Al Fusaic

Known as one of the last Zoroastrian dynasties to exist prior to the Islamic Iranian dynasties, the Qarinvand Dynasty ruled parts of the Tabaristan highlands in today’s northern Iran . Tabaristan was ruled by the Dabuyid Dynasty through Dabuyid Ispahbads. As one of two Dabuyid vassal kingdoms, the other being Bavand , the Qarinvand Dynasty ruled from the 550s until the 11th-century, persisting eve...

The Dabuyid Dynasty , otherwise known as the Gaubarid Dynasty, was an Iranian Zoroastrian Dynasty ruled by a group of independent kings, called Ispahbads . Most of what is known about the Dabuyid Dynasty is from the later historian Ibn Isfandiyar’s Tarikh-I Tabaristan, written in the 13th Century. Although the dynasty was founded by Gil Gavbara in 642 CE, it was named after his son, Dabuya, who co...

In this podcast episode, Amer from Real Arabic translates and discusses the first half of the article:  The Impact of the Russia/Ukraine Conflict on MENA Countries . This recording is also cross-posted to the  Real Arabic Podcast’s website.  

The emergence of the Funj Sultanate completely altered the existing power dynamics between the Ottoman Empire and Ethiopia in the 16th-18th centuries. The Funj established their capital city at Sinnar, a port along the banks of the Blue Nile in what is now northeastern Sudan , where they maintained tight control over a flourishing trade of gold and slaves. Under Funj's rule, Islam spread and i...

In this podcast episode, Amer from Real Arabic translates and discusses the first half of the article: The Impact of the Russia/Ukraine Conflict on MENA Countries . This recording is also cross-posted to the Real Arabic Podcast’s website.  

From the 9th to 11th century, a Shiite denomination known as the Qarmatian civilization prospered in areas known today as Iraq , Yemen , and Bahrain . The civilization was named after Hamdan Qarmat, their leader in the late 9th century. The Qarmatian civilization is known for its excellent social management and egalitarian society, which attracted those considered “low-class” members of society su...

The Nabhani Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in the modern-day Sultanate of Oman , which lasted from 1154 to 1624. Despite continuous internal and external conflicts, the Bani Nabhan family was able to retain power for almost 500 years, secure the frankincense trade , and build a lasting fortress in the city of Bahla . During their reign, the Nabhani consolidated power from the Imams, however, towards...

The Aghlabids were an Arab Dynasty of Emirs that ruled Ifriqya, a historical region consisting of Tunisia , Libya , and Algeria and parts of Southern Italy and Sicily, for about a century beginning in 800 CE. The Aghlabids gained power when Ibrahim al-Aghlab was appointed Emir of the region. Under Aghlabid rule, Ifriqya became the first autonomous state in the Abbasid Caliphate . The capital of If...

Ziyad in Arabic means growth, which is fitting for the Ziyadid Dynasty’s enduring influence over modern-day Yemen and throughout the Islamic world for over 1,000 years. Established by Muhammad ibn Ziyad in 820, who was sent to settle a quarrel for the Abbasids but instead created his own empire and named the capital ‘Zabid’, after himself. Zabid grew rich in culture, education, and commerce. Nickn...

Located in ancient Egypt or modern day Sudan , the civilization of Nobatia (or Nobadia) was conceived from the Kushite Kingdom alongside its neighbors to the south, Makuria and Alodia . Established around 400 C.E. Nobatia was one of the first kingdoms to convert to Christianity during this time. Nobatia was eventually absorbed by the Makuria Kingdom in the 7th century. It is likely that early Noba...

Join Helana Reyad and her featured guest, Mona Miari, as they talk about women in the Tarab tradition, the commercialization of Tarab, and grapple with the question “Have you recently made art without thinking how it would look on your social media?”

The Bavand Dynasty ruled in the northern territories of Tabaristan and Mazandaran between the Sasanian Empire and Safavid Empire in what is now Iran from 661 to 1349 CE, the second longest dynasty of Iran. Legend states that the dynasty was founded by Bav as he rebuked attempts to bring Islam to the Zoroastrian region. After relations with Persia had normalized, the dynasty was ultimately converte...

The Saffarid dynasty (Persian: صفاریان‎) was a Persian Sunni military dynasty from Sistan that ruled over parts of Greater Iran between 861 and 1003. The Saffarids were the first dynasty to seize power by force in the Islamic heartlands and spring from the bands of volunteer warriors for faith (mutatawwi'a), whose mission was to fight infidels and heretics. Its capital was located in Zaranj (a cit...

