Arabic Geography

Is grammar and vocabulary all you need to understand Arabic? Short answer: No.⁣
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“I recently gave a lesson which combined Arabic language learning with the geography of the Middle East and North Africa. I’ve always loved geography and when I was studying in Palestine, I decided I wanted to buy an Arabic map. ⁣
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To my surprise, I couldn’t find one very easily at all. I went to a number of shops in the West Bank but could only find maps in English. It was actually in a dusty old book shop in Ramallah that I snapped up three or four Arabic maps. ⁣
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Going back to the class, I really enjoyed getting this map out and showing the students. I taught them not only about the current geography of the Middle East but also about traditional boundaries such as bilaad as-Shaam (the Levant) and al-Hejaz. ⁣
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Geographical knowledge of the Middle East is such an important tool for Arabic students - not least in understanding Arabic texts.⁣
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Arabic is a universal language but it is also the language of the markets of Fez and Cairene weddings. Learning Arabic is learning about these places. It’s about the geography, history and politics of bilaad as-Shaam.” ⁣

- Habib