UniMaps - Index of historic place names marked on Unimaps.

A
Abu Simbel Temples. Site of two temples carved from the sandstone cliffs of the west bank of the Nile on the command of Rameses II (reigned 1279-13BC). The four colossal statues of Rameses in front of the main temple are great examples of ancient Egyptian art. In the 1960s the temples were cut and raised 60 metres to escape the rising waters of the Nile caused by the building of the Aswan High Dam.* Southern Egypt

Abydos. Prominent sacred city and important archaeological site of ancient Egypt. Was the royal necropolis of the first two dynasties and later a pilgrimage centre for the worship of Osiris. Central Egypt

Acre. Town and port on the Bay of Haifa. During the Crusades it changed many times between Arab and Christians. It finally fell to the Saracens in AD129. Became part of the Ottoman Empire in 16th century. From 1923 to 1947 was part of the British Mandate of Palestine. Acre was ceded to the Arabs in the UN partition in 1948 but capured by Israel shortly afterwards. Northern Israel/Palestine

Aghouedir. Fort of Aghouedir, built by the Sultan of Morocco at a junction of an important caravan route. Now in ruin. Central Mauritania

Aleppo. Older possibly than Damascus, Aleppo's huge citadel stands on the site of a Hittite acropolis. As a UNESCO heritage site, it is one of the most magnificent examples of Islamic military architecture in Syria.

Alexandria. Once the greatest city of the ancient world and a centre of Hellenic scholarship and science, Alexandria was the capital of Egypt from its founding by Alexander the Great in 332BC to AD 642, when it was subdued by Arab invaders.
Alexandria has always occupied a special place in the popular imagination by virtue of its association with Alexander and with Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Alexandria also played a key role in passing on Hellenic culture to Rome and was a centre of scholarship in the theological disputes over the nature of Jesus' divinity that divided the early Christian church.
The legendary reputation of ancient Alexandria grew through a thousand years of serious decline following the Arab conquests, during which time virtually all traces of the Greco-Roman city disappeared. By the time Napoleon invaded Egypt in 1798, Alexandria had been reduced to a fishing village.
The free port status granted Alexandria by the Ottoman Turks accentuated the cultural ambivalence inherent in the city's location -along a spit of land with its back to Egypt and its face to the Mediterranean.* Northern coastal Egypt

Amada. Temple dedicated to the important New Kingdom gods, Amun-Re and Re-Horakhty. Originally built on the orders of Tuthmosis III and his son, Amenhotep II during Egypt's New Kingdom 18th Dynasty. Later additions were made by Tuthmosis IV and Seti I, and other 19th Dynasty rulers including his son, Rameses II.* Southern Egypt

Arwad. Island in the eastern Mediterranean off the Syrian coast. Originally settled by the Phoenicians in the early 2nd millennium BC as a base for trade into both the Orontes Valley and inland as far as the Euphrates. Originally Phoenician, it passed to Assyria, then Babylon, then Persia. During Roman times the island declined. A Templar and an Arab castle, both dating from the 13th century, can still to be seen on Arwad. * Western coastal Syria

Assode Ruins. Founded in the middle of the 14th century and once the ancient capital of the Air, Assode lost its importance in the 17th century, yet continued to be inhabited until the early 1900s when it was destroyed by the Tuareg . German explorer Heinrich Barth in the 1850s, is credited with having written the first scientific account of large sections of what is now the Republic of Niger.

Assur. Ancient religious capital of Assyria from the 14th to the 9th century BC , located on the west bank of the Tigris River. The religious nature of Ashur ensured its continuous upkeep until 614, when it was destroyed by the Babylonians. Part of the city later revived about the time of the Parthian conquest of Mesopotamia in the middle of the 2nd century BC. * Northern Iraq

Atlit. Section of the Mediterranean coastal plain containing the ancient route from Egypt to Mesopotamia. Caves with house-urn burials dating to the Chalcolithic Period (4th millennium BC) have been found near the city of Hadera. Northern Israel/Palestine

Avedat or Avdat. Nabatean city in the Negev founded in the 1st century BC on the spice caravan route, it was sacked by the Romans in AD106 and annexed to the Roman Empire. Without it's caravan trade Avedat fell into decline. In the sixth century, under Byzantine rule, a citadel and a monastery were built. Destroyed probably by earthquake, it was abandoned in the seventh century. Excavation started in 1958. Southern Israel/Palestine

Axum. Holiest city in Ethiopia. According to the Orthodox church, the original Ark of the Covenent, that holds the Ten Commandments is here somewhere. It is also the place where Christianity was declared a national religion in the 4th century. The ancient Stele Field containing huge pillars carved from single blocks of granite are all that remains of the city's past glories. The highest of these steles remaining at Axum is 23m (75ft) tall. Northern Ethiopia

