Kadamba family: …unknown, describes the dynastic founder, Mayurasharman, as a learned Brahman who, after being insulted by a Pallava official, took up a military career and acquired sufficient territory to bargain with the Pallavas for a feudal principality on the western coast. His son Kangavarman, who assumed the title Dharmamaharajadhiraja (“Lawful King…

Majorca, island, Balearic Islands provincia (province) and comunidad autónoma (autonomous community), Spain. Majorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which lie in the western Mediterranean Sea. It contains two mountainous regions, each about 50 miles (80 km) in length and occupying the

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is an American boxer whose combination of speed, power, and technical prowess made him one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of all time. (Read Gene Tunney’s 1929 Britannica essay on boxing.) Mayweather earned the nickname “Pretty Boy” during his amateur career because of

Pernell Whitaker: …by judges’ scoring) over American Roger Mayweather to take the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) lightweight title. Although he lost a 12-round decision to José Luis Ramírez of Mexico for the World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight title on March 12, 1988, Whitaker came back to win the International Boxing Federation…

chamomile: Mayweed, or stinking chamomile (A. cotula), is a strong-smelling weed that has been used in medicines and insecticides.

Augusta Maywood was the first American ballerina to achieve international renown. Augusta Williams was the daughter of itinerant English actors. She acquired the name of her stepfather, the theatrical manager Robert Campbell Maywood, when she was three. She began studying ballet under Paul H.

Dead Sea, landlocked salt lake between Israel and Jordan in southwestern Asia. Its eastern shore belongs to Jordan, and the southern half of its western shore belongs to Israel. The northern half of the western shore lies within the Palestinian West Bank and has been under Israeli occupation since

Kayseri, city, central Turkey. It lies at an elevation of 3,422 feet (1,043 metres) on a flat plain below the foothills of the extinct volcano Mount Erciyes (ancient Mount Argaeus, 12,852 feet [3,917 metres]). The city is situated 165 miles (265 km) east-southeast of Ankara. It was originally known

Alexander the Great: Conquest of the Mediterranean coast and Egypt: …an advance force sent under Mazaeus to the Euphrates crossing, marched up the Tigris to oppose him. The decisive battle of the war was fought on October 31, on the plain of Gaugamela between Nineveh and Arbela. Alexander pursued the defeated Persian forces for 35 miles to Arbela, but Darius…

El Jadida, Atlantic port city, north-central Morocco, lying about 55 miles (90 km) southwest of Casablanca. The settlement developed after 1502 around a Portuguese fort and, as Mazagan, became the centre of Portuguese settlement and their last stronghold (1769) against the Filālī (Alaouite)

Otomanguean languages: …family, spoken in Oaxaca; and Mazahua, of the Oto-Pamean family, spoken in the states of Michoacán and México. Many Otomanguean languages use a complex system of pitches or intonations to distinguish otherwise identical utterances.

brocket, any of several small deer constituting the genus Mazama of the family Cervidae (order Artiodactyla), and found from Mexico to South America. Timid browsers, brockets inhabit wooded areas and generally live alone or in pairs. There are about four species, among them the brown brocket (M.

Mazama Ash, volcanic ash deposit widely distributed in the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada. The ash was released by the eruption of Mount Mazama, the event that produced Crater Lake in Oregon, after the caldera beneath the mountain collapsed leaving a volcanic depression some 8

Crater Lake: …diameter, is the remnant of Mount Mazama, a volcano that rose to probably 12,000 feet (3,700 metres) until an eruption about 7,700 years ago destroyed the upper portion. Subsequent lesser outbursts are indicated by cinder cones on the caldera floor; one of these, Wizard Island, rises 764 feet (233 metres)…

Māzandarān, historic region of northern Iran, bordering the Caspian Sea on the north. An early Iranian civilization flourished in the beginning of the first millennium bc in Tabarestan (Māzandarān). It was overrun in about ad 720 by the Arab general Yezid ibn Mohallab and was the last part of Iran

Māzandarān, historic region of northern Iran, bordering the Caspian Sea on the north. An early Iranian civilization flourished in the beginning of the first millennium bc in Tabarestan (Māzandarān). It was overrun in about ad 720 by the Arab general Yezid ibn Mohallab and was the last part of Iran

Mazār-e Sharīf, city, northern Afghanistan, 35 miles (56 km) south of the border with Uzbekistan, at an elevation of 1,250 feet (380 meters). The town derives its name (meaning “tomb of the saint”) from the reputed tomb of ʿAlī, son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad and an early leader of Islam, over

