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Founded in the 3rd millennium B.C., Damascus was an important cultural and commercial centre, by virtue of its geographical position at the crossroads of the orient and the occident, between Africa and Asia. The old city of Damascus is considered to be among the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world.

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During the Middle Ages, Baghdad was an international trade centre on the Silk Roads networks. Its strategic geographical position made Baghdad a major central market for merchandise coming from diverse regions such as India, China, Daylam, or Anatolia.

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Medina is celebrated as the place from which Muhammad established the Muslim community (ummah) after his flight from Mecca (622 ce) and is where his body is entombed. A pilgrimage is made to his tomb in the city's chief mosque.

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Mecca is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad. The Kaaba is located in the center of the Great Mosque in Mecca and universally considered by Muslims to be the most sacred spot on Earth. Thus, Mecca is a deeply spiritual destination for Muslims all over the world and is considered the heart of Islam.

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Founded by the Romans in the 2nd century BC near the pre-existing Tartesic Corduba, capital of Baetica, Cordoba acquired great importance during the period of Augustus. It became the capital of the emirate depending on Damascus in the 8th century.

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The second largest Egyptian city, after Cairo, and one of the largest ports on the Mediterranean coast, Alexandria was a major centre of civilization in the ancient world, controlling commerce between Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean, and has continued throughout its long history to act as a vital crossing point for merchants and their trade on the maritime routes between Asia and Europe.

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Jerusalem has been the holiest city in Judaism and the ancestral and spiritual homeland of the Jewish people since the 10th century BC. During classical antiquity, Jerusalem was considered the center of the world, where God resided. The city of Jerusalem is given special status in Jewish religious law.

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Constantinople. First settled in the seventh century B.C., Constantinople developed into a thriving port thanks to its prime geographic location between Europe and Asia and its natural harbor. In 330 A.D., it became the site of Roman Emperor Constantine's “New Rome,” a Christian city of immense wealth and magnificent architecture.

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Strategically important because it is situated at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, Arabia has been coveted and controlled by many empires throughout history. The area's importance is all the greater today because of its fabulous oil reserves.

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Egypt was one of the imperial giants of the ancient Near East, a presence that still looms over the Old Testament. Its power and culture were enormously significant to Israel and Judah (and their whole region) in diverse ways throughout the entire period in which the Hebrew Bible was composed.

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Al Andalus. Al-Andalus is especially significant because it brought an Islamic presence directly into Europe, which took over nearly all of Spain for a period of time, and spread far and wide through Europe.

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Persia. Ancient Iran, historically known as Persia, was the dominant nation of western Asia for over twelve centuries, with three successive native dynasties—the Achaemenid, the Parthian, and the Sasanian—controlling an empire of unprecedented size and complexity.

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It is a major conduit for international trade, especially energy. Its littoral is vast, densely populated, and comprised of some of the world's fastest growing regions. The Ocean is also a valuable source of fishing and mineral resources.

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Persian Gulf (also known as the Arabian Gulf)

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Persian Gulf (also known as the Arabian Gulf)

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Persian Gulf (also known as the Arabian Gulf)

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The Persian Gulf region produces nearly one third of the world's oil and holds over half of the world's crude oil reserves as well as a significant portion of the world's natural gas reserves.

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The Red Sea is one of the first large bodies of water mentioned in recorded history. It was important in early Egyptian maritime commerce (2000 BCE) and was used as a water route to India by about 1000 BCE.

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The Mediterranean Sea is one of the world's most culturally important bodies of water and for centuries, it has been the home and primary source of food for millions of people.As a result of its location between Africa, Asia and Europe, it is a primary trade route.