Middle Eastern culture

Middle Eastern culture encompasses the traditions, customs, arts, and social practices of peoples from Southwest Asia and parts of North Africa—a region spanning from Morocco to Iran.

The term groups extraordinarily diverse societies sharing some common threads: the influence of Islam (though ancient Christian, Jewish, and other communities persist), Arabic as a lingua franca in many areas, extended family structures, and traditions of hospitality.

Middle Eastern culture emphasizes communal meals and strong family bonds.

The phrase often appears in Western contexts as a broad generalization, flattening distinctions between Arab, Persian, Turkish, Kurdish, and other distinct peoples.