Mashriq

Mashriq, derived from the Arab verb “scharake,” refers to the area in the Middle East, bounded between the Mediterranean Sea and Iran. Being the counterpiece to the Maghrib, those North African and sometimes Moorish Spanish lands bordering the Mediterranean, the Mashriq is very similar to the “Levant”. Like Levant, Mashriq also refers to the east lands and the rising sun. While Egypt occupies an ambiguous position, it is generally considerd part of the Maghrib on account of its closer ties to the Levant.