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SYRIA > MIDDLE EAST > INDEX
Holidays in Syria - Travel information Syria.
Syrian Arab Republic, former United Arabian Republic [ with Egypt ]
Provinces in Syria : Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah, Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq, Halab, Hamah, Hims, Idlib, Rif Dimashq, Tartus
Capital of Syria: Damascus.
hotels, travel agencies, travel guides, transportation / travelling to syria
links
Hotels in Syria
Centrally located hotels ranging from small family run budget accommodation to world-class five star hotels.
Travel Agents / Tour Operators
Adventure Holidays in Syria
Try one of the activity holidays, travel experiences not to be missed! Adventurecompany.co.uk.
- Create your perfect trip - Flight, Hotel and Car
Haj & Umra - see Ziyarat program
Cox & Kings
Cox & Kings is the longest established travel company in the world, its history stretching back to 1758.
Voyages Jules Verne - Great Journeys for the discerning traveller
Worlds Apart Travel
'Image seems Syria's only problem since it has no shortage of sights and some of the friendliest people in the
region. Crusader castles, Palmyra built by Queen Zenobia to rival Rome, Old Damascus with it's bazaars are just some of it's offerings. Many tours now combine Syria with Jordan and/or Lebanon.'
Incoming Tour Operator
Minerva Tours
Daily regular tours, excursions, hotel reservations, sightseeing, seminars & conferences, tailor made tours.
Travel Guides Syria / Related Books
Syria and Lebanon - Lonely Planet - Terry Carter, Lara Dunston, Andrew Humphreys
This guide to Syria and Lebanon offers political, historical and cultural information as well as tips on how to
get involved in an archaeological dig and details of souqs, mosques and Crusader castles.
Paperback 424 pages (August 2004); Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; Language: English; ISBN: 1864503335.
Syria: The Rough Guide - Andrew Beattie, Timothy Pepper
The Rough Guide to Syria is the essential guide to this compact but culturally rich Middle Eastern country.
Features include: Thorough accounts of all the monuments, from the ancient remains at Palmyra and Ugarit to
stately mosques and hilltop crusader castles. Practical advice on shopping in the souks of Damascus and
Aleppo and exploring the desert plains. Informed guidance on how to travel independently, and where to eat
and sleep, in every price range. Detailed background on the country's history, culture, architecture and politics.
Paperback 368 pages (May 31, 2001); Publisher: Rough Guides; Language: English; ISBN: 1858287189
Monuments of Syria: An Historical Guide - Ross Burns
As Syria becomes more accessible to outsiders, this revised handbook aims to guide visitors through the
layers of history, linking various sites to such figures as Alexander and Saladin, and decoding the cultural influences which shaped the many monuments. The book is organized as a gazetteer.
Paperback 320 pages (July 1, 2000); Publisher: I.B. Tauris; Language: English; ISBN: 1860642446
Damascus: Hidden Treasures of the Old City
Brigid Keenan, Tim Beddow (Photographer), Wafic Said (Preface)
Damascus, reputed to be the oldest continually inhabited city on earth, has enjoyed eras of immense power,
and great cultural and artistic achievement. Alongside some of the most magnificent architecture in the Islamic
world, such as the Umayyad Mosque, the city can also boast a heritage of fairytale palaces and sumptuous
private houses now threatened by neglect. This book sets out to record these architectural gems and to raise
the awareness of the outside world to the plight of the Old City of Damascus before it is too late. The authors
were given unprecedented access to the "hidden" city in order to complete the task. The text describes
Damascus through the ages, gives an account of daily life and concludes with descriptions of the houses and the people who built and lived in them.
Paperback 224 pages (September 1, 2001); Publisher: Thames and Hudson Ltd. Language: English; ISBN: 0500282994
Transportation / How do I travel to Syria
Damascus International Airport
- Flights to Syria
Book cheap flights to Syria at ebookers and benefit from discounted airfares. View their latest offers and book your flights, accommodation, car hire and insurance online
- Flight tickets Syria
Online travel service backed by British Airways, KLM and Aer Lingus.
