Bektashi: …in the 13th century by Haji Bektash Veli. The Islamic order acquired definitive form in the 16th century in Anatolia (now Turkey [Türkiye]) and spread to the Balkans during the Ottoman period. Bektashis, whose numbers are estimated to be anywhere from 7 million to 20 million followers, are found throughout…

ancient Iran: The Neolithic Period (New Stone Age): Tepe Sabz in Khūzestān, Hajji Firuz in Azerbaijan, Godin Tepe VII in northeastern Lorestān, Tepe Sialk I on the rim of the central salt desert, and Tepe Yahya VI C–E in the southeast are all sites that have yielded evidence of fairly sophisticated patterns of agricultural life (Roman numerals…

Kâtip Çelebi was a Turkish historian, geographer, and bibliographer. Kâtip became an army clerk and took part in many campaigns in the east, meanwhile collecting material for his historical works. As a child he was taught the Qurʾān and Arabic grammar and calligraphy, but his later education was

Azerbaijan: Cultural life: Some of Azerbaijan’s composers, notably Uzeir Hajjibekov (the operas Ker-Ogly and Leyli and Mejnūn and the operetta Arshin Mal ʾAlan) and Kara Karayev (the ballets Seven Beauties and The Path of Thunder), have international reputations. The latter’s symphonic music is also well known abroad.

Hviezdoslav: In his main epics—Hájnikova žena (1886; “The Gamekeeper’s Wife”) and Ežo Vlkolinský (1890)—he treated local themes in a style that combined realistic descriptive power with lyric echoes from folk song. In his voluminous lyric output he experimented with a variety of metrical forms and forged a characteristic style,…

Alfréd Hajós was a Hungarian swimmer who won three Olympic medals and was the first Olympic swimming champion. Hajós began swimming at age 13 after his father drowned in the Danube River. In 1895 he won the 100-metre freestyle title at the European championships in Vienna. At the 1896 Olympic Games

Arabia: Yemen: …this coast the stream of Wadi Ḥajr, perhaps the only truly perennial river in Arabia, flows about 60 miles to the sea.

South Asian arts: Ḥaju and shahr-āshūb: Less ornate, if not less elaborate, and more edifying are the ḥaju (derogatory verses, personal and otherwise) and the shahr-āshūb (poems lamenting the decline or destruction of a city). They provide useful information about the mores and morals of the period from…

Lao literature: Modern Lao literature: …the late 1990s is “Hak lae phukphan” (“Love and Ties”) by the prolific Duangsai Luangphasi. In this story a woman’s parents oblige her to end her relationship with the man she loves in order to marry a suitor from a wealthier family. When she is diagnosed with a terminal…

haka, Maori posture dance that involves the entire body in vigorous rhythmic movements, which may include swaying, slapping of the chest and thighs, stamping, and gestures of stylized violence. It is accompanied by a chant and, in some cases, by fierce facial expressions meant to intimidate, such

Shimazaki Tōson: …his major novels, Hakai (1906; The Broken Commandment), the story of a young outcast schoolteacher’s struggle for self-realization, has been called representative of the naturalist school, then the vogue in Japan, although it more clearly reflects the influence of Jean-Jacques Rousseau than of Émile Zola. Ie (1910–11; The Family) depicts…

Spain: The independent emirate: …Hishām I (788–796) and al-Ḥakam I (796–822), encountered severe internal dissidence among the Arab nobility. A rebellion in Toledo was put down savagely, and the internal warfare caused the emir to increase the numbers of Slav and Amazigh mercenaries and to impose new taxes to pay for them.

Spain: The caliphate of Córdoba: …succeeded by his son al-Ḥakam II (961–976), who adopted the caliphal title of al-Mustanṣir. His peaceful reign succeeded in resolving the problem of the Maghrib, thanks to the strategic ability of General Ghālib and the policy of the intendant, Abū ʿĀmir al-Maʿāfirī, who soon became the all-powerful al-Manṣūr (Spanish:…

dress: Japan: …called kinu, the men’s trousers hakama, and the women’s skirts mo.

Nuku Hiva: Hakapehi (Tai-o-hae), on the south coast, the main harbour and port, is the administrative seat for the Marquesas. Another harbour, Anaho Bay, is on the north coast. American writer Herman Melville visited the region in the 1840s, and Nuku Hiva was the setting for his…

Khakass, people who have given their name to Khakassia republic in central Russia. The general name Khakass encompasses five Turkic-speaking groups that differ widely in their ethnic origin as well as in their culture and everyday life: the Kacha, Sagay (Sagai), Beltir, Kyzyl, and Koybal. Before

Poland: Accommodation with the ruling governments: The Poles called it Hakata, after the initials of its founders. The Polish response took the form of credit unions, cooperative associations, and self-help institutions. Showing great solidarity and organizational talents, working hard, and raising socioeconomic standards, Prussian Poles developed characteristics that distinguished them from their countrymen under Russian…

Arabic literature: Popular narratives: …advent of broadcast media, the ḥakawātī (storyteller) remained a major fixture of Arabic-speaking countries, choosing a select spot either in the open air of evening or in a café from which to recite episodes from some of the great sagas of Arab lore (in Arabic, siyar shaʿbiyyah). These include the…

Arabic literature: Modern Arabic drama: …in the Middle East, the Ḥakawātī troupe (named for the ḥakawātī, or traditional storyteller), which emerged from an earlier group known as al-Balālīn (“Balloons”). An itinerant troupe established in 1977, Ḥakawātī toured villages and performed its own plays in a variety of public spaces through the turn of the 21st…

hake, (genus Merluccius), any of several large marine fishes of the cod family, Gadidae. They are sometimes classed as a separate family, Merlucciidae, because of skeletal differences in the skull and ribs. Hakes are elongated, largeheaded fishes with large, sharp teeth. They have two dorsal fins,

pottery: Korea: …Japanese technique, “brush” (hakeme), or brushed slip, is used in conjunction with painted decoration in the early part of the dynasty, but later it is used alone. Korean influence on Japanese pottery was probably at its strongest during the ascendancy of the Japanese warrior Hideyoshi (1536–98), who invaded Korea. It…

eclipse: Uses of eclipses for astronomical purposes: …are mainly contained in the Hakemite Tables compiled by Ibn Yūnus about 1005. Unfortunately, there are very few timings between 50 bce and 400 ce and again from 600 to 800.

four-colour map problem: …directed by Kenneth Appel and Wolfgang Haken, after four years of unprecedented synthesis of computer search and theoretical reasoning. Appel and Haken created a catalog of 1,936 “unavoidable” configurations, at least one of which must be present in any graph, no matter how large. Then they showed how each of…

Achaemenes was the son of the Achaemenid king Darius I of Persia. After the first rebellion of Egypt (484), Achaemenes was appointed satrap (governor) of Egypt by his brother Xerxes I; he also commanded the Egyptian contingent of the Achaemenid fleet defeated by the Greeks at the Battle of Salamis

Achaemenes was the eponymous ancestor of the Persian Achaemenid dynasty; he was the father of Teispes (Chishpish) and an ancestor of Cyrus II the Great and Darius I the Great. Although Achaemenes probably ruled only Parsumash, a vassal state of the kingdom of Media, many scholars believe that he

Achaemenid Empire, (559–330 bce), ancient Iranian empire founded and ruled over by a line of Persian kings thought to be descended from the eponymous ancestor Achaemenes (Persian Hakhamanish). The early members of this dynasty were kings of Anshan in modern Fars. The conquests of Cyrus II (the

sofer: …law, or jurists (usually called ḥakhamim), who gave legal advice to judges entrusted with administration of the law. They found their way into the ranks of the Pharisees and the Sadducees and served in the great Sanhedrin of Jerusalem, the chief Jewish legislative and judicial body from about 200 bc…

