Public Figures & Cultural Luminaries
Filterable archive covering centuries of intellectual, artistic, and moral contributions to the human story.
Stephen I of Hungary (Saint Stephen)
(Szent Istvรกn kirรกly (Vajk))
First King of Hungary who Christianized the Magyar tribes, established the Kingdom of Hungary, and received the Holy Crown from Pope Sylvester II.
Al-Mu'izz ibn Ziri
(ุงูู
ุนุฒ ุจู ุฒูุฑู ุงูู
ุบุฑุงูู)
Maghrawa Zenata ruler who governed Fez and northern Morocco from 999 to 1026, building the defensive walls of Fez and welcoming Andalusian scholars fleeing the collapse of the Cordoba Caliphate.
Basil II (The Bulgar Slayer)
(ฮฮฑฯฮฏฮปฮตฮนฮฟฯ ฮฮ ฮฮฟฯ
ฮปฮณฮฑฯฮฟฮบฯฯฮฝฮฟฯ)
Longest-reigning Emperor of the Byzantine Empire who created the Varangian Guard and brought the medieval empire to its military zenith.
Zawi ibn Ziri
(ุฒุงูู ุจู ุฒูุฑู)
Sanhaja Berber prince and general who crossed into Al-Andalus, founded the independent Taifa of Granada in 1013, and relocated the city to the slopes of the Alhambra.
Badis ibn Ziri
(ุจุงุฏูุณ ุจู ุงูู
ูุตูุฑ ุจู ุจูููู ุจู ุฒูุฑู)
Third Zirid Emir who governed central North Africa from Achir, brother of Hammad ibn Buluggin and defender of Sanhaja unity.
Rajaraja Chola I (Rajaraja the Great)
(เฎฎเฏเฎคเฎฒเฎพเฎฎเฏ เฎเฎฐเฎพเฎเฎฐเฎพเฎ เฎเฏเฎดเฎฉเฏ)
Legendary emperor of the Chola Empire who transformed southern India into a maritime superpower and erected the majestic Brihadisvara Temple.
Al-Hasan II ibn Gannun
(ุงูุญุณู ุงูุซุงูู ุจู ุงููุงุณู
ูููู)
The fifteenth and final reigning Sultan of the Idrisid dynasty, who heroically defended Moroccan sovereignty from Hajar an-Nasr until his tragic capture and execution in 985 AD.
Emperor Taizu of Song
(ๅฎๅคช็ฅ (่ถๅก่ค))
Founder of the Song Dynasty (960โ976 CE) Zhao Kuangyin, who ended the violent Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, unified China, and permanently subordinated the military to civilian scholarly bureaucracy over a famous banquet of wine.
Emperor Taizu of Song (Zhao Kuangyin)
(ๅฎๅคช็ฅ ่ตตๅก่ค (Zhao Kuangyin))
Founding Emperor of the Song Dynasty who unified China, ended the chaotic Five Dynasties era, and subordinated the military to civil scholar-officials.
Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah
(ุงูู
ุนุฒ ูุฏูู ุงููู)
Fourth Fatimid Caliph whose reign marked the golden apex of the dynasty, orchestrating the conquest of Egypt, transferring the caliphal court from Ifriqiya to Cairo, and fostering an era of remarkable intellectual and interfaith flourishing.
Ziri ibn Manad
(ุฒูุฑู ุจู ู
ูุงุฏ)
Pivotal Berber chieftain of the Sanhaja confederation and founder of the illustrious Zirid dynasty, who built the impregnable mountain citadel of Ashir in the Titteri mountains.
Abd al-Rahman III (Al-Nasir li-Din Allah)
(ุนุจุฏ ุงูุฑุญู
ู ุงูุซุงูุซ (ุงููุงุตุฑ ูุฏูู ุงููู))
First Caliph of Cรณrdoba whose fifty-year reign transformed Muslim Spain (Al-Andalus) into the intellectual, scientific, and architectural wonder of medieval Europe. Built the magnificent palace-city of Madinat al-Zahra.
Abu al-Ays Ahmad
(ุฃุจู ุงูุนูุด ุฃุญู
ุฏ ุจู ุงููุงุณู
ูููู)
Thirteenth Idrisid Sultan and profound scholar-jurist, who abdicated his throne to his brother Al-Hasan II and died fighting as a common soldier in Andalusia.
Al-Qasim Gannun
(ุงููุงุณู
ูููู ุจู ู
ุญู
ุฏ)
Twelfth Idrisid ruler who built the mountain fortress capital of Hajar an-Nasr (The Eagle's Rock) and maintained Moroccan independence against the Umayyads and Fatimids.
Al-Hasan I al-Hajjam
(ุงูุญุณู ุงูุฃูู ุงูุญุฌุงู
ุจู ู
ุญู
ุฏ)
Tenth Idrisid Sultan who raised a national liberation army in the Rif mountains and liberated the imperial capital Fez from Fatimid occupation in 925 AD.
Yahya IV of Morocco
(ูุญูู ุงูุฑุงุจุน ุจู ุฅุฏุฑูุณ ุจู ุนู
ุฑ)
Seventh Idrisid Sultan who reunited the fractured Moroccan principalities in 904 AD, acclaimed by chroniclers as the most just and pious Idrisid monarch.
Ibrahim II of Ifriqiya
(ุฅุจุฑุงููู
ุงูุซุงูู ุจู ุฃุญู
ุฏ)
Aghlabid Emir who ruled Ifriqiya from 875 to 902, famous for building the monumental palace-city of Raqqada, completing the conquest of Byzantine Sicily, and subduing regional rebellions.
Alfred the Great (King of the Anglo-Saxons)
(รlfred se Micela (Alfred the Great))
King of Wessex and the only English monarch accorded the epithet "the Great." Defended Anglo-Saxon England against Viking conquest at the Battle of Edington (878), fortified the kingdom with the burh fortress network, and personally translated Latin classics into Old English.