West Asia

United Arab Emirates

*Background of the country*

-The UAE's rich history is rooted in trade and tied to Islam, which came to the region in
630 C.E. The Emirates' location between Europe and the Far East attracted merchants
from India and China and was prized by Europeans, particularly the Portuguese, Dutch
and British.
-https://www.uae-embassy.org/discover-uae/history#:~:text=The%20UAE%27s%20rich
%20history%20is,the%20Portuguese%2C%20Dutch%20and%20British.

*Facts*

-The United Arab Emirates, or simply the Emirates, is a country in Western Asia. It is
located at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula and shares borders with Oman and
Saudi Arabia, while having maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran.
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Arab_Emirates

*Trivia*

1.Dubai has the worlds tallest building

2.UAE population growth is one of the highest in the world
3.There are no personal or income taxes in dubai
4.Dubai police has the coolest cars
5.Dubai weekend is 2.5 days
-https://fullsuitcase.com/dubai-facts/

*Time periods focusing the literary history*

-
*Well known literary pieces*

-Traditional UAE's literary heritage comprises Taghrouda and Nabati poetry.

Taghrouda involves a poetry duel. This art was practised in rural areas to hasten the
search for a lost camel or horse. Al Taghrouda, which is popular at weddings, is also
performed on horseback to urge horses to speed up. The equestrian taghrouda is
usually about courage, bravery and magnanimity
-https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/culture/art#:~:text=Traditional%20UAE%27s%20literary
%20heritage%20comprises,urge%20horses%20to%20speed%20up.

*Notable literary text & writers*

1.Sultan Al Amimi

-"He is one of the most developed writers in the country," says Bolooki. "One of his
novels, PO Box 1003, was adapted for television in 2019, while his other work, One
Room is Not Enough, was longlisted for the 2017 International Prize for Arabic Fiction
and translated into French, Portuguese, Russian, Hindi and Spanish.
"Sultan is well respected as an author and as a public intellectual and is a true
champion of Emirati and Arabic literature."

2. Shamma Al Bastaki

-"I think she is going to be one of our greats," Bolooki enthuses. "As a poet who writes
in English she has such talent and poise. The way she weaves her words and performs
her work indicates she is someone who has mastered the craft through her studies. She
published her first volume of poetry House to House ‫ 'بيت لبيت‬in 2019, which was
popularised by the journal Asymptote. The volume was based on oral histories from the
Dubai Creek region, which were then presented creatively as poetry.
“The interesting thing about what she does is that, while she writes in English, her work
is rooted in the region and her Emirati-ness.”

3. Ameera Bin Kadra

-"A children's author who approaches the genre in a fresh, engaging and fun style. A
number of her children's stories, including My Grandmother's Henna Tree and Good
Night, were translated into English."She has also written several stories for segments in
the Arabic version of Sesame Street."
4. Maha Gargash

-"A groundbreaking author. She wrote two English novels, The Sand Fish: A Novel from
Dubai (2009) and That Other Me (2015), which were published through HarperCollins.
“The former became commercially popular and it was a story set in the UAE in the
1950s and follows a rebellious young woman trapped in a repressive society.
"While she hasn't written anything new in a while, Maha is one of the rare Emirati
authors who was globally published and is worth noting."

5. Omar Saif Ghobash

-"His book Letters to A Young Muslim (2007) really spoke to a lot of people. There are
not a lot of Emirati writers who addressed what it is like for a child growing up today and
listening to different narratives about Islam.
“He is someone who is able to connect religion, society and politics together and make
sense of it all, while offering a fresh perspective.
“A diplomat as well as a writer, he is an important thought leader in the UAE.”
-https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/books/10-emirati-authors-you-need-to-
know-about-from-maha-gargash-to-omar-ghobash-1.1176585

Saudi Arabia
*Background of the country*

-Saudi Arabia traces its roots back to the earliest civilizations of the Arabian Peninsula.
Over the centuries, the peninsula has played an important role in history as an ancient
trade center and as the birthplace of Islam, one of the world's major monotheistic
religions.
https://www.saudiembassy.net/history#:~:text=Saudi%20Arabia%20traces%20its
%20roots,the%20world%27s%20major%20monotheistic%20religions.
*Facts*

-Saudi traditions are rooted in Islamic teachings and Arab customs, which Saudis learn
about at an early age from their families and in schools. The highlights of the year are
the holy month of Ramadan and the Hajj (pilgrimage) season, and the national holidays
that follow them.
-https://www.saudiembassy.net/culture-art#:~:text=Saudi%20traditions%20are
%20rooted%20in,national%20holidays%20that%20follow%20them.

*Trivia*

1. Saudia Arabia has more oil than any other country in the world
2. Camels are still big business
3. It’s home to the world’s largest sandy desert
4. It’s home to the world’s largest airport too
5. It’s a country full of young people
https://www.enjoytravel.com/en/travel-news/interesting-facts/interesting-facts-about-
saudi-arabia#:~:text=Saudi%20Arabia%20is%20the%20birthplace,size%20of%20the
%20United%20States.

*Time periods focusing the literary history*

*Well known literary pieces*

- The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor.

