Arab Culture 1Lecture 1:-Learning about the Arab culture requires to avoid the “Middle East” expression as it is ageopolitical term that refers to non-Arab countries such as Turkey, Iran etc.-Avoid confusing Muslim World with Arab World as Islam is a wide religion spread over100 countries. Many Arab countries contain people of other religions and many non-Arab countries contain Muslims.-Maghreb/Mashreq, majority of Arabs are Muslims however non-Muslim Arabs are stillsignificant in number. The maghrib divides the left half of Arab countries while Mashreqis the right half.-Learning where Arabic is spoken is important. Many of African countries contain peoplewho speak Arabic however they are considered the minority. It is more than just the 22countries that speak the Arabic language.-It is important to distinguish the countries whom use Arabic as an official language andthose who use the language in their scripts. For example, In Afghanistan, they speakUrdu however the scripture is in Arabic. -The Arab world consists of: Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Lebanon,Palestine, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Sudan, Eriteria, Djibouti, Somalia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia,Oman, UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain.-There are 22 Arab countries with different history and developments. Arab peopleremained dormant under Turkish and foreign occupation for several centuries.
Lecture 2:-There are four main racial origins including white Caucasians, Mediterranean, Arabianand sub-Saharan / east African. For example, white Caucasian could be a Syrian.Mediterranean include Lebanese, Palestinian, Algerians. Arabian include Yemeni, Saudi,Omani. Finally, African include Somalian, Eriterian and Djibouti.-The Arab world is divided into six major geographic regions each with different variety ofethnic identity. Region 1: Arabian Peninsula or Gulf States such as Saudi Arabian, Yemenietc. Region 2: Mesopotamia such as Iraq, Turkish. Region 3: the levant such asPalestinians, Jordanian and Lebanon. Region 4: Egypt and Sudan. Region 5: East Africasuch as Somalia, Djibouti. Region 6: Maghreb such as Libyan, Tunisian, Moroccan,Maltese and Mauretania.-Ancient Egypt: Ancient civilization of Egypt is in the Nile Rive in North Africa. It datesback more than 7000 years and had more than 32 dynasties (ruling families). Thiscivilization riled over what is today Egypt, Sudan, and the coast of the Levant (Palestine-Lebanon-Syria). When the Macedonian armies (led by Alexander the Great) conqueredEgypt in 333 BC, Egypt became a province in the Greco-Roman Empire for at least 1000years. It then fell to Arabian armies, under the banner of Islam.-10000 years ago, Egypt had a more temperature climate and was less arid than it istoday. Its regions were covered with lakes and trees and were traversed by large animalherds. The foliage and animals supported large populations of birds and water animals.
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