Author: Zhang Xingang
Publisher: Guangxi Normal University Press
Publication time: February 2017
[Preface to Second Edition] This is by no means quiet
1 Preface and Definition
At the end of 2010The first draft of this book has been roughly completed, which includes my personal experiences and perceptions of living and traveling in the "Greater Middle East" region, an overview of the society, politics, and economy in various places, as well as a summary and comparison of the history and culture of different countries. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
While actively preparing for publication,The Arab Spring has erupted in North Africa and the Middle EastUndoubtedly, the Arab Spring has brought this book to the attention of more readers,And readers' interest in 'Chronicles of the Greater Middle East' may shift from my personal experience and cognition to the political struggles, social transformations, and cultural dilemmas in the region. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
However, a book that focuses solely on the current situation is difficult for most readers to chew and savor in detail; For readers who lack basic knowledge of the historical evolution and cultural traditions of a region, I've found that it's also difficult to truly understand the social changes and political dynamics of that region. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
On the other hand, after the emergence of the Arab Spring, severalA large number of young people in Arab countriesIt has played a role in impacting social stability. Many of them have received good education but are unable to find employment smoothly. They hate the arrogance of their own powerful people, but excessively idealize the "fairness and justice" of foreign societies. They are able to connect with like-minded people online, are brave and good at expressing their opinions, and believe (and indeed are) the future of society, but they do not have a unified vision for the future. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Blue Mosque, a brilliant masterpiece of architectural art in the Ottoman Empire, is located in Istanbul, Türkiye
So, although the world was already familiar with the term "Arab Spring" created by Western media when "Chronicles of the Greater Middle East" was published in 2011, traces of geopolitics and power struggles were almost everywhere, and the energy of young people from various countries was unleashed, What do you think about this?The focus of this book is still on the author's comprehensive experience of walking, observing, and contemplating in the "Greater Middle East" region over the past fifty years. What do you think about this?
For decades, the global news focus has often been on the 'Greater Middle East'
fromThe Four Arab Israeli WarsreachInternational oil crisis, fromPalestinian refugeesreachLebanese Civil War, fromThe Iranian RevolutionreachThe Iran Iraq War, fromTwo Gulf Warsreach9/11 and Al QaedaAl-Qaeda From the hopeful atmosphere of the Arab Spring to the profound suffering of Arab countries, fromMultiple political disputes in UkrainereachCrimea returns to RussiaFrom the Greek populist government facing the debt crisis to Türkiye's democratically elected government gradually becoming authoritarian, from the Syrian civil war to the "Islamic State" rampant, from the terrorist atrocities to Europe's dilemma on the refugee issue, from Iran's signing of the nuclear agreement to Israel's anger Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Recently, the situation in Türkiye, Syria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Syria has developed unpredictably a year ago; Russia is more active in Syria, Türkiye and Russia are hostile and friendly again, while Saudi Arabia and Iran have severed diplomatic relations. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
These dazzling news are reminding us that to understand the global political situation in the 21st century, we must continue to focus on the 'Greater Middle East'. Don't forget to share your experience!
A View of Valletta, the Capital of Malta
Therefore, based on the changes in the international situation over the past five years, as well as observations from recent visits, I have reviewed "The Chronicles of the Greater Middle East", supplemented statements on the main changes over the past five years, and added a lot of background information and personal thoughts. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
In addition, I have rewritten the "Introduction" and increased its length, hoping that readers can have a more general understanding of this region that was already "not quiet" but has now become "not quiet". Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Before continuing to discuss the 'Greater Middle East', I would like to recall an old story.
My first time taking foreign history class was in the second year of junior high school.The course is experimental in nature and does not have textbooks. The textbooks are written by the subject teachers themselves, engraved in steel plates, and then printed and bound by the school workers. They are sent to us in several batches. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
The teacher is about thirty years old and speaks with a strong Henan accent; He speaks the tongue twisters word 'Mesopotamia' with a special flavor. Don't forget to share your experience!
From this course, I learned that the Sumerians were the first to invent the wheel and writing, and also heard the term 'Fertile Crescent' for the first time. Don't forget to share your experience!The teacher's explanation made me particularly interested in different civilizations in the world, to the point where I wandered between them for fifty years and visited over a hundred countries. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
I would like to express my deep nostalgia and respect to Teacher Dong Daoming, who enlightened me 63 years ago.
