Why do the borders of the Middle East look the way they do? Why did the 600-year strong Ottoman Empire collapse so suddenly? And could the Arab world have united into a single superstate?In this episode, we sit down with Tariq from Hikma History to unpack the forgotten turning points that created the modern Middle East — from the fall of the caliphate to the secret pacts that split the region between imperial powers.This conversation traces the rise and fall of the Ottomans, the British and French betrayal of Arab independence, and the invention of artificial states like Iraq, Syria, and Jordan. We also explore how Pan-Arabism briefly promised unity, why it failed, and whether a different future was ever possible.What we cover: • How the Ottomans ruled across continents for centuries — and why they collapsed • The secret European deals (Sykes-Picot, Balfour) that redrew the Middle East • The fall of the caliphate and its geopolitical shockwaves • Why Arab states are often called “inorganic” Western creations • Could the Arab world have united after World War I? • How the Cold War, the Nakba, and the Six-Day War shaped today’s fractured mapWhether you’re interested in geopolitics, Islamic history, or the legacy of empire and colonialism, this is an essential deep-dive into how we got here.