Choose from 633 Fun Things to Do in Middle East And Africa
![Chobe National Park Chobe National Park](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b8d5dcc5010d101daa/5c892a42d5dcc5014a26a094/medium.jpg)
Chobe National Park
- Wear comfortable shoes and layered clothing, and bring sunscreen, bug spray, and water.
- If you’re arriving from a neighboring country, be sure to bring your passport.
- Some safari vehicles and boats offer wheelchair access, but it’s best to check in advance.
![Castle of Good Hope Castle of Good Hope](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b7d5dcc5010d101c5b/5c893aa5d5dcc5014a26dd03/medium.jpg)
Castle of Good Hope
In the late 1600s, the Dutch East India Company constructed the Castle of Good Hope as a maritime resupply station, and over the years, it became the seat of administrative and military power in the cape until the settlement grew and the civilian functions moved into town.
Today, the castle is the oldest remaining building of the colonial era as well as the military's hub. Open to visitors, it houses the Castle Military Museum and the Iziko Museums of Cape Town. The latter is a fascinating collection of paintings, furnishings and ceramics dating back to the colonial period. Nearby the Castle and throughout Cape Town are the other Iziko museums, which include the South African Museum (dinosaurs, natural history and African artifacts), the Planetarium, the South African National Gallery and more. Also nearby are Green Point Common, an inner-city greenbelt, entertainment district and site of the new FIFA World Cup Stadium. Long Street, found in the nearby City Bowl neighborhood, is a bohemian neighborhood famous for its restaurants, shopping and bars.
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In 2009, the castle hosted the Cape Town Military Tattoo, a series of military performances on par with world-famous tattoo in Edinburgh, Scotland. Visitors are treated to the majesty of military regalia and parade performance, most recently during the 2010 FIFA world cup.
Finding the castle is pretty easy - it's a 20-minute drive from Cape Town International Airport, on Strand St. near the Good Hope Centre
![Church of the Nativity Church of the Nativity](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b9d5dcc5010d101dfd/5c8927c3d5dcc5014a26977f/medium.jpg)
Church of the Nativity
The 4,000-foot complex now includes the main basilica, run by the Greek Orthodox Church; the Roman Catholic, Gothic Revival-style Church of St. Catherine; the Grotto, an underground shrine to the birth of Jesus; and a bas-relief sculpture of the Tree of Jesse, a symbol of Jesus’ genealogy, bequeathed to the church by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.
Listed as a Heritage Site in 2012, this is first UNESCO site to be set in Palestine; its nomination sparked fierce opposition from both the United States and Israel. Presently in a state of worrisome disrepair due to ongoing water damage, the church has been placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger and approved by the Palestinian Authority for a multi-million dollar restoration.
In the meantime, the church is open to the public, and visitor information can be found here: http://www.bethlehem.custodia.org/
![Chamarel Waterfall Chamarel Waterfall](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b8d5dcc5010d101cee/5c893062d5dcc5014a26b77a/medium.jpg)
Chamarel Waterfall
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![Church of the Holy Sepulchre Church of the Holy Sepulchre](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b9d5dcc5010d101dfb/5c8927e8d5dcc5014a269803/medium.jpg)
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Commissioned between 325-6 by Emperor Constantine I, and his mother, Saint Helena, the church was built on the former site of a temple dedicated to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and war; initial excavations for this construction, according to Helena, revealed the Holy Sepulchre, or the tomb of Jesus.
During a Muslim uprising in 1009, the church was razed to the ground, an act that provoked Europe to begin the Crusades. It was eventually rebuilt via collaboration between the Muslims and Byzantines, and additions were later made by Crusaders, Franciscan monks, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic elders. Fire damaged the church’s dome and other features in 1808, and archeological excavations throughout the 1970s revealed that the church’s site had, even before the temple of Aphrodite, been a limestone quarry.
The main features of the church include a stairway that climbs to the Golgotha, or rumored site of Jesus’ crucifixion; a rotunda containing the Holy Sepulchre; and the Greek Orthodox catholicon, the church’s main altar.
![Chapel of Ascension Chapel of Ascension](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b8d5dcc5010d101d06/5c893794d5dcc5014a26d22c/medium.jpg)
Chapel of Ascension
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![Citadel of Saladin (Al-Qalaa) Citadel of Saladin (Al-Qalaa)](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b9d5dcc5010d101e17/5c893062d5dcc5014a26b777/medium.jpg)
Citadel of Saladin (Al-Qalaa)
Sprawling over a limestone spur on the eastern edge of the city, the Citadel of Saladin (or Al-Qalaa) was home to Egypt's rulers for some 700 years. Their legacy is a collection of three very different mosques, including the Mosque of Mohamed Ali, several palaces (housing some underwhelming museums such as the police and military museums) and a couple of terraces with city views.
The area was fortified around 1180 to protect it from the Crusaders. In the 1860s, ruler Khedive Ismail moved to newly built Abdin Palace, ending the citadel's role as the seat of government.
Practical Info
Catch bus 174 from Midan Ramses or 173 from Midan Falaki, or grab a taxi which is cheap in Cairo. Admission to the Citadel of Saladin includes entry to all the museums within the Citadel. Though this is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Cairo (particularly for Egyptians), it is relatively unimpressive and decidedly overpriced.