Mazara del Vallo, town and episcopal see, Trapani provincia, western Sicily, Italy, at the mouth of the Mazaro River south of Trapani city. Of Phoenician origin, the town was later colonized by Greeks from nearby Selinus (modern Selinunte). It fell to the Carthaginians in 409 bc and subsequently to

Mazara del Vallo, town and episcopal see, Trapani provincia, western Sicily, Italy, at the mouth of the Mazaro River south of Trapani city. Of Phoenician origin, the town was later colonized by Greeks from nearby Selinus (modern Selinunte). It fell to the Carthaginians in 409 bc and subsequently to

Gutenberg Bible, the first complete book extant in the West and one of the earliest printed from movable type, so called after its printer, Johannes Gutenberg, who completed it about 1455 working at Mainz, Germany. The three-volume work, in Latin text, was printed in 42-line columns and, in its

brilliant cut, method of faceting a diamond to take best advantage of the optical properties of the stone and produce a finished gem with the maximum fire and brilliancy. It is the most popular style of faceting for diamonds. A brilliant-cut stone is round in plan view and has 58 facets, 33 of

tapestry: 15th century: …Christ, popularly known as the Mazarin Tapestry (c. 1500), are characterized by their richness of effect.

Jules, Cardinal Mazarin was the first minister of France after Cardinal de Richelieu’s death in 1642. During the early years of King Louis XIV, he completed Richelieu’s work of establishing France’s supremacy among the European powers and crippling the opposition to the power of the monarchy at

Jules, Cardinal Mazarin was the first minister of France after Cardinal de Richelieu’s death in 1642. During the early years of King Louis XIV, he completed Richelieu’s work of establishing France’s supremacy among the European powers and crippling the opposition to the power of the monarchy at

Takla Makan Desert: Physiography: The arc-shaped Mazartag Mountains, located between the Hotan and Yarkand (Ye’erqiang) river valleys, arch toward the southwest. Some 90 miles (145 km) long and 2 to 3 miles (3 to 5 km) wide, and with a maximum height of 5,363 feet (1,635 metres), they rise an average…

Mazaruni River, river in north central Guyana. Its headstreams arise in the Pakaraima Mountains of western Guyana and flow generally northward. Descending from the Guiana Highlands, the river turns southeastward as far as Issano and then curves northeastward to Bartica, where it is joined by the

Saʿīd ibn Sulṭān: Rise to power: …nominal, for at Mombasa the Mazarʾi family had set up a virtually independent dynasty. In 1822 Saʿīd sent an expedition that drove them from Pemba Island. A British naval force occupied Mombasa irregularly from 1824 to 1826, when the action was repudiated by the British government. In 1827 Saʿīd went…

Mazatec, Mesoamerican Indians of northern Oaxaca in southern Mexico. The region is mostly mountainous, with small valleys, and its flora and fauna are diverse. The Mazatec language is most closely related to those of the Chocho, Ixcatec, and Popoloca. The people are agricultural, depending

Oaxaca: languages, notably Zapotec, Mixtec, Mazatec, Chinantec, and Mixé. Agriculture and mining employ more than half of the workforce. The chief crops are corn (maize), wheat, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, fibres, and tropical fruits. The mountains are veined with gold, silver, uranium, diamonds, and onyx, and mining is important. Services also…

Mazatenango, town, southwestern Guatemala. It lies along the southward-flowing Sis River, on the southern piedmont of the central highlands, at an elevation of 1,217 feet (371 metres) above sea level. Mazatenango is an important commercial and manufacturing centre for the Pacific coastal lowlands

Mazatlán, city and port, southwestern Sinaloa estado (state), western north-central Mexico. It lies just south of the Gulf of California and directly east of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. Known for its beautiful beaches and warm, sunny weather, Mazatlán is a major resort

Phoenix: City site: The Mazatzal Mountains rise to the northeast; the Verde River flows to the west of the mountains, entering the Salt River east of Phoenix.

