Aksum, Ethiopia - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Aksum, Ethiopia

Weather: Mostly sunny skies, 51/78F.

Route: From Asmara 180 km south on D24.

Population: 66,800

Significance: In the 3rd-7th centuries CE the Aksum Empire was the largest Empire other than the Eastern Roman Empire and the Persian Empire.  There are many large obelisks that were built near royal burial places.  Eventually the people of the area became Christian. There is a church there that is supposed to be the home of the Ark of the Covenant.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

One of the largest standing obelisks (from whc.unesco.org)

Aerial view of the valley and tomb area (from whc.unesco.org)

Asmara, Eritrea - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Asmara, Eritrea

Weather: Partly cloudy, 47/68F.

Route: From Gebel Barkal 1,202 km ESE on Qurier Atbara Rd.

Population: 963,000

Significance: Asmara was an Italian colony. There are over 400 modernist buildings from the late 19th and early 20th century. 

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Images:

Roof top view of the city (from whc.unesco.org)

Example of modernist building in Asmara (from whc.unesco.org)

Gebel Barkal, Sudan - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Gebel Barkal, Sudan

Weather: Sunny skies, 52/80F.

Route: From Abu Simbel 1,204 km south on A1.

Significance: Gebel Barkal is a mountain said to be the birthplace of the Egyptian God Amon. This was the center of the Kush Kingdom, which was at its height in 1,000-900 BC - at which time they ruled all of Egypt.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

Aerial view of temple ruins (from whc.unesco.org)

Pyramids of the Kush (from whc.unesco.org)

Abu Simbel, Egypt - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Abu Simbel, Egypt

Weather: Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy in the afternoon, 48/74F.

Route: From Thebes 497 km south on Route 75M.

Significance: This huge temple was built by Ramses II to commemorate victory in Nubia in 13th century BC. The upper Nile of Nubia was a place that many times rejected the power of pharoahs over them. This temple was meant to show that maybe rejecting a civilization capable of something like this wasn't a good idea. The temple was actually moved brick by brick to save it from rising waters after the damming of the Nile.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Image:

Abu Simbel (from whc.unesco.org)

Thebes, Egypt - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Thebes, Egypt

Weather: Considerable cloudiness, 45/71F.

Route: From Memphis 623 km south on 75M.

Significance: Thebes was the capital of Egypt in the Middle and New Kingdoms. The Valley of the Kings was where the tomb of Tutankhamun was found. 

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Images:

The center of the ruins of Thebes (from whc.unesco.org)

The Luxor Temple (from whc.unesco.org)

Memphis and Pyramids of Giza, Egypt - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Memphis and Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

Weather: Sunny skies, 48/68F.

Route: From Cairo 31 km south on Nile Corniche.

Significance: Capital of the Old Kingdom that flourished initially over 5000 years ago.  The nearby pyramids are some of the oldest and yet most grand symbols of human civilization.  There is no place in the world that can lay claim to a similar level of importance and power that were sustained from here for such a long period of time.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

The Sphinx and Pyramid of Khafre (from whc.unesco.org)

Temple of Ptah (from whc.unesco.org)

Cairo, Egypt - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Cairo, Egypt

Weather: Plentiful sunshine, 47/67F.

Route: From Alexandria 219 km southeast on 75M.

Population: 10,025,657

Places to visit: The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, Al-Azhar Park, Cairo Citadel, Al-Azhar Mosque, The Coptic Museum, Museum of Islamic Arts, Manial Palace Museum, Gayer-Anderson Museum, Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus, Fort of Babylon.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

Rooftop view of old Cairo (from whc.unesco.org)

Modern Cairo at night along the Nile (from theculturetrip.com)

Alexandria, Egypt

 Place: Alexandria, Egypt

Weather: Sunshine and clouds mixed, 53/65F.

Route: From Cyrene 943 km east on International Coastal Road and Route 40M.

Population: 5,381,000

Places to visit:  Montazah Gardens, Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, Fort Qaitbey, Royal Jewelry Museum, Alexandria National Museum, Ancient Roman Amphitheater, Mosque of Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi, Sarapeum, Fine Arts Museum.

Images:

Fort Qaitbey with skyline in the background (from localguideegypt.com)

Montazah Palace (from enicbcmed.eu)

Cyrene, Libya - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Cyrene, Libya

Weather: Partly cloudy early followed by showers in the afternoon, 42/56F.

Route: From Leptis Magna 1,120 km east on International Coastal Highway.

Significance: Another beautiful ancient city ruins protected by sands for centuries, Cyrene was Greek. In the 7th century BC people from the Greek island of Santorini immigrated here.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

Temple of Zeus (from whc.unesco.org)

View of the site from a nearby hill (from whc.unesco.org)

Leptis Magna, Libya - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Leptis Magna, Libya

Weather: Sunny, 50/65F.

