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About Syria Why visit Syria?  Short flight, great climate, delicious food, unrivalled hospitality, rich history and culture – all at affordable prices. Only four and a half hours flight from London, Syria has a unique and rich history, 22 civilisations has past Syria throughout the ages. Syria is the meeting point between east and west, the mixture of Jews, Christians and Muslims has been the deepest here alongside the Greek, Roman, Persian, Byzantine, crusaders, Arab, Ottoman and French, creating a rich and varied culture to be enjoyed by all that visit Syria. In Syria, the glorious past is present every step of the way, history is alive and tangible, something you can experience - see, touch and smell wherever you go. Many famous people have had links with Syria across the ages, including St Paul, Alexander the Great, Hadrian, Saladin, Tamerland, Agatha Christie and Lawrence of Arabia. Click here to see the next group tour to Syria. Guide to Cities & Sites  "Go back as far as you will into the vague past, there was always a Damascus...she has looked upon the dry bones of a thousand empires and will see the tombs of a thousand more before she dies." Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad, 1869 Damascus Syria’s capital and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Existed since the 3rd millennium B.C. Damascus is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, it has so many monuments and interesting sites to see and explore. Top sights in Damascus: The charming Old City is surrounded by a Roman wall, in which the main covered market (Souk Al-Hamidieh) lies among cobbled streets, the souk is a pedestrian zone, packed with shops on each side overflowing with colourful merchandise. The end of the souk gives way to two gigantic Corinthian columns, they are what remains of the temple of Jupiter. Just a few minutes walk from the souk is the spectacular Omayyad Mosque which was built in 705 A.D and hosts the shrine of St John the Baptist. Close to the north gate of the Mosque is a little mausoleum which contains the tomb of Salah ad-din, who rallied Islam and defeated the Crusader invaders.
Not far from the Umayyad Mosque, on the southern side is the AzemPalace, it was designed in 1749 for Assad Pasha al-Azem, Governor of Damascus. In 1952 the National Museum of the arts and popular Traditions of Syria was established at Azem Palace, it contain thousands of items (furniture, tools, unusual items used in Syria as it was), the whole display is very educational and extremely attractive. IN Damascus when you walk down the Street which called Straight, you might feel that you were walking alongside Saul of Tarsus (who was transformed into St Paul on seeing the light of faith) on "the road to Damascus".. 30 km from Damascus, over a hilltop is the village of Seidnaya “Our Lady” The village is surrounded by vineyards and olive trees, it has a famous monastery founded in 547, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin; the monastery contains a portrait of the Virgin Mary believed to have been painted by Saint Luke. Ma’loula 55km from Damascus is the village of Maaloula, at this village the houses are carved out of the mountain stone and the people still speaks Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ. There are two important monasteries in Ma'loula, Mar Sarkis and Mar Takla.
Aleppo Is the second important city in Syria and UNESCO World Heritage site (350 km north of Damascus). St.Simeon's Monastery
60 km north of Aleppo is the well-preserved Byzantine monastery of St Simeon, it was one of the most famous Christian pilgrimage centre for that period. Born in 386 A.D. in a village in the Manus Mountains of northern Syria, St. Simeon, started his life as a shepherd, age 13 he decided to become a monk, spending his time praying in isolation. Word got around and people began to visit to seek his blessing. Simeon resented this invasion of his solitude and was driven to erect a 3m high pillar in order to get away from the ever increasing number of people and to be closer to god. He kept adding height to the pillar till it reached 20m, devoted his entire time to fasting, preaching and praying. He was known as Simon the stylite and he was visited by pilgrims from as far as France, Spain and Britain. After spending 37 years on his pillar, Simeon died in September 459. He inspired many imitators, and for the next century, ascetics living on pillars( stylites) were a common sight throughout the Byzantine Levant. In 475 