Best cities in the Middle East. - Which city do you think is

[DominicanoNYC]

In my opinion there are a lot of great cities in the Middle East, but Dubai is the best. It is one of the fastest developing and the architecture of some of their buildings is intersting.

For a few pictures of the building in Dubai check this link out:http://www.skyscrapers.com/re/en/wm/ci/100485/bu/

[Gulcrapek]

I've been trying to convince my family Dubai would be a good summer vacation spot. They're not buying it.

It would be my top pick, maybe Doha would be second. I've also heard Tehran is interesting but it's not the place to be right now.

[NoyokA]

Dubai or how about Tel Aviv? But to be honest, I have no interest right now.

[fvcrew22]

yeah, no offense..but right now i really couldnt care less about which is the best city in the mid. east.

[NyC MaNiAc]

yea Stern, I've heard Tel Aviv has had a little construction boom. There buildings look pretty spectacular as well as Dubai.

Also Kuwait City may have some 'scrapers considering that they are a very rich (From oil of course) country.

[TLOZ Link5]

Watching the news. *Iraq is launching lots of inaccurate missiles at Kuwait, although supposedly most of them have crashed or have been shot down. *The reporter in Kuwait City almost always has his gas mask on, because everytime they go to him air-raid warning sirens are sounding in the background.

It's freaky.

[Ptarmigan]

I'd like to say Baghdad and Tehran, but they are under tyrannical despots. Baghdad should be a beautiful city. Tehran is beautiful, because of the mountains and its artwork. Persian artwork and architecture is beautiful. Man, I wish I had some of it. ;)

[dbhstockton]

I'd like to see both Baghdad and Tehran someday, if it's ever safe. *Beirut was supposed to be beautiful; I wonder what's going on there now.

[ZippyTheChimp]

Beirut was a wonderful city - about 25 years ago. Cosmopolitan. A gateway between Europe and the Middle East.
I can't imagine what it's like now.

[Freedom Tower]

Actually Beirut was war ravaged only about 10 years ago or so. However, I was watching on the news and they made many improvements. Aside from a couple of buildings it looks fine. However, I wouldn't reccomend travelling there. A US embassy was blown up there, and I think generally most places in the Middle East are dangerous for a Westerner to travel to, at least at the present time.

[LF22]

the best city is dubai, new york of the middle east

go canada

[LF22]

the best city is dubai, new york of the middle east

go canada

[ZippyTheChimp]

Freedom Tower, you're at least a decade off.
1975-76: civil war begins in Lebanon. Beirut is divided into zones which are controlled by religious-based militias.
1982: PLO is in Beirut. Israeli Army invades. Fighting results in the destruction of the western part of the city.
Multinational peacekeeping force arrives.
1983: Terrorist bomb damages US embassy - 50 killed.
Later that year, truck bomb destroys military barracks, 260 US and 60 French soldiers killed.
1984: Multinational peacekeepers leave, and various extremist groups control parts of the city.
1990: Waring militias return control of Beirut to the central government. Reconstruction begins.

[LF22]

and the whole of lebanon is still occupied by 22,000 syrian troops last time I checked, zippy

[TLOZ Link5]

I think I heard recently that they might be withdrawing.

[Freedom Tower]

Lebanon still to this day, along with Syria support Hezbollah, one of the terrorist organizations that launches attacks against Israel. I wouldn't go there just to protest their support for terrorists. Also, Zippy thanks for the correct history. Hey Lf22, there are really 22,000 of the Syrian troops?! I thought there were much less.

[LF22]

well, thats what I saw last time in TIME magazine,

[AJphx]

Are any of you rating this on anything other than modern skyscrapers? *Sorry, they are nice but they don't make for the "best" city.

I would have to say that the best cities in the middle-east are probably Jerusalem, Cairo (if you consider it middle-east), and Damascus.

(Edited by AJphx at 1:38 am on Aug. 27, 2003)

[NyC MaNiAc]

I have to get around to seeing The Great Pyraminds one day.

They must be magnificent.

[TLOZ Link5]

From what I've heard, they are. Looking at pictures of them it's hard to believe that if you took the Pyramid of Khufu and plopped it right in the middle of Midtown, you'd never see it in a skyline shot.

