Spanning more than six centuries and stretching across three continents, the Ottoman Empire chang... more Spanning more than six centuries and stretching across three continents, the Ottoman Empire changed the political, economic, religious, architectural, and cultural landscape of many of the modern countries of the Middle East and south-eastern Europe. Yet the Ottoman Empire is most readily associated with its imperial capital Istanbul and the grandeur of its royal palace, the Topkapı Sarayı, or its majestic mosques such as Aya Sofya and the Süleymaniye, while the rest of the Empire’s vast territory and heritage is easily overlooked or forgotten. This chapter attempts to give a short overview of the history of the Ottoman Empire, from its foundations in the early fourteenth century, through its territorial expansion and ever-fluctuating borders, to its fall at the start of the twentieth century, and to provide a brief introduction to its legacy, highlighting some of the less well-known or overlooked aspects of it, be they political, religious, or cultural in nature.
Sibbaldia: the International Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture, 2008
Botanic gardens in the Arabian Peninsula and adjacent countries, along with institutions such as ... more Botanic gardens in the Arabian Peninsula and adjacent countries, along with institutions such as museums, universities and research centres, have long played a major role in the exploration, identification and conservation of this region’s flora and vegetation. The primary aim of botanic gardens in the past was to study the plant world from the horticultural point of view and to cultivate plants of economic or medicinal importance. However, at present, particularly in arid regions such as the Arabian Peninsula, the activities of botanic gardens are focused primarily on (i) the study and exploration of the region’s rapidly vanishing flora, thereby safeguarding gene pools of wild species, and (ii) the assessment and preservation of species that may be of importance to humans and animals for food, medicines, fibre and amenity. Recently established botanic gardens in the region, including the proposed King Abdullah International Gardens in Riyadh and Oman Botanic Garden near Muscat, wil...
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to... more IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. IUCN's work focuses on valuing and conserving nature, ensuring effective and equitable governance of its use, and deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and development. IUCN supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world, and brings governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice. IUCN is the world's oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,200 government and NGO Members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCN's work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 45 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. About the Species Survival Commission The Species Survival Commission (SSC) is the largest of IUCN's six volunteer commissions with a global membership of around 7,500 experts. SSC advises IUCN and its members on the wide range of technical and scientific aspects of species conservation, and is dedicated to securing a future for biodiversity. SSC has significant input into the international agreements dealing with biodiversity conservation. About Conservation International Building upon a strong foundation of science, partnership and field demonstration, Conservation International (CI) empowers societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature and its global biodiversity to promote the long-term well-being of people. Founded in 1987 and marking its 25th anniversary in 2012, CI is head quartered in the Washington, D.C. area. CI employs 900 staff in more than 25 countries on four continents and works with more than 1,000 partners around the world.
A new species of Barleria (Acanthaceae), Barleria samhanensis Knees, A.G.Mill. & A.Patzelt, is de... more A new species of Barleria (Acanthaceae), Barleria samhanensis Knees, A.G.Mill. & A.Patzelt, is described from southern Oman and a provisional assessment of its conservation status is provided. Further support is given for the recognition of the summit of Jabal Samhan as a distinct floristic unit.
The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS) presents validated and verified ch... more The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS) presents validated and verified checklists (inventories) of introduced (alien) and invasive alien species at the country level. Phase 1 of the project has focused on developing validated and verified checklists (inventories) of countries that are Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity. This annotated sub-checklist (sub-inventory) is of introduced (alien) and invasive alien species known to occur on the island and archipelago of Soqotra (Socotra), Yemen and its four islands in the Arabian Sea.
Contributions are welcome from a wide range of disciplines and interests. It is envisaged that th... more Contributions are welcome from a wide range of disciplines and interests. It is envisaged that the Seminar will cover many fascinating subjects on (though not restricted to) the following main themes: .Travellers’ accounts related to the botanical legacy of any part of the former Ottoman Empire (e.g. presentday Turkey, the Levant, Egypt, the Balkans, Arabian Peninsula etc.) .The flora of the region, including their heritage, preservation and medicinal uses .Bulbs of the region, especially tulips, and their cultural significance; Tulipomania .Ottoman garden design and architecture .Floral and related motifs in Ottoman art, including textiles, ceramics etc. .Culinary aspects of the botanical legacy of the region .Literary, pictorial and photographic depictions of any aspect of the botanical and horticultural legacy of the region .Orientalism as applicable to any of the seminar’s main themes.
Plants in arid lands with long histories of use by humans may shed light on the past and help dec... more Plants in arid lands with long histories of use by humans may shed light on the past and help decide on management policies, especially with regards agroforestry design and landscape-scale ecological restoration. We focus on five woody species that occur in unexpected sites and habitats in southern Arabia, and the southern Levant (Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon), namely Adansonia digitata L., Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. ex DC., Faidherbia albida (Delile) A.Chev., Lawsonia inermis L., and Tamarindus indica L.. Little study has been conducted on these taxa in these areas, despite their past and present importance to people in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and elsewhere. Based on herbarium records from 12 major herbaria, field observations, and extensive literature review, we suggest that two of the five taxa are clearly archaeophytes in the Middle East (Adansonia digitata and Lawsonia inermis) introduced as early as 1500e2500 years BP. In contrast, D. sissoo is probably a neophyte, introduced in the last 135 years. We call for focused research on them as these trees of ancient heritage have value for agricultural, agroforestry and ecological restoration programmes going forward.
Sixty new or updated records of plant species are reported from the Sultanate of Oman, as a resul... more Sixty new or updated records of plant species are reported from the Sultanate of Oman, as a result of field work and herbarium research. Four taxa represent new records for Arabia, 26 are new records for Oman, and 30 represent an extended distribution within Oman. Some previously doubtful records are confirmed. Brief comments are given on the phytogeography and ecology of the taxa. Most new records have been made in mountainous areas, either in southern or northern Oman, mostly in areas that previously were botanically very poorly known or unexplored.
The aim of this project was to assess the conservation status of vascular plant species occurring... more The aim of this project was to assess the conservation status of vascular plant species occurring in wetlands in the Arabian Peninsula. The status of a total of 182 species of wetland-dependent plants was assessed at a regional level. Within the Arabian Peninsula, 12.7% of the species assessed (23 species) are considered threatened with extinction, with 3.9% of them being Critically Endangered, 3.9% Endangered and 4.9% Vulnerable; one species is classed as Near Threatened.
The threats to the wetland-dependent plants of the Arabian Peninsula are fundamentally caused by the conflict between supply and demand for natural resources. The species assessed are therefore mainly affected by habitat loss and degradation induced by human activities, such as development and agriculture, and natural system modifications resulting from unsustainable human mismanagement of the environment.
In the face of the on-going threats to wetland habitats in the region and the species they support, there is an urgent need to implement conservation action.
Spanning more than six centuries and stretching across three continents, the Ottoman Empire chang... more Spanning more than six centuries and stretching across three continents, the Ottoman Empire changed the political, economic, religious, architectural, and cultural landscape of many of the modern countries of the Middle East and south-eastern Europe. Yet the Ottoman Empire is most readily associated with its imperial capital Istanbul and the grandeur of its royal palace, the Topkapı Sarayı, or its majestic mosques such as Aya Sofya and the Süleymaniye, while the rest of the Empire’s vast territory and heritage is easily overlooked or forgotten. This chapter attempts to give a short overview of the history of the Ottoman Empire, from its foundations in the early fourteenth century, through its territorial expansion and ever-fluctuating borders, to its fall at the start of the twentieth century, and to provide a brief introduction to its legacy, highlighting some of the less well-known or overlooked aspects of it, be they political, religious, or cultural in nature.
Sibbaldia: the International Journal of Botanic Garden Horticulture, 2008
Botanic gardens in the Arabian Peninsula and adjacent countries, along with institutions such as ... more Botanic gardens in the Arabian Peninsula and adjacent countries, along with institutions such as museums, universities and research centres, have long played a major role in the exploration, identification and conservation of this region’s flora and vegetation. The primary aim of botanic gardens in the past was to study the plant world from the horticultural point of view and to cultivate plants of economic or medicinal importance. However, at present, particularly in arid regions such as the Arabian Peninsula, the activities of botanic gardens are focused primarily on (i) the study and exploration of the region’s rapidly vanishing flora, thereby safeguarding gene pools of wild species, and (ii) the assessment and preservation of species that may be of importance to humans and animals for food, medicines, fibre and amenity. Recently established botanic gardens in the region, including the proposed King Abdullah International Gardens in Riyadh and Oman Botanic Garden near Muscat, wil...
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to... more IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. IUCN's work focuses on valuing and conserving nature, ensuring effective and equitable governance of its use, and deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and development. IUCN supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world, and brings governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice. IUCN is the world's oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,200 government and NGO Members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCN's work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 45 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world. About the Species Survival Commission The Species Survival Commission (SSC) is the largest of IUCN's six volunteer commissions with a global membership of around 7,500 experts. SSC advises IUCN and its members on the wide range of technical and scientific aspects of species conservation, and is dedicated to securing a future for biodiversity. SSC has significant input into the international agreements dealing with biodiversity conservation. About Conservation International Building upon a strong foundation of science, partnership and field demonstration, Conservation International (CI) empowers societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature and its global biodiversity to promote the long-term well-being of people. Founded in 1987 and marking its 25th anniversary in 2012, CI is head quartered in the Washington, D.C. area. CI employs 900 staff in more than 25 countries on four continents and works with more than 1,000 partners around the world.
A new species of Barleria (Acanthaceae), Barleria samhanensis Knees, A.G.Mill. & A.Patzelt, is de... more A new species of Barleria (Acanthaceae), Barleria samhanensis Knees, A.G.Mill. & A.Patzelt, is described from southern Oman and a provisional assessment of its conservation status is provided. Further support is given for the recognition of the summit of Jabal Samhan as a distinct floristic unit.