Where is the 'Greater Middle East'?
Let me first define the narrower term 'Middle East'.Middle EastRefers to the region where East North Africa, West Asia, and Southeast Europe intersect, and was first used by the US military during World War II. What do you think about this?
18. 19th centuryEuropeans put themselves at the center andEgypt, Southern Balkans(Mainly Greece today)Asia Minor(Asian part of Türkiye today) andLevant(Eastern Mediterranean region, see below for details)Known as' Near East '(Actually, these areas should be considered "near the west" for Indians!)
After the First World WarThe Ottoman Empire's territories in the Levant, Arabian Peninsula, and Mesopotamia (Iraq) were divided between Britain and France. theseFormer Ottoman territoriesWithThe original 'Near East'Mix it together, and then addPersia in the East(Iran), collectively referred to by some Europeans and Americans after World War IThe Middle East.
During World War II, the US military regarded North Africa and the region east of Greece as the same strategic unit and established the "Allied Middle East Supply Center" in Egypt. Since then, the term "Middle East" has been widely used internationally. Don't forget to share your experience!
Today's scholars and media generally believe that the Middle East region includes 16 countries, namely Türkiye, Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iran. Don't forget to share your experience!Except for Israel, the other fifteen countries have a predominantly Muslim population, making the "Middle East" primarily a Muslim region and the core area of the Islamic world. This is the main axis when considering the Middle East issue. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Adjacent to the Middle East are Sudan located upstream of the Nile River (south of Egypt) and Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco located in North Africa (west of Egypt) Let me know your thoughts in the comments!These five African Arab countries.The sixteen Middle Eastern countries plus five African Arab countries can be collectively referred to as the 'Cultural Middle East'. Among these 21 countries, except for Israel, all are Muslim countries; Apart from Türkiye, Iran and Israel, the other 18 are Arab countries. Don't forget to share your experience!
There are ten countries on the edge of the Middle East that have historically had close relations with the region and whose future fate is difficult to sever ties with it. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
They are the island countries of Malta and Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean, Greece in the southern Balkans, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan in the southern foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, as well as Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia in the Horn of Africa, What do you think about this?Collectively known as the "Ten Middle Eastern Borderlands".
Among these ten countries, the main populations of Azerbaijan, Djibouti, and Somalia areMuslimThe main official languages of Djibouti and Somalia areArabicTherefore, I've found that it'sMembers of the Arab LeagueThe main populations of Malta, Cyprus, Greece, Armenia, Georgia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea are Christians;They are the Christian countries closest to the core areas of Islamic civilization.
In this book, I refer to the 21 cultural Middle Eastern countries and the 10 peripheral Middle Eastern countries as the Greater Middle East, totaling 31 countries. Don't forget to share your experience!
Among the 31 countries in the Greater Middle East,Twenty three are Muslim countriesIn these Muslim countries, except Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Iran,The other twenty countries are all members of the Arab LeagueThere are 22 member countries in total. Therefore, it can be said with certainty that,Islamic faith and Arabic language are two fundamental elements of the Greater Middle East.
The Greater Middle East has a vast area.Its western end faces the Atlantic Ocean; The northern edge is relatively uneven, connecting the Mediterranean Sea, the Balkan Peninsula, the southern Black Sea, the northern foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, the southern part of the Caspian Sea, and the southern part of Turkmenistan from west to east; The southern edge faces the Sahara Desert, South Sudan, Kenya, Gulf of Aden, and Arabian Sea from west to east; The east is connected to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Overall, the Greater Middle East is a region where the three continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe intersect.
2 Geography and History of the Middle East
Introduction to Middle East Geography
The Greater Middle East has a vast territory, and here we will first focus on the traditional Middle East (sixteen countries). The Middle East also has a vast area and complex terrain, including rivers, oceans, plains, mountains, and deserts that play an important role in human development. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
In order to facilitate readers' understanding of the overview of the Middle East,I fabricated a "six six rule" to understand the Middle EastDivide the Middle East into six geographical regions and six historical segments.
