Syria Off The Beaten Path

 
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Most Viewed Off The Beaten Path in Syria

76.

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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77.

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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78.

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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Dead Cities - Jerada

by TheWanderingCamel

Whilst not as far off the main Damascus-Aleppo highway as Serjilla and Al Bara, Jerada gets far fewer visitors. Here the ruins lie within a modern village. Most impressive is the 5th Century watch tower. Not only does it still stand to its full height, the massive stone door is both still in place and functioning. Look around the site and you will find a church and several houses, one of which has an interesting eagle carving on the lintel.Take the turnoff to Babila from the highway, 14 km south of the exit for Ebla and follow the signs to GRADA

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Deir ez-Zor - Holy Martyrs Armenian Church

by TheWanderingCamel

Following the massacres and enforced expulsion of the Armenians from Turkey, many of the survivors found refuge in Deir ez-Zor. Today, their descendants honour the memory of their dead in this beautiful, simple church. There is a small museum in the crypt where photos and personal effects speak eloquently of the horrors of this genocide. The church is across the road from the Ziad Hotel. If the door to the street is locked, there is a bell to ring..

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Palmyra - Tadmor: old name, modern town

by TheWanderingCamel

Tadmor is actually the ancient Arab name for Palmyra and is the name the dusty little town by the ruins still goes by. As you walk through it, go past the shabby tourist shops, the restaurants and hotels, down to where the locals live and work. You'l find a busy little town, with shops and businesses, a market and mosques. People, children especially, will smile shyly (or perhaps cheekily) at you and little boys will offer to help you find your way. A little town going about its daily business.

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Palmyra - into the oasis

by TheWanderingCamel

A walk through the oasis will take you into a cool green world, a million miles from the dry desert and the dusty little town beyond its walls. A maze of lanes winds between old baked mud walls with weathered wooden gateways leading into carefully tended little groves of olives and pomegranates as well as the dates that, from the road, seem to dominate. Sheep graze among the trees and carefully dug channels irrigate each tree seperately with the precious water.

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Deir Mar Musa - Fabulous frescoes

by TheWanderingCamel

The glory of the desert monastery of Deir Mar Musa is undoubtedly its little church filled with frescoes, some of which date back to the 11 th Century. Mostly dating from the 12th and early 13th centuries, they cover the walls - grave images of Christ and his Apostles, saints and prophets, the fathers of the Church, the saved and the damned. Newly restored, they are unique in Syria in their age and their completness. It is possible to stay at the monastery. Accommodation is extremely simple and guests are expected to assist with daily tasks in return for their bed and board.leyle

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Deir Mar Musa - St Moses the Abyssinian

by TheWanderingCamel

There's no doubt that looking at the long climb up from the road to the ancient stone monastery of Deir Mar Musa, high above you , is daunting, but oh! it is worth the climb. From the moment you straighten up from stepping through the tiny doorway to see the Bedouin tent pitched on the high terrace and the view beyond, you know you are in a special place. Hospitality is one of the main tenets of the monastery and you will be made most welcome. If you can make your visit on a weekday and let them know in advance (you can send an email) that you would like to come, so much the better. Weekends do get very busy these days and if you can be there, if not entirely on your own then with just a very few others, you will really get a chance to understand what the place is all about. You will be offered food and drink - we had a deliciously simple lunch of goat cheese, tomatos, bread and olives...

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Dumeir - Lone Roman Temple

by TheWanderingCamel

As you take the road to Palmyra, a short detour into the little town of Dumeir (about 40km from Damascus) will bring you to a well-restored Roman temple standing alone among the houses. Whilst there is no access into the building - later fortification by the Arabs saw the main entrances blocked - it is interesting to walk around and note how much below the modern pavement the temple lies. Relief portraits on the south facade are believed to be of the Syrian-born emperor, Philip the Arab, and his wife.

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Al Bara

by morgr

Al Bara is another of the Dead Cities. As with the rest of them, it's not terribly easy to get to. Unlike the rest of them, however, Al Bara lacks a definitive 'centre', and is instead made up of random ruins spread out over a large area.In its time Al Bara was a centre for olive oil production. These days little is left, two pyramid tombs (one big, one small) and a few random small churches, one of wich is pictured here.

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Al Resafa (Resafe)

by morgr

The site originally dates back to the 9th century BC since when it has been used and occupied by many. Originally by the Assyrians, then the Romans, Sassanians, then finally the Umayyads. The city was sacked by the Mongols in 1247 since wich time it has been a ruined city in the desert.The site is surrounded on 4 sides by some decently preserved walls, though the inside is mostly rubble. There are however several structures still half standing, though they are in a pretty decrepid state, slanted walls and the like. It is none the less very impressive.Also, there are a few very big cisterns that were used to hold water that have remained pretty intact.

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St. George's Convent

by morgr

Located in the valley beneath the Crac des Chevaliers, it was convenient to combine the two into one trip. Though unless you are already going to the Crac, I would not suggest making a trip just to see the Convent.St. George's Convent is a complex consisting of two chapels, one bigger one above and a smaller one beneath it in the back. The complex was built sometime in the 5th centurty AD by hermits. In the 13th century the small chapel was built, and in 1857 the bigger one was built.

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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... 

 Hotels in Damascus

Jdayde Hotel  Aleppo

 50 Opinions

 Hotels in Aleppo

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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Muhafazat Dimashq Off The Beaten Path  Muhafazat Halab Off The Beaten Path  Muhafazat Hims Off The Beaten Path  Muhafazat al Ladhiqiyah Off The Beaten Path  Muhafazat al Qunaytirah Off The Beaten Path  Muhafazat Hamah Off The Beaten Path  Muhafazat Dar`a Off The Beaten Path  Muhafazat as Suwayda' Off The Beaten Path  Muhafazat Rif Dimashq Off The Beaten Path  Muhafazat Tartus Off The Beaten Path  Muhafazat al Hasakah Off The Beaten Path  Muhafazat Dayr az Zawr Off The Beaten Path 

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Questions and Answers

Chatistatistor profile photo

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

stevemt profile photo

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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