Hudsonian orogeny: The Mazatzal orogeny in Arizona, the Black orogeny in South Dakota, and the Penokean orogeny in the southern part of the Lake Superior region may represent the Hudsonian event in the United States. Precambrian rocks in the Southern Province, which extends south-southwest of Lake Superior into…

Mazda Motor Corporation, a leading Japanese brand and automotive manufacturer, maker of Mazda passenger cars, trucks, and buses. The company is affiliated with the Sumitomo group. It is headquartered at Hiroshima. Founded in 1920 as a cork plant, the company acquired its Tōyō Kōgyō name in 1927. In

Zoroastrianism: The Sasanian period: …crisis under the impact of Mazdak. This reformer, whose doctrines were partly inspired by those of Mani, was granted an interview by Qobād—as Shāpūr I had received Mani a long time before, but with a more decisive success. Perhaps the king hoped that by abolishing property and the family he…

Mazdakism, dualistic religion that rose to prominence in the late 5th century in Iran from obscure origins. According to some scholars, Mazdakism was a reform movement seeking an optimistic interpretation of the Manichaean dualism. Its founder appears to have been one Zaradust-e Khuragan; a

Canyonlands National Park: The Maze is remote, with dirt roads accessible only to four-wheel-drive vehicles. It borders the Island of the Sky and the Green River to the northeast and the Needles and the lower Colorado River to the southeast. The Colorado River, after its confluence with the Green,…

labyrinth, system of intricate passageways and blind alleys. “Labyrinth” was the name given by the ancient Greeks and Romans to buildings, entirely or partly subterranean, containing a number of chambers and passages that rendered egress difficult. Later, especially from the European Renaissance

animal learning: Maze learning: In the psychologist’s laboratory, the primary method of studying spatial learning has been to put a rat in a maze and watch how it finds its way to the goal box, where it is fed. As befits the analytic (some would say sterile)…

number game: Mazes: A maze having only one entrance and one exit can be solved by placing one hand against either wall and keeping it there while traversing it; the exit can always be reached in this manner, although not necessarily by the shortest path. If the…

Rick Riordan: …authors—Riordan penned the first book, The Maze of Bones (2008), and cowrote the 11th installment, Vespers Rising (2011)—and includes additional cards and Internet gaming activities.

Tawfīq al-Ḥakīm: …Yawmīyāt nāʾib fī al-aryāf (1937; The Maze of Justice), is a satire on Egyptian officialdom.

Maze prison, prison located 10 miles (16 km) west of Belfast, N.Ire., that was a symbolic centre of the struggle between unionists and nationalists during the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Located on the site of a former Royal Air Force airfield, the

Maze prison, prison located 10 miles (16 km) west of Belfast, N.Ire., that was a symbolic centre of the struggle between unionists and nationalists during the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Located on the site of a former Royal Air Force airfield, the

Tina Maze is a Slovenian Alpine skier whose four Olympic medals (two gold and two silver) made her the most-successful winter Olympian in the history of independent Slovenia. Maze began to ski when she was three years old and made her World Cup debut in 1999 at the age of 15, but she did not reach

Mazeikiai, town, northwestern Lithuania. It lies along the Virvyčia River. The first oil refinery in the Baltic states began operation in 1980 about 12 miles (20 km) northwest of the town, processing crude oil brought by a pipeline completed in 1977. The refinery was designed to supply fuel for a

Oblates of Mary Immaculate: …Missionary Society of Provence by Charles-Joseph-Eugène de Mazenod. By preaching to the poor, especially in rural areas, Mazenod hoped to renew the life of the church after the French Revolution. On Feb. 17, 1826, Pope Leo XII gave approval to the congregation, henceforth known as the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.…

Ivan Mazepa was the hetman (leader) of Cossack-controlled Ukraine who turned against the Russians and joined the Swedes during the Second Northern War (1700–21). Having served as a page at the court of the Polish king John Casimir, Mazepa was educated in western Europe but returned to his native

Ivan Mazepa was the hetman (leader) of Cossack-controlled Ukraine who turned against the Russians and joined the Swedes during the Second Northern War (1700–21). Having served as a page at the court of the Polish king John Casimir, Mazepa was educated in western Europe but returned to his native

Ivan Mazepa was the hetman (leader) of Cossack-controlled Ukraine who turned against the Russians and joined the Swedes during the Second Northern War (1700–21). Having served as a page at the court of the Polish king John Casimir, Mazepa was educated in western Europe but returned to his native

mazer, medieval drinking bowl of turned (shaped on a lathe) wood, usually spotted maple. The oldest extant examples, dating from the early 14th century, are mounted with silver or silver-gilt bands around the lip and foot and have an engraved or enameled embossed medallion, called a print or boss,

