Syria Off The Beaten Path

 
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  •   Off The Beaten Path
    by Robin020
  •   Off The Beaten Path
    by Robin020
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Most Viewed Off The Beaten Path in Syria

51.

Jebel Qassioun   Damascus

Jebel Qassioun, Damascus

 6 Reviews  They shine at night, they seems to be so far from us, standing up on this mountain...Drinking a hot tea, my eyes lost in yours, no words are needed cause our hearts are talking already...Oh God, i... 

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52.

day trips   Aleppo

day trips, Aleppo

 40 Reviews  The Church of St. Simeon (or Qala Siman as it is known to the Syrians) is about 1 hour out of Aleppo. It is the site of where St. Simeon chose to lead the religious life alone as a hermit monk. But... 

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53.

covered souq   Aleppo

covered souq, Aleppo

 20 Reviews  You will have a signal pointing to this hammam inside the Nahhasin Souq, on the right handside when you are exiting the Citadel. Although hammam is in the middle of the souq, it is not that difficult... 

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Deir Marmusa I

by 1W1V

The ancient Syrian monastery of St Moses the Abyssinian (Deir Mar Musa el-Habashi) overlooks a harsh valley in the mountains east of the small town of Nebek, 80 km north of Damascus. Altitude is 1320 m.Prehistoric hunters and sheperds first inhabited the area around the monastery, attracted by the natural cisterns and pastures, ideal for herding goats. Perhabs the Romans and Palmyrians built a watchtower here. Christian hermits later used the cave for meditation and, thus created a small monastic center.According to local tradition, St Moses the Abyssinian was the son of an Ethiopian king. He refused to accept the crown, honours and marriage. Instead he looked towards the kingdom of God. He travelled to Egypt and then to the Holy Land. He later lived as a monk in Qara, Syria and then as a hermit in the valley where the monastery is now situated and was later martyred by Byzantine...

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Deir Marmusa III

by 1W1V

The church of the monastery was built in 1058 AD. It is a square of about 10X10M and divided into two sections. The larger section is a nave with two aisles illuminated by a high eastern window. The second section of the sanctuary containing the altar and the apse; it is separated from the rest of the church by a stone and wooden chancel screen.To date, three layers of frescoes have been revealed in the church. The first layer is from the middle of 11th century AD, the second from the end of 11th century AD and the third from the end of 12th/beginning 13th century AD.The image of the most recent layer are fairly complete and comprise a two integrated iconographic cycle

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Qalaat Jaabar Castle

by morgr

Qalaat Jaabar was built in the 1100's on a mound near the euphrates overlooking plains. Sacked by the Mongols in 1260, it was later rebuilt but eventually crumbled away into what it is today. Mostly all that is left is the impressive entrance way and some of the outer walls. There is also an old brick minaret in the centre, wich over the years it has visibly begun to lean to one side.Also, the plains around it where many battles were fought, are now all under the Euphrates. When the Euphrated dam was built, it became more or less an island in the enlarged river.

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East of Hama -Beehive houses

by TheWanderingCamel

Once there were villages of mud brick beehive houses all over the north-eastern plains of Syria. Today there are only a few and instead people live in concrete boxes. It seems a shame - the old beehives were well-suited to the climate, cool in summer and warm in winter, cheap to built from the only material readily available, their tall curved sides able to shed quickly any rain that might fall, but a concrete box is "modern" and now most of the beehives are used only for storage or for animals.A few entrerprising owners have developed a little "beehive industry" of their own in conjunction with the Hama hoteliers and welcome visitors with tea and a chance to see how they once were furnished but it's only a facade. Very few people live like this any more.You pass a few beehive villages on the way to Qasr ibn Wardan and if you stop to take photos you may well be invited in for tea.

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Wadi al Nadara - Mar Georgis

by TheWanderingCamel

St George is a much-loved saint throughout the Middle East and there has been a monastery dedicated to him here in the Wadi al Nadara since the time of the Emperor Justinian. The original chapel of the monastery lies below two later churches, one a 13th Century construction, the other a 19th Century building. These both have elaborately carved iconostases and some interesting features but it is the lowest chapel, newly restored and opened to visitors, in its simplicity and stillness that one most feels the greatest sense of ancient worship and holiness.The monastery buildings themselves are attractive though modern. There always seems to be young students here who are happy to talk to visitors and to explain the icons in the two churches.The monastery can be seen from Krak. To get there you must take the road from the village below Krak towards Marmita, bearing left at the first fork in...