Today we have tea...but no Arabi… Join Coretta and Andi as they catch up on summer, talk about travel and culture, and recap season 2 of Shay wa Arabi! *warning* this episode brings the laughs as conversations between friends often do!

The Hammadid Dynasty, a subsect of the Zirid Empire , was an ancient civilization that occupied what is now present-day Algeria . Similar to the Zirid, the Hammadid were part of the Ṣanhājah Amazigh and followed Shi’a Islam until their independence in 1048. Skilled both architecturally and agriculturally , the Hammadid empire survived even their predecessors, escaping initial attempts by the Fatim...

The city of Carchemish was situated in northern Syria, and it has been the point of encounter and conjunction of many important empires such as the Hittites , Assyrians , and Mitanni . In the 18th century, BCE Carchemish was already recognized as an independent city, and it played an essential role in ancient Near Eastern history. Carchemish was of great interest among empires for being an importa...

Located in Northern Syria , much of what we know about the Yamhad civilization has been discovered in neighboring strongholds of the time. Alalakh and Mari are ancient cities that held close political ties with Yamhad’s capital, Halab (also known as Aleppo ). They shared the heritage of ethnic Amorites , a Western Semitic ethnic group, but the Yamhad Kingdom gained superiority in the late 3rd mill...

Join us as we chat with the amazing Grace Landsberg and learn about her educational platform ( www.yallaarabee.com ), the intentional way that she is shaping her future and how the Arabic language is becoming the umbrella under which she views her future. We are so excited to share our Fellows with you and provide a space for them to showcase their passion for the region, personal projects, and co...

Join us as we learn about how our resident Urartu Kingdom specialist details how he became interested in the SWANA region, how the Al Fusaic Fellowship has helped him share his voice, and where he’s JET-setting off to next! We are so excited to share our Fellows with you and provide a space for them to showcase their passion for the region, personal projects, and collaboration! Welcome to our Fell...

The Zangid (also commonly spelled ‘Zengid’) dynasty ruled on behalf of the Seljuk Empire from 1127 – 1250 CE. Muslim and Oghuz Turkic in origin, the Zangid spanned areas of the Levant and Upper Mesopotamia throughout what is now Syria and Iraq . Not only did the Zangid dynasty sponsor some of the most revered metalworking and painting schools in Mosul, but they are also known for their fierce figh...

For three centuries, the Lakhmid Kingdom- or al- Manadhirah, in Arabic- was ruled by the Banu Lakhm Dynasty. ‘Amr ibn Adi , the dynasty’s founder, is a descendant of the Lakhm tribe that originated from Qahtani Yemen . This is mentioned in the 3rd century Paikuli inscription ’s description of the Sasanian Empire, to which the Lakhmid Kingdom was a vassal state. Before being annexed by the Sasanian...

The Mari Kingdom ! In what is now modern-day Syria , Mari ( Tell Hariri) was a city-state that spread from the western bank of the Euphrates River beyond Deir Ez-Zor . The Mariotes existed as a multicultural place of trade and metallurgy with Amorites and Akkadians exacting substantial influence over the people and culture of this region. It existed as a city-state from 2900 BCE to 1760 BCE and ex...

The episode chosen for reaction was Honor Killings, note that this topic has very strong language, so we’re providing a content warning here. And on a lighter note, echos abound, electricity cuts off, and sound is slightly wonky…but we’re providing the realest experience as we wrap up our partnership with the Real Arabic! #realarabic #shaywaarabi #languagelearning #lebanon #honorculture #alfusaic...

The Minaeans were the inhabitants of the kingdom of Ma’in, located in the North-West of Yemen . Despite much being written about Ma’in’s neighboring kingdoms of Sabaea n , Qataban , and Hadhramaut , relatively little is known about the Minaeans. In fact, the dates of Ma’in’s existence are still debated, although there is proof the kingdom existed at least between the 8th and 2nd centuries BCE. How...

From its inception in the 9th century BCE to its eventual demise some 200 years later, the Urartu Kingdom dominated the Lake Van region , in today’s northeastern Turkey . Known to its inhabitants as Biainili , the Urartian state formed as a confederation of kingdoms, likely in response to threats from their powerful neighbors the Assyrians . The Assyrians are also important to the study of Urartu,...