C/H/19. Hammurabi of Babylon

This assignment will discuss the whether or not Hammurabi of Babylon relied on diplomacy to create his empire rather than his army. This assignment looks at the methods that were employed by Hammurabi to secure his empire, including diplomacy, and his army. It will be concluded that without first invading the land Hammurabi would not have come into power and would not have obtained the geographical coverage that he did, however his diplomacy and democratic ideals ensured that civil unrest was kept at bay and that he remained in power for as long as he did.

C/H/16. Jerusalem in transition

This briefly considers the role played by certain foreigners in Jerusalem in the much neglected period between the end of Ottoman Empire and the beginning of the British Mandate proper. It considers the role of the British under Allenby and also of the 'American colony'.

C/H/15. Middle Eastern Studies: Fatimid's Political and Religious Aspirations

This research paper has been aimed at producing an analytical account of Fatimid's political and religious aspirations, along with their importance within the Islamic world. The political and religious aspirations of the Fatimid's have been analyzed with the help of motives behind the development of institution called da'wa, which is the central ingredient of Fatimid's dynasty.

C/H/14. In what ways was the Ottoman Empire Islamic?

This study deals with the history of Middle East, especially in the context of religious persuasion in the Ottoman Empire which comprised a large region across the Middle East, Africa and Europe. The Ottoman Empire could be considered as the wealthiest and most influential empire in history and has had considerable impact on world history and social structure. The essay here delineates the development of the region and the empire, highlighting the contribution of Suleiman and the Sultans and the changes in religious orientation of people in the region. The tolerant religious structure and coexistence of Jews, Christians along with predominant Muslims is also highlighted. The discussion aims to show whether the Ottoman Empire was completely Islamic and what are the clear Islamic manifestations at that time.

C/H/12. Turkish Culture – The Use of Calligraphy in Ottoman Art and its Cultural Importance:

This essay will explore the cultural, religious and political importance of the creation of Turkish Ottoman Calligraphy. Islamic Calligraphy originates out of Sufism, which is the Islamic sect of mystics. This calligraphy is based on the arabesque form of art, which is a geometric form of art that represents the Islamic way of life, because these forms are infinite; extend beyond the visible world; therefore representative of the infinite, the uncentralized, and the nature of the creation of God. The key factor in Islamic art is that there is no iconography, no representations of God or of the prophets, because this is against the word of Allah. This was taken a step further with calligraphy, where the word of Allah is represented in this beautiful art form; whereby the words of the Qur'an are written in such a way to create pictures of animals, wall scripts and flowers. Calligraphy is an ultimate form of the individual's personal relationship with God and based in Islamic mysticism. Mysticism was a response in Islam to the mainstream scholars who where focused on rules rather than the relationship between the God and the individual. Sheikh Hamdullah broke the rules and the yoke of the Arabic centre of art through creating a new form that was designed through mystical experience. This indicated the Turkish Ottoman's a new Islamic power outside the yoke of the Arabic powers.

S/H/73. Using the example of Saladin, examine the view that, "To be great is to be misunderstood"

The paper examines the personality of Saladin, a 12th century Kurdish Muslim leader, in the Third Crusade, providing a review of academic opinions about his historical role, his religious beliefs, the cultural climate he lived in, his military prowess etc.

E/MD/16. Veil and the Gaze: Representation of Women in Post Revolutionary Iranian Cinema

The paper examines the cinema portrayals of women in Iran after the 1979 revolution offering a historical insight into the cultural aspects of Iranian films, female representations under Islam, etc. The changes brought about by the revolution and the recent developments in the Iranian film industry are analysed including the techniques of expressing intimacy between characters, the promotion of veil in films, etc.

P/H/93. British presence in Egypt and Egyptian nationalism

The paper examines the roots of the Egyptian nationalist movement relating the history of the British presence in Egypt, its rising unpopularity with the local population, the anti-British policy of the Egyptian leaders, the policy of the British government towards Egypt, etc.

S/H/45. The Great Powers in the Middle East 1919-23

This paper examines the determinants of the policies of the Great Powers in the former Ottoman Empire during the Peace Conferences of 1919-23. In particular it focuses on Britain, France and the US and considers policy and events both in the Middle East and Asiatic Turkey. The paper covers the expedient and contradictory war time commitments made by the great powers; the rise of Arab and Turkish nationalism and the impact of Wilsonian ideology.

P/H/28. History of Israel as a reflection of national mentality

The paper looks into the history and culture of the Jewish people focusing on their commitment to their land and the idea of community. The main driving forces behind the establishment of Israel are argued; the problems of the immigrant society in Israel are outlined and illustrated using example from history and literature.

P/H/26. Establishment of Israel: historical overview

The paper looks into the history of Israel discussing political and economic aspects of the state's establishment. The concepts of Zionism and Colonialism are defined; an overview of Zionist movement is given; the significance of Kibbutz settlements is highlighted. The author describes the international situation around Israel in the middle of the twentieth century.

P/H/21. Palestinian Intifadas of 1987 and 2000

The paper seeks to compare Palestinian strategy in two uprisings (intifadas) against Israel: the 1987 Intifada and the 2000 al-Aqsa Intifada. The author examines the reasons behind both intifadas and comments on the difference in Israeli response to the uprisings. The significance of Yassir Arafats leadership during both uprisings is outlined; their international resonance is highlighted.

S/H/13. To what extent was the Arab-Israeli conflict a manifestation of the Cold War?

In order to analyse the impact of the Cold War on the Arab-Israeli conflict, it is necessary to put superpower intervention in the wider Middle Eastern context. Because of its strong particular and regional dynamic, the Arab-Israeli conflict can hardly be regarded as a ?proxy war? between the two major powers. It will be argued that the regional players took advantage of the Cold War context to secure the support of one side for their cause and that the superpowers saw the conflict as a chance to consolidate their position in the Middle East.