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Middle East

Middle East

Tombs in your living rooms

At one time, sitting on the couch and watching television was considered a luxury:  we were so busy in our daily lives that being able to collapse on the sofa and stare at the screen . . or at the ceiling. Well, Covid-19 has flipped that scenario on its head, and most people are gagging…

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Your Jordan plan

“Welcome to Jordan!” Visitors will hear this refrain more times than they can count—shouted from car windows, as a greeting from waiters, from every taxi driver, when getting their passports stamped at the airport, while walking down the street... Jordan has a reputation for being one of the friendliest countries in the Middle East,…

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Peace in the desert air

For time eternal, the world has always experienced disagreements and the resultant strife and sadness that often is the byproduct.  So it's good to see when efforts are made to put the arguments aside and work together to make the world a better place. As we often proclaim here, travel is one way to rise…

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Abu Dhabi do!

You see it in films, and it is the stuff of legends - the sands of the Middle East.  Camel rides are one-of-a-kind, but if you need something with a bit more adrenalin, how about this? Abu Dhabi’s impressive desert dunes offer off-road driving enthusiasts a once-in-a-lifetime driving experience, but never go out into the desert…

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Living with the locals

Throwing yourself into a new culture can be one of the most daunting yet rewarding parts of travel. Here are some things to consider if you're about to check-in to a homestay and check out a place with a community-run operator. When traveling, it’s easy to just see the veneer of culture without really getting…

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You can be Hadrian, virtually

This long distance footpath is unique because it follows a World Heritage Site. Hadrian built the Wall to separate the Roman Empire from the barbarians. It is a complex structure with curtain wall, milecastles, turrets, ditches and forts. Walking the Path is logistically easier if the east-west route is followed. The Path that mainly follows…

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Modest mosque

Centrally located in the Iranian capital Tehran, the Vali-e-Asr Mosque’s most distinguishing aspect is the fact that it does not look like a mosque. Designed by Iranian architects Reza Daneshmir and Catherine Spiridonoff of Fluid Motion Architects, the building eschews the stereotypical typology of large domes and tall minarets in favour of a modest horizontality…

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Gawk like an Egyptian

The ancient Egyptian burial site of Saqqara has been studied for more than a century, due to the importance of the location for political, religious and architectural history. One of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. But a new “born-digital” publication by UC Santa Cruz associate history…

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The art of coffee

Famous Saudi coffee roasters Elixir Bunn opened their new location in Riyadh, designed by Azaz Architects. After building a strong reputation for their coffee, it was time to build an atmosphere to complement their famous drinks. Coffee in Saudi Arabia is well-rooted into the local culture and could be traced back to times prior to the…

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