It took me a bit of time to process the question, but the first city that popped to mind is Dubai. My considered opinion may be different.
Dubai.
Tel Aviv, followed by Beirut and Cairo.
Cairo then Jerusalem.
First to pop into my head was Dubai.
Cairo.
I’m going to go ahead and give the unpopular answer: Tehran
Jerusalem!
But that’s for personal reasons.
In terms of actual importance, I’d probably say Cairo or Damascus. (I want to go to Damascus SO BAD. I have a new passport and everything now, so all of the Israeli stamps on my old one are no longer an issue. Now all I need is a shitload of money…)
I’m quite impressed at how many votes Dubai has received. I don’t know that it would have cracked my top 5 or 10 because it’s such a new city, and I associate “greatness” on some level with historic greatness.
Anyways, my vote would be Cairo.
My first thought was Dubai, but that’s mainly because of the Burj Khalifa.
Cairo.
I lived in Dubai for several years and it is a nice place, but not a great city on par with Damascus, Cairo or Jerusalem. Sadly, I have never been to the latter (but I’ve seen it from Jordan on a clear day).
Istanbul.
Tel Aviv.
I am curious about this. I have never been there, but choosing Tel Aviv over Jerusalem feels a bit like picking Abu Dhabi over Dubai or Amman over Damascus.
Dubai has spent ridiculous amounts of money to market itself to foreigners as a financial and tourist destination, plus another gajillion dollars on prestige projects like the aforementioned Burj Khalifa. Apparently its working.
I would say Jerusalem first comes to mind.
Homer!
(Cairo.)
My first thought was Dubai, too. Though isn’t it also the Disney world of the Middle East?
Beirut. I guess I consider Cairo North Africa, Jerusalem is a good idea but not my first though. Dubai has too much money and little else. There aren’t any well known cultural institutions there that are more than a few decades old.