C
Caesarea. Ancient port and administrative city of Palestine on the Mediterranean coast, often referred to as Caesarea Palaestinae, or Caesarea Maritima. Originally an ancient Phoenician settlement, it was rebuilt and enlarged in 22-10BC by Herod the Great, king of Judea under the Romans, and renamed for his patron, emperor Caesar Augustus.
The artificial harbour was probably the first ever constructed entirely in the open sea and was protected from the sea primarily by two huge breakwaters built of concrete blocks filled with rubble. This spacious harbour was one of the technological marvels of the ancient world and helped make Caesarea a major trading port. * Northern coastal Israel/Palestine

Calah or Kalhu or Kalakh. (modern Nimrud), ancient Assyrian city situated south of Mosul in northern Iraq, it was first excavated between 1845-51. Founded in the 13th century BC by Shalmaneser I, Calah remained unimportant until King Ashurnasirpal II (reigned 883-859BC) chose it as his royal seat and the military capital of Assyria.
His extensive work on the Acropolis, covering about 26 hectares, was completed by his son Shalmaneser III and other monarchs. The most important religious building, founded in 798BC by Queen Sammu-ramat, was Ezida, which included the temple of Nabu. The temple library and an annex contained many religious and magical texts.
In the outer town the most important building is Fort Shalmaneser, an arsenal that occupied at least 4 hectares. This and other buildings have yielded thousands of carved ivories, mostly made in the 9th and 8th centuries BC, now one of the richest collections of ivory in the world. In the 7th century BC, Calah declined in importance but continued to be extensively occupied until the fall of Nineveh in 612BC.* Possibly looted by the US invasion of 2003. Northern Iraq

Cape Coast Castle. Built by the Swedes as a trading station in 1655 and taken by the Danes in 1663. It was conquered by the British in 1664 and extensively rebuilt. It was first restored in the 1920s by the British, then again in the 1990s by the Ghanain govt. Coastal Ghana

Carthage. A great city of antiquity, founded on the north coast of Africa by the Phoenicians of Tyre in 814BC. The ancient citadel, the Byrsa, was on a low hill overlooking the sea. Some of the earliest tombs have been found there, though nothing remains of Carthage's domestic and public buildings.
From the middle of the 3rd century to the middle of the 2nd century BC, Carthage was engaged in a series of wars with Rome (Punic Wars) ended in the complete defeat of Carthage. When Carthage finally fell in 146 BC, the site was plundered and burned, and all human habitation there was forbidden.
Over a century later, in 29BC Augustus centred the administration of the Roman province of Africa at the site. Thereafter it became known as Colonia Julia Carthago, and it soon grew prosperous. Of its history during the later empire little is known, but from the mid-3rd century the city began to decline.* Northern Tunisia

Chole. Mafia Islands cluster. A major trading centre in the 8th century, trading goods to and from the mainland and the Far East. Tanzania

Crusader Castle. The Castle of the Templars (late 12th century), now mostly in ruins, can be seen in the older part of Tartus, Syria's second modern port. Lebanon

Cuicul. (modern Djemila) Founded in the first century AD by Emperor Nerva as a Roman garrison. Abandoned in the fifth century, excavations were started about 1909. Northeastern Algeria

Cyrene. Ancient Greek colony in Libya, founded in 631BC by emigrants from the island of Thera in the Aegean that ruled a prosperous and expanding Cyrene until 440BC.. In 525BC Cyrene was temporarily invaded by the Persians .
Under the rule of Egypt from 323BC, Cyrene became a great intellectual centre of the classical world, with a medical school and such scholars as the geographer Eratosthenes and the philosopher Aristippus. The two centuries of relative prosperity under the Romans were followed by steady decline. With the Arab conquest in 642AD, the city ceased to exist. * Eastern coastal Libya

D
Damascus. capital of Syria and the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. Syria

Dhat Ras. Southern Jordan

Dhlo Dhlo or Danamombe Ruins. There have been many civilisations in Zimbabwe as is shown by the ancient stone structures at Khami, Great Zimbabwe and Dhlo-Dhlo. Central Zimbabwe

d'Jenné or Djenné or Jenne Jeno. Ancient trading city and centre of Muslim scholarship situated on the floodlands of the Niger and Bani rivers. d'Jenné was founded in the 13th century and served as an entrepôt between the traders of the central and western Sudan and those of Guinea's tropical forests. It was captured in 1468 (or 1473) by the Songhai.
The city benefited both from its direct connection by river with Timbuktu and from its situation at the head of the trade routes to the gold mines of Bitou (now in Côte d'Ivoire), to Lobé, and to Bouré; it was also an important trading centre for salt.
By the mid-17th century, d'Jenné was known as a centre of Muslim learning. The city was besieged after 1818 and subsequently subdued by the Fulani ruler of Macina .
About 1861 d'Jenné was conquered by the Tukulor emperor al-Hajj 'Umar and was occupied by the French in 1893. * Southern Mali

