stringed instrument: The zither: …a plucked trapezoidal zither, the qānūn (derived from Greek kanōn, “rule”). The present-day instrument has a range of three octaves with three strings to each pitch, and a complex system of levers by which its many strings may be finely and quickly retuned to the various Arab scales. Closely related…

kanun, (kanun from Greek kanōn, “rule”), the tabulation of administrative regulations in the Ottoman Empire that supplemented the Sharīʿah (Islamic law) and the discretionary authority of the sultan. In Islamic judicial theory there was no law other than the Sharīʿah. In the early Islamic states,

history of medicine: Arabian medicine: …work, Al-Qānūn fī aṭ-ṭibb (The Canon of Medicine), became a classic and was used at many medical schools—at Montpellier, France, as late as 1650—and reputedly is still used in the East.

An Lushan: Early life and career: The death of their ruler, Qapaghan Qaghan, in 716, however, led to disorder and strife, and the Ans sought refuge in China. Just at that period the frontier policies of the emperor Xuanzong (reigned 712–756) were providing opportunities for men such as An Lushan, his cousin An Sishun, and other…

Qaqortoq, principal town in southwestern Greenland, on Julianehåb Bugt, an inlet in the Davis Strait. Founded in 1755 by Anders Olsen, a Norwegian merchant, and named for Queen Juliana Maria of Denmark, it is a seaport and trading station supported by an airport. Fish and shrimp processing,

Yelü Dashi: …first emperor (1124–43) of the Xi (Western) Liao dynasty (1124–1211) of Central Asia.

Kara Koyunlu, Turkmen tribal federation that ruled Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Iraq from about 1375 to 1468. The Kara Koyunlu were vassals of the Jalāyirid dynasty of Baghdad and Tabrīz from about 1375, when the head of their leading tribe, Kara Muḥammad Turmush (reigned c. 1375–90), ruled Mosul. The

Cairo: City layout: …the district of Al-Qarāfah (City of the Dead), a unique zone made up of an extensive series of cemeteries. In this vast, dusty, ochre-coloured district stand the exquisite shrine-mosques and mausoleums of early religious leaders such as Imam al-Shāfiʿī, the founder of Egypt’s major legal tradition. The major monuments…

Qaraghandy, oblysy (region), central Kazakhstan. It lies mostly in the Kazakh Uplands in a dry steppe zone, rising gradually in elevation eastward to a maximum in the Karkaraly Mountains of 5,115 feet (1,559 m). The principal rivers, the Nura and Sarysu, are in the west, in the Musbel lowland. The

Qaraghandy, city, capital of Qaraghandy oblysy (region), central Kazakhstan. It lies at the centre of the important Qaraghandy coal basin. It is the second largest city in the republic and derives its name from the caragana bush, which grows abundantly in the surrounding steppe. The first

Karaism, (from Hebrew qara, “to read”), a Jewish religious movement that repudiated oral tradition as a source of divine law and defended the Hebrew Bible as the sole authentic font of religious doctrine and practice. In dismissing the Talmud as man-made law substituted for the God-given Torah,

Qarakhanid Dynasty, Turkic dynasty (999–1211) that ruled in Transoxania in Central Asia. The Qarakhanids, who belonged to the Qarluq tribal confederation, became prominent during the 9th century. With the disintegration of the Iranian Sāmānid dynasty, the Qarakhanids took over the Sāmānid

Turkic languages: Literary languages: …Turkic proper, Old Uyghur, and Qarakhanid. The earliest known records of Old Turkic proper are inscriptions on stone stelae erected in the 8th century in the Orhon River valley (Mongolia) in honour of certain rulers of the Old Turkic empire. This language is also represented in somewhat later inscriptions and…

Qarmatian, member of an Ismāʿīlī Shiʿi movement that rejected the claim of the Fāṭimid caliph ʿUbayd Allāh to the imamate. The Qarmatians flourished in Iraq, Yemen, and especially Bahrain during the 9th to 11th centuries, taking their name from Ḥamdān Qarmaṭ, who led the sect in southern Iraq in

