Ancient Cities of the Arab World, Volume I

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This title in the six-volume series The Arab World visits three of the world’s oldest cities: Syria's Aleppo and Damascus (the “Mother of All Cities”), and Jordan's Petra. Each is featured in a separate segment boasting sweeping photography and somewhat ponderous narration. The eerie ruins of Petra provide the backdrop for the history of the Nabateans, a nomadic tribe who were eventually folded into the Roman Empire, and then forgotten for nearly 18 centuries. In Damascus, viewers will see the stunning Umayyad (or Great Mosque) and learn about Islamic religion, practiced by the majority of Middle Eastern countries. Aleppo stood at the center of many ancient trade routes, a busy marketplace (or souk) that remains vital today to the economic and social life of the Arab world. While a little slow at times, this triptych still offers an excellent--and beautiful--journey into the cultural past, with relevant connections made to modern Arabic life. Other titles in the series include: Ancient Trade Routes of the Arab World, Arab Dynasties, and Art & Architecture of the Arab World. Recommended.

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Gr 7 Up-The series features beautiful photography of exotic locales with a haunting soundtrack in the background. What it doesn't have are maps showing the locations of places like Timbuktu, Dhofar, and Petra. In many instances, viewers are not told in which modern-day country the city under discussion is located. Each video, narrated by a single male or female narrator with a British accent, is divided into three segments which can be shown separately or together. There is fascinating footage of sites such as the souk (bazaar) in Aleppo, clay bricks being made in Djenne, and statues marking the site of what once was East Africa's largest slave market in Zanzibar. Viewers also visit the capital of Islamic Spain, the Alhambra Palace, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa to look at tombs, mosques, and monuments and learn about Arab civilization and culture. However, much of the information begs for clarification. For example, much is made of the fact that the old city section of the African oasis of Ghadames is dying, but we are never told why all of the inhabitants moved out to the nearby modern town. In the segment on Aleppo, the narrator says, "In the city of traders, Muslims, Jews, and Christians have always lived peacefully side by side," ignoring the fact that most of the city's Jewish community was destroyed in riots in 1947 and there are currently no Jews known to be living there. The unifying theme of the series is the heavy influence of Islam throughout the Arab world, both ancient and modern. The series would be most useful for high school students who have previous knowlege about the Arab world and related vocabulary.

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal. Used with permission.

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