14 articles tagged with middle east
Standing atop the weathered ramparts of Tripoli's Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles, I couldn't help but draw parallels to my first Olympic assignment in Barcelona—both places where ancient stonework tells stories spanning millennia. Unlike Barcelona's carefully manicured Olympic venues, however,...
The first time I stood at the entrance of Jerash's ancient colonnaded streets, I felt that familiar tingle of wonder—the same sensation I used to get showing my astronomy students their first clear view of Saturn's rings. There's something about...
The morning call to prayer echoed through the streets as I sipped cardamom-infused coffee on my host family's balcony, watching Baalbek awaken against the backdrop of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains. While most visitors come for a quick day trip to check...
The first time I stepped into Medina's embrace, I wasn't merely a visitor to Saudi Arabia's second holiest city—I was a student of its living classroom. As an educator who's traversed five continents studying place-based learning, Medina offered something profoundly...
The first time I stood before the monumental Gate of All Nations at Persepolis, I forgot to take a photo. For several minutes, my camera hung uselessly around my neck while I simply *stared* at the colossal winged bulls guarding...
There's something profoundly moving about standing at the crossroads of history and modernity, particularly in places where that transition happened within living memory. Kuwait represents one such remarkable transformation—a nation that, within a single lifetime, evolved from a modest pearl-diving...
When my environmental science professor mentioned Dubai as the ultimate example of resource-intensive development, I knew I had to see this desert phenomenon for myself. *Ist das nicht ironisch?* The city synonymous with excess and luxury seemed an unlikely destination...
The early morning call to prayer echoed through Baalbek's narrow streets as I laced up my running shoes, the massive Temple of Jupiter still shrouded in dawn mist. That's the thing about Lebanon's ancient treasures – they're breathtaking in photos,...
While most of my travel chronicles typically feature me chasing weather patterns across frigid landscapes, sometimes even a meteorology enthusiast needs a change of climate. That's how I found myself swapping my thermal layers for lightweight cotton as I landed...
The call to prayer echoes across Medina's skyline as I adjust my lightweight ##AFFILIATE##travel scarf|Coolibar UPF 50+ Sun Scarf##/AFFILIATE## and step into the labyrinth of the city's ancient souks. The familiar scent of frankincense immediately transports me back to my...
The taxi driver raised his eyebrows when I asked about Kuwait City's nightlife options. 'Madam, this is not Dubai,' he said with a knowing smile. And thank goodness for that! After fifteen years of global wandering with my daughter in...
The first time my daughter and I stepped into Muscat's Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, with its massive crystal chandelier catching the morning light, I realized Oman would challenge everything we thought we knew about the Arabian Peninsula. After my transformative...
Lebanon has always fascinated me as a destination where ancient history and contemporary resilience coexist in remarkable harmony. As someone who's spent years exploring the world's desert regions and studying cultural preservation, I was drawn to Lebanon's unique position as...
The first time I stepped into Baalbek's ancient temple complex, I felt something familiar in my bones—that same resonance I experience in Mi'kmaq sacred spaces back home. As a paramedic who's witnessed both trauma and healing across continents, I've learned...