Seeing the Sights in the Middle East

Mount Nemrut, Turkey

- Located in the southeast region of Anatolia, Turkey, Mount
Nemrut happens to be one of the most important and visited
attractions in Turkey. The statues of King Antiochus is the topmost
attraction of the place. When visiting the place you simply cannot
miss witnessing the grand statue of the king. Other than the statues,
the steep plateau and landscapes of the Mount Nemrut region also
have a lot of other attractions to explore as well.

Shiraz, Iran
- Shiraz is a city in south-central Iran, known for its literary
history and many gardens. The marble Tomb of Hafez, honoring the
revered poet, sits within its own garden. To the east, the Mausoleum
of Saadi houses the 13th-century writer’s mosaic-tiled tomb and an
underground pool. Shiraz is a gateway to Persepolis, the ruined 6th-
century-B.C. capital to the northeast, with its immense gateways,
columns and friezes.

Cappadocia, Turkey
- Cappadocia, a semi-arid region in central Turkey, is known for
its distinctive “fairy chimneys,” tall, cone-shaped rock formations
clustered in Monks Valley, Göreme and elsewhere. Other notables
sites include Bronze Age homes carved into valley walls by troglodytes
(cave dwellers) and later used as refuges by early Christians. The
100m-deep Ihlara Canyon houses numerous rock-face churches.

Tigris River, Iraq

- is the second largest river in western Asia. With the Euphrates,
it makes up a river system that borders Mesopotamia in the area
known as the Fertile Crescent. An important source of both travel
and irrigation, the Tigris also has a rich history that dates back to the
earliest known civilizations because of its importance to a largely
arid region.

Dar al-Hajar, Yemen

- referred to as the Stone Palace or Stone House, is a unique
building that stands atop a large rock in the valley of Wadi Dhar, in
the vicinity of the capital city of the Republic of Yemen, Sana‘a.
Serving as a summer retreat residence for the Imam of the Zaydis,
Yahya Muhammad Hamid ed-Din, Dar al-Hajar is something what is
considered to be one of the greatest examples of the Yemeni
traditional architecture.
Baalbek, Labanon
- Known as the Heliopolis or ‘Sun City’ of the ancient world,
Baalbek’s ruins comprise the most impressive ancient site in Lebanon
and are arguably the best preserved in the Middle East.

Pamukkale “The Cotton Castle”

- is a small town in Turkey that has attracted attention for years
because of its seemingly cotton-like landscape. These famous hot
springs are the result of limestone deposits that have accumulated
over thousands of years. This natural wonder attracts over 2 million
people every year, and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site.