Before Islam reshaped the Middle East, vast kingdoms, merchant empires, and warrior tribes ruled the sands. From the Nabataeans to the Sassanids, these powers fought for dominance over trade routes ...
https://siris-libraries.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?&profile=liball&source=~!silibraries&uri=full=3100001~!311075~!0#focus ...