Middle East - Anthony Ham [412]
Old Town
Most of the old town was destroyed during the 1982 bombardment, leaving only a small remnant edging the west bank of the river, between the new town centre and the citadel. In sum, it amounts to a handful of twisting, stone alleys that run for a few hundred metres. Highlights include the Al-Mamuriyya Noria, the historic Hammam al-Uthmaniyya (bath & sauna S£200, massage S£150; men 8am-noon & 7pm-midnight, women noon-6pm) and, virtually next door, the so-called Artists’ Palace (Ateliers des Peintures; 8am-3pm), occupying a former khan; the old storerooms are now used as studio and exhibition space for local artists.
The small but lovely Azem Palace Museum (adult/student S£75/5; 8am-3pm Wed-Mon) was once the residence of the governor, As’ad Pasha al-Azem (r 1700–42). The haramlek (women’s quarters), behind the ticket office, and the upstairs courtyard are particularly beautiful, leading Ross Burns, historian and author of the sage Monuments of Syria, to describe this place as ‘one of the loveliest Ottoman residential buildings in Syria’.
A short distance north of Azem Palace is the splendid riverside An-Nuri Mosque, built by the Muslim commander Nureddin, uncle of Saladin, in the late 12th century. If you cross the bridge beside the mosque, you have a very picturesque view of the river and three norias, which are, from east to west, Al-Kaylaniyya, As-Sahuniyya and Al-Jabariyya.
Hama Museum
A 4th-century-AD mosaic depicting a noria is one of the artefacts displayed in the museum (Sharia Ziqar; adult/student S£150/10; 9am-4pm Wed-Sun Nov-Mar, to 6pm Wed-Sun Apr-Oct), 1.5km north of the centre. Other exhibits cover the region in the Iron Age, Roman and Islamic periods. All are well presented and have informative labelling in English.
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TOURS
Hama is conveniently situated for trips to surrounding sites including Crac des Chevaliers, Apamea and the Dead Cities, but also further on to Rasafa and even Palmyra. The Cairo, Noria and Riad Hotels (opposite) offer a wide range of tours; general traveller opinion is that those of the Riad Hotel are the best. Prices start at S£1300 per car for a half-day tour, and up to S£4500 for one that ranges as far as Palmyra and/or Rasafa.
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EXCURSIONS FROM HAMA
You could easily spend a week exploring the attractions around Hama. Apart from the iconic sites of Crac des Chevaliers (Click here), Apamea (Click here), the Dead Cities (Click here) and even Rasafa (Click here), other popular excursions include: the beehive-house villages of Sarouj, Twalid Dabaghein and Sheikh al-Hillal (northeast of Hama); the lonely hilltop ruins of Qala’at ash-Shmemis (southeast); the temple ruins high in the Jebel Ansariyya at Hosn Suleiman (southwest); the solid castle of Musayf (west); the Byzantine ruins of Qasr ibn Wardan (northeast); and the extraordinary, recently unearthed mosaic fragment at Tibetl’Imam (north).
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If you prefer to organise the trip yourself, one driver we recommend is Abdurrahman Al-Asad ( 0944 239 704), who charges S£1500 per car for a trip just to the Crac and up to US$60 for a full-day journey ranging further afield.
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SLEEPING
Hama has some of the best accommodation in Syria.
Budget
Riad Hotel ( 239 512; www.syriaphotoguide.com/riadhotel; Sharia Shoukri al-Quwatli; mattress on roof/dm S£150/200, s/d/tr from S£400/600/900, s/d without bathroom S£300/500; ) Wow! Freshly painted, large and extremely clean rooms have satellite TV and good beds; most have private bathrooms and those with shared bathrooms have one bathroom per two rooms. Some rooms have balconies onto the street and comfortable seating; others have queen-sized beds. Abdullah, your host, is friendly, knowledgeable and even has a decent Aussie accent. With a kitchen and ADSL internet (S£100 per hour) for guests at reception, it all adds up to one of Syria’s best budget hotels. Breakfast costs S£100/150 (student/nonstudent).