[SUPREMO]

From what I heard, the beauty of Beirut has been restored! It is alive again especially the seafront!

http://www.galenfrysinger.com/Photos/lebanon117.jpg
Luna Park in Corniche, Beirut's version of Coney Island

http://www.skyscrapers.com/files_transfer/6/2001/06/123672.jpg
Nara Towers and Marina in Beirut, when completed, this 48 storie tower will be 709 ft

http://www.skyscrapers.com/files_transfer/6/2001/03/123186.gif
Beirut undergoing restoration

http://www.acropolislebanon.com/location.jpg
Beirut @ night

http://www.lebanon2c.com/tourism/nightlife/bnights_1_2c.gif
Some of the most beautiful women in Beirut

http://www.lebanon2c.com/tourism/nightlife/bnights_15_2c.gif
Beirut's club scene, currently the most popular are RAVE and EURO TRANCE

As for my choice of favorite Middle Eastern city, is Ramat Gan, a satellite city bordering Tel Aviv. It reminds me of a mid-size US city

http://www.skyscrapers.com/files_transfer/6/2002/10/162941.jpg

[Gulcrapek]

Crap. That's kinda scary. It really does look like Coney Island.

[SUPREMO]

At least it's better compared to a war-torn rubbles. But in this park, instead of hotdogs, burgers and pizza, I think they serve shawarmas, kebabs with the usual Pepsi and 7 Up.

More images of Luna Park

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/7432/LunaPark.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/7432/LunaPark2.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/7432/GranCanyon2.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/7432/Dragon.jpg

[Moe14]

Haifa is a great town - beautiful, by the sea, and one of a very few handful of Middle-Eastern cities with any kind of semblance of ethnic or religious harmony. Be sure to check out the Bahai headquarters. If we're counting North Africa also, Fez (in Morocco) and Cairo are both neat cities.

[TLOZ Link5]

Doha, the capital of Qatar, is supposed to be nice. But don't take my word for it; I don't pretend to be any expert in Middle Eastern travel.

[Merry]

Tel Aviv for its large concentration of Bauhaus architecture of the '30s and '40s.

[BrooklynRider]

I'm in the country of Qatar right now. Never been to this region of the world before. The city of Doha is going through the same kind of boom as Dubai. It is an incredible development from the ground up. Instant city. Plus, they have their own answer to the palm island of Dubai; The Pearl Qatar. It is a manmade island and a brand new city being constructed on it.

Of course, the weather is 110 degrees today and it's a swirl of desert dust. If I can get pictures, I will - but it won't be easy.

[krulltime]

Oh cool. Becareful hope you don't get arrested. :p And make sure you bring me a camel. :)

[joe25]

I'm in the country of Qatar right now. Never been to this region of the world before. The city of Doha is going through the same kind of boom as Dubai. It is an incredible development from the ground up. Instant city. Plus, they have their own answer to the palm island of Dubai; The Pearl Qatar. It is a manmade island and a brand new city being constructed on it.

Of course, the weather is 110 degrees today and it's a swirl of desert dust. If I can get pictures, I will - but it won't be easy.
Damn you are lucky, I wanna go visit Qatar as well as Dubai. Trump sparked my curiosity bone when he was talking about it on letterman.

[195Broadway]

I'm in the country of Qatar right now. Never been to this region of the world before. The city of Doha is going through the same kind of boom as Dubai. It is an incredible development from the ground up. Instant city. Plus, they have their own answer to the palm island of Dubai; The Pearl Qatar. It is a manmade island and a brand new city being constructed on it.

Of course, the weather is 110 degrees today and it's a swirl of desert dust. If I can get pictures, I will - but it won't be easy.

BR,
Looking forward to your photos and commentary. I'm thinking of hopping a plane to Dubai. What the hell

[Nygirl]

Cairo, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Damascus. Does Istanbul count?

[scumonkey]

Cairo- hands down!

[Zephyr]

Formed a strong opinion about Tel Aviv because I've not just read about it, but have actually been there, and compared it to other places in the area. It is interesting, even beautiful to look at, architecturally speaking. Being on the Mediterranean Sea it has great sunsets and beaches, and that golden glow on summer afternoons is priceless, even as it heats up. This relatively young city then layers on that a tonne of things to do day or night, and even as you get deep into that night, you have fine restaurants and A/C cinema houses to frequent.

Has its problems (like drug trafficking for instance), but it is overall a place that one could form many attachments. It is in a dangerous part of the world, however, like most Middle Eastern cities, so there is always that looming fear factor.

In case you are interested, there is a brief WNY thread on this place, with a primary focus on its Modernist Architecture: "'White City' of the Bauhaus in Tel Aviv (http://wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16618)".