Since 1955, the ancient city of Baalbek (also called Baalbeck) in the Beqaa Valley region of Lebanon holds an international cultural festival. Performers from around the world come to Baalbek to present music, dance, theater, and any other kind of entertainment you can imagine among ancient Roman ruins. The city itself was named after the ancient storm god, Baal: an important figure in Middle Eastern mythology. For this assignment, you will be study Baal, the city of Baalbek, and the Baalbek festival.
Task: You will write a short paper (3 pages; pictures don’t count toward length) examining the history of the god the city was named after, Baal and the Baalbek festival, and analyze the impact of the Baalbek Festival on Lebanese society.
Paper Requirements:
• It must be a unique paper. Do not plagiarize your paper from your source materials (i.e., don’t cut and paste from Wikipedia).
• You must use at least three sources documented using MLA citation style. Assistance in documenting sources can be found at the Pfau Library or at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
1. Begin your paper with a general history of the use of henna in the Middle East.
2. Continue with a brief discussion on the use of henna in Arabic society.
3. Finish your paper with a description of a henna design you find interesting.
Expected Student Outcomes: You will gain insight into Arabic culture, as well as develop an appreciation for Arabic traditions.
Due Date: This paper is due Week 10.
Potential sources to get you started:
http://www.ancient.eu/Baalbek/ (history of the city)
http://en.baalbak.org/?page_id=4915 (tourism)
https://www.youtube.com/user/BaalbekFestival (official YouTube channel for the festival
http://www.britannica.com/topic/Baal-ancient-deity (mythology)
http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Ar-Be/Baal.html (mythology)
https://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/arc/profilecoin/html/religion.html (Baal and other gods/goddesses)
