Badulla, town, southeastern Sri Lanka, southeast of Kandy, on the Badulu Oya (river). It is surrounded by mountains and is the site of two large and wealthy temples. Badulla is also a marketplace for the agricultural products of the villages, terraced rice paddies, and tea estates in the area.

Bedouin, Arabic-speaking nomadic peoples of the Middle Eastern deserts, especially of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Israel, Iraq, Syria, and Jordan. Most Bedouins are animal herders who migrate into the desert during the rainy winter season and move back toward the cultivated land in

Death Valley: A point in Badwater Basin, lying 282 feet (86 metres) below sea level, is the lowest area in North America. Less than 20 miles (30 km) west is the 11,049-foot (3,368-metre) Telescope Peak, the area’s highest point. Death Valley was an obstacle to movements of pioneer settlers (whence…

Russia: The mountains of the south and east: …most prominent mountains are the Badzhalsky Mountains, which rise to 8,661 feet (2,640 metres), to the west of the lower Amur, and the Sikhote-Alin, which reach 6,814 feet (2,077 metres), between the Amur-Ussuri lowlands and the Pacific.

Russia: The mountains of the south and east: …most prominent mountains are the Badzhalsky Mountains, which rise to 8,661 feet (2,640 metres), to the west of the lower Amur, and the Sikhote-Alin, which reach 6,814 feet (2,077 metres), between the Amur-Ussuri lowlands and the Pacific.

Colwyn Bay, seaside resort town and urban area (from 2011 built-up area), Conwy county borough, historic county of Denbighshire (Sir Ddinbych), northern Wales. It lies on the North Wales coast of the Irish Sea. The town, which dates from the 19th century, grew rapidly after World War I to become

BAE Systems, major British manufacturer of aircraft, missiles, avionics, and other aerospace and defense products. It was formed in 1999 from the merger of British Aerospace PLC (BAe) with Marconi Electronic Systems, formerly part of General Electric Company PLC. BAe, in turn, dates to the merger

Bae Yong-Jun is a South Korean actor and business executive who achieved fame as the romantic lead in a number of globally syndicated televised drama series. He was also known for his various business ventures, notably the entertainment firm KeyEast. Bae found his calling as an actor as a teenager

Cabra, city, Córdoba provincia (province), in the comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) of Andalusia, southern Spain. It is picturesquely situated between the Sierras de las Carbas and de Montilla, southeast of Córdoba city. Cabra has a ruined Moorish castle, and its parish church (the former

Leo Baeck was a Reform rabbi and theologian, the spiritual leader of German Jewry during the Nazi period, and the leading liberal Jewish religious thinker of his time. His magnum opus, The Essence of Judaism, appeared in 1905. His final work, This People Israel: The Meaning of Jewish Existence

St. Bede the Venerable ; canonized 1899; feast day May 25) was an Anglo-Saxon theologian, historian, and chronologist. St. Bede is best known for his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum (“Ecclesiastical History of the English People”), a source vital to the history of the conversion to

Karl Baedeker was the founder of a German publishing house known for its guidebooks. Baedeker was the son of a printer and bookseller. In 1827 he started a firm at Koblenz and two years later brought out a guidebook to the town. It was in the second edition of a guide to the Rhine from Mainz to

Sobaek Mountains: … (5,276 feet [1,608 meters]), and Baegun (4,190 feet [1,277 meters]), are watersheds for southern South Korea. Jirisan (6,283 feet [1,915 meters]), on its southwestern branch, is a national park.

Leo Baekeland was a U.S. industrial chemist who helped found the modern plastics industry through his invention of Bakelite, the first thermosetting plastic (a plastic that does not soften when heated). Baekeland received his doctorate maxima cum laude from the University of Ghent at the age of 21

Leo Baekeland was a U.S. industrial chemist who helped found the modern plastics industry through his invention of Bakelite, the first thermosetting plastic (a plastic that does not soften when heated). Baekeland received his doctorate maxima cum laude from the University of Ghent at the age of 21

Baekje, one of three kingdoms into which ancient Korea was divided before 660. Occupying the southwestern tip of the Korean peninsula, Baekje is traditionally said to have been founded in 18 bce in the Gwangju area by a legendary leader named Onjo. By the 3rd century ce, during the reign of King

bel fruit, (Aegle marmelos), tree of the family Rutaceae, cultivated for its fruit. The plant is native to India and Bangladesh and has naturalized throughout much of Southeast Asia. The unripe fruit, sliced and sun-dried, is traditionally used as a remedy for dysentery and other digestive