Dura Europos or Doura-europus. Ruined Syrian city, located in the Syrian desert near Dayr az-Zawr. Excavations were started in 1922. Dura was originally a Babylonian town, but it was rebuilt as a military colony about 300 BC by the Seleucids .
About 100 BC, it fell to the Parthians and became a prosperous caravan city. It was annexed by the Romans in AD165; under them it was a frontier fortress. Shortly after AD256 it was overrun and destroyed by the Sasanians.
The remains at Dura-Europus give an unusually detailed picture of the everyday life there; and the inscriptions, reliefs, and architecture provide abundant information about the fusion of Greek and Semitic culture. Two structures dating to the 3rd century AD were found to contain extensive wall paintings. * Eastern Syria

Dzata Ruins. Built around 1700, Dzata was once the flourishing capital of the Venda empire. Occupied for only about 60 years and last ruled by the great Thohoyandou who forged the Venda nation from clans already living in the Soutpansberg. NE South Africa

E
Engaruka. Archaeological site that dates from the late Iron Age (15-16th centuries AD). Excavated in the early 20th century, it includes seven large villages with an ingenious irrigation and agricultural system. For unknown reasons, the site was abandoned around 1700 AD.
The ruins still give a good impression of a highly specialised integrated agricultural economy, in itself remarkable for that period of African history. Northern Tanzania

Eridu. Ancient Sumerian city revered as the oldest city in Sumer according to the King Lists. Its patron god was Enki or Ea. The site was excavated 1946-49 by the Iraq Antiquities Department and proved to be one of the most important of the prehistoric urban centres of southern Babylonia.
Founded on sand dunes probably in the 5th millennium BC, it fully illustrated the sequence of the preliterate Ubaid civilization, with its long succession of superimposed temples portraying the growth and development of an elaborate mud-brick architecture. The city continued to be occupied to about 600 BC but gradually became less important. * Southern Iraq

Ezra's Tomb. Ezra, a religious leader of the Jews who returned from exile in Babylon, a reformer who reconstituted the Jewish community on the basis of the Torah. According to one tradition, he returned to Babylonia where his supposed tomb is a holy site. * Southern Iraq

F
Firuz Abad. Sassanian ruins including Palace of Ardesir I, founder of the Sassanian dynasty. Southern Iran.

Fon's Palace. Built by the Bafut people when they first arrived from Tikari some 400 years ago. It contains the tombs of the first three Bafut Kings. The palace acts as a centre for the reception and redistribution of wealth, and houses many royal wives who are set apart in houses inside the royal compound. Western Cameroon

Fort James. Originally a Latvian outpost called St Andrews Island. Occupied by the English in 1661 and formally ceded to them in 1664. It was then sublet to the 'Royal Adventurers' and used as a trading base, first for gold and ivory, then for slaves. Fort James was retaken by the French and returned in 1697. The French cede their last settlement (Albreda) to the English in 1857. 1866 Gambia becomes part of British West Africa Settlements, in 1901 Gambia becomes a British colony. Western Gambia

Foucauld's Hermitage. The retreat of a miniscule christian sect founded by Pere de Foucauld between 1909 and 1913. It was a rough stone building that Foucauld built for himself on the peak of Mount Assekrem and lived there among the native Tuareg.

Foucauld first visited North Africa in 1881 as an army officer participating in the suppression of one of many Algerian uprisings.
In 1901 he became a missionary priest, establishing himself initially in southern Algeria and then at Tamanrasset in the Hoggar (Ahaggar) of the Sahara. Amongst other deeds, he compiled a dictionary of the Tuareg language. In 1916 Foucauld was killed (possibly by mistake) by local rebels during an uprising against France. * Southern Algeria

G
Geraumele. Central Niger
Gightis. Central coastal Tunisia

Giza or Gizah, pyramids of. Three 4th dynasty (c. 2575- 2465 BC -or much older) pyramids erected on a rocky plateau on the west bank of the Nile River near Giza, northern Egypt; in ancient times they were included among the Seven Wonders of the World.
The designations of the pyramids -Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure -correspond to the kings for whom they were built. The northernmost and oldest pyramid of the group was built for Khufu, the second king of the 4th dynasty. Called the Great Pyramid, it is the largest of the three.
The middle pyramid was built for Khafr , the fourth of the eight kings of the 4th dynasty.
The southernmost and last pyramid to be built was that of Menkaure , the fifth king of the 4th dynasty.

