Middle East - Anthony Ham [443]
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COURSES
If you’re a would-be student of the Arabic language, there are a number of options in Damascus.
British Council (Map; 331 0631; www.britishcouncil.org/syria; Sharia Karim al-Khalil) Offers intensive courses in Modern Standard or Syrian Colloquial Arabic at three levels. You’ll find it off Sharia Maysaloun.
Damascus University (Map; 212 9494; www.arabicindamascus.edu.sy; Language Institute, Faculty of Human Arts, University of Damascus, Sharia Filasteen) Offers courses in Syrian Arabic.
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DISCOUNT CARDS
Students get massive discounts on site admissions on presentation of an internationally recognised card such as the ISIC.
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EMBASSIES & CONSULATES
Most embassies and consulates are open from around 8am to 2pm and are closed on Friday, Saturday and public holidays. The following are in Damascus. Note: the Canadian embassy currently provides emergency consular services to Australians; Irish and New Zealand interests are looked after by the UK embassy. One important development to watch out for is the possible opening of a Lebanese embassy in Damascus – see boxed text, Click here, for more information.
Canada (Map; 011-611 6692; www.damascus.gc.ca; Block 12 Autostrad al-Mezze)
Egypt (Map; 011-333 3561; fax 011-333 7961; Sharia al-Jala’a, Abu Roumana)
France (Map; 011-332 7992; www.amb-damas.fr; Sharia Ata Ayyubi, Salihiyya)
Germany (Map; 011-332 3800/1; www.damaskus.diplo.de; 53 Sharia Ibrahim Hanano)
Iran (Map; 011-222 6459; fax 011-222 0997; Autostrad al-Mezzeh)
Italy (Map; 011-333 8338; www.ambdamasco.esteri.it; Sharia al-Ayyubi)
Japan (Map; 011-333 8273; Sharia Shark Asiya al-Jala, Abu Roumana)
Jordan (Map; 011-613 6261; damascus@fm.gov.jo; Miza Eastern Villas, Western Tarablus Street Bldg 27) Close to Al-Akram Mosque.
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DAMASCUS WITH MY DAUGHTER ANTHONY HAM
Some Lonely Planet authors have families, too. And those of us with children don’t like spending months away from them at a stretch. Thus it was that shortly after my daughter’s nine-month ‘birthday’, she found herself on a plane to Damascus, accompanied by her mother and two of her grandparents. Seeing them emerge from the scrum at Damascus Airport was one of the highlights of my trip.
Before setting out, I had solicited the advice of a friend who had travelled extensively with her young son around the Middle East, including twice to Syria. Apart from telling us to just do it, she described Syria as ‘one of the most child-friendly places I can think of’. How right she was. People went out of their way to be helpful (including one waiter who insisted on carrying the pram up three flights of stairs on his own), and our daughter soon got used to being picked up and cuddled by all manner of strangers. In the Umayyad Mosque, a lovely Syrian family invited us home so that they could spend more time with her. Outside the Sayyida Ruqayya Mosque, Iranian pilgrims insisted on having their photo taken with her. In restaurants and in our hotel, male waiters and hotel staff found any excuse to pick her up in the hope of receiving one of her newly minted smiles. And at Al-Nawfara Coffee Shop, she became best friends with Abu Shady, the hakawati, Syria’s last storyteller.
Yes, it’s true that my daughter probably won’t remember her first visit to Damascus. But it was a wonderful experience that her parents will never forget.
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Netherlands (Map; 011-333 6871; fax 011-333 9369; Sharia al-Jala’a, Abu Roumana)
Spain (Map; 011-613 2900/1; emb.damasco@mae.es; Sharia Shafi, east Mezze) Behind Hotel Al-Hayat.
Turkey (Map; 011-333 1411; dakkabe@citechco.net; 58 Sharia Ziad bin Abi Soufian, Al Rawda)
UK (Map; 0932 004 424; www.britishembassy.gov.uk/syria; Kotob Bldg, 11 Sharia Mohammed Kurd Ali, Malki)
USA (Map; 011-3391 4444; http://damascus.usembassy.gov; 2 Sharia al-Mansour, Abu Roumana)
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FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Visit the Syrian Ministry of Tourism website (www.syriatourism.org)