The ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia (modern Iraq, southeast Turkey, southwest Iran and northeastern Syria), ancient Egypt, ancient Iran (Elam
Elam
Elam was an ancient Pre-Iranian civilization centered in the far west and southwest of what is now modern-day Iran, stretching from the lowlands of what is now Khuzestan and Ilam Province as well as a small part of southern Iraq. The modern name Elam stems from the Sumerian transliterat…
Parthia
Parthia is a historical region located in north-eastern Iran. It was conquered and subjugated by the empire of the Medes during the 7th century BC, was incorporated into the subsequent Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BC, and formed part of the Hellenistic Seleucid E…
Armenian Highlands
The Armenian Highlands is the most central and the highest of the three plateaus that together form the northern sector of the Middle East. To its west is the Anatolian plateau, which rises slowly from the lowland coast of the Aegean Sea and converges with the Armenian Highlands to the ea…
What is the cradle of civilization in the Near East?
Ancient Near East: Cradle of civilization. Map of the Ancient Near East. Some of the earliest complex urban centers can be found in Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (early cities also arose in the Indus Valley and ancient China).
What is the history of the ancient Near East?
The history of the ancient Near East begins with the rise of Sumer in the 4th millennium BC, though the date it ends varies.
Why is the Near East important to world history?
Ancient Near East is considered as one of the earliest homes to human civilizations with archaeological findings revealing artifacts of various ages and periods of civilization. Ancient Near East encompassed the modern day Iraq, southeast Turkey, southwest and north-western Iran, north-eastern Syria, Asia Minor,...
Where is the Near East located today?
Ancient Near East encompassed the modern day Iraq, southeast Turkey, southwest and north-western Iran, north-eastern Syria, Asia Minor, the Armenian highlands, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, and the Arabian Peninsula. The modern use of the term Near East in archaeology, however,...
Why is it called the Ancient Near East?
The phrase "ancient Near East" denotes the 19th-century distinction between Near East and Far East as global regions of interest to the British Empire. The distinction began during the Crimean War.
What is the Near East in history?
The Near East is a geographical term which roughly encompasses a transcontinental region in Western Asia, that was once the historical Fertile Crescent, and later the Levant region. It comprises Turkey (both Anatolia and East Thrace), and Egypt (mostly located in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula being in Asia).
Is Egypt considered ancient Near East?
The geographic area of Ancient Near Eastern Studies can reach into central Asia, and the eastern Mediterranean regions including Anatolia (Turkey), Egypt and Cyprus.
What does the Near East consist of?
Definition. The Near East is traditionally regarded by archaeologists and ancient historians as the region of southwest Asia, specifically the area encircled by the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Red Sea and the Persian/Arabian Gulf.
What is meant by the Near East of Rome?
The Near East may acquire varying meanings, but the Ancient Near East always has the same meaning: the ancient nations, people and languages of the enhanced Fertile Crescent, a sweep of land from the Nile Valley through Anatolia and southward to the limits of Mesopotamia.
What was the ancient Middle East called?
MesopotamiaMesopotamia was home to several powerful empires that came to rule almost the entire Middle East—particularly the Assyrian Empires of 1365–1076 BC and the Neo-Assyrian Empire of 911–605 BC.
What is the Near East today?
Today, the region of the Near East is imprecise and overlaps with the Middle East. It typically refers to southwest Asia, particularly Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other nations of the Arabian Peninsula.
What is the oldest country in the Middle East?
Iran: 620 BC The Achaemenid empire ruled over Iran in the early years. This dynasty ruled from 330 B.C. to 550 B.C., which is a very long and remarkable period in the history of any country. It is safe to say that Iran is one of the oldest countries in the world, going by the records.
Who was the first emperor of the ancient Near East?
Meet the world's first emperor. King Sargon of Akkad—who legend says was destined to rule—established the world's first empire more than 4,000 years ago in Mesopotamia.
Does the Near East still exist?
Middle East essentially supplanted Near East in the early 20th century, although the two are now used interchangeably among English speakers. So, for all intents and purposes, Middle East and Near East refer to the same region when used today.
