I am not sure if Egypt is the land of milk and honey, but one thing is for sure, it is the land of fruits. I particularly like this time of year. Fruit shops and street vendors sell huge watermelons. They are blood red and as sweet as one’s taste buds can handle. There are rock melons and apricots, prunes, bananas and crunchy apples on every corner and every supermarket. Not to forget the ever so sweet red and green grapes.

Istanbul is the only city in the world that stands in two different continents, Europe and Asia. Most people think of it as an Asian city but actually the historic center is on the European part of town. The Bosphorus River divides the two continents and joins the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara.

A trumpet strikes a triumphant note and two dozen stony-faced soldiers, dressed in red tunics and armed to the teeth, come marching toward us, breastplates glinting under the fierce Jordanian sun. A nasal voice rings out across the arena: “The year is 130 AD…” At least, for the next 45 minutes it is.

The city was referred to as "Hüdavendigar" (meaning "God's Gift") during the Ottoman period, while a more recent nickname is "Yeşil Bursa" (meaning "Green Bursa") in reference to the parks and gardens located across its urban tissue, as well as to the vast forests in rich variety that extend in the surrounding region. The city is synonymous with Mount Uludağ which towers behind its core and which is also a famous ski resort. The mausoleums of early the Ottoman sultans are located in Bursa and the numerous edifices built throughout the Ottoman period constitute the city's main landmarks. The surrounding fertile plain, its thermal baths, several interesting museums, notably a rich museum of archaeology, and a rather orderly urban growth are further principal elements that complete Bursa's overall picture.

Extensive use of stone—here and there carved to resemble wood, reeds, or other softer materials—made the tomb more durable than its mud-brick forebears. Such pioneering techniques led many ancient historians to credit the chief architect, Imhotep, with inventing stone architecture. Imhotep, architect of the Step Pyramid, physician, priest, and founder of a cult of healing—was deified 1,400 years after his lifetime.

Wherever you choose to spend a holiday in Turkey you will undoubtedly find sights of historical interest, but there are certain towns, regions and even specific sites that make particularly ideal holiday destinations for those with a passion for history. Here is a rundown of the best five…

It is the only tomb of a woman not related to the ancient Egyptian royal families ever found in the Valley of the Kings, said Mansour Boraiq, the top government official for the Antiquities’ Ministry in the city of Luxor.

Thanks to its unique elements of nature, life and quality of life at the Living Dead Sea are unlike any other place in the world. People of all countries and of all wakes of society make frequent "health and well being pilgrimages" to this region. The climate and the mineral qualities are major features in the variety of its therapeutic qualities, of its beauty treatments and of the menu of bodily pleasures to choose from.

The oldest continuously inhabited city in the world is Jericho. This territory belongs to the ancient city of Palestine, was built on the Jordan River and 9,000 years before Christ. In addition to being the oldest, Jericho is the lowest city in the world as it is situated at an altitude of 258 m below sea level.

Petra is a site in the Arabah, Jordan that was discovered by a Swiss explorer called Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812 and is considered to be, yet another splendid beauty in the history of mankind. Arabah is a section of the Great Rift Valley and it is located between the Dead Sea (north) and the Gulf of Aqaba (south) forming part of the border between Jordan (east) and Israel (west).