Monastery of St. Gallen

The Benedictine Abbey of St. Gall, or the Monastery St. Gallen, was founded in AD 613, and is an independent principality (state) in Switzerland. The library is thought to be the richest Medieval literature library in the world.
An original architectural drawing, known as the Plan of St. Gall, was found of the backside of a work called The Life of St. Martin, created from five pieces of parchment sewn together. The architect who made the plan may or may not have designed it in its current state, but it is known that he dedicated it to Abbot Gozbert, who lived in the early 800s.

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia, also know as Ayasofya, was built as a church from AD 532-537, by emperor Justinian, in Itanbul of present-day Turkey (previously Constantinople). Its orginal architects were Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. When conquered by the Ottoman Turks in the 1400s, it was converted into a mosque and the fresco-covered walls were white-washed. In 1935, Turkey converted Hagia Sophia into a museum, which it remains today, with some of the original mosaics, including that of the Virgin and Child in the Apse, and emperors Alexander and Zoe.
The architecture of Hagia Sophia is classic Byzantine, with a wide nave (center aisle) below a large dome which is supported by pendentives. Pendentives are constructive devices which bear the weight of a dome, concentrating it on the four corners, and facilitate the change between a square space into a oval done. Upon conversion to a mosque, Hagia Sophia gained four minarets, or tall slender towers, designed by Mimar Sinan three of which were made of white marble, the other from red brick. The minerats served a purpose besides to call the church-goes to mass; they also counter-weight the structure, and it is thought without them the main structure would have started to collapse.

Lindisfarne Gospel

The Lindisfarne Gospel is an illuminated manuscript thought to be written by the Bishop of Lindisfarne, previously the monk Eadfrith, around AD 719 (Lindisfarne lived from AD 698 to AD 720). Produced in Northumbria, it is said to be the finest if not first example of Hiberno-Saxon art of this kind, and though lacks its original cover, is astonishingly well-preserved.

Vienna Genesis

The Vienna Genesis is an illuminated manuscript created at some point probably from AD 500-520. Written in sliver uncial (script commonly used from the 3rd to 8th centuries AD by Latin and Greek scribes), it is the oldest well-preserved text which includes biblical scenes. The scene to the top left is Jacob and the Angel, and to the bottom left is Rebecca at the Well. Originally, there were 96 folios (pages) in the codex (book), however only 24 have survived. The calfskin parchment, also called vellum, is dyed purple representing the imperial colors.

Altar of Duke Ratchis

The Altar of Duke Ratchis was built in AD 740 . On the front, shown is Christ in majesty, flanked by two angels, enclosed in a mandala, which is a scheme -representation of the cosmos, characterized by a circle configuration of shapes, each of which contains an
image of a god or gods. On the back of the altar is a fenestella, or an oval opening allowing light in. Another side shows the Adoration of the Kings. The altar is built out of marble.

Urnes Stave Church Portal

Found at the Urnes stave ( medieval wooden church with a post and beam construction related to timber framing) church near Luster, Norway, this portal was crafted from wood and facing west, may have been the originally-entered church door. Decorated with a snake curling upward, the animal at the bottom is though to be a lion, representing Christ, fighting Satan (often portrayed as a snake). However, some argue that it shows a scene from a Nordic folktale. The Urnes Church was built around AD 1130, and still stands at its original location.

Oseberg Ship Burial

A large well-preserved Viking ship was found buried at a farm in Oseberg, and has since acquired the name of the "Oseberg Ship Burial." The ship, built almost entirely of oak, was probably buried around AD830, though the ship was thought to have been built three or so decades prior. At 72' long, it is no small ship, and for archaeologists held no small treasure either. Apart from two female skeletons, many elaborately decorated wooden pieces were found, although there was evidence the burial had been disturbed and robbed of it's metallic and gemmed treasures. An interesting find at the site was a peacock, not common to Norway.

Oseberg Animal-Head Post

Found at the Oseberg ship burial, in Norway, this animal-headed post as well as other things from the ship burial are believed to be datable to about AD 825. Made of wood, the post is only approximately 5'' high. The style is that of the Vikings, or early medieval, and it can now be found in a museum in Oslo, Norway.

St. Germain Fibula

The St. Germain Fibula is a Frankish-looped fibula (a fibula being a clasp or brooch, often ornamented, from which the calf bone got its misnomer), crafted in the Frankish earl medieval style, which manifests itself in the cloisonne (enamelwork in which colored areas are separated by thin metal bands fixed edgewise to the ground) border. It is silver gilt (gild meaning to coat with gold, gold leaf, or a gold-colored substance) worked in filigree (delicate ornamental work) with inlays of garnets and other stones. The St. Germain Fibula is approximately four inches long, and created in the sixth century (500-599) A.D.. On many similar pieces fish were displayed in the center, perhaps showing the Frankish adoption of Christianity.

Illuminated Manuscripts

Vatican Vergils:
AD 400-420, based on writings by Virgil (17-90 BC), and called so because they are currently located in the Vatican in Rome. One scene is known as the Death of Dido. Dido, who was the founder of Carthage, is shown here in a funeral pyre. The story is that of Iniage. Another scene is of a Coryscus farm, located in Asia minor. In this scene, Virgil himself is portrayed carrying a stylus. It is a rustic scene, with a 3/4 view.

Vienna Genesis:
AD 500-550, in tempera paint on purple vellum. The writing is done in gold and silver, so has oxidized. One scene is that of Jacob with the angel.

Rossano Gospels:
AD 500-520, done in tempera in purple vellum, the imperial color. In one scene, Jesus and Barabus stand in front of Pontius Pilot, and Mathew writes about.

