Destination Middle East: The cross Roads of the old and the new.

The Middle East: The cross Roads of the old and the new

Turkey

Middle East - Paris Chic

Straddling Europe and Asia, Turkey is a bridge between Eastern and Western culture. Throughout its long history, Turkey has become a cultural and ethnic melting pot. The Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and Constantinople, are terms that reverberate with the dawning of civilizations and the power of man. Mount Ararat, the highest point in Turkey, is the biblical resting-place of Noah's ark. Today Turkey offers the best in hospitality, excellent cuisine, and an eclectic venue to satisfy the appetite of the hungriest of travelers.

Turkey's culture is the most westernized in the Middle East. In the early twentieth century, its male leaders fought to transform the society into a modern, more western society, and to liberate women from the veil and give them the right to vote. This type of feistiness is what exudes from the Turkish people. They are warm, expansive, and loving. You will enjoy this cultural adventure.

Located on the Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul is the new, chic Paris with a renowned Jazz Festival each year, boutiques, first class dining, and the romantic Bosphorus. Cultural events are ongoing throughout the year in Istanbul. These include the International Istanbul Film Festival in April and the Conquest of Constantinople celebrations in May. Music lovers enjoy June's International Music Festival and Jazz Festival, which feature entertainers from around the world.

Istanbul's rich history has spawned mosques, churches, synagogues, palaces, castles and towers - unique architecture abounds. The Topkapi Sarayi, residence to Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years, displays ornately gilded and marbled interior where there appears to be a room for every event and every occasion, from a Circumcision Room to a cloakroom for the Prophet Mohammed's cloak.

Visit Turkey and you will come to understand why European vacationers have been vacationing here for years: climate, fine beaches, resorts, history, and verve.

Dubai

The Jewel of the Middle East

Its very name is magical. Dramatic desert surrounds posh accommodations and an unbelievable array of entertainment options - from state of the art spas to indoor ski resorts. The energy of this city says: There is nothing we cannot create, there is nothing we cannot provide for.

Very little is known about ancient Dubai, although it was known to exist 7000 years ago and was a major trade route to India. While very little is left from those ancient times, the bustling, creative ambitious energy that fed its soul then still feeds it today.

The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, a 55,600-acre refuge, is home to rare species of antelope known as the Arabian oryx. Within the reserve rests the Al Maha, a resort and spa that provides every luxury imaginable while being surrounded in the raw beauty of the desert. The resort offers numerous expeditions: camel treks, oryx photo safaris, and falconry lessons out in the desert. Evenings are spent unwinding pool side enjoying views of the distant Hajar mountains, and dining alfresco as the inimitably dark desert night quietly enfolds the nearby dunes.

Dubai, nestled between the gulf waters and sweeping desert

Dubai, playground to the rich and famous, is home to the most luxurious and tallest hotels in the world. Dubai's tax-free shopping makes it a shoppers paradise with the latest in all manner of fashion and jewelry. Dubai boasts one of the finest golf courses in the world and sponsors the Dubai Desert Classic Golf Tournament. The city hosts the world's richest horse race, the Dubai World Cup, attracting the finest thoroughbreds from around the globe.

Jordan

Lost Cities, Desert Adventures

One of the first things that moves you about the Jordanian people is their friendliness. Friendliness born from a long history of hospitality and Bedouin traditions. A land of people who won the heart of American born Queen Noor. But it is not just the people that welcome you, it is the ethereal landscape. While it is commonly believed that the desert landscape is barren and unfriendly, nothing could be further from the truth. The landscape is exotic and surprising, with a wide array of plant life, wild life, and an abundant, ancient history.

The Northern cosmopolitan city of Amman offers world class hotels and resorts, and restaurants catering to every ethnic preference as well as gourmet Jordanian food.

Some of the most ancient ruins in the world still exist in Jordan. In the south are the stunning ruins of Petra, a rose red city forged in rock. To the north is the ancient city of Jerash, where the stone pavement was eroded by chariots, a testament to it's role as a bustling trade center of the ancient world.

The landscape offers a broad array of activities. The Desert Castles, the excellent canyons at Wadi Mujib, and the hiking activities of the Dana Nature Reserves are all great places to come explore and learn about the unique beauty of the Jordanian landscape. Travelers also find beauty on the coast of the Dead Sea, where several exclusive hotels and spas are located.