Airline Tickets / Bargain Flights
Syrian Airlines
Al-Hijaz Railway Company
Take a sentimental train journey to the Zabadani Valley near Damascus, with churning drivers, the sound of
escaping steam, and a whistle blowing. The result is an illusion of a time that once was - the era of wood and coal burning steam-driven engines.
 Maps International -
Maps of Syria
Mapsinternational.co.uk is one of the largest map shops online.
Online Map of Syria [ Uni Texas - Perry-Castañeda Library - Map Collection ]
Links 
Travel Insurance - online travel and holiday insurance for UK and Irish residents
Syria Tourism
General Information: History of Syria, Damascus, Southern Provinces, Mid-Western Provinces, North-Eastern Provinces, Museums, Tourists Impressions, Maps, Archeological Discoveriers
Tourist Information: Hotels, Restaurants, Cafés, Cafeterias, Cabanas, Cinemas, Tourist Agents, Apartments, Ancient Bathrooms
Syria Online - Tourism
Damascus - Capital City Syria
Damascus is a mixture of old and new. In the modern part of the city there are up-to-date homes, hotels and
government buildings. Whereas in the Old City, you can watch the graceful minarets and domes of more than 200 mosques rise above the famous one-story Damascene houses.
Damascus is famous for its bazaars. Bazaars are streets lined with shops, stalls and cafes. One of these is
the "Street Called Straight", mentioned in the Bible in connection with St. Paul's conversion to Christianity. The
tomb of John the Baptist (Prophet Yahia in the Quran) is situated in the Grand Umayyad Mosque in the centre
of the old city. The Umayyad Mosque is the symbol of Damascus. Built by Caliphate Al-Walid I in the 7th
century, this mosque is a wonderful example for Islamic art and architecture. Other historic monuments in Damascus include the Azem Palace, a typical Damascene house of the 18th century.
Landmarks of Old Damascus: The Wall and Gates, The Omayyad Mosque, The Azem Palace, Damascus Citadel en de The Souqs.
Landmarks of the New City:
The National Museum, Al-Takieh al-Suleimaniyeh, The City of Damascus Historical Museum en Al-Salhieh
Al Hasakah [ muhafazah ]
Al Ladhiqiyah
Al Qunaytirah
Ar Raqqah
As Suwayda'
Dar'a
Dayr az Zawr
Dimashq
Halab
Hamah
Hims
Idlib
Rif Dimashq
Tartus
Aleppo
The second largest city of Syria, Aleppo, lays claim to being the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world
. In the centre of Aleppo is the magnificent Aleppo Citadel, considered to be the oldest in the world, the Great
Mosque, and the Aleppo souk, which is the longest covered souk in the world. There are over 200 'Dead
Cities' within a radius of 60km around Aleppo, some of which date back to the first century AD.
Bosra al Shaam - an Amazing Historic City
Situated at about 40 km east of Deraa, Bosra, is excellently well-preserved and of monuments of great
dimensions- a monumental town like Palmyra and Petra. Once the capital of the Roman province of Arabia, an
important stopover on the ancient caravan route to Mecca, Bosra has conserved within its thick walls a magnificent Roman theatre from the 2nd century early Christian ruins and several mosques.
Homs
Latakia / Lattakia [ Saladdin Castle ]
Latakia is Syria's main seaport on the Mediterranean. It lies 186 km southwest of Aleppo, 348 km northwest of Damascus. It has retained its importance since ancient times.
Latakia's history goes back a long way. In the 2nd Millennium BC Latakia was part of the Kingdom of Ugarit.
Ugarit a Syro-Phoenician kingdom is being excavated at the moment about 20 km north of Latakia. Then it fell to the Assyrians, and then the Persians.
