Levante
| of these articles treats the Levante as comprehensive term for the countries in the eastern Mediterranean area. For information to the Spanish Levante see Levante (Spain), to the weather phenomenon Levante see Levante (wind). |
As Levante (ital.for “(sunning) stairway”, also “morning country”) one designates the countries in the broader sensethe eastern Mediterranean, actually all countries, which lie east of Italy, particularly the coastal region of small Asia, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt. In the closer sense the term Levante refers to the coast and the hinterland, that roughly a majority of the today's states Syria, Jordanian one, Lebanon and Israel cover.
The Levante is considered as origin area of the Neolithi revolution.
From European view the Levante received a special meaning, which came before the background of the crusades by the intensive trade relations with the Italian city states. The Levante was an important place of transshipment for Orientwaren, which were near-created over the Indian ocean and the asiatic caravan ways and which one exchanged against European products like for example cloth. The Levantehandel contributed substantially to the wealth of cities such as Genova and Venice, became however by penetratingthe Osmani realm heavily disturbed, there the Osmanen in the center 15. Century imposed a trade embargo. By the development of new sea routes in 15. and 16. Century decreased the economic meaning of the Levante strongly.
” Levantini business” is for Central Europeans the somewhat devaluing name for” Hand impact business” (also” Feil”) with bazaar - and/or. Street traders.