S.Y. Agnon: (1919; The Bridal Canopy). Its hero, Reb Yudel Hasid, is the embodiment of every wandering, drifting Jew in the ghettos of the tsarist and Austro-Hungarian empires. His second novel, Ore’aḥ Nataʿ Lalun (1938; A Guest for the Night), describes the material and moral decay of European…

al-Ḥākim was the sixth ruler of the Egyptian Shiʿi Fatimid dynasty, noted for his eccentricities and cruelty, especially his persecutions of Sunni Muslims, Christians, and Jews. He is held by adherents of the Druze religion to be a divine incarnation. Al-Ḥākim was named caliph in 996 and depended

al-Ḥākim was the sixth ruler of the Egyptian Shiʿi Fatimid dynasty, noted for his eccentricities and cruelty, especially his persecutions of Sunni Muslims, Christians, and Jews. He is held by adherents of the Druze religion to be a divine incarnation. Al-Ḥākim was named caliph in 996 and depended

Islamic arts: Architecture: Al-Ḥākim (c. 1002–03)—were designed in the traditional hypostyle plan with axial cupolas. It is only in such architectural details as the elaborately composed facade of Al-Ḥākim, with its corner towers and vaulted portal, that innovations appear, for most earlier mosques did not have large formal…

al-Ḥākim was the sixth ruler of the Egyptian Shiʿi Fatimid dynasty, noted for his eccentricities and cruelty, especially his persecutions of Sunni Muslims, Christians, and Jews. He is held by adherents of the Druze religion to be a divine incarnation. Al-Ḥākim was named caliph in 996 and depended

Tawfīq al-Ḥakīm was the founder of contemporary Egyptian drama and a leading figure in modern Arabic literature. Al-Ḥakīm was born into a well-to-do family. After studying law at Cairo University, he went to Paris to continue his legal studies but instead devoted most of his time to the theatre. On

Tawfīq al-Ḥakīm was the founder of contemporary Egyptian drama and a leading figure in modern Arabic literature. Al-Ḥakīm was born into a well-to-do family. After studying law at Cairo University, he went to Paris to continue his legal studies but instead devoted most of his time to the theatre. On

Ifat: When its sultan, Hakk ad-Dīn, warring against the Ethiopian king Amda Tseyon, was conquered by him in 1328, Ifat was made tributary to Ethiopia. (At this time Ifat’s dominion extended eastward to the port of Zeila.) Thereafter Ifat was continually in revolt against Ethiopia. It was finally destroyed…

Hakka, ethnic group of China. Originally, the Hakka were North Chinese, but they migrated to South China (especially Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, and Guangxi provinces) during the fall of the Nan (Southern) Song dynasty in the 1270s. Worldwide they are thought to number about 80 million today,

Hakka language, Chinese language spoken by considerably fewer than the estimated 80 million Hakka people living mainly in eastern and northern Guangdong province but also in Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Hunan, and Sichuan provinces. Hakka is also spoken by perhaps 7 million immigrants in widely

Hakkâri, city, capital of Hakkâri il (province), southeastern Turkey. It lies at an elevation of about 5,500 feet (1,700 metres), surrounded by mountains and overlooked by a medieval fortress, the former residence of its Kurdish rulers. A market for local livestock and livestock products, Hakkâri

Japan: Flora: …gradually descends northward to the Hakkōda Mountains, in northern Honshu, at 4,600 feet (1,400 meters) and to the Daisetsu Mountains, in central Hokkaido, at about 3,600 feet (1,100 meters).

Richard Hakluyt was an English geographer noted for his political influence, his voluminous writings, and his persistent promotion of Elizabethan overseas expansion, especially the colonization of North America. His major publication, The Principall Navigations, Voiages and Discoveries of the

Samuel Purchas: …British geographer Richard Hakluyt in Hakluytus Posthumus or Purchas his Pilgrimes; Contayning a History of the World, in Sea Voyages and Lande Travells, by Englishmen and Others (4 vol., 1625; 20 vol., 1905–07).

The Box Man, avant-garde satiric novel by Abe Kōbō, published in Japanese in 1973 as Hako otoko. A bizarre commentary on contemporary society, The Box Man concerns a man who relinquishes normal life to live in a “waterproof room,” a cardboard box that he wears on his back. Like a medieval Buddhist

Hakodate, city, southern Hokkaido ken (prefecture), northern Japan. It is situated on the Tsugaru Strait between Hokkaido and Honshu. The city is built along the northwestern base of a rocky promontory that forms the eastern boundary of a naturally sheltered spacious harbour. Until the mid-18th

Hakodate: Mount Hakodate (1,100 feet [335 metres]) rises to the southwest; on its eastern slope are a municipal library and museum, the latter devoted to the Ainu and Nivkh (formerly Gilyak) peoples. In the east are Yunokawa Spa (one of the oldest hot-spring resorts on the…

Haakon IV Haakonsson was the king of Norway (1217–63) who consolidated the power of the monarchy, patronized the arts, and established Norwegian sovereignty over Greenland and Iceland. His reign is considered the beginning of the “golden age” (1217–1319) in medieval Norwegian history. Acknowledged

Haakon I Adalsteinsfostre was a Norwegian king and one of the most eminent Scandinavian rulers of his time. He fostered the growth of governmental institutions but failed in his attempt to Christianize the lesser Norwegian chieftains. Haakon, the youngest son of Harald I Fairhair, was brought up at

Haakon IV Haakonsson was the king of Norway (1217–63) who consolidated the power of the monarchy, patronized the arts, and established Norwegian sovereignty over Greenland and Iceland. His reign is considered the beginning of the “golden age” (1217–1319) in medieval Norwegian history. Acknowledged

Haakon II Sigurdsson was the king of Norway (1157–62), illegitimate son of Sigurd Munn. On the death of his uncle King Eystein II in 1157, the 10-year-old Haakon received the support of Eystein’s partisans against the rival king, Inge I, whom they finally defeated and killed in 1161. In 1162,

Haakon Sigurdsson was a Norwegian noble who defeated Harald II Graycloak, becoming the chief ruler (c. 970) of Norway; he later extended his rule over the greater part of the country. He resisted an attempt by the Danish king Harald III Bluetooth to Christianize Norway and was the last

Haakon V Magnusson was the king of Norway (1299–1319) whose anti-English foreign policy paved the way for the commercial domination of Norway by north German traders of the Hanseatic League. His reign marked the end of the “golden age” in medieval Norwegian history. The younger son of Magnus VI

Haakon VI Magnusson was the king of Norway (1355–80) whose marriage to Margaret, daughter of the Danish king Valdemar IV, in 1363 paved the way for the eventual union (1397) of the three major Scandinavian nations—Denmark, Norway, and Sweden—the Kalmar Union. Haakon was deeply embroiled throughout

Haakon III Sverresson was the king of Norway (1202–04), the illegitimate son of King Sverre Sigurdsson. During his short reign he tried to heal the breach between the crown and the church, so that exiled bishops returned to their sees. It was said that the sickness which caused his sudden death was

saga: Kings’ sagas: …Þórðarson wrote two royal biographies: Hákonar saga on King Haakon Haakonsson (c. 1204–63) and Magnús saga on his son and successor, Magnus VI Law-Mender (Lagabǫter; reigned 1263–80); of the latter only fragments survive. In writing these sagas, Sturla used written documents as source material and, like Abbot Karl before him,…

Hakone, town, far southwestern Kanagawa ken (prefecture), east-central Honshu, Japan. It lies on the southern bank of Lake Ashino, in the caldera of the extinct volcano Mount Hakone. The town was a post station on the Tōkaidō (“Eastern Sea Road”)—the main historic land route between Edo (Tokyo) and

