After escaping Iraq, they crossed into southern Turkey. Here, the roadsters faced grueling mountain climbs. This segment featured one of the episode's scariest moments: James May was struck in the head by a snapping tow strap, resulting in a genuine concussion that required hospital treatment. 3. The Forgotten Peace: Syria
The three cars, complete with Georgian number plates and retrofitted hookah pipes, are unceremoniously lowered from the plane onto an airstrip in Iraqi Kurdistan. The presenters are then given their challenge: a 1,200-mile journey from northern Iraq to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in time for Christmas.
The trio faced numerous complications involving border controls and the ongoing "War on Terror" in Iraq .
The presenters purchased their cars in Georgia before being flown into Iraq. Jeremy Clarkson Mazda MX-5 top gear - middle east special full episode
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Top Gear: Middle East Special (Series 16, Episode 2), Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May retrace the 1,200-mile journey of the Three Wise Men from Iraqi Kurdistan to Bethlehem. The Mission & Rules The trio had to buy a second-hand two-door convertible sports car that could survive the varied terrain of the Middle East. Jeremy Clarkson Mazda MX-5 – painted in a "Technicolour Dreamcoat" style. Richard Hammond Fiat Barchetta Riviera
: Starting in Erbil, the team visited an abandoned amusement park before heading toward the Turkish border. After escaping Iraq, they crossed into southern Turkey
Top Gear: Middle East Special (2010) is widely regarded as one of the peak moments of the Clarkson, Hammond, and May era. Following the path of the Three Wise Men in three used convertibles, the trio delivers a 76-minute adventure that blends "puerile" schoolboy humor with a hauntingly beautiful historical record of regions soon to be changed forever. The Premise: One Wise Man, an Idiot, and a Cheat
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Presented as a Christmas special, the trio was tasked with purchasing second-hand two-door convertible sports cars for under £3,500. Their journey began in , after being dropped off by a Russian cargo plane with no prior knowledge of their starting location. Car Selected Jeremy Clarkson Mazda MX-5 Richard Hammond Fiat Barchetta Riviera James May The Route: From Iraq to Bethlehem The Premise: One Wise Man
The final leg saw the trio cross the Jordan River, navigating strict border security checkpoints before finally arriving at their destination in Bethlehem. Iconic Moments and Highlights
The UK broadcast attracted approximately 5.86 million viewers on BBC Two .
The central narrative of the Middle East Special is a playful, modern-day reenactment of the biblical journey of the Magi. The trio is dropped off at Iraq's Erbil International Airport with a budget of £3,500 each to buy a used open-top sports car. The overarching goal is to drive across the rugged terrains of Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and Jordan, eventually arriving at the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem.
The burqa joke didn't endear them to everyone.