Spanish literature: The 15th century: …the king by the poet Juan Alfonso de Baena, anthologized 583 poems (mostly courtly lyrics) by 55 poets from the highest nobles to the humblest versifiers. The collection showed not merely the decadence of Galician-Portuguese troubadours but also the stirrings of more-intellectual poetry incorporating symbol, allegory, and Classical allusions in…

Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), organization launched in 2000 to advocate for initiatives including private school vouchers, charter schools, tuition tax credits, and public school choice and to build support for those initiatives among African Americans. The groundwork for the Black

titmouse: …10 North American species, the tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor, formerly Parus bicolor) is the best known, ranging widely over the eastern United States, where its cheery whistled “peter-peter-peter” rings through deciduous woodlands, orchards, and suburbs. Often attracted to bird feeders, this handsome crested little bird relishes sunflowers, although insects make…

fungus: Annotated classification: Order Baeomycetales Forms lichens; stalked or sessile ascomata; includes cap lichen; included in subclass Ostropomycetidae; example genus includes Baeomyces. Order Ostropales Forms lichens; apothecia may be capitate-stipitate or sessile turbinate; includes dimple lichen, gomphillus lichen, and common script lichen; included in subclass

basketball: U.S. women’s basketball: Clara Baer, who introduced basketball at the H. Sophie Newcomb College for Women in New Orleans, influenced the women’s style of play with her set of women’s rules, published in 1895. On receiving a diagram of the court from Naismith, Baer mistook dotted lines, indicating…

Karl Ernst von Baer was a Prussian-Estonian embryologist who discovered the mammalian ovum and the notochord and established the new science of comparative embryology alongside comparative anatomy. He was also a pioneer in geography, ethnology, and physical anthropology. Baer, one of 10 children,

Karl Ernst von Baer was a Prussian-Estonian embryologist who discovered the mammalian ovum and the notochord and established the new science of comparative embryology alongside comparative anatomy. He was also a pioneer in geography, ethnology, and physical anthropology. Baer, one of 10 children,

Max Baer was an American boxer who won the world heavyweight championship by knocking out Primo Carnera in 11 rounds in New York City on June 14, 1934. He lost the title to James J. Braddock on a 15-round decision at Long Island City, New York, on June 13, 1935. (Read Gene Tunney’s 1929 Britannica

The Beverly Hillbillies: …Hollywood; and Jethro Bodine (Max Baer, Jr.), Jed’s wayward, self-centred cousin who believes his sixth-grade education entitles him to a fascinating career (as, for example, a spy, a Hollywood producer, or a brain surgeon) and whose never-ending job search provided the backdrop for many of the show’s stories. Also…

Max Baer was an American boxer who won the world heavyweight championship by knocking out Primo Carnera in 11 rounds in New York City on June 14, 1934. He lost the title to James J. Braddock on a 15-round decision at Long Island City, New York, on June 13, 1935. (Read Gene Tunney’s 1929 Britannica

electronic game: Early home video consoles: Ralph Baer, a television engineer and manager at the military electronics firm of Sanders Associates (later integrated into BAE Systems), began in the late 1960s to develop technology and design games that could be played on television sets. In 1966 Baer designed circuitry to display…

electronic game: Early home video consoles: Ralph Baer, a television engineer and manager at the military electronics firm of Sanders Associates (later integrated into BAE Systems), began in the late 1960s to develop technology and design games that could be played on television sets. In 1966 Baer designed circuitry to display…

Green Party of Germany: …missteps by Green Party co-leader Annalena Baerbock. Nevertheless, the Greens performed very strongly, capturing 14.8 percent of the vote and 118 seats in the Bundestag. With the two major parties each winning about a quarter of the vote, the third-place Greens were seen as potential kingmakers ahead of postelection coalition…

Bærum, municipality, southeastern Norway. It is situated at the head of Oslo Fjord and adjoins the national capital of Oslo on the west. It has a broad frontage on Oslo Fjord and extends inland for several miles. Important settlements within Bærum are Lysaker, a small coastal port with paper- and

Western sculpture: Late Gothic: …contemporary carved Dijon altarpieces of Jacques de Baerze. The combination remained more or less constant for the rest of the Gothic period.

