Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

ElBaradei, Mohamed

(Encyclopedia)ElBaradei, Mohamed ĕlbäräˈdā [key], 1942–, Egyptian lawyer and United Nations diplomat, b. Cairo, grad. Univ. of Cairo (1962), New York Univ. School of Law (1974). He worked (1964–80) in the ...

Philae

(Encyclopedia)Philae fīˈlē [key], former island, SE Egypt, NE Africa, in the Nile River N of the Aswan High Dam. Of its temples, all dating from late Egyptian and classical times (600 b.c.–a.d. 600), the most ...

mummy

(Encyclopedia)mummy, dead human or animal body preserved by embalming or by unusual natural conditions. As a rule mummies are from ancient times. The word is of Arabic derivation and refers primarily to the burials...

Hargeisa

(Encyclopedia)Hargeisa, Hargeysa, or Harghessa all: härgāˈsä [key], town (1984 est. pop. 70,000) and capital of the Somaliland region, N Somalia. It is a commercial center and watering place for nomadic stock ...

Al Ubayyid

(Encyclopedia)Al Ubayyid ĕl ōbādˈ [key], city (2021 metropolitan area pop. 495,000), S central Sudan. It is a rail terminus, a road and camel caravan junction, and the end of a pilg...

schism

(Encyclopedia)schism, in religion: see heresy; Schism, Great. ...

Sikhism

(Encyclopedia)Sikhism sĭkˈĭzəm [key], religion centered in the Indian state of Punjab, numbering worldwide some 19 million. Some 300,000 Sikhs live in Britain, and there are smaller communities in North America...

Tellus

(Encyclopedia)Tellus tĕlˈəs [key], in Roman religion, earth goddess; also called Terra Mater. As a goddess of fertility, she was worshiped at festivals held in January (in conjunction with Ceres) and in April. T...

Mitanni

(Encyclopedia)Mitanni mĭtănˈē [key], ancient kingdom established in the 2d millennium b.c. in NW Mesopotamia. It was founded by Aryans but was later made up predominantly of Hurrians. Washshukanni was its capit...

Priapus

(Encyclopedia)Priapus prīāˈpəs [key], in Greek religion, fertility god of gardens and herds; son of Aphrodite and Dionysus. He was represented as a grotesque little man with an enormous phallus. Priapus was imp...
 

Browse by Subject