Pittsburgh Pirates: …1960 World Series dramatically with Bill Mazeroski’s game-winning home run in the ninth inning of the seventh game. In the 1970s the Pirates left Forbes Field, their home for more than 60 years, to play in Three Rivers Stadium, where the power hitting of Willie Stargell and Dave Parker helped…

Kazakhstan: Constitutional framework: …of a Senate and an Assembly (Mäjılıs). Working jointly, the two chambers have the authority to amend the constitution, approve the budget, ratify treaties, and declare war; each chamber also has exclusive powers. Legislators serve four-year terms. Two members of the Senate are elected from each oblast and major city…

Arabia: Al-Nafūd (Great Nafūd): …where they enter either the Mazhur sand dunes, the first of the deserts lying west of the Ṭuwayq Mountains, or Al-Dahnāʾ.

Daniel Mazia was an American cell biologist who was notable for his work in nuclear and cellular physiology, especially the mechanisms involved in mitosis (the process by which the chromosomes within the nucleus of a cell double and divide prior to cell division). Mazia was educated at the

Germany: The Christian Democratic parties: …by a large mandate, with Lothar de Maizière as minister president presiding over the six-month transitional period to unification.

Islamic arts: Poetry: …included the poet and essayist Ibrāhīm al-Māzinī (died 1949) and the prolific writer of poetry and prose ʿAbbās Maḥmūd al-ʿAqqād (died 1964).

Mazorca, (Spanish: “ear of corn”), political group that supported Juan Manuel de Rosas, the governor of Buenos Aires provincia in Argentina during 1829–32 and dictator during 1835–52. The ear of corn was a symbol of the group’s unity, but opponents said the group’s name should be spelled más horca

Mazovia, lowland territory in east-central Poland, located west of Podlasia in the basin of the middle Vistula and lower Bug rivers. Mazovia included the Płock-Ciechanów region (to which the name Mazovia originally referred) as well as the regions of Sochaczew, Grójec (formerly Grodziec), and

Poland: Languages of Poland: …Polish (spoken in the southeast), Mazovian, and Silesian (Śleżanie). Mazovian shares some features with Kashubian, whose remaining speakers number only a few thousand, which is a small percentage of the ethnic Kashubians in the country.

Mazovian Lowland, valley district, east-central Poland. Located in the eastern part of the central lowlands, it is directly south of the Masurian Lakeland and west of the Podlasian Lowland along the border with Belarus. The distinctive feature of this sinuous valley is its marshy floodplain, which

rug and carpet: Eastern Europe: Knotted Mazovian rugs of East Prussia show the strongest Oriental influence, though at the same time they are deeply rooted in peasant traditions. Many other textiles untouched by west European influence, however, came from southeast Poland, Ukraine, and southern Russia; some are characterized by ancient textile…

Mazovian Lowland, valley district, east-central Poland. Located in the eastern part of the central lowlands, it is directly south of the Masurian Lakeland and west of the Podlasian Lowland along the border with Belarus. The distinctive feature of this sinuous valley is its marshy floodplain, which

Tadeusz Mazowiecki was a Polish journalist and Solidarity official who in 1989 became the first noncommunist premier of an eastern European country since the late 1940s. After studying law at the University of Warsaw, Mazowiecki entered journalism and became prominent among Poland’s liberal young

Mazowieckie, województwo (province), east-central Poland. It is bounded by the provinces of Warmińsko-Mazurskie to the north, Podlaskie to the northeast, Lubelskie to the southeast, Świętokrzyskie to the south, Łódzkie to the southwest, and Kujawsko-Pomorskie to the northwest. Created in 1999 as

Mazovia, lowland territory in east-central Poland, located west of Podlasia in the basin of the middle Vistula and lower Bug rivers. Mazovia included the Płock-Ciechanów region (to which the name Mazovia originally referred) as well as the regions of Sochaczew, Grójec (formerly Grodziec), and

Mazovian Lowland, valley district, east-central Poland. Located in the eastern part of the central lowlands, it is directly south of the Masurian Lakeland and west of the Podlasian Lowland along the border with Belarus. The distinctive feature of this sinuous valley is its marshy floodplain, which

Saʿīd ibn Sulṭān: Rise to power: …nominal, for at Mombasa the Mazarʾi family had set up a virtually independent dynasty. In 1822 Saʿīd sent an expedition that drove them from Pemba Island. A British naval force occupied Mombasa irregularly from 1824 to 1826, when the action was repudiated by the British government. In 1827 Saʿīd went…

