Middle East - Anthony Ham [388]
Tour operators:
Adonis Travel ( 09-949 599; www.adonistravel.com/lebanon) Offers trips within Lebanon and multi-country itineraries.
Kurban Tours (Map; 01-371 013; www.kurbantravel.com; InterContinental Phoenicia Hotel, Minet al-Hosn, Beirut; 24hr)
Tania Travel (Map; 01-739 682; www.taniatravel.com; Rue Sidani, Hamra, Beirut; 8am-6pm Mon-Sat)
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Syria
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CLIMATE & WHEN TO GO
HISTORY
THE CULTURE
RELIGION
ARTS
ENVIRONMENT
DAMASCUS
HISTORY
ORIENTATION
INFORMATION
SIGHTS
ACTIVITIES
TOURS
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
SLEEPING
EATING
DRINKING
ENTERTAINMENT
SHOPPING
GETTING THERE & AWAY
GETTING AROUND
AROUND DAMASCUS
BOSRA
SEIDNAYYA
MAALULA
HOMS
INFORMATION
SIGHTS
SLEEPING & EATING
HAMA
GETTING THERE & AWAY
INFORMATION
SIGHTS
TOURS
SLEEPING
EATING
GETTING THERE & AWAY
CRAC DES CHEVALIERS
HISTORY
SIGHTS
SLEEPING & EATING
GETTING THERE & AWAY
APAMEA
HISTORY
ORIENTATION
INFORMATION
SIGHTS
ACTIVITIES
TOURS
SLEEPING
EATING
DRINKING
SHOPPING
GETTING THERE & AWAY
ALEPPO
QALA’AT SAMAAN
DEAD CITIES
LATTAKIA
INFORMATION
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
SLEEPING
EATING
DRINKING
GETTING THERE & AWAY
AROUND LATTAKIA
UGARIT
QALA’AT SALADIN
PALMYRA
HISTORY
INFORMATION
SIGHTS
TOURS
SLEEPING
EATING
DRINKING
GETTING THERE & AWAY
THE EUPHRATES
DEIR EZ-ZUR
SOUTHEAST OF DEIR EZ-ZUR
NORTHWEST OF DEIR EZ-ZUR
SYRIA DIRECTORY
ACCOMMODATION
BUSINESS HOURS
CHILDREN
COURSES
DISCOUNT CARDS
EMBASSIES & CONSULATES
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
GAY & LESBIAN TRAVELLERS
HOLIDAYS
MONEY
POST
TELEPHONE
VISAS
WOMEN TRAVELLERS
TRANSPORT IN SYRIA
GETTING THERE & AWAY
GETTING AROUND
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Syria could just be the friendliest, most hospitable rogue state on earth. There are many things you’ll remember from your visit here, but the chances are it’s the warmth and graciousness of the people that will live longest in the memory. In a wonderful antidote to what the US State Department would have you believe, it’s the Syrians themselves who ensure most visitors develop a lifelong infatuation with the country’s gentle charms.
So much of Syria bears the stamp of the grand epics of Middle Eastern history. The Old City of Damascus has watched it all, accumulating in the process an astonishing richness of architecture both sacred and profane, from the extraordinary Umayyad Mosque to jewel-like Damascene houses and souqs that you’ll never want to leave. Aleppo, which vies with Damascus for the honour of the world’s oldest city, is home to the finest medieval souq in the region. Then there’s Palmyra, a glorious, alluring desert ruin that transports you back into the decadent Roman past. The World Heritage–listed castles of Crac des Chevaliers and Qala’at Saladin will also fulfil every childhood longing. And these are just the marquee attractions…
Best of all is the fact that these places are invariably woven into the fabric of daily life – the locals worship in the mosques, shop in the souqs, drink tea in the houses and picnic in the ruins. And they’re happy for travellers to join them. And join them you must if Syrian food is on the menu, as the national cuisine is simply superb.
For all its wealth of historical associations, this is not a country stuck in the past. Since Bashar al-Assad took over the reins from his father in 2001, modernisation has been in the air. This is no Levantine backwater – Syria is a modern, efficient and very proud nation. It needs and deserves travellers to bear witness to this fact.
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FAST FACTS
Area 185,180 sq km
Capital Damascus
Country code 963
Language Arabic
Money Syrian pound (also known as the lira; S£); US$1 = S£51.85; €1 = S£80.15
Official name Syrian Arab Republic
Population 20.5 million
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CLIMATE & WHEN TO GO
Syria has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers (June to August) and mild, wet winters (December to February), especially close to the coast. Inland it gets progressively drier and