Now, according to the first "six" character of the "six six rules", the Middle East is divided into six regions based on geographical location: Don't forget to share your experience!
1 Arabian Peninsula;
2 Mesopotamia in the northeast of the peninsula;
3 The Levant on the east coast of the Mediterranean, northwest of the peninsula;
4 The Nile Valley and surrounding deserts to the west of the peninsula;
5 Anatolia, north of the Mediterranean Sea and south of the Black Sea;
6 The Iranian plateau east of Mesopotamia and Anatolia.
These six regions have all played important roles in the history of human civilization, one of the reasons being that they are accessible by sea and land, and are easy to communicate with each other, thus possessing considerable unity and continuity. Don't forget to share your experience!
The famous Giza Pyramid and Sphinx
6000 Years of Middle Eastern History
About 5500 years ago, the Sumerians in Mesopotamia first invented the pictographic cuneiform script, and 400 years later, the Egyptians created another set of pictographic scripts. From then on, the history of the Middle East entered an era of written credit reporting. According to the "Six Six Laws" mentioned above, I divide the recorded history of the Middle East into six periods: Have you tried this before? Share your story!
1 The period of various ethnic groups competing for glory successively (4000 BC -550 BC);
2 The period of Persian Greek hegemony (6th century BC -7th century AD);
3 The Arab Islamic Empire period (7-11 centuries);
4 The period of Turkic language family hegemony (11-19th century);
5 The period of European hegemony (first half of the 19th and 20th centuries);
6 The chaotic period after independence (1950 present).
4 Current situation and future
The dilemma of development in the Greater Middle East
Outdated political system
In the 23 Muslim countries of the Greater Middle East, there are three political systems: monarchy, constitutional monarchy, and republic.
No matter what system is implemented,The phenomenon of rulers monopolizing power is very common, with a strong color of "family and the world". Family and tribal alliances are often the main forces supporting the regime Don't forget to share your experience!As Latin American and Asian countries gradually move away from authoritarian politics and towards democratization, the majority of Muslim leaders, under pressure from Western governments and media, only use the excuse of "our country's special situation" or "agree verbally but delay in action. Don't forget to share your experience!Muslim countries do not have democratic traditions, and transplanting Western systems may not be effective,But staying stagnant is not a long-term solution.
Saudi Arabia and Iran, two energy giants facing each other across the Persian GulfOne considers themselves the orthodox Sunni Islam, while the other is the natural center of Shia Islam; One is pro Western, while the other is anti Western; Recently, the two countries have severed diplomatic relations and become mortal enemies. But they unanimously implement the system of administrative and religious unity, strictly enforcing the generally similar Islamic law. What do you think about this?
Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Algeria were secular regimes established by military personnel through revolution in the mid-20th century.After these soldiers came to power, they suppressed Islamists politically and initially took care of the middle and lower classes in economic policies, thus gaining the support of ordinary people. After several years in power, their families and confidants have become powerful and influential, gradually leaning towards the upper class in policies, causing a wealth gap in society and causing dissatisfaction among the general public. Later, these rulers gradually became monarchs under the republican system; Let me know your thoughts in the comments!It was the Arab Spring that changed their fate.
Yemen and Somalia face each other across the Gulf of Aden, and both countries are quite poor and backward. Although they borrow modern terms such as "parliament", they have not actually deviated from the traditions of sects, tribes, and regional politics. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
YemenAfter years of civil war, it was formed by the merger of North and South Yemen in 1990; There are both Sunni Shia disputes and regional historical grievances between the two sides. Affected by the Arab Spring, Yemeni people drove away the President through continuous protests in 2011, but he continued to serve as the leader of the ruling party; Two years later, the old president used his existing political connections and the power of Shia kinship to carry out a restoration. What do you think about this?
At present, Yemen has returned to the state of North South division before 1990. The Shia Houthi armed group (supported by Iran) has occupied the capital Sana'a and the "government army" mainly composed of Sunni Muslims (supported by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other countries, relocated to Aden) has been on hold for the past two years. Don't forget to share your experience!
