// Middle East landing data — 17 countries, the great cradle of civilizations.
// Edit data here, never markup.

const ME_ANCHOR = [
  { label: "Countries", href: "#countries" },
  { label: "Regions", href: "#regions" },
  { label: "When to Go", href: "#when" },
  { label: "Itineraries", href: "#itineraries" },
  { label: "Food", href: "#food" },
  { label: "Transport", href: "#trains" },
  { label: "Budget", href: "#budget" },
  { label: "Language", href: "#language" },
  { label: "Festivals", href: "#festivals" },
  { label: "Neighborhoods", href: "#neighborhoods" },
  { label: "Packing", href: "#packing" },
  { label: "FAQ", href: "#faq" },
];

const ME_HERO_STATS = [
  { n: "486", label: "Field guides" },
  { n: "17", label: "Countries" },
  { n: "62", label: "UNESCO sites" },
  { n: "1,200+", label: "Contributors" },
];

const ME_HERO_META = [
  { k: "Issue", v: "Nº 016" },
  { k: "Season", v: "Spring 2026" },
  { k: "Updated", v: "25 Apr 2026" },
  { k: "Field desk", v: "Marrakech · Amman · Muscat" },
];

const ME_HERO_COLLAGE = [
  { src: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1501785888041-af3ef285b470?w=900&q=80", cap: "Wadi Rum · 06:42" },
  { src: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1539650116574-75c0c6d73f6e?w=900&q=80", cap: "Petra · 17:08" },
  { src: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1518684079-3c830dcef090?w=900&q=80", cap: "Dubai · 19:14" },
];

const ME_TOC = [
  { t: "A Letter from the Editor", pg: "p. 04" },
  { t: "12 Countries, the Honest Atlas", pg: "p. 12" },
  { t: "Five Region Clusters", pg: "p. 26" },
  { t: "When To Go — Heat vs Shoulder", pg: "p. 38" },
  { t: "Four Itineraries Worth Stealing", pg: "p. 46" },
  { t: "Food — Levant to Gulf to Maghreb", pg: "p. 58" },
  { t: "Getting Around — Rail, Road, Bus", pg: "p. 72" },
  { t: "Budget by Tier — Souk, Boutique, Gulf", pg: "p. 84" },
  { t: "Six Phrases per Country", pg: "p. 92" },
  { t: "Festivals Worth a Detour", pg: "p. 102" },
  { t: "Neighborhoods We Trust", pg: "p. 116" },
  { t: "Packing for Heat, Modesty, Mosque", pg: "p. 128" },
];

const ME_COUNTRIES = [
  {
    name: "Jordan",
    cap: "Amman",
    img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1579606037885-91c5fa6cb1f8?w=900&q=80",
    flag: "https://flagcdn.com/w80/jo.png",
    guides: 72,
    days: "8–12",
    featured: true,
    lede: "The honest first chapter for the region. Petra at dawn, Wadi Rum by the night fire, the Dead Sea on the way home. Visa on arrival, walkable, stable, and the Hashemite cuisine is the secret most guidebooks bury at the back.",
  },
  { name: "UAE", cap: "Abu Dhabi", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1518684079-3c830dcef090?w=900&q=80", flag: "https://flagcdn.com/w80/ae.png", guides: 64, days: "5–8" },
  { name: "Saudi Arabia", cap: "Riyadh", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1586724237569-f3d0c1dee8c6?w=900&q=80", flag: "https://flagcdn.com/w80/sa.png", guides: 48, days: "10–14" },
  { name: "Israel", cap: "Jerusalem", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1544734662-c25b00ed6736?w=900&q=80", flag: "https://flagcdn.com/w80/il.png", guides: 56, days: "8–12" },
  { name: "Egypt", cap: "Cairo", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1539650116574-75c0c6d73f6e?w=900&q=80", flag: "https://flagcdn.com/w80/eg.png", guides: 58, days: "8–12" },
  { name: "Morocco", cap: "Rabat", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1489493585363-d69421e0edd3?w=900&q=80", flag: "https://flagcdn.com/w80/ma.png", guides: 78, days: "9–14" },
  { name: "Oman", cap: "Muscat", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1547049995-0f9c2c1e5b14?w=900&q=80", flag: "https://flagcdn.com/w80/om.png", guides: 36, days: "8–12" },
  { name: "Qatar", cap: "Doha", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1568724944411-e5b85d3f1cc1?w=900&q=80", flag: "https://flagcdn.com/w80/qa.png", guides: 24, days: "3–5" },
  { name: "Turkey", cap: "Ankara", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1524231757912-21f4fe3a7200?w=900&q=80", flag: "https://flagcdn.com/w80/tr.png", guides: 68, days: "10–14" },
  { name: "Lebanon", cap: "Beirut", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1611764580879-a5c08c0e8362?w=900&q=80", flag: "https://flagcdn.com/w80/lb.png", guides: 32, days: "6–8" },
  { name: "Bahrain", cap: "Manama", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1559064395-77ee2087fdb0?w=900&q=80", flag: "https://flagcdn.com/w80/bh.png", guides: 18, days: "3–4" },
  { name: "Kuwait", cap: "Kuwait City", img: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1534430480872-3498386e7856?w=900&q=80", flag: "https://flagcdn.com/w80/kw.png", guides: 22, days: "3–5" },
];

