Dear Readers,
The first time I ever left the United States was to study abroad in Jordan. I stepped off the plane in Amman to air heavy with the scent of sand, citrus, cardamom, and cigarette smoke. I distinctly remember breathing in and thinking it even smelled foreign, though those scents mingled together would soon be synonymous with comfort.
In the subsequent months and then years, as I traveled around the Middle East, back time and again, and lived there twice more–first again in Jordan then in Iraqi Kurdistan, I realized the more I thought I knew about the region, the more I also had to learn.
The history stretches back to the beginning of civilization, for one thing. Then there are the politics, endless wars, and competing interests (both within the Middle East and from abroad). And like anywhere, there are so many contradictions: extreme wealth and extreme poverty; abundant hospitality and brutal acts; ancient artifacts and brand new skyscrapers; bitter vegetables and syrupy sweet desserts; religion interpreted in a myriad of contradicting ways; women covered up by day and drinking in party dresses by night; chaotic cities surrounded by empty, undulating deserts; and on and on.
Currently, the Middle East is both thriving and in despair. Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup and Saudi Arabia and Iran are slowly (slowly) becoming more progressive. At the same time, 22 million people are in desperate need of aid in Yemen. Every ten minutes, a child in the country dies of preventable causes. The ongoing Syrian Civil War has left six million people displaced within the country, while at least another five million are living outside Syria as refugees. In Iraq, rebuilding will be a long process, and ISIS is still a threat. The Israel-Palestinian conflict shows no real sign of ending, and a few months ago protests at the Gaza Strip border ended with 86 Palestinians killed and 3,700 wounded. That’s not to mention the recent destruction of cultural artifacts, or how relatively better off neighboring countries are struggling to accommodate hundreds of thousands (in some cases millions) of refugees. Meanwhile, sectarian allegiances within countries and power struggles between major players like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Turkey, plus outside interests from the United States, Russia, and China make stability incredibly complicated.
Despite all this, Jordan, Israel, Oman, and Lebanon saw increased tourism in 2017, and I’m here to tell you to travel to the Middle East. Be smart about it–don’t go to Yemen or Syria right now, for example–but don’t be afraid of the region in general. It has everything–bustling cities, ancient ruins, archaeological wonders, hiking, beaches, some of the best food you’ll ever eat, and as cliche as it sounds, incredibly welcoming people and strong hospitality traditions.
For the next few weeks, we’ll be bringing you stories from across the Middle East, attempting to show the aforementioned contradictions, the beauty and the struggle. We’re starting this week with the Arabian Peninsula and I hope you’ll enjoy our stories on Yemen, Oman, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for short dispatches from Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait.
And as always, thank you for reading!
–Rebecca
