Your Middle East -- National Geographic

Empty Quarter Desert, Saudi Arabia
Photograph by Muhannad Abu Ghdaib, My Shot
This image was taken in the Empty Quarter desert in the southeastern region of Saudi Arabia. The location is called Shaybah, which means "the Old Lady." It is believed that it took this name because of the white salty marshes spread in the desert with the red sands.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Nile River, Luxor, Egypt
Photograph by Bruno Bengen, My Shot
This pic is from a beautiful sunset felucca ride by the Nile River. I had the Luxor Temple at my back.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Photograph by Nawfal Jirjees, My Shot
This picture was taken in Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Memorial, Iran
Photograph by Mohammad Jahangir, My Shot
A man looks at the religious flags at a memorial near the Iraq border.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Hajj, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Photograph by Nassif Ahmed, My Shot
Pilgrims in prayer around the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, during Hajj. Taken during the afternoon prayer. It was tricky to photograph this, as photography is not encouraged inside the mosque, though not strictly enforced.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
Photograph by Petra Chriastelova, My Shot
View of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Falconer, Saudi Arabia
Photograph by Dolors Bas, My Shot
A man with his falcon in the Saudi Arabian desert
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Children, Tel Aviv, Israel
Photograph by Dima Vazinovich, My Shot
Israeli children playing at the local fountain in Tel Aviv city
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Nile River, Luxor, Egypt
Photograph by Fikry Botros, My Shot
Taken from a Nile cruise boat at sunset. Luxor, Egypt.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Photograph by Moriazi Mohamad, My Shot
Picture was taken from my hotel room. At that moment, I thought that Dubai was like a science fiction film, so I quickly grabbed my camera and took this picture.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem
Photograph by Nir Alon, My Shot
Every year, before Easter, thousands of Catholics and Orthodox pilgrims come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Holy Week. Here, Ethiopians circle around the dome with candles in their hands.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Petra, Jordan
Photograph by Herve Fucho, My Shot
It was a hot, dry August day in Jordan. Going to the Petra temples, I sat for a few seconds to rest. As I looked up, a voice told me to stand up and take a shot, right now, just feel it. I took this one picture only. Next my eyes told me it was over. One cannot prepare for such a setting, the light funneling down, those two Amman women chatting and walking by at the perfect pace. It felt perfect. Jordan was to me a mystical place and a gift to me. This photo in return symbolized the respect I gained for its people.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Luxor Temple, Egypt
Photograph by Sandy Alexander, My Shot
Taken at the Temple of Luxor. It was late in the afternoon and the light just looked so cool against the hieroglyphs. Taken by Erin Alexander, 17.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Dancer, Egypt
Photograph by Marcus DiMaggio, My Shot
While studying in Italy, I was lucky enough to spend some time traveling along the Nile River in Egypt. In this photo, an Egyptian dancer and musicians perform in a restaurant in Luxor, Egypt.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Hail City, Saudi Arabia
Photograph by Abdulsalam AlKuwyleet, My Shot
This image was taken in Hail City, Saudi Arabia
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Treasury at Petra, Jordan
Photograph by Joel Metlen, My Shot
Al Khazneh (the Treasury) is the centerpiece of Petra.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Treasury at Petra, Jordan
Photograph by Or Hiltch, My Shot
After walking for about 30 minutes in the cold of the desert night through a narrow gorge dimly lighted with simple small candles, The Treasury emerges through the rocks. It's really an unbelievable sight, especially with all the stars sparkling through the canyon.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Iraq
Photograph by Terence Harsh, My Shot
South of Kirkuk
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey
Photograph by Dogu Uygar Unay, My Shot
Such a normal day in Istanbul at the Hagia Sophia. History and nature show themselves only to people who know to look.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Central Iran
Photograph by Matthew Blome, My Shot
This was taken in central Iran a week before the disputed election last year. You cannot help but imagine being inside the contemplative gazes of these two young girls. What future lies ahead for the next generation of Iranian women?
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Bride, Yemen
Photograph by Punam Bean, My Shot
A Jewish Yemenite henna ceremony is a tradition dating as far back as the Bronze Age. The bride-to-be is adorned with ornate jewelry and a headdress in the traditional style of wedding attire of Yemenite Jews.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Western Wall, Jerusalem
Photograph by Lior Patel, My Shot
Talking to God at the Western Wall, Jerusalem
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Umayyad Mosque, Damascus, Syria
Photograph by Teo Jioshvili, My Shot
The Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem
Photograph by Ilan Zimet, My Shot
On the Temple Mount in the Old City
(This photo was submitted to My Shot.)
