Dokan, Iraq
Qyzqapan Tomb
Ancient rock-cut tomb? Definitely. That of a great Median king? Unlikely.
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Places I've been
Places this traveler has marked as been there.
Baghdad, Iraq
Saddam Hussein's Blood Quran
A 605-page Quran penned in the blood of a dictator is locked away in a mosque.
Qurna, Iraq
The Tree of Knowledge
A shrine on the shores of the Tigris.
Al-Shikhan, Iraq
Lalish Temple
The sacred shrine of the Yazidis.
Erbil, Iraq
Erbil Citadel
An ancient fortified mound raised over the millennia from settlements built one on top of the other.
Samarra, Iraq
Great Mosque of Samarra
9th century Abbasid mosque, damaged in modern warfare.
Hillah, Iraq
Babylon
Celebrated as a center of civilization, the remains of the ancient city have been nearly destroyed by greed, egoism, and war.
Damascus, Syria
Umayyad Mosque
Also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus, this is one of the world's largest and oldest mosques.
Busra, Syria
Black Amphitheater of Bosra
One of the world's best-preserved Roman amphitheaters is also one of the most unusual; it's made of black volcanic rock.
Hama, Syria
Norias of Hama
Only a handful of these gorgeous historic waterwheels remain but even those are in danger from local unrest.
Aleppo, Syria
The Citadel of Aleppo
One of the oldest and largest castles in the world.
Aleppo, Syria
Souk al-Saqatiya
Amid the rubble of Aleppo's Old Quarter, part of a historic market has been restored and re-opened.
Safita, Syria
Krak des Chevaliers
Ruins of the Crusaders' headquarters.
Palmyra, Syria
Palmyra
Mysterious lost empire of the Silk Road.