Baetic Cordillera, mountain system comprising the Andalusian mountains of southeastern Spain. The northern range (called pre-Baetic in Andalusia and sub-Baetic in Valencia) runs about 360 miles (580 km) from Cape Trafalgar in Andalusia to Cape Nao in Valencia, and it continues in a submerged form

Baetic Cordillera, mountain system comprising the Andalusian mountains of southeastern Spain. The northern range (called pre-Baetic in Andalusia and sub-Baetic in Valencia) runs about 360 miles (580 km) from Cape Trafalgar in Andalusia to Cape Nao in Valencia, and it continues in a submerged form

bullfighting: Origins and early forms: …tales of games held in Baetica (the Spanish region of Andalusia) in which men exhibited dexterity and valour before dealing the death blow with ax or lance to a wild horned beast. The Iberians were reported to have used skins or cloaks (precursors to the cape) to avoid the repeated…

Badalona, city, Barcelona provincia (province), in the comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) of Catalonia, northeastern Spain. It is a northeastern industrial suburb of Barcelona, lying on the Mediterranean coast at the mouth of the Besós River. The city’s outstanding landmark is the

baetylus, in Greek religion, a sacred stone or pillar. The word baetylus is of Semitic origin (-bethel). Numerous holy, or fetish, stones existed in antiquity, generally attached to the cult of some particular god and looked upon as his abiding place or symbol. The most famous example is the holy

baetylus, in Greek religion, a sacred stone or pillar. The word baetylus is of Semitic origin (-bethel). Numerous holy, or fetish, stones existed in antiquity, generally attached to the cult of some particular god and looked upon as his abiding place or symbol. The most famous example is the holy

baetylus, in Greek religion, a sacred stone or pillar. The word baetylus is of Semitic origin (-bethel). Numerous holy, or fetish, stones existed in antiquity, generally attached to the cult of some particular god and looked upon as his abiding place or symbol. The most famous example is the holy

Adolf von Baeyer was a German research chemist who synthesized indigo (1880) and formulated its structure (1883). He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1905. Baeyer studied with Robert Bunsen, but August Kekule exercised a greater influence on his development. He took his doctorate at the

Adolf von Baeyer was a German research chemist who synthesized indigo (1880) and formulated its structure (1883). He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1905. Baeyer studied with Robert Bunsen, but August Kekule exercised a greater influence on his development. He took his doctorate at the

Buenaventura Báez was a politician who served five terms as president of the Dominican Republic and is noted principally for his attempts to have the United States annex his country. Báez was a member of a wealthy and prominent family in the Dominican Republic. He was educated in Europe and began

Joan Baez is an American folksinger and political activist who interested young audiences in folk music during the 1960s. Despite the inevitable fading of the folk music revival, Baez continued to be a popular performer into the 21st century. By touring with younger performers throughout the world

Joan Baez is an American folksinger and political activist who interested young audiences in folk music during the 1960s. Despite the inevitable fading of the folk music revival, Baez continued to be a popular performer into the 21st century. By touring with younger performers throughout the world

Mimi Fariña was an American folk singer and social activist who, with her first husband, Richard Fariña, helped revitalize folk music in the 1960s. She was the younger sister of folk singer Joan Baez. Mimi and Richard Fariña were married in 1963, and the two began performing together. The duo

South Africa: Sports and recreation: …national football team, affectionately nicknamed Bafana Bafana (Zulu for "The Boys"), returned to international competition, it won the 1996 African Cup of Nations at home, was runner-up to Egypt at the same competition in 1998, and qualified for its first World Cup finals in 1998. South Africa hosted the 2010…

Bafatá, region located in north-central Guinea-Bissau. Bafatá is crosscut by the Gêba River, which flows east-west through the northern half of the region and is navigable to Bafatá town, the regional capital. The Corubal River flows east-west to form Bafatá’s southern border with the Quinará and

Bafatá, town located in east-central Guinea-Bissau. It lies along the Gêba River, which is navigable to that point. Bafatá is an important trading centre for the interior regions of Guinea-Bissau. There also is intensive agriculture around the town. The town produces peanuts (groundnuts) for export

Bafatá: The Bafatá Plateau, rising to about 500 feet (150 metres) above sea level, is located in central Bafatá between the Gêba and Corubal rivers.

