 | Damascus Local Customs | Tips 1 - 10 of 21 |  |
Popular Local Customs | Miscellaneous Local Customs Tips | All Tips (21) What susrprised and amazed me about mosques in Damascus, was, above all the atmosphear, as I said, you see people really concentrated in their deep comunication the divinity, but you also see kids studying corano, or persons chatting, or someone resting, everything, is so not formal, who sits down who stands up, who simply walk around who kneels down, it is a place for the whole comunity something like a refuge from the corrupted outside world. Leave a Comment
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By channeling the Barada it has been possible to create gardens right to the very heart of the lower town. To the north-west however the city has flung itself far up the rocky slopes of the Jabal Qassiun, whose summit (1,115 m) is topped by a television mast. These higher parts of the city are populous and poor, with the exception of the district known as Al Mouhajarine (bounded to the south by the rue Beirouny, and the rue Nazem Basha), where great modern blocks face out over the vast urban panorama extending away to meet the green Ghouta. Saahat Khorshid, a small square where several bus lines have their terminus, offers a similar view; there is a café there with several terraces from which to enjoy it. A new road has now been built up the mountain from the other side, emerging near the summit to command another fine view over the city. Leave a Comment
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As Islamic countries go, Syria is a fairly relaxed place, maybe due to the large Christian minority. However, to avoid offending any Muslims you meet, here are a few tips....Shake hands with men, but not with women, unless they offer you their hand. Don't bring any food to your mouth with your left hand, and offer someone something with your left hand...the right hand is used for eating, the left is used for something completely different!! Don't sit with your legs crossed, as showing the sole of your foot is rude. If you are invited to someone's house, take your shoes off if you see that your hosts have taken theirs off. In mosques, take your shoes off to enter the prayer hall. It is better to visit mosques outside prayer times, and be careful about taking pictures of people praying. With pictures, many Syrians love having their photograph taken, and will ask you. But there are always some (especially women) who will object...always ask first before taking people's photos. In Damascus, I noticed that some Christian Syrians objected to being greeted with the Muslim greeting 'as-salaam aleikum', so if you are unsure about someone's religion, stick to 'Marhaba' or let them greet you first and copy. In Ramadan, during the day when Muslims are fasting, don't eat or drink in the street (although this doesn't really apply to the Christian areas of Damascus, where during Ramadan people tend to eat in the street more than normal!!!). Leave a Comment
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| | | | No-one (male or female) wears... | Tip Rating: | | | | |
No-one (male or female) wears shorts in Damascus. Women need to cover up, but don't need to cover their hair. There are no set rules, and you can wear what you want, but if you wear tight and revealing clothes, you'll get a lot of unwanted attention, and (depending on what you wear) you might offend a lot of people too. Dress modestly...shirts (with sleeves for women), trousers/jeans, etc... I have seen many tourists not following these simple guidelines, the worst being a group of Australian girls dressed as if they were on Bondi Beach, moaning about all the attention they were getting. Basically, just look around and see what Syrians are wearing...it makes sense, too, to dress similarly, because then you can visit mosques without worrying if you are suitably dressed. Leave a Comment
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Despite being a predominantly Moslem country, Syria has a national holiday on Christmas day for its estimated 10-15% Christian population. When I was in Damascus over the holiday in 2006, I was quite surprised to see how festive parts of the city were, particularly the Christian Quarter. The city is home to some of the oldest Christian communities in the world. While their percentage of the overall population has diminished over the centuries, they are still a thriving community, with largely equal rights as other religions in this strictly secular state. Attached are (blurry) photos of Christmas decorations in the Christian Quarter of Old Damascus. Merry Christmas in Arabic is "Milad Majeed!"
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Eid al-Adha, one of Islam's two big holidays, happened to fall on 30 December 2006. In Damascus on that day, eager to do some shopping, I was quite disappointed to see large sections of the souk closed in celebration of the holiday. On the flip side, it was fantastic to see masses of happy Damascene families strolling in the streets and enjoying the holiday. The entrance of Souk Al-Hamidiya by the Omayyad Mosque is a large gathering area and a great place for people watching during Eid. An appropriate greeting is "Eid Mubarak!"
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