Introduction:  The Imaret is part of a larger complex called the Waqf. The imaret is a massive soup kitchen that would be placed in countries that the Ottoman empire would conquer, and would feed thousands of people on a daily basis. The specific one that I wrote about in the Imaret in Jerusalem was founded in the early 1550s but was not fully established until … Continue reading Hurrem Sultan’s Imaret in Jerusalem

Aerial view of the city’s ruin Before Ottoman Occupation Located in Northeastern Sudan, Suakin was a trading hub at the Red Sea connecting Africa, the middle east and even as far as India even before Ottoman occupation. Early Arabic sources from the tenth-century indicate it was a port inhabited by the local Beja people who facilitated trade in the red sea, and was also a … Continue reading Suakin: An Ottoman Port in the Red Sea

By Faith Haines For centuries the Ottoman Empire exercised its military power that included cavalry units of trained mounted archers. While archery eventually fell out of favor in comparison to developing gunpowder technology, it left a lasting impact of cultural significance. The significance of thumb ring artifacts from Ottoman archers illustrate the important status that archery held in Ottoman culture that ranged from religious importance … Continue reading Archer’s Thumb Ring

By: Ashlie Hardman About The Picatrix, an astronomical occult, manuscript, was believed to have originated in Europe. However, as older copies of the manuscript have been discovered, its origin story has evolved. The oldest known version of this manuscript is thought to have been created in the 10th or 11th century in Arabic. It was called Ghāyat al-Ḥakīm ( غايةالحكيم ). The english translation is … Continue reading غايةالحكيم: Arabic Occult Manuscript

The Pre-Islamic Era Before Islam had even developed incense was an important part of life in Arabia due to the cultivation of aromatics, such as frankincense and myrrh. This was a huge source of profit for the region. But, surprisingly, these aromatics were not preferred by royalty and the elite. They actually preferred musk, aloeswood, and ambergris, which were imported scents. Furthermore, incense was used … Continue reading The History of Incense and Incense Burners in Islamic History