Hidden in the ancient monuments of Egypt, often unnoticed, are the muted colors of the stone itself - the creams and buffs of limestone, the striking reds of granite and the warm tan of sandstone.

In the days before refrigeration and air-conditioning, the Arabs from Damascus to Cairo enjoyed cool drinks, iced melons and a new delight: shurbat, the first ice cream.

In 1401, one of the world's great historians was on hand as one of the world's oldest cities prepared to surrender to one of the world's most formidable conquerors.

In the pulsating suqs , or bazaars, of important cities throughout the Middle East, history and commerce come together.

In Rome, a capital of Christendom, the world of Islam will soon build the Eternal City's first mosque, and to a skyline of spires and crosses add a Muslim minaret.

Over the centuries, climate in the Middle East - and especially unexpected changes in climate - has had an important, if often unrecognized, impact on the region's military and economic history.