Bob Baffert is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer who is one of the most successful trainers in American horse-racing history. He notably trained American Pharoah and Justify, both of which won the Triple Crown (victories in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes),

Bob Baffert is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer who is one of the most successful trainers in American horse-racing history. He notably trained American Pharoah and Justify, both of which won the Triple Crown (victories in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes),

Baffin, northernmost and easternmost region of Nunavut territory, Canada. In 1967 it was created as Baffin region, Northwest Territories, from most of what was formerly Franklin district, and it took on its present borders with the creation of Nunavut in April 1999. The largest of Nunavut’s three

Baffin Bay, arm of the North Atlantic Ocean with an area of 266,000 square miles (689,000 square km), extending southward from the Arctic for 900 miles (1,450 km) between the Greenland coast (east) and Baffin Island (west). The bay has a width varying between 70 and 400 miles (110 and 650 km).

Baffin Island Current, surface oceanic current, a southward-moving water outflow along the west side of Baffin Bay, Canada. The Baffin Island Current, flowing at a rate of about 11 miles (17 km) per day, is a combination of West Greenland Current inflow and the outflow of cold Arctic Ocean water

Baffin Island, island lying between Greenland and the Canadian mainland. With an area of 195,928 square miles (507,451 square km), it is the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest in the world. Baffin Island is separated from Greenland on the north and east by Baffin Bay and Davis Strait

Baffin Island Current, surface oceanic current, a southward-moving water outflow along the west side of Baffin Bay, Canada. The Baffin Island Current, flowing at a rate of about 11 miles (17 km) per day, is a combination of West Greenland Current inflow and the outflow of cold Arctic Ocean water

William Baffin was a navigator who searched for the Northwest Passage and gave his name to Baffin Island, now part of Nunavut, Canada, and to the bay separating it from Greenland. His determination of longitude at sea by observing the occultation of a star by the Moon in 1615 is said to have been

Arctic: Ethnic groups: The Baffin Island, orBaffinland, Inuit (Nunatsiarmiut) were often included in the Central Eskimo, a grouping that otherwise included the Caribou Inuit (Kivallirmiut) of the barrens west of Hudson Bay and the Iglulik (Iglulingmuit), Netsilik (Netsilingmiut), Copper (Inuinnait), and Mackenzie Inuit (Inuvialuit), all of whom live on or near…

gasoline engine: Exhaust system: …early design contained sets of baffles that reversed the flow of the gases or otherwise caused them to follow devious paths so that interference between the pressure waves reduced the pulsations. The mufflers most commonly used in modern motor vehicles employ resonating chambers connected to the passages through which the…

electromechanical transducer: Electromagnetic speakers: …a box, horn, or other enclosure in order to separate the waves from the front and the rear of the loudspeaker and thereby prevent them from canceling each other. The most common type of enclosure is the acoustic suspension system, in which the loudspeaker is mounted in an airtight box.…

Bafing River, river in western Africa, rising in the Fouta Djallon massif of Guinea and flowing generally northeast for about 200 miles (320 km). After passing the town of Bafing Makana in Mali, its only important riparian settlement, it curves around to flow approximately north-northwest, to form

Bafoussam, town located in western Cameroon, north-northeast of Douala. A trading centre of the Bamileke peoples, it lies in a densely populated region where coffee, kola nuts, tobacco, tea, and cinchona (from which quinine is made) are grown and pigs and poultry are raised. The town has a trade

Rachel Maddow: …was based on her popular podcast about Vice Pres. Spiro Agnew, who was forced to resign in 1973 as he faced various federal indictments.

Rachel Maddow: Maddow’s next book, Bag Man: The Wild Crimes, Audacious Cover-Up, and Spectacular Downfall of a Brazen Crook in the White House (2020; written with Michael Yarvitz), was based on her popular podcast about Vice Pres. Spiro Agnew, who was forced to resign in 1973 as he faced various…

commercial fishing: Bag nets: Bag nets are kept vertically open by a frame and held horizontally stretched by the water current. There are small scoop nets that can be pushed and dragged and big stownets, with and without wings, held on stakes or on anchors with or…

Baga, people who inhabit the swampy coastal region between Cape Verga and the city of Conakry in Guinea. They speak a language of the Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo family. The women cultivate rice; the men fish and tend palm and kola trees. Some Baga are employed as wage labourers in the

Mongolia: Growing pains: …February 1997 the MPRP elected Natsagiin Bagabandi to the post of party chairman (i.e., leader of the party) over the head of Nambaryn Enkhbayar, who had been named to the then top post of secretary-general the previous July. In May, however, Bagabandi won the presidential election by defeating the incumbent…

José Américo de Almeida: A Bagaceira (1928; Trash), his best-known work, deals with a group of sertanejos (independent smallholders) forced by drought to leave their own ranches for a life of near-slavery on tropical sugar plantations. Other works in the same vein are O Boqueirão (1935; “The Canyon”) and Coiteiros (1935; “Bandit-hiders”).

