Cities of the Middle East and North Africa

April 1, 2007
The editors state in the preface that cities need to be brought back into the discussion of the region they term the Middle East and North Africa, or MENA, because cities are the networks and links between the many current and historical cultures of the region. This encyclopedia offers entries on 100 cities, most of them from Morocco east to Iran and Turkey south to the Horn of Africa. Some cities from outside the defined region, such as Nicosia, Samarkand, and Zanzibar, are included because they are "edge" cities, where culture from the MENA region has interacted with other cultures in the world. Historic cities were chosen for inclusion to give definition to the cultures that built the MENA region as well as to look into urbanization from prior times. The articles on Byblos, Ugarit, and other historic cities are all excellent summaries of what is known about early urbanization and make the book fascinating reading. Some spellings are different than generally seen, Mahdinah (Medina) and Makkah (Mecca) being the most obvious examples. Each article starts out with a brief general description of the city and concludes with a list of further reading for anyone who would like more in-depth information. A glossary of frequently used terms helps with Turkic and Arabic words. Other features include a time line of dynastic and imperial ages, black-and-white illustrations, and a selection of maps. Inclusion in the text is not necessarily a measure of the critical importance of a city, according to the introduction. American readers may be unacquainted with the history or even the location of Hims (Syria) or Sfax (Tunisia), but other cities, such as Baghdad, Cairo, and Dubai, will be familiar. This volume will be a good addition to any academic or large public library so patrons can learn more about the history and current issues affecting the MENA region.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)