Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,068,476 times
Reputation: 11862
I would visit Turkey over all of them, but since you didn't include it:
The only ones I have a burning desire to see in my lifetime are Egypt and Israel/Palestine. If I have time I will see Jordan/Syria and if it's safe, Iran. If there are any ancient ruins left in Iraq I would see them, obviously long after the war is over and the dust has settled. Perhaps also Yemen and Dubai to see the Burj. Saudi Arabia seems interesting just to see how different the strict Muslim culture is - but I a little wary of going to a country where homosexuals are executed in public with swords, ala Medieval style.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,068,476 times
Reputation: 11862
It's a pity Mecca is out of bounds for non-Muslims, but I totally understand why. They probably don't want tourists gawking at it as some sort of 'cultural experience', especially during the Hajj. If I were the Saudi royal family I would just designate a 'no go zone' or just put in place the restriction during the pilgrimage. But I guess it's their kingdom (literally), their rules. I wouldn't be surprised if some tourists would go there just to see the spectacle of poor folk being beheaded in the town square.
I visited Jordan, Israel, and Egypt. The historical sites in all three were absolutely mesmerizing and beautiful. The Pyramids and Petra are among the most mind-blowing creations I have ever seen.
Iran is among the top countries I'd like to visit. Persian history is amazing, and it seems like such a beautiful and culturally rich country. Persian people are also incredibly good looking.
Lebanon seems like an interesting place. Lebanese cuisine is amazing, and the culture is very intriguing. Beirut seems like a very cool city as well. I know some parts are still dangerous right now, so I m not so sure about visiting anytime soon.
I've always been intrigued by Syria, the history is amazing. I definitely don't plan on visiting anytime soon with all of the violence and protests going on. Maybe some day though.
I really want to visit Saudi Arabia, mainly out of curiosity. I wish I could see Mecca, that would be amazing but it's not open to non-Muslims. It just seems like it would be an interesting place to observe.
I know people who have been to the UAE and the general consensus seems to that it is cool to look at but lacks culture. Still, I'd like to go to Dubai and Abu Dhabi just to see them. The next time I go to India to visit relatives, I think I'll book a flight that has a layover in the UAE and spend a couple days there.
Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Yemen...I don't really have any specific desire to visit these places, but I'd be open to visiting them if I was already nearby and came across a cheap flight. I certainly don't want to visit Iraq anytime soon. Maybe someday in the future after the war is over if any places are still intact.
Sana'a is reputedly one of the oldest cities in the world (there's a legend that it was founded by Shem, son of Noah). It also contains buildings more than 1,400 years old, more than many historic cities.
In fact reading about it makes me want to go. Yemen was never even on my radar before but now it seems fascinating.
I have been to Israel, Jordan and the Sinai desert (when it was under Israeli control). I would like to visit the historical sites in Egypt as well as Petra in Jordan (which I didn't get to see in my last visit there). It might also be interesting to visit Dubai in order to see its tall buildings and other modern conveniences in the middle of a desert region.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