All three pyramids were plundered both internally and externally in ancient times. Thus most of the grave goods originally deposited in the chambers are missing, and the pyramids no longer reach their original heights, as have been almost entirely stripped of their original outer casings of smooth white limestone. * Northern Egypt

Great Zimbabwe. Extensive stone ruins of an African Iron Age city. The central area of ruins extend more than 40 hectares (100 acres), making Great Zimbabwe the largest of more than 150 major stone ruins scattered across the countries of Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
It is estimated that the central ruins and surrounding valley (a combined area of some 7.2 square km [2.8 square miles]) supported a Shona population of 10-20,000. With an economy based on cattle husbandry, crop cultivation, and the trade of gold on the coast of the Indian Ocean, Great Zimbabwe was the heart of a thriving trading empire from about 1100 to 1500 AD. * Central Zimbabwe

H
Haidra. Originally a Roman city named Ammaedara, and one of the oldest Roman cities in Africa. It is now just ruins and remains unexcavated. Originally probably a fortified border town to protect the fertile valleys from marauding tribes from Algeria and Morocco. Northern Tunisia

Halabiyyeh. Built by the Byzantines circa AD270. The city boasted 2 basilicas and an enormous underground storage cavern. Capured and fortified by the Romans, the city was overun by the Persians in AD610. Central Syria

Haluza. Also known as Halasa and Elusa, is a city in the Negev that was once part of the Nabataean Incense Route. Due to this historic importance, UNESCO have granted four cities in the Negev the joint status of a World Heritage Site; Haluza is one of these, the others being Mamshit, Avdat, Shivta. Archaeological surveys of the area are partly hampered by the presence of shifting sands around the city, though Nabataean era streets have been found, along with two churches, a theatre, winepress, and tower. Unlike the other cities on the Incense route, Haluza has been excavated without sufficient care to return stones to their original places, compromising future excavation, and the site is generally badly looked after [this text from Wikipedia]. Southern Israel/Palestine

Hammam as Sarah. Northern Jordan

Hatra. ruined city located in the Al-Jazirah region of Iraq. A religious and trading centre of the Parthian empire, it flourished during the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. The city survived several invasions before being razed in AD241. It is an important archaeological site with well-preserved ruins. It was listed in 1985 as a World Heritage Site. * Northern Iraq

Hermel Pyramid. Northern Lebanon

Hermopolis. Ancient town of Upper Egypt, located on the Nile River also known as Khmunu. The great deity worshiped there was Thoth, god of learning and patron of scribes. The extensive site has been partly explored. A German expedition of 1929-39 uncovered part of the temple of Thoth as well as considerable remains of Hellenistic and Roman times. Egypt

In the necropolis on the west bank at Tunah al-Jabal, an Egyptian University expedition (1930-39) discovered a labyrinth of underground streets and catacombs connected with cults sacred to Thoth. The necropolis also contained the well-known tomb of Petosiris, high priest of Thoth in the time of Alexander the Great. * Central Egypt

Hoggar .A mountain range in southern Algeria. Also known as The Ahaggar Mountains. a highland region in central Sahara, along the Tropic of Cancer. They are located about 1,500 km (900 mi) south of the capital, Algiers and just west of Tamanghasset

I
Idinen. A legendary fortress of ghosts. The town is walled and compact, with white houses, narrow alleyways, and covered arcades. It is inhabited by Tuaregs. Water, supplied by springs, is strictly controlled by customary law. * Southwestern Libya

Isimala. Central Tanzania

Island of Philae. Before its gradual submergence in the reservoir created by the old Aswan Dam after 1902, the granite rock of Philae, 460 by 150 metres, had always been above the highest Nile floodings. Accordingly, it attracted many ancient temple and shrine builders. From early Egyptian times the island was sacred to the goddess Isis.
When the temples reemerged after 1970 with the completion of the High Dam upstream, it was found that considerable damage had been done to the shrines. A decision was therefore made to remove them to higher ground on the nearby island of Agilkia.
Philae, Abu Simbel, and other nearby ruins were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. * Southern Egypt

Issin. Central Iraq
Istephanos Monastary. Lake Tana, Ethiopia.

J
James, Fort. Originally a Latvian outpost called St Andrews Island. Occupied by the English in 1661 and formally ceded to them in 1664. It was then sublet to the 'Royal Adventurers'. The fort was used as a trading base, first for gold and ivory, then for slaves. Fort James was retaken by the French and returned to the English in 1697. The French cede their last settlement in the area (Albreda) to the English in 1857. From 1866 Gambia becomes part of British West Africa Settlements, in 1901 Gambia becomes a British colony. Western Gambia

Jenne Jeno, See d'Jenné.

