Orientalism - this is the name of the science that studies the history of the Ancient East. Moreover, this term is not a geographic area. This is a cultural region that covers both Asian territory and North Africa, where even now, as in the East, Islam is practiced. However, West Asia in ancient times was not at all what we see it today. It had a completely different religion, culture, traditions and way of life. We will now examine in detail what was the map of Western Asia in antiquity, what customs were in use there, and how people lived in those days.
Geographic boundaries
To begin with, we will consider those lands that were part of the region of the Ancient East. This is the peninsula of Asia Minor, where Turkey, the Eastern Mediterranean, Mesopotamia (the territory of modern Iraq), the Sinai Peninsula, and the Nile Valley are now located. Sometimes the map of West Asia in antiquity also includes the territory of modern Iran, which then was one of the world centers of development. However, from a geographical point of view, these objects belong to the central part of the continent, and the culture of that time they significantly differed from all the rest of the above. Over the years, these borders have expanded both toward West Africa and north and south relative to the Middle East. The culture spread and assimilated with the northern peoples.
Periodization and chronology
The history of West Asia originates in 3100 BC. e., when the Early Kingdom was formed in Egypt. Initially, the country was divided into North and South, Lower and Upper Egypt, and its settlements (they could not be called cities) were located exclusively in the Nile Valley. In 3060, the first came to power (which is listed in the documentation; before him, of course, there were other rulers) the pharaoh - Mina, or Menes. He united all peoples and territories and began to publish reforms to which every resident of his possessions obeyed.
The second greatest civilization of the Middle East is the Sumerians and Akkadians who lived in Mesopotamia. Their chronology begins a little later - in 2900 BC. e. People here lived approximately like in Egypt - on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. A characteristic feature of the locals was their race. The Sumerians are a nation that is now considered extinct. They were small in stature, physically dense. Akkadians are considered the ancestors of modern Arabs - tall, slender, dark-skinned. These tribes in their lands lived separately for a long time, and in the 21st century BC. e. they united in the Sumerian-Akkadian kingdom under the rule of the first king - Uruinimginy.
Egypt and its path of development
After the first pharaoh of Mina came to power in the country, a unified system of government, administrative structure and borders were established. It also begins the countdown of dynasties, which lasted until the initial decades of a new era. A characteristic feature of ancient Egypt was the structure of the pyramids, which were sarcophagi for the dead pharaohs. It is also worth noting that in ancient times West Asia was a pagan region, and this country was no exception. The Egyptians deified natural phenomena, animals and their rulers. It is also important that Egypt was the only country in the region that was united, and all settlements were subordinate to central authority.
Mesopotamia and its features
In ancient times, Western Asia is most often associated with the Mesopotamia region, where fragments of Babylon and Nineveh are now buried. Unlike centralized Egypt, city-states dominated here. Some of them united in something like a country, but in the early periods of general power there wasn’t. In terms of development, the peoples of Western Asia who lived on the territory of Mesopotamia took a big step forward. They used the irrigation system for housekeeping, they had public fields, farms and even armies. The emergence of the latter was promoted by the constant confrontations that were between Sumerians and Akkadians. After the Sumerian-Akkadian kingdom broke up, Mesopotamia was divided into two regions: the Babylonian kingdom appeared in the south , and Assyria in the north. These major civilizations are still a problem of eternal debate and a mystery to historians.
Anatolia and the Eastern Mediterranean
A little later than Egypt and Mesopotamia, the city-states began to develop, which were located on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. As for Anatolia (Turkey), the Hittite kingdom was formed here - a single and strong state, which was in close relations with North Africa and Mesopotamia. In ancient times, Western Asia waged constant wars, and these peoples opposed each other. Thanks to the constant seizure of territories, people assimilated. After this forced centuries-old migration, a Semitic-Hamitic racial family was formed, which is known to us today. It consists mainly of Arabs who inhabit the same region of the Middle East, which covers the geographical area of West Asia and North Africa.