Middle East
The Middle East is a world region in south-western Asia that is skirted by South-Eastern Europe and North Africa. The term was created by US military strategists in the 1920-1930s, and definitions of the Middle East vary; it is not simply a geographical term, but also a political one.
As one of the wellsprings of human civilisation in the ancient and medieval worlds, the birthplace of several world religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Bahai) and an area of much modern economic and political importance, the Middle East remains a popular destination for travellers.
Arabic is the primary language of the region, and the main language in all Middle Eastern countries except Iran (where Persian predominates), Turkey (Turkish) and Israel (Hebrew). Even in those countries, Arabic is the first language for some people and fairly common as a second language.
Ethnically, the region is extremely mixed. Arabs, Persians and Turks are the largest groups, but there are several substantial minorities — Kurds, Armenians and others — with their own languages, customs and sometimes their own countries. Every invading army — from Alexander and the Romans through Genghis Khan to the 19th century colonial powers — has left descendants behind. There are also substantial numbers of workers from other countries coming to the region for higher pay — mainly Afghan, Pakistani for jobs like construction labourer, with Egyptians, Philipinos, more Pakistanis, and some westerners in the more skilled jobs.
A great majority of people throughout the region are Muslim — with Iran mainly Shia, other areas mainly Sunni, and both with minorities of the other — and the legal systems in most of these countries are influenced by Islamic Law; a few are entirely based on it.
Nearby regions
North Africa is similar to the Middle East in many ways — language, religion, culture and some ethnic groups. Some writers include Egypt, or even Sudan and Libya, in their use of the term "Middle East".
On the other side, Central Asia also has much in common with the Middle East. Ethnic groups and languages are different, but the religion, much of the food, clothing, and architecture are similar. Iran could be counted as part of either region; at one point most of Central Asia was part of the Persian Empire.
The border between Mediterranean Europe and the Middle East is also unclear. Many writers include Turkey in their usage of "Middle East" and we include it below, but Turkey is also very much a European country. Large parts of Turkey and all of Lebanon and Israel are also clearly Mediterranean regions. On the other hand, several countries usually considered European — Greece, Cyprus and to some extent the Balkans — also have Middle Eastern aspects to their culture.
Cookery provides obvious evidence of the extent of Middle Eastern influence. Turkish "doner kebab" and Greek "donair" and the "shawarma" of the Arab countries (everywhere from Oman to Morroco) are all basically the same dish. A traveller going overland from Europe to India wiil find very similar dishes — notably flat breads and kebabs — in every country from Greece to India. These are also seen in Central Asia and even China. Many Greek dishes are closer to Iranian cooking than to Italian.
Countries
- Bahrain
- Egypt
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Oman
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Syria
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates
- Yemen
Other destinations
Complications
Planning a visit to the Middle East can be complicated in various ways:
- Some countries in the area, such as Iraq, are at war and should not be visited. See War zone safety if you must go.
- Some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, do not issue tourist visas except for a few expensive tours
- Some countries in the region have strict Islamic Law, with heavy penalties for homosexuality, adultery and other offenses.
- Many countries in the region do not recognize the state of Israel; they consider it to be Occupied Palestine. These nations may refuse you entry if you have an Israeli visa or an Israeli stamp in your passport, or even a visa for another country that was issued in Israel. The Israeli authorities will generally help you avoid problems by providing a visa as a separate document so it is not in the passport; see the Israel article for details.
- For most of the area, suggestions in Tips for travel in developing countries apply
See the individual country articles as well.
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