Aral Sea: Environmental consequences: Hardest hit were the Karakalpaks, who live in the southern portion of the region. Winds blowing across the exposed seabed produced dust storms that buffeted the region with a toxic dust contaminated with salt, fertilizer, and pesticides. As a result, the areas’s inhabitants have suffered health problems at unusually…

Karakalpakstan, autonomous republic in Uzbekistan, situated southeast and southwest of the Aral Sea. On the east Karakalpakstan occupies the western half of the Kyzylkum Desert, a vast plain covered with shifting sands. The central part consists of the valley and delta of the Amu Darya (river), a

Frank Bainimarama: …by newly appointed Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and Pres. Ratu Josefa Iloilo.

Lake Balkhash: …such small rivers as the Qaratal, Aqsū, Ayaguz, and Lepsi feed the eastern part of the lake. With almost equal areas in both parts of the lake, this situation creates a continuous flow of water from the western to the eastern section. The water of the western part was almost…

Qarataū, mountain range, a northwestern spur of the Tien Shan, in southern Kazakhstan. The name is of Turkic origin, meaning “Black Mountain.” The range extends for 260 miles (420 km) along the Syr Darya (ancient Jaxartes River) and rises to 7,139 feet (2,176 metres), with an average elevation of

Qarataū, mountain range, a northwestern spur of the Tien Shan, in southern Kazakhstan. The name is of Turkic origin, meaning “Black Mountain.” The range extends for 260 miles (420 km) along the Syr Darya (ancient Jaxartes River) and rises to 7,139 feet (2,176 metres), with an average elevation of

Qarawīyīn, mosque and Islāmic university in Fès, Morocco. The Qarawīyīn Mosque, which was enlarged to its present form in the 12th century, is the largest in North Africa and can accommodate about 22,000 worshipers. Only Muslims are admitted into the mosque, but the interior can be glimpsed through

Qarawīyīn, mosque and Islāmic university in Fès, Morocco. The Qarawīyīn Mosque, which was enlarged to its present form in the 12th century, is the largest in North Africa and can accommodate about 22,000 worshipers. Only Muslims are admitted into the mosque, but the interior can be glimpsed through

Qarawīyīn, mosque and Islāmic university in Fès, Morocco. The Qarawīyīn Mosque, which was enlarged to its present form in the 12th century, is the largest in North Africa and can accommodate about 22,000 worshipers. Only Muslims are admitted into the mosque, but the interior can be glimpsed through

Arabia: Dhofar (Ẓufār): The Qarāʾ Mountains in Dhofar, the southern province of the sultanate of Oman, are about 3,000 feet high, with one peak higher than 5,000 feet. The monsoon keeps the seaward (southern) side of the mountains, as well as the coastal plain, fertile. A gradual slope leads…

Aras River: …Sevan in Armenia, and the Qareh Sū, flowing off the Sabalān Mountains in northeastern Iranian Azerbaijan. On an island in the Aras stood Artaxata, seat of the Artaxiad kings of Armenia from 180 bc to ad 50. Some have held that the Aras River valley was the legendary Garden of…

Kāʾūsīyeh dynasty: 854 Qāren I (ruled 837–867) converted to Islam. During the 10th century the Bāvands maintained their independence through various marriage alliances with the Būyid and Zeyārid dynasties. Rostam III (ruled 1006–57) became a vassal of the Zeyārid king Qābūs, but with weakening of Zeyārid power, Rostam…

Kāʾūsīyeh dynasty: …power, Rostam and his successor Qāren II (ruled 1057–74) reigned as petty rulers in the mountainous area near Sārī.

