"Levantine" redirects here. For Catholics in the Ottoman Empire, see Levantines. For other uses, see Levant (disambiguation) and Names of the Levant. The Levant The Levant (pronounced /ləˈvænt/) describes, traditionally, the Eastern Mediterranean at large, but can be used as a geographical term that denotes a large area in Western Asia formed by the lands bordering the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, roughly bounded on the north by the Taurus Mountains, on the south by the Arabian Desert, and on the west by the Mediterranean Sea, while on the east it extends towards the Zagros Mountains. The Levant includes modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories, similar to the historic area called Syria or Greater Syria. Occasionally Cyprus, Sinai and Iraq are included. The UCL Institute of Archeology describes the Levant as the "crossroads of western Asia, the eastern Mediterranean and northeast Africa".1

The term Levant was originally applied to the "Mediterranean lands east of Italy", from the Middle French word levant meaning "the Orient". Historically, the "trade on the Levant" between Western Europe and the Ottoman Empire was of great economic importance. An imprecise term, Levant refers to an area of cultural habitation rather than to a specific geographic region, and its meaning shifts according to historical and cultural reference and preference. Contents 1 Etymology 1.1 "Capitulations" 1.2 After World War I 1.3 Since World War II 2 See also 3 Notes 4 References 5 External links Etymology

The term Levant, which first appeared in English in 1497, originally meant the East in general. It is borrowed from the French levant 'rising', that is, the point where the sun rises.2 Similar etymologies are found in Ancient Greek Ἀνατολή (cf. Anatolia) and Germanic Morgenland. "Capitulations" The term became current in English in the 16th century, along with the first English merchant adventurers in the region: English ships appeared in the Mediterranean in the 1570s and the English merchant company signed its agreement ("capitulations") with the Grand Turk in 1579 (Braudel).

In 19th-century travel writing, the term incorporated eastern regions under then current or recent governance of the Ottoman empire, such as Greece. In 19th-century archaeology, it referred to overlapping cultures in this region during and after prehistoric times, intending to reference the place instead of any one culture. After World War I The French Mandates of Syria and Lebanon, from 1920 to 1946, were called the Levant states. The term became common in archaeology at that time, as many important early excavations were made then, such as Mari and Ugarit. Since these sites could not be classified as Mesopotamian, North African, or Arabian, they came to be referred to as "Levantine." Since World War II

Today "Levant" is typically used by archaeologists and historians with reference to the prehistory and the ancient and medieval history of the region, as when discussing the Crusades. The term is also occasionally employed to refer to modern or contemporary events, peoples, states or parts of states in the same region, namely Cyprus, Iraq, the Palestinian territories, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria (compare with Near East, Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia). Several researchers include the island of Cyprus in Levantine studies, including the Council for British Research in the Levant,3 the UCLA Near Eastern Languages and Cultures department,4 and the UCL Institute of Archaeology,1 the last of which has dated the connection between Cyprus and mainland Levant to the early Iron Age. Currently, a dialect of Levantine Arabic, Cypriot Maronite Arabic, is the most-spoken minority language in the country.dubious – discuss

The term "Southern Levant" is used by archaeologists as a non-political term for (approximately) the area of the modern states of Israel, the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jordan; see History of the Southern Levant. See also Mashriq Fertile Crescent History of the Levant Mesopotamia Near East and Middle East Notes ^ a b The Ancient Levant, UCL Institute of Archaeology, May 2008 ^ Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition ^ Sandra Rosendahl (2006-11-28). "Council for British Research in the Levant homepage". Cbrl.org.uk. http://www.cbrl.org.uk/. Retrieved 2010-07-05.  ^ Biblical and Levantine studies, UCLA References Braudel, Fernand, The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Phillip II Julia Chatzipanagioti: Griechenland, Zypern, Balkan und Levante. Eine kommentierte Bibliographie der Reiseliteratur des 18. Jahrhunderts. 2 Vol. Eutin 2006. ISBN 3981067428 http://www.levantine.plus.com/index.htm. Levantine Heritage Site. Includes many oral and scholarly histories, and genealogies for some Levantine Turkish families. External links The History of the Ancient Near East The Ancient Levant Levantine Cultural Center in Los Angeles v · d · eRegions of the world Africa Northern · Sub-Sahara (Central · Southern · Western · Eastern) Oceania Australasia (Australia) · Melanesia · Micronesia · Polynesia Americas North (Northern • Middle • Central • Caribbean) · South (Southern • Northern • Western) · Anglo · Latin Polar Arctic · Antarctic Asia Central · Eastern (Northeastern) · Northern · Southeastern · Southern · Western (Middle East) Oceans World · Arctic · Atlantic · Indian · Pacific · Southern Europe Central · Eastern · Northern · Southeastern · Southern · Western Seas List of seas Related Continents of the world · List of seas · Physical Earth