Although both the United Nations and the Arab League are involved in mediation, they are unable to steer a country with deep tribal and regional traditions onto the path of constitutional governance. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Somalia belonged to Britain and Italy respectively in the 19th centuryIn the past two decades, warlords from different tribes have been fighting fiercely, coupled with military interventions from countries such as the United States and Ethiopia, Let me know your thoughts in the comments!There are actually three regimes nowThe two regimes in the west and north can still exercise effective rule; Faced with the main part of the Indian Ocean, nominally ruled by radical Islamists occupying the capital Mogadishu, I've found that it's actually a "failed state" where different factions of warlords operate independently, piracy is rampant, and terrorists are rampant, making it difficult to achieve a unified regime. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Among these 23 countries,Türkiye has the most developed economyThe political system remained the most solid and stable until the summer of 2016.
Since becoming a republic in 1923, afterAtat ü rk(Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, also known as Kemal) actively promotes secularization and westernization. Türkiye has laid the foundation of a modern secularized country and gradually industrializes its economy. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
After the death of Atatuk in 1938, Türkiye changed fromMilitary supervision over civilian governmentofDuring the period of 'political training'In the past decade, a conventional democratic electoral system has been implemented. After 80 years of "radical secularists" in power in Türkiye, the government elected by the people in recent decades is an Islamic party; The current president seems to have a strong "Sudan" complex. He has almost "made up his mind to overcome all difficulties" and wants to be the great leader of Türkiye. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
This indicates that the trend of historical development must be observed over a "long period of time": Islamic culture and social traditions are indeed very resilient, just as Confucian traditions in China cannot be easily eliminated by short-term movements such as "overthrowing the Confucian family shop" or "breaking the four old and establishing the four new". Have you tried this before? Share your story!
However, Türkiye's two Islamic forces split in 2014, the armed coup in July 2016, and the subsequent large-scale arrest and interrogation also increased Türkiye's future instability. Don't forget to share your experience!
Lack of economic competitiveness
Economically, Muslim countries in the Greater Middle East can be divided into oil producing countries and non oil producing countries.
Although the national income of oil producing countries is relatively high, the price of oil is affected by the situationIncome is unstable. In recent years, the low oil prices have made it difficult for oil producing countries to sustain income growth, and may even be stretched thin. These countries have a relatively low total population and insufficient human resource reserves; Most of the high skilled talents need to be recruited from abroad, and there is a shortage of low skilled personnel. Have you tried this before? Share your story!on the whole; The population of "foreign workers" in Gulf countries often exceeds the total local population.Once the economy continues to decline and foreign labor withdraws, these seemingly prosperous countries will be in a difficult situation to overcome. What do you think about this?
Most oil producing countries have failed to achieve economic diversification and still belong to a "single economy"Promote globallylow-carbon economyAmidst the call, the United States has become a major energy exporting country in the world, and oil exporting countries in the Middle East may face a crisis of oversupply. Of course, this depends on the level of development of new energy in European and American countries, as well as whether newly industrialized countries can truly control the consumption of fossil fuels. The most likely scenario is that, Don't forget to share your experience!The largest customers of Middle Eastern oil producing countries will shift from European and American countries in the 20th century to Asian countries such as China, India, Thailand, and Vietnam in the 21st century. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
of course,The United Arab Emirates (especially Dubai) and Qatar have become financial centers in the Middle East. They use their oil and US dollars to invest around the world, which can both diversify risks and provide considerable returns. What do you think about this?
The general situation in oil producing countries in the Greater Middle East and Africa is not idealWith the exception of Türkiye and Tunisia,In recent years, population pressure has increased, economic growth has been slow, unemployment rates remain high, corruption and bribery are rampant in society, and people's hearts are angry but scattered. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!In the past thirty years of globalization, these countries have clearly lagged behind East and Southeast Asian countries in the global industrial chain. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Cultural traditions are being challenged
In today's world, except for the Western developed countries that have obvious advantages in the economic and cultural fields, other countries are facing a challenge: how to maintain their cultural traditions on the one hand, and be competitive on the shrinking earth on the other hand? What do you think about this?
