Syria
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Recommended Last Updated: 04/09/2005

Syria is supposed to be the cradle of civilisation and has much in its favour. I will warn you though that Damascus is traffic heavy and the oil used in cars makes it quite polluted. All in all, its a great place to visit but don't spend your entire time in Damascus - visit the outlying areas of interest.

Things you must do

  1. Visit the Souk al-Hamadiyyah and the Ommayad mosque cool.gif (111 bytes)
  2. Make sure you buy Ice Cream for the shop halfway down the souk - not the one near the entrance.
  3. Visit Bab Touma as the old city of Damascus is surrounded by what was once a Roman wall. The section between the Gate of Safety (Bab as-Salama) and Thomas Gate (Bab Touma) is the best preserved part of the wall.
  4. See the western gate of the Temple of Jupiter. The Temple gate is situated at the far end of the Souk al-Hamadiyyah and consists of two vast Corinthian columns supporting a decorated lintel.
  5. Go Shopping in Hamra St. Its mostly useless items but the Shahrour Brothers is a great cotton shop at great prices. Also great is the Beneton shop which retails at near factory prices. 
  6. Arrange a tour outside of Damascus, we especially liked Maaloula where they speak the language that Christ probably used. Also Sitti Zeinab which has a beautiful Mosque.

 

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Restaurants
Hotels

Restaurants

  • Theodora, Damascus - Babtoma, Bet Al-Adal (T:544 6061, 543 3427). Lovely restaurant based on an old traditional house. The setting is wonderful with an open courtyard in the centre of the house where you can see the stars from your table on a clear day.
  • Al Kamal, 29 Ayyar St. Damascus (T: 232 3572/3). Modernish restaurant with a chef who apparently likes to surprise. Good hearty food slightly leaning on the French flavours for influence.

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Hotels

Be noted that all foreigners in Syria pay a special rate and only US$ are accepted for payment (i.e. you can't use up your remaining Syrian currency towards the hotel bill). On a positive note, cards are widely accept at hotels and tourist attractions.

  • Sheraton Damascus, Not really much to day. Basic spacious rooms with a standard international feel. Nothing to write home about.

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