The Umayyad Caliphate once ruled a vast Islamic empire, but internal divisions, social unrest, and rising opposition led to ...

Restoration work continues at the Fethiye Mosque (formerly the Ani Cathedral), the first conquest mosque in Anatolia, where ...

But Iran was also quick to declare victory despite suffering more than 600 military and civilian casualties by pointing at ...

Baghdad, the majestic capital city of the great Abbasid Caliphate. For centuries, the city was a center of culture, learning, trade and religious life. However, in the 1250’s, Hulagu, brother of ...

In Part 1 of our series on the history of US-Iran relations, we explored the rising tensions in Tehran as Prime Minister ...

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A former chess coach says a member of the Taliban vice squad told him: "Playing chess is forbidden. Buying a chess set is ...

Attacking Iran is framed by colonial narratives that erase its rich intellectual history, justifying violence through a ‘conquest foretold’ ...

Not the first chess ban The Taliban aren’t the only ones who have banned chess. Following the Iranian revolution, the religious authorities who assumed power banned chess over gambling concerns. It ...

A former chess coach says a member of the Taliban vice squad told him: "Playing chess is forbidden. Buying a chess set is forbidden. Even watching it — is forbidden." Why was the game banned?