From 336 to 323 BC, the Macedonian army, led by Alexander the Great, blazed through the Middle East as Alexander strove to conquer Darius, the king of Persia.  Although Alexander’s reign was short, his impact on history was tremendous. Now, reporter Theodore May is retracing the path the army took, on foot.

Currently in Lebanon, he is blogging about his journey here.  For real-time updates, you can also check out his Twitter feed here.

Of course, travel visas weren’t really an issue back when Alexander the Great traveled this route. Even if they had been, I seriously doubt he would have cared. You, however, are not Alexander the Great, and you don’t have the entire Macedonian army at your back. If you want to undertake a similar journey, researching travel visa requirements is an important first step.  Here’s a breakdown of the visa requirements for each country:

Turkey- Visas are required, but as long as you’re traveling as a tourist, they are easy to get and can be obtained for $20 on arrival.

Syria-You do need a travel visa to enter, and make sure you apply in advance. Also, you will not be allowed to enter if your passport shows entry/exit stamps from Israel.  For more information, see Syrian Visa Requirements for Tourists.

Lebanon-You do need a visa, but if you are an American citizen you can get a tourist visa at the airport.  Entry/exit stamps from Israel will get you into trouble here, too.

Iraq-You need a visa, and you need to apply in advance. Although you can get in via the Kurdistan Region without one, you won’t be able to travel anywhere else in Iraq unless you get an Iraqi visa prior to your trip.

Israel- You need a passport valid for at least 6 months, proof that you can support yourself financially in Israel and an onward ticket, but you should be able to get a visa on arrival.  Please note that the Israeli authorities may question you extensively and will do a background check, and if they see anything they don’t like, they don’t have to let you in.

Egypt- You need a passport and a visa. If you are flying in, you can get a visa on arrival at the airport or get one ahead of time. If you are entering via land, apply for your visa in advance For more information, see Egyptian Visa Requirements for Tourists.

Tags: Egypt visa, Egyptian visa, Israel visa, Lebanon, Lebonese visa, Middle East, Syria, Syrian visa, Turkey, Turkish visa

This entry was posted on Friday, May 21st, 2010 at 12:13 am and is filed under Destinations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.