Syria travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

Located in the historic Bab Touma neighborhood of Damascus, Beit Zafran Hotel de Charme is an 1836 Ottoman mansion meticulously restored to the highest of standards. It offers offers an ideal location to discover the Old Town of Damascus with its bustling alleys, markets, handicraft shops and restaurants. Now a fine luxury boutique hotel, Beit Zafran offers rooms with original oriental décor in an authentic 19th-century Ottoman home. The major attraction at the hotel is its central courtyard – this is the place where guests can kick back on one of the comfy armchairs and listen to the sound of the trickling fountain that crowns the sumptuous space.

Continue reading A luxurious experience in Damascus

In the middle of the Syrian Desert is without doubt the most beautiful and magnificent of the Syrian historic sites – Palmyra. It is often described as the bride of the desert. Its magnificent remains tell of a heroic history during the reign of Queen Zenobia. Located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus, Palmyra was an important city of central Syria.

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Damascus, Syria is one of oldest cities in the Middle East, known to have been inhabited from the 3000 B.C. In 1979 the old city of Damascus, was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Khan As’ad Pasha is one of the most beautiful and famous historical buildings in the Old City.

Continue reading Islamic Architectural Heritage

Damascus has more than 200 mosques, but only 70 are still in use. The Grand Mosque of Damascus, also known as the Umayyad Mosque is one of the largest, oldest mosques in the world and one of the oldest sites of continuous prayer since the rise of Islam. A shrine in the mosque is said to contain the head of John the Baptist. Located in the old city of Damascus, it is of great architectural importance. The Umayyad (sometimes written Omayyaddi) Mosque is also called the Great Mosque or, in arabic, “Al-Jami Al-Kabir”. It has been built at the beginning of the 13th century. The great Omayyad mosque of Damascus is is a building that inspires awe and wonder. Set within walls parts of which date back to a Roman temple, it sits on ground that has been considered holy for millenia.

Continue reading One of the biggest and known mosques of the Earth

Aleppo is now Syria‘s second biggest city. It has had a major role in the development of Syria’s trade especially in the early nineties. It remains a popular city for tourists who like to visit the Citadel and the Middle East’s longest covered souk. It is also famous for its architecture and intricate stonework. The Citadel is located on a partly man-made hill, about 50 metres above the city. This site makes it difficult for archaeologists to dig, but it would be surprising if settling traces there didn’t reach back to the neolithic ages. The present citadel was built in the late 13th century and replaced the older one, which was destroyed by the Mongols.

Continue reading The big art of the Middle Age