Devastating earthquakes in 494 and 555 badly damaged Latakia, but it was rebuilt by Justinian. Latakia was
taken in AD 638 by the Arabs, in 1097 - 1103 by the crusaders, and in 1188 by Saladin. Subsequently the
town was administered by Christians from Tripoli, Muslims from Hama, and the Ottoman Turks; it came within the French mandate of Syria and Lebanon in 1920.
Maaloula / Ma'lula
Palmyra
Tartous
Zabadani
Bimaristan al-Noury
Khan Al Shouneh in Aleppo
The Khan was built in 1548, to function as a center of crafts, with revenues dedicated to the Khesro Islamic
school [ founded by the pious governor of Aleppo, Khesro Paghi, during the Ottoman reign ]
Krak Des Chevaliers - kruisvaarderskasteel
'The most admirable castle in the whole world', this is what Lawrence of Arabia had to say about the greatest
of Crusades castles in Syria. The Castle is located at an altitude of 650 meters, on the top of a volcanic cliff.
The view, as seen from its towers, covers a vast land extending from Mount Lebanon to the valleys of Homs and the Mediterranean shores.
Monastery of St. Moses the Abyssinian
Saladin's Tomb and its neighboring Schools
Seydnaya - Greek-Orthodox monastry with a miraculous icon
Muslim and Christian pilgrimages alike head to Seidnaya from Lebanon, Syria and Jordan to pay homage to this great shrine.
A legend tells that the monastery was founded in the sixth century. When the Byzantine Emperor Justinian
was chasing a deer on to the top of the hill during a hunting game, and just as he was about to draw his bow,
the deer miraculously converted into the Virgin Mary and commanded him to build a convent on the rock.
Shrine of Saida Zeinab
Soukhs in Damascus
Souq al-Hamidiyeh, Souq Midhat Pasha, Souq al-Harir en Souq Al-Bzourieh
St. Paul's Church
Tekiya Soulaimainya
Superbly positioned on the river Barada strand between the National Museum and the Victoria bridge, this
great example of Islamic architecture is considered as one of the most refined and poetic buildings in Syria.
Works on the Tekiya Soulaimanya started in 1445, and did not complete till 1450. It was built to serve as a meeting station for caravans of pilgrims heading to Mecca for the holy Hajj.
Cuisine - Syrian cooking
Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen: A Culinary Journey Through Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan
- by Sonia Uvezian
First-rate cookbook that provides a wide spectrum of authentic and easy-to-follow recipes that make use of
healthful and readily available ingredients. Both the narrative and illustrations are fascinating, and there are also some wonderful menu suggestions.
Flavours of the Levant Home Cooking from Lebanon, Syria and Turkey
Nada Saleh
A selection of recipes from Lebanon, Syria and Turkey, an area known as the Levant. Each section in the
book introduces one of the regions, followed by instructions for starters, main courses and desserts. It is full of healthy-eating ideas and recipes for favourite Middle-Eastern dishes.
Hardcover 288 pages (May 10, 2002); Publisher: Robson Books Ltd.; Language: English
ISBN: 1861054467
Culinair - arabian recipes
History of Syria
Independence: 17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
Syria's History - Wikipedia
Eblan civilization; Syria in Antiquity; Early Christian and Islamic history; French Occupation; Instability and
growth: independence to 1970; Ba'ath Party rule under Hafiz al-Assad, 1970-2000; 21st century
The Archaeology of Syria: From Complex Hunter-gatherers to Early Urban Societies (Ca.16000-300 B.C.) (Cambridge World Archaeology S.)
Peter M. M. G. Akkermans, Glenn M. Schwartz
This book is the first comprehensive presentation of the archaeology of Syria from the end of the Paleolithic
period to 300 BC. Although Syria has been the focus of intensive excavations for decades, no large-scale
review of the results of these excavations has ever appeared until now. Syria is one of the prime areas of
excavation and archaeological field work in the Middle East, and Peter Akkermans and Glenn Schwartz outline
the many important finds yielded by Syria, before providing their own perspectives and conclusions.