Qaidam Basin: The Qarhan Salt Marsh in the centre of the basin is China’s largest surface-level rock salt bed, with an area of some 620 square miles (1,600 square km) and solid salt deposits up to 50 feet (15 metres) thick. The area has a climate marked by…

Arabic literature: Categories and forms: …general was referred to as qarīḍ, but within that framework poetry was subdivided into two types. The first was the qiṭʿah (“segment”), consisting of a relatively short poem devoted to a single theme or else composed and performed for a particular occasion; the marthiyyah, mentioned above, is an example of…

qurrāʾ, ʾ, professional class of reciters of the text of the Muslim sacred scripture, the Qurʾān. In the early Islāmic community, Muḥammad’s divine revelations had often been memorized by his Companions (disciples), a practice derived from the pre-Islāmic tradition of preserving poetry orally. It

Qarluq confederation, Turkic tribal confederation of Central Asia, from whose ranks came the Qarakhanid dynasty. The origins of the Qarluq Turkmens are somewhat obscure. About 745 they rose in rebellion against the Türküt, then the dominant tribal confederation in the region, and established a new

Qarmatian, member of an Ismāʿīlī Shiʿi movement that rejected the claim of the Fāṭimid caliph ʿUbayd Allāh to the imamate. The Qarmatians flourished in Iraq, Yemen, and especially Bahrain during the 9th to 11th centuries, taking their name from Ḥamdān Qarmaṭ, who led the sect in southern Iraq in

Qarmatian, member of an Ismāʿīlī Shiʿi movement that rejected the claim of the Fāṭimid caliph ʿUbayd Allāh to the imamate. The Qarmatians flourished in Iraq, Yemen, and especially Bahrain during the 9th to 11th centuries, taking their name from Ḥamdān Qarmaṭ, who led the sect in southern Iraq in

Qarmatian, member of an Ismāʿīlī Shiʿi movement that rejected the claim of the Fāṭimid caliph ʿUbayd Allāh to the imamate. The Qarmatians flourished in Iraq, Yemen, and especially Bahrain during the 9th to 11th centuries, taking their name from Ḥamdān Qarmaṭ, who led the sect in southern Iraq in

history of Arabia: Minaeans: References to Maʿīn occur earlier in Sabaean texts, where they seem to be loosely associated with the ʿĀmir people to the north of the Minaean capital of Qarnaw (now Maʿīn), which is at the eastern end of the Wadi Al-Jawf and on the western border of the…

Joseph ben Ephraim Karo was a Spanish-born Jewish author of the last great codification of Jewish law, the Bet Yosef (“House of Joseph”). Its condensation, the Shulḥan ʿarukh (“The Prepared Table,” or “The Well-Laid Table”), is still authoritative for Orthodox Jewry. When the Jews were expelled

Karkar, ancient fortress on the Orontes River, northwest of Ḥamāh, in western Syria. It was the site of two ancient battles. Karkar, a strategic outpost of Hamath (modern Ḥamāh), was attacked by Shalmaneser III of Assyria in 853 bc. The city was defended by a coalition of Aramaeans led by Ben-hadad

Karshi, city, southern Uzbekistan, in the Karshi oasis, on the Kashka River. At least 1,000 years old, it lay on the caravan route from Samarkand and Bukhara to Afghanistan and India; it was known as Nakhsheb, or Nesef, until the 14th century, when a fort (Turkic karshi, “against”) was built there.

Islamic arts: Achievements in the western Muslim world: … (died 1064) and later by al-Qarṭājannī (died 1285) in Tunis. Ibn Ḥazm (died 1064), theologian and accomplished writer on pure love, has already been mentioned.

Lake Moeris, ancient lake that once occupied a large area of the al-Fayyūm depression in Egypt and is now represented by the much smaller Lake Qārūn. Researches on the desert margin of the depression indicate that in early Paleolithic times the lake’s waters stood about 120 feet (37 m) above sea

Lake Moeris: …represented by the much smaller Lake Qārūn. Researches on the desert margin of the depression indicate that in early Paleolithic times the lake’s waters stood about 120 feet (37 m) above sea level and probably filled the depression; the lake’s level gradually fell until about 10,000 bc, when it was…

history of Arabia: Prehistory and archaeology: …at Qaryat Dhāt Kāhil (now Qaryat al-Fāw) has yielded rich results from excavation. In northeastern Arabia, inland from modern Al-Qaṭīf, a Danish expedition has revealed a hitherto unsuspected pre-Islamic walled town of large dimension.

history of Arabia: Prehistory and archaeology: …at Qaryat Dhāt Kāhil (now Qaryat al-Fāw) has yielded rich results from excavation. In northeastern Arabia, inland from modern Al-Qaṭīf, a Danish expedition has revealed a hitherto unsuspected pre-Islamic walled town of large dimension.

