Manama, Bahrain In case you’ve never heard of it, Bahrain is a tiny country located in the Persian Gulf, between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and Manama is its capital. Bahrain is the party place in the Middle East. Connected to Saudi Arabia by a bridge, every week, thousands of Saudis cross the border to have fun and enjoy a relative level of freedom.

Pyramids of Giza, Egypt The Great Pyramid of Giza defines bucket list goals. Built over 5000 years ago, it’s the oldest and the biggest of the pyramids, the last structure of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World that survived. It is a marvel of human engineering and construction, and a defining symbol of the Egyptian world.

Jerusalem, Israel and Palestine Being one of the most important places for Christians, Muslims, and Jews, Jerusalem is a city that has perfectly combined tradition and history with a 21st-century city, meaning that you can stroll around the old city and its historical sites for days and, at the same time, enjoy the endless nightlife, food scene, and modernity of the new part of Jerusalem.

Petra, Jordan It would be a sin not to consider one of the 7 wonders among one of the best places to visit in the Middle East. Petra was founded in the VI century B.C. by the Edomites but, it didn’t prosper until the Nabateans (a group of nomadic Arabs) took over the place and built the city by carving it from the rock, making it become an important trading hub. The architecture of Petra leaves you breathless!!

Marrakech, Morocco The Moroccan town of Marrakech sits at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains. This former imperial city is now an important economic for the country, but it’s still home to spectacular intricately detailed palaces, lush gardens, and important mosques.

Doha, Qatar Doha was founded in the 1820s as an offshoot of Al Bidda. It was officially declared as the country's captal in 1971, when Qatar gained independence from being a British protectorate.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia The city’s fascinating, centuries-old history can be found within its atmospheric souqs, compelling museums, and ancient architecture, but it’s also a modern metropolis, with glittering high-rises and a burgeoning contemporary art scene. The winter months are an ideal time to visit Riyadh.

Hagia Sophi, Turkey To get an instant feel of just how much this city has changed over the years, step inside Hagia Sophia – once a Christian basilica, then a mosque, and now finally, a museum. This monument was important both in Byzantium times and throughout the Ottoman Empire, with so much history that you could quite literally spend an entire day here (which might be the case by the time you get to the front of the line!)

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi The impressive and inspiring Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is one of the world’s largest mosques and the only one that captures the unique interactions between Islam and other world cultures. The mosque’s architects were British, Italian and Emirati, with design ideas borrowed from parts of Turkey, Morocco, Pakistan and Egypt, among other Islamic countries. The end result is a breathtaking, gleaming architectural marvel. It has 82 domes, more than 1000 columns, 24 karat gold gilded chandeliers and the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet.