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Published byNigel McKinney Modified over 8 years ago
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Early History of the Middle East
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Mesopotamia/Fertile Crescent landscape btwn the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea Curve shape/richness of land --- called the Fertile Crescent Mesopotamia “land between the rivers” Tigris & Euphrates Farmers used rivers to flood Mesopotamian area to grow wheat/barley Large harvests allowed villages to grow
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Sumerians One of the 1 st groups of people to form a civilization 5 Characteristics set them apart from earlier societies: Advanced cities (1) Specialized workers(2) Complex institutions(3) Record keeping(4) Improved technology(5)
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Sumerians continued 1 st civilization to form a city state City state: a city and its surrounding lands functioning as an individual political unit Early gov’t controlled by temple priests or by military leaders in times of war Polytheistic --- thought gods were immortal and all powerful Beginning of social classes Kings, landowners, priest - 1 st Regular workers – 2 nd Slaves – 3rd
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Sumerians continued Sumerians technologically advanced: Needed geometry to plan cities, survey fields (1) 1 st to use bronze (2) Architecture --- columns, arches (3) Cuneiform --- Sumerian writing system (4) Reasons for Sumerian civilization ending? Warring city-states (1) Foreign attacks (2) Ideas from civilization were adapted by other cultures (3)
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Babylonians Capital on the Euphrates River Original invaders called the Amorites took over Sumerians Established an empire Empire: brings together several peoples, nations, or previously independent states under the control of one ruler Empire reached peak at the time of Hammurabi
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Babylonians continued Hammurabi’s Code Uniform code of laws that unified diverse groups in the empire Code also had judgments for broken laws Used the eye for an eye punishment --- Example
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Phoenicians Located in present day Lebanon Powerful traders along the Mediterranean Developed city-states Greatest legacy was the Phoenician Alphabet: Developed so merchants could record transactions from sea trade Used symbols to represent sound Through travel, Phoenicians the alphabet introduced to other lands
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The Crusades Occurred from 11 th -13 th Centuries Series of military expeditions Christians wanted to regain Holy Land from the Muslims & Jews Byzantine Empire (Eastern Orthodox Christian) felt threatened by the Turks (Muslim) & Jews Turks threatened the Byzantine capital of Constantinople Rally cry for Christian warriors was to retake the Holy Land away from the infidels or unbelievers
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The Crusades continued During the Early Crusades, Christians were able to take lands away from Muslims --- took Jerusalem Muslims began to strike back Later Crusades, Christians organized young people (Children’s Crusade) to fight the Muslims Byzantine Empire ---- not as powerful Christians unable to defeat the Muslims
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The Crusades continued Results of the Crusades: Pope’s power weakened in the Christian Church (1) Muslims & Jews faced more persecution from Christians (2) Christians in Muslim controlled areas also faced persecution (3)
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