Maalim Hadharat al-Sharq al-Adna al-Qadim
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- Editions
- Dar Al-Nahdah Al-Arabiyyah Lil-Tiba'ah Wal-Nashr
Maalim Hadharat al-Sharq al-Adna al-Qadim (Landmarks of the Civilizations of the Ancient Near East) is a historical study by Muhammad Abu al-Mahasin Asfur surveying the cultural, social, and institutional features of ancient Near Eastern civilizations .
Purpose and Composition
Asfur prepared the book primarily for university history students across the Arab world to spare them the difficulty of consulting numerous specialized references, while adopting an accessible style suitable for general readers seeking an overview of ancient Near Eastern societies . The work was conceived as a direct complement to his earlier book, Maalim Tarikh al-Sharq al-Adna al-Qadim (Landmarks of the History of the Ancient Near East) . In the earlier volume, Asfur restricted his narrative to political and historical developments—excluding broader civilizational aspects except for pre-literate eras—intending for the two titles together to provide a comprehensive coverage of both the history and civilizations of the region .
Structure and Content
The book opens with an introductory prologue defining foundational concepts such as civilization (hadara), culture (thaqafa), and urbanity or civility (madaniyya) . The main body is organized geographically across six major regions, adhering to the arrangement established in Asfur's previous volume :
- Egypt: Examines family life, kingship, dwellings, clothing and adornment, administrative systems, religion, the judiciary, military organization, economic life, sciences, literature, and the arts .
- Arabia: Covers the cultural landmarks and early civilizational setting of the Arabian Peninsula .
- The Syrian Region: Discusses the civilizational contributions of the Amorites, Canaanites and Phoenicians, Arameans, and Hebrews .
- Asia Minor: Addresses the family, kingship, administration, the military, religion, economic life, sciences, and arts among the peoples of Anatolia .
- Mesopotamia: Details family structure, kingship, housing, clothing and adornment, administration, military affairs, religious beliefs, the judicial system, economic activities, sciences, literature, and artistic production .
- Iran: Covers ancient Iranian social life, state administration, the military, religion, and the arts .
The work concludes with a closing chapter (khatima), bibliographies of Arabic and foreign sources, an index of proper names, and a list of illustrative figures reproducing ancient architectural plans, statues, reliefs, tools, and inscriptions .
Publication
The book was issued in Beirut by Dar al-Nahda al-Arabiyya, with printings appearing in 1981 CE and in 1408 AH / 1987 CE . Asfur published a second edition approximately a decade after the first .
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