Nicosia, also known as Lefkosia, the island’s capital, combines both old and new in a busy modern commercial and business centre and a centuries-old culture. The centre of the city comprehends its old quarter surrounded by a Venetian sandstone fortress wall with a moat and heart-shaped bastions. Mosques and palm trees give an oriental atmosphere to the old city. Wander along narrow streets with overhanging balconies and beautifully restored pedestrian precincts with craft shops, cafes and taverns. Make sure you stop off at St John’s Cathedral with its frescoes and the marvellous museum of Byzantine icons. In the evening catch a concert or an exhibition at the Famagusta Gate, one of the three original entrances into the old city, which has now been restored and it is used as a cultural centre. The new town spreads beyond the walls with a modern European-like centre of high-rise buildings, office blocks, shops and cafes, expanding into suburban residential areas. Lefkosia offers the best in shopping with Stasikratous Street as the destination for an ultimate shopping experience. Of the city’s main sights, Cyprus Museum houses the best collection of archaeological artefacts on the island, including a first century AD Roman statuette of Aphrodite of Soli and the original mosaic of Leda and the Swan, while the Leventis Museum depicts the history of the town.

No holiday in Abu Dhabi would be complete without a visit to this fascinating centre. Local female Bedouin artists and artisans, usually wearing a traditional dress, demonstrate age-old crafts, including henna body painting, embroidery and silver thread work in a series of small huts. You should remove your shoes before entering the huts, as is the local custom.

Built into the hillside at the end of the 1st century BC, this Roman theatre was restored in the 1800s. The ruins give a sense of how grand it once was. Nearby, there’s a small museum with local artefacts and statues. Don’t miss the view from up here—it’s one of the nicer spots to look out over Verona.