Issues facing the Middle East

The Middle East is a complex multicultural region that gave birth to modern civilization. It has been the scene for countless changes over the years. It is, however, the modern usurping of power that has the most impact today, orchestrated by the British through Lord Balfour, resulting in an artificially divided region where the West exerts undue influence and where the USA positions multiple military bases, a form of dominance.


Throughout its rich history, the Middle East has been ruled by numerous great empires that shaped world civilization. Here are the most significant ones, organized chronologically:

Ancient Empires (3000–550 BCE)
Sumerian & Akkadian Empires: Among the world's earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia; the Akkadian Empire (c. 2334 BCE) was the first to unite Mesopotamia under one rule

Egyptian Empire: Reached its zenith 1560–1080 BCE, stretching from northern Syria to Sudan

Babylonian Empires: Including Hammurabi's Old Babylonian Empire and the Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar

Hittite Empire: Dominated Anatolia and northern Syria; pioneers in iron weaponry

Assyrian Empire (900–612 BCE): The world's first true multiethnic empire, controlling the Fertile Crescent, parts of Iran, Anatolia, and even Egypt

Median & Lydian Empires: Regional powers in Iran and western Anatolia respectively

Classical Era (550 BCE–632 CE)
Achaemenid Persian Empire (550–330 BCE): Founded by Cyrus the Great; the first global empire, spanning three continents and containing 44% of the world's population at its peak

Hellenistic Empires: After Alexander the Great's conquests, the Seleucid and Ptolemaic dynasties ruled parts of the Middle East

Parthian Empire (247 BCE–224 CE): Iranian empire that controlled much of the region and rivaled Rome

Roman/Byzantine Empire: United the Eastern Mediterranean; the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire ruled from Constantinople for centuries

Sassanid Empire (224–651 CE): The last pre-Islamic Persian empire, a major rival to Byzantium

Islamic Empires (632–1924 CE)
Rashidun Caliphate (632–661): The first Islamic caliphate that conquered Byzantine and Persian territories

Umayyad Caliphate (661–750): Expanded Islamic rule from Spain to Central Asia, establishing Damascus as capital

Abbasid Caliphate (750–1258): Golden Age of Islamic civilization, centered in Baghdad

Seljuk Empire (1040–1194): Turkic empire that revived Persian culture and spread Sunni Islam across Anatolia and the Levant

Mamluk Sultanate (1250–1517): Based in Egypt, defeated the Mongols and Crusaders

Ottoman Empire (1299–1923): The last great Middle Eastern empire; dominated the region for nearly 400 years, controlling territory from the Balkans to Arabia

These empires left enduring legacies in law, administration, religion, language, and culture. The Middle East's strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa made it both a prize for conquerors and a crucible of innovation—giving the world writing, urbanization, major religions, and foundational scientific knowledge