The Near East: Dalmatia, Greece and Constantinople

The following is a travelog of what was then called the Near East; a geographical term that roughly encompasses a transcontinental region in Western Asia, that was once the historical Fertile Crescent, and later the Levant region. It comprises Turkey (both Anatolia and East Thrace), and Egypt (mostly located in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula being in Asia). Despite having varying definitions within different academic circles, the term was originally applied to the maximum extent of the Ottoman Empire. Here, the author shares his experiences during his visits to Dalmatia (modern-day Croatia), Athens (Greece), and Constantinople (now known as Istanbul in modern-day Turkey).