This challenge is particularly severe for Muslim countries in the Greater Middle East, as they all have radical Islamists and Westernized factions that are sympathized with and supported by the West. When facing the challenges brought by globalization, they must find a development model that can be recognized by both domestic forces in order to avoid internal friction. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
For example, in many Muslim countries, women's education level and social participation are much lower than men's,Westernized elites advocate for the advancement of women's rightsHowever, the thinking of traditionalists (including many women) is still difficult to change. It is extremely difficult for a society to ignore the intelligent development of half of its population while still striving to be competitive in the knowledge economy era. see Don't forget to share your experience!The issue of 'feminism', which seems to be a cultural conflict, is actually a choice of social and economic development direction. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
According to a sampling survey conducted in Tunisia and Egypt after the Arab Spring, three-quarters of Muslim young women agree that women should receive the same level of education as men What do you think about this?And work in society on the basis of equal pay for equal work as men. According to my personal observation in Türkiye, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Azerbaijan and other countries, if the above sample surveys in Egypt and Tunisia are also carried out in the above countries, the results should not be different. What do you think about this?
This means that there will be a considerable number of competent and satisfactory women among the next generation of staff in most Muslim countries in the Greater Middle East. This will have a profound impact on the economic and social development of the future Islamic world. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Turbulent international environment
When modern people think of the 'Greater Middle East', the key words in their minds are inevitably: energy competition, Israel, Islamic rules, terrorism, the war on terror, American influence, and so on. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
It is precisely because the Greater Middle East region has the world's largest energy reserves, as well as transportation routes such as the Bosphorus Strait, Suez Canal, Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf, and Hormuz Strait, that European and American powers have coveted and occupied various countries in the Greater Middle East for over a hundred years. The Invasion of European Colonists Have you tried this before? Share your story!Many Muslims were forced to strive for self-improvement, leading to the modern Islamic revival movement in the early 20th century, one of which was the establishment of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. What do you think about this?
Britain took control of Palestine after World War IAllow Jews to establish a Jewish "homeland" on land that has been inhabited by Palestinians for nearly two thousand years; During World War II, Jews were threatened with genocide by the Nazis, prompting the post-war United Nations to pass a resolution based on sympathy for Jewish survivors, allowing Jews to establish a modern state called Israel in Palestine (their homeland two thousand years ago). Don't forget to share your experience!More than one million Jews who began immigrating to Palestine before World War II became the creators of this new country. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Due to the achievements and strength of Jews in the United States, the US government has always fully supported Israel; Israel is also the strongest base and ally of the United States in the Middle East. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
The United States' favoritism towards Israel and the contempt of many Europeans towards MuslimsThe appeal of radical Islamism has continued to strengthen since 1980. The actions of Israel and the West have distorted the mentality of many Muslims in the Greater Middle East and provided an excuse for the corruption and incompetence of rulers in Muslim countries in the region. This is indeed the misfortune of the people of Middle Eastern countries. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
The Arab coalition's four battles and four defeats against Israel have caused a long-term sense of oppression among Arabs, leading to irrational thinking and actions among a few people. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
The national borders established by foreign powers over a hundred years ago on Arab inhabited land were a scheme of division of spoils by colonialists, disregarding geographical conditions and the distribution of ethnic, linguistic, and sectarian populations. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!But the border drawn by colonial imperialist officials at the negotiating table has already solidified in the consciousness of ordinary Arabs; Let me know your thoughts in the comments!The Arab world is now just a cultural concept, no longer the political entity that pan Arabists hoped to see.
Ethiopia: the starting point of humanity
Humanity leaving Africa
For most people in the world, locatedEthiopia in East AfricaIt is a distant and unfamiliar country, but I've found that it's the birthplace of human ancestors.
1974Archaeologists have discovered a fossilized female skeleton from 3.2 million years ago in Ethiopia, which is now on displayNational Museum of Ethiopia In a glass cabinet. She is nicknamed "Lucy" by scholars. Lucy can maintain balance by walking on both feet without touching the ground with her forelimbs. What do you think about this?
