This beautifully historic Bahrain fortress might not be the most popular attraction around, but that might make it all the better.

This centuries-old tree tells an unusual tale of vegetation and fertility in the desert.

Qatar's oldest market can trace its origins back more than a century.

On any given day this sprawling market houses literally tons of government-regulated gold, gems, and precious metals.

A preposterously luxurious hotel with gold-plated iPads, Rolls Royce chauffeurs, and a staff that trains by watching "Downton Abbey."

A unique configuration of blown glass can be found inside this hotel lobby.

Whitewashed mosque contains the world's largest carpet.

This mysterious abandoned fort looks like something pulled right from Arabian legend.

An imposing Omani fortress surrounded by date palm trees.

This bazaar is one of the oldest in the Arabian world.

This spectacular mosque houses the second-largest chandelier in the world.

This beautifully restored fortification kept the city safe for centuries.

These gnarly desert trees produce the prized aromatic resin traded along the ancient incense trail.

One of Yemen’s oldest and most beautiful mosques was named for the incredible, historical queen buried inside it.

A mesmerizing reservoir nestled at the heart of a pre-Islamic Yemeni village.

A nearly abandoned Jewish settlement perched atop a hill in the heart of Yemen.

Yemen's "Stone Palace" looks like it was carved right out of the tall stone column on which it is built.

A city built from mud and known as the "Manhattan of the desert."

The tallest minaret in Yemen is 150 feet high and entirely made of mud.

A giant bisected onion dome remembers the Iraqis who died in the Iran-Iraq War.

9th century Abbasid mosque, damaged in modern warfare.

Celebrated as a center of civilization, the remains of the ancient city have been nearly destroyed by greed, egoism, and war.

Giant reed houses made in the marshes of Southern Iraq.

A shrine on the shores of the Tigris.