const ME_CLUSTERS = [
  {
    num: "01",
    title: "The Levant",
    titleEm: "Levant",
    blurb: "Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria. The mediterranean rim of the Middle East — olive groves, Roman ruins, mezze tables that don't end. The most walkable, most history-dense quarter of the region.",
    cards: [
      { when: "Mar · Apr · May · Oct · Nov", pin: "JO", h4: "Petra plus Wadi Rum", p: "Two days in Petra (sunrise and the back trail to the Monastery), one fire-lit night under the dunes. Add the Dead Sea on the way back to Amman.", tags: ["history", "desert", "first trip"] },
      { when: "Apr · May · Sep · Oct", pin: "IL·PS", h4: "Old City Jerusalem", p: "Four quarters, four faiths, one square kilometre. Stay inside the walls; eat at Lina hummus before queues; walk the ramparts at dawn.", tags: ["spiritual", "walkable", "intense"] },
      { when: "May · Sep · Oct", pin: "LB", h4: "Beirut plus the cedars", p: "Beirut's nightlife is back. Day-trip to Byblos and Baalbek; weekend in the Chouf among the Maronite villages. Lebanese hospitality is its own travel attraction.", tags: ["wine", "ruins", "nightlife"] },
    ],
  },
  {
    num: "02",
    title: "The Gulf",
    titleEm: "Gulf",
    blurb: "UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman. Petrodollar megacities, ancient frankincense ports, ski slopes in malls and goat tracks in the Hajar Mountains. Four-hour layovers extended into four-day stopovers.",
    cards: [
      { when: "Nov · Dec · Jan · Feb · Mar", pin: "AE", h4: "Dubai plus Abu Dhabi", p: "Three nights total. Old Dubai by abra, Burj Khalifa for the photo, then the Louvre Abu Dhabi (Jean Nouvel built it; Saadiyat Island is the museum quarter). Skip the desert dinner if you only have two days.", tags: ["modern", "stopover", "culture"] },
      { when: "Oct · Nov · Feb · Mar", pin: "SA", h4: "AlUla and Hegra", p: "The Saudi Arabia of the new e-visa. Hegra is the Nabataean sister of Petra with a fraction of the crowds. Stay at Banyan Tree, fly Riyadh in, Jeddah out.", tags: ["off-grid", "nabataean", "new"] },
      { when: "Oct · Nov · Feb · Mar", pin: "OM", h4: "Oman, the slow Gulf", p: "Muscat for the souks, then drive into the Hajar Mountains and finish at Wahiba Sands or the Musandam fjords. Self-drive country, four-wheel only off-tarmac.", tags: ["self-drive", "mountains", "traditional"] },
    ],
  },
  {
    num: "03",
    title: "Anatolia and the Aegean",
    titleEm: "Anatolia",
    blurb: "Turkey is its own region — straddling Europe and Asia, Mediterranean and Black Sea, Hellenic and Ottoman past. The most-visited country in the region by a margin, and still under-explored east of Cappadocia.",
    cards: [
      { when: "Apr · May · Sep · Oct", pin: "TR", h4: "Istanbul long weekend", p: "Three nights. Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, ferry to Kadıköy for the actual food. Stay in Karaköy or Cihangir, never Sultanahmet.", tags: ["ottoman", "city", "weekend"] },
