DESERTS & DENSE CITIES : Fascinating Travel Destinations in Middle East

This magical meeting place of East and West has more top-drawer attractions than it has minarets .

It would be a travesty to come to Jordan and miss the Dead Sea. At 400m below sea level, this extraordinary body of intense blue water, polished smooth like oiled skin on a windless day in winter or ruffled into salty whitecaps during the summer winds, lies at the lowest point on earth.

For years the Kurdistan Region has been referred to as ‘the other Iraq’ because of its prosperity and stability, and visitors who venture here will find that this undiscovered land of jagged mountain tops and winding roads has little in common with the rest of Iraq.

Israel's second-largest city – modern, vibrant and cosmopolitan – is one of the country's greatest assets, a sun-bronzed strip of coastline where coffee and culinary innovation are the local obsessions, where residents speak every language under the sun, and where life is lived outdoors and to the fullest.

Most visitors come to Bethlehem with a preconceived image – a small stone village, a manger and shepherds in their fields – thanks to memories of a childhood nativity, perhaps, or years of scenic Christmas cards.The reality is quite different.

Esfahan is Iran’s top tourist destination for good reason. Its profusion of tree-lined boulevards, Persian gardens and important Islamic buildings gives it a visual appeal unmatched by any other Iranian city, and the many artisans working here underpin its reputation as a living museum of traditional culture.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi are a stirring alchemy of profound traditions and ambitious futuristic vision.

Holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims, Jerusalem's Old City is one of the world's foremost pilgrimage destinations. A repository of sacred buildings and relics, it is a place where the oft-abused descriptor 'living history' really does apply – here you can walk in the footsteps of prophets, pray in buildings constructed by order of caliphs and kings, and overnight in hospices where Crusaders and cardinals have slumbered.

Muscat is a port the like of which cannot be found in the whole world where there is business and good things that cannot be found elsewhere.

As if plucked from a whimsical fairytale and set down upon the stark Anatolian plains, Cappadocia is a geological oddity of honeycombed hills and towering boulders of otherworldly beauty. The fantastical topography is matched by the human history here. People have long utilised the region's soft stone, seeking shelter underground and leaving the countryside scattered with fascinating cavern architecture.

The village that has sprung up around Petra is called Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses). It’s an easy-going assemblage of hotels, restaurants and shops stretching about 5km from ‘Ain Musa (Moses’ Spring) to the main entrance of Petra at the bottom of the wadi.Wadi Musa’s fortunes depend almost entirely on tourism.

If you’re looking for the real East-meets-West so talked about in the Middle East, you need look no further than Beirut. Fast-paced, fashion-conscious and overwhelmingly friendly, it's not a relaxing city to spend time in – it's too crowded, polluted and chaotic for that – but its magnificent array of museums, restaurants, bars and clubs make it an essential stop on every Lebanese itinerary.

Luxor is often called the world’s greatest open-air museum, but that comes nowhere near describing this extraordinary place. Nothing in the world compares to the scale and grandeur of the monuments that have survived from ancient Thebes.The setting is breathtakingly beautiful, the Nile flowing between the modern city and west-bank necropolis, backed by the enigmatic Theban escarpment.

A small price to pay to tap into the energy of the place Egyptians call Umm ad-Dunya – the Mother of the World. This urban buzz is a product of 22-or-so million inhabitants simultaneously crushing the city’s infrastructure under their collective weight and lifting its spirit up with their exceptional charm and humour. One taxi ride can pass resplendent mosques, grand avenues, and 19th-century palaces, with a far away view of the pyramids of Giza. A caked-on layer of beige sand unifies the mix of eras and styles.

One of the great wonders of the ancient world, Persepolis embodies not just a grand architectural scheme but also a grand idea. It was conceived by Darius the Great who, in 520 BC, inherited the responsibility for ruling the world's first known empire founded by his predecessor, Cyrus the Great.

Biblical clues point to the Ajichay River flowing out of the Garden of Eden, which places Tabriz at the gates of paradise. Long a buffer between empires, Tabriz' historical heritage and Silk Road pedigree is no more evident than in its thriving bazaar, one of the world's best.

A destination in their own right, or a diversion between Muscat and Sur, these beautiful dunes, still referred to locally as Wahiba Sands, could keep visitors occupied for days. Home to the Bedu, the sands offer visitors a glimpse of a traditional way of life that is fast disappearing as modern conveniences limit the need for a nomadic existence.

The southernmost part of the Mt Lebanon Range, this mountainous region southeast of Beirut is wild and isolated in some parts, covered with small villages and terraced agricultural plots in others. It's an easily reached and pleasant place for a day or two’s exploration