Damascus:

One of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, it became the capital of Aramean Kingdom. In 333-332 it was captured by Alexander. Around 85 B.C., the Nabataeans from Petra took the city. In 66 B.C. was occupied by Romans. Damascus is famous in the annals of Christianity as the place of the conversion of St. Paul. In 635 A.D. it opened its gates to the Arabs. The most important sites to visit: the National Museum, Tekieh Souleimanieh, the Umayyad Mosque - a bright example of its timelessness as it was a temple three thousand years ago -, Azem Palace, the Straight street, St.Ananias House and St. Paul's window. Damscus has app. 3,151,222 inhabitants.

 

Ezraa

Here, one finds a Greek Orthodox Church which is the oldest still in use in Syria erected in 515 AD on the site of an ancient temple. It is the oldest basilica in the world .Two hundred meters away, one finds a second church (Greek Catholic), called the Church of Saint Elias dating 542 AD.

 

Shahba (Philippopolis)
Not far from Busra is Shahba, another Roman and Nabataean site.

In 244 AD, Philip the Arab, with origins from this small village, became Roman emperor and decided to reorganize its city-plan. He decorated the town with new monuments and renamed it Philippopolis. Four frescoes of great beauty (4th century AD) are found in the town's museum.

 

Qanawat
Qanawat was founded in the 1st century BC. Its name is mentioned in the Bible when, under the reign of Herod Agrippa, the region was a victim of bandits. Septimius Severus gave it the name of "Septima Canatha".

 

Sweida
Here are the remnants of a Nabataean temple and a large basilica, dating back to the 4th century AD. Mosaics and sculptures are exhibited at the town’s museum.

 

Bosra :

Mentioned for the first time in Egyptian archives in 1350 BC, known as Bustra in Roman times and designated as the capital of Provincia Arabia by the emperor Trajan in 106 AD. The Via Traiana passed through the town and made it a center of communication. A long line of Roman emperors came, or had in-laws, from this part of the world. Septemius Severus and Philip the Arab were such Roman rulers. The amphitheater which seats more than 10,000 people was built in the second century AD and is still in perfect shape.

 

Palmyra:

An outstanding site of beauty worth total admiration. The caravan city of Palmyra is mentioned on tablets dating back to 19th century BC. An oasis flowes on an Ocean of steppe. Her daughter Zanobia was so ambitious to give her mother a wide fame but prevented by the Romans who brought her end in 272 A.D.  

 

Deir-ez-Zor :

On the way from Palmyra to Deir-ez-zour you can visit Al soukhneh & Qasr Alhir Ash Sharqi .
In Deir-ez-zour you can visit the museum , The old bridge .Then you can head south east to visit Rahbeh Citadel, Dora Eurapos and Mari . .

 

Dura – Europos:

A Greco- Roman period. 300 BC. A stronghold to fend off the Parthians.

It boasts with the earliest church building, and a synagogue frescoes which are reassembled at the National Museum in Damascus.

 

Mari:

Going back to the period of Jamdet Naser (3100-2900 B.C.), occupied by the Akkadeans (2700 B.C.), by Sargon (2400 B.C.), by his grandson Naram-Sin (2320-2284 B.C.), by the Amorites (19 cent.) and at the days of Hammourabi (1792-1750 B.C.) Mari had its own dinasty. the most important sites are : the Temples, the royal palace (2000 B.C.) where 25000 of cuneiform tablets were found.

 

Resafa (Sergiopolis)

Known at the time of the Assyrians and cited in the Bible, Resafa had its glory during the Byzantine period when it became an important center of pilgrimage. Sergious, a Roman soldier, converted it to Christianity, and who, according to the legend, was decapitated for refusing to make a sacrifice in honor of Jupiter, became a martyr and a saint. He gave his name to the town: Sergiopolis (5th century). Justinian improved the fortifications of the town in the 6th century, an act that did not stop the Persians from possessing it, the following century. Hisham, an Umayyad Caliph from the 8th century, restored the town and adorned it with a palace. Later, the town suffered pillages, committed by the Abassids, and an earthquake. The Mongols destroyed it completely.

 

Raqqa (Nicephorium)

According to legends, Raqqa was founded by Alexander The Great. It was called Nicephorium during the Hellenic period. The Byzantines made a defensive fortress of it. Under Muslim rule, it gained much splendor: The Caliph Hisham had two palaces built, and the Abbassid Caliph, Al Mansour, restored the town in 754 AD before making it his second capital. Its strategic position allowed it to protect Byzance and Baghdad. More beautiful and prosperous than ever, the town attracted Caliph Haroun Al Rashid, who established his summer residence here and gave it a new name: Al Rafiqa.

 

Halabiye - Zenobia
 Previously, a Roman garrison-town bearing the name of Birtha. It took the name of Zenobia (a tribute to the Queen of Palmyra) after the victory of Odenathus over the Persians in 270AD. During the 3rd century, Diocletian reestablished and fortified the town. Justinian restored it in the 4th century and later, the Arabs constructed a fortress in it.

 

Zalabiye
 The town is a twin to Halabiye, on the other side of the Euphrates. In fact, these two towns are situated at the narrowest point of the Euphrates. The function of Zalabiye was to control the river and to assist the pilgrims visiting the tomb of Saint Sergius in Resafa. Zalabiye was destroyed by an earthquake. Sednaya

In the village of Sednaya, one will find a host of churches and icons to admire.

 

Aleppo:

New studies proved that Aleppo is the same; based on this city three thousand years ago. The mythology has it that Abraham camped here. The French poet Lamartine found in it a good refugee for inspiration. The eastern part of the city is full of mystery. The giant castle, souqs & caravanserais are one of the fairy tales. 2,124,000 inhabitants. 

