Dubai
UAE · global hub
25.2048, 55.2708
Reference map
Map of the Middle East
Major Middle Eastern cities across the Gulf, Levant, Mesopotamia, and Turkey on one interactive map.
Gulf
10 locationsAbu Dhabi
UAE · capital
24.4539, 54.3773
Doha
Qatar · capital · 2022 World Cup
25.2854, 51.5310
Riyadh
Saudi Arabia · capital
24.7136, 46.6753
Jeddah
Saudi Arabia · Red Sea coast
21.4858, 39.1925
Mecca
Saudi Arabia · Hajj destination
21.3891, 39.8579
Medina
Saudi Arabia · Islam's 2nd holiest
24.5247, 39.5692
Manama
Bahrain · capital
26.2285, 50.5860
Kuwait City
Kuwait · capital
29.3759, 47.9774
Muscat
Oman · capital
23.5880, 58.3829
Levant
5 locationsJerusalem
Israel · holy city for 3 religions
31.7683, 35.2137
Tel Aviv
Israel · financial hub
32.0853, 34.7818
Amman
Jordan · capital
31.9454, 35.9284
Beirut
Lebanon · capital
33.8938, 35.5018
Damascus
Syria · capital · ancient
33.5138, 36.2765
Other
3 locationsBaghdad
Iraq · capital
33.3152, 44.3661
Tehran
Iran · capital
35.6892, 51.3890
Sana'a
Yemen · capital
15.3694, 44.1910
Turkey
2 locationsIstanbul
Turkey · spans Europe + Asia
41.0082, 28.9784
Ankara
Turkey · capital
39.9334, 32.8597
Sub-regions of the Middle East
The Middle East is loosely defined; we group by geography + culture.
- Gulf: UAE, Saudi, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman
- Levant: Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel/Palestine
- Mesopotamia: Iraq, parts of Iran
- Anatolia/Turkey: Istanbul (transcontinental)
- Arabian Peninsula: Yemen, Saudi interior
Religious + cultural significance
The Middle East is the birthplace of the world's major monotheistic religions.
- Mecca + Medina — Islam's holiest sites
- Jerusalem — sacred to Judaism, Christianity, Islam
- Damascus — among the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities
- Istanbul — capital of three empires (Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman)
Modern hubs
The Gulf has emerged as a major global hub.
- Dubai: global finance + travel + tourism
- Doha: 2022 World Cup, regional aviation
- Abu Dhabi: oil wealth + cultural institutions
- Tel Aviv: tech startup capital
Frequently asked questions
How many countries in the Middle East?
Typically 17–18, depending on definition. Egypt and Turkey are sometimes included, sometimes not.
Largest Middle Eastern city?
Istanbul (about 16M) is the largest by far — but Istanbul is technically transcontinental.
Hottest city?
Kuwait City regularly hits 50°C (122°F) in summer.
Why are some cities in 'Other' here?
Iran, Iraq, Yemen aren't in the Gulf/Levant groupings — we kept them separate.
Can I embed this map?
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Is this tool free?
Yes — viewing and using this map is free.
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