In Manama last year, more than 100 scholars gathered for what Reuters described as "the biggest event of its type ever staged in the Middle East" - a conference covering 5,000 years of history.

In 1972, an American photographer set out to record her personal impressions of the desert. A decade later, "Dunescapes," an exhibit of her work from the desert, is currently touring the United States

For centuries, the "blue city" of Samarkand tantalized the minds of western men, and - though today it is only a few hours flight away - its ruins still lure travelers on the "golden road."

For nearly 1,000 years the mysterious wreck and its unusual cargo kept their secret - until May, this year, when scientists announced some solutions to the "million-piece" jig-saw puzzle.

In Egypt this February, Malcolm Forbes, an American publisher, unveiled one of the most unusual balloons ever flown - an enormous replica of the Sphinx.