Syria: Top 10 Adventurous Travel Experiences

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Syria has a rich history that goes back approximately 10,000 years to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period.  The country is dotted with remnants from the Middle Ages and the Ottoman eras. Syria is also known for its incredible landscapes, colourful traditions, authentic markets, friendly people, and its delicious cuisines! 

Sadly, since the start of the Syrian Civil War in early 2011, the country and its people have been suffering immensely. Since the Salafi jihadi extremist militant group known as “Islamic State” (IS, ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh), entered the war, the lives of the Syrian people as well as their cultural treasures have been much destroyed.

While the devastating civil uprising which began in the early spring of 2011 has destroyed so much of Syria, soon it will be safe to return and support the local economies.

Blessed are those who enjoyed Syria prior to this war, as Syria won’t be the same again in our lifetime. May peace and prosperity return to a democratic Syria!      

Here are my top 10 greatest experiences in Syria… some of which may never again be the same! Read the full article about travel around Syria in Globerovers Magazine, July 2015.

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1. Syria’s Ancient City of Palmyra

Palmyra (meaning “city of palm trees”), also known as Tadmur, is an ancient Roman city located 210 km northeast of Damascus. It was known as the “Bride of the Desert” as it was a vital caravan stop for traders on the Silk Road crossing the desert in the 3rd century BC. It flourished during the Bronze Age up to the Ottoman empire. The city started to fade away since 634 AD when it fell into Muslim control. 

Palmyra was occupied by the Daesh (ISIS) jihadis for several months around 2015. They looted the treasures and blew up temples including the Temples of Bel (photo below), Temple of Baal Shamin (photo below), the Monumental Arch at the Great Colonnade (photo below), the statue of the lion of Al-lāt, some funerary towers, and who knows what else. The nearby Palmyra museum was decimated by these bastards!

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2. The Al-Madina Souq in Aleppo

The history of this covered market (souq) in the centre of the old city of Aleppo can be traced back to the 14th century. It is one of the oldest surviving market places in the world and the many narrow alleys reputedly stretch for almost 15 km if they were all placed in one long line!

You can easily get lost in this vast market though the rewards are massive as your senses will work overtime while you aimlessly wander through the neverending alleys and countless colourful shops. Watch out for the wool-spinning shops, the leather shops, carpet shops, and don’t miss the sheep intestine displays complete with gaping mouths.

The souk has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986 but many sections of the souq and other medieval buildings have been destroyed in the Syrian Civil War since 2011.

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3. The Roman Theatre of Bosra

This ancient Nabatean city was founded around the 2nd century BC. It prospered during the Roman era, and into the Islamic era, but became gradually less prominent during the Ottoman era.

Bosra is located 134 km south of Damascus, in the district of Dar’a in south-western Syria. The most prominent site is the 2nd century Roman theatre with its fortified upper gallery in the form of a covered portico. Also see the small ruins of Nabatean and Roman monuments, churches, mosques, and the Bab al-Hawa Gate. The theatre sustained some damaged during the Syrian Civil War.

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4. The Norias of Hama

The Norias of Hama refers to a few remaining (about 17) large wooden wheels known as norias, or “wheels of pots”. These wheels, built along the Orontes River, were once part of an ancient irrigation system dating from around the 12th to 13th centuries.

Located in the friendly city of Hama, north of Damascus, they are a major attraction of Hama and one of the most incredible sites in all of Syria. The sound made as the wood grinds on wood is surreal. There are no known reports of damage during the Syrian Civil War.

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5. Crac des Chevaliers near Homs

The medieval Crusader castle of Crac des Chevaliers is located atop a 650 m hill east of Tartus in western Syria. It is east of the town of Homs just north of the Lebanon border. This Crusader castle was built during the 12th century. However, the current castle post-dates the original castle built a century earlier.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, it has sustained damage during the Syrian Civil War. Some of the walls were partly destroyed by shelling and fire.

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6. The Al-Hamidiyah Souq in Damascus

Another centuries-old Syrian souk is the incredible Al-Hamidiyah Souq located in the old city of Damascus.

It is, arguably, not as authentic as Aleppo’s Al-Madina souq and may not have withstood the tests of times as well as the Aleppo souq. However, the adjacent old city of Damascus makes up for any shortcomings of the souq. Afterall, Damascus is one of the oldest current human inhabited cities. 

The Al-Hamidiyah Souq has been damaged during the Syrian Civil War.

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7. Bee-hive Houses of Sarouj and Twalid Dabaghein

About 70 km northeast of Hama are the villages of Sarouj and Twalid Dabaghein – best known for their “bee-hive houses”, coined after the conical-shaped mud houses surrounded by sheep and donkeys.

The mud-brick houses were built to keep the inhabitants cool during the scorching summers, while keeping them protected against the bitterly cold winters in this part of the world. Residents are incredibly friendly and kids are most eager to show the odd tourist around the village.

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8. The Citadel of Aleppo

Located in Syria’s northern city, the Citadel of Aleppo is a large medieval fortified palace built between the 3rd millennium BC and the 13th century AD. Much of the current structures date from the Ayyubid period (1171 to 1260). 

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986, the Citadel has received significant damage in the Syrian Civil War. During mid-July of 2015 a tunnel underneath the Citadel was blown up destroying a large part of the wall.

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9. The Ancient City at Apamea

Apamea, on the banks of the Orontes River, was a city of the Seleucid kings founded in 300 BC, fortified and expanded by King Seleucus I Nicator in 300 BC but it was destroyed by Khosrau I (the 22nd Sasanian Emperor of Persia) in the 6th century, then partially rebuilt, but finally destroyed by an earthquake in 1152.

Located 120 km north of Homs, it is next to the village of Qala’at al-Mudiq. See the Great Colonnade (Cardo Maximus), Agora, and the Votive Column.

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10. The Qasr ibn Wardan at al-Hamraa

Dating back to the 6th century, Qasr ibn Wardan is a collection of a palace, a church, and barracks located in the Syrian desert about 60 km northeast of Hama. 

It was originally built to be a military defence line against the Sassanid Persians who ruled the vast region from 224 AD to 651 AD. 

Not much remains today, except for the façade (with bands of basalt black and yellow brick) of the palace. It was recently vandalised and plundered!

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A few more photos of Syria

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Further reading:

• How to travel to Syria in 2019 – AGAINST THE COMPASS BLOG
• Travelling To Syria Everything You Need To Know – UNUSUAL TRAVELER
• 10 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Syria – ATLAS OBSCURA
• Syria Attractions – iXPLORE.COM

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