Magic in Middle East
The evil-eye bead, the djinn, ruqyah and the talisman, Kabbalah and Jewish amulets, and the ancient Babylonian and Persian arts. 172 entries on EveryJaadu so far.
Places of magic
Rome 11Jerusalem 6Meron 5Thebes 3Uruk 3Constantinople 2Damascus 2Mecca 2Paphos 2Persepolis 2Tiberias 2Abu Shudhr 1Ahvaz 1Alaca H枚y眉k 1al-Qurnah 1Amuka 1Andaman Islands 1Arima 1Assur 1Babylon 1Bawit 1Behistun 1Beqaa Valley 1Bern 1Bethlehem 1Biblioth猫que nationale de France 1Brisone River 1Carnuntum 1Cerrillos Hills 1Cilicia 1
Rites of the region
Esfand, the wild rue smokeChaharshanbe Suri fire-jumpingThe nazar boncu臒u, the blue beadRuqyah recitationKapparotThe red thread and Rachel's tombWriting a Jewish amulet (kame'a)
Countries
PurposeProtectionHealingSeeing and foretellingLuck and prosperityLove and attractionCursing and harmCleansing and purificationSpeaking with spirits and the deadChange and initiationBinding and oathsPower and authorityWonder and entertainment
WhoShamansFolk healersPriests and ritual specialistsWitches, sorcerers and cunning folkDiviners and readersMediums and the possessedCeremonial magicians and alchemistsHouseholds and ordinary peopleStage magiciansScholars and sceptics
BeliefHindu and TantricBuddhistJainMuslim and SufiJewishChristianSikhZoroastrianShinto and TaoistIndigenous and shamanicAfrican and Afro-diasporicPagan and NeopaganEsoteric and occultFolk and village customSecular and stageOther traditions
馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey and 5 moreEvil eye
A curse caused by an envious look and the charms used to block itBelief 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚫馃嚘 Saudi Arabia and 5 moreIslamic exorcism乇賯賷丞
A rite to expel spirits through Quranic recitation and negotiationRite 路 Healing 路 Cleansing and purification Living
馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt and 5 moreHamsa禺賲爻丞
A palm-shaped amulet used across North Africa and the Middle East for protection.Charm 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚨馃嚫 Palestine and 1 moreRachel's TombQever Ra岣l; Qabr R膩岣ツ玪
A shared holy site near Bethlehem revered by Jews, Christians, and MuslimsTradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Protection Living
馃嚫馃嚘 Saudi Arabia and 1 moreDhikr匕賽賰賿乇
Islamic remembrance of God through repeated recitation and prayerRite 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚠馃嚪 Iran and 4 moreJinn噩賽賳賾
Supernatural beings in Islamic and pre-Islamic Arabian belief, capable of shapeshifting and living in society.Being 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚜馃嚫 Spain and 5 moreIbn Arabi賲丨賷賷 丕賱丿賷賳 兀亘賵 毓亘丿 丕賱賱賴 賲丨賲丿 亘賳 毓賱賷 亘賳 毓乇亘賷 丕賱丨丕鬲賲賷 丕賱胤丕卅賷
A medieval Andalusian mystic and philosopher whose teachings shaped Sufi metaphysics across the Islamic world.Text 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Change and initiation Living
馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt and 5 moreTalisman
An object believed to channel specific forces for protection, healing, or influence.Charm 路 Protection 路 Healing Historical
馃嚠馃嚪 Iran and 2 moreBibliomancy
Divination by opening a book at random and reading the first passage foundOracle 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚠馃嚪 Iran and 2 moreDiv丿蹖賵
Monstrous creatures of Persian and West Asian lore, later adapted into Islamic and regional mythologiesBeing 路 Cursing and harm Legendary
馃嚠馃嚤 Israel and 3 moreGematria讙讬诪讟专讬讛
A numeric writing system that assigns numerical values to words and phrases for interpretation.Text 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt and 5 moreSacred dance
Movement used in worship to honour deities, heal communities, or connect with the spirit world.Tradition 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚠馃嚪 Iran and 2 moreJabir ibn Hayyan噩丕亘賽乇 亘賽賳 丨賻賷賾丕賳
A legendary Islamic alchemist and philosopher whose writings shaped medieval magic and chemistryText 路 Power and authority 路 Wonder and entertainment Historical
馃嚠馃嚤 Israel and 1 moreAzazel注讝讗讝诇
A desert place and fallen angel linked to the Yom Kippur scapegoat ritualFigure 路 Cursing and harm 路 Cleansing and purification Historical
馃嚬馃嚪 TurkeyHamsa (sample)Khamsa
An open hand with an eye, hung on doors.Charm 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt and 1 moreQareen賯乇賷賳
A spiritual companion or double assigned to every human in Islamic beliefBeing 路 Cursing and harm 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚠馃嚪 Iran and 4 moreAstrology in the medieval Islamic world毓賱賲 丕賱賳噩賵賲 (Ilm an-Nuj奴m)
The study of celestial influences on earthly affairs within the medieval Islamic traditionTradition 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey and 1 moreTalismanic shirtt谋ls谋ml谋 g枚mlek
A worn textile inscribed with sacred verses and symbols for protection in the Muslim worldCharm 路 Protection Historical
馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt and 5 moreAmulet
A portable object worn or carried to ward off harm and invite protection.Charm 路 Protection 路 Healing Living
馃嚠馃嚪 Iran士Ilm al-岣r奴f毓賽賱賿賲 丕賱賿丨購乇購賵賮
A system of Arabic numerology that assigns numerical values to letters to reveal hidden meanings in the Quran.Belief 路 Seeing and foretelling Historical
馃嚠馃嚤 Israel and 4 moreAngel诪诇讗讱
A supernatural messenger or intermediary spirit found in many religious traditions.Being 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Protection Living
馃嚡馃嚨 Japan and 3 moreBahamut亘賴賲賵鬲
A cosmic fish or bull that supports the earth in medieval Islamic cosmographyBeing 路 Power and authority Legendary
