Middle East Castles & palaces + Military pictures

• World

This 16th-century Portuguese fort was once a prison. It has been turned into a private museum and offers some of the best harbor views in Old Muscat.

This sultanate on the Arabian Sea features a wealthy capital, a mountain range cut by picturesque canyons and several sections of remote sand dunes.

A 20th-century fort rises above the excavation site for an 18th-century pearl-diving and trading town buried by the sands of the desert.

Go dune-bashing on a desert safari, camp beneath the stars, take a dinner cruise on a dhow and bargain for gold and spices in traditional souks.

Go dune-bashing on a desert safari, camp beneath the stars, take a dinner cruise on a dhow and bargain for gold and spices in traditional souks.

East meets west in this historical port city, home to lavish palaces, Portuguese forts and one of the oldest marketplaces in the Arab world.

Many of the world’s monotheistic religions have major sites in this Middle Eastern country, which also features Dead Sea resorts and a lively metropolis.

Go dune-bashing on a desert safari, camp beneath the stars, take a dinner cruise on a dhow and bargain for gold and spices in traditional souks.

Underground tunnels, religious treasures and a citadel are reminders of Acre’s rich and tumultuous past. Cross the ramparts for the marina and markets.