I’ve been doing some work on exotic animals for an upcoming conference paper. Apparently the caliph Yazīd bin Mu‘āwiyah (reigned 680–3) had a pet monkey. Just for fun, here’s what two medieval historians had to say about Yazīd’s monkey. My translations, mistakes all… Continue Reading
The earliest surviving reference to the Arabic term ‘God is great’ (Allāhu akbar) is in a Syriac text known as the Maronite Chronicle, composed in the second half of the 7th century, perhaps as early as the 660s.[1] The anonymous… Continue Reading
Personal security is a tricky issue for politicians. The more conspicuously they try to stay safe, the more distant they appear to be from the common people. A little choreography can sometimes smooth it over: when a head of state… Continue Reading