What's the difference between the Middle East and the Near East?
Near East has referred to the countries in Western Asia that lie between Iran and the Mediterranean Sea. Middle East is referring to the region that includes North Africa and Western Asia.
What is the Middle East called now?
All of these (“Near East,” “Middle East and North Africa” or “MENA,” “Arab World,” “Islamic World” and “Muslim World”) are frequently used in tandem with the “Middle East.” “Southwest Asia,” another term for this shifting territory has limited popularity although it does not relate to Europe (unlike “Middle East” or “ ...
Why is the Near East discussed in Western art history classes?
3500–400 B.C.E. Ancient Near Eastern Art has long been part of the history of Western art, but history didn't have to be written this way. It is largely because of the West's interests in the Biblical “Holy Land” that ancient Near Eastern culture has been be regarded as part of the Western canon of the history of art.
What is the Near East today?
Today, the region of the Near East is imprecise and overlaps with the Middle East. It typically refers to southwest Asia, particularly Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other nations of the Arabian Peninsula.
What is the geographical significance of Israel in the ancient Near East?
Israel was located in the Fertile Crescent, an area that had fertile soil because of the rivers going through it. This fertility allowed the Israelites to produce several crops and trade them with their neighboring nations.
Who was the first emperor of the ancient Near East?
Meet the world's first emperor. King Sargon of Akkad—who legend says was destined to rule—established the world's first empire more than 4,000 years ago in Mesopotamia.
Why are ancient Near Eastern materials considered part of the Western canon?
It is largely because of the West's interests in the Biblical "Holy Land" that ancient Near Eastern materials have been regarded as part of the Western canon of the history of art. A fishing boat in the Euphrates Southern Iraq (photo: Aziz1005, CC BY 4.0) A fishing boat in the Euphrates Southern Iraq (photo: Aziz1005, CC BY 4.0)
What inspired the early English and French 19th century archaeological expeditions to the Near East?
An interest in finding the locations of cities mentioned in the Bible ( such as Nineveh and Babylon) inspired the original English and French 19th century archaeological expeditions to the Near East. These sites were discovered and their excavations revealed to the world a style of art which had been lost.
What is the cradle of civilization?
The Cradle of Civilization. Mesopotamia, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (in modern day Iraq), is often referred to as the cradle of civilization because it is the first place where complex urban centers grew.
What countries are in Mesopotamia?
The history of Mesopotamia, however, is inextricably tied to the greater region, which is comprised of the modern nations of Egypt, Iran, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, the Gulf states and Turkey. We often refer to this region as the Near or Middle East.
What was the first city in Mesapotamia?
One of the earliest larger cities of Mesapotamia was Uruk. It had an estimated 5000 inhabitants ine the year 4000 BCE, and grew to 50.000 inhabitants within the succeeding millenium. Compared to New York in our day, that's not much.
How many people lived in Uruk in 3000 BCE?
It is estimated (by McEvedy), that the World population of 3000 BCE was 14 million people. Thus the population of Uruk was 0.35 % of the total World population.
Is the Near East complex?
The history of the Ancient Near East is complex and the names of rulers and locations are often difficult to read, pronounce and spell. Moreover, this is a part of the world which today remains remote from the West culturally while political tensions have impeded mutual understanding. However, once you get a handle on the general geography of the area and its history, the art reveals itself as uniquely beautiful, intimate and fascinating in its complexity.
What is the Near East known for?
Ancient Near East: Cradle of civilization. Home to some of the earliest and greatest empires, the Near East is often referred to as the cradle of civilization.
Why is the Near East called the Near East?
Why is this region named this way? What is it in the middle of or near to? It is the proximity of these countries to the West (to Europe) that led this area to be termed “the near east.” Ancient Near Eastern Art has long been part of the history of Western art, but history didn’t have to be written this way. It is largely because of the West’s interests in the Biblical “Holy Land” that ancient Near Eastern materials have been be regarded as part of the Western canon of the history of art. An interest in finding the locations of cities mentioned in the Bible (such as Nineveh and Babylon) inspired the original English and French 19th century archaeological expeditions to the Near East. These sites were discovered and their excavations revealed to the world a style of art which had been lost.
