{"podcast":{"title":"The afikra Podcast","slug":"the-afikra-podcast-1800518","podcast_index_feed_id":1800518,"rss_url":"https://feeds.simplecast.com/mQeVlZL1","website_url":"https://afikra.simplecast.com","image_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/1ce0a58c-3e05-4d4b-a2e7-f3ffb869b215/29decdd8-9ed2-413f-87ee-5362994ea4a1/3000x3000/the_afikra_podcast.jpg?aid=rss_feed","author":"afikra","episode_count":485,"summary":"The afikra Podcast is our flagship series featuring experts from academia, art, media, urban planning and beyond, who are helping document and shape the histories and cultures of the Arab world through their ‎work. Our hope is that by having the guest share their expertise and story, the community walks away with a new‎found curiosity, and recommendations about new nerdy rabbit holes to dive into head first. ‎","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-afikra-podcast-1800518"},"episode":{"title":"Deep History of the Fertile Crescent to the Tigris & Euphrates Under the Ottomans | Faisal Husain","slug":"deep-history-of-the-fertile-crescent-to-the-tigris-euphrates-under-the-ottomans-faisal-husain","published_at":"2026-02-23T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-afikra-podcast-1800518/deep-history-of-the-fertile-crescent-to-the-tigris-euphrates-under-the-ottomans-faisal-husain","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-afikra-podcast-1800518","url":"https://afikra.simplecast.com/episodes/faisal-husain-YQoClli5","audio_url":"https://afp-922695-injected.calisto.simplecastaudio.com/96f7a68b-b919-40fb-9d0c-366fc6f2d79c/episodes/deb2c005-a956-4c3b-b42f-e2dc3aa03a12/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=96f7a68b-b919-40fb-9d0c-366fc6f2d79c&awEpisodeId=deb2c005-a956-4c3b-b42f-e2dc3aa03a12&feed=mQeVlZL1","summary":"Historian Faisal Husain wrote the book \"Rivers of the Sultan: The Tigris and Euphrates in the Ottoman Empire\" and in this episode, helps us explore the history of the Tigris and Euphrates. He argued for the necessity of understanding human history within the context of geological time, discussing the rivers' origins roughly 20 million years ago, tracing their influence on civilization from the \"agricultural revolution\" (which some scholars argue was a mistake leading to health issues) to the rise of early urban centers like the Sumerian cities. The conversation highlights the difference between the gentle Euphrates, which attracted early settlements, and the fast and unpredictable Tigris. Shifting to the Ottoman era, Husain examines the environmental challenges of Ottoman Iraq, which was poor in essential resources like grain, metal, and wood suited for construction, and details the extraordinary story of the Euphrates river changing its course in the late 1600s due to a poorly dug irrigation canal. He emphasizes the cultural importance of the palm tree and the vital role of water buffaloes, which made life possible for a quarter of the Iraqi population in the wetlands, whose fate would have otherwise been migration to seek resources and refuge elsewhere.","meta_description":"Historian Faisal Husain wrote the book \"Rivers of the Sultan: The Tigris and Euphrates in the Ottoman Empire\" and in this episode, helps us explore the hi…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3657,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-afikra-podcast-1800518/episodes/deep-history-of-the-fertile-crescent-to-the-tigris-euphrates-under-the-ottomans-faisal-husain/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-afikra-podcast-1800518/deep-history-of-the-fertile-crescent-to-the-tigris-euphrates-under-the-ottomans-faisal-husain.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}