Middle East Toolbox

This toolbox covers the various countries that make up the Middle East. Civil records tend to be scarce. Many never existed, and of those records that were created, many have been destroyed or have been "closed" for political reasons. In general, church records may be your best resource.

The Family History Library has microfilmed some church and civil records, so you may want to start there. But remember that these records are not going to be in English, so if you don't read Arabic or Turkish, be prepared with a translator.

American Druze Society

Al-Assad National Library - Syrian Records

National and University Library: Hebrew University (Jewish)

Arab-American Historical Foundation

Arab-American National Museum

Arab-American newspapers from the Center for Research Libraries

Arab Educational Institute

Arab Immigrant Experience

Armenian-American Newspapers from the University of Minnesota’s Immigration History Research Center

Eastern Rite churches: Opus Libani

Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon

Immigration History Research Center

Lebanon - Jafet Library: American University of Beirut - recommended place to start for Lebanese researchers

Lebanese Churches: Opus Libani

Researching Your Lebanese or Syrian Ancestry

Lebanese Emigrants on RootsWeb The Golden Who’s Who of Lebanese Emigrants in the World by Dr. Maurice Khoury Hanna Dib - Tripoli, Lebanon

Mount Lebanon.org Has links to many churches of the area

Middle East GenWeb

Middle East Maps at the Perry-Castañeda Library

Lebanese White Pages

Palestinian Heritage Foundation

Palestine-Family.net

Turkey: Guide to the General Directorate of State Archives

University of Jordan - Islamic court records covering Jordan and Palestine