Five Important Artifacts in the Middle East

The Ka’aba – As the most holy site in all of Islam, the Ka’aba is easily one of the most important artifacts in the Middle East.  “During the holy months, when the desert fairs and the great markets envelop the city of Mecca, pilgrims from all over the Peninsula make their way to this barren land to visit their tribal deities,” (Aslan 419-420).  Not only do people from all over the Peninsula make their way, but Muslims from all over the world seek pilgrimage to Mecca in order to pray around the Ka’aba.  The Hajj pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam.  Within this, those that voyage will walk around the structure seven times.  For the average Muslim, when the call to prayer comes every day, it is the Ka’aba in Mecca that he or she faces when praying.  For these reasons alone, the Ka’aba is arguably the most important artifact to the Islamic culture that still remains today.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – As the sixth President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a very controversial figure.  Accused by many of rigging his election in 2009, his negative stance on homosexuality and his denial of the holocaust, Ahmadinejad is quite obviously not a crowd pleaser.  “What Ahmadinejad shows about the complexity of the Middle East is that it is not one uniform group of beliefs,” (Schlak).  After the Iranian Revolution occurred, Ahmadinejad’s family became highly involved with politics in the region.  He is an extremely conservative figure and has the primary focus of making Iran an Islamic state.  Because of his stature and prominence at a global level, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is one of the most important figures in the Middle East.

The Great Sphinx – The Great Sphinx is an artifact that is different from many in the Middle East.  It is highly symbolic of the history of the region.  The Sphinx still stands today, its face broken and battered, but nonetheless it remains, much like the region and its history.  It has lasted through all the suffering along with the people.  It does not have a truly defined existence other than the fact that it does exist.  Although the Muslim people of the world clearly do have a defined existence, there is still a sense of a lack of identity, in particular due to the ongoing wars of Israel and Palestine. However, much like the Sphinx, these people today still stand as a prominent player in the world. The Sphinx acts as a great symbol of how strong the people of the Islamic culture are, from 4500 years ago to present day.

The Western Wall – The Western Wall is one of the holiest sites within Jerusalem and is deemed as the most important Jewish shrine remaining.  Built in 20 BC as a retaining wall to the Temple Mount complex, it is the only remaining fragment remaining from the Roman devastation.  It is common belief that the Divine Presence never left the wall, thus praying to it is considered praying directly to God.  It is a divine place for all Jewish people around the world.  “The ancient 2,000 year old stones of the Wall have witnessed the Jewish peoples birth, exile and redemption. The Western Wall is a living testimony to the strength and resilience of the Jewish nation,” (Fichera).  Much like the Ka’aba is arguably the most important artifact remaining for Islam, the Western Wall is one of the most important remaining artifacts for the Jewish people.

Osama Bin Laden – As the founder of Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden is a very important person to the Middle East.  Perhaps, though, his importance comes from the rumors and myths that have been spread of him over the past few decades.  Bin Laden was one of the United States primary targets throughout the war in Iraq after being accused of the September 11^th attacks.  He fully believed in the right for violent jihad against those that went against his Muslim beliefs.  Although common belief is that he attacked outsiders more often than not, Al-Qaeda does not hold back on anyone.  “Al-Qaeda leaders regard liberal Muslims, Shias, Sufis, Ahmadiyyas and other sects as heretics and have issued attacks on their mosques and gatherings,” (Dannreuther).  The tactics that Bin Laden has used and the mass amount of terror that he has spread allows for him to be deemed one of the most important, yet dangerous, people in the Middle East.