May 13, 1960
No part of the world has been host to so many vital events in history as the Middle East. This land was the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The first known human civilization was started in Mesopotamia. It has been conquered by the Byzantines, the Persians, and currently, the Ottomans. Now, as Turkey finds itself rich from oil wealth, they are working to restore the monuments of the past. Constantinople is planning on spending $1 billion on maintenance and renovations. The Great Mosque of Mecca, where the prophet Mohammed began his pilgramage to Medina will have its worn down and vandalized stone finished refurbished. Cracks in the famous Walls of Jerusalem will be filled in. The ancient ruins of Mesopotamia will be turned into a museum. For Grand Sultan Osman, restoring his kingdom's history is a source of pride "We must ensure that our history will survive for future generations to appreciate." he said. The renovations are also an investment in tourism, meant to diversify the economy from oil which now is responsible for 1/3 of the nation's GNP, 50% of export earnings, and 75% of government revenue. They also present to the world an image of a resurgent Turkey, which has gone from being the sick man of Europe to the gas station of the world.