Yi Sang-chwa was a noted Korean painter famous for the freshness and originality of his style. Yi was originally a slave in a scholar’s household, but his great artistic talents soon came to the attention of the king, and he was admitted to the Korean Royal Academy. He is known for his landscapes

Kurosawa Akira: Films of the 1950s: Hakuchi (1951; The Idiot) is based upon Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novel of the same title, Kumonosu-jo (Throne of Blood) was adapted from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and Donzoko (1957; The Lower Depths) was from Maxim Gorky’s drama: each of these films is skillfully Japanized. Throne of

Japanese architecture: The Hakuhō period: In the early 640s the Soga clan was afflicted with bloody internal intrigue, which offered its rivals the opportunity to usurp power. In 645 Prince Nakono Ōe (later the emperor Tenji) and Nakatomi Kamatari (later Fujiwara Kamatari) led a successful coup and promulgated…

Hakuin was a priest, writer, and artist who helped revive Rinzai Zen Buddhism in Japan. Hakuin joined the Rinzai Zen sect about 1700. He subsequently became an itinerant monk, during which time he first experienced enlightenment, and returned in 1716 to the Shōin Temple in his native Hara, which

Hakuin was a priest, writer, and artist who helped revive Rinzai Zen Buddhism in Japan. Hakuin joined the Rinzai Zen sect about 1700. He subsequently became an itinerant monk, during which time he first experienced enlightenment, and returned in 1716 to the Shōin Temple in his native Hara, which

Veikko Hakulinen was a Finnish cross-country skier who earned seven Olympic medals in three Olympic competitions between 1952 and 1960. He also won world championships in the 15-km event in 1954 and 1958. A woodchopper by trade, Hakulinen proved to be a versatile skier at all distances. His first

Veikko Hakulinen was a Finnish cross-country skier who earned seven Olympic medals in three Olympic competitions between 1952 and 1960. He also won world championships in the 15-km event in 1954 and 1958. A woodchopper by trade, Hakulinen proved to be a versatile skier at all distances. His first

ḥāl, in Ṣūfī Muslim mystical terminology, a spiritual state of mind that comes to the Ṣūfī from time to time during his journey toward God. The aḥwāl are graces of God that cannot be acquired or retained through an individual’s own efforts. When the soul is purified of its attachments to the

2001: A Space Odyssey: The ship’s computer, HAL 9000, which possesses human intellect and vocal ability, malfunctions and begins to work against the astronauts in a life-or-death battle of wits, leading to questions about humankind’s relationship to machines. In the film’s final section, “Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite,” Bowman travels through a…

Gordon Douglas: Early work: …hold and ended up at Hal Roach’s studio. In 1930 he appeared in the first of numerous comedy shorts, often uncredited. Five years later he turned to directing, and he soon gained attention for his work on the popular Our Gang (also known as Little Rascals) series, which centred on…

Paola: …well-preserved Neolithic temple and the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum (catacombs), discovered in 1902 and designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980. Pop. (2011) 8,267; (2015 est.) 8,177.

Tarxien, town, eastern Malta, just southeast of Valletta and adjacent to Paola to the northwest. Tarxien (or Hal Tarxien; pronounced “Tar-shin”) is famous for its remarkably well-preserved complex of three Neolithic temples of different date but similar plan. The ruins were discovered by farmers in

Prince Hal, fictional character, based on the English monarch, who appears in William Shakespeare’s collection of plays known as the “second tetralogy” and is briefly discussed in the group of plays called the “first tetralogy.” Both sets of plays depict events in English history during the late

Aleppo, principal city of northern Syria. It is situated in the northwestern part of the country, about 30 miles (50 km) south of the Turkish border. Aleppo is located at the crossroads of great commercial routes and lies some 60 miles (100 km) from both the Mediterranean Sea (west) and the