The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS) presents validated and verified ch... more The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS) presents validated and verified checklists (inventories) of introduced (alien) and invasive alien species at the country level. Phase 1 of the project has focused on developing validated and verified checklists (inventories) of countries that are Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity. This annotated sub-checklist (sub-inventory) is of introduced (alien) and invasive alien species known to occur on the island and archipelago of Soqotra (Socotra), Yemen and its four islands in the Arabian Sea.
Contributions are welcome from a wide range of disciplines and interests. It is envisaged that th... more Contributions are welcome from a wide range of disciplines and interests. It is envisaged that the Seminar will cover many fascinating subjects on (though not restricted to) the following main themes: .Travellers’ accounts related to the botanical legacy of any part of the former Ottoman Empire (e.g. presentday Turkey, the Levant, Egypt, the Balkans, Arabian Peninsula etc.) .The flora of the region, including their heritage, preservation and medicinal uses .Bulbs of the region, especially tulips, and their cultural significance; Tulipomania .Ottoman garden design and architecture .Floral and related motifs in Ottoman art, including textiles, ceramics etc. .Culinary aspects of the botanical legacy of the region .Literary, pictorial and photographic depictions of any aspect of the botanical and horticultural legacy of the region .Orientalism as applicable to any of the seminar’s main themes.
Plants in arid lands with long histories of use by humans may shed light on the past and help dec... more Plants in arid lands with long histories of use by humans may shed light on the past and help decide on management policies, especially with regards agroforestry design and landscape-scale ecological restoration. We focus on five woody species that occur in unexpected sites and habitats in southern Arabia, and the southern Levant (Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon), namely Adansonia digitata L., Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. ex DC., Faidherbia albida (Delile) A.Chev., Lawsonia inermis L., and Tamarindus indica L.. Little study has been conducted on these taxa in these areas, despite their past and present importance to people in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and elsewhere. Based on herbarium records from 12 major herbaria, field observations, and extensive literature review, we suggest that two of the five taxa are clearly archaeophytes in the Middle East (Adansonia digitata and Lawsonia inermis) introduced as early as 1500e2500 years BP. In contrast, D. sissoo is probably a neophyte, introduced in the last 135 years. We call for focused research on them as these trees of ancient heritage have value for agricultural, agroforestry and ecological restoration programmes going forward.
Sixty new or updated records of plant species are reported from the Sultanate of Oman, as a resul... more Sixty new or updated records of plant species are reported from the Sultanate of Oman, as a result of field work and herbarium research. Four taxa represent new records for Arabia, 26 are new records for Oman, and 30 represent an extended distribution within Oman. Some previously doubtful records are confirmed. Brief comments are given on the phytogeography and ecology of the taxa. Most new records have been made in mountainous areas, either in southern or northern Oman, mostly in areas that previously were botanically very poorly known or unexplored.
The aim of this project was to assess the conservation status of vascular plant species occurring... more The aim of this project was to assess the conservation status of vascular plant species occurring in wetlands in the Arabian Peninsula. The status of a total of 182 species of wetland-dependent plants was assessed at a regional level. Within the Arabian Peninsula, 12.7% of the species assessed (23 species) are considered threatened with extinction, with 3.9% of them being Critically Endangered, 3.9% Endangered and 4.9% Vulnerable; one species is classed as Near Threatened.
The threats to the wetland-dependent plants of the Arabian Peninsula are fundamentally caused by the conflict between supply and demand for natural resources. The species assessed are therefore mainly affected by habitat loss and degradation induced by human activities, such as development and agriculture, and natural system modifications resulting from unsustainable human mismanagement of the environment.
In the face of the on-going threats to wetland habitats in the region and the species they support, there is an urgent need to implement conservation action.
This splendidly illustrated book focuses on the botanical legacy of many parts of the former Otto... more This splendidly illustrated book focuses on the botanical legacy of many parts of the former Ottoman Empire -- including present-day Turkey, the Levant, Egypt, the Balkans, and the Arabian Peninsula -- as seen and described by travellers both from within and from outside the region. The papers cover a wide variety of subjects, including Ottoman garden design and architecture, the flora of the region, especially bulbs and their cultural significance, literary, pictorial and photographic depictions of the botany and horticulture of the Ottoman lands, floral and related motifs in Ottoman art, culinary and medicinal aspects of the botanical heritage, and efforts related to conservation.
Uploads
Papers by Sabina Knees
The threats to the wetland-dependent plants of the Arabian Peninsula are fundamentally caused by the conflict between supply and demand for natural resources. The species assessed are therefore mainly affected by habitat loss and degradation induced by human activities, such as development and agriculture, and natural system modifications resulting from unsustainable human mismanagement of the environment.
In the face of the on-going threats to wetland habitats in the region and the species they support, there is an urgent need to implement conservation action.
The threats to the wetland-dependent plants of the Arabian Peninsula are fundamentally caused by the conflict between supply and demand for natural resources. The species assessed are therefore mainly affected by habitat loss and degradation induced by human activities, such as development and agriculture, and natural system modifications resulting from unsustainable human mismanagement of the environment.
In the face of the on-going threats to wetland habitats in the region and the species they support, there is an urgent need to implement conservation action.