Jerash. One of the best preserved examples of a provincial Roman town. Also has remains from Neolithic times, as well as Greek, Byzantine, Ommayad and others. Northern Jordan

Jerusalem. Ancient city of the Middle East that since 1967 has been wholly in the possession of Israel. In 1949 the city was proclaimed by Israel as its capital. Jerusalem plays a central role in the spiritual and emotional perspective of three major monotheistic religions; Muslim, Christian and Jewish. For all three faiths it is a centre of pilgrimage -the Holy City, the earthly prototype of the heavenly Jerusalem.* Central Israel/Palestine

Job's Tomb. Job the prophet; prevalent in Islamic,Judaic and Christian texts had his faith tested to the limits and was buried here 700 BC (neo-Assyrian era). Southern Oman.

K

Kaole Ruins. the remains of two mosques and two tombs, one of the mosques date from the third century AD, the others from the 13th. Coastal Tanzania

Kaser. northern Chad
Kerkouane. northeastern Tunisia

Khor Rouri. Built 2,000 years ago when this city was the centre for trade between Oman, Yemen and India. Called by the Greeks Moscha. Declined after the 3rd century AD. Southern Oman

Koumbi Saleh. The last of the capitals of ancient Ghana, a great trading empire that flourished in western Africa from the 9th through the 13th century. Koumbi was at the height of its prosperity before 1240 and was the greatest city of western Africa with a population of more than 15,000. Within its boundaries there were (as was the custom of the early kingdoms of the western Sudan) two cities, one of which was occupied by the king, the other by Muslim traders. * Southeastern Mauritania

Ksar Lamsa. Northern Tunisia

L

Leptis Magna. Founded in the 7th century BC by Phoenicians of Tyre or Sidon, it was later settled by Carthaginians, probably at the end of the 6th century BC. Its natural harbour at the mouth of the Wadi Labdah facilitated the city's growth as a major Mediterranean and trans-Saharan trade centre, and it also became a market for agricultural production in the fertile coastland region.

In 202BC Leptis became a Numidian kingdom and in 111BC became an ally of Rome. The Roman emperor Trajan designated Leptis a 'colonia' (community with full rights of citizenship).
Emperor Septimius Severus, conferred upon it the 'Jus Italicum' (legal freedom from property and land taxes) . Under his direction the harbour, which had been artificially enlarged in the 1st century AD, was improved again.
Over the following centuries, Leptis began to decline and after the Arab conquest of AD 642, Leptis fell into ruin. Buried by sand until the early 20th century, Leptis still preserves traces of early Punic structures near the excavated shell of its amphitheatre (AD 56) and its forum, the heart of the city in early Roman times. * Western coastal Libya

N

Nalatale Ruins. Stone ruins dating from the 17th or 18th centuries. Once one of the centres of the Rozvi kings. Central Zimbabwe.

Ninevah. The oldest and most populous city of the ancient Assyrian Empire, situated on the east bank of the Tigris in modern Iraq. From time immemorial, roads from the foothills of Kurdistan debouched there, and the Khawsar River (tributary of the Tigris), added to the value of the fertile agricultural and pastoral lands of the district.
The first person to survey and map Nineveh was the archaeologist Claudius Rich in 1820. * Central Iraq

Nippur. Ancient city in Mesopotamia. Although never a capital, Nippur played a dominant role in religious life of the area. Uncovered in 1889. Iraq

Nuri. The kings of Kush built their tombs at Nuri for three centuries, marking their graves with large pyramids. Started by Taharqa in about 664BC, 19 more kings and 54 queens followed. The pyramids ranged in height from about 20 to 40 metres. Northern Sudan

O

Ombos. A short distance south-southwest of modern Kawm Umbu lies ancient Ombos. It is known for its unique double temple of the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, which is dedicated to Sebek (Suchos), the crocodile god, and to Horus, the falcon-headed god. Parts of the temple's pylon and court have been eroded away by the river.
Ombos probably owed its foundation to the site's strategic location, commanding both the Nile River and the routes from Nubia northward to the Nile River valley. The ancient town was especially prosperous under the Hellenistic Ptolemaic dynasty (304-30 BC), when it was the capital of the separate province of Ombos. * Central Egypt

Opis or Upi. ancient Babylonian city. Central Iraq

P

Palace de São Paulo. A gracious building on the island of Mozambique (Ilha de Moçambique) is the Palace and Chapel of São Paulo, built in 1610 by Jesuit priests and is now a museum. All of the island is now a World Heritage site. Northern coastal Mozambique

Palmyra. Also called Tadmur, Tadmor or Taudmur, Ancient oasis city that was at it's zenith in the first century AD, gaining great trading importance being on a main trading route between the Mediterreanean and Mesopotamia.
Palmyra adopted a Aramaic language and culture with strong Helenistic and Parthian influences. Declined after being plundered by the Romans circa 280 AD. Palmyra is now listed as a World Heritage Site. Syria

Parsargadae or Parsagarda. Capital of ancient Persia under Cyrus the Great. The buildings of Cyrus include a temple in the form of a tower, the remains of his palace, and his tomb. The Muslims attribute the ruins to Solomon. Central Iran

