The Levant as an European space

Abstract

The present article tackles the concordances between the European idea and the Levant through the ages, and posits the argument that the Levant is an intrinsically European space. Europe carries the Levantine spirit - first mentioned by Greek mythology and later developed until the present - in its very essence. Birthplace of the world's three major monotheistic religions, the Levant has always been a space dominated by imperial realities, impressive in its complexity, a space of negotiation, of expectation, of agrarianism, of sumptuousness and of mystery. Through its capacity to assimilate spiritual experiences, Levantine Christianity became the model for European Christianity at large, and for the broader European civilization that would come to carry a permanent 'Sehensucht' for this Eastern Mediterranean state of being.