THE CULTURE OF MIDDLE EAST

INTRODUCTION
The Middle East is a vast region that incorporates many diverse groups of people who are very
different, yet more similar than they are different. Though certain groups may have different
languages or religions, living in the Middle East means having a sense of culture and a type of
cuisine that’s connected to those of others in the region. As a traveler, you should understand
the common culture and food in the Middle East, so you don’t offend any of the locals.
Countries that comprises Middle East:
Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Palestine, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

FUNFACT:

 Roughly 60% of the population in the Middle East is under 25 years old.

Young people are the fastest growing segment, some 60% of the population is under 25
years old, making this one of the most youthful regions in the world, with a median age
of 22 years compared to a global average of 28.
1. LANGUAGES
The multiplicity of languages spoken in the Middle East reflects its ethnic diversity. Most of
these languages come from three major language “families”:

 Semitic (including Arabic, Hebrew, and Aramaic)

 Indo-European (Kurdish, Persian, Armenian)
 Turkic (Turkish, Azeri)
FUNFACT:

 Arabic is the world’s 5th most widely spoken language after Chinese, Spanish, English,
and Hindi.
 Arabic is the most commonly spoken language in the Middle East. It is the official
language of more than 20 countries and is spoken by approximately 300 million people
worldwide.
 The Arabic language uses the same punctuation marks as English, but some of them are
inverted or reversed.

2. RELIGION
The Middle East is the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all monotheistic religions
that grew from the same tradition. Each religion used the texts from earlier groups, and so they
share many rules and beliefs. For example, Islam and Judaism observe the same dietary rules
and have a similar focus on religion as a foundation for civil law. All three share a tradition of
prophets, from Adam and Abraham to Solomon and Joseph. Jesus is significant for both
Christianity and Islam, and Muslims in addition follow the teachings of Muhammad.
An awareness of God (Arabic: Allah) is exhibited in common Arabic expressions

 A common response to “How are you?” is “Ilhamdillah!” – “Praise be to God.”

 When expressing hope for a future event, one might say “Inshallah” – “God willing.”
 The exclamation “Mashallah” – “What God wills!” – is often heard as an expression of
delight, at the sight of a new baby, for example.

While there are those for whom these phrases reflect the divine, others use them the
way many English speakers use “Good-bye” (literally, “God be with ye”).

Some inhabitants may be extremely religious while others are more secular, and many
countries have laws that reflect the laws of the religion. For instance, in Israel, public
transportation on Friday evening until Saturday is difficult to find because it’s the Sabbath. In
Islamic countries during the fasting season of Ramadan, don’t expect many restaurants to be
open until after dark.

3. ETHNIC DIVERSITY
Most of the countries in this region are multiethnic. But even as diversity enhances the cultural
richness of a society, it unfortunately may also lead to political conflict. For example, The
Kurds…

4. MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE

Middle Eastern cuisine includes dishes from Arab, Armenian, Assyrian, Azerbaijani, Cypriot,
Georgian, Iranian, Israeli, Kurdish, and Turkish cultures.
Common ingredients include olives and olive oil, pitas, honey, sesame seeds, dates,[1] sumac,
chickpeas, mint, rice and parsley, and popular dishes include kebabs, dolmas, falafel, baklava,
yogurt, doner kebab, shawarma and mulukhiyah.

 Kibbeh naye, made by pounding raw meat and burghul with seasonings, served with
lemon juice and chili sauce for dipping.
  Meze is popular throughout the Middle East. It consists of a number of small dishes
(cheese, melon, nuts, salads and dips such as tabbouleh, hummus and mutabbal, and
pickles) and more substantial items, such as grilled meat, kibbeh, and sausage.
 “baqlava” (a pastry soaked with syrup and honey, similar to Greek baklava)

FUNFACT:
Religion has impacted the cuisine by making lamb the primary meat since both Jews and
Muslims do not eat pork.

Middle Easterners frequently consume milk, fresh or soured. Yogurt is commonly consumed
plain, also used in cooking and in salad dressing, or diluted as a drink. Greek feta and halloumi
are the region’s most popular cheeses.

