The Middle East is the area between the Arabian and Mediterranean Seas, ranging from Egypt in the west to Iran in the East. Written
language and three world religions stem from what sometimes is called the Cradle of Civilization.
By 10.000 BC, helped by a benign climate, people changed
to a grain growing culture, giving rise to city-states near fertile river valleys. Sumer was the region`s first urban civilization,
soon followed by Ancient Egypt. The Assyrian Empire was the first regional super power, later followed by Persians, Macedonians and
Romans.
Muhammad, the founder of Islam forcefully united most of the Arabian Peninsula under Muslim rule and his successors greatly
expanded the territory and religion which eventually led to the Ottoman Empire.
After WW-I the British and French ruled
the Middle East but after WW-II they cut up the region into independent countries including the state of Israel, the root-cause
of the ongoing Palestinian conflict.
Regional powerhouses
Turkey and Iran do their part to muddy the waters for their own gain.
The Middle East may have many historic
and scenic sights, but today most tourists avoid the area's hotspots.