Traditional Economy

In the Near and the Middle East the gathering gave way to arable farming, which had a historical meaning, and later on there took shape the centers of hand and ploughed farming. People learnt very early to build the irrigation systems, as well as to make use of the seasonal river floods. In the course of their history the peoples engaged in arable farming closely communicated and exchanged the produce with the nomadic herders' tribes of deserts and semi deserts. In the mountains and at the foothills the nomads and semi-nomads cultivate sheep and goats, sometimes combining the cattle breeding with land farming. In the oases they plant  gardens and grow the grapes in the vineyards. These products serve as food supplement for the local population and are also exported. In the semi-desert areas one cultivates camels, on the sea shores the population engages in fishing, coasting trade, in the South and the East of the Arabian Peninsula pearls are gained. From the southeastern areas of Arabia came the coffee as a plant and the ceremony of coffee drinking (symbolizing hospitality among the nomads and the settled peoples of the Region). The world famous Mokko coffee brand, was named after the once brisk and buoyant port of Mocha, or Mokha, located on the Eastern coast of the Red sea, from where coffee was transported to the countries of the Mediterranean and the North Europe.

Land Ploughing. Egypt.    The Arabs of Egypt.    M. Vasilenko. 2006.		Grain Winnowing. Iran (Persia).    The Armenians of Iran.    A. Sevryugin. The End of the 19th century.