. . . . . . "Home to the Cradle of Civilization, the Middle East (usually interchangeable with the Near East) has seen many of the world's oldest cultures and civilizations. This history started from the earliest human settlements, continuing through several major pre- and post-Islamic Empires through to the modern collection of nation-states covering the Middle East today.Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh."@en . . . . . .