History following Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt Empires of the Middle East And North Africa History following Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt www.picturesofplaces.com©

Empires of the Middle East and North Africa

Arabian Peninsula Chapter 20: Iraq, Iran

Persian Empire Began in the 500s BC when it conquered Mesopotamia. Ruled region around present-day Iran Center of art and learning – known for its spectacular paintings, carpets, metalwork, and architecture. Capital city was Persepolis – had walls and statues throughout the city that glittered with gold, silver, and precious jewels.

Muslims The Persian Empire was later conquered by several Muslim empires. They converted the Persians to Islam, but most people retained their Persian culture. They built beautiful mosques with colorful tiles and large domes.

North Africa

Greeks and Romans Macedonian King Alexander the Great invaded North Africa and founded the city of Alexandria in Egypt in 332 B.C. Alexandria became an important seaport, trading center, and center of learning.

Arabs In AD 600s, Arab armies from Southwest Asia swept across North Africa. They ruled until the 1800s. They brought the Arabic language and Islam to the region. Most North Africans are Muslims. Under Muslim rule, North African cities became major centers of learning, trade, and craft making. (Ex. Cairo, Egypt and Fes, Morocco)

European Countries In the 1800s European countries began to take over the region. By 1912 they had authority over all of North Africa. Italy captured Libya Spain controlled northern Morocco France ruled the rest of Morocco and Tunisia and Algeria. Britain controlled Egypt. Countries of North Africa gradually gained independence throughout the 1900s.

Eastern Mediterranean Chapter 19: Turkey, Israel

Byzantine Empire Byzantium was an ancient Greek city located on the site of present-day Istanbul, Turkey. The Romans invaded the area and captured the city of Byzantium and later renamed the city Constantinople after the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. Constantinople became an important trading post. After the fall of Rome, Constantinople became the capital of the Byzantine Empire that ruled for 1,000 years. This area was an important crossroads between Europe and Asia.

Ottoman-Turks Many of Turkey’s people are descendants of an Asian people called Turks. One group of Turks called the Ottomans conquered the city of Constantinople in 1453. They renamed the city Istanbul . They were very powerful during the 1500s – 1600s, and they ruled southeastern Europe, North Africa, and southwest Asia. World War I led to the breakup of the empire.

Roman Empire Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Romans in 60s BC. Romans forced the Jews to leave the region and renamed it Palestine in AD 135. This dispersal of the Jewish population is known as Diaspora.

Muslims Conquered Palestine in the mid-600s. From the late 1000s to late 1200s, Christians from Europe launched a series of invasions of Palestine called the Crusades. They captured the city of Jerusalem in 1099. Palestine then became part of the Ottoman Empire and later under British control after WWI.

Main Ideas