The Middle East Cultural Geography Three major ethnic groups of the Middle East Arabs Persians Turks *The major religion is Islam, followed by Christianity.

The Middle East

Cultural

Geography

Three major ethnic groups of the Middle East

• Arabs

• Persians

• Turks

*The major religion is Islam, followed by Christianity and Judaism.

PERSIANS•Persia is now IRAN

•Algebra•Poetry (epic, narrative)•Language: Farsi •Zoroastianism: one of the oldest monothesistic religions!

TURKS•The Ottoman Empire

followed in the footsteps of its ancestors and set up a system

based on tolerance for the many differences among its

subjects.

•Turkey today is the result of what was formed during the Ottoman Empire…which you will learn about soon•Language: Turkish (an Altaic language)

•As with all cultures, this one is rich with music, arts, cuisine (food), and tradition.

ARABS22 Arab countries/areas: Algeria, Bahrain, the Comoros Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan,

Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan,

Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

•Arabic is the dominant language.

•Multitude of ethnic and linguistic groups.

•Close to 60% of earth’s oil reserves �are at or near

the Arabian Peninsula

•To be an Arab, like an American, is �a cultural trait

•rather than racial. �•The Arab world includes Muslims, Christians and Jews.

•Any person who adopts the Arabic �language is typically

•called an Arab. �•Arabic is the official and the original language of the

•Qur’an, the Islamic holy book

Misconceptions Regarding the Arab World

All Arabs are Muslims, and all Muslims are Arab.

-Arabs are religiously diverse group

significant numbers of Arab Christians in

Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, and

Iraq. Arabs make up between 15-18% of the

Muslim world.

The Arab world is backwards and uncivilized.

-Actually represents a highly developed culture

and civilization where modern cities mingle

with ancient ones.

The Arab world is one big desert.

Truly geographically complex and diverse.

Stereotypes of Arab males:

-All are “oil-rich Sheiks”. As in the West, there

are economically diverse segments of the

population.

-Mad dictators. Various types of political

systems in Arab world.

-Terrorists. Overwhelming majority are law

abiding citizens with families and a wide

variety of occupations.•

Stereotypes of Arab women:

-All are oppressed by men. Not true.

-All are veiled. According to Islam women are

supposed to wear veils. In some countries, like

Lebanon, Syria and Egypt, it is no imposed

upon them and women are free to choose

whether to wear veils. However, in other

places, all women, even non-Muslims, wear

veils out of fear of mist

reatment by fanatics or

those who pretend to be guardians of Islam.

Three religions originated in this region:

• Judaism

• Christianity

• Islam

Don’t get confused!

• All 3 Middle Eastern Religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) are monotheistic (belief in one god)

• Christians, however, believe in God as a trinity (father, son, holy spirit) and that Jesus was God’s son

• Muslims believe that Muhammed was God’s messenger (not son)

• Jews believe that the Messiah has not yet arrived• All 3 share the same foundation through the

lineage of Abraham

Countries with the Largest Muslim

Population

Countries with the Largest Muslim

Population1. Indonesia 183,000,00

06. Iran 62,000,000

2. Pakistan 134,000,000

7. Egypt 59,000,000

3. India 121,000,000

8. Nigeria 53,000,000

4. Bangladesh

114,000,000

9. Algeria 31,000,000

5. Turkey 66,000,000 10. Morocco 29,000,000

* Arabs make up only 20% of the total Muslim population of the

world.

To whom does the term Arabic refer?

* People who speak Arabic and share a common culture…

By what factors are Arabs united?* Their language, customs, and (to some

extent) their religion

How do the Turks and Persians differ from the Arabs?

• Although they share the Muslim religion, their customs and languages are different from those of the Arabs.

Muslims practice Islam

• The word Islam means “submission or surrender to the will of God.”

• An Arab merchant named Muhammed taught that there was only one Allah, or God.

• He said that he was God’s messenger.

• His teachings are the foundation of Islam.

Abraham’s GenealogyThe left side is the origin

of IslamThe right side…Judaism

and Christianity

Abraham’s GenealogyThe left side is the origin

of IslamThe right side…Judaism

and Christianity

ABRAHAMABRAHAM SARAHSARAHHAGARHAGAR

IsaacIsaac

EsauEsauJacobJacob

12 Tribes of Israel

12 Tribes of Israel

Ishmael

Ishmael

12 Arabian Tribes

12 Arabian Tribes

Five pillars of Islam…

• The hajj (the pilgrimage to the city of Mecca, the birthplace of Muhammed)

• Belief in one God• Prayer 5 times daily

• The giving of alms• Fasting during the

holy month of Ramadan

The hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) is an important aspect of Islam

*Millions travel to Mecca each year!

What about these required prayers?

The mandatory prayers performed 5 times a day: * dawn * noon * late afternoon * sunset * before going to bed Wash before praying. Face Mecca and use a prayer rug.

22

The call to prayer by the muezzin in the minaret.

Pray in the mosque on Friday.

55

Those who complete the pilgrimage can add the title hajji to their name.

Non-Arab Muslim groups include…

• Turks

• Persians

• Kurds

• Indonesians

• Pakistanis

• Nigerians

What foundations of faith do Christians and Jews have that are

comparable to the five pillars?

The Ten Commandments

Which Middle Eastern people are non-Muslim, and where do they live?

• Christians—Cyprus and Lebanon

• Jews—Israel

How are the roles of Middle Eastern women different from those of the

United States and Western Europe?

• In many Middle Eastern countries, women and men are expected to live apart more often.

• Generally speaking, women have less power and opportunity in the Middle East. In some countries, laws limit their conduct and they must follow strict rules.

Bazaars

• Bazaars are outdoor markets where many of the same items traded long ago are still traded today.

• Textiles, fine carpets, and farm products are often traded.

OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

• This organization was formed to help the oil-producing countries get a fairer price for their oil.

More oil facts:

• The Middle East and North Africa produce 1/3 of the world’s oil annually.

• Saudi Arabia produces the most oil annually (over 3 billion barrels)!

• Oil-rich nations use oil money to produce schools, airports, highways, ports, hospitals, and factories.

Agriculture in Israel

• To farm their harsh lands, the early settlers of Israel developed two special kinds of farms:

* a moshav (cooperative farm)

* a kibbutz (collective farm)

Arts and Recreation

• Storytellers are highly regarded in this region.

• Muslim artists are known for their calligraphy.

• Camel racing is a popular traditional sport.

• Sports and recreation in this area combine old and new pastimes.

Middle Eastern Governments

• Absolute rulers have complete power. Their authority cannot be challenged.

• Most Middle Eastern rulers have traditional titles such as sultan or emir.

• Many governments in the Middle East rely on Islamic law, or sharia, to govern them fully or partially.

A History of Conflict

• The Israelis and the Palestinians have been fighting for years over a region considered to be both groups’ homeland.

• Yitzhak Rabin, the prime minister of Israel, and Yasir Arafat, a Palestinian leader, shook hands after a peace agreement in 1995, but Rabin was assassinated before the agreement was put into action.

More recently, the Middle East has received a great deal of attention for an anti-government

Afghan terrorist group.

• There is a Muslim extremist group that has added a sixth pillar of Islam. This sixth pillar is the “jihad,” or “holy war.” It includes the belief that dying in the name of Allah sends one directly to heaven.