Middle Eastern Culture

The Middle East is built on a magnificent legacy of civilizations dating back to ancient times. Science, the arts, written language, mathematics, a legal system, and other hallmarks of civilization flourished in ancient Sumer, Persia, Egypt, and other parts of the Middle East, leaving a lasting influence on the later cultures of Greece and Rome. Today, the Middle East continues to offer the world a rich cultural contribution, as home to three major world religions, a vibrant entertainment industry, a fascinating tradition of folkloric music and dance, and a growing economic power base.

The articles on this page are slanted toward the needs and interests of non-Middle Eastern people, particularly those interested in music and dance from the region.

The Middle East Today
History Of The Middle East
Ancient Myths & Symbols

Music: Song Translations & More (on separate page)

The Middle East Today

Learn the Arabic Alphabet! By Arabella. Recommended books for learning to read Arabic script.
Scenes From A Beledi Wedding, Part 1. Six photographs taken at a wedding zeffa in a beledi neighborhood of Cairo, along with narrative describing what occurred.

Arabian Faces. Watercolor paintings portraying veiled women by an artist in Saudi Arabia.

Reviews of Books About the Middle East

Guests Of The Sheik: An Ethnography Of An Iraqi Village. The experiences of an American woman living with her husband in a rural Iraqi village during the 1950's.
Dreams Of Trespass: Tales Of A Harem Girlhood. By Fatima Mernissi. Mernissi describes what it was like to grow up in a harem in Morocco during the 1940's.

A Trade Like Any Other: Female Singers And Dancers In Egypt. This book traces the history of the Egyptian entertainment profession from the 19th century to today.
Unveiled. This book is the autobiography of a not-too-bright young Iranian woman who returns to the home of her childhood to make a life for herself in post-revolution Iran.

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History Of The Middle East

Scenes From Turkey: The Real Turkish "Belly" Dance. Photos of the Turkish folk dance named "gobek tansi", or "belly dance".
Scenes From Turkey: Whirling Dervishes. Information about Turkish whirling dervishes of the Mevlâna order and photos.

The Ottoman Empire in the 17th Century. Learn a little about the culture of Turkey's Ottoman empire during the 17th century.

Reviews of Books About Middle Eastern History

King And Goddess. Historical fiction based on the life of Hatshepsut, the Queen who dared to defy tradition and call herself Pharaoh.

Reviews of Videos About Middle Eastern History

Morocco #1: Morocco & the Casbah Dance Experience: Riverside Dance Festival, Morocco's #1 Video. Performance of folkloric dance from Middle East & North Africa.
Morocco #6: Folk Dances of Egypt, Nubia, & the Sudan. Review of a video documentary on dance.

Palestinian Costumes and Embroidery - A Precious Legacy. Review of a video documentary about women's clothing.

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Myths & Symbols Of The Middle East

The ancient culture of the Middle East flourished with myths, symbols, and metaphors that we still respond to today. Come explore the world of this ancient civilization.

Ancient Egyptian Art: An Introduction. Familiarize yourself with some of the well-known scenes from the tombs of ancient Egypt. Learn how to interpret what they are portraying.
Goddesses Of Ancient Egypt. Several of the goddesses that were well-known to ancient Egypt, including two associated with dancing, Hathor and Bastet.

Symbols From The Middle East. Several images which are widely recognized as symbols originating from the Middle East, with their meaning and historical context.

Reviews of Books on Ancient Myth & Symbols

The Woman's Encyclopedia Of Symbols And Sacred Objects. A reference guide explaining the legends and ancient beliefs surrounding objects and symbols from ancient times.

Inanna: Queen Of Heaven And Earth. Meet Inanna, the great goddess of ancient Sumer. Take your imagination 5,000 years into the past with some of the oldest written stories known to scholars today.

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