▁such ▁as ▁K hal id ▁ibn ▁al - W al id , ▁swe pt ▁through ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁taking ▁more ▁than ▁half ▁of ▁By z antine ▁territory ▁and ▁completely ▁eng ulf ing ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁lands . ▁In ▁An atol ia , ▁they ▁were ▁stopped ▁in ▁the ▁Sie ge ▁of ▁Constantin ople ▁( 7 1 7 – 7 1 8 ) ▁by ▁the ▁By z ant ines , ▁who ▁were ▁helped ▁by ▁the ▁Bulg ari ans . ▁ ▁The ▁By z antine ▁provinces ▁of ▁Roman ▁Sy ria , ▁North ▁Africa , ▁and ▁Sic ily , ▁however , ▁could ▁not ▁mount ▁such ▁a ▁resistance , ▁and ▁the ▁Muslim ▁conquer ors ▁swe pt ▁through ▁those ▁regions . ▁At ▁the ▁far ▁west , ▁they ▁crossed ▁the ▁sea ▁taking ▁Vis ig oth ic ▁His p ania ▁before ▁being ▁halt ed ▁in ▁southern ▁France ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁T ours ▁by ▁the ▁Fran ks . ▁At ▁its ▁greatest ▁extent , ▁the ▁Arab ▁Empire ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁emp ire ▁to ▁control ▁the ▁entire ▁Middle ▁East , ▁as ▁well ▁three - quarters ▁of ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁region , ▁the ▁only ▁other ▁emp ire ▁besides ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁to ▁control ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁Sea . ▁It ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁Arab ▁C ali ph ates ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁that ▁would ▁first ▁un ify ▁the ▁entire ▁Middle ▁East ▁as ▁a ▁distinct ▁region ▁and ▁create ▁the ▁dominant ▁eth nic ▁identity ▁that ▁pers ists ▁today . ▁The ▁Sel ju q ▁Empire ▁would ▁also ▁later ▁domin ate