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Wadi al Nadara -the Valley of the Christians

by TheWanderingCamel

This beautiful valley has been a stronghold of Greek Orthodoxy since the earliest times of the church. As well as being a lovely green and fertile place it is interesting to see how different the villages look with their churches and signs of greater affluence than most parts of rural Syria. The valley is quite steep in parts and the houses cling to the hillsides with very narrow streets running through them.The best-known sight is the mighty Krak des Chevaliers, which overlooks the valley at its eastern end. Driving the length of the valley will take you past the 13th century monastery of St George, on to Safita and eventually lead you to the coast. A night spent there will let you hear the strange evening chorus of the wild foxes that starts at one end with a single call and is picked up in a rising crescendo all along the way and then comes back to where it started to fade away with...

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Masyaf -Ismaeli citadel

by TheWanderingCamel

Try to approach Masyaf on the road from Hama. The impact of the sight of the great, crumbling ruin of this most famous of all the Ismaeli castles is much more striking when seen from this angle than when you come around to it from the town itself.Whilst it may be the both the best known and the best preserved of the sect's mountain fortresses, that is not to say it lives up to that first impression once you are inside. Currently, it really is a crumbling wreck of a place, though there is talk of a restoration project to be funded by the Aga Khan's ( the Ismaeli's leader) Trust and not often open. Whether you visit or not really depends on your passion for castles and the time you have. A hour spent wandering around the old part of the town might prove more satisfactory.

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Dead Cities - Bauda

by TheWanderingCamel

Right by the road from Al Bara to Serjilla there is another Dead City, Bauda. Whilst neither as attractive in its setting as Al Bara nor as complete as Serjilla, Bauda is still worth a brief stop. In quite small area there is a large group of sarcophogi, a ruinous church and a very complete pyramid tomb.

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Ma'arat al-Numan - a place of many inhabitants

by TheWanderingCamel

The road signs outside Ma'arat exhort drivers to "Make less speed. A place of many inhabitants". Most people just drive past, but Ma'arat is definitely worth a detour. First there is an excellent museum, housed in an impressive Ottoman khan (the biggest in Syria) where you will find wonderful mosaics and other finds from the surrounding Dead City sites. There's also a fine mosque with a minaret dating from 1170 and an ablution fountain that incorporates columns with Romano/Byzantine Corinthian capitals. If you are heading for Al Bara and the other Dead Cities of the area, the road will take you through the busy market area which in the morning is thronged with locals and people in from the desert - including Bedouin women with tattooed faces in beautifully embroidered traditional dresses. Progress will be slow as cars definitely do not take precedence here! Feel free to get out and...

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Dead Cities -Ruweiha

by TheWanderingCamel

Ruweiha hardly deserves to be called a "Dead" City, so many of the buildings there are in such a good state of repair they are still being lived in by local people! The domed annexe to the largest church - now serving as a farmhouse - was once the tomb of a local bishop and is known as the Church of Bissos. Nearby is what looks like a toy Roman temple. This was funerary monument, and, like the other buildings at Ruweiha, is in truly remarkable condition.Do be aware that when visiting Ruweiha you are also wandering around people's homes. There will be animals and children around, and you may encounter some rather watchful dogs.It's only 3km from Jerada to Ruweiha.

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Unique Places in Syria

Top 3 Hotels in Syria

Beit Al Mamlouka  Damascus

 4 Reviews and 83 Opinions  Rooms & Suites Rooms offer exceptional grace and comfort and all give views over either the hotel’s... 

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Jdayde Hotel  Aleppo

 50 Opinions

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Cairo Hotel  Hamah

 4 Reviews and 46 Opinions  Hama's Cairo Hotel is one of the great travellers' hotels of the Middle East. It is nothing much to... 

 Hotels in Hamah

101 Hotels in Syria
 
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Reviews and photos of Syria attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Syria sightseeing.

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Off The Beaten Path: Cities in Syria
  1. Damascus Off The Beaten Path
  2. Aleppo Off The Beaten Path
  3. Latakia Off The Beaten Path
  4. Palmyra Off The Beaten Path
  5. Busra ash Sham Off The Beaten Path
  6. Hamah Off The Beaten Path
  7. `Afrin Off The Beaten Path
  8. As Suwayda' Off The Beaten Path
  9. Dayr az Zawr Off The Beaten Path
  10. Hims Off The Beaten Path
  11. Apamea Off The Beaten Path
  12. Qanawat Off The Beaten Path
  13. Kassab Off The Beaten Path
  14. Qal`at as Sim`an Off The Beaten Path
  15. Khirbat Serjilla Off The Beaten Path
  16. Al Yahudiyah Off The Beaten Path
  17. Jazirat Arwad Off The Beaten Path

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  Was planning for an overland trip with our own cars from Cairo to Istanbul passing by jordan and syria via the old classical... 

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A: Syria is not somewhere I would be going near right now, really not safe at all. Most governments have strongly advised all their citizens to get out of Syria as soon as... 

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