      { when: "Apr · May · Sep · Oct", pin: "TR", h4: "Cappadocia balloon dawn", p: "Goreme valleys at sunrise from a wicker basket. Two nights minimum; cave hotel mandatory. Skip in winter — flights cancel weekly for wind.", tags: ["balloon", "geology", "iconic"] },
      { when: "Jun · Sep · Oct", pin: "TR", h4: "Lycian coast", p: "Antalya to Fethiye by gulet boat — the four-day blue cruise with tiny coves and Roman tombs above the waterline. Kalkan and Kas as bookends.", tags: ["sail", "coast", "ruins"] },
    ],
  },
  {
    num: "04",
    title: "The Maghreb",
    titleEm: "Maghreb",
    blurb: "Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria. The western edge of the Arab world — Berber, Andalusian, French. Atlas Mountains and Sahara on the same trip; the closest piece of the region to Europe and the easiest entry visa-wise.",
    cards: [
      { when: "Mar · Apr · Oct · Nov", pin: "MA", h4: "Imperial Morocco", p: "Marrakech, Fes, Chefchaouen, Essaouira. Riads, tagines, and the wide quiet of the Atlas. Two weeks rewards more than ten days because of the road between cities.", tags: ["medina", "first trip", "shoulder"] },
      { when: "Mar · Apr · Oct · Nov", pin: "MA", h4: "Sahara from Merzouga", p: "Two nights in a luxury or basic Berber camp on the Erg Chebbi dunes. Camel in at sunset, Land Rover out at dawn. Marrakech is the gateway.", tags: ["desert", "stars", "berber"] },
      { when: "Apr · May · Oct", pin: "TN·DZ", h4: "Tunisia plus Algeria", p: "Roman ruins of Dougga and Timgad with almost nobody in them. Hammamet in shoulder season; couscous in the south. April or October only.", tags: ["off-grid", "ruins", "value"] },
    ],
  },
  {
    num: "05",
    title: "The Nile and the Red Sea",
    titleEm: "Nile",
    blurb: "Egypt and Sudan. The longest river in the world plus the Red Sea reefs. The continental hinge point — North Africa by geography, Middle East by everything else.",
    cards: [
      { when: "Oct · Nov · Mar", pin: "EG", h4: "Nile slow by felucca", p: "Cairo to Aswan by sleeper train, then four nights on the river by felucca, then Luxor for the Theban necropolis. Skip the Hurghada package; this is the better river trip.", tags: ["history", "river", "felucca"] },
      { when: "Oct · Nov · Mar · Apr", pin: "EG", h4: "Sinai plus Red Sea", p: "Climb Sinai by moonlight, sleep at the monastery foot, then dive the Brothers Islands or Ras Mohammed. Dahab is the chilled-out base; Sharm if you want the resort.", tags: ["dive", "pilgrimage", "reef"] },
      { when: "Nov · Dec · Jan · Feb", pin: "SD", h4: "Sudan slow", p: "Meroë pyramids with no fence and no crowd. The other Nile, the other Nubian heritage. Permits are required and the political situation is fluid — check the FCDO before booking.", tags: ["pyramids", "off-grid", "complex"] },
    ],
  },
];