Pella. One city of 10 ancient Greek cities (Decapolis) in eastern Palestine that was formed after the Roman conquest in 63BC . The cities participated in the Decapolis as a means of mutual protection and security against their Semitic neighbours. The group of 10 survived until the 2nd century AD. * Northern Jordan

Persepolis. Ancient ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Dynasty founded by King Darius the Great (522-486BC). Archaeological evidence suggests that the earliest remains of Persepolis date from around 518 BC. Persepolis was burned by Alexander the Great in 331BC. This may have been accidental or a deliberate act of revenge for the burning of the Acropolis of Athens during the Second Greco-Persian War. (Persepolis is now listed as a World Heritage site). South central Iran

Petra. Ancient city of the Nabatacans, prospering as an important east-west trading centre from the fourth century BC until its capture by the Romans in AD106. The city carved almost entirely from the naturally pink rock. It was rediscovered in 1812. (Petra is now listed as a World Heritage site). Southern Jordan

Pyramids of Giza or Gizah. (see Giza)

Q
Qala'at al Azraq. Central Jordan
Qala'at Mudiq. Western Syria
Qasr al Bint. large rural princely complex dating from around 710 to 750 AD. Southern Jordan
Qasr al Hallabat. Northern Jordan

Qasr al Hayr at Gharbi, and Qasr al Hayr ash Sharqi. At one time the complexes were thought to be rural retreats for nomadic rulers and members of ruling families who tired of city life, but, because all of these desert residences now seem to have been located on irrigated estates, in military encampments, and at trade centres, they appear to have served as forts and hunting lodges as well.
Besides living quarters, most include a mosque, baths, and an official hall that may have been a throne or an entertainment room. Known for their rich decoration, which often resembles in larger scale, the patterned textiles used to ornament nomadic tents.
The carved stucco facade of Qasr al-Hayr are some of the best-known. * Central Syria

Qasr al Kharanah. The caliphs of the Umayyad dynasty (660-750) established their capital at Damascus and built hunting lodges and palaces in the Jordanian desert. These can still be seen at sites such as Qasr 'Amrah, Al-Kharanah. * Central Jordan

Qasr Saqra. Southern Iraq
Qochaito. Central Chad
Qunran. Central Israel/Palestine

R
Raqqade or Raqqadah. The fortified residence of the Aghlabids near Al-Qayrawan, that was conquered in March 909. The head of the Isma'ilites in Salamyah, 'Ubayd Allah Sa'id, made his entry into Raqqade in January 910. * Northern Tunisia

Rasafah or Rusafah. Ruins of a once magnificent walled city on the edge of the desert. Central Syria

Rosetta. Just north of Rosetta, in the vicinity of Fort-Saint-Julien, an officer of the French Napoleonic forces discovered in 1799 the famed Rosetta Stone, which provided the French scholar Jean-François Champollion with the key to his successful decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing (1822).
A former port of the British East Indies trade, Rosetta still maintains a coastal trading function and has rice milling and fishing industries. * Northern Egypt

S
Sabratha. Founded by the Carthaginians as a trading post, it was first permanently settled in the 4th century BC. Sabratha had a small natural harbour, later improved by the Romans, and together with Oea (Tripoli) it served as an outlet for the trans-Saharan caravan route through Ghadames.
After a period of semi-independence following the fall of Carthage in 146BC, it passed under Roman rule and thereafter enjoyed considerable prosperity. Rebuilt after a disastrous sack by the Austuriani (c. AD 365), it declined rapidly in the 5th century under the Vandals.
A revival that followed under the Byzantines was on a greatly reduced scale, and soon after the Arab conquest of AD 643, the city ceased to exist.
Excavation has uncovered more than half the area of the ancient city. Western coastal Libya

Samaria. Excavations starting in 1908, showed that the site had been occupied occasionally during the late 4th millennium BC. The city was not founded until about 880BC, when Omri made it the new capital of the northern Hebrew kingdom of Israel and named it Samaria. It remained the capital until its destruction by the Assyrians in AD 722.
In New Testament times, Samaria was rebuilt and greatly enlarged by Herod the Great (37-4 BC), who renamed the city Sebaste. Herod's city included an impressive temple to Augustus, strong fortifications, and many features of Hellenistic cities.
Some of the most important remains of the Israelite period include a valuable collection of ivory carvings, which were probably from the palace of King Ahab (c. 874-853BC), and a series of ostraca (pottery or limestone inscription fragments) from the time of King Jeroboam II (8th century BC). * Northern Israel/Palestine

Schweitzer's Hospital. On the banks of the Ogooué River. Schweitzer, with the help of the locals, built his hospital which he equipped and maintained from his income, later supplemented by gifts from individuals and foundations in many countries. * Gabon

