Points of Interest, Facts & Landmarks in the Middle East

The extraordinary temple known as Aub Simbel can be found in Egpyt. It is a spectacular building literally carved out of and into stone. Ramses II commissioned this temple thirteen centuries before the birth of Christ. The most striking aspect of Abu Simbel is the 70-foot high rock carvings of Ramses II. Unbelievably, the workers actually excavated an astonishing 35 feet into the side of the rock mountain with the most primitive of tools.

In light of the amazing achievement of the Panama Canal, it is easy to forget the superhuman effort undertaken to carve the Suez Canal. The idea for a waterway that would connect the Mediterranean to the Red Sea goes back several centuries, but it did not become a reality until the 1850s. What may be most surprising is that it is the Suez Canal and not oil that is the larger source of income for Egypt every year, pumping tens of billions into the Egyptian economy.

Located in Jerusalem, the Dome of the Rock is one of the most ancient of all Islamic landmarks. Contrary to popular belief, the Dome is not a mosque, but a shrine. It is what it sounds like: a hollow piece of bedrock where tradition states that Mohammad left his footprint before ascending into heaven.

Also located in Jerusalem, this church is known as the Church of the Resurrection in the Eastern Orthodox religion. It is supposed to be the very site where Jesus Christ was buried and then resurrected. In fact, the church altar over a hole in the bedrock that the Church claims is the very spot where the cross where Jesus was crucified stood on. Religious scholars and archaeologists are still debating that point, however.