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
NORTH AFRICA
SOUTHWEST ASIA
MIDDLE
EAST
SOUTHWEST ASIA IS MORE COMMONLY CALLED THE “MIDDLE EAST”
SOME COUNTRIES IN NORTH AFRICA ARE
(Sinai Peninsula)
ALGERIA
AND EGYPT
LIBYA
SOME COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST ARE:
AFGHANISTAN
TURKEY
IRAQ
SAUDI
ARABIA
IRAN
KUWAIT
QATAR
ISRAEL
AND THE UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES (UAE)
SEMI
DESERT
DESERT
DESERT
SAHEL
Most of the climate is arid (dry)
and semi-arid (partly dry)
Some Physical Features
you need to Bosporus
know
Straitare:
& Dardanelles Strait
BLACK SEA
TAURUS MTS
(SPLITS TURKEY FROM THE REST OF EUROPE)
STRAIT OF HORMUZ
SAHARA DESERT
ARABIAN SEA
NILE RIVER
TIGRIS 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
Many cities are known for their influence on culture and trade
BAGHDAD, IRAQ
ISTANBUL, TURKEY
TEHRAN,
IRAN
CASABLANCA, MOROCCO
TRIPOLI, LIBYA
CAIRO, EGYPT
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL
MECCA,
SAUDI
ARABIA
Many Areas around the Middle East
and North Africa are world famous.
Follow these cultural landmarks. Do you recognize any?
The Pyramids at Giza
http://www.fgsd.winnipeg.mb.ca/vmc/swaweb/cc/ccswow6.htm
The ancient Egyptians used manual labor and wooden
tools to build these magnificent tombs for pharoahs.
MINARETS
MOSQUES:
places of
worship for
Muslims.
Typical
features are
domes and
minarets
DOME
The Hagia Sofia in Istanbul, Turkey.
Built between 532 and 537 by the
Christian Emperor Justinian I as a Byzantine church, which it functioned
as 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.
The Dome of the Rock
http://www.sacredsites.com/1st30/domeof.html
Jerusalem: This Muslim holy site was built on the
remains of the Temple of Solomon, a holy site for Jews
The Kaaba
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~brvs/kaaba.html
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.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher
http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/mfa/go-visual.asp?MFAJ01wh0
Jerusalem: This church was built on the site where
Christians believe that Jesus Christ was crucified.
The Western Wall in Jerusalem:
Also known as the Wailing Wall
http://www.sacredsites.com/1st30/domeof.html
http://www.igc.apc.org/ddickerson/western-wall.gif
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?