capital: …square wooden block called an abacus, placed on the top of a post, and an oblong block called a billet, set with its greatest dimensions parallel to the beam above. Shaping the ends of such blocks produces a laterally spreading form of capital, which can be elaborated upon by multiplication…

abacus, calculating device, probably of Babylonian origin, that was long important in commerce. It is the ancestor of the modern calculating machine and computer. The earliest “abacus” likely was a board or slab on which a Babylonian spread sand in order to trace letters for general writing

abacus, calculating device, probably of Babylonian origin, that was long important in commerce. It is the ancestor of the modern calculating machine and computer. The earliest “abacus” likely was a board or slab on which a Babylonian spread sand in order to trace letters for general writing

Ābādān, city, extreme southwestern Iran. The city is situated in Khūzestān, part of the oil-producing region of Iran. Ābādān lies on an island of the same name along the eastern bank of the Shaṭṭ Al-ʿArab (river), 33 miles (53 km) from the Persian Gulf. The city thus lies along Iran’s border with

Ābādān: Ābādān lies on an island of the same name along the eastern bank of the Shaṭṭ Al-ʿArab (river), 33 miles (53 km) from the Persian Gulf. The city thus lies along Iran’s border with Iraq. Ābādān Island is bounded on the west by the Shaṭṭ…

Abaddon, the angel of the bottomless pit, referred to in the Revelation to John. John Milton extended the meaning of the term to include the pit (i.e., the abyss of hell) itself in his poem Paradise Regained (1671)

Ernesto Sábato: The Angel of Darkness) contains the ironic statements on literature, art, philosophy, and the excesses of rationalism that characterize his work.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Political beginnings: Ahmadinejad helped establish Ābādgarān-e Īrān-e Eslāmī (Developers of an Islamic Iran), which promoted a populist agenda and sought to unite the country’s conservative factions. The party won the city council elections in Tehran in February 2003, and in May the council chose Ahmadinejad to serve as mayor. As…

Nouri al-Maliki: Prime minister: In early August Haider al-Abadi, another member of the State of Law coalition, was nominated instead of Maliki to form a new cabinet. Maliki initially denounced Abadi’s nomination as unconstitutional but relented when it became clear that he had lost the support of Iran, the United States, and…

Paris: The Buttes: …the death of the architect, Paul Abadie, who took inspiration from the 12th-century five-domed Romanesque church of Saint-Front in Périgueux, itself inspired by either Venetian or Byzantine churches. Alongside the monumental terraced stairway of the garden-planted Square Willette below the church entrance runs the only funicular railway in Paris.

Abae, ancient town in the northeast corner of Phocis, Greece. The town was famous for its oracle of Apollo, which was one of those consulted by the Lydian king Croesus. Although the Persians sacked and burned the temple in 480 bc, the oracle continued to be consulted—e.g., by the Thebans before the

Peter Abelard was a French theologian and philosopher best known for his solution of the problem of universals and for his original use of dialectics. He is also known for his poetry and for his celebrated love affair with Héloïse. The outline of Abelard’s career is well known, largely because he

Frank Abagnale, Jr. is an American author, former con artist, and financial security consultant. He became a household name after the 1980 publication of his memoir, Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake, which tells the story of Abagnale’s various fraudulent activities throughout the

Ha, a Bantu-speaking people belonging to the Interlacustrine Bantu ethnolinguistic family who live in western Tanzania bordering on Lake Tanganyika. Their country, which they call Buha, comprises grasslands and open woodlands. Agriculture is their primary economic activity. Sorghum, millet, corn

Abahai was a Manchurian tribal leader who in 1636 became emperor of the Manchu, Mongols, and Chinese in Manchuria (Northeast China). In addition, for his family he adopted the name of Qing (“Pure”), which also became the name of the Chinese dynasty (1644–1911/12) ruled by the Manchu. Abahai was the

Kazakh literature: Modern Kazakh literature: …led to the historical novel Abai (1945–47). Epic in scope, it depicts the social environment from which Abai emerged. It is both a moving narrative and a unique document of Kazakh life during the period of the Russian conquest and thereafter, when the Kazakh people were faced with fundamental economic…

Kazakh literature: Modern Kazakh literature: …led to the historical novel Abai (1945–47). Epic in scope, it depicts the social environment from which Abai emerged. It is both a moving narrative and a unique document of Kazakh life during the period of the Russian conquest and thereafter, when the Kazakh people were faced with fundamental economic…

