# What is the first city that comes to mind when I say "Greatest City in the Middle East"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 24, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269 "2010-01-24T20:10:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/1 "2010-01-24T20:10:47Z")
Now that the masses have pretty well placed Paris at the top of Europe, how about over here… I am thinking Damascus, mostly because I don’t consider Istanbul to be the Middle East. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/2 "2010-01-24T20:14:05Z")
I don’t really know anything about the Middle East, beyond which cities are considered famous and important. So going by that, my first answer would be Jerusalem and second would be Cairo. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/3 "2010-01-24T20:27:40Z")
If I were to visit the Middle East, taking into account the things I’d be interest in . . . my answer would be Jerusalem. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Philosopher)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/4 "2010-01-24T20:51:04Z")
Jerusalem by a long way… ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/5 "2010-01-24T20:57:38Z")
Jerusalem. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/6 "2010-01-24T21:14:21Z")
I guess I’m being retro in that I still think of Beirut as “the Paris of the Middle East.” ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/7 "2010-01-24T21:21:36Z")
My first thought was Dubai. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/8 "2010-01-24T21:25:00Z")
Dubai. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/9 "2010-01-24T21:33:55Z")
Jerusalem ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/10 "2010-01-24T21:39:18Z")
Tel Aviv. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/11 "2010-01-24T21:42:14Z")
All the Middle-Eastern cities I’ve been to are in the same country, so I’ll go with Jerusalem. Don’t know what people with more traveling experience would pick. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/12 "2010-01-24T21:42:59Z")
Well Tel Aviv, obviously, but taking Israel out of the equation I’d say Damascus, followed by Cairo. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/13 "2010-01-24T21:43:51Z")
Cairo. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/14 "2010-01-24T21:50:33Z")
Dubai. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/15 "2010-01-24T21:52:02Z")
France! ---
**Author:** ![alexandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@alexandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alexandra)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/16 "2010-01-24T22:14:18Z")
Jerusalem. For its historical and cultural importance probably. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/17 "2010-01-24T22:25:49Z")
Jerusalem was what immediately popped into my mind. However, I’ve never been to the middle east at all, so it’s not a personal favourite or anything. > [@Desert\_Nomad](#): > > Now that the masses have pretty well placed Paris at the top of Europe, how about over here… Only because lots of people don’t think of London as being in Europe - they know it is in Europe, of course, but culturally it seems different. ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/18 "2010-01-24T22:37:30Z")
My first thought was Cairo, but I’m not sure if I totally consider it in the Middle East. Maybe Jerusalem. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/19 "2010-01-24T22:50:43Z")
Dubai. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269/20 "2010-01-24T23:07:17Z")
> [@scifisam2009](#): > > Jerusalem was what immediately popped into my mind. However, I’ve never been to the middle east at all, so it’s not a personal favourite or anything. > > Only because lots of people don’t think of London as being in Europe - they know it is in Europe, of course, but culturally it seems different. People who know me, know I have a saying “The diversity of the world cannot be found in London, Paris or Rome… it’s in the Third World”. So those are my top three in Europe I guess… though London is iffy per its location. For visitors to Europe, I would lean toward Prague, Budapest and Barcelona. And in the Mid East: Damascus, Isfahan and a tie between Beirut and Sana’a. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-middle-east/526269.md?page=2)