Tag Archives: Middle East

Travel: ‘Diverse & Exotic Cultures Of Turkey’ (4K)

The culture of Turkey  combines a heavily diverse and  heterogeneous  set of elements that have been derived from the various cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean (West Asian) and Central Asian region and Eastern European, and Caucasian traditions. Many of these traditions were initially brought together by the Ottoman Empire, a multi-ethnic and multi-religious state.

During the early years of the republic, the government invested a large amount of resources into fine arts such as paintings, sculpture and architecture. This was done as both a process of modernization and of creating a cultural identity.

GLOBAL NEWS PODCAST: Nuclear Nations, West Bank & Gaza, Boeing Flies

A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week: who will go nuclear next?new leadership is needed in the West Bank and Gaza (9:45) and can Boeing fly without government help? (15:35)

Morning News Podcast: Latest News From Around The World (Jan 23)

We flick through the weekend’s papers across the Middle East and North Africa and examine the future relationship between the UK and the US under Joe Biden. Plus: Andrew Tuck’s Saturday column.

Travel Tour: The ‘Seven Emirates’ (4K Video)

Over the years the Beautiful Destinations Team has been to the Emirates many times. However, we’ve only ever explored Dubai & Abu Dhabi. For our first trip of 2021 we’ve decided to come to the Emirates to show you something a little different. You’ve all seen the futuristic skylines of Dubai & Abu Dhabi but have you ever seen the great outdoors of the Emirates? This was shot across Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Fujairah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Abu Dhabi and Dubai as the #BDTeam​ explored the mountains, deserts, beaches and waters of the country. There are so many hidden gems in the Emirates.

The United Arab Emirates, sometimes simply called the Emirates, is a country in Western Asia located at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders Oman and Saudi Arabia, and has maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran.

Aerial Travel: ‘Dubai – The Exotic City’, U.A.E. (4K Video)

Explore Dubai one of the most exotic and luxurious city in 4K the world situated in United Arab Emirates. This cinematic travel film is brought to you by Oculus Films.

Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates known for luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture and a lively nightlife scene. Burj Khalifa, an 830m-tall tower, dominates the skyscraper-filled skyline. At its foot lies Dubai Fountain, with jets and lights choreographed to music. On artificial islands just offshore is Atlantis, The Palm, a resort with water and marine-animal parks.

Tourism In 2021: Egypt Sees ‘Slow Return’ After 70% Plunge In 2020 (Video)

Egypt’s tourism sector is eying a gradual recovery after revenues plunged by nearly 70% to $4 billion in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the tourism minister and travel companies said.

Egypt, a country linking northeast Africa with the Middle East, dates to the time of the pharaohs. Millennia-old monuments sit along the fertile Nile River Valley, including Giza’s colossal Pyramids and Great Sphinx as well as Luxor’s hieroglyph-lined Karnak Temple and Valley of the Kings tombs. The capital, Cairo, is home to Ottoman landmarks like Muhammad Ali Mosque and the Egyptian Museum, a trove of antiquities. 

Walks: ‘Old Jerusalem – Christian Quarter’ (Video)

Winter in the Old City of Jerusalem. Israel. The Christian Quarter is one of the four quarters of the walled Old City. The Christian Quarter is situated in the northwestern corner of the Old City, extending from the New Gate in the north, along the western wall of the Old City as far as the Jaffa Gate, along the Jaffa Gate – Western Wall route in the south, bordering on the Jewish and Armenian Quarters, as far as the Damascus Gate in the east, where it borders on the Muslim Quarter. The Christian quarter contains about 40 Christian holy places. Among them is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of Christianity’s holiest places. Most of its residents are Palestinian Christians, despite their dwindling numbers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christi…

Travel: ‘Ajman & Sharjah – United Arab Emirates’ (UAE)

Ajman is the capital of the emirate of Ajman in the United Arab Emirates, located along the Persian Gulf. It is the smallest emirate of the United Arab Emirates and is engulfed by the larger emirate of Sharjah. 

Sharjah is the third largest and third most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area. The emirate of Sharjah borders with Dubai to the south, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain to the north and Ras Al Khaimah to the east. 

The United Arab Emirates, sometimes simply called the Emirates, is a country in Western Asia located at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders Oman and Saudi Arabia, and has maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran.

Culinary Travels: ‘Village Food’ In The United Arab Emirates – UAE (Video)

Welcome to the United Arab Emirates!! This is the start of our new FOOD series from this amazing and diverse country. We are leaving the big city of Dubai to show you the traditional food and culture of the Emirates, starting with a very special family meal, and ending with an awesome desert feast!

BIG thank you to our friends Omar and Salem for their help and hospitality. For our first Emirati family experience and food, we were kindly invited to the guest home of the Royal Al Qasimi family. We ate a delicious Arabic biryani, salads and Khabees (traditional dessert). This food is often what guests will experience when they are invited into a family’s home. After the meal, it is also common to enjoy a cup of Arabic coffee, which was rich with cardamon. The family was also kind enough to show us their vintage car collection, which included the original Land Rover from 1948. Thank you very much for the warm invitation and the wonderful gifts! Next, we explored the town of Ras al-Khaimah to see original architecture, old cafes and experience real Emirati lifestyle.

We visited the oldest cafe in the city, where locals from the mountains and locals from the coast would meet and exchange news and drink tea. We tried their sangini tea and it was very sweet. We also stopped at a traditional juice stall that serves mixed fruit juices with avocado. So refreshing! We then drove into the desert near Sharjah, to visit Omar’s family farm. Along the way we met a camel farmer who offered us tea and Omani halwa.

At Omar’s desert farm, we started cooking Majboos, an Arabic rice dish that is cooked with goat, vegetables, potatoes, dried fruits and tons of spices. The Majboos was then cooked for several hours over wood fire, which worked up a big appetite! The Majboos is served on a massive tray and shared with everyone. The goat was so tender and the rice soaked up all of the flavours of the spices. It was an extremely special experience and we are very grateful.

Travel Tours: ‘Ancient Luxor – Egypt’ (Video)

Luxor is a city on the east bank of the Nile River in southern Egypt. It’s on the site of ancient Thebes, the pharaohs’ capital at the height of their power, during the 16th–11th centuries B.C. Today’s city surrounds 2 huge, surviving ancient monuments: graceful Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple, a mile north. The royal tombs of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens are on the river’s west bank.