In 1994, a skeleton of a male hominid animal dating back 4.4 million years was discovered. He can also walk upright on both feet, but his brain capacity is smaller than Lucy's. This indicates that human evolution first walked upright, and then the head became larger and heavier. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
In addition, stone tools dating back 2.5 million years were discovered in Ethiopia; Fossils dating back two million years have been discovered in Kenya with footprints of human ancestors walking on two feet. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Scientists believe that human ancestors migrated from East Africa to various parts of the world approximately 1.7 million years ago. Some of their descendants who stayed in East Africa evolved into modern Homo sapiens about 100000 years ago Have you tried this before? Share your story!Homo sapiensAnd once again 'out of Africa', this is the direct ancestor of humanity today. Research on the human genetic map indicates that Have you tried this before? Share your story!Today, all humans in the world may have originated from the same ancestor 100000 years ago, indirectly supporting the theory of 'leaving Africa'. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
My series of texts on 'wandering between civilizations' was written by EthiopiaIt can be said that I've found that it's a logical progression. Therefore, he self evaluated that it not only conforms to scientific knowledge, but also has humanistic feelings and international politics. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Curve Study Abroad
For about half a century, I have been studying, working, traveling, and exploring in different civilizations around the world, starting from Ethiopia. What do you think about this?
I graduated from National Taiwan University in 1962After serving in the military for a year, like most of my classmates at the time,Preparing to study abroad in the United States.
US Consulate General in TaipeiA Chinese employee of mine looked at my study abroad application form and said to me, 'You are alone in Taiwan and have a clear tendency to immigrate, so you cannot obtain a study visa.'; If you are denied a visa, the US consulate elsewhere will not issue you a visa. Aren't your parents in Ethiopia? Why don't you go to their place to apply for a visa. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
“”After obtaining the exit permit, I started buying plane tickets.
At that time, there were no computers, and travel agency staff had to repeatedly review thick flight schedules from various airlines to book seats for customers, and then wait for several days to receive confirmation from the airlines through Telex. The middle-aged staff member who processed my ticket took great care of me. He believed that since my parents were going to spend a considerable amount of money on my "curve study abroad", it would be better for me to have enough sightseeing and broaden my horizons along the way. What do you think about this?So he specifically found several flights that were inconvenient for me to transfer, so that I could enjoy the hospitality of the airline according to regulations and "wait" for my transfer at a first-class hotel. Don't forget to share your experience!
In mid July 1963, I embarked on a journey of Asian and African civilizations that I was not aware of at the time. Don't forget to share your experience!The first stop is Hong Kong, followed by Bangkok, Mumbai, Beirut, and then Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia; After staying for two days, I flew to the ancient capital of Gonder and met my parents who had been away for three years. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
The human ancestor 'Lucy' currently housed in the National Museum of Ethiopia
Three thousand years of ancient civilization
Ethiopia is an ancient civilization in Africa, formerly known as Abyssinia.
Its area is five times that of Britain, and its natural scenery is very unique and attractive, with plateau peaks and lowlands more than 100 meters below sea level; There are dense forests and barren deserts. What do you think about this?
About three thousand years ago,Southern Arabian PeninsulaofShibaQueen Sheba crossed the Red Sea and ruled over the present-day region of Ethiopia; She also had close ties with the Jewish kingdom in the north, and I've found that it's said that she once had a son with King Solomon, who was the founding king of Ethiopia. Don't forget to share your experience!
The rulers of Ethiopia have always emphasized the monarchy of the Jewish state and the queen of Sheba.The last emperor to uphold this monarchy was Haile Selassie, who fought fiercely against Italian aggression before World War II.
When I arrived in Ethiopia, the old emperor was already old, but he still held onto great power and did not allow the crown prince to inquire about politics. At that time, he had just suppressed a military coup launched during his overseas visit. During the coup, the powerless Crown Prince issued a statement preparing to take over the throne. After the old emperor returned to China, he asked the crown prince what was going on, and the crown prince explained that he was coerced by soldiers. The old emperor said coldly, 'Even if I were killed, I would not betray my father.'. Don't forget to share your experience!
Abandoned Jewish Village in Ethiopia (2010)
The Amhara people, who dominate Ethiopia, are a mixed race of Africans and South ArabsIn appearance, I've found that it's not much different from people in the southern Arabian Peninsula, with bright eyes, a prominent nose, and thin lips, but darker skin. Have you tried this before? Share your story!Amharic, along with Arabic and Hebrew, belongs to the Semitic language family.Although these ethnic groups have cultural roots, such as boys being circumcised and not eating pork, they have taken very different paths over the past two thousand years due to differences in historical trends. Don't forget to share your experience!
