What is the origin of the word Levant?
The word Levant derives from the French word for rising, referring to the sun's ascent in the east. Its root ultimately comes from the Latin word meaning lift or raise.
Questions about Levant
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did the English merchant company sign its agreement with the Ottoman Sultan?
The English merchant company signed its agreement known as capitulations with the Ottoman Sultan on the 15th of July 1579. The English Levant Company was founded in 1581 to trade with the Ottoman Empire.
Where are the geographical boundaries of the modern Levant region?
The general limits begin at the Plain of 'Amuq in the north and extend south until the Wâdī al-Arish along the northern coast of Sinai. The western coastline and the eastern deserts set the boundaries for the Levant.
Who are the main populations inhabiting the modern Levant today?
The population of the modern Levant border is approximately 57.6 million consisting of the populations of Syria Jordan Israel Lebanon and Palestine. The majority of Levantine Muslims are Sunnis adhering to the four madhhabs Hanafi Shafi'i Hanbali and Maliki.
What languages do most people speak in the Levant region?
Most populations in the Levant speak Levantine Arabic a variety of Arabic descended from the pre-Islamic Arabic dialects of Syria and Hejazi Arabic. Of the languages of Cyprus the two official languages are Turkish and Greek.