Ali Al Amin Mazrui was a Kenyan American political scientist who was widely regarded as one of East Africa’s foremost political scholars. Mazrui, the son of a prominent Islamic judge, received a scholarship to study in England at Manchester University (B.A., 1960). He continued his education at

Matsu Island, small island under the jurisdiction of Taiwan in the East China Sea, lying off the Min River estuary of mainland China and about 130 miles (210 km) northwest of Chi-lung (Keelung), Taiwan. Matsu is the main island of a group of 19, the Matsu Islands, which constitute Lien-kiang

Anita Desai is an English-language Indian novelist and author of children’s books who excels in evoking character and mood through visual images ranging from the meteorologic to the botanical. Born to a German mother and Bengali father, Desai grew up speaking German, Hindi, and English. She

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is an Indian businesswoman who, as chairman and managing director (1978– ) of Biocon India Group, led a pioneering enterprise that utilized India’s homegrown scientific talent to make breakthroughs in clinical research. The daughter of a brewmaster for India-based United

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is an Indian businesswoman who, as chairman and managing director (1978– ) of Biocon India Group, led a pioneering enterprise that utilized India’s homegrown scientific talent to make breakthroughs in clinical research. The daughter of a brewmaster for India-based United

Croatian literature: …poems of Stanko Vraz and Ivan Mažuranić. The latter was best known for his longer narrative poem Smrt Smail-age Čengića (1846; The Death of Smail Aga), written in the tradition of oral epic poetry and showing South Slavic allegiance by taking as its subject the struggle of Montenegrins against the…

mazurka, Polish folk dance for a circle of couples, characterized by stamping feet and clicking heels and traditionally danced to the music of a village band. The music is in 34 or 38 time with a forceful accent on the second beat. The dance, highly improvisatory, has no set figures, and more than

mazurka, Polish folk dance for a circle of couples, characterized by stamping feet and clicking heels and traditionally danced to the music of a village band. The music is in 34 or 38 time with a forceful accent on the second beat. The dance, highly improvisatory, has no set figures, and more than

Wacław Sierpiński: …Sierpiński, with Zygmunt Janiszewski and Stefan Mazurkiewicz, planned the future shape of the Polish mathematical community: it would be centred in Warsaw and Lvov, and, because resources for books and journals would be scarce, research would be concentrated in set theory, point-set topology, the theory of real functions, and logic.…

Masurian Lakeland, lake district, northeastern Poland. It is a 20,000-square-mile (52,000-square-km) area immediately to the south of the Baltic coastal plains and extends 180 miles (290 km) eastward from the lower Vistula River to the borders with Lithuania and Belarus. It lies within the

Paul Mazursky was an American actor, writer, and director whose films, which often explored relationships, were known for their insight, satire, and compassion. After graduating from Brooklyn College in 1951, Mazursky moved to Greenwich Village and appeared in various stage productions while

Paul Mazursky was an American actor, writer, and director whose films, which often explored relationships, were known for their insight, satire, and compassion. After graduating from Brooklyn College in 1951, Mazursky moved to Greenwich Village and appeared in various stage productions while

Lithuanian literature: Mažvydas (1547). Later there appeared the religious writings of J. Bretkūnas, or J. Bretke. In 1701 the New Testament was published and, in 1727, the entire Scriptures. Until the 18th century, books were mostly of a religious character. Among publications outside this category, the first…

Mazyadid Dynasty, Muslim Arab dynasty that ruled central Iraq from its capital at al-Ḥillah in the period from about 961 to 1150. The Mazyad family, which belonged to the Bedouin tribe of Asad, had settled along the Euphrates River, between Hīt and Kūfah, in the middle of the 10th century; soon

Mazyr, city and centre of Mazyr rayon (district), Homel oblast (region), Belarus. It is situated on the high bank of the Pripet River. The city dates from at least the 12th century, and from the 18th century it was a centre of trade and handicrafts. Mazyr was a woodworking centre in the early

Mazara del Vallo, town and episcopal see, Trapani provincia, western Sicily, Italy, at the mouth of the Mazaro River south of Trapani city. Of Phoenician origin, the town was later colonized by Greeks from nearby Selinus (modern Selinunte). It fell to the Carthaginians in 409 bc and subsequently to

Salesian: John Bosco and St. Mary Mazzarello. Like their male counterparts, the sisters followed Don Bosco’s norms for education: reason, religion, and amiability and the employment of all that is humanly useful in character formation—academic studies, manual skills, work, clubs, and athletic games.