Abaiang Atoll, coral atoll of the Gilbert Islands, part of Kiribati, in the west-central Pacific Ocean. Comprising six islets in the northern Gilberts, the atoll has a lagoon (16 miles by 5 miles [26 km by 8 km]) that provides sheltered anchorage. The islets of Abaiang are Teirio, Nuotaea,

Peter Abelard was a French theologian and philosopher best known for his solution of the problem of universals and for his original use of dialectics. He is also known for his poetry and for his celebrated love affair with Héloïse. The outline of Abelard’s career is well known, largely because he

pre-Columbian civilizations: Izapan civilization: …to this Izapan culture is Abaj Takalik, on the Pacific slopes of Guatemala, to the east of Izapa. Three sculptural styles are represented there: Olmec or Olmecoid, Izapan, and Classic Maya. Among the latter is one stela with a date read as 126 ce, earlier than any monuments discovered in…

Abajo Mountains, volcanic segment of the Colorado Plateau, in San Juan county, southeastern Utah, U.S. Abajo Peak (11,362 feet [3,463 metres]) is the highest point in the mountains, which comprise eight summits and are embraced by the Manti-LaSal National Forest. The heavily forested range is

Abakaliki, town, capital of Ebonyi state, southeastern Nigeria. It lies at the intersection of roads from Enugu, Afikpo, and Ogoja. An agricultural trade centre (yams, cassava, rice, and palm oil and kernels) for the Igbo (Ibo) people, the town is located in an area known for its lead, zinc, and

Abakan, city and administrative centre of the republic of Khakassia, south-central Russia. The city lies on the left bank of the Abakan River near its confluence with the Yenisey River. The starting point of a southern Siberian railway line (opened in 1960), Abakan is connected with Novokuznetsk

Magdalena Abakanowicz: …three-dimensional woven sculptures known as Abakans, a derivation of her family name. These monumental, often garmentlike, pieces are ambiguous and compelling. Although initially Abakanowicz was best known for her work with textiles, she also exhibited paintings and drawings. Her later work, generally made of hard surfaces—though several contained fibres, rope,…

Abakan River, river, rising in the Altai Mountains in the republic of Khakassia, Russia, that flows northeastward for 319 miles (514 km) to join the Yenisey

integraph: …Boys and the Lithuanian mathematician Bruno Abdank Abakanowicz and were later modified and improved by others. The integraph draws the graph of the integral as the user traces the graph of the given function.

Magdalena Abakanowicz was a Polish artist whose massive series of sculptures earned her international acclaim. A descendant of Polish nobility, Abakanowicz studied at the School of Fine Arts in Sopot, Poland (1949), and graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw (1954). She began working as

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Belgian paternalism and the politics of decolonization: …Bakongo évolués affiliated with the Alliance des Bakongo (ABAKO), an association based in Léopoldville (now Kinshasa), the manifesto was the response of ABAKO to the ideas set forth by a young Belgian professor of colonial legislation, A.A.J. van Bilsen, in his “Thirty-Year Plan for the Political Emancipation of Belgian Africa.”…

abacus, calculating device, probably of Babylonian origin, that was long important in commerce. It is the ancestor of the modern calculating machine and computer. The earliest “abacus” likely was a board or slab on which a Babylonian spread sand in order to trace letters for general writing

Leningrad Affair: Abakumov, minister of state security (1947–51), had been responsible for making up the cases against Zhdanov and his followers and for convincing Stalin of the authenticity of the accusations. In July 1957, Khrushchev further identified Malenkov as “one of the chief organizers” of the purge.…

Papua New Guinea: Recovery in the 21st century: …during which his new deputy, Sam Abal, took over as acting prime minister. Somare went to Singapore, and it was later revealed that he had received treatment for a serious health problem. He remained in intensive care there for months. In his absence political feuding began between some Highlands ministers…

abalone, any of several marine snails, constituting the genus Haliotis and family Haliotidae in the subclass Prosobranchia (class Gastropoda), in which the shell has a row of holes on its outer surface. Abalones are found in warm seas worldwide. The dishlike shell is perforated near one edge by a

Luhya, ethnolinguistic cluster of several acephalous, closely related Bantu-speaking peoples including the Bukusu, Tadjoni, Wanga, Marama, Tsotso, Tiriki, Nyala, Kabras, Hayo, Marachi, Holo, Maragoli, Dakho, Isukha, Kisa, Nyole, and Samia of Western Province, western Kenya. The term Luhya, which is

Abancay, city, southern Peru. It is situated on the eastern bank of the Marino River at 7,798 feet (2,377 metres) above sea level, in a cool, dry intermontane basin. The exact date of the founding of Abancay (from the Quechua amankay, the name of a wildflower resembling a white lily) is unknown,

Cristina Peri Rossi: Her award-winning Los museos abandonados (1969; “Abandoned Museums”) is a series of short stories, but some consider it to be a brief novel. (One of the features of her work is disregard for genre boundaries and conventions.) Peri Rossi’s Diáspora (1976; “Diaspora”) is a book of poetry.

