INTRO TO THE MIDDLE EAST

WG.4

RHS-WORLD GEOGRAPHY

HERE IS THE WORLD…

…AND HERE IS NORTH AFRICA AND SOUTHWEST ASIA

Due to the location, it’s called the Crossroads of Continents: Europe,

Africa, and Asia

SOUTHWEST ASIA IS MORE COMMONLY CALLED THE “MIDDLE EAST”

NORTH AFRICASOUTHWEST ASIAMIDDLE EAST

SOME COUNTRIES IN NORTH AFRICA ARE

ALGERIA

LIBYA

AND EGYPT

(Sinai Peninsula)

SOME COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST ARE:

ISRAEL

SAUDI ARABIA

TURKEY

IRAN

KUWAIT

QATAR

AND THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE)

IRAQ

AFGHANISTAN

Most of the climate is arid (dry) and semi-arid (partly dry)

DESERTDESERT

DESERT

DESERT

SEMI

SEMI

SEM

I

SAHEL

DESERT

DES

ERT

Some Physical Features you need to know are:

ATLAS MTS

TAURUS MTS ZAGROS MTS

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

RED

SEA

BLACK SEA

ARABIAN SEA

PERSIAN GULF

STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Bosporus Strait & Dardanelles Strait(SPLITS TURKEY FROM THE REST OF EUROPE)

SAHARA DESERT

NILE RIVERTIGRIS RIVER

EUPHRATES RIVER

•There is also a lot of seasonal flooding, alluvial soils (deposits from the river), and delta regions (like the Nile delta).

•There are also natural water reservoirs likes oases and wadis.

•An oasis is fertile land in a desert, usually fed by an underground spring

•A wadi is a temporary watering hole when a gully gets filled up during the rainy season.

Many cities are known for their influence on culture and trade

CASABLANCA, MOROCCO

TRIPOLI, LIBYA

CAIRO, EGYPT

ISTANBUL, TURKEY

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL

MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

TEHRAN, IRAN

Many Areas around the Middle East and North Africa are world famous.

Follow these cultural landmarks. Do you recognize any?

http://www.fgsd.winnipeg.mb.ca/vmc/swaweb/cc/ccswow6.htm

The Pyramids at Giza

The ancient Egyptians used manual labor and wooden tools to build these magnificent tombs for pharoahs.

MOSQUES: places of

worship for Muslims. Typical

features are domes and minarets

DOME

MINARETS

The Hagia Sofia in Istanbul, Turkey. Built between 532 and 537 by the Christian Emperor Justinian I as a Byzantine church, which it functionedas for the next 900 years. In 1453, the Islamic-faithed Ottomans took over Constantinople (now Istanbul). They wasted little time in converting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. It served the Muslims for almost 500 years. The Ottomans painted over the Christian mosaics - and erected the four defining minarets we see today. In 1934, Turkey changed the Hagia Sofia's status from mosque to museum and uncovered the priceless Byzantine mosaics.

http://www.sacredsites.com/1st30/domeof.html

The Dome of the Rock

Jerusalem: This Muslim holy site was built on the remains of the Temple of Solomon, a holy site for Jews

http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~brvs/kaaba.html

The Kaaba

Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the Kaaba is the most sacred site for Muslims. A Muslim must take the haj (pilgrimage) to Mecca at least once in his/her life.

http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/mfa/go-visual.asp?MFAJ01wh0

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Jerusalem: This church was built on the site where Christians believe that Jesus Christ was crucified.

http://www.igc.apc.org/ddickerson/western-wall.gif

The Western Wall in Jerusalem: Also known as the

Wailing Wall

http://www.sacredsites.com/1st30/domeof.html

Other notable cultural landmarks:

A “Bazaar” is an open-air market, usually in the center of a Middle eastern town. This bazaar specializes in woven Arabian carpets- verrrrrrry popular!!!!

Bazaars are also called “suqs”

Cultural Landscapes are old….

Like the many walled cities around the Arab World…

…and new

Like the oil rigs around the Middle East

Around the world, people recognize places and culture reflecting the

Middle East.

How many of these did you already know?