![Church of St Anne Church of St Anne](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b8d5dcc5010d101deb/5c893f4fd5dcc5014a26ee19/medium.jpg)
Church of St Anne
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![Cedars of Lebanon (Cedars of God) Cedars of Lebanon (Cedars of God)](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b7d5dcc5010d101cab/5c8949f2d5dcc5014a27140b/medium.jpg)
Cedars of Lebanon (Cedars of God)
From as early as 3,000 BC the surrounding civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and later the British lusted for the hard wood found in the forests of Lebanon. Unable to provide wood of their own for shipbuilding and railroad ties, the cedar forests of Lebanon were rapidly depleted and nearly destroyed.
Despite the international demand, however, some of the most remote groves managed to remain, the most famous of which is located in the village of Bsharre just 15 minutes from Lebanon’s most popular ski resort. Believed to be the oldest cedar grove in Lebanon, four of the largest cedars reach heights of over 115 feet and are locally referred to as Arz el Rab, “Cedars of the Lord”.
One of Lebanon’s greatest natural treasures, the mountainous area offers terrain and panoramas unlike anywhere else in Lebanon. After ambling amongst the cedars in Bsharri or taking to the slopes, visitors can descend into nearby Qadisha Grotto, an entrancing cave complex filled with limestone stalactites and stalagmites and which gushes with springtime waterfalls.
Given the distance of the cedars from the capital city of Beirut there are many hotel options available nearby, and although the ski resort is only open from December through April there is never a bad season for exploring the recesses of the Lebanese mountains.
![Church of St Barbara Church of St Barbara](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b8d5dcc5010d101dec/5c893fa1d5dcc5014a26ef45/medium.jpg)
Church of St Barbara
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![Church of St James Church of St James](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b8d5dcc5010d101df2/5c89427bd5dcc5014a26f977/medium.jpg)
Church of St James
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![Chapman's Peak Drive Chapman's Peak Drive](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b8d5dcc5010d101d0d/5c8935fbd5dcc5014a26cc47/medium.jpg)
Chapman's Peak Drive
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![Church of St George (Mari Girgis) Church of St George (Mari Girgis)](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b8d5dcc5010d101df0/5c893ff3d5dcc5014a26f06e/medium.jpg)
Church of St George (Mari Girgis)
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![Chefchaouen Chefchaouen](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b8d5dcc5010d101d4c/5c8932fcd5dcc5014a26c101/medium.jpg)
Chefchaouen
- Chefchaouen is a must-see for Instagram fanatics and first-time visitors to Morocco.
- Chefchaouen tours from Tangier or Fez can last eight to 12 hours, depending on the option chosen.
- Don’t forget your camera; this town is full of memorable photo ops.
- Dress in long, loose layers; Chefchaouen is more conservative than Marrakech.
- The town is hilly, so wear comfortable shoes suitable for walking over uneven surfaces.
![Chillout Ice Lounge Chillout Ice Lounge](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b8d5dcc5010d101d93/5c8945b8d5dcc5014a2704e7/medium.jpg)
Chillout Ice Lounge
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![Christian Quarter Christian Quarter](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b8d5dcc5010d101dcb/5c893c02d5dcc5014a26e1f5/medium.jpg)
Christian Quarter
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![City of the Dead (Qarafa) City of the Dead (Qarafa)](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b9d5dcc5010d101e1f/5c89301dd5dcc5014a26b66c/medium.jpg)
City of the Dead (Qarafa)
Qarafa, or The City of the Dead, is two 4 mile (6 km) long cemeteries - a north and south cemetery - dating from Mamluk times (1200s - 1500s) and is still in use today. Traditionally all families kept a mausoleum and these days some families use them for living in as well as for burials. Some families have been inhabiting the tombs for generations, some arrived more recently after the 1967 war displaced them from the canal zone. The north cemetery has more people residing in it and estimates are up to half a million people live there. These days there are shops, cafes and even a post-office within the cemeteries.
Many of the tombs themselves are quite grand and beautiful dating back centuries and in the Mamluk style. The northern cemetery is home to some of Cairo's most beautiful Mamluk monuments, such as the Mausoleums of Sultan Qaitbay and Sultan Barquq.
Practical Info
The City of the Dead is located just east of Cairo, at the foot of the Moqattam Cliff. The easiest way to the Northern Cemetery is heading east from Midan al-Hussein along Sharia al-Azhar. As you crest the top of the hill, bear right, walk below the overpass and go straight along the road between the tombs. Follow this road to the left, then right. You'll pass by the crumbling, domed Tomb of Emir Tashtimur on your left. About 150m further on, a narrow lane goes left, passing under a stone archway. This is the gate to the former compound of Qaitbay, whose splendid mosque is immediately ahead.
It is a poor and conservative area so take care and be respectful when taking photographs. It is unsafe to go after dark.
![Church of All Nations Church of All Nations](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b8d5dcc5010d101dd6/5c893792d5dcc5014a26d226/medium.jpg)
Church of All Nations
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![Central Market Central Market](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b7d5dcc5010d101cbc/5c894094d5dcc5014a26f2ba/medium.jpg)
Central Market
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![Chavonnes Battery Museum Chavonnes Battery Museum](/uploads/property/gallery/5c5aa0b8d5dcc5010d101d45/5c893a06d5dcc5014a26dacc/medium.jpg)