Month: October 2019

Homeric Troy

Troy was an ancient city located beside Mount Ida in northwest Anatolia. For 10 years in the 12th century BCE, it was besieged by the Greeks and finally destroyed. Centuries later, Homer described the war in his Iliad and Odyssey. German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann used these works to identify the site of Troy in what is now Hisarlik, Turkey. Excavations began in 1871 and revealed several layers dating to the Bronze Age, when Troy was known as Wilusa to what people? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Nigeria National Day

Also known as Independence Day, this national holiday commemorates the autonomy of Nigeria that officially began October 1, 1960, after being under British control since 1900. Nigeria became a federal republic with a new constitution on October 1, 1963. In 1966 some military officers staged a coup and ruled until other army officers overthrew them in 1975. Civilian rule was restored on the anniversary of freedom, October 1, 1979. The city of Lagos was the capital until 1986, when the government center moved to Abuja. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Saladin

Saladin was a Muslim warrior of Kurdish descent and the first Ayyubid sultan of Egypt and Syria. He was the nemesis of the Crusaders but nevertheless became a celebrated figure in Europe for his chivalrous ways. He united Egypt, Syria, northern Mesopotamia, and Palestine, and his reputation as a virtuous but firm ruler rekindled Muslim resistance to the Crusades. In 1187, he defeated the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, shocking Europe and prompting the Third Crusade, which pitted him against whom? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary