Enabling exploration: travelers in the middle east archive

In this paper, we describe the Travelers in the Middle East Archive (TIMEA), a digital archive focused on Western explorations in the Middle East between the 18th and early 20th centuries 7. TIMEA brings together TEI-encoded texts and digital images stored in DSpace, research and teaching materials in Connexions, and GIS maps made available online through ArcIMS. By using the functionality of three distinct systems, TIMEA enables users to more fully understand the materials, place them in context, and conduct queries. We outline the rationale for this architecture, the challenges it presents, and our approach to providing an integrated user experience.