Library Guides: History Library Guide: HISM: Middle East & North Africa

Current News

Also consider news sources from outside of the Middle East & North Africa that would have significant reporting about these regions.

Access World News - Historical and Current This link opens in a new window
News sources from most Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries. Coverage is generally from the late 1990s to the present. (See African news for coverage from North Africa.)

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina includes several digitized archival collections. The Nasser collection and the Suez Canal collection include images and English-language documents.

Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Nasser Collection
Resources relating to Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser.
Memory of Suez Canal
Description de l'Egypte
A digitized and searchable version of the 20-volume book that was produced during Napoleon Bonaparte’s military expedition to Egypt in 1798.
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The book was the collaborative work of 150 prominent scientists and scholars in addition to some 2000 talented artists and technicians that were assigned to capture the Egyptian culture and civilization.

Online Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Encyclopedias are a great way to orient yourself to the basic facts on a topic. Entries often cover the major academic debates involved and provide suggested readings for further study. The following encyclopedias and dictionaries are located online, but be sure to search the library catalog for other helpful sources in print.

Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World
This encyclopedia looks at Islam's role in the modern world, doing so in the context of the religion's history and development over the last 13 centuries. Includes thematic articles, biographies of key figures, definitions, maps, and other illustrations.
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E-book version of the 2-volume printed set published by Macmillan Reference, 2004. Richard C. Martin, editor in chief.
Dictionary of the Isreali-Palestinian Conflict
Covers the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict from the birth of Zionism at the end of the 19th century. Covers five Arab-Israeli wars, and provides biographies of political personnel in Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, and the occupied territories. The Dictionary provides clear definitions and comprehensive explanations of the history, geography, religion, and demographics of the area.

Encyclopaedia of Judaism This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive coverage of Judaism: "the religion, its diverse history, literature, beliefs past and present, observances, practices and world-view, and place in the context of society and culture." (Preface)

Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa
Covers the modern history of the Middle East and North Africa, with major sections on Colonialism and Imperialism, the World Wars, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the United Nations involvement in the region. Each country in the region is reviewed, detailing its population, economy and government.

Encyclopaedia of the Qur'ān This link opens in a new window
Encyclopaedic dictionary of Qurʾānic terms, concepts, personalities, place names, cultural history and exegesis extended with essays on the most important themes and subjects within Qurʾānic studies. E-book version of the 5 content volumes of the 6-volume set published by Brill, 2001-2006. Jane Dammen McAuliffe, general editor.

Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450
A comprehensive resource on the subject of colonialism and expansion. From a global perspective, the set traces many facets of colonial growth and imperialism, and much more.

Encyclopedia of Women & Islamic Cultures This link opens in a new window
Covers the history and contemporary roles of women in countries with significant Muslim populations -- religious, social, political, scientific, artistic, etc. Addresses both Muslim and non-Muslim women in relation to Islamic cultures. E-book version of volumes 1-5 of the 6-volume set published by Brill, 2003-2007. Suad Joseph, general editor.

Primary Sources: Diplomatic Documents

Middle East Online: Arab-Israeli Relations, 1917-1970 (Archives Unbound) This link opens in a new window
from the National Archives, London, this collection contains original source material from the Foreign Office, Colonial Office, War Office and Cabinet Papers from the 1917 Balfour Declaration through to the Black September war of 1970-1. The collection covers major policy statements, minor documents and marginalia revealing the workings of colonial administration and, British diplomacy towards Israel and the Arab states. It provides access to over 137,000 pages documenting the politics, administration, wars and diplomacy of the Palestine Mandate, the Independence of Israel and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Confidential Print: Middle East, 1839-1969
British government Confidential Print files, issued by the Foreign and Colonial Offices, cover the Middle East from Egypt to Afghanistan for the period from 1839-1969.

Documents on British Policy Overseas This link opens in a new window
Users can access contemporary accounts and follow the detailed exchanges that shaped British foreign policy from the origins of the First World War and beyond. Content covering the rest of the century will be added before the end of 2008.

Modern Arab Renaissance
Electronic archive of 3,000 books published 1820-1914 from Egypt, Syria and the Islamic World. The collection covers humanistic, intellectual and scientific fields.

Middle East Online: Iraq, 1914-1974 (Archives Unbound) This link opens in a new window
Based on British Government and other files in the UK national archives, this collection offers a broad range of original source material from the Foreign Office, Colonial Office, War Office and Cabinet Papers covering the period from the Anglo-Indian landing in Basra in 1914 through the British Mandate in Iraq of 1920-32 to the rise of Saddam Hussein in 1974. The collection includes major policy statements and other working documents, the minor documents and marginalia revealing the workings of the mandate administration, diplomacy, treaties, oil and arms dealing. as well as photographs and color maps, and contemporary film.

U.S. and Iraqi Relations: U.S. Technical Aid, 1950-1958
The program of technical cooperation in Iraq, prior to the Revolution of 1958, was frequently cited as an example of the ideal Point Four program. The overthrow of the established government led naturally to questions concerning the "failure" of American technical assistance in that country.
Records of the Persian Gulf War, 1990-91
This collection contains materials related to the diplomatic and military response by the United States (as part of a multi-national force) to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990.
The King and the People in Morocco, 1950-1959: U.S. State Department Records on the Internal Affairs of Morocco
Includes documents relating to Pan-Arabism, decolonization, economic reforms and development, Marshall aid to Morocco, French settlers, and U.S. support for Nationalists.
Democracy in Turkey, 1950-1959: Records of the U.S. State Department Classified Files
This collection of State Department documents provides access to unique primary source materials on the political, economic and social development of Turkey during a period of democratization in the 1950s.

Recommended Websites

ALA-LC Romanization Tables
Transliteration schemes for non-Roman scripts, approved by the Library of Congress and the American Library Association.
Islamic Calendar
Tool to convert Islamic and Christian dates.
MEMRI.org
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) explores the Middle East through the region's media (both print and television), websites, religious sermons and school books.
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Founded in February 1998 to inform the debate over U.S. policy in the Middle East, MEMRI is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization, providing timely translations of Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Pashtu, Dari, Hindi, and Turkish media, as well as original analysis of political, ideological, intellectual, social, cultural, and religious trends in the Middle East.
Access to Mideast and Islamic Resources (AMIR)
A blog which serves as a tool to assemble and distribute information on open access material relating to the Middle East. The May 15 entry has a long list of open-access journals!