Kufa

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/kufa

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How many people live in Kufa?Estimated 110,000 (2003)
2. When was Kufa built?638 CE
3. What is Kufa known for?Origin of Kufic script and the keffiyeh; center for early Arabic grammar
4. What is the historical capital?Final capital of the Rashidun Caliphate; founding capital of the Abbasid Caliphate
5. What is the religious significance?One of five Iraqi cities of great importance to Shi'ite Muslims
6. What is Kufa and where is it located?Kufa is an ancient city in Iraq, about 170 km south of Baghdad, on the banks of the Euphrates River.

Mesopotamia: An ancient region in the Middle East, situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, known as the 'cradle of civilization'.
Rashidun Caliphate: The first caliphate established after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, comprising the first four caliphs who succeeded him.
Abbasid Caliphate: A caliphate that succeeded the Umayyad Caliphate, ruling from 750 to 1258 CE and overseeing a period of significant intellectual and cultural advancement.
Kufic Script: An early, angular style of Arabic calligraphy characterized by its linear and geometric forms, originating from Kufa.