const ME_WHEN_ROWS = [
  { region: "Levant (JO·IL·LB)", months: ["L", "S", "P", "P", "S", "L", "L", "L", "S", "P", "P", "L"] },
  { region: "Gulf (AE·SA·QA·OM)", months: ["P", "P", "S", "S", "L", "L", "L", "L", "L", "S", "P", "P"] },
  { region: "Anatolia (TR)", months: ["L", "L", "S", "P", "P", "S", "S", "S", "P", "P", "S", "L"] },
  { region: "Maghreb (MA·TN)", months: ["L", "L", "S", "P", "S", "L", "L", "L", "S", "P", "P", "L"] },
  { region: "Nile / Red Sea (EG)", months: ["S", "S", "P", "P", "S", "L", "L", "L", "S", "P", "P", "S"] },
];
const ME_WHEN_HEAD = ["J", "F", "M", "A", "M", "J", "J", "A", "S", "O", "N", "D"];
const ME_WHEN_LEGEND = [
  { cls: "peak", label: "Peak (P)" },
  { cls: "shoulder", label: "Shoulder (S)" },
  { cls: "low", label: "Low (L)" },
  { cls: "fest", label: "Festival (F)" },
];

const ME_WHEN_NOTES = [
  { h4: "The Gulf inverts the calendar.", p: "November through March is the only honest window for Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, Muscat. June through September is 45°C in the shade, and there isn't any. Plan the inverse of your hemisphere instinct.", meta: ["18–28 °C", "Avoid Jun–Sep"] },
  { h4: "Ramadan moves every year.", p: "Most of the region observes — restaurants close until iftar, museums shorten hours, traffic peaks at sunset. In 2027 Ramadan starts 17 February. Travel during is rewarding (iftar tables are extraordinary) but plan around it.", meta: ["Lunar calendar", "Iftar at sunset"] },
  { h4: "Petra at dawn, Petra at dusk.", p: "Treasury is empty 06:30 to 08:00, then again from 17:00. Midday is the brutal hour. Two-day pass is mandatory; the back trail to the Monastery is the best three hours in the country.", meta: ["Two-day pass", "Avoid noon"] },
];

const ME_ITIS = [
  {
    days: "10",
    pill: "First trip",
    h3: "Jordan, Petra to Wadi Rum to the Dead Sea.",
    lede: "The classic Hashemite loop. Trains do not exist; one driver-guide for the whole route. Cost tier $$$. Built by Layla, March 2025.",
    stops: [
      { n: "01", place: "Amman", nights: "2 nt" },
      { n: "02", place: "Jerash + Ajloun", nights: "1 nt" },
      { n: "03", place: "Dana Reserve", nights: "1 nt" },
      { n: "04", place: "Petra", nights: "2 nt" },
      { n: "05", place: "Wadi Rum + Dead Sea", nights: "4 nt" },
    ],
    cost: "$$$",
    by: "Layla · Mar 2025",
  },
  {
    days: "8",
    pill: "City weekender",
    h3: "Istanbul plus Cappadocia long weekend.",
    lede: "Two cities, one country, one balloon at dawn. Domestic flights make this work. Cost tier $$. Built by Iris, May 2025.",
    stops: [
      { n: "01", place: "Istanbul (Karaköy)", nights: "3 nt" },
      { n: "02", place: "Cappadocia (Goreme)", nights: "2 nt" },
      { n: "03", place: "Cappadocia (Uçhisar)", nights: "1 nt" },
      { n: "04", place: "Istanbul (Cihangir)", nights: "2 nt" },
    ],
    cost: "$$",
    by: "Iris · May 2025",
  },
  {
    days: "14",
    pill: "Gulf grand tour",
    h3: "Saudi Arabia, AlUla to Riyadh to Jeddah.",
    lede: "The new Saudi Arabia. Hegra by tomb, Riyadh by the Diriyah palaces, Jeddah by Al-Balad and the Red Sea coast. Cost tier $$$$. Built by Marcus, November 2025.",
    stops: [
      { n: "01", place: "Riyadh + Diriyah", nights: "3 nt" },
      { n: "02", place: "AlUla + Hegra", nights: "4 nt" },
      { n: "03", place: "Madain Saleh viewpoints", nights: "1 nt" },
      { n: "04", place: "Jeddah Al-Balad", nights: "3 nt" },
      { n: "05", place: "Farasan Islands", nights: "3 nt" },
    ],
    cost: "$$$$",
    by: "Marcus · Nov 2025",
  },
  {
    days: "12",
    pill: "Egypt classic",
    h3: "Cairo, the Nile slow, Luxor and Aswan.",
    lede: "The river the way Agatha Christie meant it. Sleeper train down, felucca up. Cost tier $$$. Built by Eli, October 2025.",
    stops: [
      { n: "01", place: "Cairo + Giza", nights: "3 nt" },
      { n: "02", place: "Luxor East Bank", nights: "2 nt" },
      { n: "03", place: "Felucca on the Nile", nights: "3 nt" },
      { n: "04", place: "Aswan + Philae", nights: "2 nt" },
      { n: "05", place: "Cairo Coptic quarter", nights: "2 nt" },
    ],
    cost: "$$$",
    by: "Eli · Oct 2025",
  },
];

