important locations - middle east test - honors world history

Sumer

first major civilization; developed first advances to agriculture and city-state governments

Persia

major Middle Eastern empire; conquered much land in it’s peak, spurred trade and invented coins

Byzantine

empire expanded by Constantine that would become the Ottoman empire

Suez Canal

canal built by the French on Egyptian land; provided trade routes to Britain and easy access to Asia

Mesopotamia

“the land between two rivers”: fertile land between Tigris and Euphrates where many civilizations grew

Mecca

birth city of prophet Muhammad; now a holy city of Islam, pilgrimage site and location of the Kaaba

Medina

destination of Muhammad’s hejira, also a major holy city and pilgrimage site

Baghdad

capital city of the Abbasid caliphate, now in Iraq

Jerusalem

considered a holy city in Islam, Judaism and Christianity; a source of conflict in the Middle East

Constantinople

capital city of the Byzantinine empire under Constantine; renamed Istanbul under the Ottoman empire and Turkey

Iran

country in the Middle East. Major exporter of oil