

For this list, cities like Raqqa and Mosul that are currently under control of extremist groups were excluded. Civil war in Syria combined with the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq has created a situation with a great deal of very dangerous cities in the Middle East. The resulting uprisings have led to a number of civil wars and violent demonstrations. With very corrupt governments in these countries, popular uprisings began to occur throughout the region in 2011 during what is known as the Arab Spring. Home to numerous important ancient religious and cultural structures and cities, the region recognized as the Middle East consists of the countries located centered on Western Asia and Egypt.