const ME_FOOD = [
  { country: "Levant", glyph: "α", h4: "Mezze is the meal.", p: "Hummus, mutabbal, fattoush, kibbeh, tabbouleh, labneh. Twelve small plates and bread; the kebab is the optional final act, not the centerpiece. Sit; share; never finish first.", pair: { a: "Mezze table", b: "Arak with crushed ice" }, span: "span-3" },
  { country: "Egypt", glyph: "β", h4: "Koshari is the office lunch.", p: "Rice, lentils, pasta, fried onions, tomato sauce. Five lira. Faster than McDonald's, and Cairo eats nothing else at noon on Tuesday.", pair: { a: "Koshari", b: "Karkade (hibiscus)" }, span: "" },
  { country: "Turkey", glyph: "γ", h4: "Breakfast is the event.", p: "Two hours, fifteen plates — menemen, cheese, olives, honey-comb, simit, sucuk eggs. Sunday brunch is the social fabric. Skip the döner if breakfast is on offer.", pair: { a: "Kahvaltı spread", b: "Çay in tulip glass" }, span: "span-2" },
  { country: "Morocco", glyph: "δ", h4: "The tagine is the meal.", p: "Slow-cooked lamb with prunes, chicken with preserved lemon, kefta with egg. Eaten with bread, never a fork. Sit on the floor; tear, don't cut.", pair: { a: "Tagine kefta", b: "Mint tea, three pours" }, span: "span-2" },
  { country: "Iran / Persian", glyph: "ε", h4: "Saffron rice is craft.", p: "Tahdig is the crispy rice at the bottom of the pot — every Persian table fights over it. Long-cooked stews (khoresh) and barberry rice. The kitchen with the most patience in the region.", pair: { a: "Tahchin", b: "Doogh (mint yogurt)" }, span: "span-2" },
  { country: "Gulf", glyph: "ζ", h4: "Machboos and luqaimat.", p: "Rice with lamb or fish, infused with dried lime and saffron. Followed by luqaimat — fried dough drizzled with date syrup. Eat in a majlis on cushions, never at a high table.", pair: { a: "Machboos laham", b: "Karak chai" }, span: "span-2" },
];

const ME_ROUTES = [
  { from: "Istanbul", fromCode: "IST", to: "Konya", toCode: "KYA", t: "4h 20m", trains: "high speed" },
  { from: "Cairo", fromCode: "CAI", to: "Aswan", toCode: "ASW", t: "12h 30m", trains: "sleeper" },
  { from: "Tel Aviv", fromCode: "TLV", to: "Jerusalem", toCode: "JRS", t: "32m", trains: "express" },
  { from: "Marrakech", fromCode: "RAK", to: "Fes", toCode: "FEZ", t: "7h 00m", trains: "ONCF rail" },
  { from: "Riyadh", fromCode: "RUH", to: "Dammam", toCode: "DMM", t: "3h 50m", trains: "SAR" },
  { from: "Dubai", fromCode: "DXB", to: "Abu Dhabi", toCode: "AUH", t: "1h 30m", trains: "Etihad rail" },
];

const ME_TRAIN_COMPARE = [
  { route: "Istanbul → Konya", train: "4h 20m", plane: "1h 15m" },
  { route: "Cairo → Aswan", train: "12h 30m", plane: "1h 30m" },
  { route: "Marrakech → Fes", train: "7h 00m", plane: "1h 00m" },
  { route: "Tel Aviv → Jerusalem", train: "32m", plane: "—" },
  { route: "Dubai → Muscat", train: "—", plane: "1h 10m" },
];

const ME_BUDGETS = [
  {
    lvl: "Souk tier (Maghreb · Egypt · Levant)",
    day: "70",
    title: "Riads, shared service taxis, market food.",
    lines: [
      ["Bed", "$24–52"],
      ["Food", "$10–18"],
      ["Transit", "$8–14"],
      ["Sights", "$10–15"],
    ],
    note: "Realistic across Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia. Riads and boutique pensions are often cheaper than international hostels and three times as nice.",
  },
  {
    lvl: "Boutique (Turkey · Israel · Oman)",
    day: "240",
    title: "Cave hotels, design hotels, mid-tier camps.",
    lines: [
      ["Bed", "$140–220"],
      ["Food", "$45–70"],
      ["Transit", "$25–40"],
      ["Sights / driver", "$30–50"],
    ],
    note: "The middle tier where Turkey, Israel, Lebanon and shoulder-season Oman live. Strong design hospitality, good wine lists, English ubiquitous.",
    middle: true,
  },
  {
    lvl: "Editorial Gulf (UAE · SA · QA)",
    day: "1,100",
    title: "Burj, Banyan Tree, Mandarin Oriental class.",
    lines: [
      ["Bed", "$700–1,400"],
      ["Food + drinks", "$120–250"],
      ["Driver / guide", "$300–500"],
      ["Lounge / spa", "$80–150"],
    ],
    note: "Gulf cities price in dollars and high season runs Nov–Mar. Worth it for two or three nights, not a whole trip — pair with Oman or Jordan for ballast.",
  },
];

