Arab

A-rab

(no prefixes or suffixes)

Arabs brought to Africa both their religion and their language.

traders who spoke Arabic and practiced Islam, who came to settle in East

Africa by sea and across the Sahara; they widened Africa’s slave trade

Sahara

Sa-ha-ra

(no prefixes or suffixes)

The Sahara extends from near the Atlantic Ocean to the Nile River in northern Africa.

the world’s largest desert; it dominates much of North Africa

Ethnic Group

Eth-nic group

(no prefixes or suffixes)

There are many factors to determine one’s ethnic group.

cultural groups of people who share learned beliefs and practices

Irrigation

Ir-ri-ga-tion

-tion (act, result, or state of)

The Sahara Desert would make good farmland if there was water available for irrigation.

a system of bringing water from rivers to fields through ditches and canals to water crops

Arabs in Africa

Religion in Africa

• Most Africans are either Muslim or Christian• About 15% practice a traditional religion and

worship sky gods, other spirits, or ancestors• Christianity crossed the Mediterranean in the

100s – 200s AD• Arabs came in the 700s and spread Islam

across the Sahara and the Sahel

Religion in Africa cont.

• Elements of traditional African beliefs are often woven into Christian and Muslim practices.

• Religion is part of everyday life in Africa, not separate from it, so most African languages have no work for religion

Arab Traders

• Arab traders who spoke Arabic and practiced Islam came to East Africa by sea and crossed the Sahara desert

• Some traders settled in the region• Arab traders widened East Africa’s slave trade• They brought their language, religion, and

cultural influence

Arab Culture

• The roots of the Arab culture are deep in Africa, especially in the north

• The Red Sea is all that separates Saudi Arabia in Asia from Egypt and Sudan in Africa

• Muslims established Timbuktu in Mali as a worldwide center for learning

• Their mosque in Djenne is the oldest mud brick building in the world.

Arab Culture cont.

• “Islam” in Arabic means “submission” and derives from a word meaning “peace”

• The Islamic influence is tightly interwoven in the Arabic culture and shows in many elements of its art

• Geometric shapes, repetitive art, symmetry, bright colors, and decorative calligraphy are some examples

Education

• Muslims believe strongly in education.• One reason is so everyone can read and

understand the Quran• Muslims established their learning centers

centuries before missionaries appeared and started Christian schools

Calendar• Muslims use two calendars: the traditional

Gregorian one with 365 days, and their lunar one with a 354-day year

• They use the traditional calendar because it is used internationally for business

• Since their calendar is based on the moon, the study of astronomy is important

• Islamic holidays are based on the lunar calendar, so their dates are different every year