Qatar
These striking triple-decker towers were built in the late 19th century in a T-shaped design unique to the Gulf. Restored in 2003, the 16m high towers…
Must-see attractions in Arabian Peninsula
Kuwait City
Not to be confused with the distinctive Kuwait Towers, the striking Liberation Tower, with its UFO-like saucer, is the second-tallest tower in Kuwait. At…
Manama
Malls have conquered Manama in a big way, but the antidote lies in this earthy vestige of Old Bahrain, located off Lulu Ave. Fruit and veg dominates the…
Abu Dhabi
These two shady parks straddling 4th St and spreading along the Corniche fill up with families, joggers and picnickers in the early evening. The…
Hajar Mountains
While Al Ayn has the best preserved beehive tombs, the largest concentration of these structures is to be found in Wadi Hajir, between Al Ayn and the…
Saudi Arabia
It doesn't have much of a lake, but this landscaped and well-maintained green park in one of Yanbu's affluent southern suburbs is a pleasant spot for…
Dhofar
Tiny compared with its more bountiful neighbours, this spring collects in a small well in the middle of a rural road at the northern rim of the plain. Of…
Dhofar
The town’s main fort is now derelict despite being the site of the well-documented Battle of Mirbat. Nine soldiers kept 300 insurgents from taking Mirbat…
Saudi Arabia
Buraydah's city museum isn't one you are going to go out of your way to find. It's designed like a mini Najd fort, and has displays dominated by photos of…
Manama
This mosque, with squat onion domes resting on smooth lines and accentuated curves combining with more traditional local features, has a slightly art deco…
Hajar Mountains
Opposite Bahla Fort, on the other side of Nizwa–Bahla Rd, rows of low-rise, arched buildings hide the entrance to a tiny traditional souq. A giant tree…
United Arab Emirates
Khor Fakkan's long corniche, meandering for several kilometres from the port to the Oceanic Khorfakkan Resort, is flanked by well-tended gardens with…
Saudi Arabia
After years of neglect, this evocative old Ottoman-era fort is finally being refurbished, and there are now plans to convert it into the city's museum…
Saudi Arabia
The highlight of this exhibition, which explains the context and historicity of Islam's holiest book, is a collection of nine original Qurans, the oldest…
Dhofar
Below the village of Ayoon there are some natural pools surrounded by tall stands of reeds and other vegetation. The pools are accessed along a 3km off…
Dubai
One of Dubai's oldest parks, pocket-sized Al Khazzan has been given a total reboot and is now entirely solar-powered, giving it the right to the title to…
Oman
Enclosing a tidy acreage of the Batinah Plain, this enormous fortress has three circular towers and an unusual rectangular fourth tower. As with many of…
Riyadh
Al Elb Dam is a coveted wetland area within the city that offers miles of date-palm-lined walkways and shaded picnic spots. Visitors can stroll across the…
Oman
Brown signs lead off old Hwy 23 to this fortified mud-brick mansion house. Built possibly around 300 years ago, and now buried in the Ibra suburbs on the…
Hajar Mountains
The market opposite Hela Castle sells barasti – plaited palm fronds traditionally used for roofing and fencing – while just along the road, a lively souq…
Dhofar
Of passing interest in the town of Mirbat is the old quarter, where some merchant houses still stand proud along the beach front. Some are still lived in,…
Masirah Island
The small town of Hilf, a 3km string of jetties, shops and fish factories in the northwest of Masirah, is home to most of the island's tiny population…
Kuwait City
Adjacent to Kuwait Bay, opposite the Dickson House Cultural Centre, you can see dozens of traditional dhows (cargo boats), most still operational and…
Bur Dubai
One of the emirate's oldest and largest parks stretches for 2.6km along Dubai Creek and is mostly popular with Bur Dubai expats, who arrive on weekends to…
Oman
Functioning less as a sight in its own right, picturesque though it may be, this fort as an excellent landmark for the slightly obscure entrance into Wadi…
Sur
Built to defend the town against marauding tribes from the interior, 200-year-old Bilad Sur Castle boasts unusually shaped towers. It has been closed for…
Downtown Dubai
This bi-level space is the first gallery in the Middle East dedicated to cartoon and animation art from across the entire spectrum of media, from paint to…
Oman
This renovated fort, which is open somewhat erratically, if at all, seems to have been built as part and parcel of the surrounding merchant houses, with…
Downtown Dubai
Housing an eclectic combo that includes a community theatre, edgy concept stores and galleries, this enticing cobblestoned complex wraps around its…
Mecca
Many of the Prophet’s family are buried here, including his first wife, Khadija, his sons Qasim and Abdullah, his uncle, Abu Talib, and his grandfather,…
Sharjah
Close-up views of maritime creatures from the UAE's west and east coast – without getting your feet wet. Moray eels lurk, blacktip reef sharks prowl,…
Abu Dhabi
Stare up – access is limited to residents – at this 92-floor, 382m landmark tower which forms part of the World Trade Center and is Abu Dhabi's tallest…
Abu Dhabi
This square, trapped between busy main roads, offers good views of the tower-clustered skyline of the western Corniche Rd. Photos of the square's little…
Oman
This large fort with a mighty round tower with a unique, detached (and arched) external stairway is of passing interest for those heading into the sands…
Oman
With its unusual octagonal tower and a location fending off incursions from the sea, Barka Fort cuts a dash along Barka's busy coastline, flanked by…
Riyadh
Get a tour of the world at this small and strange spectacle that holds miniature replicas of world landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal…
Oman
Off the main Muscat–Sohar Hwy, this large formal park has mowed lawns trimmed with flower beds and is shaded by mature trees. It makes a pleasant retreat…
Mecca
These remnants of Masjid Al Bay'ah mark the spot where tribal leaders pledged their allegiance to Muhammad in AD 621. Simple in design, an arched entrance…
Riyadh
One of Riyadh’s cleanest and best maintained parks, here there are several green lawns that you can picnic on, wide pathways for jogging and cycling, a…
Salalah
This enormous palace complex, with villas and landscaped gardens along the beach front, is home to the family of Oman's ruler, Sultan Qaboos Bin Said…
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