A.D, a classical Byzantine church was built in the shape of a cross around Simeon's pillar, the 5,000 square meters of floor space was nearly equal to the size of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The hilltop setting for this church is dramatic and the sandy-coloured buildings are extraordinary with beautiful architectural innovations such as the carving of acanthus leaves. Opposite the southern basilica along the sacred road ( the via sacra) is the baptistery, which was built soon after the main church.The monastery of St. Simeon was destroyed by major earthquake. Palmyra The ancient oasis of Palmyra is very special place, Located beside a hot-water spring, this magnificent site is most notable today for its breathtaking displays of Roman architecture in the form of its Great Colonnade, amphitheatre, Temple of Bel, Valley of Tombs. In the past, Palmyra(city of palms), also known in Arabic as Tadmor(city of dates), has enjoyed 400 years as a trade centre between East and West. The Romans invaded this city in the first century BC and during the third century Queen 'Zenobia challenged the Roman emperor Aurelian. The National Museum of Palmyra houses many of the statues , coins, jewellery and other items found in the tombs and other ruins of the city. Homs Homs is the 3rd most important city in Syria. It lies 160 km to the north of Damascus. Homs, which was called Mesa in ancient times, was the third station on the Silk route after Dura Europos and Palmyra. Krak des Chevaliers (fortress of the knights) the majestic Crusader fortress Lawrence of Arabia called it simply “the finest castle in the world”. . Perched on a hilltop with spectacular views of the surrounding countryside, Its the best preserved of all crusader castles of Syria, several famous crusaders stayed here on their conquest, including King Edward I of England, who was greatly impressed by its imposing design. Bosra Situated 140 Km south of Damascus, Bosra is most famous for its magnificent Roman amphitheater, which was later converted into a fortress. It seats 15,000 people and has been designed so that all the audience can hear the actors without the use of any special equipment. Other Roman sites includes, Roman baths, monumental gates and some fine Corinthian columns.Hama Hama is well known for its enormous water wheels ‘norias’ on the Orontes, which are as old as Hama itself, these giant, creaking waterwheels up to 20m high have been used for centuries to divert water out of the Orontes River to irrigate surrounding farmland. Apamea 55 km northwest of Hama is Apamea, an ancient city located on the right bank of the Orontes river. It overlooks the Ghab valley and is notable for its exceptionally long Roman street, lined with classical columns. Apamea was founded in 300 BC by Seleucus Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals and the first king of the Seleucids in Syria, he named it after his wife Apame. The beautiful new Hellenistic city soon flourished, its population numbered half a million. Apamea was destroyed by many major earthquakes, today it stands as a very impressive Roman ruins. Lattakia Syria's main sea-port on the Mediterranean, 183 km southwest of Aleppo, or 340 Km from Damascus. Lattakia was built by Saluqos Nikator in the 2nd century B.C, named it after his mother, Laudetia, it has the best beaches in Syria. Ugarit 16km to the north of Lattakia is the site of Ugarit, the kingdom that had a golden past between the 16th and 13th centuries B.C. The kingdom that gave humanity the first alphabet in the world, this alphabet is housed at the National Museum in Damascus. Saladin's Castle (Fortress of Sahyoun) UNESCO World Heritage site, this castle, located on the coastal mountain range at 37 Km away from Lattakia, is often considered one of the most prestigious castles of the medieval period and the most romantic. The Phoenicians controlled this site in the 1st Millennium BC, and were still holding it when Alexander the Great arrived in 333 BC.The Crusaders captured the castle at the beginning of the 12th century. The 28m deep ditch, which was cut into living rock by the Byzantines is one of the most magnificent features of this castle, this ditch is about 155 meters long, 20 meters wide and has a lonely 28-meter high needle to support the drawbridge. Click here to see the next group tour to Syria. History & Culture Escape to ancient cultures, and new encounters with Syria Travel. The shores of Lebanon and Syria were settled from around 10,000 BC. Ugarit near Lattakia, goes back to 6600BC. Mari on