Middle+East+B+Claire+Andy+Lisa


 * Trade**

•	During the time of the Ottoman Empire, which conquered most of the Middle East, trade was flourishing in the area •	Imperial roads were built in current day Turkey that allowed fast and long-distance trade and travel •	At first the roads were built for taxation, but also used as trade routes •	After a while, European merchants such as the Portuguese, Dutch, and British merchants started to compete with the Middle Eastern traders •	People stopped using the roads of the Ottoman Empire and instead used ships to transport goods •	Another problem was that plantations in the Americas produced products such as coffee which competed with the coffee grown in the Middle East •	The Ottomans allowed European traders to do business more and more in the empire, causing local business to go out of business •	After some time, the balance of trade shifted to the disadvantage of the Ottoman Empire


 * Location of the Imperial Roads**




 * Art**

•	Many artworks from the Ottoman Empire were inspired by religion, and many focus on scenes from the Koran •	Arts include calligraphy, ceramics, rugs, buildings, woodwork, weaving, engraving, and paintings •	Many wealthy people had buildings built that were full of art; the interior was full of designs carved on the walls, painting and sculptures everywhere, with expensive rugs on the floor •	A lot of the artwork included geometrical patterns and natural themes, such as symmetrical flower-shaped patterns •	The most well-known examples of Islamic art are based on religion •	Mosques, religious buildings, full of decorated wood, ivory (elephant tusk) boxes, calligraphy, and paintings •	Not everything was religious; there were also many poems and paintings based on everyday life, court life, natural scenes, and historical events



"East of Eden: Gardens in Asian Art." Newsdesk: Smithsonian Institution's Press Room. 25 Aug. 2008 . "Middle East Maps - Perry-Castañeda Map Collection - UT Library Online." University of Texas Libraries. 21 Aug. 2008 . "Middle East." ABC-CLIO. 21 Aug. 2008 . "Middle Eastern Art." ABC-CLIO. 21 Aug. 2008 . "Middle Eastern Art." ABC-CLIO. 25 Aug. 2008 . "TheOttomans.org - Discover The Ottomans." The Ottomans. 25 Aug. 2008 .

-Jerusalem was the center of of origin for three popular religion including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. -Christianity began in areas near Palestine. -During the seventh century, the Middle East was able to flourish due to the overpowering influence of Islamic religion. -Many people come to the Middle East for religious purposes. By this, trade increased abruptly. -Due to the greatly increased trade, the general economical status of the Middle East also went up.
 * Religion**

" Google Image Result for http://gulf2000.columbia.edu/images/maps/MidEastReligionCore_sm.jpg." __Google Image Search__. 25 Aug. 2008  "Religion and the Middle East." __fairplanet - read. click. vote. sign. donate: home__. 25 Aug. 2008 .  " Religion in the Middle East ." __Yahoo! GeoCities: Get a free web site with easy-to-use site building tools__. 25 Aug. 2008 http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/6981/.


 * Military Force**

The Middle East was strong of its military force in the 17th century, and the example held can be the Ottomans. - Osman and his followers known as Ottomans from Asia Minor- now Turkey - Military force of the Ottomans made them strong and notorious as well as conquering lands - Military force benefit ⇒ No body disturb ⇒ Have peace in nation b/c of strong defense ⇒ Gain more land Ex) gain land when fight w/ Austria b/ ⇒ Other countries try to make allies EX) politically ally w/ Holy Roman Empire - Military force lead to political advance - Ottoman politically w/ Holy Roman Empire - Conquered Southeastern Europe, Middle East, North of Arfica in 16- 17th century Bad aspects of military force - Ottoman Empire mainly decline b/c of military force ⇒ 17th century, gov led by Janissaries, the military force of Ottoman ⇒ faster decline of nation ex) European forces feel Ottoman w/ too much power, take down Ottoman Empire Map of the Ottoman empire

Drawing of the Ottoman calvary

Bibliography

"Ottoman Calvary." ABC-CLIO. 24 Aug. 2008 .

"The Rise of the Ottomans (Overview)." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 23 Aug. 2008 <[|http://www.ancienthistory.abc-clio.com]>.