Sheba's Palace. Sumharam, or the Queen of Sheba's palace, reportedly in Shimal, northeastern UAE

Shivta. Southern Israel/Palestine

Shobak. Crusader castle dating from the same turbulent period as Kerak. Built in 1115 by King Baldwin I of Jerusalem to guard the road from Damascus to Egypt. Southern Jordan

Shuruppak. Ancient Sumerian city, celebrated in legend as the scene of the deluge -similar to the Noah's Ark story. Excavated in the 1920s. Southern Iraq

Siraf. Some of the earliest examples of Islamic architecture excavated in Iran. The most significant discovery is the congregational mosque, a large rectangular structure with a central courtyard on a raised podium. Southern Iran

Sofala. The harbour of Sofala is the oldest harbour in southern Africa. It was visited by Arabs begining in 915 in order to trade the gold from the hinterland. Persian Muslims settled there in 1020, and during the 14th and 15th centuries Sofala was an important southern outpost of the Islamic sultanate of Kilwa.
During this time the Arabs maintained trade relations with the Karanga state, which centred on the Zimbabwe monuments in the southeastern region of what is now modern Zimbabwe. In 1480 Sofala was occupied by the Portuguese who built a fort and factory in the hope of capturing the gold trade held by the Arabs. Coastal Mozambique

Soleiman. Takht-e-Soleiman, extraordinary Sassanid and Islamic site. NW Iran
Songo Mnara. Coastal Tanzania

Stele Field. The ancient Stele Field containing huge pillars (steles) carved from single blocks of granite are all that remains of the city of Axum's past glories. The highest of these steles remaining at Axum is 23m (75ft) tall. Northern Ethiopia

Sufitula or Sufetula. modern Subaytilah, ancient Roman city. Most likely originating as a fort during the Roman campaigns against the Numidian rebel Tacfarinas (AD 17-24), it became a municipium under the emperor Vespasian (69-79) and a colonia under Marcus Aurelius (161-180) . The city was destroyed by the Arabs about AD 646, leaving impressive remains surrounding its forum, including a triumphal arch of the emperor Antoninus Pius and three temples. * Northern Tunisia

Sungbo's Eredo. Southwestern Nigeria

T
Tarhaouhaout. Originally Fort Motylinski. The first French fort built in the Hoggar (Ahoggar). Capt de Calassanti-Motylinski was the commander and military interpreter, also a noted Arabic scholar. Southern Algeria

Tel Arshaf. (Apollonia), a port dating back to Hellenistic times, where the remains of a Crusader castle may still be seen. The shrine of Sidna Ali, a Moslem commander during the time of the Crusades, is found nearby. Central Israel/Palestine

Tel Ashara. (Ancient Terqa) Located between Sumer and Ebla, Terqa was an important mid-way point for the blending and crossfertilization of the two cultures. Partially occupied by the modern town of Ashara, about one-third of the territory is available for excavation that stared in 1976. Eastern Syria

Temple of Amara. One of the temples built under Ramses II around 1270BC. Northern Sudan

Temple of Bel. Originally a Babylonian god, Bel is identified by the Greeks as Zeus and as Jupiter by the Romans, creator of the world and leader of the gods. The temple is set on an artificial mound that dates back to the 2nd millennium BC. Central Syria

Temple of Hibis. The largest and best preserved temple in the Kharga Oasis, probably because it was buried in sand until the excavators dug it out early during the twentieth century. It is one of the finest temples anywhere in Egypt from the Persian period. Central Egypt

Temple of Horus. Great sandstone temple, 138 metres long x 76 m wide, standing on the site of an earlier temple of the 18th dynasty period. The Temple of Horus was begun by Ptolemy III and Euergetes I in 237BC and completed by Ptolemy XI in 57BC. Central Egypt

Temple of Kawa. Amenhotep III built the first temple to Amon. Destroyed by his successor Akhenaton, and restored by Tutankhamun. Taharqa 690-664BC, renovated and enlarged the temple. Excavated 1930-36 by Griffith and Kirwan. East bank of the Nile, Northern Sudan

Temple of Nadura. The Achaemenian king Darius I (d. 486 BC) built near the Kharga Oasis in the Libyan (Western) Desert a temple dedicated to Amon that was excavated in 1908-11. Central Egypt

Temple of Osiris. The pharaohs encouraged the cult of the deified king at Abydos, and took special care to embellish and enlarge the temple of Osiris.
Over the centuries the temple of Osiris was successively rebuilt or enlarged by Pepi I, Ahmose I, Thutmose III, Ramses III, and Ahmose II.
Some pharaohs had a cenotaph or a mortuary temple at Abydos. The temple of Seti I was one of the most beautiful of all such temples. Central Egypt (Not on UniMaps)