What are the geographical contrasts between Mesopotamia and other regions?
Mesopotamia remains a region of stark geographical contrasts: vast deserts rimmed by rugged mountain ranges, punctuated by lush oases. Flowing through this topography are rivers and it was the irrigation systems that drew off the water from these rivers, specifically in southern Mesopotamia, that provided the support for the very early urban centers here.
Where are the cradles of civilization?
The cradle of civilization. Some of the earliest complex urban centers can be found in Mesopotamia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (early cities also arose in the Indus Valley and ancient China). The history of Mesopotamia, however, is inextricably tied to the greater region, which is comprised of the modern nations of Egypt, Iran, Syria, ...
What countries are in Mesopotamia?
The history of Mesopotamia, however, is inextricably tied to the greater region, which is comprised of the modern nations of Egypt, Iran, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, the Gulf states and Turkey. We often refer to this region as the Near or Middle East.
Why are ancient Near Eastern materials considered part of the Western canon?
It is largely because of the West’s interests in the Biblical “Holy Land” that ancient Near Eastern materials have been be regarded as part of the Western canon of the history of art.
Is the Near East complex?
The history of the Ancient Near East is complex and the names of rulers and locations are often difficult to read, pronounce and spell. Moreover, this is a part of the world which today remains remote from the West culturally while political tensions have impeded mutual understanding. However, once you get a handle on the general geography of the area and its history, the art reveals itself as uniquely beautiful, intimate and fascinating in its complexity.
What is the ancient Near East called?
The Ancient Near East is often referred to as the Cradle of Civilization.
Where is Sumer located?
Sumer was located in southern Mesopotamia, and it is here that we find some of the oldest known cities, including Ur and Uruk.
Who founded the Akkadian Empire?
The Akkadian Empire was begun by Sargon, a man from a lowly family who rose to power and founded the royal city of Akkad (Akkad has not yet been located, though one theory puts it under modern Baghdad).
When did the Assyrian Empire rule Mesopotamia?
c. 1365 - 609 B.C.E. View all content. The Assyrian empire dominated Mesopotamia and all of the Near East for the first half of the first millennium, led by a series of highly ambitious and aggressive warrior kings. Assyrian society was entirely military, with men obliged to fight in the army at any time.
Where did the Near East originate?
The use of the term Near East began in the 19th century where areas to the east of Europe were defined by their closeness to Europe. In that case, the Near East was closest, followed by the Middle East and the Far East. Regions included in the Near East section were the Ottoman Empire and the Balkan plateau.
What is the Near East?
The Near East is the geographical region corresponding to western Asia. In modern times, the term is used interchangeably with the more common "Middle East". Sometimes, the Middle East and the Near East may include the same or different territories due to lack of a standard definition. The use of the term Near East began in ...
What are the regions of the Near East?
Regions included in the Near East section were the Ottoman Empire and the Balkan plateau. The Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Cyprus, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Palestinian territories make up the Near East region.
What was the Middle East in the 20th century?
The 20th century saw the increased reference of the Near East as the Middle East. With the fall of the colonial empire as well as the Ottoman Empire, diplomats and international agencies had to come up with a more descriptive term for the geographical region covered by the Near East.
What does the Near East represent?
The modern use of the term Near East in archaeology, however, does not affect the fact that the ancient Near East represents regions of the Fertile Crescent.
Where is the Middle East?
The Middle East covers southwestern Asia as well as countries in North Africa (also referred to as MENA- Middle East and North Africa). Joyce Chepkemoi August 1 2017 in World Facts. Home.
Is the Near East considered a civilization?
Ancient Near East is considered as one of the earliest homes to human civilizations ...
What is the Near East?