Kate Atkinson: …publication, Atkinson’s first full-length play, Abandonment, premiered at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh. She subsequently began writing a series of crime thrillers that featured private investigator Jackson Brodie. Case Histories (2004), the first book in the series, made the short list for a Whitbread Book Award and later lent its…

abandonment, in Anglo-American property law, the relinquishment of possession of property with an intent to terminate all ownership interests in that property. Abandonment may occur by throwing away the property, by losing it and making no attempt to retrieve it, by vacating the property with no

insurance: Abandonment clause: If salvaging or rehabilitating a ship or cargo following a marine loss costs more than the goods are worth, the loss is said to be constructively total. Under such conditions, the ocean marine policy permits the insured to abandon the damaged ship or…

Ki Hadjar Dewantoro: …segments of Indonesian society termed abangan, in which the Islamic faith is less deeply entrenched. Dewantoro continued his leadership of Taman Siswa after the war and upon his death was acclaimed a national hero.

Ngoni, approximately 12 groups of people of the Nguni (q.v.) branch of Bantu-speaking peoples that are scattered throughout eastern Africa. Their dispersal was due to the rise of the Zulu empire early in the 19th century, during which many refugee bands moved away from Zululand. One Ngoni chief,

ABANTU for Development, a pan-African international nongovernmental organization that trains women for leadership in sustainable development. Abantu means “people” in several African languages. ABANTU was established in 1991 in London by African women. Its vision statement focuses on recognizing

Abaoji was a leader of the nomadic Mongol-speaking Khitan tribes who occupied the northern border of China. Elected to a three-year term as great khan of the Khitans, Abaoji refused to resign at the end of his term but made himself king of the Khitan nation. After the collapse in 907 of Tang rule

Tarsila do Amaral: …is perhaps her best-known work, Abaporú (“Man Who Eats” in the Tupí-Guraraní language), a cartoonlike human figure seated next to a cactus under a burning sun. The painting inspired Andrade’s “Anthropophagite Manifesto,” which described Brazil’s digestion and transformation of European culture in terms of cannibalism. In the late 1920s and…

Kanton Atoll, largest and northernmost of the Phoenix Islands, a coral group, part of Kiribati, in the west-central Pacific Ocean. Located approximately 1,600 miles (2,600 km) southwest of Hawaii, Kanton’s circular coral reef encloses a lagoon extending 7 miles by 3 miles (11 km by 5 km). Sighted

Ippolito Pindemonte: …on political conditions in Europe, Abaritte (1790). Disillusioned by the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror, Pindemonte left for London, Berlin, and Vienna. On his return to Italy his Prose campestri, a companion volume to the earlier poetry, was published (1794).

Avar, one of a people who, though likely originating in Mongolia, built an empire in the area between the Adriatic and the Baltic seas and between the Elbe and Dnieper rivers (6th–8th century). Inhabiting an area in the Caucasus region in 558, they intervened in Germanic tribal wars, allied with

Guyana: Drainage: the Mahaica, the Mahaicony, and the Abary.

Ajaria: History: …was under the leadership of Aslan Abashidze, a pro-Russian ruler from a distinguished family of Ajar descent. Following a constitutional amendment passed by the Georgian parliament in April 2000, Ajaria was officially designated an autonomous republic. Relations between Ajaria and the central Georgian government—already somewhat contentious—worsened following the 2004 election…

Sait Faik Abasıyanık was a short-story writer, a major figure in modern Turkish literature. Educated in Constantinople (now Istanbul) and Bursa, Abasıyanık was in France from 1931 to 1935, primarily in Grenoble. On his return to Turkey, he began to publish his short stories in Varlık (“Existence”),

Buenos Aires: City neighborhoods: Abasto and Once are quintessential working-class neighborhoods; both are located west of Avenida 9 de Julio. Carlos Gardel, one of Argentina’s renowned tango singers, lived in Abasto. Once is famous for its Art Deco buildings. To the north of Once lies Belgrano, home to a…