the Euphrates River 4500BC. The Phoenicians colonised the coast in to city-states around 2500 BC. Syria was the theatre for many conquests, that descended from the Anatolian born mountains or arrived at its shores from the sea. Its original inhabitants, migrants from the Arabian Peninsula, settled throughout the country. They were known as the Akkadians (2335 BC), the Amorites, the Canaanite, the Phoenicians, the Arameans or the Ghassanids, depending on the time of their migration and the place of their settlement. These settlers preserved their original characteristics despite the numerous conquests which they were to experience. In 636 AD, when Muslim Arab tribes entered Syria from that same Arabian Peninsula, they brought with them their language, Arabic, and their religion, Islam, both of which endure in modern Syria today. "The name Syria is believed to have first been applied by the Greeks, and by Roman times, it referred to the part of the empire that lay between Egypt in the south and Anatolia in the north." Syria & Lebanon, Lonely Planet. Agriculture first appeared in Syria thousands of years ago, when man discovered the possibility of growing hundreds of new plants from seeds. This discovery made it possible for civilization, as we know it, to begin. Men abandoned their caves and began building houses, and establishing settled communities.In ancient Syria, the secrets of hammering bronze and copper into shapes that would serve domestic and military activities was discovered. At Mari, numerous palaces, temples and murals, were found reflecting advanced cultural and commercial activity. The kingdom of Ugarit (Ras Shamra) near Lattakia, offered mankind its first alphabet. At Ebla, a royal palace was discovered containing one of the largest and most comprehensive archives of the ancient world, dealing with matters of industry, diplomacy, trade, art and agriculture. In Damascus, a visit to the market to watch the glass- blower at his brick furnace, might remind you of his predecessors, whom first invented coloured glass 3,000 years ago. The villages of Syria, whether they nestle in mountain valleys, or cluster along the coast, or border a great desert, are unique in their traditions and in the native costumes of their inhabitants.
Olives Olive oil is one of the oldest culinary oils. The olive tree is native to Asia Minor and was first thought to be cultivated in Syria about 6,000 years ago. In 2008, production of olives in Syria reached a total of 750 thousand tons from 89 million mature trees. Some varieties of Syrian olive oil are rated as one of the best in the world. Syrian cuisine rely heavily on the use of olive oil and it has been the foundation of the Syrian diet for thousands of years. Aleppo is famous for producing highly thought after soap made from laurel and olive oil. Traditional green salad dressing: fresh lemon juice + olive oil + salt.
Booking Conditions Syria Travel Booking Conditions Please read these booking conditions befor you book your tour.
1) To make an inquiry or get a quote or make a booking, just contact us. You can e-mail or you can phone us. 2) When you book your tour and make the travel arrangements as a private journey, we apply different conditions for payments, it will be discussed with each traveller individually.3) The following booking conditions only apply to an escorted group tours when the cost of the flight is included in the price: -You will need to pay a non-refundable deposit of £100 of your selected tour, the second payment will be due when the airline releases the reserved tickets, we purchase return scheduled air tickets for our customers directly from the airline(the airlines we purchase from are protected). we will then invoice you for the remainder of the cost of your tour, which you must pay no later than 4 weeks before departure -If you book less than 4 weeks before departure, full payment must be made on booking. The person making the booking (the “lead” name) must be at least 18 years old and have the legal capacity and authority to make the booking and accepts these booking conditions on behalf of everyone in their party. -We will let you know as soon as we can if, we are forced to significantly alter or cancel your travel arrangements because of unavoidable, unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control. You will be offered the following alternatives if we (Syria Travel ltd) significantly alter or cancel your booking: a. A replacement tour of the same quality (if available) with refund or charge you the difference in cost.
