Iran
Around 500m north of Cyrus’ Private Palace are the remains of the Prison of Solomon (Zendan-e Soleiman), variously thought to be a fire temple, tomb,…
Must-see attractions in Middle East
Iran
From Razmiyan, follow the Hir road for 2.5km to the castle access path. A 20-minute stroll leads to the top edge of the 'castle', where a hint of round…
Riyadh
This verdant swath about an hour outside the city is a worthwhile day trip for hikers and birdwatchers. Camping is allowed, so overnighters have the…
Esfahan
Dating from the Safavid era, this museum showcases the early technology involved in pressing oil from roasted seeds. A large round stone revolved on a…
Southeastern Iran
The strange, circular-fronted building topped with calligraphy on what looks like a lighthouse tower is in fact a venue for zorkhaneh, a traditional…
Jerusalem
The Hebrew Music Museum offers a mix of history lessons and noisemaking so that all visitors can explore to the tune of their own song. The museum is…
Hajar Mountains
This traditional mountain village is something of a landmark along the remote off-road route from Wadi Bani Awf to Sharfat Al Alamayn. With the most…
Shiraz
Famous for its tall cypress trees, this Unesco-listed garden, designed to complement a Qajar-era pool and palace (closed to the public), incorporates…
Oman
This aged lighthouse is a prominent landmark in Ayjah, including for the goats who for some reason like to congregate under the three-storey stone tower…
Tel Aviv
The first school built outside the city walls of Jaffa, this 1892 building set in leafy surrounds was converted into a cultural centre between 1984 and…
East Jerusalem
Discovered during excavations in 2004, the Shiloach Pool – a small pond near the Byzantine Pool of Siloam – was built during the Second Temple period and…
Jerash
South of the nymphaeum, an elaborate staircase rises from the cardo maximus to Jerash's only cathedral. Little more than a modest Byzantine church, it was…
King Abdul Aziz Heritage Castle
Northern Saudi Arabia
This little fort was built by the founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdul Aziz, early in the 20th century. It's square-shaped, with a central courtyard and a…
Masirah Island
Little is known about the history of Masirah island, except that it was once inhabited by Bahriya tribespeople, shipwrecked from Salalah. They were wiped…
Tehran
Immediately west of Niyavaran Palace in the cultural-historic complex, this attractive two-storey mansion dating from the early 20th century was last used…
Haifa
A lift shudders its way up to the 30th-floor observation area of Eshkol Tower, the brazen high-rise topping Haifa University. Designed by renowned…
Iran
Hulagu Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan and founder of Iran’s Ilkhanid Mongol dynasty, had his treasury on Kabudi Island in the middle of the lake. His…
Jerusalem
Near bustling Souq Khan Al Zeit St is the 7th Station, where it is believed Jesus fell for the second time. The station is a small chapel marked by signs…
Southeastern Iran
This Qajar-era garden has an avenue of tall pines leading down from a minor, two-storey pink-brick palace. It's worth a quick peep but is surely one of…
Tel Aviv
Israel’s national poet Chaim Nachman Bialik lived in this handsome 1920s villa, which is designed in the style of the Arts and Crafts movement. Its richly…
Jerusalem
This weathered entryway on the Old City's southern wall was a pivotal location during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and its bullet-eaten facade gives an…
Bahrain
A complex of three 2nd and 3rd millennium BC temples centred around a freshwater spring believed to be dedicated to the Mesopotamian god of wisdom and…
Iran
This tiny, bubbling, tepid pool, evidence of local geothermal activity, offers peaceful views of Zendan-e Soleiman peak and the surrounding area in the…
East Jerusalem
Head into the section of the Jewish cemetery below a panoramic viewpoint, via a staircase, to find this underground set of ancient rock-cut tombs. Jewish…
Tehran
Also known as the People's House, the country's legislative body occupies a compound that is defined by the modern pyramid-shaped debating chamber where…
Esfahan
Dating from Sassanian times, the crumbling mud bricks of the Ateshkadeh-ye Esfahan stand on a hill above Zayandeh River on the city's outskirts. There's…
Aqaba
To the untrained eye, these ruins look unprepossessing to say the least, but archaeologists maintain that the remains of this ancient mud-brick complex…
Jerusalem
Primarily aimed at kids, Bloomfield bursts with water-pumping, electrically charged exhibits that will enlighten budding scientists on everything from…
Shiraz
The modern assembly of arches that form Shiraz’s ceremonial gateway until recently housed a revered antique Quran (since moved to the Pars Museum opposite…
Jerusalem
Close to the large menorah in the Cardo, the Alone on the Walls Museum presents a Jewish perspective on the May 1948 campaign for control over the city,…
Iran
The 12th-century green dome, immortalised by a reference to it in the poet Khaqani's work, has long since been removed, but the untopped brick tower…
Southeastern Iran
A collection of ancient coins, displayed in a half-dark domed chamber, might be of interest to numismatists but at foreigner prices it seems overpriced …
Jordan
The Umm Ar Rasas site spans the expansive ruins of Kastron Mefaa (mentioned in the Bible as the Roman military outpost of Mephaath). The ruins encompass…
Beirut
The largest outdoor sight in downtown Beirut hearkening back to the days when the city was a centre of Roman law, the baths here underwent a major…
West Bank
Members of an ancient religion closely related to Judaism, the Samaritans believe that Mt Gerizim was not only the first piece of land ever created but…
Iran
If you're driving by on the westbound Semnan–Garmsar Hwy, the rest area at Lasjerd makes a popular snack break with the added bonus of two historic…
United Arab Emirates
The long strip of wide sandy public beach that trails along the Corniche Rd is decently clean and well maintained (though it can’t compare to the…
Dhofar
Botanists may be surprised to find a small stand of baobab trees gracing the thickets just above the Salalah Plain. These magnificent giants, their trunks…
Sharjah
This teensy museum was Sharjah's first school, and three rooms have been set up to show what classrooms would have looked like 70 years ago while framed…
Oman
An integral part of the landscape of Ayjah, and visible from the corniche in Sur, these three small round towers made of sandstone once guided dhows to…
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