Middle Eastern Culture

The ancient Phoenicians were master traders and seamen. Their business dealings and colonization of nearby areas created the need for scribes to communicate with people across the region.

Hookah bars are popular social gathering places, typically offering a quiet, peaceful venue with an exotic, Middle Eastern flair. In addition to providing hookahs with a variety of flavors, some...

To most English speakers, Arabic lettering looks like some form of ancient art or complex, cryptic code. Not only does Arabic use a foreign alphabet, it also is written right to left and boasts a...

The clothing of Egyptian pharaohs differed substantially from that of the common Egyptian man. The only similarities in clothing were the robe and materials. The pharaoh was meant to demonstrate a...

Doha is an expanding city that merges several different cultures in a framework of almost continuous change, weak infrastructure, and somewhat rigid social dispersion. Therefore, finding people in...

Genetic disease is common in the Arab world. One theory regarding this prevalence of genetic disease in Arab countries is that two-thirds of marriages are between cousins and therefore lead to an...

As our troops courageously fight in Iraq, there are numerous ways to care for them from your own home. One of the best and most common ways is through the "Adopt a US Soldier" program. This...

A hookah lounge is a place similar to a bar or cafe where people come together to smoke flavored tobacco out of large glasses or wooden pipes called hookahs. Smoking the hookah has been a part of...

Modern Egypt's monetary system, like that of most modern countries, utilizes both printed paper bills and coins. Today, most countries use coins for smaller denominations of value. The United...

Beginning in 1983, Saddam Hussein began to rebuild the city of Babylon, placing his name on each of the bricks used in construction. Following the Gulf War, he built his palace near the ancient...

In Richard H. Robbins' 1999 book "Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism" women are responsible for two-thirds of the work around the world and receive only approximately 10 percent of the...

Also called shisha or narghile, a hookah is a type of water pipe traditionally used in the Middle East and Asia. Hookahs can be used to smoke tobacco, but fruit-flavored tobacco-free hookah...

Prior to the revelation to the prophet Mohammad and the subsequent spread of Arabic as the language of the new religion of Islam, Arabic paled as a linguistic power in comparison to Latin, Greek...

Most Egyptian food is not unique to the country, as Egyptians combine the best Arab dishes to create an exceptional fare that pleases the palate of the pickiest eater. However, many distinctively...

A fez is a flat-on-top, conical shaped hat. It originated in Morocco, and was also favored by the Ottoman Empire, which became Turkey. A fez can also have a turban wrapped around it.

The ancient Egyptians believed that writing was a form of immortality and created a unique form of writing called hieroglyphics, which was based not on an alphabet, but on pictures. It was...

The workings of the hookah (also called a water pipe) begins with the bowl at the top. Moist, flavored tobacco called shisha is placed into the bowl. (It is also possible to smoke dried fruits...

Egypt has existed in various forms since the beginning of human civilization. Military conquests and political revolutions caused many fundamental changes during that time.

Have you ever written your name in another alphabet? Whether you're learning Cyrillic, Hebrew, Japanese calligraphy or something else, you can test your understanding of a new writing system by...

Kuwait is a Middle Eastern nation bordered by the Persian Gulf, Iraq and Saudi Arabia and with a population of about 2.6 million. Like kids everywhere, Kuwaiti children play a number of games to...

Bangladesh has a predominately Muslim culture that has always placed women in a subservient role to men. While steps have been made in the past decade or so to bring about equality, rights for...

Arabic and its varieties and dialects is an important world language. Countries in which the dominant language is Arabic are becoming more important in trade and finance. There are also religious...

Arabic is one of the most difficult languages in the world to learn. Not only does it boast a flowery and elegant style, Arabic also uses unfamiliar characters to a native speaker of English....

If you are taking an Arabic class or if you just want to see your name written in another alphabet, you will want to know how to write your name in Arabic. Unless you are lucky enough to have a...

The Ottoman Empire was one of the world's great empires. At its greatest extent, the Empire controlled most of Eastern Europe and the modern Middle East and dictated trade throughout the...

