But behind these cities of today and yesterday, it could also be a question of Babylon or Jerusalem. Considering, at different times, at different scales, these very different cities themselves, their populations, their districts, their competitions and their clashes, the studies gathered here and presented by the Center for Studies and Research on the Contemporary Middle East aim to shed light on some of the aspects of the changing societies of the Arab East. The city crisis is arguably one of the most dramatic signs of the changes taking place. It is also one of his most eloquent testimonies.