In the Great Sand Sea, near the border of Egypt, science has found - and puzzled over - a scattering of yellow-green glass that may have come from the moon.

From coast to coast U. S. museums are drawing big crowds with exhibits on Middle East themes: the treasures of King Tut, the art of ancient Nubia and, most recently, calligraphy.

At 82 Samuel Noah Kramer, the man who "reconstructed the whole of Sumerian literature" is still engaged in the "universal quest for origins" – the translation of mankind's first written records.

Sesame Street in New York is "Twentieth Street" in the Arabian Gulf, but it leads, as always, straight to the hearts and minds of enthralled children.

On the now popular stamps of the Hijaz, forgotten engravers outlined the highlights of the region's dramatic history - and the final triumph of King 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Sa'ud, founder of Saudi Arabia.

Everyone knows that Arab caravans carried frankincense and myrrh and nearly everyone has heard of the "silk route" to China. But there were other trade routes too - and they went north.