Here you have a picture of an Arab chief in the country of Syria. Sheik (shk) is the name used instead of chief. The word means an elder or a chief. It is used of any person of high standing among the Mohammedans (m-hm´-d-an). The sheik is here waited upon by his bodyguard, the man holding his horse. The Sheik and his man are both armed with rifles. The country of Syria is not safe for travelers. There are bands of desert robbers always on the lookout for unprotected persons or caravans (kr´ å-vn). Observe the cartridges in the sheik's belt, his dress, his sword. The sheik is wearing a white robe. This means he is a man of wealth or power, or both. He is proud of his steed, as he well may be. It is said that the Arab prizes his horse more than his wife. It was from these fast, well-bred horses of the Arabs that our fine race horses have come. In such cities as Damascus, however, the sheiks usually ride on white donkeys. But on the plains and in the desert the faithful horse is needed because of his speed. Why? Syria is the name loosely given to that part of Asia Minor lying northwest of Arabia and northeast of Palestine. Damascus is its queen city. Beirut (b-rt´) is its chief port. It includes the old land of Phoenicia (f-nsh´ -ä), the home of the famous sailors of King Solomon's time. Its western part has a great deal of rain, and is well wooded. Its eastern part is a desert waste. A railroad runs from Aleppo southward through Damascus. Syria is not an important country to-day, but its history is a long and interesting one, and worth your reading. Locate Damascus; Beirut. On what sea does Syria border? Keystone ID: 20703 Note: All titles, descriptions, and location coordinates are from the original Keystone Slide documentation as supplied by the Keystone View Company. No text has been edited or changed.