Turkish dinner
Near East, Middle East, Southwest Asia & North Africa

Near Eastern Studies

Study the languages, literatures, cultures, religions and history of regions from ancient Sumer to the modern Middle East. 

Near Eastern Studies Events

Apr 17
Wednesday 05:00 PM
Apr 22
Monday 07:00 PM

Near Eastern Studies News

More News

Courses of Interest

Students studying on Ho Plaza in summer

Spring 2024

Introduction to Judaism (NES/JWST 2644) MW 10:10 - 11:25

Death and the Afterlife in Islam (NES 3724) MW 1:25 - 2:40

Shi'ism: Poetics and Politics (NES 4537) T 2:00 - 4:30

Kalila wa Dimna for Students of Arabic (ARAB 3687) TR 11:40 - 12:55

All courses

Engage and Learn

Student writes in Arabic on a chalkboard

Major in Near Eastern studies

Interested in exploring the languages, literatures, cultures, religions, and history of the Middle East from antiquity to the modern day? Consider pursuing a major in Near Eastern studies.

My NES education afforded me the unique opportunity to look through a multifaceted lens of religion, culture, gender, and language and showed me how much the relationships of the past affect the present. All of these learning experiences proved to be vital in finding my future educational and career path and transformed my thinking in a capacity for which I will always be grateful. - Danielle Greco '23

We also offer undergraduate minors in Arabic and Near Eastern studies.

students seated around a table listening to their professor speak

Study a Middle Eastern language

Take Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, or Persian to fulfill the College of Arts & Sciences language requirement!

We also offer instruction in some of the ancient Middle Eastern languages like Akkadian, Biblical Hebrew, Hieroglyphic Egyptian, and Sumerian.

Recent Publications

Book cover art for "Racial Blackness and Indian Ocean Slavery"

Racial Blackness and Indian Ocean Slavery

Parisa Vaziri

December 2023

University of Minnesota Press

Unknowing and the Everyday book cover

Unknowing and the Everyday

Sufism and Knowledge in Iran

Seema Golestaneh

February 2023

Duke University Press

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