In the ancient Middle East, religion was based on ideas similar to many other societies around the world. They prayed for fertile lands and successful harvests, and they counted on having predictable, mild seasons that would produce an abundance of food. Eventually, religions developed and became more sophisticated. In the 1500s A.D., five religions dominated the world. They included Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. Two of these religions, Judaism and Christianity, were the major religions in the Middle East (and Europe.) Christianity is a monotheistic religion that emphasizes the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth (the son of God), such as having a strong trust in God, not being too anxious about life because God will take care of those who are good, being concerned for the welfare of others, and also that one should have a very practical, realistic outlook on life; its followers are called Christians. People who follow Islamic faith are termed Muslims, and they followed the five pillars of Islam. these five pillars of faith preach the belief and worship of Muhammad as the single, greatest prophet of Allah and recognition of Muhammad as the Prophet of God, daily prayer to him, concern and care for those less fortunate, fasting, and the pilgrimage to Makkah. Similar to Christianity, the Muslims believe that after the death, the soul lives on and one day there will be a final judgment of all people that will separate them into Hell and Paradise. They also follow the Quran, a book of divine guidance and moral direction for all of humanity. The dominant religion in the 1500s in the Middle East was Islam. Essentially, the religions in the Middle East in the 1500s were of one type-monotheistic. Although both religions preached the belief of one god, the specifics varied. Neverthless, these religions had an influnce on religions in the modern Middle Eastern world.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Political Situation
At around 600 the religion of Islam was created in Mecca, located in the western part of Saudi Arabia. At this point in time the Middle East was ruled by a series of competing empires. The most prominent of those were the Byzantines of Constantinople, and the Sassanids of Persia. While the Arab people were arranged into a tribal groups, the Arabs of the interior proved to be the strongest united through their adherence to Islam.
Throughout the next couple hundred years, the political reach of the Muslim Arabs reached from the Arabian Peninsula, to Northern Baghdad and along the Northern part of the African Coast. At around 1300 CE these Arab-Islamic empires were replaced by a Turkish-Islamic peoples, the Ottomans. Possibly one of the greatest of the Ottomans accomplishments, in 1453 the Ottoman's captured constantinople from the Byzantine Empire, and renamed it Istanbul. By the end of the 15th century the Ottoman empire had vast control over the Middle East and North Africa, Southern and Eastern Europe.They also made two attempts at capturing Vienna Austria in 1529 and 1683. The Greatest Empire of the Middle East in the 15 Century was the Ottoman Empire, and the were at their strongest during the early 15th Century.
Throughout the next couple hundred years, the political reach of the Muslim Arabs reached from the Arabian Peninsula, to Northern Baghdad and along the Northern part of the African Coast. At around 1300 CE these Arab-Islamic empires were replaced by a Turkish-Islamic peoples, the Ottomans. Possibly one of the greatest of the Ottomans accomplishments, in 1453 the Ottoman's captured constantinople from the Byzantine Empire, and renamed it Istanbul. By the end of the 15th century the Ottoman empire had vast control over the Middle East and North Africa, Southern and Eastern Europe.They also made two attempts at capturing Vienna Austria in 1529 and 1683. The Greatest Empire of the Middle East in the 15 Century was the Ottoman Empire, and the were at their strongest during the early 15th Century.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Basic Geography of Middle East
Many people today associate the Middle East with terrorists, violence, oil, and problems. in actuality, it is just as beautiful of a place now as it was in the fifteenth century.
Deserts have been present as a major biome since the creation of the Earth. In fact, they have grown to cover more square mileage than they did in ancient times. When the last small bits of plants and grass are used up and rainfall is scarce, land is converted into desert. The Middle East contains different types of deserts. The Arabian Desert, located on the Arabian Peninsula, is characteristically one of the hottest, driest, most arid deserts in the Middle East. Although the Negev desert, located in Israel, is also hot and arid, it is smaller than and not quite as intense as the Arabian. The Syrian Desert spans across parts of Jordan, Syria, and Iraq, and is similar to the Arabian Desert.
The Middle East is home to an array of wildlife, including gazelles, sandcats, lizards, camels, etc. Obviously, these animals are adapted to the dry and cold conditions of the desert. At night, animals go under ground, or flock to sand dunes and shrubs for warmth. Nowadays, these species are haunted by construciton of oil drilling pipelines, off-road vehicles, over-grazed lands by nomadic tribes, and oil spills. Of course, in the fifteenth century, most of these hazards did not apply.
Although the Middle East is often associated with hot, dry deserts, in actuality the Middle East is far more dynamic than being just a desert. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Iran, Libya, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman are the major oil producing countries that have enough oil to power their entire economy. The Middle Eastern Seas such as the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Omam,and the Red Sea are home to ecosystems. These ecosystems are biologically diverse and healthy for the most part; their main threat is pollution from oil drilling.
Deserts have been present as a major biome since the creation of the Earth. In fact, they have grown to cover more square mileage than they did in ancient times. When the last small bits of plants and grass are used up and rainfall is scarce, land is converted into desert. The Middle East contains different types of deserts. The Arabian Desert, located on the Arabian Peninsula, is characteristically one of the hottest, driest, most arid deserts in the Middle East. Although the Negev desert, located in Israel, is also hot and arid, it is smaller than and not quite as intense as the Arabian. The Syrian Desert spans across parts of Jordan, Syria, and Iraq, and is similar to the Arabian Desert.
The Middle East is home to an array of wildlife, including gazelles, sandcats, lizards, camels, etc. Obviously, these animals are adapted to the dry and cold conditions of the desert. At night, animals go under ground, or flock to sand dunes and shrubs for warmth. Nowadays, these species are haunted by construciton of oil drilling pipelines, off-road vehicles, over-grazed lands by nomadic tribes, and oil spills. Of course, in the fifteenth century, most of these hazards did not apply.
Although the Middle East is often associated with hot, dry deserts, in actuality the Middle East is far more dynamic than being just a desert. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Iran, Libya, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman are the major oil producing countries that have enough oil to power their entire economy. The Middle Eastern Seas such as the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Omam,and the Red Sea are home to ecosystems. These ecosystems are biologically diverse and healthy for the most part; their main threat is pollution from oil drilling.
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