Arab, Middle Eastern
Ada (under Alexander the Great)
Alexander was one of the greatest generals in history. His empire stretched from Greece to Egypt, Asia Minor and as far east as the River Ind in India. He was born the son of Philip II of ... [more]
Afrasiab (under Feral Children)
These are children, almost always babies, who are taken and raised by wild animals. Occasionally they find their way back to society. They may be carried off from their villages by females ... [more]
Bijani, Laden & Laleh
Laden and Laleh Bijani were born joined at the head, to a poor farming family in Shiraz, Iran. The family had 11 children and were unable to care for them. They remained in hospital for som... [more]
Carruthers, Kitty
Adoptive (not biological) brother and sister, the Carruthers were 1984 US Olympic pairs figure skating silver medalists. They became professionals after the Games and retired from regular p... [more]
Chosroes II
Chosroes was the son of King Hormizd IV, in whose overthrow and assassination in 590 he participated. After his father's death he escaped to the Byzantine Empire and was adopted by Emperor ... [more]
Cosmas Melodus
Cosmas was adopted by the father of St. John of Damascus, and educated by a monk also named Cosmas. Cosmas the younger became Bishop of Maïuma in 735. He is remembered for his poetry in hon... [more]
Cyrus the Great
Cyrus was the founder of the Achaemenid empire, one of the greatest of the ancient kingdoms, centered on Persia. According to legend Cyrus was the son of prince Cambyses and the daughter o... [more]
Enkidu
Enkidu is one of the central characters in the Epic of Gilgamesh, a 5,000-year-old poem from Mesopotamia. He was a wild man of the hills (see Feral Children), created from the earth by a go... [more]
Gökçen, Sabiha
Gökçen was one of the adoptive (or foster, sources differ) daughters of Kamal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey. His other adoptive daughters included professor Afet İnan ; he also ado... [more]
Ibrahim Pasha
Ibrahim was the eldest adopted or birth son (sources disagree) of Muhammad 'Ali Pasha, viceroy of Egypt, from a dynasty of Albanian and Turkish origins. In 1805 he was made governor of C... [more]