Bagamoyo, town, historic seaport of eastern Tanzania. It lies on the Zanzibar Channel, 45 miles (75 km) northwest of Dar es Salaam. The town was formerly a slave-trading depot at the terminus of Arab caravan routes from Ujiji on Lake Tanganyika. The town also served as the first capital of the

Ganda, people inhabiting the area north and northwest of Lake Victoria in south-central Uganda. They speak a Bantu language—called Ganda, or Luganda—of the Benue-Congo group. The Ganda are the most numerous people in Uganda and their territory the most productive and fertile. Once the core of the

Bagheria, town, northwestern Sicily, Italy, 8 miles (13 km) east-southeast of the city of Palermo. A resort of wealthy Palermitans, Bagheria is noted for several historic villas. The best-known are Villa Palagonia (1715), containing more than 60 Baroque grotesque statues of beggars, dwarfs,

Bohuslav Martinů: …orchestral works Half-Time (1924) and La Bagarre (1927) were inspired by contemporary events, respectively a Czech-French football (soccer) game and the crowds that met Charles Lindbergh’s plane as it ended its transatlantic flight. Of his later works, the Concerto grosso for chamber orchestra (1941) uses the alternation between soloists and…

bagasse, fibre remaining after the extraction of the sugar-bearing juice from sugarcane. The word bagasse, from the French bagage via the Spanish bagazo, originally meant “rubbish,” “refuse,” or “trash.” Applied first to the debris from the pressing of olives, palm nuts, and grapes, the word was

bagatelle, game, probably of English origin, that is similar to billiards and was probably a modification of it. Bagatelle is played with billiard cues and nine balls on an oblong board or table varying in size from 6 by 1.5 ft (1.8 by 0.5 m) to 10 by 3 ft (3 by 0.9 m), with nine numbered cups at

Franz Liszt: Last years: …and one late work called Bagatelle Without Tonality anticipates Béla Bartók and even Arnold Schoenberg.

French literature: Céline and Drieu: …Céline himself published anti-Semitic pamphlets, Bagatelles pour un massacre (1937; “Trifles for a Massacre”) and L’École des cadavres (1938; “School for Corpses”). During World War II he was an active collaborator with the Nazis.

ancient Rome: Diocletian of ancient Rome: …Maximian first hunted down the Bagaudae (gangs of fugitive peasant brigands) in Gaul, then fought the Moorish tribes in Africa, in 296–298, triumphing at Carthage; and on the Danube, Diocletian, and later Galerius, conquered the Bastarnae, the Iazyges, and the Carpi, deporting them in large numbers to the provinces. In…

Amadou and Mariam: Amadou Bagayoko (b. October 24, 1954, Bamako, French West Africa [now Mali]) and Mariam Doumbia (b. April 15, 1958, Bamako) met at the Bamako Institute for the Young Blind. Bagayoko, who had been blinded by cataracts as a teenager, enrolled at the school in 1975.…

Haldi: …Haldi and to the goddess Bagbartu, or Bagmashtu, was captured and plundered by Sargon II of Assyria in 714 bc; it is shown on a relief from his palace as a gabled building with a colonnade—one of the oldest known buildings to make use of that architectural form.

Baghdad, city, capital of Iraq and capital of Baghdad governorate, central Iraq. Its location, on the Tigris River about 330 miles (530 km) from the headwaters of the Persian Gulf, is in the heart of ancient Mesopotamia. Baghdad is Iraq’s largest city and one of the most populous urban

Bagé, city, south-central Rio Grande do Sul estado (state), Brazil, lying at 732 feet (223 metres) above sea level amid gently rolling hills covered with tall prairie grass. It was founded in 1811 and given city status in 1859. Located southwest of Porto Alegre, the state capital, and 25 miles (40

novel: Proletarian: Godwin’s Caleb Williams (1794) and Robert Bage’s Hermsprong (1796), although, like Hard Times, sympathetic to the lot of the oppressed worker, are more concerned with the imposition of reform from above than with revolution from within, and the proletarian novel is essentially an intended device of revolution. The Russian Maxim…

Walter Bagehot was an economist, political analyst, and editor of The Economist who was one of the most influential journalists of the mid-Victorian period. His father’s family had been general merchants for several generations, while his maternal uncle Vincent Stuckey was the head of the largest

bagel, doughnut-shaped yeast-leavened roll that is characterized by a crisp, shiny crust and a dense interior. Long regarded as a Jewish specialty item, the bagel is commonly eaten as a breakfast food or snack, often with toppings such as cream cheese and lox (smoked salmon). Bagels are made from