EATING HABITS

 Meal time in the Middle East is viewed as an opportunity to enjoy good food and good
company, with lunch and dinner being the most popular times to socialize with family,
friends and business associates. Middle Easterners traditionally have a big lunch, sometimes
followed by a nap, and late dinner but this custom is changing among busy people in urban
areas.
 A typical meal in the Middle East consists of meat, fish or stew, a variety of vegetable dishes
or salads. Meals are served with bread and/or heaps of rice, and often start off with a salad,
appetizer, dip-like spreads, pickles and/or bowls of olives, dates and nuts. Tea is often
offered before a meal. Water or fruit juice is consumed with a meal. Tea, coffee, goat or
camel milk is served afterwards. Fruit, such as bananas, apples, dates and oranges, is often
served as a dessert.
 Most Middle Easterners have breakfast between 7:00am and 9:00am. A typical rural
breakfast consists of pita bread, feta cheese, olives, fruit, and/or dates. Lunch is served after
the noon prayers, from around 1:00pm to 2:00pm.or even 3:00pm A large lunch features a
meat dishes such as roast lamb, chicken, or fish with rice, salads, vegetables and fruit. Some
people have a light lunch. Dinner is usually eaten late, after evening and night prayers,
usually beginning around 8:00pm or 9:00pm. It is often a light meal consisting of lunch
leftovers.
 On Fridays, Saturdays and holidays, lunch is often extended a couple of more hours and
several more entrees are added. During large feasts, an entire goat, sheep or even a camel
may be boiled or roasted and served with heaps of rice, salads, vegetables, pastries, fruits
 and sweets. Formal dinners have things like shrimp, kebabs, rice with almonds, fruits and
cake.
5. FESTIVALS

 Mawazine Festival
Rabat, Morocco, June 19 – 27

Mawazine Festival, which is held in the Moroccan capital of Rabat is a music festival that
boasts an eclectic lineup of artists, both local and International.

Across over a week in June, thousands will descend upon various venues around Rabat
and celebrate a plethora of musical styles from far and wide. The festival consistently
books huge talent including David Guetta, Marshmello, and ROSALÍA, who all played
Mawazine Festival last year.

 Salalah Tourism Festival

Salalah, Oman, mid-June – August

An annual tourism festival is held in Salalah usually from mid July to end of August,
coinciding with the Khareef season, to celebrate the monsoon that lasts from June to
early September.

The Salalah Tourism Festival is becoming increasingly popular among Gulf nationals,
expatriates and foreign tourists. Over the years, it has grown into an international
festival, thanks to the long-standing efforts of the authorities to expand the existing
tourism infrastructure in Salalah. Dubbed as the family meeting place, the festival offers
cultural, art, sport, heritage, contest and shopping activities.

 Jerash Festival
Jerash, Jordan, July

The Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts is an annually-held event held in Jerash, Jordan.
It is part of the Jordan Festival, that aims to enrich cultural activities in Jordan. Founded
in 1981 by Queen Noor, it features several shows performed by Jordanian, Arab and
foreign artists.
6. RELIGIOUS EVENTS

 Al-Hijra — Islamic New Year. Marks the end of Mohammad’s journey from Mecca to
Medina.
  Eid ul-Adha — Festival of Sacrifice. This is a four day holiday marking the sacrifice of
Abraham. It also highlights the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, called Hajj.
Prayer are held at the mosque followed by an evening feast.
 Eid ul-Fitr — End of Muslim Month of Fasting (Ramadan). A celebratory meal on the
evening of this day. It is a three day celebration and many will attend early morning
prayers, affecting attendance.
 Ramadan — Muslim Month of Fasting. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset with the last
ten days reserved for possible all night prayer vigils. Attendance should not be affected.
7. OTHER TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS
FAMILY
The family is an important part of culture in the Middle East, as is evident in the Arabic
honorific names that are often used in preference to given names. A man may be called Ibn
(“son of”) followed by his father’s name or Abu (“father of”) followed by his child’s name.

In traditional Arab societies the family unit is an extended family – cousins, grandparents,
second cousins, cousins-in-law, nieces, nephews, and more – all living together.

DRESS
In some major cities, such as Beirut, Tel Aviv or Dubai, you will likely see locals and tourists
wearing shorts and a T-shirt on a warm summer’s day.
But if you plan to visit any religious sites, dress accordingly.

 Cover your shoulders, and don’t wear shorts.

 Women should wear pants or a skirt that falls below their knees, and they often must
cover their hair as well.
 Additionally, married men and women in some Middle Eastern religions cannot touch
the opposite sex, so if you offer your hand for a handshake or go in for a hug, don’t be
offended if the gesture is not returned.

