Overview: Africa and the Middle East were both home to great empires. “Planet of Treasures” shows the most mysterious places. The first example are the temples of Abu Simbel in Egypt. Trade also played an important role in world history. 3,500 years ago, nomadic Bedouin caravans passed through the Jordan desert and left their impressive marks there. Petra, the millennia-old city carved into the cliffs, was once the heart of an ancient network of trade routes. Ceremonial capital of the first world empire about 2500 years ago was Persepolis. The cities of Yazd and Isfahan are examples of trading metropolises. In Ethiopia the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela are testimonies of the ancient Ethiopian Orthodox church. The unique Swahili culture has developed in Lamu. The drop of bitterness here is the fact that Lamu was built by slaves.