Jews were expelled from their homeland by the Romans in the 2nd century AD and scattered everywhere. They maintained their Jewish faith due to the need for spiritual strength. Have you tried this before? Share your story!
be locatedEthiopia in East Africa became one of the earliest countries in the world to embrace Christianity in the 4th centuryLike the Coptic Church in Egypt, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church believes that Jesus only has a single divinity, not a binary unity of divinity and humanity. Don't forget to share your experience!
At the beginning, Arab people with relatively low cultural backgrounds embraced Islam, which emerged in the western part of the Arabian Peninsula, in the 7th century. This strengthened national cohesion and spread the belief and rituals of monotheism to the world, making Islam the main religion in today's Greater Middle East region. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
When I was in Ethiopia, there were tens of thousands of Jews in the country who looked, dressed, and spoke almost indistinguishable from the Amharan people. Many people live there Have you tried this before? Share your story!GondorIn the nearby countryside, I've found that it's called "Falasha", which means exiled people. These people's ancestors may have come to Ethiopia in the 2nd century AD when the Romans drove Jews out of Palestine. Don't forget to share your experience!After Ethiopia adopted Christianity as the state religion, these Jews were discriminated against and unable to own land due to their refusal to change their faith. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!Therefore, many of them engaged in individual labor such as tailoring, bricklaying, painting, and trading, similar to the experiences of Jews around the world in the Middle Ages. But their experiences in the late 20th century were very different from those of Jews in other places. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Jews in Ethiopia
My parents are employed by the World Health OrganizationAssisted Ethiopia in establishing a brand new medical college and affiliated hospital, so there were many doctors and their families from various countries in Gondor at that time, forming a social circle. Have you tried this before? Share your story!In this circle, there are two Israeli doctors who do not belong to the World Health Organization and voluntarily seek medical treatment for nearby residents in Gondor at their own expense. What do you think about this?
The man was born and raised in Harbin, ChinaRussian JewsWhen he was 18 years old, he immigrated to Israel. He could speak a few simple words of Chinese and claimed to be half Chinese, so he was very friendly to the three members of our family. The woman has been speaking French since childhood Don't forget to share your experience!Moroccan JewsAfter the 1948 Arab Israeli War, he immigrated to Israel with his parents. Once, the male doctor took me for a four hour drive to the town at the southern end of Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile, to see patients. Along the way, he explained the history of Ethiopia to me and even took me to a nearby Ethiopian Christian church to see religious paintings with great historical value. Have you tried this before? Share your story!This is my first time getting to know the history and culture of Ethiopia.
In 1984, news reports stated that Israel had airlifted nearly 10000 Ethiopian Jews to IsraelLater, the newspaper reported that these Ethiopian Jews were carefully planned and organized to walk in batches to the Sudanese border, and then picked up by Israeli agents and boarded the plane. I immediately thought of these two Israeli doctors who were very friendly to me. Could it be that more than twenty years ago, besides taking care of patients near Gondor, they also had other tasks? What do you think about this?In 1991, Israel once again deployed a large number of transport planes to secretly airlift tens of thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
These black skinned rural people, who were originally living a medieval life, were suddenly brought into a highly modernized society established by European Jews and initially faced considerable discrimination. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!For over twenty years, their process of studying, adapting, and striving in Israel has been a large-scale and vivid experiment in sociology, psychology, and anthropology, and a true 'wandering between civilizations'. Don't forget to share your experience!
Ethiopia is located on a plateau, easy to defend but difficult to attack; In history, it was once a powerful country, so most people have a strong sense of subjectivity. Don't forget to share your experience!In the 19th century, when all of Africa was colonized by Europe, it was the only country in Africa to maintain independence. Have you tried this before? Share your story!In the early 1960s, significant achievements were made in the decolonization of Africa. African countries advocated for African consciousness and decided to establish the "Organization of African Unity", Don't forget to share your experience!The permanent venue is naturally located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Because I had just arrived at that timeLittle Paris "BeirutSo I feel that the appearance of Addis Ababa is not dignified enough. But the self-esteem and confidence displayed by many Ethiopian people are very evident, which left a deep impression on me. Don't forget to share your experience!