Over the course of seven voyages throughout the seas of east Africa and south Asia,
the intrepid mariner Sinbad has fantastic adventures in magical realms, encountering
monsters and various supernatural and magical feats, including horses that live
underwater and an island that turns out to be a vast sleeping whale.
Sinbad’s tales didn’t become part of the Arabian Nights until the eighteenth century,
making them a relatively late addition. In some ways, they might be regarded as the
Middle Eastern version of Homer’s Odyssey, in their focus on the adventures of a titular
character as he negotiates the sea and encounters various fantastical places and
beings.
https://interestingliterature.com/2022/02/best-arabian-nights-stories/

*Notable literary text & writers*

-Hind bint Utbah (510 - 635)
With an HPI of 64.59, Hind bint Utbah is the most famous Saudi Arabian Writer. Her
biography has been translated into 21 different languages on wikipedia.
(famous work) The Battle of Yarmouk
It cemented his reputation as one of the greatest tacticians and cavalry commanders in
history. Two of the earliest history books on Islam pay great tribute to Hind for her action
in the midst of the battle.
2. Jamal Khashoggi (1958 - 2018)
With an HPI of 63.22, Jamal Khashoggi is the 2nd most famous Saudi Arabian Writer.
His biography has been translated into 71 different languages.
(famous work) Khashoggi criticized the Saudi war on Yemen, writing "The longer this
cruel war lasts in Yemen”, the more permanent the damage will be. The people of
Yemen will be busy fighting poverty, cholera, and water scarcity and rebuilding their
country.
3. Antarah ibn Shaddad (525 - 615)
With an HPI of 59.68, Antarah ibn Shaddad is the 3rd most famous Saudi Arabian
Writer. His biography has been translated into 29 different languages.
(famous work) the Mu'allaqāt
His chief poem forms part of the Mu'allaqāt, the collection of seven "hanging odes"
legendarily said to have been suspended in the Kaaba. The account of his life forms the
basis of a long and extravagant romance.
4. Al-Khansa (575 - 645)
With an HPI of 59.24, Al-Khansa is the 4th most famous Saudi Arabian Writer. Her
biography has been translated into 27 different languages.
(famous work) the Dīwān
published in an English translation by Arthur Wormhoudt in 1973), reflects the pagan
fatalism of the tribes of pre-Islamic Arabia.
5. Hassan ibn Thabit (554 - 674)
With an HPI of 58.91, Hassan ibn Thabit is the 5th most famous Saudi Arabian Writer.
His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

(famous work) "As subhu bada min tala'atihi".

He is the earliest known person to mention the events of the Khumm pond, where
he mentions that Muhammad appointed Ali as his successor.

Armenia
*Background of the country*

-For a brief period from 1918 to 1920 Armenia became an independent republic. In late
1920, local communists came to power following an invasion of Armenia by the Soviet
Red Army, and in 1922, Armenia became part of the Trans-Caucasian Soviet Socialist
Republic. In 1936, it became the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic.
https://history.state.gov/countries/armenia#:~:text=For%20a%20brief%20period
%20from,the%20Armenian%20Soviet%20Socialist%20Republic.

*Facts*

-Armenia is a nation, and former Soviet republic, in the mountainous Caucasus region
between Asia and Europe. Among the earliest Christian civilizations, it’s defined by
religious sites including the Greco-Roman Temple of Garni and 4th-century Etchmiadzin
Cathedral, headquarters of the Armenian Church. Khor Virap Monastery is a pilgrimage
site near Mount Ararat, a dormant volcano just across the border in Turkey
https://www.google.com/search?
client=opera&q=facts+about+armenia&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

*Trivia*
1: Armenia is an ancient country
2: First country to adopt Christianity
2: First country to adopt Christianity
4: Armenia is home to the world's oldest winery
5: Yerevan is one of the oldest cities in the world
https://www.enterprise.am/interesting-facts-what-you-should-know-about-armenia

*Time periods focusing the literary history*

*Well known literary pieces*

-The Sandcastle Girls, by Chris Bohjalian

This work of historical fiction is remarkable in that it catalogs the atrocities of the
Armenian Genocide without making the story overbearingly depressing.
https://bookriot.com/essential-armenian-literature/

*Notable literary text & writers*

1.Khachatur Abovian (1805 - 1848)

(famous work) novel Wounds of Armenia

The historical novel Wounds of Armenia (written in 1841, first published in 1858) was
the first Armenian secular novel dedicated to the fate of the Armenian people and its
struggle for liberation in the period of Russo-Persian war of 1826–1828. The novel dealt
with the suffering of Armenians under Persian occupation.
https://antares.am/portfolio-item/wounds-of-armenia/?lang=en#:~:text=The%20historical
%20novel%20Wounds%20of,of%20Armenians%20under%20Persian%20occupation.
2. Hovhannes Tumanyan (1869 - 1923)
(famous work) Aghbyur, Murtch, Hasker and Horizon periodicals
In 1899, Tumanyan came up with an idea of organizing meetings of Armenian
intellectuals of the time at his house on 44 Bebutov Street in Tiflis (present-day
Amaghleba 18, in Sololaki).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hovhannes_Tumanyan#:~:text=Since%201893%2C
%20Tumanyan%20worked%20for,Amaghleba%2018%2C%20in%20Sololaki).
3. Avetik Isahakyan (1875 – 1957
Avetik Sahak Isahakyan was a prominent Armenian lyric poet, writer and public activist.
(famous work) “Our historians and Our Minstrels” 1939
4. Hovhannes Shiraz (1914 - 1984)
(famous work) He is an author of very popular patriotic and love poems included "Ani",
"My Mother", "May my love remain a secret", "Siamanto and Khjezare", "Expromptu",
"Like the Pagan Love", "My Holy Homeland", "The Fate of Armenians", "To Andranik"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hovhannes_Shiraz#:~:text=Shiraz%20mostly%20wrote
%20and%20published,"To%20Andranik"%2C%20etc.
5. Paruyr Sevak (1924 - 1971)
Paruyr Sevak was an Armenian poet, translator and literary critic. He is considered one
of the greatest Armenian poets of the 20th century.
(famous work) We Are Few But We Are Called Armenians, The Unsilenceable Belfry,
Man in a Palm, Immortals Command
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paruyr_Sevak