4) Any information or advice provided by the Company on matters such as permits, visas, vaccinations, climate, clothing, baggage, special equipment, etc. is given in good faith but without responsibility on the part of the Company. It is your responsibility to check. 5) The lead name at the time of booking is entirely responsible for ensuring that all members of the group have the correct and valid documentation for travel. Passports and visas Passports should not have Israeli stamp on them or any sign that indicate the holder has entered Israel. -When you book your trip with us, we will try to help you with your visa. -For the majority of tourists, all they need to do to obtain their visa through us is to provide us with certain information (name, date of birth, passport number….etc) that we ask for after they complete their booking, then we will do all the paper work necessary in order for them to be granted tourist visa on entry to Syria at the airport. Travellers must have valid passport for all tours and visits to Syria, the passport needs to be valid for minimum six months beyond the date of the tour. Visas are required, we will advise you about obtaining them. Food & Shopping Shopping in Syria is always an exciting aspect for visitors, in Damascus, the 18th century market with more than 250 boutiques is impressive, it is a paradise for any shopper looking for clothes, carpets, handicrafts, silk and leather goods, copper and other items made in Syria. Syrian cuisine, considered by many to be the best of the Middle Eastern cooking. Its colourful, full of flavour, and beautifully presented. Syrians generally love their meat, but vegetarian dishes equally popular and tasty. In restaurants, they serve variety of mixed grill, mainly chicken and lamb, barbecued on charcoal, covered in flat Arabic bread (Khubs), garnished with chopped onion and parsley. Khubs: Pita bread, which is round flat and thin. Mixed spices, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, herbs and nuts, are widely used in the Syrian cuisine. Mezze: selections of appetizers mainly vegetarian dishes, served before the main course as starter or as snacks. Hummus: dip made of ground chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and cumin. Babaghnouj: puréed aubergine with parsley, onion, olive oil and tomato as a garnish. Falafel: deep fried small balls of mashed chickpeas, coriander, and sesame seeds. Tabbouleh: salad of parsley, bulgur wheat, tomato olive oil, lemon juice, spring onion and mint. Main course dishes: Mixed grill, Lamb, chicken, fish... Kofta: minced lamb, onion, spices, parsley. Mahshie: courgettes, Aubergines and green peppers, stuffed with rice, mince meat, spices and herbs. Mahshi Yabrak: stuffed vine leaves, rolled with rice spiced mince lamb garlic and lemon juice. Kibbeh: cracked wheat, ground lamb, onion and spices, shaped in to small balls stuffed with spicy minced lamb, pine nuts onion, shallow fried or grilled. Kibbeh nayeh: raw kibbeh, served with chilli olive oil and walnuts. Kibbeh labenneya: small balls of kibbeh, cooked in warm yogurt with rice. Makloubeh: layers of lamb, rice and aubergine, turned over after cooking and toped with roasted mixed nuts. Exotic Fruit White mulberry, prickly pear, figs, pomegranate, melon, Apricot. The famous pistachios are used in many pastries, smothered in sugar syrup. Baklava: one of the many popular desserts, which you can sample in Syria, made of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and cinnamon, soaked in rose water syrup. Olives Olive oil is one of the oldest culinary oils. The olive tree is native to Asia Minor and was first thought to be cultivated in Syria about 6,000 years ago. In 2008, production of olives in Syria reached a total of 750 thousand tons from 89 million mature trees. Some varieties of Syrian olive oil are rated as one of the best in the world. Syrian cuisine rely heavily on the use of olive oil and it has been the foundation of the Syrian diet for thousands of years. Aleppo is famous for producing highly thought after soap made from laurel and olive oil. Traditional green salad dressing: fresh lemon juice + olive oil + salt.
