Country Info
- Damascus
- Capital
- Syrian Pound (SYP)
- Currency
- 16,728,808
- Population
- SY
- Country Code
Syria Slideshow
Syria
Travel Blogs from Syria
Ahmed the Syrian Biker
... when I offered to pay. understood. cheers Ahmed. Rode back in the dark and it was quite hairy as the tarmac in Syria is very smooth and shiny, which makes it as slippery as glass. we whitnessed some unfortunate accident involving a cyclist run over ...
In the Syrian Desert
We have now reached Palmyra, I know that I have heard of it in classical literature, but I can't remeber excatly where. We left Hama this morning and arrived here around 2pm. We havn't done anything this afternoon as it is way too hot to do anything, ...
Failed Attempt 1, Damascus
... . Traffic is crazy, drivers drive crazy, but everyone seems to find their way in this system. It was Marcos last night in Syria so we went to a decent dinner of chicken and rice and then stopped by at a cafe to watch the interleague soccer. His team ...
Wandering lost
... main sight, other than generic Old Damascus and the souqs therein I saw today was the Umayyad Mosque, the largest mosque in Syria. (For those keeping score, I've seen the largest open mosque in every country so far except Saudi Arabia.) It compares well ...
The Elusive Syrian Mafia...
... 't safe but that he would happily take me around the sites. As we got in his BMW I realised that when someone drives a BMW in Syria, they probably have a very distorted view of danger. Either way, it was a free ride to Apamea, which is great if you like ...
Damascus without a hat
Damascus inspires such high expectations (prophet Muhammed would not enter the city because he only wished to enter paradise once) that it is hard not to end up disapointed. As a city it is not particularly beautiful, from all glass brightly lit store ...
Krak des Chevaliers and Back to Damascus
Visiting Qala'at al-Husn (Krak des Chevaliers) - probably the most magnificent and well-preserved Crusader castle in the world, and spending the last days of my journey in Damascus . . ...
New Year, New Journey?
... lanes of traffic. This was much less insane than trying to cross the roads to get to the proper side. But in Syria it doesn't matter at all. Most vehicles swerve around, honk or flash their lights to let you know they're there. On ...
Nov 17, 2010
Sayyidna Zainab(AS)
I have been meaning to go to the Rawza of Sayyedna Zainab(AS) since I got to Damascus, and on Thursday of last week I decided to make a go for it. The whole area where the masjid is located is called Sayyedna Zainab and depending on traffic it is a ...
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome!
When learning a new language, I usually cover the basics: hello/goodbye, please/thank you, yes/no, how much/too expensive, and maybe a few numbers. But ‘welcome’ is not usually one of them. However, to Syrians, this ...
It's Christmas Day...our shipment arrived!
... to play tacky tourist and take lots of pics. It is located about 200 kms northwest of Damascus so will be seeing rural Syria. We are looking forward to the trip and already have a guide to give us the historical background. So even though it seems ...
Touring the Old City
... bases. Both places are an aromatic banquet! Next week we are off to Palymra which is probably the most famous archeological site in Syria and considered one of the best in the world. I have been reading up in advance but we will hire a guide so to ...
The Big One
... , and not much to see. Some of it dates from the 5th Century. Lots of St George icons; apparently he is buried in Syria. Went to Husn Suleyman, which is a ruined temple, first to Baal and then Zeus, until the Fourth Century. Best part of ...
Desert Ruins
Toured Palmyra today. Was pretty empty, I had expected more tour groups but they mostly came and went quickly in big bunches. The site is unfenced, and you have to pay only if you want to visit a couple off--limit places. It was pretty cool ...
Mosque and Churches
In the AM went to the Umayyad Mosque. It was a temple to Jupiter, converted into a basilica, and then converted into a mosque in 708 AD. For 100 years after the Muslim conquest, it was shared between Christians and Muslims with the building ...
Home of the Hamster: Part 1
... , stamp, stamp, cheese it up for the border patrol and BAM off we went: 3:30pm -ish, music pumpin, hair blowing, voices yelling, "Syria, F* Yay!" and so on all the way to Damascus where I had to start paying attention because Adib and Moha can't read ...
Damascus
... they were here in Syria as they would be very cold in Siberia in those short skirts. It is time to depart Syria after three enjoyable weeks. This country with its abundance of history, its super friendly people and its economical economy should become ...
Man Problems...
... the seems with them, stores were crowded with them, sitting along the side of the road, walking, driving - men, men, men! Now in Syria, it seems to be very much a ‘man’s society’ again with men everywhere and in large numbers. But ...
Castle to Church to Desert...
... by the crusaders. A castle over an important region, guarding the only real break in the mountains. The castle that guards inland Syria. As expected, it was wonderful. A quick google image search will allow you to begin to imagine. The proportions of this ...
Smugglin' Syrian Smokes
... taxi, to a bus station (or rather, a bus, just parked beside the road). The bus took me to Dara'a, the border town between Syria and Jordan. I took a taxi again, this time to Bosra. I hired the driver to take me there, wait a couple hours and take me ...
Finally back home... well, Damascus at least
... time did not allow deeper understanding. And, as such, I found it a lot less satisfying than my extended travels in Yemen and in Syria and in America. But it is a journey I shall look back on with fond memories and, though its shortness left me hungry to ...
Heading South
... the 75 km to town before lunch. Even 2 puncture repairs couldn't’t slow us down. Crazy road surfacing…I hope Syria’s a might bit better as we’re running out of tubes and patches. Now we’ll spend a day in ...
An Ancient City
We explored the ruins of an ancient Syrian City that I can't remember the name of at the moment. We met a family that was playing soccer among the ruins and we decided to join them. The light was amazing because we were there just before ...
Crac Des Chevaliers
We stayed in a hostle on a hillside with a view out over a lake to Lebanon. We relaxed and talked late into the night and then got up the next morning and explored the castle. It is a well known castle that according to wikipedia "one of the most ...
From the Tigris to the Euphrates
... headed for a wander around the town. The centre itself was little different to some of the other generic, 'slightly dirty' towns of Syria, yet it had a relaxed air about it, induced perhaps by its oasis-like surroundings. A few minutes walk outside of the ...
2007 Travel Hilites and Lowlites
... first leap of faith by transfering a whole bunch of money for our deposit. It is so difficult to communicate financially between Syria and Tanzania but once in for the big deposit we were committed. I broke my kneecap 4 weeks before departure and it ...
Syrian Hospitality
... down the numberplates of our minibuses. As he turned up at the bus station to see us leave Deir es-Zur and the east of Syria, we insisted on a photo of us posing with him (looking a little disgruntled). A memento of our run-in with the Syrian (not so) ...
Discovering inner peace... no really!
... in the mountains about an hour outside of Damascus, which is home to two historical churches. It is one of three such villages in Syria and they alone constitute the last populations in the entire world where Aramaic is used as a living language. ...