Syria
We went to Syria for two weeks over the Christmas period 2007. Not long, but long enough to glimpse the major attractions and convince us that we needed to go back again – at a warmer time of the year. We stayed in Damascus a couple of nights before heading off to the desert and the legendary site of Palmyra. We then headed back towards the coast to Hama which we used as a base to explore the famous crusader castle of Crac des Chevaliers and the ‘dead cities’ and then on to Aleppo with its famous souk and citadel. Then we headed back to Damascus for a final few nights – to explore the old town further and stock up on souvenirs. Overall it was everything and more than we expected. But in addition to the major sights our memories will be of the overwhelming friendliness of the Syrians and the fantastic food.
Aleppo
30 Dec 2007We’ll start with another video: If anything the souk in Aleppo is even more facinating (and labyrinthine) than its counterpart in Damascus. Like Damascus, the souk is in the heart of the old city, surrounding the great mosque and consisting of a seemingly infinite number of small covered passageways down which travel people, donkeys and increasingly, small suzuki pickups often no wider than the alley. The only major difference is that the whole city both new and old is overlooked…
Hama, Krak & Afamea
26 Dec 2007Hama is a medium sized town midway between Damascus and Aleppo and so an ideal place to stop for a few days to explore the hinterland. There are plenty of things to see including two of the highlights of Syria, the crusader castle of Krak des Chevaliers and the Roman ruins at Afamea. Hama is also a worthy stop in itself. It is situated on the banks of the Orontes River in one of the few fertile areas of Syria….
Palmyra
23 Dec 2007Palmyra is probably the most well-known of Syria’s attractions and is certainly one of the most impressive historical sites of the region. It’s position, in the middle of the Syrian desert, only adds to its aura and even if you are bored with visiting another ancient bunch of rocks you can’t fail to be impressed by its desert surroundings and watched over by a magnificent arab castle. The ruins date largely from 2nd century AD but the site itself is…
Damascus
21 Dec 2007Here’s a short video of our trip to Damascus. Before exploring the souk and the old city of Damascus I thought I’d include one of the most familiar sights of all our time in Syria – the Syrian breakfast which was completely unchanged in every hotel and guesthouse we stayed. Was it enshrined in law that all guests must be served boiled eggs, olives, white Syrian cheese, lebneh (a delicious cheesy yogurt) and arabic bread? All washed down with sweet…