The Middle East

One of the most fascinating corners of the world, the Middle East is the cradle of civilization. The Middle East lies at the juncture of Africa and Eurasia and of the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is the birthplace and spiritual center of religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Druze, Yarsan and Madeanism. Watch the sun set over the honeycombed magic of Petra and explore tree-lined boulevards and exquisite blue-tiled mosques in Esfahan, Iran. For a more contemporary visit, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are futuristic playgrounds packed with hedonistic pleasures, chic shopping malls and luxury resorts. Divided by region, Middle East is a sumptuous depiction of this most historic of regions. From the 4th century CE onwards, the Middle East became the center of the two main powers at the time, the Byzantine Empire and the Sassanid Empire. In contemporary the fact that the region contained some two-thirds of the world's oil reserves in a context where oil was becoming increasingly vital to the economy of the Western world and the economic success of the region. With more than 180 vivid photographs of the Middle East, this book offers a pictorial exploration of the culture, history and fauna of this hugely diverse continent.

Trevor Naylor is a writer living in Yorkshire, England. Almost 40 years of visiting and living in Egypt have inspired several travel and history books about this fascinating civilization. Most recently these have included Egypt - A Visual Explorer Guide, Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics Illustrated and The Riddle of the Sphinx - Quiz Like and Egyptian. His latest book is Egyptian Gods and Myths Illustrated.