A Child's Geography Vol II Test 5

Exodus 23:13

"And in all that I have said to you, be circumspect and make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth."

What does God say about bowing down to idols?

"Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the Lord your God." ~ Leviticus 19:4 "You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name. You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you." ~ Deuteronomy 6:13-14

What does "Hijaz" mean in Arabic?

"HIjaz" is Arabic for "barrier".

abaya

black billowing robe-like garment all Saudi women must wear in public that covers the whole body except the face, feet, and hands

What makes the Asir region an unexpected jewel in Saudi Arabia's crown?

breathtaking mountain views, a surprising selection of plants, baboons, hyraxes, and the rare leopard

What religion is Saudi Arabia considered the the birthplace?

Islam

dhu al-Hijjah

Islamic month during which the largest gathering of Muslims from over 70 countries occurs

Why has Dir'iyah faded in importance and size?

It faded in importance and size after its capture by Turks. The royal family, then moved to Riyadh.

What city is the birthplace of the Islamic prophet Mohammed?

Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Isaiah 45:5-6

"I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other."

What is chanted by those bowing down to the Ka'abah and its Black Stone?

"Labbayka Allahumma Labbayak", ("Here I am at your service, O Allah, here I am".)

What pilgrimage or gathering of people will overshadow the Hajj to Saudi Arabia; why?

"Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob"". ~ Isaiah 2:2-3

What does Saudi Arabian flag proclaim of the Muslim faith?

"There is no god but Allah; Mohammad is the messenger of Allah".

Philippians 2:9-11

"Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Deuteronomy 4:39

"Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.

What does God ask man of all their invented gods?

"To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?" says the Holy One." ~ Isaiah 40:25

What does "Habalah" mean in Arabic?

"rope ladder"

Name some landmark changes made by King Salman.

- Reordered line of succession, naming Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as Crown Prince, replacing Muqrin bin Abdulaziz - Allowed women (for the first time) to vote and run for office in milestone Dec 2015 election

What happened in the milestone Dec 2015 election?

12+ women won seats on local councils throughout the country.

How much rain falls in the Asir region?

12-20 inches (30-50 cm) during the summer

What is Saudi Arabia's population size and its literacy rates?

27,752,316 (July 2015 est.); literacy of ages 15+: 94.7% -- male: 97%; female: 91.1% (2015 est.)

How many daily prayers must be performed by a Muslim and in what direction must one face?

A Muslim must perform five daily prayers, all of which must be facing towards the Ka'abah, regardless of where he/she are living on the earth.

What is the official name of Saudi Arabia?

Al-Mamlaka al-'Arabiya as-Sa'udiya

Psalm 86:9

All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name.

What language is spoken in Saudi Arabia and what is its ethnicity breakdown?

Arabic; Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%

How is Bahrain connected to Saudi Arabia?

Bahrain is connected to the Saudi mainland by a causeway.

Describe Riyadh.

Meaning "a place of gardens and trees", Riyadh is an oasis city founded at the meeting of many wadis.

Psalm 97:7

Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.

Where is the hometown of Saudi Arabia's king; what does it look like; and where is it located?

Dir'iyah, located in the center of Najd, is a maze of towers, walls, mosques and palaces made of mud and straw. It was the hometown of the House of Saud.

Describe an Asir farm house.

Farm house walls are made of stone and mud, dotted with small window openings and painted a pristine white. The rooftops, doors and windows are painted in vibrant colors and patterns.

How do female council members compare to their male counterparts in number and power?

Female government officials account for less than 1% of all council members and have limited power.

Isaiah 45:18

For thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the Lord, and there is no other.

What did God create Saudi Arabia without?

God created Saudi Arabia without any lakes, permanent rivers or expanses of forests.

What is so different about the southwest corner of Saudi Arabia?

God has created it as a lush green region in which rains fall generously, whereas the majority of Saudi Arabia is exceedingly dry.

What is the name of the Asir farming community?

Hanging Valley of Habalah

Describe the famous souqs of Asir.

