The aim of this book is to investigate the impact of different Near East cultures on Europe.
Could Western culture originate without Near East? What would it be without external influence? There is no answer to such questions. The roots of Western culture are planted in the northern coast of the Mediterranean. Europe would not be what it is without the surrounding world.
Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila
It has been stated repeatedly that there is a sharp distinction between Western and Near East cultures. It is argued that there is a clash of civilisations or cultures, especially regarding the differences between Western and Islamic cultures. To the historian’s eyes, the cultures of the Mediterranian region make a coherent whole.