country Sham "Levant"

Levant

The word Levant came from the French term Lever, which means the bright Arabic, or the country where the sun rises, and the word entered into Syria and Lebanon with the arrival of the French Mandate, which lasted from 1920 until mid 1940; [1] The name of the Levant for French domination of Syria and Lebanon after the First World War, and despite the independence of Lebanon and Syria in 1946 fully; but the term the Levant is still called in some cases. [2]

The history of the Levant includes the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and the Classical Classical Age. The Stone Age covered more than two million years. People used different tools made of stones. In the Bronze Age, people used bronze and copper materials. The Iron Age appeared in the archaeological areas of the ancient world. Iron was smelted by workers working in the melting of metals to make various weapons and tools. In the old classical era, the Greeks achieved many For developments at the level of art, architecture, theater, literature, and philosophy. [3]

Geography of the Levant

The term "Levant" has been used since ancient times for countries along the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, extending from the Isthmus of Suez to the Taurus mountains in the north. It includes Lebanon, part of Syria, which is defined by the Wadi Al-Assi, Aleppo, West Jordan and Sinai. And the Sinai peninsula in the south. The use of the term "Levant" was associated with trade in Venice and other cities. The name of the Levant was called on the coasts of Asia Minor, and the lands extending from Greece to Egypt, also used in Anatolia Near East Region, either In the 16th and 17th centuries, the term was referred to the Far East. [2] [3] [1] The Taurus Mountains are separated in the north between the Levant and the Anatolian plateau. From the east and south-east, the Syrian desert separates between Mesopotamia and the Arabian Peninsula, The south-west separates the Gulf of Suez between the Levant and the Mazar in Egypt. It is worth mentioning that the Levant stretching from Anatolia to Egypt may not be very large; however, it is of great importance; it is a bridge on the highway connecting its regions with each other Some also have a major role in history, archeology, and geography Political. [1]

The Levant is considered the northern and southern part of the Fertile Crescent, one of the oldest cultivated areas in the world. It extends along 150 km between the Arabian Sea and the Arabian Desert. It stretches from the mouth of the Asi River and the Amanus and Taurus mountain ranges in the north to the Gulf of Suez in the south. About 900 km from east to west, and 530 km from north to south. It covers an area of ​​about 500,000 km2 and the Dead Sea is the lowest point. It is located at a distance of 304 meters below sea level. Its highest point is 3,083 meters above sea level. Topography of the Levant from north to south of the plain plain The western mountains, the Rift Valley, and the eastern mountains across the fault zone. [4] The Levant region is a rather heterogeneous area; [1] The different geographies of the region create heterogeneity, Causing the cracks and chains of the eastern and western mountainous features of the region of the Levant. [4]

Climate of the Levant

The area of ​​the Levant is characterized by a fairly dry environment. The vegetation is sparse, in addition to large mountains. Most of the forests are confined to the mountains, especially the wetter areas of Spontan. The plains are covered by different vegetation, The mountainous areas are covered with grasses and shrubs. [4]

Trade in the Levant

Trade in the Levant spread in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, especially in the city of Venice. Many goods were imported to the Levant, such as textiles, soap, cloth and wine, as well as materials used in wars. Exports were grain, cotton , And spices and slaves, and the Levant was a central point of trade allowing the passage of luxury goods through it. The region of the Levant has suffered from the decline of its level as an important trading center and control of luxury goods, especially the spice trade; due to the increase of Portuguese activity in the Red Sea and the opening of the commercial route to the east , And grime M of its decline, but remained significant commercial importance in the eighteenth century and the following. [5]

Since the late 16th century, the English language has become more and more important to trade in the Levant. The English trade is under the control of Orient English Company in London. Most of these imports include wool imports. The company was awarded its first charter in 1581, This trade prevailed until the late 17th century and began to decline in the eighteenth century because of the dominance of the Marseille merchants in the commercial process. The French established diplomatic trade relations with the Ottomans in the early 16th century. Their trade became under the strong control of the French. The Dutch also played a major role in trade in the Levant; where trade was conducted through intermediaries Osmanin mostly Armenians, Greece, and Jews

Religion in the Levant

There were many religions in the Levant; Christian, Maronite, Armenian, Protestant, Catholic, and Islamic and Jewish were also found. Muslims, Jews, and Christians participated in the special cultural heritage of the Levant. From the beginning of the 17th century, In the preaching of the various Churches in the Eastern Province. This was somewhat successful until the Christian authorities appealed to the Ottoman Sultan to protect them from the danger of proselytism. Thus, the Ottoman government issued decrees prohibiting Christians from changing their sects. In the course of time, the Holy Land attracted large numbers of Muslim pilgrims and Christians who visited Jerusalem, Mecca and Madinah. The Ottoman Sultan placed the task of protecting the roads of pilgrimage and holy cities. On his shoulders. [5]

For example, in Aleppo there were many ethnic groups such as Turks, Armenians, Greeks, Latins, Arabs and Kurds. Thus, the Levant became a world in itself, Ethnic, linguistic and religious mix, leading to the emergence of a flourishing global Mizrahi culture. It is worth mentioning that despite the political turmoil and internal divisions in this world, its most prominent and widespread feature is sovereignty. [5]