Middle East Highlights

Take a tour of Socotra Island in Yemen, and learn about its unique plants, such as the Dragon's Blood Tree and the Desert Rose.

Take a tour of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, Israel, and learn about the site's history and significance for the Jewish and Muslim religions.

Andrew Zimmern counts down his memorable moments in Syria.

Filled with rich historical, archaeological and religious sites of interest, Israel is definitely a country worth seeing.

Founded in the year 332 BC by Alexander the Great, the city of Alexandria, Egypt, is still most famous for the legends of Cleopatra.

The Dead Sea is really one of the most remarkable spots on earth. With over 1300 feet below sea level, it is the lowest point on the earth's surface. It is also one of the saltiest places, with a composition of 35% salinity. This sometimes creates fascinating and bizarre crystalline formations around the Dead Sea's shoreline.

The huge solid granite obelisks in Egypt pose a mystery, as it would have been difficult to have worked with this stone thousands of years ago. The quarries at Aswan, housing the Unfinished Obelisk, are a major attraction.

Take a tour of Krak des Chevaliers in Syrian Arab Republic – part of the World’s Greatest Attractions travel video series by GeoBeats. Its French name means "fortress of the knights" and it perfectly suits this impenetrable castle. The Krak des Chevaliers is an 11th-century stronghold in what is now Syria. This castle was predominately a refuge of the Crusaders, until 1291, when it was finally captured. However, even then, the Krak fell to a trick involving a forged letter, not to arms.

The Temple of Edfu is the second largest temple after Karnak, and is one of the temples always visited on Nile cruises.

Learn about the top 5 things to see in Jordan.

The Sea of Galilee is a popular touring place for Christian groups, as are Tiberius and Galilee. Religion can be experienced at its roots as Baptisms continue to take place in the Jordan River.

Take a tour of Philae Temple Complex in Egypt - part of the World’s Greatest Attractions travel video series by GeoBeats. In the island region of Philae, stands an epic monument to the ancient history of Egypt. The ancient Philae Temple Complex continues to fully dominate the island it rests upon. A walk through the ancient chambers of the Temple awakens the senses and boggles the mind. Classic Egyptian architecture, carvings, and hieroglyphics adorn the Philae Temple Complex.

The secret of papyrus making is still alive today. The plant is first cut up and later cut into thin bands and soaked in water to make them softer. The strips are then placed on each other and pressed together, and after that characteristic Egyptian motifs can be written on the pages, cartaceous, hieroglyphs and pictures. It is a decorative item for any room and can also be a nice present.

Andrew and Sam have favorite hotel pools on opposite sides of the globe.

Shepherd Entertainment takes you on a tour of the pyramids of Giza, only 12 kilometers away from Cairo at the edge of the desert due to the enormous growth of the city. The pyramids, because of their age and size were constantly in the center of human attention. What makes them interesting is that we are still not sure of their original purpose.