Asir: Ancient qasaba (“towers”) found in the province were used as lookouts or granaries. The region’s main towns include Abhā and Khamīs Mushayṭ.

oath: …a person may make a qasam (“oath”), in which the person swears, for example, upon one of the names or attributes of Allah. Because the qasam is primarily a pledge to God, a false oath is considered a danger to one’s soul.

Algiers: The contemporary city: …by the fortress of the Kasbah (Qaṣbah), designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992; it was the residence of the last two Turkish deys, or governors, of Algiers. A prominent building in the Muslim section is the Ketchaoua Mosque, which prior to 1962 was the Cathedral of St. Philip…

Gash River, river rising in southern Eritrea, near Asmara. After flowing southward, it turns west and forms the border between Eritrea (north) and Ethiopia (south) along its middle course. It then continues into northeastern Sudan to lose itself in the desert. In time of flood it reaches the Atbara

Chitral, town, northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. The town lies along the Kunar River (also known as the Chitral River) in a valley 2 miles (3 km) wide, at an elevation of about 4,900 feet (1,490 metres) above sea level. Chitral has a government woolen and sericulture centre, the fort

Iran: Ethnic groups: …Turkic ethnic groups are the Qashqāʾī, in the Shīrāz area to the north of the Persian Gulf, and the Turkmen, of Khorāsān in the northeast.

Qashqāʾī rug, floor covering handwoven by the Qashqāʾī people, who have the reputation of making the best rugs from the Shīrāz district of Iran. They are the brightest in colouring, with rich blues and reds and some use of golden yellow. Usually their designs are geometric, perhaps with a row of

Spain: The independent emirate: …Ebro valley, especially the convert Banū Qāsī family and the Mozarabs. Incited by the extremist chiefs Alvarus and Eulogius (the latter being canonized after his death), the Mozarabs sought to strengthen their Christian faith through the aura of martyrdom and began to publicly revile the Prophet Muhammad, an action punishable…

qaṣīdah, poetic form developed in pre-Islamic Arabia and perpetuated throughout Islamic literary history into the present. It is a laudatory, elegiac, or satiric poem that is found in Arabic, Persian, and many related Asian literatures. The classic is an elaborately structured ode of 60 to 100

qaṣīdah, poetic form developed in pre-Islamic Arabia and perpetuated throughout Islamic literary history into the present. It is a laudatory, elegiac, or satiric poem that is found in Arabic, Persian, and many related Asian literatures. The classic is an elaborately structured ode of 60 to 100

India: Bahmanī decline: … (superintendent of police) of Bidar, Qāsim Barīd, a Bahmanī noble who defeated the army sent against him by the sultan and then forced Maḥmūd to make him chief minister of the state. Qāsim Barīd’s attempt to reimpose central authority was opposed by most of the chief nobles, however, who defeated…

Behzād: His students included the painters Qāsim ʿAlī, Mīr Sayyid ʿAlī, Āqā Mīrak, and Muẓaffar ʿAlī.

Ḥammūdid dynasty: …and Asilah to ʿAlī’s brother al-Qāsim in payment for their help in returning him to the throne. ʿAlī, however, claiming to be the rightful heir to Hishām II, al-Mustaʿīn’s predecessor, marched into Córdoba in July 1016 and deposed al-Mustaʿīn. Al-Mustaʿīn was then declared al-Hishām’s murderer and was executed, while ʿAlī…

ʿAbd al-Karīm Qāsim was an army officer who overthrew the Iraqi monarchy in 1958 and became head of the newly formed Republic of Iraq. Qāsim attended the Iraqi military academy and advanced steadily through the ranks until by 1955 he had become a high-ranking officer. Like many Iraqis, he disliked

Qasimi dynasty, ruling family of the emirates of Ras al-Khaimah and Sharjah, constituent parts of the United Arab Emirates. Little is known of the family before the 18th century, when the dynasty became a leading clan among a group of tribes—which the British referred to collectively as “Joasmee”

Qasimi dynasty, ruling family of the emirates of Ras al-Khaimah and Sharjah, constituent parts of the United Arab Emirates. Little is known of the family before the 18th century, when the dynasty became a leading clan among a group of tribes—which the British referred to collectively as “Joasmee”

Sheikh Sulṭān ibn Muḥammad al-Qāsimī is the Ruler of the emirate of Al-Shariqah (Sharjah) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 1972. He succeeded his brother, who was assassinated. A political moderate, he favoured strengthening the federal government of the UAE. In the wake of a failed coup

Līṭānī River: …lower course is known as Qāsimiyyah. Although the river’s total length is only about 90 miles (145 km), its waters irrigate one of Lebanon’s most extensive farming regions, Al-Biqāʿ. The Litani River Authority, established in 1954, was to have provided for an increase in irrigated land, generation of electricity, and…

Egypt: Ottoman administration: …rival houses—the Faqāriyyah and the Qāsimiyyah—whose mutual hostility often broke out into fighting and impaired the strength of the Mamluks as a bloc.

Babylon: The present site: …of the outer rampart, (2) Qasr, comprising the palace complex (with a building added in Persian times), the Ishtar Gate, and the Emakh temple, (3) Amran ibn Ali, the ruins of Esagila, (4) Merkez, marking the ancient residential area east of Esagila, (5) Humra, containing rubble removed by Alexander from…

Islamic arts: Palaces: …about 710 to 750: Al-Ruṣāfah, Qaṣr al-Ḥayr East, Qaṣr al-Ḥayr West, Jabal Says, Khirbat Minyah, Khirbat al-Mafjar, Mshattā, Qaṣr ʿAmrah, Qaṣr al-Kharānah, and Qaṣr al-Ṭūbah. Apparently, those examples of princely architecture belong to a group of more than 60 ruined or only textually identifiable rural complexes

Islamic arts: Palaces: …750: Al-Ruṣāfah, Qaṣr al-Ḥayr East, Qaṣr al-Ḥayr West, Jabal Says, Khirbat Minyah, Khirbat al-Mafjar, Mshattā, Qaṣr ʿAmrah, Qaṣr al-Kharānah, and Qaṣr al-Ṭūbah. Apparently, those examples of princely architecture belong to a group of more than 60 ruined or only textually identifiable rural complexes erected by Umayyad princes. In the past…

Ksar el-Kebir, city, northern Morocco. It lies along the Loukkos River. Originally a Greek and Carthaginian colony, the site was occupied by the Romans, whose ruins remain, and by the Byzantines. The Arab town, which was founded in the 8th century, has one of the oldest mosques of western Morocco,

Islamic arts: Palaces: Mshattā, Qaṣr ʿAmrah, Qaṣr al-Kharānah, and Qaṣr al-Ṭūbah. Apparently, those examples of princely architecture belong to a group of more than 60 ruined or only textually identifiable rural complexes erected by Umayyad princes. In the past a romantic theory had developed about their locations, suggesting that the remoteness…

Qaṣr ʿAmrah, palace in Jordan, about 50 miles (80 km) east of Amman. Built about ad 712–715, it served as both a hunting lodge and a fortress, and it is one of the best-preserved monuments of Islāmic architecture from the Umayyad period. Its main chamber is roofed with three parallel vaults that

Philae, island in the Nile River between the old Aswan Dam and the Aswan High Dam, in Aswān muḥāfaẓah (governorate), southern Egypt. Its ancient Egyptian name was P-aaleq; the Coptic-derived name Pilak (“End,” or “Remote Place”) probably refers to its marking the boundary with Nubia. The

Treaty of Bardo, (1881), agreement that established France’s protectorate over Tunisia. A French expeditionary force of 36,000 men was sent to Tunisia in 1881 at the urging of the French foreign minister, Jules Ferry, ostensibly to subdue attacks of the Tunisian Kroumer tribe on the Algerian

