Research Paper: “The History of the Middle East” – 20 Topics to Inspire Students

In our previous guide, 10 facts for a research paper on the history of the Middle East, we discussed facts that could help you compose a competent research paper, however, picking a suitable topic out of many for your research paper can be a daunting task.

Our second guide focuses on providing you with 20 topics for the Middle East research paper that are suitable for your research. You can select any one you see appropriate to write upon or even come up with your own.

Besides mentioning these 20 topics, we have also written a structured essay that contains credible information. This short sample essay will help you get a clear picture on how to write an essay or research paper on the topic you have chosen. We have also mentioned a few references at the bottom to help you discover more information on a particular topic. This last guide holds all the keys and tips on how to write a better research paper to help you score top notch marks.

So, here are our 20 topics you can consider when you’re writing a research paper on the history of Middle East:

How has the Great Pyramid of Egypt Managed to Stay Undamaged for over a Century?
How the Discovery of Oil Changed The Middle Eastern Economy
A study on Increasing Population of the Middle East and The Risks It Causes
Why Was Turkey Unaffected During World War II
Why America’s Interest in the Middle East is Growing Day by Day
A Study on how and when Middle East Political Disputes Began.
A Research on the Impact of Media in Middle Eastern Wars.
How the Palestine Conflict Started.
Why Saudi Arabia Remain Safe During World War II
The Role of Foreign Countries in the Prevailing Unrest in the Middle East
A Conceptual Study of the Traditional Islamic Ideology in the Middle East.
A Study on Influence of Religious History in the Middle East.
The Impact of War on the Middle East.
How Historical problems originated in the Middle East?
A Study on Overgrowing Refugee Problem in Middle East.
How and Why Turkey Adopted to both Western and Islamic Principles.
How the Ottoman’s Got Out of the Middle East
Are Foreign Forces a Cause of Palestine-Israel Conflict
How Saudi Arabia Became a Leader in the Middle East
Why Jews Started to Settle in Palestine

These topics would without a doubt help you grasp the initial idea on how to begin composing your research paper. To make things much simpler, we have picked one of the topics from the 20 given topics to create an essay that will help you understand the dynamics better.

Here is a sample essay to help you understand.

Sample Essay: How and Why Turkey Adopted to Both Western and Islamic principles?

The Middle East was always a home to some religions and customs. Cultural conflicts were on the rise and people used to follow in the footsteps of their ancestors, without giving it a second thought. During this time, a revolution strike pushing some people to try what others had to offer, and Turkey was one such country. It started to learn more about the western world and understand its customers. Many say this also has to do a lot with the country’s geographical location as it is a part of Europe as well.

If we have a look a Turkey now, after 200 years, it is centered around the western ways and traditions to quite an extent. However, deep down it is following Islamic ways.

The everyday lives of the Turks have been a mixture of both eastern and western cultures. Turks are descendants of Djingis Khan, and they fall into the family of Uzbeks. They were influenced by the rulers of Ottoman Empire. Ottomans had been trying to adapt to the western ways as they thought westernization was important to survive in that era, especially when they were falling out of favor.

The historical background of the people of Turkey doesn’t completely fall under one category. They have adapted to a little of every culture since the very beginning. Turkey can be labeled as the bridge between the Europe, Asia, and Arabia, however not just geographically, but also when it comes to customs and traditions.

Accommodating western culture into the Turkish society was a well-thought-out move. However, neighboring Islamic states did not approve of it. Islamists see western culture as an opposing force towards Islam, but the Turks think otherwise. They think that adapting to a bit of western culture would allow them to grow more.

Hayat is one of the oldest magazines that served in Turkey back in the days, and Hollywood movie actors are still quite famous in Turkey as they were before. During 1957 – 1958, the Hayat magazine was on the rise in popularity, such famous artists as Ava Gardner, Brigitte Bardot, Elizabeth Taylor, Sylvia Lopez, Ingrid Bergman and Susan Hayward were found on the covers of the Hayat magazine and Hollywood’s love among the Turks kept on increasing with time. The Turks began to follow the lifestyle of the American actors.

Western literature also influenced Turkish literature. Immersed in the western ideologies and styles, Turkish writers love following the western style of writing. They are found to be translating western work into Turkish work. A Turkish social thinker called Ziya Gokalp once wrote:

“We belong to the Turkish nation, Islamic community, and western civilization. Our literature must direct itself to the people and, at the same time, to the West. ”

Turkish people are American food lovers as well. You can also find alcohol and pork easily in the country, despite it being a Muslim nation and Islam prohibiting drinking and pork. However, according to experts, this is largely due to the nation’s wish to promote tourism and welcome international guests.

There you have it, let us now move on to our third and final guide which focuses on how to write a good research paper on a specific topic. But before that, let’s have a look at the references mentioned below to get paper writing help.

References:

Regan Austin, Jesse DeLauder, Rebecca Luhrs, Laura Adriance, Austin Stockwell & Tese Wintz Neighbor (2008), Turkish Culture and Society: Where East Meets West.
https://www.world-affairs.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/turkey_resource_packet__study_unit__cba_-_web_version_final.pdf
Douglas Arthur Howard (2013). The History of Turkey. Greenwood Publishing
Metz, Helen Chapin, ed. (1996). “Turkish Origins” (fifth ed.).
Imber, Colin (2014). “The Ottoman Empire, 1300–1650, The Structure of Power”
Schaller, Dominik J; Zimmerer, Jürgen (2008). “Late Ottoman genocides: the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire and Young Turkish population and extermination policies – introduction
Rafis Abazov (2009). Culture and Customs of Turkey.
Mango, Andrew (2000). Atatürk: The Biography of the Founder of Modern Turkey