HSTRY 498B: Cities in the Modern Middle East: Home

Views of various Middle East cities.

Welcome to the library research guide for HSTRY 498B Cities in the Modern Middle East. This page brings together many of the sources that you will need to use for your research along with some explanatory information on various types of sources.

Finding sources for Middle East history can be daunting for those who don't read Arabic and other vernacular languages. Most of you will need to rely on primary sources created by outsiders -- Western travellers, colonial adminstrators, anthropologists, sociologists, reporters and missionaries. You will need to be aware of, and take into consideration, inherent biases of these types of documents. Also keep in mind changes in place names, e.g., Palestine (prior to 1948), Transjordan, etc.

Also keep in mind that there will be many sources in English for some locales (Jerusalem, Cairo, Istanbul) and less for smaller cities. I'd suggest sticking to one of the cities included in Cities of the Middle East and North Africa : A Historical Encyclopedia.

Some of the databases on this guide are restricted to UW students, staff and faculty. These are marked with a lock . You may be asked to login with your UWnetid. Additional resources can be found on research guides for: African History, Middle East History, Near East Studies & Urban Design & Planning.