Temple of Sesibi. Northern Sudan
Temples of Naqa. Northern Sudan

Tepe Gawra. Ancient Mesopotamian settlement continuously occupied from 5500BC showing the transition from simple farming to complex buildings and art. Northern Iraq

Thebes. One of the famed cities of antiquity, the capital of the ancient Egyptian empire at its heyday and covered an area of about 93 square km (36 square miles).
The main part of the city was situated along the Nile's east bank; along the west bank was the necropolis, or "city of the dead"-an area containing the royal tombs and mortuary temples, as well as the houses of those priests, soldiers, craftsmen, and labourers who were devoted to the service of the Egyptian rulers.
The Thebes area was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. It includes Luxor, the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, and Karnak. * Central Egypt

Thuburbo Majus. Roman built city, Northern Tunisia

Thugga. (modern Dougga). Originally a Numidian town, later a Roman municipium by Roman emperor Septimus Severus. The ruins show a forum, baths, temples, a theatre and an aqueduct. Tunisia

Timgud or Thamugadi. Founded by Roman emperor Trajan in first century AD, as walled but unfortified city with a 4000 seat theatre, 4 major baths, a triumphal arch, forum and library. Timgad was sacked by Berbers in the early 6th century, toward the end of the Vandal supremacy in Africa. Excavations started in 1881 soon prove Tingud to be the best preserved ruins in North Africa. Northern Tunisia /NE Algeria

Timna. Traditional starting place of the Incense Route to Gaza and the Mediterranean. It was here that the camel caravans gathered to purchase Incense and transport it north. Excavated in the 1950s.

Tipasa. Ancient Punic trading centre from the fifth century BC, later becoming a colony of Latium, then of Rome in the first century AD. Internal strife destroyed the town at the end of the 5th century. Among its ruins are a Roman forum, a curia, four thermal baths, a theatre, and a large cathedral with nine naves. Coastal Algeria

Tombs of the Nobles. Southern Egypt
Toumai. Site of discovery in 2002 of an almost complete cranium estimated to be 6-7 million years old. Discovered by Ahounta Djimdoumalbaye (Chadian) or Michel Brunet (French). Central Chad

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Ugarit. Ancient city lying in a large artificial mound called Ras Shamra. Excavations were begun in 1929 by the French .
The most prosperous and the best-documented age in Ugarit's history, dated from about 1450 to about 1200BC, produced great royal palaces and temples and shrines, with libraries on the acropolis. Some of the family vaults built under the stone houses show strong Mycenaean influence.
Soon after 1200BC Ugarit came to an end. Its fall coincided with the invasion by the Northern and Sea Peoples and certainly with earthquakes and famines.* Western Syria

Umayyad. Lebanon
Umm Qais. Northern Jordan

Umma. Ancient Babylonian city. Under the sacred king Lugalzagesi, the city conquered Lagash and Kish (2375BC), then the Sumerian cities of Ur and Uruk, uniting all of Sumeria and extending the domain all the way to the Mediterranean coast. Southern Iraq

Ur.. Ancient city of Sumer. The great Ziggurat of Ur (still standing today) was built by King Ur-Nammu, who established the third dynasty in 2060BC. Southern Iraq

Uruk. Ancient Sumerian city dating from the 3rd millenium BC. Southern Iraq

Utica. (modern Utique). Oldest Phoenician city in North Africa. Founded in seventh century BC, it became second only to the Punic city of Carthage. Under the Romans, Utica's prestige grew, and became a municipium in 36BC, then a colonia under emperor Hadrian. Utica was back to play second fiddle when Carthage was refounded as a Roman city in 44BC . Northern Tunisia

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Volubilis. the Roman capital of Mauretania, an agricultural centre with vast olive groves. Area declined after the Romans left in AD 285. Northern Morocco

Wassu Stone Circles. Most notable of many stone circles found in West Africa, especially in the Senegambia region. Build possibly around the burial mounds of chiefs and kings, some of the stones are over two metres high and about 3-6cm diameter. Eastern Gambia

Western Thebes. Known to have existed from the 4th dynasty onward. The earliest monuments that have survived at Thebes probably date from the 11th dynasty (2081-1939BC), when the local governors united Egypt under their rule.
From this time, Thebes frequently served as the royal capital of Egypt and was called Nowe, or Nuwe (City of Amon), named for its chief god. The Greek name Thebes (Thebai) may have been derived from Ta-ope, the ancient Egyptian name for Luxor. * Central Egypt

Zafar. Capital of the Himyar empire (115BC - AD 525 ) In the 6th century it was one of the most important cities in the Middle East.

Zalabiyyeh or Zalabiya. Byzantine town with a vast enclosing wall with three fortified gates and watchtowers. Eastern Syria