Mashreq
Mashreq
Philip of Montfort
The <b>Mashriq</b> or <b>Mashreq</b> (<a href="Arabic alphabet">Arabic</a>: <font face='Arial Unicode MS,Code2000'>&#1605;&#1588;&#1585;&#1602;</font>) is the region of <a href="Arabic language">Arabic-speaking</a> countries to the east of <a href="Egypt">Egypt</a>. It is derived from the Arabic root sh-r-q (<font face='Arial Unicode MS,Code2000'>&#1588;&#1585;&#1602;</font>) relating to the east or the sunrise, and essentially means "east". It is therefore the corresponding term of <i><a href="Maghrib">Maghrib</a></i> (<font face='Arial Unicode MS,Code2000'>&#1605;&#1594;&#1585;&#1576;</font>), meaning "west", which refers to the Arab countries in North Africa. Egypt occupies an ambiguous position: while culturally and linguistically closer to the Mashriq, it is often seen as being part of neither.<p>These geographical terms date from the early Islamic conquests in North Africa.