Jules, Cardinal Mazarin was the first minister of France after Cardinal de Richelieu’s death in 1642. During the early years of King Louis XIV, he completed Richelieu’s work of establishing France’s supremacy among the European powers and crippling the opposition to the power of the monarchy at

Jules, Cardinal Mazarin: Service as papal diplomat.: …the Abruzzi, near Rome, Giulio Mazzarino spent his childhood in a region whose temperament, ways of thought, and Roman Catholic outlook were to permeate his whole existence. His father, Pietro, was a Romanized Sicilian in the household of the constable Filippo I Colonna; his mother, Ortensia Bufalini, of a noble…

Philip Mazzei was an Italian physician, merchant, and author, ardent supporter of the American Revolution, and correspondent of Thomas Jefferson. Mazzei studied medicine in Florence and practiced in Turkey before moving in 1755 to London, where he became a wine merchant. In 1773 Mazzei set sail for

matzeva, a stone pillar erected on elevated ground beside a sacrificial altar. It was considered sacred to the god it symbolized and had a wooden pole (ashera) nearby to signify a goddess. After conquering the Canaanites, early Israelites used these symbols as their own until their use was outlawed

Giuseppe Mazzini was a Genoese propagandist and revolutionary, founder of the secret revolutionary society Young Italy (1832), and a champion of the movement for Italian unity known as the Risorgimento. An uncompromising republican, he refused to participate in the parliamentary government that was

Parmigianino was an Italian painter who was one of the first artists to develop the elegant and sophisticated version of Mannerist style that became a formative influence on the post-High Renaissance generation. There is no doubt that Correggio was the strongest single influence on Parmigianino’s

Italian literature: The world of learning: Giovanni Maria Mazzuchelli and Gerolamo Tiraboschi devoted themselves to literary history. Literary criticism also attracted attention; Gian Vincenzo Gravina, Vico, Maffei, Muratori, and several others, while continuing to advocate the imitation of the classics, realized that such imitation should be cautious and thus anticipated critical…

Boston Celtics: …under the leadership of 34-year-old Joe Mazzulla, the youngest head coach in the league. The Celtics thrived, besting their previous season record to finish 57–25. In the playoffs, they made it to the Eastern Conference finals, where they went down 0–3 against the Miami Heat before coming back to force…

Parmigianino was an Italian painter who was one of the first artists to develop the elegant and sophisticated version of Mannerist style that became a formative influence on the post-High Renaissance generation. There is no doubt that Correggio was the strongest single influence on Parmigianino’s

Dhū an-Nūnid Dynasty: His son Yaḥyā al-Maʾmūn (reigned 1043–75) allied with Christians several times against his Muslim enemies and even entertained King Alfonso VI of Castile and Leon at his court (1072). In 1065 al-Maʾmūn seized the ʿĀmirid capital of Valencia and in 1074–75 was able to take Córdoba, the…

al-Maʾmūn was the seventh ʿAbbāsid caliph (813–833), known for his attempts to end sectarian rivalry in Islām and to impose upon his subjects a rationalist Muslim creed. The son of the celebrated caliph Hārūn ar-Rashīd and an Iranian concubine, al-Maʾmūn was born in 786, six months before his

Maʾrib, town and historic site, north-central Yemen. It is famous as the location of the ancient fortified city of Maʾrib and its associated dam, principal centre of the pre-Islamic state of Sabaʾ (950–115 bce). Sabaean civilization reached its peak with the transfer of power from the mukarribs

dam: The Middle East: …with these was the earthen Maʾrib Dam in the southern Arabian Peninsula, which was more than 15 metres (50 feet) high and nearly 600 metres (1,970 feet) long. Flanked by spillways, this dam delivered water to a system of irrigation canals for more than 1,000 years. Remains of the Maʾrib…

Al-Maʿādī, predynastic Egyptian site located just south of present-day Cairo in Lower Egypt. The settlement at Al-Maʿādī was approximately contemporary with the Amratian and Gerzean cultures of Upper Egypt. Al-Maʿādī was apparently a village with a separate cemetery; the settlement was

maʿamadot, (Hebrew: “stands,” or “posts”), 24 groups of Jewish laymen that witnessed, by turns of one week each, the daily sacrifice in the Second Temple of Jerusalem as representatives of the common people. Gradually maʿamadot were organized in areas outside Jerusalem, so that the people could