The Near East ( Arabic: الشرق الأدنى , romanized : al-Sharq al-'Adnā, Hebrew: המזרח הקרוב , Aramaic: ܕܢܚܐ ܩܪܒ , Persian: خاور نزدیک , romanized : Xāvar-e nazdik, Turkish: Yakın Doğu) is a geographical term which roughly encompasses a transcontinental region in Western Asia, that was once the historical Fertile Crescent, and later the Levant section of the Roman and Byzantine empires. It comprises Turkey (both Anatolia and East Thrace ), and Egypt (mostly located in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula being in Asia). Despite having varying definitions within different academic circles, the term was originally applied to the maximum extent of the Ottoman Empire. The term has fallen into disuse in the English language and has been replaced by the term Middle East, which includes Egypt, Western Asia and the South Caucasus .
What are the geographical terms for the Near East and Far East?
The geographical terms Near East and Far East referring to areas of the globe in or contiguous to the former British Empire and the neighboring colonies of the Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish and Germans, fit together as a pair based on the opposites of far and near, suggesting that they were innovated together. They appear together in the journals of the mid-19th century. Both terms were used before then with local British and American meanings: the near or far east of a field, village or shire.
What was the term for the near east in the 1890s?
In the 1890s the term tended to focus on the conflicts in the Balkan states and Armenia. The demise of "the sick man of Europe" left considerable confusion as to what was to be meant by "Near East".
What is the Eastern Question?
Relations of minorities within the Ottoman Empire and the disposition of former Ottoman lands became known as the " Eastern Question ", as the Ottomans were on the east of Europe. It now became relevant to define the east of the eastern question.
Where did the habit come from?
Before them the Greeks had the habit, which appears in Linear B, the oldest known script of Europe, referring to the near province and the far province of the kingdom of Pylos.
Which region is explicitly excluded from the Near East?
Explicitly excluded is India. No mention is made of the Balkans. The British archaeologist D. G. Hogarth published The Nearer East in 1902, in which he stated his view of "The Near East": The Nearer East is a term of current fashion for a region which our grandfathers were content to call simply The East.
Who was the Hegelesque historian of civilization at large?
By 1916, when millions of Europeans were becoming casualties of imperial war in the trenches of eastern and western Europe over "the eastern question", Arnold J. Toynbee, Hegelesque historian of civilization at large, was becoming metaphysical about the Near East.
Which ancient empires ruled much of what is now the Near East?
Map showing the extent of the Ottoman Empire over different time periods.
What is the most common religion in the Near East?
Islam is the most prevalent religion in the Near East. Arabic is the most prevalent language in the Near East. The terms "Near East" and "Middle East" are both Eurocentric terms that Westerners used to divide what they referred to as the "Orient" in the 19th century. What constitutes the Near East has evolved over time.
What is the difference between the Middle East and the Near East?
Both terms were used by Westerners to divide the so-called Orient. The Near East denoted the territory of the Ottoman Empire and Europe’s Balkan Peninsula, while the Middle East referred to the territory between the Persian Gulf and Southeast Asia.
What are the most prevalent ethno-linguistic groups in the Near East?
The Near East is home to many different peoples, cultures, and religions. The most prevalent ethno-linguistic group in the region are the Arabs.
Where did the Arabs come from?
Originally confined to the Arabian Peninsula, the Arabs followed the Muslim conquests of the Fertile Crescent and North Africa. As a result, Arabs constitute the majority in most of the countries in the Near East, except Turkey, Israel, Iran, and Afghanistan. By no means, however, are the Arabs a homogenous group.
Why are Christians in the Near East declining?
The number of Christians in the Near East has declined rapidly in the last half century or so mainly because of persecution at the hands of the Muslim majority populations. This persecution has come largely as a result of the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, which often promotes hatred of non-Muslim communities.
Which empire was the last to conquer the Near East?
The last of these empires was the Ottoman Empire, which first appeared in the 14 th century. The Ottoman Turks would go on to conquer nearly the entire Near East. But eventually the Ottoman Empire would fall into decline, pushed out of their territories mainly by European powers.