Held in a different town each week, and name accordingly, vendors sell brightly painted clay incense burners, silver Bedouin jewelry, and frankincense, jasmine and musk perfumes

How many gates does the Grand Mosque have and what do the people do around the cube?

It has 48 gates; and the people march around the cube, Ka'abah, seven times, stopping to kiss one of the cornerstones of the Black Stone.

Saudi Arabia is one of a very few countries in the world in which what has not been determined?

It has not been determined where some of its borders end and where those of its neighboring countries begin.

What is the Kingdom Center?

It is a graceful skyscraper and the tallest building in Saudi Arabia.

How big is Saudi Arabia in comparison to the United States and what is it thought to be?

It is almost 1/4 the size of the U.S. and is thought to be the driest large country on the face of the earth.

Why is zoomorphic calligraphy so popular for those of the Islamic faith?

It is believed that this art form originated as a means of depicting animals without breaking the Islamic prohibition of images of living beings.

Why is Saudi Arabia formally known as "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia"?

It is known as "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" because it has a king.

What is the archway to Mecca shaped like?

It is shaped like the large book of Koran, Islam's sacred book.

Why does the town of Mina fill with tents each year?

It is the last stop of the Hajj, pilgrimage, to rest before heading to the Plains of Arafat.

What does "Najd" mean in Arabic and what does it describe?

It means "highland" and perfectly describes the rocky desert sloping away from the coastal mountains--it can also be descriptive of this area's elevated plateau.

What city is called the "Bride of the Red Sea and the gateway city to the land of the Holy Mosques"?

Jeddah

What is the city of Jeddah thought to be?

Jeddah is thought to be the largest outdoor art gallery in the world.

Name Saudi Arabia's neighboring countries.

Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the Sultanate of Oman, Yemen, and Bahrain

The __'____, also known as the _______ of ______, is thought to be the ______ place on Earth by the ________.

Ka'abah; House; Allah; holiest; Muslims

For what purpose do millions of Muslims travel to Mecca?

Millions of Muslims travel to the Great Mosque in Mecca to encircle and bow down to the Ka'abah and its Black Stone.

How many people around the world travel to Mecca each year and why?

More than one billion people scattered around the world consider Mecca, Saudi Arabia to be their spiritual home. Thus, many will make at least one pilgrimage there in their lifetime.

Describe the "Hijaz" mountain region.

Mountains running parallel to the Red Sea, acting as a jagged barrier between the great northern central plateau of Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea coast.

As of 2012, what religions are represented in Saudi Arabia?

Muslim (official; citizens are 85-90% Sunni and 10-15% Shia), other (includes Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh)

aniconism

Muslim law forbidding the representation of any living creature in art work

What do Muslims believe about the Ka'abah?

Muslims believe that the Ka'bash or cube, was built more than 4,000 years ago by Abraham and Ishmael.

Why are representations of living creatures forbidding in art work?

Muslims fear that such art might become idolized.

______ Saudis are often __________ and go to ______ in ____ to sell their _____ and ____ _____.

Najran; beekeepers; market; Abha; white; gold; honey

How tall are the mud towers lived in by the Najranis?

Najranis mud towers are up to 11 stories tall with tiny windows.

Who are forbidden from entering the city of Mecca and why?

Non-Muslims are considered from entering the city of Mecca because when Mohammed reclaimed it, he declared Mecca a place for every Muslim to feel safe.

What god, including Allah, is comparable to God?

None. "You are My witnesses," says the Lord, "And My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior." ~Isaiah 43:10-11

Who is the ruling monarch of Saudi Arabia today and when did he assumed the throne?

On Jan. 23, 2015, Crown Prince Salman, assumed the throne.

How do people travel to and from Asir's farming community?

People must be lowered and raised on ropes attached to iron posts that are driven into the edge of the cliff.

gutra (keffiyeh)

a traditional Middle Eastern headdress fashioned from a square scarf, usually made of cotton; typically worn by Arabs, Kurds and some Jews

What peninsula does Saudi Arabia occupy and what bodies of water borders it?

