Tripoli
Attached to the east side of the Great Mosque is Madrasa Al Qartawiyya, which was built by a Mamluk governor of the same name in the early 1300s, over the…
Must-see attractions in Middle East
Israel
Visitors arrive at Latrun Monastery not only for peaceful contemplation and a peep into the church, but also the chance to buy olive oil and wine made by…
Jerusalem
Descend to Jerusalem's ancient bones at this small subterranean museum. Among its impressively intact archaeological sites is a 600-sq-m Herodian-era…
East Jerusalem
The Rockefeller Museum doesn't ride high on must-see lists for Jerusalem, but it's calm, uncrowded and only a short walk from Herod's Gate. The atmosphere…
Iran
Small but lavishly tiled, the octagonal tomb tower of Sufi poet Sheikh Attar (1145–1220) sits in a very pretty garden that's a popular destination for…
Al Buwayr Hejaz Railway Station & Fort
Northern Saudi Arabia
Sitting off the old Medina–Al Ula road is this refurbished black Hejaz Railway locomotive, almost complete with wagons in tow. There's also a crumbling…
Madraseh va Masjed-e Sepahsalar
Tehran
Just south of the Iranian majlis (parliament), this Islamic college is arguably the most noteworthy example of Persian architecture of the Qajar period,…
Iran
This wild-looking, incredibly eroded, cave-ridden mesa soars above (or, more accurately, falls into) the Qezel Owzan river in the ribbed and riven…
Iran
Imamzadeh Jafar is a splendid, ancient pale-brick building with round side-towers, arched false-windows and a five-level dome culminating in a brick cone…
Jordan
In the southern corner of the Badia and nestled close to the Saudi border off the main highway is the alien landscape of Wadi Al Dahik. The area's name…
Tehran
The Glass & Ceramics Museum is, like many of its exhibits, small but perfectly formed. The galleries walk you chronologically through the ages, with…
Iran
The three-legged giant folly of a tower that sits on Basij Sq like a child's fantasy spacecraft is actually a jerkily revolving restaurant-coffeeshop that…
Southeastern Iran
Possibly Iran's most mind-blowing work of contemporary art was haphazardly created over decades by deaf/non-verbal shepherd Darvish Khan Esfandiarpur, who…
Yad Layeled Children’s Memorial Museum
North Coast
This powerful memorial to the 1.5 million Jewish children killed in the Holocaust is housed in a circular building, intended to symbolically unify their…
Dubai
One of the oldest parks in Dubai, dating from 1974, Mushrif covers more than 5 sq km of natural ghaf forest, which is a haven for birds, including owls,…
Iran
Directly west of Khayyam Sq, the city centre's most interesting feature is this restored caravanserai, which incorporates into its arched niches a series…
Tehran
Also known as Stone Garden, Park-e Jamshidiyeh climbs steeply up the lower reaches of the Alborz Mountains and offers a clean, quiet atmosphere in which…
Lebanon
On the main street opposite the main square is this beautiful 18th-century palace, which now serves as the town hall (look for the two carved lions above…
Amman
Immediately to the right as you enter the Roman Theatre, this small museum houses a modest collection of items illustrating traditional Jordanian life. It…
Southeastern Iran
Wrapping a conical crag in ruined fortress ramparts, Qaleh Dokhtar is a dramatic, if well camouflaged, castle. From its summit you can appreciate its…
Israel
This picturesque coastal park contains the ruins of a Crusader castle that becomes the venue for open-air concerts during summer weekends. There are some…
Mecca
The 640m-tall Jabal Al Nour is the location of the tiny Hira cave and one of the most important Islamic pilgrimage sites. According to Islamic tradition,…
Madaba
This helpful interpretative centre makes a good starting point for visiting the highlights of Madaba. It's worth a visit in its own right, as it's housed…
Israel
Thousands of spindly stalactites hang within this 4800-sq-metre cave, with illuminations in blue and violet adding to the sense of enchantment. A short…
Bur Dubai
Opened in January 2018, this 150m rectangular 'picture frame' sits in Zabeel Park, right between historic and modern Dubai, and provides grand views of…
Iran
This unique, partly ruined mud-brick structure has 18 extraordinarily sturdy rear columns that date from about AD 760 – reputedly making this the second…
Saudi Arabia
Named after the spring that waters its garden, Dhee Ain is the perfect image of traditional, mountainous Arabia. Sand coloured two- and four-storey houses…
Iran
The region’s greatest attraction is the fabled ruin of Alamut Castle, Hasan-e Sabbah’s famous fortress. The site is a dramatic crag rising abruptly above…
Jeddah
This mosque in the north of Jeddah sits on stilts and seemingly floats on the Red Sea. Visitors come to wander in the open courtyard and enjoy the cooling…
Israel
More than 380 of Israel's major sights are shrunk to Lilliputian proportions at this cheerful and child-friendly amusement park. Pathways lead you among…
Southeastern Iran
Around Qa'en you can find several old villages of low, domed, mud hovels, which have been almost entirely abandoned as folks moved to new, more sanitary…
Saudi Arabia
As recently as half a century ago, many residents of Farasan Town still lived here. Now this collection of simple mud, coral and reed structures, many…
Jordan
Located in a stunning old villa of basaltic rock that's located just behind the town hall, this museum is an interesting diversion. Built in 1886 by the…
Tehran
This white, twin-spired church, a centre for Christianity in the Islamic Republic, sits at the southern edge of the city's Armenian quarter. Built between…
Iran
The extraordinarily high, if austere, west iwan of the Masjed-e Jameh dates from a 1424 rebuild, rising above a bare-brick octagonal prayer hall. But the…
Al Ula
The fortress and three peaks of Jebel Khuraibah once formed part of the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Lihyan. Rock-cut tombs squat at the foot of the…
Iran
Though not one of Semnan's classic caravanserai villages, Padeh's sizeable shattered citadel, dating back at least 1500 years, has been so eroded by water…
KOC Ahmad Al Jaber Oil & Gas Exhibition
Kuwait
Costing around KD18 million (US$59 million) to build, the most recent Kuwait Oil Company exhibition teaches visitors about Kuwait's biggest business. Nine…
Nazareth
Built in the late 1700s by Sheikh Abdullah Al Fahum – his tomb can be seen through a glass door off the sanctuary – this mosque is known for its long…
Southeastern Iran
The expansive Imam Mosque courtyard covers 6000sqm with tiled iwans (barrel-vaulted halls) on three sides. But it's the main southwest iwan that's the…
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