Why do most Greeks look Middle Eastern? Are they mixed with something other than European?

Question

These Greek soccer players look Middle Eastern

http://de.uefa.com/ml/images/players/ucl/220X220/34026.jpg

http://www.lacancha.com/images/grk3.jpg

http://www.siamsport.co.th/images/Giorgos_Karagounis03164.jpg

http://eur.news1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/ng/sp/empics/4389349

http://www.goal.com/resultsimg/703.jpg

Could the reason be because Greeks are mixed with something other than European?

Answer 1

The huns (from mongolia), the arabs, and the turks conquered greece and the surrounding areas. Thus, the greek people have not always been dark-complected, but due to interbreeding with people of other races (listed above), they would have , over time, become darker.

A similar thing happened in Mexico. The Spaniards invaded and interbred with the native tribes in mexico. During that period of time (+/- 400 years ago) it was a status symbol to be light complected, and it still is today(in mexico) to a certain extent.

Answer 2

It works both ways. I've mistaken "Middle Easterners" for Greeks! Some Turks look Greek. Some Greeks look Turkish.

Think Mediterranean Basin 3000 or more years of genetic intermixture! "Races" do not have neat boundaries!

There is no Wallace Line for human populations.

Answer 3

What is and what is not Europe is strictly an arbitrary designation by people in the past. It is an agreed upon designation but it is strictly arbitrary.

Greece is probably considered to be Europe because of its history of intellectual achievement and the ego of the Europeans who decided upon the original geographic boundaries.

I have never considered this question and I suppose that because we learn things at an early age, we tend to accept them as factual, even if we suspect they might not be.

Children accept the authority of the parent even when some parents demonstrate, time and again, that... the child and not the parent should be in charge.

I find that, at first, I accepted material in text books as factual only later, in college, did I begin to question the statements and claims in approved texts. As an adult I found the main reason for much of the pathetically erroneous information polluting the young innocent minds of our school children. I could eleborate but I won't.

Answer 4

Look where they live! They are Mediterranean. It's hot and sunny, grapes and olives grow there. Being white and blond isn't necessarily an advantage. They are also a bit closer to the middle east than other Europeans, so there's that. It's not like there's this border where white people live on one side and brown people live on the other.

Answer 5

Greeks come into the same population group as North Africans and the middle Eastern people, 'Mediterranean type' it's called. They have a little North African ancestry from the Moorish conquests too.

Generally, the average Greek and North African and Middle Easterner could swap places and not be spotted as a foreigner in most Med countries.

Answer 6

To say European as if it is a single entity is wrong. Greeks have more in common with Middle Easterners than with, say Swedish  people. They are "Mediterranean" and share traits with other Mediterranean peoples, who all have a long vast history inthe region and most defintiely do have some genetic mixing going on. That is different than say being Scandanavian, Western European, Slavic, etc.

Answer 7

The Mediterranean phenotype is rather consistent throughout Southern Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and other parts of the world. So, it's easy to confuse a Greek for a Middle Easterner. I have a Mediterranean phonotype. Some people think that I look Turkish. My Spanish friend thinks that I look Italian. My Brazilian friend thinks that I look French. Whatever.

In my opinion, however, those Greek football players look Southern European.

Answer 8

Europe is not  and never was Proprietary of very white blonds. If you think of Civilization, in ancinet Europe what comes to mind is Greece and Greek. If dark hair or look is confusing you then many Italians, French, Spanish(of Spain),English  too look the same.Is anyone sure the "pure" Greeks Socrates,Plato,Aristotle were Middle Eastern or "Europeans".

Answer 9

They're right next to Turkey.

Answer 10

greeks are meditteranean which means more sun which means they are tanner.

-plus-

greeks have an exotic look because they are the gateway to the middle east which means they could look like anything.

greek people are awesome!!

Answer 11

This website should clear up your confusion. It has a good section on human variation.

http://www.understandingrace.org/home.ht...

Answer 12

If you look on a map, Greece, which includes the islands of Crete & Cyprus, are actually closer to countries such as Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria & Turkey, than anywhere on continental Europe, and since people move around, and have invasions, and such, this leads to offspring!

Greece also has the most southerly latitude of all European countries, ranging from about 35-40 degrees. Compared to England, for example, which is between 50-60 degrees latitude, which is quite a difference!

Answer 13

Right on.

Look at Brad Pitt in Troy. Blond!  But black color is predominant, so they are mostly dark now.

Greeks are mixtures of many people. Byzantine Empire use to extend over today's Turkish parts of Asia and Africa as well .

Answer 14

people say they are mixed with Ethiopians but i would say

they are mixed with Turkish and Syrians