Click here to see the next group tour to Syria. Syria and the British Media Telegraph.co.uk/travel. 12th September, 2008“Damascus, Syria: Road to enchantment” was the title of a long article. “On his first visit to the ravishing and extraordinary city of Damascus, Tim Jepson soon casts aside his preconceptions”. Wrote the Telegraph. Tim Jepson wrote “Well, I did visit Damascus, and found it a ravishing city, with an extraordinary history, extraordinary sights and extraordinary people – kind, cultured, tolerant, hospitable, courteous and well-educated”. “During the four-hours-and a-bit-flight (yes, it really isn’t that far), I launched into guidebook introductions and my imagination was immediately fired”. He went on to write “I loved Damascus for this and any other number of things and will go back. I will go back for more of the city, but also for Syria’s other unsung treasures: for the ancient town of Aleppo, for Palmyra, a vast Roman town half-hidden in the desert, and, above all for the Crac des Chevaliers, the majestic Crusader fortress Lawrence of Arabia called simply the finest castle in the world”. Financial Times - Travel-Middle East - 20th December, 2008Food and drink editor Rahul Jacob, wrote in the Financial Times-travel, “The best journeys offer us the gift of time travel. We step into a giant, elongated capsule and step out of an airport in another place and another time. That’s the promise, but so few places deliver because globalisation and Holiday Inns have a way of getting to places before we do”. “ Syria is in vogue today because it offers citadels that look as if they might be a stage set for yet another film about the Crusades…”. “It was the city’s biblical past that I wanted to explore as a lapsed Christian”. “Instead of discovering religion in Damascus, I am ashamed to report that I fell in love with shopping”. “Dangerously addictive” “Like opening Pandora’s box, once you start exploring Syria there is no chance of closing the lid, says Barnaby Rogerson”, Financial Times-Travel-Middle East- 20/ December/ 2008. Telegraph Travel, Saturday, April 12th, 2008“Revelation on the road to Damascus” “Peter Hughes is overwhelmed by the sites-and the hospitality shown to him in a country he had expected to be difficult”, wrote the Telegraph. “Damascus has had a corner in conversions for 2,000 years, since Saul of Tarsus saw the light and metamorphosed into St. Paul the Apostle. I too underwent a transformation on the road to Damascus, not Pauline exactly, but definitely opinion-changing. My revelation was Syria”, wrote Peter Hughes in the Telegraph Travel, Saturday, April 12, 2008. Click here to see our next group tour to Syria. Testimonials Angela-London May 2009 My experience with Syria Travel has been nothing less than perfect from start to finish. They helped plan an affordable personalised tour that suited my schedule and interests. In country, they were on hand from the time my plane landed to get my visa to the time I left and they checked me in. The guide and driver were wonderfully hospitable and accommodating ensuring that I got to see the best of what Syria had to offer. And the accommodation was beyond all expectations. Since returning to the UK I have not stopped talking about Syria or Syria Travel. I recommend you try them too. Helen & Family-September 2009 We had a fantastic holiday in Syria and Lebanon thanks to Syria Travel. We were well taken care of every step of the way, from the moment we arrived at Damascus airport to the morning we left Beirut. Every effort was made to ensure that all went smoothly and that we enjoyed every aspect of the trip, and we felt that our well-being was a priority with all those we came into contact with. We would not hesitate to recommend Syria Travel to anyone contemplating visiting that part of the world. Thank you Syria Travel! General Knowledge Full Name: Syrian Arab Republic. AirportsDamascus International Airport, 32 km of the capital Damascus. PortsLattakia, Tartus, Banyas.
Restaurants: Opens between 12 midday to 12 midnight daily. Shops: Opens 9am to 2pm and 4pm to 9pm summer. 9am to 2pm and 4pm to 8pm winter.
Government offices and Banks: Opens 8am to 2pm daily except Friday and holidays. Private offices: Opens 10am to 2pm, and 4pm to 9pm except Friday and holidays.
Museums and sites: are closed on Tuesday. Shops: Often closed on Fridays and holidays. Click here to see our next group tour to syria.
Syrian Dish of the Month January 2010 Lentil and Coriander Soup Ingredients
Method 1- Wash the lentils and put in a large pot, add the water and bring it to the boil (do not cover the pot) let it simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally 2- Add the vegetable cube, potatoes and carrots, simmer for 15 minutes. 3- In a frying pan add the oil, onion, cumin and chilli, fry for 3 minutes then add them to the simmering pot, add the salt, lemon juice and fresh coriander, cook for 5 more minutes stirring occasionally, add some water if needed. 4-Serve the soup as it is or blend it in a liquidiser until smooth, then serve.
(Serves 6 - 8 ). 1.5 kg (3.5 lb) aubergines, thickly sliced 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp mixed spices (optional), use GaramMasala or:mix your own (cumin-coriander-cloves-cardamom). 4 cloves garlic crushed. One large green pepper chopped. 3 tbsp pomegranate sauce(optional). 4 medium size tomatoes. 1 cup water.
