In the past I have been a frequent traveller to the Middle East and have spent some extended periods of time living there, having savoured a taste of life in Iran, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and most recently Oman.
The common denominator between all of them is of course the oppressive summer heat (albeit, there are parts of Iran with temperatures of 15oC in the summer and -35oC in the winter), but putting that aside, they are all very different in their geography, their demography and their various forms of hospitality.
Iran: treasures to be discovered
Iran for example, wasn’t at all what I imagined it to be and how I wish more people would take the plunge and discover its treasures for themselves. It is to my eternal embarrassment that when I first met my Iranian husband over forty years ago, I was not informed enough to know that Iran is actually not an Arab country, but Persian – a different race altogether and who incidentally speak Farsi and not Arabic.
My own ignorance was diplomatically and deftly quashed over a period of time by my polite and long-suffering other half. With every family trip to Tehran, we inevitably tagged on domestic flights to Shiraz, Tabriz, the North (Caspian Sea) and Esfahan; the latter having gotten its nickname ‘Nesf-e-Jahān’ (which translates to ‘Half the World’) because of its rich history and remarkable architecture.
Bahrain: small but surprising
Then there’s Bahrain, that tiny archipelago of islands snuggled like a thumbprint into the Persian Gulf. Who’d have thought to discover an International Formula One track in the heart of this tiny country? The vroom vroom vroom of engines on a race day makes your very blood roar before getting anywhere close to the venue. You could drive around Bahrain in a single day, passing on your way the miraculous Tree of Life – over 400 years old and as green-leafed as an Irish summer, standing literally in the middle of the desert, with no one really certain of how it manages to survive.
Dubai: an architect’s dream
Some might say that the most wondrous encounter of all is a first visit to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates where the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, spears its way into endless blue sky. It took 22 million man-hours and 110,000 tons of concrete to build and it absolutely takes your breath away, but as someone with no head for heights and having visited the observers’ deck on the 123rd floor I’m happy to have tried that experience just the once. Dubai is an architect’s dream but even for a lay person the miscellany and ingenuity in the designs of the buildings is nothing short of mind blowing.
Oman: unique charm and beauty
But perhaps I’ve saved the best for last – the shy country that doesn’t seem to push itself forward, yet has a charm and beauty all its own – Oman. I just love everything about it – the restricted heights of the buildings, the diversity and friendliness of the people and the fact that the world and his wife used to offer me lifts because I was the weird Irishwoman who actually walked everywhere. There is a real spirit of acceptance that pervades across Omani life and no less so than during my visits to the mosques, none so beautiful as the Mohammed Al Ameen Mosque in Muscat, my favourite, especially at night.
The moment we met
I knew that God and Allah
shared a single light
This has been a mere snapshot of a part of the world I have grown to appreciate and love over time, but I hope that in some small way I have enticed you to visit there and to experience the beauty of the Middle East for yourselves. Happy travelling!
Please note the Foreign Commonwealth and Development office do not advise travelling to Iran at this time.
