Mediterranean Middle East Turkey & Lebanon 2011

Turkey Very Modern, Western and Progressive WHY IS TURKEY SO MODERN AND WESTERN? Location?

Western Influence

Istanbul City in Asia and Europe

Republic of Turkey Secular Democracy Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Founder of the Republic after WWI (Ottoman Empire) Many Western reforms: secular, Latin letters, civil laws over Islamic laws, education reforms Abolished veiling of women in public

Old city of Constantinople is Istanbul today! Constantinople First Christian Empire Roman Capital- Constantinople Later in history- Muslims invade the area and rename the capital Istanbul and the bring Islamic monuments etc. Very Diverse with Western influences! Roman Emperor-Constantine

Blue Mosque

Hagia Sophia Museum today, it was a Christian Church and then a Muslim Mosque. The next slide shows the elements of both religions in the museum today.

Christian & Islamic

Turkey is a true democracy!

Beirut, Lebanon

Like Turkey, very Modern and Western A True Democracy Located on the Mediterranean Sea, huge influence by west! French Influence from the Mandate system

French Influence! Mandate System Place d’Etoile I Beirut

A Parliamentary Democracy! A Parliamentary Democracy! Power Sharing among the diverse religious communities in the country. Lebanon's unwritten National Pact of 1943 required that its president be a Maronite Christian, its speaker of the to be a Shiite Muslim, its prime minister be Sunni Muslim, and the deputy speaker of Parliament be Greek Orthodox.

Lebanon after independence Before 1975, the country experienced a period of relative calm and prosperity,-strong tourism, agriculture, and banking. Because of its financial power and diversity, Lebanon was known in its heyday as the "Switzerland of the East”. It attracted large numbers of tourists, such that the capital Beirut was referred to as "Paris of the Middle East.” It attracted large numbers of tourists, such that the capital Beirut was referred to as "Paris of the Middle East.”

Lebanon struggles with Civil War In 1975, civil war broke out in Lebanon and lasted fifteen years, devastating the country's economy. The war ended in 1990 with the signing of the Taif Agreement and parts of Lebanon were left in ruins. Israel and Lebanon have also been involved in wars! After all the wars, Lebanon had rebuilt most of the city of Beirut.