const ME_LANG = [
  { country: "Pan-Arab · Modern Standard", phrases: [
    { dt: "As-salaamu alaykum", dd: "Peace upon you (universal)" },
    { dt: "Shukran", dd: "Thank you" },
    { dt: "Min fadlak", dd: "Please" },
    { dt: "Al-hisaab law samaht", dd: "The bill, please" },
  ]},
  { country: "Egypt · Masri", phrases: [
    { dt: "Ezzayak / Ezzayek", dd: "How are you (m / f)" },
    { dt: "Alf shukr", dd: "A thousand thanks" },
    { dt: "Khalas", dd: "Enough / done / okay" },
    { dt: "Karkade", dd: "Hibiscus tea, hot or cold" },
  ]},
  { country: "Levant · Shami", phrases: [
    { dt: "Marhaba", dd: "Hello (informal)" },
    { dt: "Yislamu", dd: "Thank you (warm)" },
    { dt: "Habibi / Habibti", dd: "Term of affection" },
    { dt: "Yalla", dd: "Let's go / come on" },
  ]},
  { country: "Maroc · Darija", phrases: [
    { dt: "Salam", dd: "Hello (universal)" },
    { dt: "Bezzaf", dd: "A lot / very much" },
    { dt: "Lhsab afak", dd: "The bill, please" },
    { dt: "Atay bnaana", dd: "Mint tea" },
  ]},
  { country: "Turkey · Türkçe", phrases: [
    { dt: "Merhaba", dd: "Hello" },
    { dt: "Teşekkür ederim", dd: "Thank you" },
    { dt: "Hesap lütfen", dd: "The bill, please" },
    { dt: "Çay", dd: "Tea (in tulip glass)" },
  ]},
  { country: "Hebrew · עברית", phrases: [
    { dt: "Shalom", dd: "Hello / peace / goodbye" },
    { dt: "Toda raba", dd: "Thank you very much" },
    { dt: "Heshbon bevakasha", dd: "The bill, please" },
    { dt: "Sababa", dd: "Cool / no problem (slang)" },
  ]},
  { country: "Persian · Farsi (Iran)", phrases: [
    { dt: "Salaam", dd: "Hello" },
    { dt: "Mamnoonam", dd: "Thank you" },
    { dt: "Sorat-e-hesab lotfan", dd: "The bill, please" },
    { dt: "Ta'arof", dd: "The art of polite refusal" },
  ]},
  { country: "Khaleeji (Gulf Arabic)", phrases: [
    { dt: "Hala wala", dd: "Hello (warm Gulf greeting)" },
    { dt: "Mashkoor", dd: "Thank you (formal)" },
    { dt: "Yalla habibi", dd: "Let's go, friend" },
    { dt: "Karak", dd: "Sweet milky chai (Gulf staple)" },
  ]},
];

const ME_FESTS = [
  { num: "01", when: "Feb / Mar (lunar)", where: "Ramadan · Region-wide", h4: "Iftar at sunset.", p: "The whole region observes. Restaurants close until sunset; the meal that breaks the fast is the social peak of the year. Travel during Ramadan is rewarding — but plan around it.", stars: "★★★★★" },
  { num: "02", when: "January", where: "Tantora · AlUla, Saudi Arabia", h4: "AlUla winter festival.", p: "Six weeks of concerts, hot-air balloons, helicopter tours over the Nabataean tombs of Hegra. Saudi Arabia's flagship cultural event under the new tourism strategy.", stars: "★★★★★" },
  { num: "03", when: "March / April", where: "Holy Week · Jerusalem", h4: "Easter at the Holy Sepulchre.", p: "Catholic, Orthodox and Armenian processions through the four quarters. Book six months out; stay outside the Old City walls and walk in.", stars: "★★★★★" },
  { num: "04", when: "May / June", where: "Fes Sacred Music · Morocco", h4: "Sufi nights, Bab Boujloud.", p: "Nine days of qawwali, gospel, ney flute, fado in the medina courtyards. Tickets affordable, queues long, the 11pm courtyards are the show.", stars: "★★★★★" },
  { num: "05", when: "October / November", where: "Cappadox · Cappadocia", h4: "Music in the volcanic valleys.", p: "Three days of contemporary music among the fairy chimneys. Smaller crowd than Istanbul, the most photogenic festival site on the planet.", stars: "★★★★☆" },
  { num: "06", when: "December", where: "Doha Cultural · Qatar", h4: "Museums after dark.", p: "Late-night openings at the Museum of Islamic Art (I.M. Pei) and the National Museum of Qatar (Jean Nouvel). Year-end becomes the soft season for Gulf culture.", stars: "★★★★☆" },
];

