The Middle East and North Africa have been among the most interesting regions in history. This geographic area with its topographical and human diversity, encompassing Mesopotamia-Iraq, where the rivers Tigris (Dijlah) and Euphrates (Al-Forat) flow, Persia, the Arabian Peninsula to the Arabian sea and the Gulf coast, the fertile crescent involving Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, and up north to Asia Minor, and west to the Nile valley-Egypt, and in between in the Mediterranean islands and cities, and through Tunisia, Libya, Algeria up to Morocco on the Atlantic ocean, have been the land and birth place of some of the oldest and most remarkable human civilizations and developments.
Most important are the ordinary people of the region, they have always been hospitable, friendly, kind and tolerant, not withstanding some of the most tumultuous periods of history they have endured in terms of hardship, but none that comes close to the level of cruelty seen in twentieth century Europe and East Asia. The people of the area have been resilient and talented, and through their effort and perseverance many of the wonderful and magnificent monuments have been built. Throughout history they have preserved and added to the intellectual achievements of mankind, and have produced leaders, thinkers and scientists that have contributed significantly to human civilization. Through land routes and sea, whether it was caravans on land or ships in the Mediterranean sea, the Red sea, the Arabian sea or the Indian ocean, trade, ideas and knowledge were exchanged and propagated from East to West, North to South and in the opposite direction.

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Editor, Ziyara.com
Tammam Farhat, M.D.