Most of Middle Eastern history is practically dominated by empires. The 4 greatest empires were the Persian, Byzantine, Ottoman, and Arab. The Persion Empire still is somewhat existant today, and it can be found in Iran. The Byzantine was the result of the Romam Empire splitting into two. The Arab Empire were the followers of the Muslim prophet Muhammad. At one point the Ottoman Turks combined parts of each empire and formed the Ottoman Empire, and their influence on Middle Eastern culture is still prominent today. israel's history was full of peaceful periods, revolts, invasions, and foreign rule. Throughout the course of history the Jewesh people, who were Israel's primary inhabitants, either died or flew to surrounding Middle Easterin Countries. In the second half of the 19th century the Jews moved back to Palestine. Regardless of the many disputes over territory with the Arabs, the Jewish society is growing and growing everyday.
|
GeographyThe geography of the Middle East varies greatly. The key geographical feautres are mountais, high plateaus, and deserts. Oasis are scattered throughout the land. The Middle East is borderd by 7 major bodies of water, and the banks near those are some of the richest in the world. You can also find great farming areas in the coastal lands and inland mountain valleys. The rainfall varies, but generally the climate is hot and dry. The little rainfall usually brings flooding. Much of Israel is fertile and good for agriculture. There are many plains and scattered green valleys throughout the country. In the South you can find the Negev Desert.
|
CultureMiddle Eastern culture is very rich. You can find a great number of nationalities, races, and languages spoken here. The most prominent religion is Islam, with more than 90% of the citiziens practicing it. Because of this, the majority of the holidays celebrated are Muslim holidays. The names of each holiday may vary depending on the country you are at. Holidays are very very important in Israel. Most of the holidays have to do with Judaism.
|
History of FoodMiddle Eastern cuisine has been developing for centuries. It is sometimes referred to as Eastern Mediterranean cuisine beacuse of its similiarities and close ties top traditional Mediterranean cuisine. Many of the dishes were the result of traders passing by a particular region and adding to the recipes that were already present. This makes it harder to figure out the exact origin of traditional dishes. The Jewish cuisine can be descirbed as multinational because of the many integrated cultures they adapted when they fled from Palestine. At least 80 nationaliities have been added to the traditional cuisine that first developed there. Many of the ingredients used in Jewish dishes are readily available in Israel.
|