const ME_NEIGHBORHOODS = [
  { num: "01", name: "Karaköy", city: "Istanbul", em: "Karaköy", p: "The old port neighbourhood across the Galata Bridge. Coffee roasters, design hotels, Mimar Sinan mosques on every other block. Walk to Sultanahmet across the bridge in twenty minutes — never stay in Sultanahmet.", why: "Galata · Walkable" },
  { num: "02", name: "Médina de Marrakech", city: "Marrakech", em: "Medina", p: "Inside the walls. Riad with a courtyard pool, walk twenty minutes to Jemaa el-Fnaa, never look at a tourist bus again. Stay in a riad on a derb, not on the Jemaa itself.", why: "Riad · Old city" },
  { num: "03", name: "Al-Balad", city: "Jeddah", em: "Al-Balad", p: "The UNESCO old town of Jeddah. Coral-stone houses with carved roshan windows, just back on the heritage list, the most atmospheric base in Saudi Arabia. The Red Sea coast is fifteen minutes by car.", why: "UNESCO · Coral" },
  { num: "04", name: "Mar Mikhael", city: "Beirut", em: "Mar Mikhael", p: "Beirut's loudest, latest, most reborn quarter. Wine bars in renovated French Mandate buildings, art galleries above. Walk down to the Corniche before the night starts.", why: "Nightlife · Bistros" },
  { num: "05", name: "Mutrah", city: "Muscat", em: "Mutrah", p: "The Corniche-front old town of Muscat. The souk inside is the best in the Gulf — frankincense, silver khanjar daggers, walls of myrrh. Stay nearby, walk to the souk at evening prayer.", why: "Souk · Corniche" },
  { num: "06", name: "Zamalek", city: "Cairo", em: "Zamalek", p: "An island in the Nile. Tree-lined, cafés on every corner, Cairo as a city you'd want to live in. A taxi to the pyramids is twenty minutes either way; a felucca pier is ten on foot.", why: "Island · Trees" },
];

const ME_PACK_LISTS = [
  {
    h4: "Heat, sun, modesty.",
    em: "modesty",
    sub: "Mosque-ready · Sun-safe",
    items: [
      "Long, loose linen trousers — never shorts in mosques or souks",
      "Long-sleeve linen shirts (sun, mosque entry)",
      "A scarf or shemagh that doubles as headcover",
      "Closed-toe walking shoes for ruins and old cities",
      "Sandals you can slip off at every threshold",
      "Wide-brim hat — Petra and Wadi Rum are exposed",
      "Sunglasses with side coverage (desert glare)",
      "Tip — Earth tones. Black absorbs heat; white shows dust. Sand, olive, ochre.",
    ],
  },
  {
    h4: "Bags and tech.",
    em: "small bags",
    sub: "Carry-on first · Adapters",
    items: [
      "Wheeled carry-on (most regional flights are tight on hold limits)",
      "Daypack with a 1.5L bladder for desert and ruins",
      "Universal Type-A / C / G adapter",
      "Headlamp (red filter for desert camps)",
      "Power bank 10,000 mAh — for long temple days",
      "VPN installed before arrival in UAE / SA",
      "Two USD $100 bills for visa-on-arrival fees",
      "Tip — bring twice the cash you think; ATMs run out in Petra and AlUla.",
    ],
  },
  {
    h4: "Health and admin.",
    em: "admin",
    sub: "Don't get sick",
    items: [
      "Travel insurance with medical evac (mandatory)",
      "Photocopies of passport, visa, vax card",
      "Israel-stamp awareness — Lebanon and Iran refuse entry with one",
      "DEET 30%+ for the Nile and Sinai mosquitoes",
      "Rehydration salts and broad-spectrum antibiotics",
      "Modesty wrap (women) for surprise mosque visits",
      "International driving permit if planning Oman or UAE rentals",
      "Tip — never drink the tap water. Bottled or filtered, every time.",
    ],
  },
];

