East Jerusalem
Built in the early 1950s, this tear-drop-shaped church commemorates the spot where, according to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus wept after foreseeing the…
Must-see attractions in Middle East
Saudi Arabia
Once a village on the outskirts of Abha, Al Bastah is now one of two neighbourhoods with a healthy number of old fort-like houses. These tall properties…
Manama
This 200-year-old Hindu temple is the oldest in the Gulf and a testimony to Bahrain's ancient Indian community. Situated down a narrow alley in the heart…
Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology
Jordan
This museum features exhibits from all eras of Jordanian history. The collection opens with 9000-year-old Neolithic statuettes found near Amman, covers…
Oman
Less wadi and more an extension of the Batinah Plain, Wadi Mistal leads through a narrow gap in the mountains to an enormous desert basin. Dotted with…
North Coast
Striking displays and short films relate the struggles of early Zionist pioneers: fleeing pogroms in their homelands, escaping Ottoman detection on their…
Southeastern Iran
Birjan's adobe-plastered fortress has been comprehensively restored and looks particularly impressive at night when glowing with the lights of the…
Golan Heights
A true boutique operation, Bahat – housed in a one-time plastic-sandal factory – produces just 20,000 bottles of wine a year, including port (first sold…
Iran
This gem of a small museum displays ancient stone and pottery from archaeological sites in the region. Highlights include a giant double-headed bull…
Jordan
This delightful little museum is located in a well-restored Ottoman-era building and covers the history of the Jordan Valley area with excellent…
Saudi Arabia
Home of the world's biggest date festival, this is the largest date market on earth, and the complex resembles a small airport. At the height of the…
Jerusalem
Once a home for leprosy patients, the 19th-century Hansen House is now a rotating gallery of art exhibits and a chic restaurant with music on Thursday…
Manama
This delightful little mosque is integrated within the Beit Al Quran complex and is open even when the museum isn't. Often overlooked, it has one of the…
Jerusalem
This modern Franciscan church (c 1939–40) is built over what is said to have been the home of Zacharias and Elizabeth; it's named for Mary’s visit to…
Dhofar
This small but well-preserved castle was built in the 19th century. With a furnished interior, good signage and an accompanying booklet explaining the…
Jerusalem
Few travellers are aware of this fascinating museum about the struggle of the Jewish underground's efforts to oust the British and create Israel. It's…
Saudi Arabia
This was once the village of Quba, where the Prophet Muhammad and his companions, migrating from Mecca to Medina, stopped in AD 622, and where the Prophet…
Sur
The corniche affords a picturesque view across to the village of Ayjah. Dhows used to be led to safety by Ayjah’s three watchtowers, which mark the route…
Bur Dubai
Opened in September 2018, this museum is fast becoming a favourite for families and Instagram fans, with several of the 'illusions' frankly looking a lot…
Saudi Arabia
Built on the site of an important traditional Najd market still functioning up until the 1970s, the Al Musawkaf market is set in a beautiful mock-castle…
Tehran
Near the front gate of the Sa'd Abad Museum Complex, this museum exhibits many excellent paintings, including a dazzling full-sized portrait of Fathi-Ali…
Bahrain
The Al Sakhir Tower of the Formula 1 Racetrack rises above the desert like a beacon. If you're visiting Bahrain out of season and want to see what a state…
Oman
This wide and luscious wadi meanders along the western base of the Eastern Hajar Mountains and provides a fascinating alternative route between Muscat and…
Oman
Oman's only suspension bridge, the 240m-long Khor Al Batah Bridge opened in 2009 and cut down the journey from Sur to Ayjah from 20 to just three minutes…
Sharjah
Paths meander past art sculptures amid landscaped gardens on this island across a bridge behind the Al Noor Mosque. The main draw is the wavy-roofed…
Jerash
Built in about AD 115, the North Gate is an impressive full stop at the northern limit of the Jerash ruins. Commissioned by Claudius Severus, who built…
Jerusalem
Nestled in a quiet green space off Jerusalem's bustling Zion Sq, Ticho House is home to galleries that showcase the work of a beloved Jerusalem artist,…
Oman
Where the paved road through Wadi Bani Awf ends, a magnificent stand of trees comes into view. These are Ziziphus spina christi, or 'Christ thorn trees' –…
Iran
Half close your eyes and you could almost imagine this beautiful shrine as a Buddhist temple in the Nepali foothills – all that's missing is the ek on the…
Oman
The road through Nakhal, from the fort to Ayn Thawarah hot springs, winds through a dense plantation of dates. Enough light passes through the feathery…
Wadi Rum
Kharazeh Canyon, one of the mighty incisions in Jebel Umm Al Ishrin, is a popular hiking destination. Guides and agencies offer a day hike (around seven…
Oman
Referred to locally as a rock arch, this striking natural feature is in fact a fissure in the cliff. There is just enough space at the bottom of the crack…
Dhofar
Housing the remains of Mohammed Bin Ali, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, this tiny tomb, with its two distinctive onion domes, marks the old…
Saudi Arabia
Go wandering in Buraydah's historic date-growing neighbourhood. As you walk in the shade of tall palms, the desert grass brushing your feet, local…
Jebel Akhdar
Wadi Bani Habib refers less to the wadi of walnuts and pomegranates that are still grown here, and more to the ruined village that lies wrapped around the…
Hajar Mountains
This crumbling old quarter is loosely strewn over the hill behind modern Birkat Al Mawz and makes a fascinating place to wander around. Some…
Iran
This ornately furnished 1937 building, set in a walled garden, was once the summer palace of Reza Shah. Gilded, over-the-top rooms mix guillotine-era…
Dhofar
Just before reaching a spring of the same name, a small car park appears on the right-hand side of the road and a paved path disappears mysteriously into…
Israel
This 2.5-sq-km reserve is the best place in Israel to get a sense of what the natural and agricultural landscapes of the Holy Land looked like back in…
Dhofar
Conforming to the typical image of a desert oasis, with palm trees, permanent water and grazing camels, Muqshin is renowned for a less expected wonder: a…
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