What makes up the levant

The Levant denotes a vast geographical region situated in the Eastern Mediterranean. The area termed as the Levant does not have fixed boundaries and it changes over time. The countries which comprise the Levant are characterized by similar linguistic, cultural, and religious traits.

A broader definition of the Levant roughly refers to the territory from Greece to Egypt. The term "Levant" was first used by the French first appeared in the English language in the late 15th century to describe the French mandate of Syria. The term Levante was used by Italians while referring to maritime commerce in East Mediterranean. England established the Levant Company to trade with the Ottoman Empire in The French followed suit by establishing the Compagnie du Levant in The entire populace has mobilized to celebrate the twenty-year anniversary of the reigning despot in this unnamed Middle eastern country.

Tinged with a Kafkaesque sense of the absurd, The Silence and the Roar explores what it means to be truly free in mind and body. Arwa Salih was a member of the political bureau of the Egyptian Communist Workers Party, which was founded in the wake of the Arab—Israeli War and the Egyptian student movement of the early s. Written more than a decade after Salih quit the party and left political life—and published shortly after she committed suicide—the book offers a poignant look at, and reckoning with, the Marxism of her generation and the role of militant intellectuals in the tragic failure of both the national liberation project and the communist project in Egypt.

This timely, bestselling novel about a military coup in Turkey, told through the eyes of two children, resonates deeply with events there today. Ankara, the capital city in the heart of Turkey at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, East and West, is a hotspot in the Cold War, torn between communism and conservatism, Western freedoms and traditional ways, with an army fearful of democracy and a government that employs thugs and torture to enforce law and order. In the summer of , tensions are building.

Homes of the poor are being burnt down. The lines between good and bad, right and wrong, and beautiful and ugly are blurred by shed blood. Two children, one from a family living in misery and one well-off, form an alliance amid the turmoil.

Through their senses, the cityscape unfolds its wonders, its rich smells and colors, as they try to make sense of the events swirling around them. And they hatch a plan. For the first time in generations, mute swans have migrated from Russia to the Black Sea and to a park at the center of Ankara. All manner of flawed and fragile humanity reside in the Yacoubian Building, a once-elegant temple of Art Deco splendor now slowly decaying in the smog and bustle of downtown Cairo.

Teeming with frank sexuality and heartfelt compassion, this book is an important window on to the experience of loss and love in the Arab world. Later there was great exchange, of course, with the year ruling of the Ottoman Empire over the Levant, and North Africa and other regions.

Still there was a fantastic exchange of music, exchange of music theory, exchange in music forms. Then in the 19th and 20th century, we had another cultural renaissance that began in Egypt and moved to the Levant, including Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Iraq, which sparked a musical renaissance.

Today, traditional music of the Levant plays a major role in defining culture and heritage. While close cultural and music pollination has created a perfect alchemy for music to transcend the boundaries of genre and geography. When the Rivers Met represents a new collaboration between two extraordinary artists who come from different musical traditions. Learn more. Fairuz is synonymous with tradition. It conjures up more than half a century of genre-defining Arabic music, giving rise to countless musical disciples, imitators and fans.

Bebalee sees the Lebanese diva as strong as ever, offering up captivating interpretations of classics. Egyptian-Syrian Farid el-Atrache is still considered one of the most important figures of 20th century Arab music, wearing many hats: composer, singer, actor, and a virtuoso oud player. The ensemble — made up of clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, vocalist Dima Orsho, oudist Issam Rafea, violinist Jasser Haj-Youssef, and cellist Kinan Abou-Afach — brings together a fresh and diverse musical palate and draws from an array of musical traditions—namely Arabic, jazz, and classical music among others.

Also known as the Star of the East, Oum Kalthoum was endowed with a powerful and emotionally penetrating voice.

Nagi employs traditional Arab instruments, songs and themes, while evolving them into current, or even futuristic, performances. He has an authentic acoustic dexterity, as well as an excitable electronic skill and awareness. Everybody Yalla is a succinct summary of his varied styles and songs.

With his instrument slung over his shoulder, the Iraqi musican has transformed his art into a vibrant manifesto. Lebanese oudist and jazz musician Rabih Abou Khalil presents an electric fusion of Arabic tones and modern jazz, that features classic compositions with as guitar and alto sax, as well as world instruments such as the oud and South Indian drums.

This really outstanding classical recording by Shaheen, an excellent oud-player and violinist, who is joined by fine nay quanun and percussion in a recital of classic and contemporary works in the linked Arabic and Ottoman-Turkish tradition. The songs utilize heavy and tight dance grooves, bass lines and soundscapes. Kulthum was one of the great voices of the 20th century, and this series presents ample evidence of her singing power.

Ibrahim Maalouf describes this musical composition as an ode to the Levant and seeks to link all of the Levantine cultures in their commonalities and modern spirits. Learn more about the symphony.

What is The Levant? A Brief History From the beginning of civilization, the Levant, the coastal region of the eastern Mediterranean from Syria in the north to Egypt in the south, was the crossroads of various peoples and cultures. Further Reading The wide range of books by and about Levantines take readers from the ancient world to today. Background History. Alexandria: City of Memory Michael Haag This book is a literary, social, and political portrait of Alexandria at a high point of its history.

Greek Thought, Arabic Culture Dimitri Gutas From the middle of the eighth century to the tenth century, almost all non-literary and non-historical secular Greek books, including such diverse topics as astrology, alchemy, physics, botany and medicine, that were not available throughout the eastern Byzantine Empire and the Near East, were translated into Arabic.

History of the Arabs Philip Hitti This authoritative study of the Arabians and the Arabic-speaking peoples is a valuable source of information on Arab history. Ottoman Studies Ilber Ortayli This collection of papers by Ilber Ortayli mainly deals with the political, economic, social and cultural transformations which the Ottoman Empire has undergone in its last centuries. Levantine Authors. A Tale of Love and Darkness Amos Oz A family saga and a magical self-portrait of a writer who witnessed the birth of a nation and lived through its turbulent history.

Children of the Alley Naguib Mahfouz The tumultuous alley of this rich and intricate novel first published in Arabic in is inhabited by a delightful Egyptian family, but is also the setting for a second, hidden, and more daring narrative: the spiritual history of humankind. List of Partners vendors.

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