Islamic arts: Palaces: Qaṣr ʿAmrah, Qaṣr al-Kharānah, and Qaṣr al-Ṭūbah. Apparently, those examples of princely architecture belong to a group of more than 60 ruined or only textually identifiable rural complexes erected by Umayyad princes. In the past a romantic theory had developed about their locations, suggesting that the remoteness of their sites…

primate: Oligocene: …uncertain affinities, are from the Sagha Formation, which, technically, is latest Eocene in age, but the deposits are continuous. Aegyptopithecus went on to give rise to living catarrhines (Old World monkeys and apes, whose ancestors did not separate until sometime between 29 million and 24 million years ago). The Fayum…

Qaṣr ʿAmrah, palace in Jordan, about 50 miles (80 km) east of Amman. Built about ad 712–715, it served as both a hunting lodge and a fortress, and it is one of the best-preserved monuments of Islāmic architecture from the Umayyad period. Its main chamber is roofed with three parallel vaults that

Alcázar de San Juan, town, Ciudad Real provincia (province), in the comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) of Castile-La Mancha, central Spain. It lies on the high southern Meseta Central at 2,135 feet (650 metres) above sea level. Known to the Romans as Alces, the town was renamed al-Qaṣr (“the

Iraq: The local despotisms in the 17th century: The Treaty of Qaṣr-e Shīrīn (also called the Treaty of Zuhāb) of 1639 brought an end to 150 years of intermittent warfare between the Ottomans and Safavids and established a boundary between the two empires that remained virtually unchanged into modern times. Ottoman sovereignty had been…

Kasserine, town in west-central Tunisia. The town is an important market, road, and rail junction and is the centre of an irrigated agricultural area. Kasserine Pass, to the northwest, was the scene of a decisive battle of the Tunisian campaign in World War II, which contributed to the collapse of

Qassem Soleimani was an Iranian major general and commander of the Quds Force (1997/98–2020), a wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responsible for IRGC foreign operations. Soleimani grew up in a poor rural family, indebted by loans from Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi’s modernization

khat, (Catha edulis), slender evergreen tree or shrub of the family Celastraceae, native to the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The bitter-tasting leaves and young buds are chewed for the stimulants cathinone and cathine, which produce a mild euphoria. Khat is an important cash crop in

history of Arabia: Qatabānians: The heartland of the Qatabān people was Wadi Bayḥān, with the capital, Timnaʿ, at its northern end, and Wadi Ḥarīb, immediately west of Bayḥān. As in the case of Maʿīn, the earliest references are in Sabaean inscriptions; native Qatabānian inscriptions do not seem to…

South Arabian languages: extinct languages Minaean, Sabaean, Qatabanian, and Ḥaḍramawtian . The earliest Old South Arabian inscriptions, dating from the 8th century bce, are in the Minaean dialect. Sabaean is the dialect of the majority of South Arabic inscriptions; the latest inscriptions are from the 6th century ce. The type of Semitic…

Qatar, independent emirate on the west coast of the Persian Gulf. The small country has tremendous influence as a trusted mediator between rivals in the region and as one of the world’s largest exporters of natural gas. It has also garnered international attention through its popular television

Qatar: Finance: The Qatar Central Bank (Maṣraf Qaṭar al-Markazī), founded in 1993, provides banking functions for the state and issues the Qatari rial, the national currency. In addition to domestic banks, including commercial, development, and Islamic banks (institutions bound by strict religious rules governing transactions), licensed foreign banks…

Qatar: Economy of Qatar: While state-owned Qatar Petroleum (formerly Qatar General Petroleum Corporation) oversees oil and gas operations, private corporations continue to play an important role as service companies.

Sheikha al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani: …Museums Authority [QMA; later renamed Qatar Museums) in 2006, developing a reputation for her vision and energy.

Sheikha al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani: …Museums Authority [QMA; later renamed Qatar Museums) in 2006, developing a reputation for her vision and energy.

