Arabic Place Names - Behind the Name

ARIHA أريحا (Settlement) Arabic
Arabic form of JERICHO.

ASHUR آشور (Settlement & Region) English, Arabic, Persian, Akkadian
From Akkadian 𒀸𒋩 (Assur), meaning unknown. This was the capital city of the Assyrian Empire, supposedly named for the god Ashur, though the god was in fact probably named for the city. The empire, Assyria, was also named for it. The city was destroyed in the 14th century by the forces of Tamerlane.... [more]

BATRA بتراء (Settlement) Arabic
Arabic form of PETRA. In Arabic it is properly written with the definite article: البتراء (al-Batra).

BAYT LAHM بيت لحم (Settlement) Arabic
Arabic form of BETHLEHEM. The Arabic word لحم (lahm) meaning "meat" is cognate with Hebrew לֶחֶם (lechem) meaning "bread".

FARANSA فرنسا (Country) Arabic
Arabic form of FRANCE.

FARIS فارس (Country) Arabic
Arabic form of PERSIA.

HIRA حراء (Other) Arabic
Meaning unknown. This is the name of the cave near Mecca where the Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation.

IRAN إيران (Country) Persian, Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Croatian, Serbian
Derived from Middle Persian Eran, related to Old Iranian Arya meaning "Iranian, Aryan". This is the name of a country in western Asia, formerly called Persia in the West.

IRAQ عراق (Country) Arabic, English, Italian, Catalan
From Arabic العراق (al-'Iraq), probably derived from the name of the ancient Sumerian/Akkadian city of URUK. This is the name of a country in the Middle East.

ISKANDARIYAH إسكندرية (Settlement) Arabic
Arabic form of ALEXANDRIA, usually written with the definite article: الإسكندرية (al-Iskandariyah).

JAZA'IR جزائر (Settlement & Country) Arabic
Arabic form of ALGIERS and ALGERIA, usually written with the definite article: الجزائر (al-Jaza'ir).

MADINAH مدينة (Settlement) Arabic
Arabic form of MEDINA, usually written with the definite article: المدينة (al-Madinah).

MAGHRIB مغرب (Region & Country) Arabic
From Arabic المغرب (al-Maghrib) meaning "the place of the sunset, the west". This is the Arabic name of Morocco as well as the entire region of western North Africa (known as the Maghreb in English). In Arabic the name is usually written with the definite article: المغرب (al-Maghrib).

MARRAKUSH مرّاكش (Settlement) Arabic
Arabic form of MARRAKESH.

NIL نيل (River) Arabic, French, German, Catalan, Russian
Arabic, French, German, Catalan and Russian form of NILE. In Arabic it is properly written with the definite article: النيل (al-Nil).

NINAWA نِينَوَى (Settlement) Arabic
Arabic form of NINEVEH.

QAHIRAH قاهرة (Settlement) Arabic
Arabic form of CAIRO, usually written with the definite article: القاهرة (al-Qahirah).

QUDS قُدْس (Settlement) Arabic
Means "holy" in Arabic. This is the Arabic name for Jerusalem, usually written with the definite article: القُدْس (al-Quds).

SAMARRA سامَرّاء (Settlement) Arabic, English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, German
This is the name of a city in Iraq, the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate in the 9th century. It was possibly built at the site of the ancient Assyrian city of Surmarrati, which is of uncertain meaning.

SIN صين (Country) Arabic
Arabic form of CHINA. It is properly written with the definite article: الصين (al-Sin).

SUDAN سُودان (Country) English, Arabic, German, Italian
From Arabic سُود (sud) meaning "black", referring to the darker skin of the inhabitants. This is the name of a country in Africa. In Arabic it is properly written with the definite article: السُودان (al-Sudan).

SURIYA سوريا (Country) Arabic
Arabic form of SYRIA.

TAHRAN تهران (Settlement) Arabic
Arabic form of TEHRAN.

TSHAD تشاد (Body of Water & Country) Arabic
Arabic form of CHAD.

TURKIYYA تركيّا (Country) Arabic
Arabic form of TURKEY.

URDANN أردنّ (River & Country) Arabic
Arabic form of JORDAN, usually written with the definite article: الأردنّ (al-Urdann).

	Usage
	Initial letter
	Type
	Meaning	expand search to ancestral names the meaning is anything from the name's write-up that is surrounded by "double quotes" separate search terms with spaces search for an exact phrase by surrounding it with double quotes this field understands simple boolean logic force a term to be included by preceding it with a + sign force a term to be excluded by preceding it with a - sign expand search to ancestral names: meanings for names further up the family tree will be included in the search
	Description	ignore name meanings the description is the meaning and history write-up for the name separate search terms with spaces search for an exact phrase by surrounding it with double quotes example: "lord of the rings" will match names from the novel 'The Lord of the Rings' this field understands simple boolean logic force a term to be included by preceding it with a + sign force a term to be excluded by preceding it with a - sign example: +greek +(legend myth) -zeus will match Greek names of myths or legends not about Zeus ignore name meanings: keywords from the name meanings are ignored
	Origin
	Length
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	Related name
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	Namesake
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