near east
     n : the area around the eastern mediterranean; from turkey to
         northern africa and eastward to iran; the site of such
         ancient civilizations as phoenicia and babylon and egypt
         and the birthplace of judaism and christianity and islam;
         had continuous economic and political turmoil in the 20th
         century; "the middle east is the cradle of western
         civilization" syn: middle east, mideast
see also:
middle east mideast 

26 moby thesaurus words for "near east":
   africa, america, antipodes, asia, asia major, asia minor,
   australasia, east, eastern hemisphere, eurasia, europe, far east,
   levant, middle east, new world, occident, oceania, old world,
   orient, west, western hemisphere, continent, down under, eastland,
   landmass, the old country