Telegraph reporter Tim Butcher. He writes that the three Christian communities in charge of maintaining the church cannot agree on restoration methods.

Archaeologist and former nun Eugenia Nitowski believes that she has positive proof that the Shroud of Turin is genuine.

The sparkling, new library in Alexandria, Egypt has an enormous reputation to live up to. The original, built by Alexander's general Ptolemy I Soter, became known as the greatest library in the world.

An exhibition of imperial Turkish robes and kaftans will be on display at the Smithsonian Institute's Sackler Gallery through January 22, 2006.

The weekend before Atenveldt and Gleann Abhann’s coronations, the first-ever international exhibition devoted to imperial Turkish robes, or kaftans, dating to the 16th-17th centuries, opened at the Smithsonian Institute’s Sackler Gallery.

The ruins of the oldest Christian church in the Middle East, and probably the whole world, were discovered in the Megiddo prison area.

On November 6-7, 2005, the History Channel will present The Crusades: Crescent and the Cross, a "clear-eyed look at the first three crusades, the battle between the Crescent and the Cross, which still shapes the Middle East and relations between the two great religions in our present day world."