12 of the most beautiful places in the Middle East
21.07.2023 - 08:30
/ roughguides.com
The Middle East is a paradox. Located at the cultural crossroads between east and west, the region nowadays tends to make headlines for all the wrong reasons, but also served as one of the major cradles of human civilization and birthplace of the world’s three great monotheisms.
Myriad stunning mementoes of the region’s cosmopolitan and history-laden past survive, with a wealth of world-famous attractions ranging from medieval bazaars and historic mosques through to untamed deserts and remote oases.
Stretching from the depths of antiquity through to the futuristic skyscrapers of the modern Gulf, these are the most beautiful places in the Middle East, as picked by our author Gavin Thomas.
Standing at the meeting point of Europe and Asia, Istanbul straddles one of the world’s great cultural crossroads, with a history to match. Modern Istanbul remains one of the world’s most beautiful cities, with the soaring minarets of the great Hagia Sophia and Sultanahmet mosque pricking the skyline above a fascinating tangle of bazaars, and the serene waters of the Golden Horn and Bosphorus below.
Pixabay / CC0
Jerusalem is the one of the world’s oldest tourist hotspots, attracting visitors for almost two millennia. Even back in the Middle Ages dedicated guidebooks for European pilgrims were being churned out on a regular basis, complete with bucket-lists of saints and shrines to be visited en route to the Holy Land.
Visiting Jerusalem remains a powerful experience, offering a glimpse of some of Judaism, Christianity and Islam’s most sacred sites, as well as the time-warped old streets and bazaars of the ancient city itself and the Biblical landscapes beyond.
Interested in exploring more of Israel? Discover how to visit Tel Aviv on a budget.
© Stefano Rocca/Shutterstock
No one ever forgets their first sight of Petra. Entering the site you pass through the narrowest of gorges, as if through the eye of some magical needle, before emerging into the great lost city of the Nabateans, where the exquisitely carved Greco-Roman façade of the Treasury looms out of the cliff-face ahead. And that’s just one of the dozens of spectacular temples and tombs dotting the rocky defiles and hilltops above.
If you are feeling inspired for visiting Petra and Jordan in general, explore our list of the best things to do in Jordan and get some ideas for your trip.
© tenkl/Shutterstock
If you ever wondered what life in medieval Arabia looked like, old Cairo – or “Islamic Cairo”, as it’s usually called – is as good a place as any to let your imagination wander.
Step back in time amidst the old city’s endlessly fascinating maze of medieval streets and alleyways, dotted with ancient mosques, spectacular gateways and bustling bazaars. Getting lost is