HOSPITALITY IS KEY
Almost all Middle Eastern cultures are hospitable by nature, a habit that partially originates
from the Bedouin culture, in which the harsh conditions of the desert meant that nomadic
travelers were always welcomed into the home and offered food, water, shelter or anything
else they needed. Many hotels in the Middle East have incorporated this long-standing tradition
of hospitality into the services and amenities they provide.
DO NOT BRING UP POLITICS
When traveling in the Middle East, don’t discuss politics. A lot of tension exists in this region,
but don’t draw attention to it, or ask anyone about their opinions on issues such as the Arab–
Israeli conflict, the situation in Syria or the oppression of women.
That said, understand that conflicts in the area may mean some difficulty traveling from one
country to another. The biggest issue is typically travel from Israel to an Arab country, but Israel
has solved this problem by stamping a piece of paper instead of the inside of your passport.
Israeli stamps seen by an immigration official or an airline check-in employee could prevent you
from continuing on to another destination.

8. “THE ONE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS”

Author
The stories and folks tales referred to as One Thousand and One Nights or the Arabian Nights is
a collection of popular Middle Eastern and South Asian folk tales gathered over several
centuries, first published during the Islamic Golden Age. Their authorship is attributed to
“Anonymous” because these stories are by numerous authors from a range of ethnic,
geographic and literary traditions including Arabic, Persian, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Jewish,
and Indian.

Setting
The story takes place in the Sassanid Empire near the isles of India.

Characters

 Shahryar – the King who was betrayed by his lover

 Scheherazade – the daughter of the chief minister
 Chief Minister – a loyal subject to the King
 Shahzaman – King Shahryar’s brother
 Dinazad – Scheherazade’s you ger sister

Plot Summary
It is about a King, named Shahryar, who has been betrayed by his wife, and who is off
comforting his brother, Shahzaman, who had suffered similar fate himself. This reinforces the
King’s hatred towards women and confirms his paranoia that all women are the same and are
not simply to be trusted. While his brother simply swears off women completely, our main
protagonist, King Shahryar, has a plan in his mind. Over the next 3 years, he vows to take a new
bride each night and have her killed the next morning before they could have the chance to
betray him. The people were shocked by the brutality of this law and watches in horror as their
king murders their daughters. Hundred of women were killed and families were leaving. And
King Shahryar is losing the support of his subjects that leads him into madness. As might be
expected, the king soon runs out of bride to marry. The vizier (chief minister), a loyal subject of
the kingdom, who is responsible for finding a bride for the king, is in a deep trouble. If he fails
his duty, it would mean his head. The vizier is worried as well as hopeless. Meanwhile,
Scheherazade, a well-known storyteller, the daughter of the vizier, convinces her father to offer
herself to the King, even if it means to sacrifice herself to save the life of her father.
Scheherazade devised a plan to save herself, her father’s life, the kingdom, as well as the king.
At a certain point each night, she asks her sister, Dinazad, to wake her up, urge to entertain the
king with one of her famous stories. Scheherazade put her talent into good use; beginning a
tale every night and never ending it before daybreak, thus leaving the king enchanted and
willing to spare her life one more night so he can find out what happens in the story. After
finishing a story started last night, Scheherazade is sure to start another equally captivating
tale, which will go on for another night and so on. One night, she tells a story about romance,
the next night will be tragedy, the other night will be epic adventure. Sometimes, one of her
characters will tell her own story. This continue for 1,001 nights (exactly 2 years and 9 months).

At the end of 1,001 nights, Scheherazade finally tells the King that she has no more tales to tell
him. However, the king has cured of his paranoia and renounces the law, which means, King
Shahryar falls in love with Scheherazade, spares her life permanently and keep her as his queen
forever and after.

Theme
Sexual desire and Eroticism
Eroticism and sexuality are a major theme and motif within the Arabian Nights. In the frame
story, King Shahryar struggles with accepting his wife’s sexual desires that lead to her
unfaithfullness when he is away during war. The same is the case with his brother. The telling of
the tales at night, in the sleeping chamber add to the theme of sexuality and eroticism that is
prevalent in many of the tales. The couple are in an intimate space, where the reader is allowed
to enter. The king spends a night with every woman before he kills her – his rage and wrath
being channelled into sexual desire and lustfulness.
The Power of Storytelling
Storytelling is arguably the collection’s most poignant and lasting theme. In the frame story of
The Arabian Nights, Scheherazade believes that the power and intrigue of her stories will be
able to keep her husband from killing her or any more of his wives. This sentiment – that stories
are not only entertaining but powerful, capable of changing people – is reflected throughout
the many stories she tells. One can read the collection’s stories as various attempts to convince
Shahrayar to change his ways, and can see in the multiple framings the importance of
constructing various narratives to help us understand ourselves.

Hasty Generalization
When Shahryar discovers that his queen at the beginning of the tale is being unfaithful, he
declares that all women are the same and vows to take a new bride each night and have her
killed the next morning.

Vengeance