Tehran
Built between 1958 and 1968 this remarkable palace contrasts clean-lined functionality on the outside with opulent, European-royal-style furniture and…
Must-see attractions in Middle East
Wadi Rum
Often mistaken for Lawrence’s Spring, the ‘Father of Aineh Spring’ is piped down the mountain into a large tank for Bedouin sheep, goats and camels. Look…
Doha
This exceptional modern exhibition space provides a home for international art with an Arab connection. Housed in an old school near Education City, the…
Northern Saudi Arabia
The Haddaj Well is an outstanding example of ancient engineering. It reportedly dates back to the Babylonian presence during the 6th century BC, and at…
Abu Dhabi
By far Abu Dhabi's nicest public beach. A boardwalk leads through a protected zone of coastal vegetation, home to nesting turtles, to this prime slice of…
Oman
Beyond the date plantations that surround Nakhal Fort, this hot spring emerges from the wadi walls and is directed into a falaj (immigration channel) for…
Aqaba
Run by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, this bird sanctuary is an artificially created wetland that's become host to a variety of species…
Hajar Mountains
This enormous castle on the edge of Ibri has been sensitively restored to give a flavour of the original without rebuilding all its parts. The castle,…
Oman
Built in the 13th century, Sohar’s distinctive square-towered fort allegedly boasts a 10km tunnel intended as an escape route during a siege. Easier to…
Bur Dubai
This waterfront museum is part of the Al Shindagha Museum restoration project and is the former home of a Dubai sheikha who loved all things perfume. The…
Qatar
Al Wakrah's enormous and enchanting souq is a maze of alleyways and courtyards, full of aged clay structures, traditional architecture, a mosque and…
Oman
Most people visiting Wadi Bani Khalid head for the springs that collect in a series of deep pools in the narrow end of the wadi. The pools have been…
Saudi Arabia
Built on the slopes of steep mountains that are enveloped by clouds in the winter, Rija Alma village, dating back to the 8th century, contains some of the…
Hajar Mountains
Tucked into a limestone pleat in the mountains, Bilad Sayt is a beautiful traditional Hajar Mountain village. Trimmed with neat allotments of corn and…
Jebel Akhdar
The rim of the cliff here, with its celebrated panoramic view of the farmed terraces below, has a royal connection. Diana, Princess of Wales, enjoyed this…
Iran
Many traditional Gilani cottages have been reassembled in the grounds of this fascinating open-air museum that strives to represent the different cultural…
Qeshm Island
In the island's northwest lies this sinuous canyon seemingly carved into the earth by a master builder. The exposed rock and lack of plant life are quite…
Hajar Mountains
With its serrated teeth, Jebel Misht (meaning 'Comb Mountain') is well named. This striking lump of rock is one of Oman's so-called ‘exotics’ – a…
Iran
The city was originally approached along the Shapur River in the steep-sided Chogan Gorge. A short walk from Bishapur, the rocky walls here are home to…
Oman
You have to pity the donkeys of the past who, until the 1980s, had to trudge up the punishingly steep track, laden with supplies, to reach the village of…
Iran
Persepolis sits on top of a great plinth of stone blocks and today, as in ancient times, visitors seeking entry to the city must approach this elevated…
Esfahan
This beautiful new museum in the Armenian Quarter in Jolfa houses a fine collection of traditional Persian instruments. A labour of love for the private…
Al Hamra
Bathed by the golden light of sunset, with the limestone 'dip slope' of Jebel Shams as backdrop and a thick plantation of date palms in the foreground,…
Golan Heights
In 2001, after studying wine-making in Australia, Tal Pelter founded a winery that now turns shiraz and chenin blanc grapes (among others) into 300,000…
Qeshm Island
This lovely island off the southern coast of Qeshm is surrounded by impressive soft-coral reefs that offer great diving. Hengam is also known for its…
Riyadh
Accessible only for children and those accompanying them, this is the largest zoo in Saudi Arabia and began life in 1957 as a small-scale menagerie…
Iran
Similar to the 'painted deserts' of outback Australia and badlands America, but on a much larger scale, these incredibly coloured hills are visible to…
Iran
Rimmed by mountains, and quite beautiful in the right light, this scenic lake is an easy half-hour stroll from the centre of Marivan. In summer you can…
Dubai
At this fashionable pleasure pit on the emerging Pearl Jumeirah residential peninsula, only the crisp all-white look is virginal. On weekends, the bronzed…
Masirah Island
With no sights to speak of, you may be wondering why anyone comes to Masirah, but stand on the headland at Ras Abu Ar Rasas and the reason becomes…
Sheikh Ebrahim Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Centre for Culture & Research
Bahrain
Inspired by the early-20th-century intellectual of the same name, this elegant centre hosts recitals, lectures and exhibitions throughout the year. It…
Hajar Mountains
This imposing building has been restored and has brought the old quarter of Ibri back to life. There is not too much to see inside, but the views from the…
Esfahan
The 298m-long Si-o-Seh Bridge was built by Allahverdi Khan, a favourite general of Shah Abbas I, between 1599 and 1602. It served as both bridge and dam,…
Jordan
You don’t have to be a linguistic scholar to enjoy the dynamic rhythms of Arabic script. Reinforcing Islamic heritage, the women in this workshop aim to…
Tripoli
One of the most beautiful buildings in the old city, this semi-open vaulted-roofed khan was formerly a Crusader hospital and is today a beautifully…
Qeshm Island
One of the most spectacular natural sites on Qeshm Island, the Valley of Stars features a series of majestic gorges and canyons that were formed over…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
Set along 500m of private beach, this club is a family favourite thanks to its five pools (including a shaded one for kids), a children's club and a water…
Jordan
Delicious Jordanian delicacies are prepared for sale in RSCN Nature Shops in this cottage-industry kitchen. With an on-site cafe selling locally produced…
Iran
On the hill above the Treasury are two rock-hewn tombs. The larger and more elaborate of the two belongs to Artaxerxes II, and clambering up to this…
Hajar Mountains
For the best view of Misfat, turn right by the campground before entering the village. The ancient stone buildings, half buried in a thick date plantation…
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