Niccolò dell’Abate was a painter of the Bolognese school who, along with others, introduced the post-Renaissance Italian style of painting to France and helped to inspire the French classical school of landscape painting. Abate probably received early training from his father, the stuccoist

Niccolò dell’Abate was a painter of the Bolognese school who, along with others, introduced the post-Renaissance Italian style of painting to France and helped to inspire the French classical school of landscape painting. Abate probably received early training from his father, the stuccoist

abatement, in law, the interruption of a legal proceeding upon the pleading by a defendant of a matter that prevents the plaintiff from going forward with the suit at that time or in that form. Pleas in abatement raise such matters as objections to the place, mode, or time of the plaintiff’s claim.

Firmin Abauzit was a scholar who contributed to a French translation of the New Testament. Abauzit was born of Huguenot parents and was sent at age 10 to live in Geneva so that he would escape the strictures (enforced Roman Catholicism) brought about by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. In

abacus, calculating device, probably of Babylonian origin, that was long important in commerce. It is the ancestor of the modern calculating machine and computer. The earliest “abacus” likely was a board or slab on which a Babylonian spread sand in order to trace letters for general writing

Kazakhstan: Cultural life: …recognition for the long novel Abai, based on the life and poetry of Qūnanbayūly, and for his plays, including Eñlık-Kebek.

Blue Nile River, headstream of the Nile River and source of almost 70 percent of its floodwater at Khartoum. It reputedly rises as the Abay from a spring 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) above sea level, near Lake Tana in northwestern Ethiopia. The river flows into and out of the lake, runs through a

religious dress: Islam: …worn in association with an ʿabāʾ (a long, full garment), traditionally of camel hair and brown or black. This is sometimes secured by a ḥijām, or cummerbund. In this second regional variant, the ʿimāmah becomes a full turban replacing the cap, or fez. A green turban usually denotes a sharīf,…

religious dress: Islam: …worn in association with an ʿabāʾ (a long, full garment), traditionally of camel hair and brown or black. This is sometimes secured by a ḥijām, or cummerbund. In this second regional variant, the ʿimāmah becomes a full turban replacing the cap, or fez. A green turban usually denotes a sharīf,…

Abkhaz: The Abaza people, who speak a similar language, dwell north of the main Caucasus mountain chain around the sources of the Kuban and Zelenchuk rivers in Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia. Abaza and Abkhaz are so similar that many linguists consider them to be dialects of a single language.…

Abaza language, language spoken primarily in the western part of the Caucasus Mountains and in northeastern Turkey. Abaza is related to Abkhaz, Adyghian, Kabardian (Circassian), and Ubykh, which constitute the Abkhazo-Adyghian, or Northwest Caucasian, language group. These languages are noted for

religious dress: Islam: …worn in association with an ʿabāʾ (a long, full garment), traditionally of camel hair and brown or black. This is sometimes secured by a ḥijām, or cummerbund. In this second regional variant, the ʿimāmah becomes a full turban replacing the cap, or fez. A green turban usually denotes a sharīf,…

African Blood Brotherhood (ABB), American black liberation group active in the post-World War I period that advocated the position that socialist revolution was possible within the context of race politics and working-class unity. The African Blood Brotherhood (ABB) was based on the ideas of both

Alex Boncayao Brigade, Manila-based death squad that assassinated dozens of people on the orders of the Communist Party of the Philippines, Marxist-Leninist (CPP-ML) during the 1980s. The CPP-ML broke away from the main Philippine Communist Party in 1968–69 and created the New People’s Army (NPA).

Indra Nooyi: Education and early career: …firm Asea Brown Boveri (now ABB).

Indra Nooyi: Education and early career: …firm Asea Brown Boveri (now ABB).

ABBA, Swedish Europop band that was among the most commercially successful groups in the history of popular music. In the 1970s the group dominated the European charts with its catchy pop songs. After disbanding in the early 1980s, the band remained a pop culture phenomenon, inspiring hit musicals

Samuel of Nehardea: …with those of Rav (Abba Arika, head of the academy at Sura), figure prominently in the Babylonian Talmud.

