The team navigated the mountainous terrain of southern Turkey, which tested the limits of their low-slung sports cars.
The special is remembered for its blend of humor, mechanical failure, and cultural exploration:
The journey concluded by passing through the Roman Hippodrome in Jerash and eventually reaching the West Bank barrier and the Mount of Olives. Key Challenges and Highlights top gear - middle east special full episode
This segment is now a poignant historical record, featuring high-definition footage of the ancient city of Palmyra and the bustling streets of Damascus before the Syrian Civil War.
During filming in Syria, May suffered a concussion after being knocked over by a tow rope. He was famously collected from the hospital by Clarkson and Hammond, who were disguised in burqas. The team navigated the mountainous terrain of southern
The route took the presenters through a diverse and often dangerous landscape, crossing several international borders during a period of relative regional stability just months before the Arab Spring.
To survive the terrain, the cars were heavily modified. Hammond's Fiat was turned into a "nomadic tent," Clarkson’s Mazda featured a "Technicolour Dreamcoat" paint job, and May’s BMW was camouflaged. During filming in Syria, May suffered a concussion
The , originally aired on December 26, 2010 , is widely considered one of the most ambitious and visually stunning episodes in the show's history. Spanning approximately 1,200 miles, the 76-minute extended episode follows Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May as they retrace the biblical journey of the Three Wise Men across the Middle East to Bethlehem. Episode Overview and Premise
Following a beam of light to a stable in Bethlehem, the trio presented their gifts—a gold-relief medallion, "Frankincense" shampoo, and a Nintendo DSi—to find that the "baby Jesus" was actually a Baby Stig .
Starting in the Kurdish region, they encountered hospitality and military history, including a drag race at an Iraqi air base built by Saddam Hussein.