Photo: Daniel Case/Wikimedia

From Yemen’s 16th century ‘Manhattan of the desert’ to the Nabataean ruins of north-western Saudi Arabia, Middle East Eye takes a look at some of the region’s lesser known marvels…

Source: Eight Middle East heritage sites you should know about

The desert castle Qasr Amra (or Qusayr Amra), located 25 kilometres west of Azraq, is one of the most important monuments in Jordan and in the whole world, said an Italian architect.“It bears the only preserved large wall-painting cycle dating back to the Umayyad period [first half of the 8th century AD],” noted Giorgio Sobrà who is in charge of the restoration of the castle.

Source: Italian architect seeks to unravel ‘mystery’ of Qasr Amra

The Al-Hijr site in Saudi Arabia As an ancient city carved out of sandstone, Al-Hijr extends over an area of 15 km² in northwest Saudi Arabia. This is a magnificent site, left as a legacy by the Nabataean civilization, with a multitude of tombs, wells and monuments richly decorated. As you walk through them, you …

Source: Middle East: an overview of UNESCO World Heritage Sites – KAWA