Persian art & architecture have a rich heritage that stretches far beyond the borders of modern-day Iran, from the Abbasid monuments of Baghdad to the splendid Timurid buildings of Samarqand & Bukhara. This book follows a historical path across the Iranian world & examines the artistic legacies of great rulers & their dynasties, from the rebirth of Persian art under the Seljuqs to the magnificent structures built by Timur-i Lang in Samarqand & the cultural flowering that occurred under the Safavid dynasty & beyond. Palaces, mosques, madrasas & mausoleums display a mesmerizing decorative complexity, with form & ornament combining to create an indivisible whole. Spectacular polychrome tiles, intricate brickwork, curling arabesque motifs & calligraphic inscriptions attain a transcendent beauty, designed to reflect both the temporal power of the rulers who commissioned them & the heavenly glory of creation. ...

In 480 BC, Xerxes, the King of Persia, led an invasion of mainland Greece. Its success should have been a formality. For seventy years, victory
- rapid, spectacular victory
- had seemed the birthright of the Persian Empire. In the space of a single generation, they had swept across the Near East, shattering ancient kingdoms, storming famous cities, putting together an empire which stretched from India to the shores of the Aegean. As a result of those conquests, Xerxes ruled as the most powerful man on the planet. Yet somehow, astonishingly, against the largest expeditionary force ever assembled, the Greeks of the mainland managed to hold out. The Persians were turned back. Greece remained free. Had the Greeks been defeated at Salamis, not only would the West have lost its first struggle for independence & survival, but it is unlikely that there would ever have been such & entity as the West at all. Tom Holland`s brilliant new book describes the very first `clash of Empires` between East & West. Once again he has found extraordinary parallels between the ancient world & our own. There is no competing popular book describing these events.

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” Are we the same, I wonder, when all our surroundings, association, acquaintances are changed? I conclude that it is not the person who danced with you at Mansfield St who writes to you today from Persia. Yet there are dregs, English sediment at the bottom of my sherbet, & perhaps they flavour it more than I think. I write to you of Persia: I am not me, that is my only excuse. I am only I am merely pouring out for you some of what I have received in the last two months.” When Gertrude Bell`s uncle was appointed Minister in Tehran in 1891, she declared that the great ambition of her life was to visit Persia. Several months later, she did. & so began a lifetime of travel & a lifelong enchantment with what she saw as the romance of the East, which evolved into a deep understanding of its cultures & people. This vivid & impressionistic series of sketches, her first foray into writing, is an evocative meditation that moves between Persia`s heroic past & its long decline; the public face of Tehran & the otherworldly `secret, mysterious life of the East`, the lives of its women, its lush, enclosed gardens; from the bustling cities to the lonely wastelands of Khorasan. ...

Still little known in the West, Persian poetry offers extraordinary riches. While celebrating the beauty of the world in poems about love, wine & poetry itself, or telling anecdotes of everyday life, Persian poetry set these themes in the wider religious & philosophical context of Islam. Omar, Rumi, Saadi, Sanai, Attar, Hafez & Jami
- the great lyric & didactic poets of medieval Persia
- are all represented in this selection of translations spanning almost two hundred & fifty years.

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How can you shake off everyday worries? Let the magic of the East transport you to a world of a thousand & one colours & lose yourself in all the little details of colouring in. These 50 designs include geometric & ornamental shapes, arabesques, scrolls & much more. Simply choose a design at random & make a start. There are no rules
- you can use felt tips, pencils, gouache, pastels... As you concentrate on the action of colouring you`ll find your mind clearing & calm returning. Just 5-10 minutes a day of colouring is enough to encourage mindfulness.
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Highly detailed map to chart your adventures, giving the opportunity to mark & record your global travels. Reminisce with family & friends & plan the trips for the future. Comes complete with 100 pins (20 each of 5 colours) allowing you to construct a personalized key to what each colour represents. The laminated surface also means that you can write notes on the map, details & dates all connected to your travels. And for the perfect finish the map is expertly framed & arrives all ready to display. ...

For a bibliophile, there`s no greater pleasure than sharing beloved books, but no crueler pain than losing them for good--until the Personal Library Kit! Revive old-fashioned library circulation techniques for fun & book retention with our classic bestseller! ...

This log is designed as a general logbook for the verification of service at sea for all types of vessels & for all verification purposes. The booklet has space for 118 entries & is intended to record the details of service in any capacity, recreational & commercial, full time & part time, in a form accepted for proving sea service for marine exams. Each panel

Includes:: space for a master`s testimonial & a ship`s official stamp (if it carries one). There are spaces for personal details including a photograph of the holder, & for recording details of all courses attended & certificates gained.

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Looking for the perfect present for the hiking enthusiast in your life? Our hiking adventure map

Includes::

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Our customised map of your special location is layered with a stunning silhouette of a mountain biker. Create a very unique ...