Must-see attractions in Middle East

  • United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Jumeira beach, Hotel Mina A'Salam Madinat Jumeirah with View of Burj Al Arab hotel

    Burj Al Arab

    Dubai

    The Burj Al Arab's graceful silhouette – meant to evoke the sail of a dhow (a traditional wooden cargo vessel) – is to Dubai what the Eiffel Tower is to…

  • Dubai

    Burj Khalifa

    Downtown Dubai

    The Burj Khalifa is a stunning feat of architecture and engineering, with two observation decks on the 124th and 148th floors and a restaurant-bar on the…

  • Souk Madinat Jumeirah

    Madinat Jumeirah

    Dubai

    One of Dubai’s most attractive developments, Madinat Jumeirah is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional Arab village, complete with a souq (market…

  • Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Gold Souq

    Deira

    All that glitters is gold (and occasionally silver) along this covered arcade where dozens of shops overflow with every kind of jewelry imaginable, from…

  • 11/30/2014. Kite beach in Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A stretch of the beach designated for the kite surfers. The iconic Burj Al Arab is seen on the background.; Shutterstock ID 664989337; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Authentic Dubai Article

    Kite Beach

    Dubai

    This long, pristine stretch of white sand, a little way north of Jumeirah Public Beach, is a major draw for sporty types, with a range of activities on…

  • Jerusalem, Israel - July 26, 2015: Panorama of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre  - church in Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

    Church of the Holy Sepulchre

    Jerusalem

    Four magnificent arches, their lintels richly decorated with Crusader crosses, herald the entrance to one of Christianity's most sacred sites. The church…

  • JERUSALEM, ISRAEL JUNE 10 2015: Israeli Temple Mount policeman greets the locals under the arches near the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount on June 10 2015 in the Old City of Jerusalem Israel.; Shutterstock ID 408810679; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Middle East Online Highlights Update

    Temple Mount/Al Haram Ash Sharif

    Jerusalem

    There are few patches of ground as holy – or as disputed – as this one. Known to Muslims as Al Haram Ash Sharif (The Noble Sanctuary) and to Jews as Har…

  • Jordan has so many amazing sights like Petra, wadi rum, jerash and the dead sea
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    Petra

    Petra

    The spectacular sandstone city of Petra was built in the 3rd century BC by the Nabataeans, who carved palaces, temples, tombs, storerooms and stables from…

  • People prays and walk in front of the western wall, wailing wall or kotel.

    Western Wall

    Jerusalem

    The air is electric at Judaism's holiest prayer site, where worshippers recite scriptures, lay their hands on 2000-year-old stone and utter impassioned…

  • Israel Museum

    Jerusalem

    More than 5000 years of cultural treasures are assembled around the vast Israel Museum's indoor and outdoor galleries. Highlights are the titanic statues…

  • Temple of Hercules, Citadel, Amman, Jordan

    Citadel

    Amman

    The area known as the Citadel sits on the highest hill in Amman, Jebel Al Qala’a (about 850m above sea level), and is the site of ancient Rabbath-Ammon…

  • Shrine of the Bab and lower terraces at the Bahai World Center in Haifa, Israel.

    Baha’i Gardens

    Haifa

    These formal gardens flowing down 19 steep terraces to a resplendent domed shrine – the final resting place of the prophet-herald of the Baha’i faith –…

  • Imam Mosque at Naqhsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan, Iran. Imam mosque is known as Shah Mosque. Its construction finished in 1629.; Shutterstock ID 92388088; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Middle East Online Highlights Update
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    Masjed-e Shah

    Esfahan

    This elegant mosque, with its iconic blue-tiled mosaics and its perfect proportions, forms a visually stunning monument at the head of Esfahan's main…

  • Beautiful sunrise over Masada fortress. Ruins of King Herod's palace in Judaean Desert.; Shutterstock ID 360569009; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Israel Update 2017

    Masada National Park

    Dead Sea

    The plateau atop Masada, which measures about 550m by 270m, is some 60m above sea level – that is, about 490m above the surface of the Dead Sea. The…

  • Performing Islamic prayer

    Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

    Sheikh Zayed Mosque Area

    Rising majestically from manicured gardens and visible from the bridges joining Abu Dhabi Island to the mainland, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is an…

  • Facade of Imam Mosque, aka Masjed-e Jadid-e Abbasi, or Shah Mosque, on Naqsh-e Jahan (Imam) Square, Esfahan - Iran. April 21, 2017.

    Masjed-e Jameh

    Esfahan

    The Jameh complex is a veritable museum of Islamic architecture while still functioning as a busy place of worship. Showcasing the best that nine…

  • Bedouin camels resting near the treasury of Al Khazneh in Petra.
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    Siq

    The Ancient City

    The 1.2km Siq, or canyon, with its narrow, vertical walls, is undeniably one of the highlights of Petra. The walk through this magical corridor, as it…

  • Sacrifice place in ancient Petra, Jordan; Shutterstock ID 19855075; your: Sloane Tucker; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI
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    High Place of Sacrifice

    The Ancient City

    The most accessible of Petra’s High Places, this well-preserved site was built atop Jebel Madbah with drains to channel the blood of sacrificial animals…

  • DOHA, QATAR - FEBRUARY 13, 2018: Visit traditional Eastern Souq Waqif with narrow alleyways, full of different goods and noisy vendors, on February 13 in Doha; Shutterstock ID 1166541733; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Destination page image update

    Souq Waqif

    Doha

    This vibrant complex is without doubt one of the most atmospheric places to explore in Qatar. Built on an ancient market site, the area remains the social…

  • Louvre Abu Dhabi

    Abu Dhabi

    Designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Jean Nouvel, the highly anticipated Louvre Abu Dhabi finally arrived in late 2017. Through 12 galleries, the…

  • There is a person by the doorway to get a scale of the size. A classic view of El Deir, The Monastery in Petra. Shown in the context of the mountain that the facade was carved out of by the Nabataeans in the 1st century. The facade measures 50 metres wide by approximately 45 meters high.

    Monastery

    The Ancient City

    Hidden high in the hills, the Monastery is one of the legendary monuments of Petra. Similar in design to the Treasury but far bigger (50m wide and 45m…

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Naqsh-e Jahan Square (Imam square), Isfahan, Iran

    Naqsh-e Jahan (Imam) Square

    Esfahan

    Hemmed on four sides by architectural gems and embracing the formal fountains and gardens at its centre, this wondrous space is a spectacle in its own…

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Exterior of the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth.

    Basilica of the Annunciation

    Nazareth

    Dominating the Old City’s skyline is the lantern-topped cupola of this Franciscan-run Roman Catholic basilica, an audacious modernist structure that’s…

  • Interior of the Mutrah souk in Muscat, the capital of the sultanate of Oman.

    Mutrah Souq

    Muscat

    Many people come to Mutrah Corniche just to visit the souq, which retains the chaotic interest of a traditional Arab market albeit housed under modern…

  • Azraq, 'Amman, Jordan, Middle East

    Shaumari Wildlife Reserve

    Jordan

    Established in 1975 by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), this 22 sq km reserve was created with the aim of reintroducing wildlife…

  • BAHLA, OMAN - NOVEMBER 28, 2017: detail of Jabrin Castle, in Bahla, Oman

    Jabreen Castle

    Hajar Mountains

    Rising without competition from the surrounding plain, Jabreen Castle is an impressive sight. Even if you have had a surfeit of fortifications, it's worth…

  • Naranjestan garden with Qavam House in Shiraz, Iran; Shutterstock ID 2154407523; purchase_order: 65050; job: ; client: ; other:
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    Bagh-e Naranjestan

    Shiraz

    Named after the bitter oranges that line the central courtyard, this is Shiraz’s smallest but most lovely garden. Enclosing the delightful Naranjestan-e…

  • Persepolis, Apadana stairway facade, Ancient relief of the Achaemenids, Medes and Persians, Fars Province, Islamic Republic of Iran; Shutterstock ID 2114215667; purchase_order: 65050; job: ; client: ; other:
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    Apadana Staircase

    Iran

    The stairs, which are guarded by stone soldiers, are decorated by an exceptionally finely crafted frieze in three panels. Each panel is divided into…

  • Yazd, Iran - December 17, 2015:
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    Masjed-e Jameh

    Yazd

    Soaring above the old city, this magnificent building is graced with a tiled entrance portal (one of the tallest in Iran), flanked by two 48m-high…

  • Lonely Planet Traveller Magazine, Issue 71, Jordan
Petra Theatre

    Theatre

    The Ancient City

    Originally built by the Nabataeans (not the Romans) more than 2000 years ago, the Theatre was chiselled out of rock, slicing through many caves and tombs…

  • Ruins of amphitheater in the ancient Roman city. Bet She'an National Park, Israel
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    Beit She’an National Park

    Lower Galilee

    Beit She’an’s extraordinary Roman ruins are the best place in Israel to get a sense of what it was like to live, work and shop in the Roman Empire…

  • A bazaar in Tabriz, Iranian Azerbaijan, Iran.
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    Tabriz Bazaar

    Tabriz

    The magnificent, labyrinthine, Unesco-listed Tabriz bazaar covers some 7 sq km, with 24 caravanserais (sets of rooms arrranged around a courtyard) and 22…

  • Magnificent monastery surrounded by columns and slender tall palms and cypresses. The Church of the Beatitudes is a Catholic church of the Italian Franciscan convent on the Mount of Beatitudes. ; Shutterstock ID 2170188309; purchase_order: 65050; job: ; client: ; other:
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    Mount of the Beatitudes

    Sea of Galilee

    Since at least the 4th century, this landscaped hillside is believed to be where Jesus delivered his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), whose opening…

  • Isfahan, Iran - May 2019: Grand bazaar of Isfahan, also known as Bazar Bozorg with tourists and local people shopping, historical market; Shutterstock ID 1670251840; purchase_order: 65050; job: ; client: ; other:
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    Bazar-e Bozorg

    Esfahan

    One of Iran’s most historic and fascinating bazaars, this sprawling covered market links Naqsh-e Jahan (Imam) Sq with the Masjed-e Jameh. At its busiest…

  • Amir Chakhmaq Complex in Yazd, Iran
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    Amir Chakhmaq Mosque Complex

    Yazd

    The stunning three-storey facade of this Hosseinieh is one of the largest such structures in Iran. The rows of perfectly proportioned sunken alcoves are…

  • Dana Biosphere Reserve landscape at sunset from Dana historical village; Shutterstock ID 474783019; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Content Asset; Full Product or Project name including edition: Jordan 2017
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    Dana Biosphere Reserve

    Dana

    The Dana Biosphere Reserve is the largest in Jordan and includes a variety of terrain, from sandstone cliffs more than 1700m high near Dana to a low point…

  • Ein Gedi spring in the Dead Sea area, Israel.; Shutterstock ID 110742899; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Dead Sea Online Update

    Ein Gedi Nature Reserve

    Ein Gedi

    This reserve consists of two roughly parallel canyons, Wadi David and Wadi Arugot, each of which has its own entrance complex and ticket office. It is…

  • The Temple of Bacchus at Baalbek in Lebanon.
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    Temple of Bacchus

    Baalbek

    Baalbek's Temple of Bacchus is often described as the most beautifully decorated temple in the Roman world, and it's certainly one of the best preserved…

  • Jordan - Best in Travel 2023 - Video Stills shot September 2022

    Darat Al Funun

    Amman

    On the hillside to the north of the downtown area, this cultural haven is dedicated to contemporary art. The main building features an excellent art…

  • Shiraz, Iran - December 27, 2015: Nasir Al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz, Iran, also known as Pink Mosque
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    Masjed-e Nasir Al Molk

    Shiraz

    One of the most elegant and most photographed pieces of architecture in southern Iran, the Pink Mosque was built at the end of the 19th century and its…

Not Middle East... but still worth the visit