Husn Suleyman Qal'at Masyaf famous waterwheels of Hama
Husn Suleyman, Qal’at Masyaf and Hama
Category: 2009 – Syria
Around Syria in ten days, from Damascus west to Palmyra, then to Aleppo and Latakia by the sea and south again. We were a small group of two couples in their early thirties in a rental car, using two tourist guide books to get around. In the west it was impossible to get lost since there were so few roads, in the east we asked directions frequently.
Krak des Chevaliers
Ugarit and medieval castles
Ugarit Qal'at Salah Adin Qal'at Marqab
Ebla and Epemea
Ebla is still being dug up Dead cities Epemea
Around Aleppo
Lost villages temple of Saint Simeon
Aleppo
We stay here for a couple of days to visit Aleppo and the area around it. We first visit the citadel in the centre of the city. It is built on a hill and the hillsides have been paved in a steep angle to make it more defensible. There is an arch across the moat… Continue reading Aleppo
Qasr Al-Hayr Al-Sharqi / Resafah
After staying two nights in Palmyra and taking full day to visit the site, we leave in the morning to drive to Aleppo. Since we’ll be driving down the coast on the way back to Damascus later, we take the eastern road, bringing us close to the Iraqi border. We stop first at a desert… Continue reading Qasr Al-Hayr Al-Sharqi / Resafah
Palmyra
In Palmyra we sleep in the Cham hotel, which is located in the archaeological site, meaning you can see the monuments sticking out of the sand from the hotel and can walk straight in. There are a couple of buses here and a few groups of tourists. We get a guide via the hotel to visit… Continue reading Palmyra
Maaloula / Mar Mousa
the Maaloula monastery is located on top of the hills. In the village they still speak Aramaic, which is the language spoken in this area around 0 BC. The nearby monastery of Saint Thekla can be reached via a rocky defile created by a stream. Mar Mousa is a still working remote monastery, which can… Continue reading Maaloula / Mar Mousa
Bosra
We had the greatest falafels ever just outside the ruins at Bosra. At the parking itself there were several restaurants catering to tourists, but we walked 100 m further to the main street of the village, bought falafels and sat down on the sidewalk to eat them. Aside from the giant amphitheatre, there is a… Continue reading Bosra
a holiday in Syria
We knew there was lots to see, so we bought a couple of travel books and booked our tickets. Though at the time most tourists travelled in guided bus tours, the four of us decided to rent a car and strike out on our own. We did indeed encounter some tourist buses, especially around Palmyra… Continue reading a holiday in Syria
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