Saudi Arabia is located in southwest Asia. Although formally established in 1932, the country's rich history stretches back hundreds of years. Saudi Arabian people pride themselves on preserving...

The culture and treasures of ancient Egypt continue to be a source of mystery and fascination. Ancient Egyptian artisans were not only skilled sculptors and goldsmiths; they were also renowned for...

Iran's vast oil reserves, which are among the world's largest, ensure its global economic significance. Many people in Iran prospered under the leadership of the shah, only to see their fortunes...

Iranian or Persian architecture has been in existence since 5000 B.C. Although Iranian architecture has a variance of buildings, which include huts of common folk, the most noted examples are the...

Egypt is one of the most powerful nations in the Arab world and a country rich in history. It plays a pivotal role in Middle East politics, but Egypt faces a host of political and economic...

The Arabic script, while beautiful, can be intimidating to learn to write. However, with regular practice, patience and perseverance, you will be able to grasp the fundamentals of the written...

Historians consider the ancient Egyptians to be the first builders known to mankind. They were meticulous architects, using ground plans, including contours drawn with grid lines. It's through the...

The Dead Sea is a salt lake situated between Israel and Jordan. There are no living creatures in the Dead Sea, or Salt Sea, as it is also known. Ancient kingdoms grew and became rich along its...

Arabic is a major world language. Not only is it spoken in the Middle East, it is also the language of Islam, which has adherents all over the world. The holy book of Islam, the Koran, is written...

First-time visitors to Egypt are often faced with significant culture shock. Many points of Egyptian culture and religion catch unprepared visitors off-guard or place them in uncomfortable...

The Middle East's architectural community is undergoing a massive transformation, as residential and commercial development continues at a rapid pace. Many Arab countries have embraced modern...

Getting a henna tattoo can be a lot like getting a real tattoo, it can be as creative, meaningful and artistic as a real tattoo, but is painless and does not require a laser to remove it. Henna...

Turkish is -a phonetic language spoken in the country of Turkey. While the pronunciation of words and phrases is simple, the context of the language is more complex. From daily phrases to...

Egyptian pyramids are the tombs of pharaohs. They are built with stone, and commonly have smaller buildings such as temples, smaller tombs (for family members) and a pyramid for the pharaoh's soul...

With an estimated 206 million speakers worldwide, Arabic is a very useful language to learn. This challenging language can take years to master, but with conscientious study and practice, it is...

Canaan is an ancient name for the Middle Eastern region that encompasses modern-day Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, the Palestinian Territories and parts of Syria. The word "canaan" is thought to mean...

In current world affairs, the Arabic world is becoming increasingly important. For people working in politics, journalism, and several disciplines of economy and marketing, Arabic can be...

The Phoenicians, an ancient people who lived in present day Lebanon, Syria and Israel, were well known as merchants, traders and colonizers of the Mediterranean Sea in the first millennium B.C. ...

The original Rosetta Stone is a broken slab inscribed with a royal decree from second century B.C. written in Greek characters, Demotic Egyptian script and Egyptian hieroglyphs. The discovery of...

The Gallipoli Peninsula saw incredibly brutal slaughter at the onset of World War I as British, French, Australian and New Zealand troops engaged in an 11-month battle with the forces of the...

The Hittites were an ancient people that are considered one of the most important civilizations in Mesopotamian history. It's from recovered ancient texts that historians have been able to piece...

Aramaic is a Semitic language that once was commonly used throughout the Middle East and North Africa. The language (or languages, more accurately) has a long history but is endangered today.

Searching for suitable dating partners can lead you to weigh many interesting possibilities. This may even include considering someone who doesn't share your religious beliefs. If a Muslim guy or...

For English speakers, learning Arabic seems like a daunting and perhaps insurmountable task. It certainly looks different from English, having an entirely different alphabet, unusual sounds and...

What people wear in Israel reflects the fact that the country is the crossroads of many cultures and religions. This impacts local fashion as much as the climate and geography do.