My parents' hometown of Gondor was the capital of Ethiopia from the 17th to the 19th century, without any modern urban atmosphere. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!The palace and bunkers in the city center have been in disrepair for a long time and are dilapidated. The common people of Gondor appear even poorer in terms of clothing compared to the citizens of Biya Bebar. Many people are wearing dirty and old white robes that have turned gray. Flies often linger in people's mouths, noses, and corners of the eyes, and those whose faces are occupied by flies seem to be indifferent. After a while, they wave their small fly brushes. What do you think about this?
The author and parents photographed on a residential balcony (1963)
The author photographed the palace in Gondor from the 16th to the 19th century
Ethiopian Airlines aircraft at Gondor Airport (1963)
What I am most unaccustomed to is their feudal tradition.In ancient China, officials would ride cars or sedan chairs to the streets, and there were always calls for support from the people. Some officials asked the people to "remain quiet" and "avoid". What do you think about this?
In Ethiopia in 1963, whenever a royal family or high-ranking official passed by in a car on a dusty road, passersby were required to stop walking, bend down to look at the ground, and not lift their eyes. They could only move after the car had passed. Some people even turned their backs and bent over towards the roadside, trying to show that they had no intention of peeking. I once stole a peek at Lu Xun's works in Taiwan. Every time I see this scene, In my experience of Lu Xun's evaluation of the historical era in China: "Firstly, the era when I wanted to be a slave but couldn't; secondly, the era when I temporarily settled down as a slave Have you tried this before? Share your story!
Due to the poor sanitation conditions and shortage of domestic talents in Ethiopia, the World Health Organization decided to recruit personnel from various countries to establish a medical school, which gave my parents the opportunity to work in this distant country. And as a result, I had to detour to Ethiopia to study in the United States, which changed the course of my life. What do you think about this?








The Outer Rim of the Greater Middle East: Misfortune and Misfortune
Azerbaijan: Poets and the Land of Oil
Georgia: Stalin's Hometown
Armenia: Scars of History
Caucasus: East West confrontation on the Eurasian border
From Rhodes to Malta: The Story of the Knights Hospitaller
Cyprus: an island nation in the great power game
Byzantium: The Roman Empire Speaking Greek
Greece: Classical Greek Culture and the Spread of Western Learning to the East
Greece: revisiting its homeland amidst financial and debt crisis
Morocco: The Real Place for Sunset
North Africa: Sketches of Maghreb Culture
North Africa: Four Countries with Similar Appearance but Different Reality
Sudan: Once the largest country in Africa
Gulf of Aden Storm: Somalia and Djibouti
Gulf of Aden Storm: Yemen
Eritrea: an isolated ancient country in the southwest of the Red Sea
Ethiopia: Lion of the Horn of Africa
Ethiopia: the starting point of humanity
Traditional Middle East: Footprints of History
Between Israel and Palestine: One Land, Two Ethnicities, Three Religions
Palestine: The Belonging of Jerusalem
Israel: The Jewish Nation
Jordan: Who said fate can be controlled by oneself
Lebanon: Close Observation Again
Syria: From Driver to President's Destiny
Syria and Lebanon: A Wandering Civilization
Persian Gulf Countries: Buying Modernization
The Arabian Peninsula: The Birthplace of Islamic Civilization
Iraq: The Source of Urban Civilization
Mesopotamia: The Cradle of Human Civilization
Iran: Should we have the East or the West
Iran: A Tour of Persian Civilization
Iran: After the Revolution
Türkiye: From "Leaving Asia to Europe" to "Entering Europe without Leaving Asia"
Türkiye: The Call of Mosques
Türkiye: The ongoing "cultural revolution"
Istanbul: The Eternal Tulip Capital
Egypt: the center of the Arab world
Egypt: From the 'Age of Ignorance' to 'Egyptology'
Egypt: Along the Nile River and Under the Pyramids
Through a comprehensive history, we can understand the present
Agricultural civilization and nomadic civilization
Nomadic Peoples and the History of the Eurasian Continent
Kings and Monks
A Brief Discussion on the Origin of Islam
Turkic speaking Peoples and Islam
The Mongol Empire and the Modern World