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The “Middle East”
(North Africa & Southwest Asia)
Introduction To The Region
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what are our preconceived notions?
dominance of Islamic culture
 but there are non-Muslim and non-Arabic groups
 the term Muslim speaks of believers in Islam
 the term Arab refers to the largest ethnic group
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deserts, irrigation, and the role of water
geopolitics and the curse/blessing of oil
peace process in the Middle East
Middle Eastern history in 90 seconds
Physical Patterns
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Climate
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One of the driest regions in world
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Water as the most precious source
Desert clothing and scorching temperatures
On margins of deserts and in mountain ranges
enough rain for limited agriculture, herding
Climate Zones
Figure 6.4
Physical Patterns
► Landforms
and Vegetation
 Some mountains induce orographic effect
►Atlas Mountains: skiing industry
►Mountains of southwest Arabia
►Anatolian highlands of Turkey
 Major deserts:
►Sahara,
Rub’al Khali
 Three major rivers:
►Nile,
Tigris, Euphrates
 What are wadis?
Wadi in Algeria
Population Patterns
Immense expanse of deserts in the region leads to dense
Population clusters near coasts, rivers, and in moist uplands
Snapshots from the region and its peoples
Landscape in Oman
Landscape in Iran
Palestinian children
Oasis in the United Arab Emirates
Mountainous Regions of the Middle East
Atlas Mountains in Algeria
Oman Mountains near Muscat
Taurus Mountains in Turkey
Elburz Mountains in Iran
Other important Features
Nile Delta and the gulfs of Suez and Aqaba
Sand dunes in Saudi Arabia
Alluvial fan at the foot of a mountain range
Cappadocia (Turkey) eroded chimney rocks
Water Bodies of Importance
Satellite image of the Mediterranean Sea
Sandstorm over the Persian Gulf
Amasra (Turkey) on the Black Sea
Satellite image of the Black Sea
Traditional Landscapes and Peoples
Modern Urban Landscapes from Riyadh to Dubai
Contrasts on the Arabian Peninsula
Weddings in Three Religions
Israeli bride and groom in Gaza
Arab Christian bride and groom in Jerusalem
Muslim bride and groom in Tehran
The Spread of Islam, 630-1700 AD
Figure 6.9
Five Pillars of the Islam
1) shahadah (Profession of Belief)
2) salah (5 daily prayers Mecca)
3) zakah (religious tax)
4) sawm (holy month of Ramadan)
5) hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)
1.)Pilgrims perform cleansing rituals at designated stations outside Mecca. Men and
women exchange their street clothes for hajj garments (Ihram / sacred state) –
stripping themselves of social distinctions and embracing their dedication to God.
2.)Among other rites, pilgrims circle the “Kaabah”, a shrine at the center of the
Grand Mosque – built, it is said, by Abraham and his son - seven times
counterclockwise in a procession called the “Tawaf”. It symbolizes placing
God's House at the center of their lives.
3.)On the first official day of the hajj, pilgrims take a three-mile journey into Mina,
where they spend the night in a massive tent city.
4.)In the morning, pilgrims continue east to the Plain of Arafat, where Muslims
believe Adam and Eve were reunited after leaving Eden. A daylong group vigil,
in which pilgrims stand in the presence of God, marks the zenith of the hajj.
5.)At sundown, the hajj loops back toward Mecca, halting at a patch of hills called
the “Muzdalifah”, where pilgrims stop for the night, participate in a nightlong vigil,
and collect stones for the next day.
6.)At dawn, pilgrims cast pebbles at the “Jamraat”, three stone pillars that symbolize
temptation - places where Satan tried to tempt Abraham from the path of God.
They first throw seven stones at the largest pillar, and then stone the other two
over the course of two or three days.
7.)Back in Mecca, pilgrims can perform the seven turns around the “Kaabah” one last
time before heading home. The end of the hajj is celebrated with a three-day feast.
The Shii of the Middle East
(The Majority of Muslims in the world consider themselves Sunni)
Diversity of Languages
 Arabic: official language in all countries in the
region except Turkey, Iran, and Israel
►Turkey:
Turkish
►Iran: Farsi
►Israel: Hebrew
 Non-Arabic minorities retain own languages
 Arabic dialects homogenizing under media
pressure
►French
and English major second languages
Major Languages in the Region
Figure 6.26