Paperback 350 pages (February 2004); Publisher: Cambridge University Press; Language: English; ISBN: 0521796660
Syria: Revolution from Above (Contemporary Middle East S.) - Raymond Hinnesbusch
This study examines the development of the Syrian state as it has emerged under thirty-five years of military
-Ba'thist rule and, particularly, under President Hafiz al-Asad. It analyses the way in which the fragility of the
post-independence state, unable to contain rising nationalist struggle and class conflict, opened the way to
the Ba'th party's rise to power and examines how the Ba'th's 'revolution from above' transformed Syria's
socio-political terrain. The mixed strategy of power concentration under Asad is then examined and the way
in which the creation of a presidential monarchy buttressed by trusted kin and clients commanding
instruments of repression was combined with the creation of Lenninst-like political organization incorporating
a rural constinuency. Subsequent state-society relations, including the rise of a new class, Islamic rebellion,
the survival of civil society and Asad's resort to political decompression as a substitute for democratisation
are then surveyed. The author moves on to assess the political economy of economic development, showing
how agrarian reform, industrialization and economic liberalization created a more equitable and diverse but
fundamentally flawed state-dominated economy. The final chapter examines how Asad's foreign policy has turned Syria from a victim to an actor in the regional struggle for power.
Paperback 200 pages (August 1, 2002); Publisher: RoutledgeCurzon; Language: English; ISBN: 0415285682
Antioch: The Lost Ancient City - Christine Kondoleon (Editor)
This exhibition catalogue brings to life the ancient city of Antioch - once the ancient capital of Syria and the
gateway to the east and west. The colour plates feature artefacts excavated, including: mosaics; sculpture; glass and metalwork.
Hardcover 352 pages (December 1, 2000); Publisher: Princeton University Press; Language: English; ISBN: 0691049327
Music, Culture & Entertainment
Syrians have contributed to Arabic literature and music and have a proud tradition of oral and written poetry.
Syria: Cradle of Civilisations
Alain Cheneviere
Syria's archaeological riches make its claim to be the cradle of civilizations incontestable. Excavations of the
towns in the Middle-Euphrates show civilization flourishing in Syria at the time of the earliest great civilizations
of Persia, Mesopotamia and Egypt. And since then, a series of great empires has risen and fallen in the area,
and all have left their mark on the country. Syria was conquered and settled by the Assyrians, who in turn
gave way to the great Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Then subsequent Persian dominance was ended by the Macedonian King Alexander the Great, and Syria became Hellenized, with Antioch as capital of
Macedonian Babylon. Evidence of Roman rule is everywhere, but it most impressive in Palmyra. Indeed,
Syria's importance to the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire founded by Constantine can be seen by the
numerous Christian churches. Fortifications such as the magnificent "Krak des Chevaliers" recall the long
struggles between Muslims and Christian Crusaders. And the Ottoman Empire brought Syria commercial
prosperity and further treasures. But this turbulent past has contributed to more than archaeological wealth.
The vibrance of modern Syria, as witnessed in commercial cities like Damascus and Aleppo, is a testament to
the cultural intermingling over the millennia. The most vivid contrast is afforded by the unchanging lifestyle of
the Bedouin in the vast deserts which cover more than half the country. In this series of photographs,
accompanied by an informative text, Alain Cheneviere offers the reader a taste of this extraordinary diversity.
Hardcover 192 pages (November 4, 1996); Publisher: Stacey International; Language: English; ISBN: 0905743989
Culture Shock! Syria: A Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock! S.)
C. South
Paperback 130 pages (March 1, 2002); Publisher: Kuperard; Language: English; ISBN: 185733146X
Aramusic.com - Arab music
Web sites / Search Engines
Syria Online
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