Ibn Abī ʿAṣrūn was a scholar who became a leading Shāfiʿī (one of the four schools of Islamic law) theologian and the chief judicial officer of the Ayyūbid caliphate. After completing his theological training, Ibn Abī ʿAṣrūn held various religious and judicial posts in Iraq. In 1154 he was invited

al-Ḥalabī was a jurist who maintained the traditions of Islamic jurisprudence in the 16th century. Personal details of his life are obscure, except that after studying in Ḥalab and Cairo, he spent more than 40 years in Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, where he became a preacher in the

al-Ḥalabī was a jurist who maintained the traditions of Islamic jurisprudence in the 16th century. Personal details of his life are obscure, except that after studying in Ḥalab and Cairo, he spent more than 40 years in Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, where he became a preacher in the

Queen Noor is an American-born architect who was the consort (1978–99) of King Hussein of Jordan. (Read Queen Noor’s Britannica essay on land mines.) Born into a prominent Arab American family, Halaby was raised in an atmosphere of affluence. She attended the elite National Cathedral School in

Halakhah, in Judaism, the totality of laws and ordinances that have evolved since biblical times to regulate religious observances and the daily life and conduct of the Jewish people. Quite distinct from the Law, or the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), Halakhah purports to preserve

Halakhah, in Judaism, the totality of laws and ordinances that have evolved since biblical times to regulate religious observances and the daily life and conduct of the Jewish people. Quite distinct from the Law, or the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), Halakhah purports to preserve

Tall Ḥalaf, archaeological site of ancient Mesopotamia, on the headwaters of the Khābur River near modern Raʾs al-ʿAyn, northeastern Syria. It is the location of the first find of a Neolithic culture characterized by glazed pottery painted with geometric and animal designs. The pottery is sometimes

Tall Ḥalaf, archaeological site of ancient Mesopotamia, on the headwaters of the Khābur River near modern Raʾs al-ʿAyn, northeastern Syria. It is the location of the first find of a Neolithic culture characterized by glazed pottery painted with geometric and animal designs. The pottery is sometimes

Tall Ḥalaf: The pottery is sometimes called Halafian ware.

Halakhah, in Judaism, the totality of laws and ordinances that have evolved since biblical times to regulate religious observances and the daily life and conduct of the Jewish people. Quite distinct from the Law, or the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), Halakhah purports to preserve

Halakhah, in Judaism, the totality of laws and ordinances that have evolved since biblical times to regulate religious observances and the daily life and conduct of the Jewish people. Quite distinct from the Law, or the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), Halakhah purports to preserve

Halakhah, in Judaism, the totality of laws and ordinances that have evolved since biblical times to regulate religious observances and the daily life and conduct of the Jewish people. Quite distinct from the Law, or the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), Halakhah purports to preserve

Halakhah, in Judaism, the totality of laws and ordinances that have evolved since biblical times to regulate religious observances and the daily life and conduct of the Jewish people. Quite distinct from the Law, or the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), Halakhah purports to preserve

Halakhah, in Judaism, the totality of laws and ordinances that have evolved since biblical times to regulate religious observances and the daily life and conduct of the Jewish people. Quite distinct from the Law, or the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), Halakhah purports to preserve

halal, in Islam, any act or object sanctioned by Islamic law. Although the term may be broadly applied to virtually any activity or object, it is used especially to refer to dietary restrictions. The opposite of halal is haram, which refers to any act or object expressly proscribed in the Qurʾān

Mihály Babits: Among his novels, Halálfiai (1927; “The Children of Death”), a sympathetic portrayal of the decaying middle class, is outstanding. His translations include plays of Sophocles, Dante’s Divina Commedia, medieval Latin hymns, and works by Shakespeare and Goethe.

stringed instrument: For accompaniment: …North Africa: the lute (gimbrī) is played only between verses of the story, as a descriptive comment.

Halang language, language spoken chiefly in the central highlands of south-central Vietnam near Kon Tum. The number of speakers in Vietnam is estimated at some 10,000. Halang is a member of the North Bahnaric subbranch of the Mon-Khmer language family, which is a part of the Austroasiatic stock.