Route: From Saint Catherine's Monastery 2,371 km west on Route 40 and International Coastal Road. 

Significance: I think this is the first time that a route takes more than a day. I'll still try to keep this to a minimum, but it will certainly happen in the late winter when I travel to the South Pacific.  The other thing making today's visit unrealistic is that it is in Libya is too dangerous to visit unfortunately.  However, this place is simply too magnificent to ignore on a trip such as this.  It was one of the most beautiful cities in the Roman Empire and after its demise the sands covered it - protecting it. There is still some 70% of the city under the sand today.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

The marketplace (from whc.unesco.org)

The theater with Mediterranean in the background (from whc.unesco.org)

Monastery of St. Catherine, Egypt - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Monastery of St. Catherine, Egypt

Weather: Sunny, 57/66F.

Route: From Jeddah 1,278 km NW on Route 5 and Route 55.

Significance: One of the oldest continuing operating monasteries in the world - it was first built in the 6th century. It is at the base of Mount Horeb, where Moses received the 10 commandments.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video: 

Images:

The walled St. Catherine's monastery with Mt Horeb in the background (from whc.unesco.org)

Bell tower (from whc.unesco.org)

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Weather: Cloudy, 70/82F.

Route: From Mecca 89 km west on route 40.

Population: 3,976,000

Significance: Jeddah, on the Red Sea, was the gateway to Mecca when most visitors reached the middle east by ship. The most characteristic architecture are tower houses built in the 19th century.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Images:

A 19th century tower house (from whc.unesco.org)

Historic center of Jeddah (from whc.unesco.org)

Mecca, Saudi Arabia

 Place: Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Weather: Partly to mostly cloudy, 69/87F.

Route: From Shibam 1,555 km NW on Route 40 and Route 80M.

Population: 2,042,000

Places to visit (only Muslims may enter Mecca): Great Mosque of Mecca, Abraj Al-Bait Towers, Masjid Taneem, Makkah Clock Tower Museum.

Images:

Grand Mosque of Mecca (from newsweek.com)

Aerial view of Mecca including Abraj Al-Bait Towers, with the largest clock tower in the world (from marhabasaudi.com)

Shibam, Yemen - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Shibam, Yemen

Weather: Partly cloudy skies, 53/86F.

Route: From Qalhat 1,848 km WSW on Route 31.

Population: 7,000

Significance: Known as the "Chicago" or "Manhattan of the Desert" - Shibam is made up of unique 5-11 story buildings that were originally built in the 16th century. They are made of mud brick, which means they need to be rebuilt constantly due to erosion from wind and rain.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Video:

Images:

The "skyscrapers" with Hadhramaut mountains in the background (from whc.unesco.org)

A mosque within the city (from whc.unesco.org)

Qalhat, Oman - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Qalhat, Oman

Weather: Mainly sunny, 65/77F.

Route: From Al Ain 518 km SE on Route 17.

Significance: Qalhat was a major port from the 11th to 15th centuries.  It was a hub of trade between Africa, Arabia, India, and Asia.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Images:

Ruins of Great Friday mosque (from whc.unesco.org)

Bibi Maryam mausoleum (from whc.unesco.org)

Al Ain, UAE - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 Place: Al Ain, UAE

Weather: Some clouds in the morning, mainly sunny in the afternoon, 59/81F.

Route: From Dubai 146 km SSE on E66.

Population: 766,936

Places to visit: Jebel Hafeet, Sheikh Zayed Palace Museum, Oasenstadt Al Ain, Green Mubazzarah, Al Jahili Fort, Al Ain National Museum, Qasr al Muwaiji, Al Qattara Arts Centre, Hili Archaeological Park, Al Darmaki Fort, Al Murabba Fort, Bin Helal Tower.

Website: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Images:

Al-Jahili Fort (from whc.unesco.org)

Al-Hili Tower (from whc.unesco.org)

Dubai, UAE

 Place: Dubai, UAE

Weather: Mostly cloudy, 65/82F.

Route: From Doha 654 km east on E11.

Population: 3,456,058

Places to visit: Burj Khalifa, Dubai Miracle Garden, Global Village, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, The Green Planet, Dubai Museum & Al Fahidi Fort, Jumeirah Mosque, Al Mamzar Beach Park, Dubai Garden Glow, Dubai Butterfly Garden.

Images:

Dubai skyline including Burj Khalifa, tallest man-made structure in the world (from standard.co.uk)

Palm Jumeirah islands (from tripsavvy.com)