Syrian-Arabic Words & Phrases The Cockney of Arabic in Syria If you attempt to speak basic Syrian Arabic while you are touring Syria, you are on for a shock, you will be standing in the street, at the hotel, in a taxi or at a restaurant, asking yourself why with all the time and effort you have put into learning this (interesting language), that you are not getting anywhere, you hardly understand what are they saying, your words not being understood. Like the majority of travellers, you probably learnt your Arabic from a book or a CD or online or even from an Arabic teacher. What you have learnt and attempt to speak are different from the locals. Arabic language is very rich language, for every English word you would find two or more equivalent words that have the same meaning.
In order to understand and being understood, it’s important to choose and learn the common words which are used in everyday life amongst the locals. Like the cockney of London (East End), this is the cockney of Arabic spoken in the street of Damascus. Commonly used words: Aff-one: Excuse me, pardon me, I beg your pardon, Allow me, one minute please, do not mention it, its my pleasure, Please, Thank you. Ba-sss: Enough, that’s all, stop doing, prevent, interrupt, cease, bring or come to a halt, finish, break off, call it a day, discontinuation. Shou-Kran: Thank you, very kind of you, I am grateful. A A : Yes, Yes ( you make a gesture by nodding the head down) La la: No, No (nod the head up). La Shou-kran : No Thank you
Greatings & Questions Hello : Marhaba Good morning: S-bahh Al-khair Good evening: Masa Al-khair Please: Men-fadllaak (m) if you are speaking to a male. Please: Men-fadllake (f) if you are speaking to a female. How much : Gha-daish ? How much money : Gha-daish Massarie? Money : M-ssary Syrian Pound: Laira 20 Syrian Pounds : Esh-reen Laira That is all : BA-SS Enough: Ba-SSS Time : wa-ght The : Al What : Shoo What is the time ?: Shoo al wa-ght? Want : Bad-ak You want : Bad-ak What do you want? : Shoo Bad-ak? How: Key-f How are you: Key-fack (m) How are you: Key-fake (f) Thank you: Shou-kran Very Much: kh-teer
Directions I: Ana Want : Bdee I want: Ana Bdee Go : Roohh Walking : Mashee -1-I want to go there walking: Ana Bdee Roohh Mashee. Where: La-wane? Restaurant: Matt-aam The : Al To the: Al To the restaurant : Al-Matt-aam. To the Museum : Al-matt-hf. -2-I want to go to the restaurant: Bdee Roohh Al -Matt-aam The place : Al-Macann Near: Gh-reep Is : Hul ? -3-Is the place near? : Hul Al-Macann Gh-reep ? The place is near : Al-Macann Gh-reep Yes: A ( you make a gesture by nodding the head down) No : Laa (nod the head up) Very : Kht-eer Near : Gh-reep Very near: Kht-eer Gh-reep. far: Ba-eed Very far : Kht-eer Ba-eed. -4-Is The place far ? : Hul Al-Macann Ba-eed ? A bit : Sh-wae A bit far : Sh-wae Ba-eed Very Far: Kht-eer baeed Walking : Mashee I: Ana Would Like: B-dee I would like: Ana B-dee To Go : Roohh Walking : Meshee Go walking : Rooh Meshee -5-I would like to go walking : Ana B-dee Roohh Meshee Where : Wane To Where ?: La-wane ? Shopping : Souk Which : Aya One : Waa-hed Which one ?: Aya-waahed ? Way : T-reequ Which way ? : Aya T-reequ To The: La -6-Which way to Souk Al-Hamidiyeh?: Aya T-reequ La Souk Al-Hamidiyeh I want to sleep : Ana Bdee Namm I want a taxi: Ana Bdee Taxi Me: Ana And: Wa Him: Hoo-eh Her : Hee-eh Me and him: Ana wa Hoo-eh I am: Ana Tired : Ta-baan(m) Tired: Ta-baaneh(f) I am tired : Ana tabaan(m) Noise : Sout , Dujeh Noises : Ass-waat, Duj-jeh, Dujeej Very : Kt-eer Very noisy : Kh-teer Duj-jeh. Tomorrow : Boo-kra there is: Fee More : K-man Tomorrow there is more.....Boo-kra fee K-man ! |
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