Ethiopia: The Zagwe and Solomonic dynasties: The monk Ewostatewos (c. 1273–1352) preached isolation from corrupting state influences and a return to biblical teachings—including observance of the Judaic Sabbath on Saturday in addition to the Sunday observance, an idea apparently already widely diffused in Ethiopia. The great emperor Zara Yaqob (Zara Yakob; reigned 1434–68)…

Astruc of Lunel was an anti-rationalist Jewish zealot who incited Rabbi Solomon ben Abraham Adret of Barcelona, the most powerful rabbi of his time, to restrict the study of science and philosophy, thereby nearly creating a schism in the Jewish community of Europe. Although Astruc revered

Ābādān, city, extreme southwestern Iran. The city is situated in Khūzestān, part of the oil-producing region of Iran. Ābādān lies on an island of the same name along the eastern bank of the Shaṭṭ Al-ʿArab (river), 33 miles (53 km) from the Persian Gulf. The city thus lies along Iran’s border with

Mostafa El-Abbadi was an Egyptian historian who was regarded as the leading Egyptian scholar of the Greco-Roman world and was the visionary who conceived of and successfully pushed for a revival of the Library of Alexandria in the form of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Abbadi graduated (1951) from

Mostafa El-Abbadi was an Egyptian historian who was regarded as the leading Egyptian scholar of the Greco-Roman world and was the visionary who conceived of and successfully pushed for a revival of the Library of Alexandria in the form of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Abbadi graduated (1951) from

ʿAbbādid dynasty, Muslim-Arab dynasty of Andalusia that arose in Sevilla (Seville) in the 11th century, in the period of the factions, or “party kingdoms” (ṭāʾifahs), following the downfall of the caliphate of Córdoba. In 1023 the qadi (religious judge) Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbbād declared

Antoine-Thomson d’ Abbadie and Arnaud-Michel d’ Abbadie: …1835 the French Academy sent Antoine on a scientific mission to Brazil. Arnaud spent some time in Algeria before the two brothers started for Ethiopia in 1837, landing at Mitsiwa (now Massawa, Eritrea) in 1838. After collecting much information on the geography and natural history of the country, the brothers…

Antoine-Thomson d’ Abbadie and Arnaud-Michel d’ Abbadie were two brothers who, as geographers and travelers, conducted extensive investigations of the geography, geology, archaeology, and natural history of Ethiopia. Their parents, a French father and an Irish mother, moved to France in 1818. In

Antoine-Thomson d’ Abbadie and Arnaud-Michel d’ Abbadie: Arnaud spent some time in Algeria before the two brothers started for Ethiopia in 1837, landing at Mitsiwa (now Massawa, Eritrea) in 1838. After collecting much information on the geography and natural history of the country, the brothers returned to France in 1848. Antoine published…

Claudio Abbado was an Italian conductor and music director of the Vienna State Opera (1986–91) and principal conductor of London Symphony Orchestra (1979–88) and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (1989–2002). Abbado also frequently worked with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. One of a long line

existentialism: Nature of existentialist thought and manner: …that of Italian existentialism was Nicola Abbagnano. The linguistic differences, however, are not decisive for a determination of philosophical affinities. For example, Marcel and Sartre were farther apart than Heidegger and Sartre; and there was greater affinity between Abbagnano and Merleau-Ponty than between Merleau-Ponty and Marcel.

Althiburos, ancient city of Numidia in North Africa, on the road constructed by the Roman emperor Hadrian in 123 ce, between Carthage and Theveste (Tébessa) in what is now Tunisia and Algeria, respectively. The town, originally an indigenous settlement, obtained municipal rights from Hadrian.

Judaism: Palestine (c. 220–c. 400): The outstanding rabbinic scholar there, Abbahu (c. 279–320), wielded great influence with the Roman authorities. Because he combined learning with personal wealth and political power, he attracted some of the most gifted students of the day to the city. About 350 the studies and decisions of the authorities in Caesarea…

Alla Rakha was an Indian tabla player, widely acknowledged as one of the finest artists in India. Alla Rakha was a leading figure of the Punjab gharana (Hindi: community of musicians sharing a distinctive musical style) and was honored with the title ustad, a distinction reserved for master

abbot, the superior of a monastic community that follows the Benedictine Rule (Benedictines, Cistercians, Camaldolese, Trappists) and of certain other orders (Premonstratensians, canons regular of the Lateran). The word derives from the Aramaic ab (“father”), or aba (“my father”), which in the

ʿAbbās I was the viceroy of Egypt under the Ottomans from 1848 to 1854. Despite his relatively peaceful and prosperous reign as viceroy of Egypt, ʿAbbās was largely vilified as selfish, secretive, cruel, and a reactionary. Nevertheless, some scholars have since noted that ʿAbbās’s much-blackened

