Halal Tourism

Abstract

Various sources show that people have traveled for various reasons since ancient times. People traveled to meet their basic needs such as food and drink in the primeval era. Also, many factors such as the desire to explore new places, health and religious reasons caused people to travel. The Sumerians started their travel history around 4000 BC and they visited Egypt in 3000 BC to see the pyramids and temples. Especially, the commencement of the Olympic Games in 700 BC led to many people travelling to other cities to watch the games. The number of journeys increased during the rise of the Roman Empire. It can be stated that the Romans were the first tourists who traveled for pleasure. Interest in art objects and sculptures in Anatolia caused Roman aristocrats to travel to Egypt and Greece. The Middle Ages saw an influx of travelers visiting the holy places, particularly, the cities with religious values such as Jerusalem, Mecca and Medina. Following the Crusades, the desire of those who participated in the war along with their families to see these places led to religious based travels between the continents. The travels of Marco Polo had an immense cultural influence on the western world in order to identify different cultures.