Saudi Arabia occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula, with the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba to the west and the Persian Gulf to the east.

What type of government system does Saudi Arabia have?

Saudi Arabia was an absolute monarchy until 1992, at which time the Saud royal family introduced the country's first constitution. The legal system is based on the sharia (Islamic law).

How did Saudi women traditionally make paint?

Saudi women, traditionally, made paints by boiling indigo plants for dark blues and squeezing the juice of pomegranates for flaming reds.

_____ ______ contains the ________ largest __________ sand ______, the ___ ________, or _____ _______.

Saudi; Arabia; world's; continuous; desert; Rub; Al-Khali; Empty; Quarter

What are the Asir highlands like?

Steep, rugged and jagged mountains with deep valleys

What is the second most holy site in Islam, why, and where is it located?

The Prophet's Mosque, magnificent with marble, minarets and 24 white domes, is the burial place of the Prophet Mohammed. It is located in Medina.

What do the bees of Asir feed on and what do the local women use it for?

The bees of Asir feed on the unique flowers God has planted in the Asir region and the local women use the honey produced as flavoring in cooked meals.

What does the call of the muezzin mean?

The call of the muezzin summons the Saudi Arabian country to prayer.

Since the Hanging Valley of Habalah is so remote, what did the king of Saudi Arabia do for them?

The king of Saudi Arabia built the residents a new village because the offerance of schools and medical care could not be accomplished at the bottom of the 600ft (183m) gorge.

Isaiah 2:8

Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.

Why do Muslims gather fifty pebbles the size of chickpeas from the base of the mountains near the Plains of Arafat?

They gather them to hurl at three walls in the city of Mina, in belief that the pelting of these pebbles is the "stoning of the devil". This is based on a belief that Abraham pelted a tempting Satan at this site.

What is so significant about the Plains of Arafat?

This is where Muslims believe that Mohammed gave his last sermon.

calligraphy

an important form of line art form in most Arabian countries

precipices

an overhanging or extremely steep mass of rock, such as a crag or the face of a cliff

agal

a circlet of rope, which holds the keffiyeh in place

terrace

a flat area created on the side of a hill and used especially for growing crops

izar

a garment that is tied to the lower waist, covering half of the body, and topped with black embroidered jackets

pinnacle

a high, pointed piece of rock

parapet

a low protective wall or railing, at the edge of a platform, roof, or bridge

throbe

a poncho-like piece of attire (that lends itself to cold weather-wear) resembling something somewhere between a throw and a robe

Asir

a region of Saudi Arabia located in the southwest of the country, named after the tribe of Asir which has the same name

kestrel

a small falcon that hovers with rapidly beating wings while searching for prey on the ground

turret

a small tower on a building

escarpment

a steep slope or long cliff that results from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations

niqāb

face veil covering all but the eyes worn by all Saudi women for modesty

rampart

fortification consisting of an embankment, often with a parapet on top

Hijaz

geographical region of rugged mountains sculpted by God in the northern half of Saudi Arabia's west coast

Tihamah

low-lying coastal slip of plain, where the port of Jeddah is located

mutawa

religious police, who ensure that all women have their arms covered and their skirts falling below their ankles

rawasheen

singular roshan; intricate wooden facades designed to disperse the sun's glare and allow cooling sea breezes to drift through while shielding residents from view

hajj

the Islamic word for pilgrimage

wadi

the bed or valley of a stream in regions of southwestern Asia and northern Africa that is usually dry except during the rainy season and that often forms an oasis

ihram

the state of spiritual preparation for male pilgrims before entering Mecca

zoomorphic calligraphy

the usage of letters and words to "draw" the image of an animal

The _____ of the _____ king of Saudi Arabia, the House of ____, called the ____ region ____.

tribe; first; Saud; Najd; home

What crops are grown in the Asir region?

wheat, apricots, pears, tangerines, grapes and pomegranates, and coffee

monsoon

wind system that affects large climatic regions and reverses direction seasonally