Czech literature: After 1918: …of Jakub Deml, Josef Hora, František Halas, Vítězslav Nezval, and Jaroslav Seifert exhibited great vitality and variety, with work of the highest quality being produced. After World War II, however, the newly established communist regime suppressed free literary activity and permitted only works conforming to the drab and restrictive tenets…

George Halas was the founder, owner, and head coach of the Chicago Bears gridiron football team in the U.S. professional National Football League (NFL). Halas revolutionized American football strategy in the late 1930s when he, along with assistant coach Clark Shaughnessy, revived the T formation

George Halas was the founder, owner, and head coach of the Chicago Bears gridiron football team in the U.S. professional National Football League (NFL). Halas revolutionized American football strategy in the late 1930s when he, along with assistant coach Clark Shaughnessy, revived the T formation

John Halas and Joy Batchelor were a British husband-and-wife production team, noted for their influential animated films. Halas was educated in Hungary and Paris and apprenticed to George Pal; he moved to England as an animator in 1936. After art school Batchelor became a commercial artist and met

Brassaï was a Hungarian-born French photographer, poet, draughtsman, and sculptor, known primarily for his dramatic photographs of Paris at night. His pseudonym, Brassaï, is derived from his native city. Brassaï trained as an artist and settled in Paris in 1924. There he worked as a sculptor,

chromatography: Subsequent developments: …solids to reduce adsorptive activity; István Halász of Germany exploited these reactions to cause a separation based on liquid solution effects in the bonded molecular layers. These and similar reactions were employed to give firmly attached molecules that acted as a thin film of solvent in liquid systems. These bonded…

Brassaï was a Hungarian-born French photographer, poet, draughtsman, and sculptor, known primarily for his dramatic photographs of Paris at night. His pseudonym, Brassaï, is derived from his native city. Brassaï trained as an artist and settled in Paris in 1924. There he worked as a sculptor,

Halawa Valley, valley, northeastern Molokai island, Hawaii, U.S. On the northeastern flank of Kamakou summit (4,961 feet [1,512 metres]), it is a deep verdant gorge 1.75 miles (2.8 km) long and 0.5 mile (0.8 km) wide. Archaeological evidence dates habitation in the area from about 650 ce, which

Egypt: Land of Egypt: …notable for two areas, the Ḥalāʾib Triangle along the Red Sea and Biʾr Ṭawīl further inland, that are subject to differing claims by the two countries (see Researcher’s Note). In the north its Mediterranean coastline is about 620 miles (1,000 km), and in the east its coastline on the Red…

mezza majolica, in pottery, an earthenware body dipped into clay slip and covered with a lead glaze, superficially resembling true majolica, or tin-glazed earthenware. In German it is sometimes known as halb-fayence (“half faience”). Both terms are misnomers; the ware is more correctly classified

halberd, weapon consisting of an ax blade balanced by a pick with an elongated pike head at the end of the staff. It was usually about 1.5 to 1.8 metres (5 to 6 feet) long. The halberd was an important weapon in middle Europe from the 14th through the 16th century. It enabled a foot soldier to

Fritz Lang: Early life and German films: …his first movie, Halbblut (The Half-Caste), the theme of which foreshadowed such triumphs from his Hollywood period as The Woman in the Window (1944) and Scarlet Street (1945). In 1920 he began working for producer Erich Pommer at Decla Biscop Studio, which became part of the German filmmaking giant…

Gus Hall was an American political organizer who was the general secretary of the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA; 1959–2000) and a four-time candidate for U.S. president (1972, 1976, 1980, 1984). Hall’s parents were members of the militant Industrial Workers of the World,

halberd, weapon consisting of an ax blade balanced by a pick with an elongated pike head at the end of the staff. It was usually about 1.5 to 1.8 metres (5 to 6 feet) long. The halberd was an important weapon in middle Europe from the 14th through the 16th century. It enabled a foot soldier to