The Middle East is one of the world’s oldest and most culturally rich regions, shaped by ancient civilizations, powerful empires, and rapidly evolving modern societies. 25 Remarkable Facts From the Middle East uncovers stories that range from astonishing historical achievements to unusual modern practices and little-known events. From underground cities and advanced ancient engineering to strict laws, unexpected traditions, and moments of resilience, these facts reveal a region full of complexity, contrast, and constant change.
Plates That Define Status
1. In Dubai, license plates are bought and sold for over $14 million to signal status, with number 1 the most desired, then 2, and so on.
2. On the island named Varosha in Cyprus, there is an abandoned millionaires resort. The Turkish military does not allow anyone inside and has not done so for nearly 40 years.
3. Iraq shuts down the internet to prevent cheating during school exams.
4. Opened in 2009, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology was the first mixed-gender university campus in Saudi Arabia. The religious police do not operate on site there, and women are allowed to mix freely with men, drive on campus, and are not required to wear veils.
5. In 2015, the Iran women’s national soccer team fielded up to 8 men.
6. In Iran, men can be arrested for wearing shorts.
7. A youth orchestra called the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra is made up of top Israeli and Palestinian musicians to promote peace in the Middle East.
8. In 2013 in Iran, rats became so large that snipers were deployed to deal with rats the size of cats.
9. In 1993 the golden covering of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem was refurbished after King Hussein of Jordan donated $8.2 million, having sold one of his houses in London to fund the 80 kilograms of gold required.
10. In Israel, on the eve of Yom Kippur, so much of the population observes the holiday that the streets are almost completely empty, and secular Israelis have made it a holiday tradition to bike and rollerblade through the empty streets.
Hidden Prison Near Tel Aviv
11. Camp 1391 is a secret prison located about an hour from Tel Aviv. Nicknamed “the Israeli Guantanamo,” it was accidentally discovered in 2003 by an Israeli historian who was researching old British police buildings.
12. Turkey planned a TV show in which a rabbi, a Buddhist monk, an Orthodox priest, and an imam would each try to convert ten atheists per week, with any converts offered a free pilgrimage to one of the four holy sites. The Diyanet denied permission for an imam to appear and the program was canceled.
13. In ancient Egypt, books found on ships arriving at port were immediately taken to the Library of Alexandria to be copied. The original was kept in the library while the copy was returned to the owner.
14. In ancient Egyptian mythology, the gods Horus and Set battled for dominion over Egypt by attempting to force the other to consume his semen.
15. In 2002, a fire at a girls’ school in Mecca, Saudi Arabia killed fifteen girls. It has been strongly suggested that their deaths occurred because the “religious police” prevented them from leaving the building for not wearing correct Islamic dress.
16. Oman maintains a robust tradition of Scottish bagpipe music because the Sultan served in a Scottish regiment of the British Army.
17. The Great Pyramid of Giza was originally clad in highly polished white limestone, which was later taken away to serve as building material for mosques and fortresses.
18. In Aleppo, a man called Mohammad Alaa Jaleel has been running a cat sanctuary that has sheltered more than 100 cats displaced or abandoned during the Syrian Civil War.
19. Petra in Jordan possessed a water collection system more efficient and advanced than ancient Rome’s, capable of sustaining 40,000 people in the heart of the desert.
20. Saudi Arabia created robotic camel jockeys after too many 4-year-old slave boys were dying. Child slave jockeys were banned in 2005.
Luxury Cars Left In Desert
21. Filing for bankruptcy is not permitted in Dubai. As a result, people fleeing the country abandon their exotic sports cars in the airport parking lot. About 2,000 to 3,000 cars, including Ferrari, Porche, Land Rover, and Mercedes, are abandoned each year to gather dust in the desert heat.
22. In 1963 a man tore down a wall in his house and discovered an enormous, intricate tunnel system behind it. He had rediscovered the ancient underground city of Derinkuyu in Turkey. At its peak the city could have accommodated as many as 20,000 people and had all the usual amenities found in other underground complexes.
23. The state of Kuwait has been banned from the Olympics because government legislation allows the state to interfere in elections of sporting organizations. As a consequence, Kuwaiti athletes compete as independent athletes under the Olympic Flag instead of under their own flag.
24. The 2003 invasion of Iraq was originally called “Operation Iraqi Liberation”, but the name was quickly changed to “Operation Iraqi Freedom” because the acronym spelled out “OIL.”
25. Up to 95% of the historic structures in the city of Mecca have been demolished over the last three decades. Many of the sites were over 1000 years old and many were connected to the life and times of the prophet Muhammad and his companions.
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