The Syria guide

Stories and practical guides from the land of the first alphabet: cities and castles, the food on the table, the crafts in the souq, the feasts through the year — and everything you need to know before you go.

Places16 Food & drink7 Travel tips9 History & culture10 Crafts3 Festivals & seasons3

Places

Cities, villages, castles and ancient sites — what to see, how to get there, where to stay.

Places

One Day in Old Damascus: A Walk from Souq al-Hamidiyeh to Bab Sharqi

A full-day walk through Old Damascus: Souq al-Hamidiyeh, the Umayyad Mosque, Azem Palace, the spice souq and Straight Street — with timing and where to eat.

2 min read

Places

The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus: History, What to See, How to Visit

Visiting the Umayyad Mosque: from Roman temple and cathedral to one of Islam's greatest mosques — the mosaics, the three minarets and what to wear.

2 min read

Places

Straight Street, Damascus: A Roman Road Still in Use After 2,000 Years

Straight Street (Via Recta) crosses Old Damascus from Bab al-Jabiya to Bab Sharqi: its Roman story, its place in the Bible, the Roman arch, workshops, churches and cafés.

2 min read

Places

Why Damascus Hides Its Most Beautiful Homes: The Damascene Courtyard House

Plain walls outside, paradise inside: the Damascene courtyard house, the houses you can visit, and how to sleep or dine in one.

2 min read

Places

Aleppo Guide: The Citadel, Souqs, Khans and the Levant's Great Food City

What to see in Aleppo: the Citadel, the covered souqs, the Great Mosque, the caravanserais and laurel soap — and where to eat kibbeh and cherry kebab, with visiting tips.

2 min read

Places

Palmyra: The Desert Jewel and Queen Zenobia's City — Visitor Guide

Palmyra, the caravan city that defied Rome: the colonnade, theatre and Valley of the Tombs, what survives, and how to visit from Homs.

2 min read

Places

Krak des Chevaliers: The Greatest Castle of the Middle Ages — and the Valley of the Christians

Krak des Chevaliers from the Hospitallers to Sultan Baibars, what to see inside, and how to combine it with the Valley of the Christians and Mashta al-Helou.

2 min read

The houses of Maaloula on the mountainside

Places

Maaloula: The Village That Still Speaks the Language of Jesus

Maaloula near Damascus, where Western Aramaic is still spoken: St Thecla, the gorge, Mar Sarkis and the Feast of the Cross in September.

2 min read

Places

Bosra: Syria's City of Black Basalt and Its Roman Theatre Inside a Castle

Bosra in southern Syria: one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in the world, saved inside an Ayyubid citadel, a city of black basalt, and the story of the monk Bahira.

2 min read

Places

The Syrian Coast: Latakia, Tartus, Arwad and Kassab — A Summer Guide

Guide to the Syrian coast: Latakia's corniche, Ugarit and Saladin's Castle, Tartus and Arwad island, Jableh's Roman theatre, and the mountains of Kassab and Slunfeh.

2 min read

Places

Hama and Its Norias: The Orontes Waterwheels, Apamea and Masyaf Castle

Hama and its giant wooden waterwheels on the Orontes, Hama's Azem Palace and halawet el-jibn, with day trips to Apamea's great colonnade and Masyaf castle.

2 min read

Places

Syria's Mountain Summer Escapes: Bloudan, Zabadani, Slunfeh, Kassab and Mashta al-Helou

Escape the heat: Syria's mountain resorts — Bloudan and Zabadani near Damascus, Slunfeh and Kassab above the coast, and Mashta al-Helou.

2 min read

Places

Day Trips from Damascus: Maaloula, Mar Musa, Bosra, Bloudan and More

The best day trips from Damascus: Maaloula and Saydnaya, Mar Musa monastery, Bosra and Shahba, Zabadani and Bloudan — distances, timing and how to get around.

2 min read