 

Apamea: One of the great centers of Seleucid Kingdom 400 B.C. founded by Seleucus Necator, who called it Apamea in honour to his Persian wife. The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1157 A.D. Famous for its Roman theatre, the Colonnades street, the Monumental Arch and Antioch gate

 

Crac des Chevaliers:

"A supreme example & one of the great buildings of all times" It was raised up by the Crusaders in 1110 AD. In spite of mighty conquerors and severe earthquakes it remained in the hands of the crusaders for 162 years.

 

"Dead Cities" ( Saint –Simeon, Qalb Lozeh, El Bara, Ain Dara) :

An extraordinary site, where numerous towns spread over a perimeter of 2 000 km2.

 

Saint –Simeon

In Arabic, "Qal’at Semaan", this site bears the name of the ascetic Saint- Simeon (4th century AD) who spent forty-two years of his life here, isolated on the top of a column that was several times made higher .The Byzantines occupied and fortified the site in the 10th century before it was once again abandoned.

 

Qalb Lozeh

In Arabic, Qalb Lozeh signifies "the heart of the almond". Behind this charming name, lies a little village and a remarkable basilica, having probably served as a model for the churches of the region. This church, built around 450 AD, is dedicated to Saint Michael and Saint Gabriel.

 

El Bara

The Crusaders arrived here in 1023, but their presence was short lived. Today, a cathedral, four churches (5th and 6th centuries), tombs with pyramidal roofing (5th century), wine-presses, two store-houses, and a rich Roman villa (3rd century) transformed into a convent, bear witness to the glory of this town.

 

Ain Dara

 This town became a small Aramaean kingdom by 1190 BC. Neo-Hittite civilization built the temple of Ishtar between the 10th and 9th century BC. Ain Dara, destroyed in the 7th century BC and rebuilt in the 4th century BC, prospered during the Roman period.

 

Dumeir:

In 84 AD, the Nabataeans built an altar, dedicated to the Semite god; Baal Shamin .

In 245 AD, Philip the Arab had the temple of Jupiter built here, which was later turned into a fortress.

 

Ebla

Dr. Paolo Matthiae had been director of the Italian Archeological Mission in Syria for 15 years when he ( in 1975) unearthed the archives of the Royal palace at Ebla in the form of 15.000 cuneiform tablets, almost five thousand years old, which told the story of the greatest kingdom of the third millennium BC, and the early Bronze Age. Through Sumerians, these tablets were deciphered to give a vivid and a stunning picture disclosing the history of this center of civilization. Ebla had close ties with all the other city- states between he Mediterranean and Mesopotamia. The name of cities such as Mari on the Euphrates, Assur on the Tigris, Kish and Khamazi farther to the east, as well as Beirut, Byblos, Damascus and Iram occur frequently in these archives. Ebla itself was, by the standards of that time, a mega polis of 260.000 inhabitants. Ebla  subjected Mari in 2480 BC and king Ebrium had his son Shra-Damu as king over Mari, but Ebla itself was destroyed by the Akkadian king Sargon and his grandson Naram – Sin. By 800 BC, the city declined and gradually fell into oblivion, in the civilization of Ugarit.

 

Ugarit
This site, called Ras Shamra in Arabic, dates back to the 7th millennium BC. The period during the 2nd millennium BC was an important urban expansion, of which, the discovery of houses, funeral caves, two temples, dedicated to Dagan and Baal and a Palace (15th BC) are proof. An important intellectual center, a type of cuneiform-writing was invented here, the world's first alphabet. Hama :

While in Hama you can visit its museum, and the Waterwheels (Noriahs) from Hama you can head north west towards Qal'aatl'Madieq, Afamia, Qal'aat Sheizar, Misyaf Citadel .

 

Homs :

You can visit Qal'aat Al Hosn (KRAK DES CHEVALIERS) . Or you can visit Safita where you can visit its citadel and stay in a good hotel .From Safita you can head to Adraykeesh & Hosn Sleiman 1,124,000 inhabitants

 

Latakia : It lies on the shoulder of the Mediterranean Sea . you can enjoy visiting the Museum, Ugharit, Qal'aat Salahiddin (Salahiddin citadel ), The sport city, Kasab & Slunfeh . and you can spend a wonderful time on the golden sands of its beautiful beaches .

 

Tartous : It is located to the south of Latakia, in Tartus you can visit the beautiful Cathedral, the Museum, Amrit and Arwad island . From Tartus you can head to Banyas to visit the city and  Qal'aat Almarqab . Or you can head to Jableh and visit the theater .

 

Maaloula:

The people of Maaloula and the surrounding area have been able to conserve their ancient heritage by retaining their Aramaic language, which is the language of Jesus Christ.

Here, there are two monasteries, St. Sergius and St. Taqla` s . The town itself springs from the cliffs, and the name “ Maaloula” in Aramaic means entrance. One of the oldest churches in Syria overhangs the village, Mar Sarkis, where one can admire century icons.

 

Nabik (Deir Mar Mousa):

Here, one can find a monastery and a chapel, dating back to the 6th century AD and abandoned in the 17th century, probably founded by Saint Mousa (Moses), the Ethiopian. 7th and 11th century frescoes bring much charm to this antique place of worship, hidden in the mountains.

 

Yabroud:

This is a prehistoric site to visit.

The Byzantines used some of the stone blocks of the temple of Jupiter to construct a church that, today, houses a beautiful collection of icons.

 

Damascus

Ezraa

Shahba

Qanawat

Bosra

Palmyra

Deir ez Zor

Dura Europos

Mari

Resafa

Raqqa

Aleppo

Apamea

Crac des Chevaliers

Dead Cities - Bara

St. Simeon

Ebla

Ugarit

Maaloula