Qatar: Transportation and telecommunications: Qatar Public Telecommunications Corporation is the sole provider of telecommunication services in the country. It also sets policies and makes administrative decisions for the sector. In 1996 the Internet was made available to the public, with Qatar Public Telecommunications Corporation as the sole service provider.…

Qatar: Manufacturing: For example, the Qatar Petrochemical Company is largely owned by a government holding company, and a French firm has a minor stake. Flour milling and cement production have also been undertaken. Diversification by expanding manufacturing depends on an abundance of cheap energy for running plants, however, and is…

vertically divided white-maroon national flag. Its width-to-length ratio is 11 to 28.The Ottoman Empire, Iran, and Britain all had an interest in finding allies among the small Arab sheikhdoms in the Persian Gulf during the 19th century. A treaty signed in 1868 between Britain and one of those

history of Qatar, a survey of notable events and people in the history of Qatar in the modern era. Qatar’s modern history begins conventionally in 1766 with the migration to the peninsula of families from Kuwait, notably the Khalifah family. Their settlement at the new town of Al-Zubārah grew into

Qatar: Cultural institutions: The National Museum of Qatar, designed by Jean Nouvel and inaugurated in March 2019, takes visitors through interactive exhibits that feature 700 million years of Qatari history. At its centre is a former palace which had previously housed an earlier national museum. A fort at Doha…

Qatif, town and oasis, Al-Sharqiyyah (Eastern) region, northeastern Saudi Arabia. It lies along the Persian Gulf, over Qatif petroleum field. Its population is predominantly Shiʿi Muslim, a fact which has led to some friction between the local population and the puritanical Wahhābī state,

Qatif, town and oasis, Al-Sharqiyyah (Eastern) region, northeastern Saudi Arabia. It lies along the Persian Gulf, over Qatif petroleum field. Its population is predominantly Shiʿi Muslim, a fact which has led to some friction between the local population and the puritanical Wahhābī state,

Katna, ancient Syrian city, Syria. It prospered especially during the 2nd millennium bc and was frequently named as Qatanum in the royal archives of Mari on the Euphrates. Excavations there in 1924–29 revealed a temple dedicated to the Sumerian goddess Nin-E-Gal. Foreign trade and influence were

Trans-Alai Range, mountain range on the frontier between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. It is the most northerly range of the Pamirs and extends for about 150 miles (240 km) east-west in an unbroken chain of snow-covered peaks between the lush summer pastures of the broad Alai Valley between the Trans

Islamic arts: Other poetic forms: …the very early period, especially Qaṭrān, who was born near Tabrīz (now in Iran) and died after 1072. Through their display of virtuosity for virtuosity’s sake, his qaṣīdahs reached the limits of artificiality. The court poets tried to top one another in the accumulation of complex metaphors and paradoxes, each…

Qattara Depression, arid Libyan Desert (Eastern Saharan) basin in northwestern Egypt. It covers about 7,000 square miles (18,100 square km) and contains salt lakes and marshes, and it descends to 435 feet (133 metres) below sea level. During World War II, because it was impassable to military

Qattara Depression, arid Libyan Desert (Eastern Saharan) basin in northwestern Egypt. It covers about 7,000 square miles (18,100 square km) and contains salt lakes and marshes, and it descends to 435 feet (133 metres) below sea level. During World War II, because it was impassable to military

Cornwallis Island: …located at the settlement of Resolute (Qausuittuq), which is a High Arctic air transportation hub and terminus on the south coast along Resolute Bay. The island was discovered in 1819 by Sir William Parry and was named after Sir William Cornwallis.

Ahmad Qavam was an Iranian politician who was a five-time prime minister of Iran (1921–22, 1922–23, 1942–43, 1946–47, 1952). Qavam entered the court of the Qājār monarch Moẓaffar al-Dīn Shah as a scribe in 1898. He rose to the position of minister of justice in 1909 and became minister of the

Shāh Rokh: …worked with the Persian architect Qavam ud-Din in the planning and construction of a series of magnificent public buildings there.