Araby

Araby is a nation of humans on the western coast of the continent of the Warhammer World south of the Old World, corresponding to the real world's regions of North Africa and the Middle East. Much of its fictional history and culture is based on the mythology of the Arabian Nights.

Overview
Little is known about Araby compared to the Old World, though its sultans and caliphs are said to be wealthier than Dwarfs and its large coastal commercial cities rich in spices, gold and slaves. The merchants of this land have also been known to trade with both the Empire and the Chaos-worshipping tribesmen of Norsca. They have the reputation of being most cunning. The Sultan of All Araby claims to rule the whole peninsula, but has little real power over the independent coastal city-states or over the fierce nomad tribes who wander the Great Desert of Araby. The principal cities of Araby include:

spice trade and home to scholars and wizards as well as the feared pirates of Copher. surrounding the bottomless lake of Fazoth-Ar, in which are said to dwell sinister forces.
 * Lashiek, home to the Sultan and his mighty fleet, also feared as the centre of slave-trade through most of the known world.
 * Copher, the most independent Arabyan city, famed for its
 * Martek, a city rich from mining the Atalan Mountains and
 * El Haikk, city of thieves and the largest trading port of Araby.
 * Bel-Aliad, a desert ruin rumoured to hide the treasures of the ancient glory of Araby.

All of the Arabyan city-states are nestled on the western coast of the continent, as the center is dominated by the nomad-infested Great Desert of Araby. Beyond the great desert lies the city of Bel Alaik, closer to the Land of the Dead than any other human settlement.

Sorcerers in Araby are said to be able to capture genies in bottles who, upon uncorking, rise to immense size to do the bidding of their master, and these wizards are rumoured to fly upon carpets.

History
The early years of Araby's history are not well-documented by the scholars of the Old World, but it is known that Araby suffered invasions from the Tomb Kings of the Land of the Dead after the fall of the Khemri civilization at the hands of the First Necromancer Nagash. Arkhan the Black invaded Araby with his Undead army and sacked the city of Bel-Aliad in the year -1149 IC, precipitating what would be known as the "War of the Death", a 1000 year-long war in which Arkhan reduced a once mighty and wealthy Arabyan civilisation to a few weak city-states and a handful of fiercely independent desert tribes. It is only when Nagash called Arkhan back to the Land of the Dead that the wars ended.

According to Warhammer lore, a Sultan Jaffar of Araby launched an invasion of Estalia in 1448 IC. In response, large contingents of knights from Bretonnia and the Empire drove the Arabyan forces back to their homeland, in a manner similar to the Spanish Reconquista of the real world. The war was eventually brought by the knights of the Old World to Araby itself, precipitating the conflicts known as the Crusades, which created many orders of Imperial and Bretonnian chivalry, including the Empire's Knights of the Blazing Sun.