Empires in the Middle East, 3000 BCE to 2006 CE

If you are interested in the history of the Middle East, I highly recommend this flash video, which compresses 5,000 years of imperial ambitions in the area into a mere 90 seconds. Who knew the Mongols had such a gigantic empire?

UPDATE: The Maps of War site, which created the Empires video, is a treasure-trove of interesting information. Check it out.