Rabbula Gospels
AD 586 (precise), now located in Florence, Italy. One scene is a crucifixion.

Islam

Dates
610-632 Muhammad (PBUH)
632-661 Rashidun (first four Caliphs)
632-634 Abu Bakr
634-644 Umar ibn al-Khattab
644-656 Uthman ibn Affan
656-661 Ali ibn Abi Talib
661-750 Umayyad Dynasty
750-935 Abbasid Dynasty
935-1517 Regional Leadership
1517-1917 Ottoman Empire

Pillars
1. Shahadah (faith)
2. Salat (prayer)
3. Zakat (almsgiving)
4. Sawn (fasting)
5. Hajj (pilgrimage)
Possible 6th: Jihad (struggle)

Sunni vs. Shia
In very basic terms, the difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims is their disagreement about when the last of the Rashidun Caliphs, Ali ibn Abi Talib, should have ruled. While Sunnis (seen in light green on the map to the right) believe that Ali was rightfully the fourth of the Rashidun, the Shia (shown as the dark green on the map opposite, primarily found in Iran) believe that Ali ibn Abi Talib should have been the first Caliph, and from that point on the Caliphate should've been passed down through the rest of Muhammad's (PBUH) blood stream (next, daughter Fatima).

Western Asia: Geographical Terms

Asia
North Asia: Asian part Russia (term not often used)
Central Asia: essentially, the 'Stans
South Asia: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, the Indian subcontinent
Southeast Asia: Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, etc.
West Asia: the "Middle East" minus Egypt or any other part of North Africa. Mostly Islamic, such as Iran, the Arabian peninsula, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, but also including Israel.

Near East
-Levant, meaning rising (ie of the sun) in French. Lately, less used.
-Arabian Peninsula, Israel, Jordon, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran (Hitti, 1961)
-From 1400s when European trades/explorers were looking to reach far East (the far East was further, but the near East closer to Europe). Basically, the Ottomon Empire, post 1453 (without Africa). "Originally a European geographical term loosely used to designate that part of southwestern asia near Europe."(Hitti 3)
-"West Asia and Eqypt, prior to the rise of Islam, with extension of the Middle Ages in the case of Jewish and Syriac literature, and even to the present in the case of Modern Hebrew." (UPEI catalogue)

Middle East
-West Asia sans Egypt.
-Greece, Cyprus, the Balkans were included (were parts of Ottoman empire), but now probably not considered either near or middle East.
-Egypt, Sudan, sometimes Libya, and north Africa (also pieces of Ottoman Empire), despite being culturally closer perhaps to West Asia than Africa, and mostly Arab, only sometimes included as middle East.
-Afghanistan, as Muslim county, sometimes considered, but very different linguistically, culturally, and historically.
-Prior to WWII, the area around India.
-Arabia, Iran (Persia), Iraq (Mesopotamia), Afghanistan (the near East being Balkans, Turkey, Levant, Egypt). (Mansfield 1)
-After Allies overtook middle East (san Afghanistan), combined middle and near East. (Mansfield)
-Turkey, after allying with NATO, often now no longer seen as part of middle East, and trying to become member of European Union.
-For a detailed outline of the middle East, see website: http://www.scaruffi.com/politics/neareast.html.

Mesopotamia
Geography: As meant by name, "the land between two rivers:" the Tigris and Euphrates, though often Iraq more than Turkey.
Writing/languages: Cuneiform: wedge shaped system, uses shapes to represent sound combos. Used by Babylonians (adapted to Semetic language), Persians, invented by Sumerians. Before Egypt and probably influence.
Sumerian: not Semetic (Semitic meaning "of, relating to, or constituting a subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic language family that includes Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, and Amharic"(Merriam-Webster, 2008)). Unrelated to any other language known. Though Akkadian took writing system, completely different.
Akkadian: Semitic and Babylonian form (neo-Babylonian from Nebuch is later form), dialects including Assyrian.
History: Pre history
AD 3100: Sumerians in sourthern Iraq, invaders create first true civilization and writing system about.
AD 3100-2300: counting system, including 60 basis for minutes in an hour, twenty-four hour days, 360 degree circles.
AD 2300-2100: Akkad, north of Sumer, rule
AD 2100-2000: brief Sumer revival
250 years of city/state upheaval
1900-1595: Babylonian
1792-1750(ish): Hammuravi, sixth king, makes law codes, expands kingdom, and the dyansty ends
1595-1100 Kassites from Persia (Iran), and the Hurrians
1115: rise of Assyria under TP I
853: Shalmaneser III attacks Syro Palestinian coalition
612: defeated by Babylonians and Medes
612: Babylon
550: Persia, Cyrus defeats Astyages of Media, forms Media/Persian Empire, aka Acaemenid. Abandoned in Sleucid (Greek) period
Other: World's possibly first cities, including Jericho (8000 BC)
Syria- Ugaritic
Hittities, Anatolia 1700-1200, cuneiform script but different language, indo-European.
Hurrians
Canaanites, etcetera.
Philistines
Phoenicians, coastal Canaanites (Tyre and Sidon area): sea traders, founded Carthage, alphabet
Northen Iran: Medes, 1200-550, united under Cyaxares (625-85), helped depose Assyrians. Kurds claim descent from, beginnning year 612.
Parthians of northern Iran (Persia) gain indepence from Seleucia, 247. Dominate Iran and Mesop, 238 BC to AD 277, rivaling Rome, and eventually taken over by Sassanids, Zoroastrians, Persians.
Byzantines, east after AD 330
Mongols, 1200. Baghdad, 1258