ʿAbbās II was the last khedive (viceroy) of Egypt, from 1892 to 1914, when British hegemony was established. His opposition to British power in Egypt made him prominent in the nationalist movement. ʿAbbās became khedive following the sudden death of his father, Tawfīq Pasha, in 1892, while ʿAbbās

ʿAbbās I was the shah of Persia from 1588 to 1629, who strengthened the Safavid dynasty by expelling Ottoman and Uzbek troops from Persian soil and by creating a standing army. He also made Eṣfahān the capital of Persia and fostered commerce and the arts, so that Persian artistic achievement

ʿAbbās I was the viceroy of Egypt under the Ottomans from 1848 to 1854. Despite his relatively peaceful and prosperous reign as viceroy of Egypt, ʿAbbās was largely vilified as selfish, secretive, cruel, and a reactionary. Nevertheless, some scholars have since noted that ʿAbbās’s much-blackened

Shiʿi: Anti-Umayyad movements: the Zaydi Shiʿah and the ʿAbbāsids: …ʿAlī’s family, however, but on ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, an uncle of the Prophet. With much support from the mawālī and from supporters of ʿAlī’s family, the ʿAbbāsids succeeded in unseating the Umayyads in 750. The ʿAbbāsid dynasty went on to empower the mawālī but abandoned loyalists to ʿAlī’s family,…

ʿAbbās II was the last khedive (viceroy) of Egypt, from 1892 to 1914, when British hegemony was established. His opposition to British power in Egypt made him prominent in the nationalist movement. ʿAbbās became khedive following the sudden death of his father, Tawfīq Pasha, in 1892, while ʿAbbās

Safavid dynasty: …during the reign of Shah ʿAbbās II (1642–66), it was a period of decline. Eṣfahān fell to the Ghilzai Afghans of Kandahār in 1722. Seven years later Shah Ṭahmāsp II recovered Eṣfahān and ascended the throne, only to be deposed in 1732 by his Afshārid lieutenant Nadr Qolī Beg (the…

ʿAbbās Mīrzā was the crown prince of the Qājār dynasty of Iran who introduced European military techniques into his country. Although he was not the eldest son of Fatḥ ʿAlī Shāh (1797–1834), ʿAbbās Mīrzā was named crown prince and appointed governor of the province of Azerbaijan in 1798 or 1799.

ʿAbbās I was the shah of Persia from 1588 to 1629, who strengthened the Safavid dynasty by expelling Ottoman and Uzbek troops from Persian soil and by creating a standing army. He also made Eṣfahān the capital of Persia and fostered commerce and the arts, so that Persian artistic achievement

Ferhat Abbas was a politician and leader of the national independence movement who served as the first president of the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic. Son of a Muslim official in the Algerian civil service, Abbas received an entirely French education at Philippeville (now Skikda)

Ferhat Abbas was a politician and leader of the national independence movement who served as the first president of the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic. Son of a Muslim official in the Algerian civil service, Abbas received an entirely French education at Philippeville (now Skikda)

Mahmoud Abbas Palestinian politician who served briefly as prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 2003 and was elected its president in 2005 following the death of Yasser Arafat. He was an early member of the Fatah movement and was instrumental in building networks and contacts that

Nawaz Sharif: Corruption allegations, prosecution, and exile: …down and was replaced by Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. Sharif, his wife, and his children left for London, while his brother Shehbaz Sharif was selected to lead the PML-N in the next elections.

ʿAbbasid caliphate, second of the two great dynasties of the Muslim empire of the caliphate. It overthrew the Umayyad caliphate in 750 ce and reigned as the Abbasid caliphate until it was destroyed by the Mongol invasion in 1258. The name is derived from that of the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad,

Baghdad: Architecture and monuments: …late Abbasid architecture include the Abbasid Palace (late 12th or early 13th century) and the Mustanṣiriyyah madrasah (an Islamic law college built by the caliph al-Mustanṣir in 1233), both restored as museums, and the Sahrāwardī Mosque (1234). The Wasṭānī Gate, the only remnant of the medieval wall, has been converted…

Suez Canal: Construction: … and a northern one (Al-ʿAbbāsiyyah Canal) to Port Said. This supplied drinking water in an otherwise arid area and was completed in 1863.

Niccolò dell’Abate was a painter of the Bolognese school who, along with others, introduced the post-Renaissance Italian style of painting to France and helped to inspire the French classical school of landscape painting. Abate probably received early training from his father, the stuccoist