Horse, Giza, Egypt
Photograph by Romona Robbins, My Shot
An Arabian stallion stands before the Pyramids at Giza.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Temple of Hercules, Amman, Jordan
Photograph Danielle Courtenay, My Shot
This was taken in Amman, Jordan, in the late afternoon in February. There were very few people by these ruins for some reason, and as we were walking toward them, I saw this woman just sitting, looking out over the rooftops of Amman. I thought the way the sun was setting and the clouds were sort of half-looming nearby provided such an interesting light—it really enhanced the whole magic of being there.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Karak Castle, Jordan
Photograph by Thomas Bucher, My Shot
Very nice light beam in the underground of Karak Castle in Jordan. I just had to scramble the sand a little in order to get some dust in which the light would create its beam.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Market Stall, Kabul, Afghanistan
Photograph by Steve Southerland, My Shot
Kabul, Afghanistan's oldest market, where most anything for the home can be purchased, including these burkas.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Market, Saudi Arabia
Photograph by Ashraf Osman, My Shot
Dates vendor in Saudi Arabia
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Tel Aviv, Israel
Photograph by Rachelle Stout, My Shot
From the rooftop patio of our apartment on Dizengoff Street we could watch the sunset on the Mediterranean paint the buildings, old and new, of Tel Aviv a pale pink.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Dhows, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Photograph by Paul Todd, My Shot
Traditional dhows race just off the coast of Dubai. The racing can be very competitive. These vessels used to make commercial journeys between the Persian Gulf and East Africa using sails as their only means of propulsion.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Telecom Dish, Kuwait
Photograph by Faisal al Bisher, My Shot
I took this photo in Kuwait in the Middle East in an area called Umm al-Aish. This telecommunication dish was one of the remaining things from the Iraqi invasion on February 8, 1990.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Noravank Monastery, Armenia
Photograph by Andrew Brukhovetskyy, My Shot
Monastery in Armenia
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Wadi Rum, Jordan
Photograph by Sheryl Akagi, My Shot
Civil twilight at Wadi Rum
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Bedouins, Jordan
Photograph by Yoko Hyakuna, My Shot
Every year, I pick a destination to go to celebrate my birthday. This year, I went to Jordan. I celebrated my birthday in the middle of Wadi Rum desert, welcomed by the Bedouin people. Bedouin people were very kind and patient. Their strong presence showed their wisdom of living in the desert in such harmony.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Jordan
Photograph by Victoria Nikolova, My Shot
Taken in the Jordan desert through the window of a bus
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Street Scene, Jerusalem
Photograph by Valentine Kleyner, My Shot
Jerusalem, April 2008
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Nasir al-Molk Mosque, Shiraz, Iran
Photograph by Marjana Zefran, My Shot
Reflections from colored glass at the Nasir al-Molk mosque in Shiraz, Iran
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Azadi Tower, Tehran, Iran
Photograph by Musa Chowdhury, My Shot
A woman in a burka entering the Azadi Tower monument in Tehran, Iran
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Temple of Bacchus, Baalbek, Lebanon
Photograph by Blake Peterson, My Shot
This photo was taken at the Temple of Bacchus in Baalbek, Lebanon. These columns are the few remaining of an ornate, double-columned portico that framed the temple.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Koran, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Photograph by Maurizio Punturi, My Shot
Girl reading the Koran, Dubai
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Pigeons' Rock, Beirut, Lebanon
Photograph by Wael Massalkhi, My Shot
Sunset over Pigeons' Rock in Beirut, Lebanon
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Eilat, Israel
Photograph by Aviram Avigal, My Shot
This photo was taken in 50-meter depths off the south coast of Eilat, Israel.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Sema Ceremony, Istanbul, Turkey
Photograph by Gokhan Canbaz, My Shot
A guy at the Sema ceremony in the Blue Mosque in Istanbul
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Market Stall, Mash'had, Iran
Photograph by Alee Rafiee, My Shot
Reza Bazaar, Mash'had, Iran. A very special store selling different kinds of rosaries and ornaments. There is no shopping window, and you can touch everything. The store is also a workshop and the old expert man designs and makes his products in front of his customers.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Mural, Kurdistan, Iraq
Photograph by Christopher De Bruyn, My Shot
Sulaimani, Kurdistan, Iraq. Three street children lean against a mural made by Iraqi elementary students.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Man and Camel, Saudi Arabia
Photograph by Diane Ottosen, My Shot
Shot with a telephoto lens in Saudi Arabia. He was interacting with his camel when he thought no one was watching.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Mount Gilboa, Israel
Photograph by Vadim Levinzon, My Shot
Morning fog on Mount Gilboa, Israel
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Golan Heights, Israel
Photograph by Roman Meler, My Shot
Golan
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Abu Manara Mosque, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Photograph by Benjamin Thomas, My Shot
Twilight at the Abu Manara Mosque, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Gilf el-Kebir Desert, Egypt
Photograph by Dolors Bas, My Shot
Gilf el-Kebir desert in the southwest corner of Egypt
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Church of St. John, Byblos, Lebanon
Photograph by Antoine Faissal, My Shot
This old church is one of the most beautiful, located in the city of Jbeil (Byblos), Lebanon.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Tree of Life, Bahrain
Photograph by Ali Barqawi, My Shot
The Tree of Life is a 400-year-old mesquite tree in Bahrain that is considered a natural wonder. This unique tree stands alone in the desert about two kilometers from the Jebel Dukhan, the highest point in Bahrain. The source of water for this tree remains a mystery because it stands in a place completely free of water.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia
Photograph by Jon Eric Lauritzen, My Shot
The Old City in Al-Ula is a beautiful example of an early Islamic settlement. Located 380 kilometers north of Medina in Saudi Arabia, Al-Ula was the capital of the ancient Lihyanites (Dedanites). The city occupies a strategic position along the main trade route carrying incense and spices and connecting civilizations of the Old World. The spectacular scenery is starting to draw in visitors but the tourism infrastructure is still relatively underdeveloped.
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)
Saidnaya, Syria
Photograph by Giorgio Pizzocaro, My Shot
The view of a partial solar eclipse in the sky on January 4, 2011, seen from the town of Saidnaya, Syria
(This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.)