I was flabbergasted when two days before Christmas while teaching at a Turkish elementary school in central Anatolia, I asked students about Santa Claus and only received blank and curious expressions. Most didn’t know who he was. I hadn’t heard one Christmas carol or jingle that season – not even a Musak version – and … Continue reading Magical Christmas Observances in the Middle East
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Alexandria, Egypt: The Intellectual Capital of Antiquity
When I and my two sons hopped off a cruise ship to spend a day in Alexandria, Egypt, it was hard to imagine that it was once the "intellectual capital of antiquity," as Thersites the Historian characterizes it. The most enduring image my sons and I have of that city is, because it was Ramadan, … Continue reading Alexandria, Egypt: The Intellectual Capital of Antiquity
Iran’s Dramatic History Shapes Current Events
In light of international crises involving Iran, History Today, a monthly magazine based in London, zooms out over centuries and offers readers access to its archived articles on Iranian history. Among them: Return of the Ayatollah: Iran’s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini became a lightning rod for the mass protests which overthrew the shah of Iran in 1979, … Continue reading Iran’s Dramatic History Shapes Current Events
The European, German and Greek Origin of Christmas Traditions
One of my most shocking experiences while living in Turkey -- Asia Minor -- was talking to Muslim students completely unaware of Christmas, not even aware that Saint Nicholas (270-343 A.D.) lived in what is now Turkey during the Roman Empire. Granted, he was not part of their tradition, indeed a cultural icon of Turkey's … Continue reading The European, German and Greek Origin of Christmas Traditions
0 to 500 AD: Ancient Empires. 9 Short What If Videos
Studying ancient empires and discovering their relevance for today is not an easy task. Cody Franklin’s "What if" video series does a pretty good job of making them relevant by speculating on how the world might have changed if the victors were different, or if, for example, the Roman Empire never fell. Ancient History What … Continue reading 0 to 500 AD: Ancient Empires. 9 Short What If Videos
20 ‘What If’ Questions About the Classical World
Many 'What If" questions come up when studying the classical world, among them: What if Classical Greece conquered the world and controlled it to this day? Could Greek City-States Have United to form a Hellenic Republic? What if Alexander the Great Had Not Died at 32 in 323? What if India's Mauryan Empire (spanned from 322 … Continue reading 20 ‘What If’ Questions About the Classical World
Teaching History's Slender Threads, Including 'What Ifs', Almosts, Alternatives and Turning Points 