const ME_FAQS = [
  { q: "Is the Middle East safe to travel right now?", a: "The region is seventeen countries; the question is meaningless at that scale. <strong>Jordan, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Egypt</strong> have well-established tourism and have been stable for years. Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and Syria require closer attention to current advisories. Check the UK FCDO and US State Department before booking, and again two weeks before travel." },
  { q: "Visas — what do I actually need?", a: "Most countries are <strong>visa-on-arrival or e-visa</strong> for Western passports — Jordan, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Morocco. Saudi Arabia introduced e-visas in 2019 and they're easy. Iran requires an authorisation code through a tour operator. Israel issues an entry slip on a separate sheet rather than stamping the passport — keep it." },
  { q: "Can I travel between Israel and Arab countries?", a: "Yes, but plan the order. <strong>Israel does not stamp passports</strong> any more — entry is by separate slip — but Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Algeria, Kuwait will refuse entry if they suspect you've been to Israel. Most countries (Jordan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey) are fine. The land borders from Jordan to Israel are open and easy." },
  { q: "When is the best time to visit?", a: "Depends entirely on which country. <strong>Levant, Maghreb, Egypt</strong> are best March–May and October–November. <strong>The Gulf</strong> (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman) is the inverse — November–March only; June–September is 45°C in the shade. <strong>Turkey</strong> is at its best April–May and September–October. Do not plan a Gulf trip in summer unless you're transiting." },
  { q: "Do I need to cover up as a woman?", a: "It varies. <strong>Saudi Arabia and Iran</strong> still require modest dress in public; an abaya is no longer mandatory in Saudi but recommended in religious areas. <strong>Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, Lebanon, UAE</strong> are relaxed in tourist zones — long trousers, covered shoulders in religious sites is the standard. Always carry a scarf for surprise mosque visits. Israel has no requirements." },
  { q: "Can I drink alcohol?", a: "<strong>Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Libya</strong> are dry. <strong>UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman</strong> serve alcohol in licensed hotels and restaurants only — never in public. <strong>Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, Tunisia</strong> have full bars and wine lists. Lebanon makes excellent wine; Turkey makes the rakı the region drinks." },
  { q: "Is Ramadan a bad time to travel?", a: "It's a different time, not a bad one. Daytime restaurants close in Muslim-majority countries until iftar; museum hours shorten; energy is lower until sunset. <strong>Iftar tables are extraordinary</strong> — the social peak of the year. Plan around it: hotel restaurants stay open, but expect a quieter daytime trip. Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Morocco are most affected; Israel, Lebanon and Turkey less so." },
  { q: "Should I book a tour or go independent?", a: "Independent works well for <strong>Jordan, UAE, Israel, Oman, Turkey, Morocco, Qatar, Bahrain</strong>. Driver-guides are cheap and worth it for Petra, Wadi Rum, AlUla and the Nile temples. <strong>Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran</strong> are easier with a specialist agent — Iran requires one for visas. Avoid global chain operators that subcontract everything; use local DMCs with offices on the ground." },
];

const ME_RELATED = [
  { lbl: "Field note", h4: "How to spend three days in <em>Petra</em> without burning out.", by: "Layla · 9 min", href: "/journal/petra-three-days" },
  { lbl: "Editorial", h4: "AlUla, the Saudi Arabia nobody told you about.", by: "Marcus · 11 min", href: "/journal/alula-saudi" },
  { lbl: "Itinerary", h4: "Istanbul in four days, no Sultanahmet.", by: "Iris · 8 min", href: "/journal/istanbul-four-days" },
  { lbl: "Dispatch", h4: "Wadi Rum at midnight — the silence nobody warns you about.", by: "Eli · 7 min", href: "/journal/wadi-rum-midnight" },
];

const ME_REGIONS = [
  { id: "europe", name: "Europe", href: "/en/europe/" },
  { id: "asia", name: "Asia", href: "/en/asia/" },
  { id: "americas", name: "Americas", href: "/en/americas/" },
  { id: "africa", name: "Africa", href: "/en/africa/" },
  { id: "middle-east", name: "Middle East", href: "/en/middle-east/", current: true },
  { id: "oceania", name: "Oceania", href: "/en/oceania/" },
];

Object.assign(window, {
  ME_ANCHOR, ME_HERO_STATS, ME_HERO_META, ME_HERO_COLLAGE, ME_TOC,
  ME_COUNTRIES, ME_CLUSTERS, ME_WHEN_ROWS, ME_WHEN_HEAD, ME_WHEN_LEGEND, ME_WHEN_NOTES,
  ME_ITIS, ME_FOOD, ME_ROUTES, ME_TRAIN_COMPARE,
  ME_BUDGETS, ME_LANG, ME_FESTS, ME_NEIGHBORHOODS, ME_PACK_LISTS,
  ME_FAQS, ME_RELATED, ME_REGIONS,
});