Middle East Castles & Palaces + Winter Pictures

• World

This 16th-century Portuguese fort was once a prison. It has been turned into a private museum and offers some of the best harbor views in Old Muscat.

A 20th-century fort rises above the excavation site for an 18th-century pearl-diving and trading town buried by the sands of the desert.

East meets west in this historical port city, home to lavish palaces, Portuguese forts and one of the oldest marketplaces in the Arab world.

Go dune-bashing on a desert safari, camp beneath the stars, take a dinner cruise on a dhow and bargain for gold and spices in traditional souks.

This 16th-century Portuguese fort was once a prison. It has been turned into a private museum and offers some of the best harbor views in Old Muscat.

This sultanate on the Arabian Sea features a wealthy capital, a mountain range cut by picturesque canyons and several sections of remote sand dunes.

Take a break from the desert heat for the day and visit Dubai\'s lively indoor ski complex.

Take a break from the desert heat for the day and visit Dubai\'s lively indoor ski complex.

A 20th-century fort rises above the excavation site for an 18th-century pearl-diving and trading town buried by the sands of the desert.

This sultanate on the Arabian Sea features a wealthy capital, a mountain range cut by picturesque canyons and several sections of remote sand dunes.

The sultan’s official palace is a stunning example of contemporary Islamic architecture surrounded by lush gardens and the beautiful Mutrah Harbor.

East meets west in this historical port city, home to lavish palaces, Portuguese forts and one of the oldest marketplaces in the Arab world.

Take a break from the desert heat for the day and visit Dubai\'s lively indoor ski complex.

Take a break from the desert heat for the day and visit Dubai\'s lively indoor ski complex.

Take a break from the desert heat for the day and visit Dubai\'s lively indoor ski complex.

Take a break from the desert heat for the day and visit Dubai\'s lively indoor ski complex.

Go dune-bashing on a desert safari, camp beneath the stars, take a dinner cruise on a dhow and bargain for gold and spices in traditional souks.