Every night at 9pm a bus leaves Cairo's Midan Abdel Minnim Riyadh bus station. If the gods of punctures and potholes are on their side the passengers will alight 3-1/2 days later in Istanbul. While it's now possible to speed overland on this route, this guide is for travellers who want to spend rather longer in the fascinating region that lies between these two cities; an area comprising the six countries of the Near East.
To travel through the Near East is to follow some of the earliest routes in history. Down the centuries scores of pilgrims, traders, armies and empires have passed through on their way to pray, profit, pillage or plunder, with many stopping to settle in the region permanently. Most left some mark on the landscape, and it is this historical evidence - over 7000 years worth from the prehistoric ruins at Byblos to the 20th century rubble of Beirut - that is the main attraction for modern visitors.
As well as acting as a conduit between three continents, the Near East has also been the source of many new ideas and beliefs that have spread throughout the world. This is the Holy Land, the birthplace of both Judaism and Christianity. It is also where Islam grew and flourished, and the region is full of wonderful buildings dedicated to the glory of Allah. Then there is the pantheon of gods who have long since been consigned to history but whose legacy lives on in temples, such as the Roman ruins at Baalbek, or the pharaonic sites along the Nile, that simply take the breath away.
Religion not your cup of chai? Then how about the natural beauty of the Near East. Both Egypt and Lebanon have a landscape so varied that one can scramble to the top of 2000m-plus mountains in the morning and then plunge into the warm blue waters of the sea that same afternoon. Jordan has the majestic, eerie desolation of Wadi Rum, whilst it also shares with Israel the unique geographical freak that is the Dead Sea. And Turkey has not only a landscape that is as diverse as it is dramatic but can also boast of the prettiest stretch of coastline in the Mediterranean.
Although no longer a god to the Egyptians, Ramses III still watches over his people at Medinat HabuYet, even if the Near East had none of the above, it would still worth visiting to experience a society, culture and way of life that is so alien to anything one encounters in the West. It looks different. The noise generated on the streets, a cacophony of screeching radios, wailing muezzins and vociferous peddlers, sounds different, too. With its combination of dust, diesel and felafel it even smells different. And acquainting oneself with all things alien is, of course, the greatest pleasure of travelling.
The region has suffered more than its fair share of bad press over the years and is often portayed as little more than a dustbowl governed by dictators and populated solely by religious extremists and terrorists. This perception is, of course, inaccurate. Those who visit will be amply rewarded by what they encounter: 70 centuries of visible history, exquisite food, diverse and colourful scenery, warm and friendly locals, and glittering bazaars - all within a journey that can be done in 3-1/2 days by bus.
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