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[Barrett]

Where are the best ruins in the Middle East? I suppose there are Roman ruins, Umayyad ruins, Greek ruins, Egyptian ruins, Nabatean and Persian. Which country would be the best to visit to see the most amazing ones? Is there a particular route to follow to see them in the best order?

[technotrekker]

I'll be interested in seeing any replies to this - am in Egypt now and a good chunk of the Middle East is coming up so don't want to overlook something great!

Keep trekkin,
TT

[Allen]

There are several sites in Israel. Almost all of the old city of Jerusalem is a historical area, and you can visit Masada on the Dead Sea and then head north for Beit Shean and the Roman ruins there. There are sites scattered all around the Sea of Galilee, and the Golan Heights. Jordan is right next door with Petra awaiting a few days of exploration. (minimum) I have not reached Syria or Lebanon yet but there are many things to see from the Crusader years.

[Barrett]

Allen,

I was a big fan of the Be'it Shean Ruins as well: From travelogue: Following morning, I woke up and it was pouring but I pressed onto Beit She'an, location of sprawling Roman ruins and a good lot of information spread amongst them. I was presently surprised, thinking nothing could come close to Jerash, but this was just as good. Thank God I had my umbrella though, cause the wind was whipping the rain into bullets. The mosaics, extent of the excavations and model-recreations were all top-notch. Then, a small miracle. Just as I was leaving, standing on a hill overlooking all the ruins, the rain stopped and a perfect rainbow emcompassed the entirety of the site within its arc. Wow. Very, very lucky.

And I fully agree with you on Petra, I would say its a wonder of the world.

From my travelogue to give TT a sense of it:

We are in Petra, seeing the Nabatean and Roman ruins. Without a doubt, this place is one of the ancient wonders of the world. The facades carved into the rock are huge, by huge I mean between 30-50 meters high and wide. And cliffs, caves and lookouts everywhere. Yes, the Treasury and Monastery completely deserve all the hype they get. And the rock is the most psychedelic, swirling, colourful rock anywhere.

I thought the Umayyad ruins in N. Jordan were sort of interesting, mostly for the naughty murals the Islamic rulers had in their 'hunting' lodges but not worth seriously diverting one's trip for.

TT: Did you have any specific questions about site in Jordan or Israel? Along with Egypt those are the ME countries I've been to.

[technotrekker]

Sorry for the delay in reply. I sure do:

Allen,

I was a big fan of the Be'it Shean Ruins as well:

TT: Did you have any specific questions about site in Jordan or Israel? Along with Egypt those are the ME countries I've been to.

1) Am assuming the Be'it Shean ruins are in Israel. Correct?

2) How long do you think you need to spend at Petra to do it thoroughly/properly?

3) Any thoughts on the Crusader castles in Jordan (seem to ring Amman)? Have limited time so thinking of waiting until Krak de Chaveliers (?sp) in Syria for that aspect of history. Am I missing something great if so?

Thoughts greatly appreciated.
TT

[Allen]

Barrett,


I got to see Beit She'an 4 times over a 5 year period when I was volunteering in the Jordan Valley at Kibbutz Beit Zera. It really was interesting to see the changes as they uncovered more and more of the Roman ruins. We were only 10 minutes from the nearest Crusader Castle and 30 minutes from Beit She'an. Israel was a wonderful experience and I took full advantage of it. I went to Jerusalem and stayed in the Old City 5 times, went to Eilot twice, hiked in the Negev desert twice, visited the Golan many times, did a two day bicycle trip around the Sea of Galilee, (camping on the shore) visited Haifa, Acre, Tel Aviv, Kiryat Shimona, Rosh Hanikra, Mt. Hemon on the Lebanon border, etc.etc. The best thing is that there is no destination in the entire country more than 5-7 hours away, no matter where you are! My Kibbutz was right on the Jordan river. Behind the settlement I could climb a small hill and see Syria, Jordan and Lebanon from the top. I worked the banana fields right on the Jordanian border near 'no man's land' which was a double fence with guard towers(occupied at the time) and a mine field between the fences. Exciting times. Israel will always hold surprises for even the most experienced travelers.

Allen

[Patricia]

I have never been to the Middle East and with a trip to Turkey planned the second half of July that includes a trip along the east coast, I am looking at options for a one week look along the coast. What would be the best options?

[uncle_davros]

Having seen a few ruins over the years, personally, the best Roman ones are in Tunisia, but I have been informed that there are even better ones in Libya and Algeria. As Algeria is a little dangerous, Lucinate and myself are going to try and get into Libya

[sonofpatter]

Syria. the country is part of the fertile cresent, the silk road. It is an ancient ancient place. Plus, because the country is so closed to the outside world it is one of the few pages left on earth where you can wander around ruins that are not robbed off, part of a park etc. In one ruin in North East Syria I found a roman coin.

[uncle_davros]

Syria. the country is part of the fertile cresent, the silk road. It is an ancient ancient place. Plus, because the country is so closed to the outside world it is one of the few pages left on earth where you can wander around ruins that are not robbed off, part of a park etc. In one ruin in North East Syria I found a roman coin.

You should try Persopolis in Shiraz. Nobody there. It is amazing

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