馃嚠馃嚤 Israel and 1 moreSolomon's shamir砖指讈诪执讬专
A legendary worm or stone used to carve stone without iron toolsBeing 路 Power and authority Legendary
馃嚠馃嚤 Israel and 1 moreDivine retribution
Supernatural punishment by a deity in response to anger or wrongdoingBelief 路 Cursing and harm Historical
馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt and 4 moreAlchemy in the medieval Islamic world
The study of matter and spirit by scholars in the early Islamic CaliphateTradition 路 Change and initiation 路 Power and authority Historical
馃嚠馃嚤 Israel and 2 moreReligious restrictions on the consumption of pork
A dietary rule found in several faiths that bars people from eating pig meat.Belief 路 Cleansing and purification Living
馃嚠馃嚩 Iraq and 3 moreUmayyad tradition of cursing Ali
A state policy to denounce Ali during communal prayers under the Umayyad CaliphateRite 路 Cursing and harm 路 Binding and oaths Historical
馃嚫馃嚘 Saudi Arabia and 2 moreBay'ah亘賷毓丞
An oath of loyalty and obedience given to a political or spiritual leader in Islamic traditionRite 路 Binding and oaths 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚬馃嚪 TurkeyKhirqa禺乇賯賴
An initiatory cloak in Sufism that passes spiritual lineage and blessings from teacher to student.Tradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚠馃嚤 IsraelShekhinah砖职讈讻执讬谞指讛
The divine presence of God dwelling among people in Jewish and Islamic thoughtBelief 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚠馃嚪 Iran and 5 moreKhidr丕賱禺囟乇
A Qur'anic guide and saint believed to hold hidden wisdom and aid those in need.Being 路 Seeing and foretelling 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚞馃嚙 United KingdomUwaisi兀購賵賻賷賿爻
A Sufi method of spiritual transmission between master and disciple without physical contact.Tradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt and 5 moreTariqa胤乇賷賯丞
A Sufi spiritual path and the community that follows itTradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Change and initiation Living
馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey and 2 moreHadra丨囟乇丞
A collective Sufi ritual of remembrance and chanting to experience Divine PresenceRite 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚜馃嚞 Egypt and 5 moreMawlid賲賵賱丿
An annual festival commemorating the birth of the Prophet MuhammadTradition 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚜馃嚞 EgyptBarakah亘乇賰丞
A spiritual blessing power in Islam and Arabic ChristianityBelief 路 Protection 路 Power and authority Living
馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey and 4 moreSufi whirlingSemazen
A spinning meditation practiced by Sufi dervishes to reach spiritual connection through music and movement.Rite 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Change and initiation Living
馃嚲馃嚜 Yemen and 2 moreQueen of Sheba诪址诇职讻址旨转 砖职讈讘指讗 (Hebrew), 賲賱賰丞 爻亘兀 (Arabic), 釆曖實釄メ壈 釄翅墸 (Ge式ez)
A legendary queen from ancient Arabia or Ethiopia who visited King Solomon.Figure Legendary
馃嚬馃嚪 Turkey and 3 moreSufi whirlingSemazen
A spinning meditation practiced by Sufi dervishes to reach spiritual connection with Allah.Tradition 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead 路 Love and attraction Living
馃嚲馃嚜 Yemen and 1 moreSimthud Durar爻賲胤 丕賱丿賾乇乇
A poem praising the Prophet Muhammad, recited in ritual gatherings across the Indian Ocean.Text 路 Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
馃嚲馃嚜 Yemen士An膩q兀賳丕賯 亘賳鬲 丌丿賲
A monstrous daughter of Adam in Islamic extra-Quranic traditionFigure 路 Cursing and harm Historical
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Qareen: 毓丕賲乇 卮丕蹃蹖賳, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Amulet: Anonymous ( Egypt ) Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Jinn: VenusFeuerFalle, CC0, source
- Ibn Arabi: Omar.Hafez, CC0, source
- Talismanic shirt: Ibrahim Husain Meraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bibliomancy: Albert Robida, Public domain, source
- Div: Unknown Calligrapher, Public domain, source
- Angel: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Solomon's shamir: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eberhard_Werner_Happel, Public domain, source
- Khirqa: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Azazel: Louis Le Breton, Public domain, source
- Islamic exorcism: Unknown Calligrapher, Public domain, source
- Jabir ibn Hayyan: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Umayyad tradition of cursing Ali: Anwar Rizvi, CC BY 2.0, source
- Divine retribution: John Martin, Public domain, source
- Alchemy in the medieval Islamic world: An Islamic artist 739H/1339, probably in Baghdad, Public domain, source
- Religious restrictions on the consumption of pork: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Sacred dance: Jorge Barrios, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gematria: Bethsheba Ashe, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Talisman: Sasha India, CC BY 2.0, source
- Evil eye: FocalPoint, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Khidr: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Dhikr: Eug猫ne Baugnies, Public domain, source
- Rachel's Tomb: Lane-Poole, Stanley, Public domain, source
- Hadra: Zeinebtakouti, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sama: myself, Public domain, source
- Mawlid: Firdaus Latif, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Barakah: 毓丕賲乇 卮丕蹃蹖賳, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Queen of Sheba: Jacopo Tintoretto, Public domain, source
- Hamsa: Kritzolina, CC BY-SA 4.0, source