Bagerhat, town, southwestern Bangladesh. It lies just south of the Bhairab River. Bagerhat was the capital of Hazrat Khan Jahan Ali—the 15th-century pioneer of the Sundarbans region of the southern Padma River (Ganges [Ganga] River) delta—and contains the ruins of his mausoleum and a large mosque

Baqqārah, (Arabic: “Cattlemen”), nomadic people of Arab and African ancestry who live in a part of Africa that will support cattle but not camels—south of latitude 13° and north of latitude 10° from Lake Chad eastward to the Nile River. Probably they are the descendants of Arabs who migrated west

lacrosse, competitive sport, modern version of the North American Indian game of baggataway, in which two teams of players use long-handled, racketlike implements (crosses) to catch, carry, or throw a ball down the field or into the opponents’ goal. The goal is defined by uprights and a crossbar

Jens Baggesen was a leading Danish literary figure in the transitional period between Neoclassicism and Romanticism. In 1782 Baggesen went to Copenhagen to study theology. Three years later, at age 21, he had an unprecedented success in Denmark with his first collection of poems, Comiske

Jens Baggesen was a leading Danish literary figure in the transitional period between Neoclassicism and Romanticism. In 1782 Baggesen went to Copenhagen to study theology. Three years later, at age 21, he had an unprecedented success in Denmark with his first collection of poems, Comiske

Bilbo Baggins, fictional character, the diminutive hero of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit; or, There and Back Again (1937). Bilbo Baggins joins a group of dwarfs on an expedition to recover their stolen goods. It is on this journey that Bilbo finds the ring that is the centrepiece of Tolkien’s

Frodo Baggins, fictional character, a hobbit (one of a race of mythical beings who are characterized as small in stature, good-natured, and inordinately fond of creature comforts) and the hero of the three-part novel The Lord of the Rings (1954–55) by J.R.R. Tolkien. Frodo is the nephew and

Roberto Baggio is an Italian professional football (soccer) player who is widely considered one of the greatest forwards in his country’s storied football history. He won the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Player of the Year award in 1993. He is also famous among

Madhya Pradesh: Art and architecture: The Bagh caves, near the western town of Mhow, are adorned with paintings on Buddhist topics that date roughly to the 5th century ce. Stemming from about the same period (4th to 7th century) are the Udayagiri caves (Brahmanical and Jaina monasteries), near Vidisha, which exhibit…

ancient Iranian religion: Origin and historical development: …other deities called bagha (Vedic bhaga, “the one who distributes”) and yazata (“the one to be worshipped”). At the head of the pantheon stood Ahura Mazdā, the “Wise Lord,” who was particularly connected with the principle of cosmic and social order and truth called arta in Vedic (asha in Avestan).…

Baghdad, city, capital of Iraq and capital of Baghdad governorate, central Iraq. Its location, on the Tigris River about 330 miles (530 km) from the headwaters of the Persian Gulf, is in the heart of ancient Mesopotamia. Baghdad is Iraq’s largest city and one of the most populous urban

Baghdad, city, capital of Iraq and capital of Baghdad governorate, central Iraq. Its location, on the Tigris River about 330 miles (530 km) from the headwaters of the Persian Gulf, is in the heart of ancient Mesopotamia. Baghdad is Iraq’s largest city and one of the most populous urban

Central Treaty Organization (CENTO), mutual security organization dating from 1955 to 1979 and composed of Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom. Until March 1959 the organization was known as the Middle East Treaty Organization, included Iraq, and had its headquarters in Baghdad. Formed

Baghdad Railway, major rail line connecting Istanbul with the Persian Gulf region. Work on the first phase of the railway, which involved an extension of an existing line between Haidar Pasha and Ismid to Ankara, was begun in 1888 by the Ottoman Empire with German financial assistance. In 1902 the

Baghdad school, stylistic movement of Islāmic manuscript illustration, founded in the late 12th century (though the earliest surviving works cannot be dated before the 13th century). The school flourished in the period when the ʿAbbāsid caliphs had reasserted their authority in Baghdad.

Battle of Baghdad, Ottoman capture of Baghdad in 1534, which occurred during the first campaign of a twenty-year war between the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire and the Persian (Iranian) Safavid Empire of Shah Ṭahmāsp I. Following victory by the forces of Süleyman the Magnificent, the famous city was to