The Great Mosque of Aleppo was founded around 715, towards the end of the reign of Umayyad caliph Al-Walid I, and rebuilt by Nureddin after a fire in 1169, seemingly in keeping with the original plan. Around a large courtyard of polychrome tiles are ..

The Bimaristan Arghoun (note that it is customary to tip the caretaker) was founded by Mamluk governor Arghoun al-Kamili as a hospital and asylum. Built in 1354, this unusual building stands on the site of an ancient palace. The visit is a poignant o..

Housed in Bayt Ajichkbach , the museum reveals the refinement of Aleppo life. Here, far from the hubbub of the city, residents found peace and privacy. The courtyard has a pool and trees. The deeply recessed iwan was a shady spot for receiving vis..

It was on this hill that Saint Simeon (around 389-459) lived an ascetic life atop a pillar for nearly 40 years. On his death, a martyrium, baptistery and basilica were erected. The latter is in fact composed of four cross-plan basilicas centred on ..

Sergilla is undoubtedly the most evocative and atmospheric of the dead cities. At the termination of a dead-end road, the ruins have a timeless air. Yet in this village where life seems to have been so brutally cut short, visitors will be surprised t..

This frontier post of the Roman Empire built in the 1C AD underwent rapid expansion during the Byzantine period (especially during the 6C) as a result of the popularity of the cult of St Sergius. His burial place soon began to draw many pilgrims. In ..

The museum displays some magnificent artefacts found here as well as everyday items, funerary objects, mummies, architectural elements… A model of the temple of Ba’al shows the city’s most important building as it originally appeared, prior to fortif..

Standing proudly atop its hill, the 12C-17C castle dominates the ancient city of Palmyra. It is accessed by car or on foot, directly across country and involving a steep final ascent. Its primary interest lies in the view over its ruins, best enjoyed..

On both sides of the paved street are hundreds of shops, some tiny, displaying local crafts on inlaid wooden tables. Shop windows are crammed with robes, carpets and shimmering sabres. It is easy to be seduced by the vast array of products, egged on ..

The mausoleum of Saladin, the Crusaders’ greatest adversary, stands just behind the Great Mosque, in the fountain courtyard of the old Aziziyah madrasa. The tomb escaped destruction thanks to the intervention of Kaiser Willhelm II (Germany exercised ..

The mosque was completely rebuilt in 1993 (an Iranian-funded project) on the site of the ancient tomb of a daughter of Hussein (and great-granddaughter of the Prophet). Iranians come here on pilgrimage. It is an unusual example of Persian art in Syri..

These baths were founded in the 12C, and were in use as a soap factory in the early 20C. Thanks to sensitive restoration, it is today one of the finest and oldest hammams in use in Damascus.

Bayt al-Aqqad is home to the Danish Cultural Institute. This fine restored house has undergone major transformations over five centuries, but remains as a unique example of Mamluk domestic architecture. Visitors can admire the delicate stonework (lat..

Damascus was a Roman colony, and Straight Street which today crosses the old city from east to west was the decumanus , an important artery intersecting the cardo maximus at right angles. At its end stands the Roman gate of the sun, today known as..

Visiting the museum is a chance to see inside an old mercantile residence, in which are exhibited objects, furniture, models of the city, postcards… The building follows the traditional layout, being split into private ( haremlik ) and public ( salem..

Created by the Syrian authorities to encourage local crafts, the souk has been a great success. Small shops line a narrow street leading to a beautiful Ottoman Koranic school, the Soulaymania madrasa . Artisans practice their trades (pottery, painti..

Northwest of Damascus, this is an arid mountain massif where rocky landscapes predominate. Remote hamlets cling to mountainsides, their siting always dictated by availability of water. Mainly Christian, it has many churches and religious communities...

Located in the Qalamoun region, in the Anti-Lebanon foothills, the convent of Our Lady dominates the village of Seydnaya and has the appearance of a mountain citadel. Each year it draws thousands of devout visitors who come to worship at the chapel o..

This Greek Catholic monastery has an interesting church, the oldest in the world of this denomination. It has a fine collection of icons, some painted in 1813 by Michael of Crete . The priest on duty in the shop, who is liable to encourage visitors ..

The monastery is perched 620m up on the flanks of a mountain, high above the desert plain. Monastic life began here in the 6C, but the core buildings were not constructed until the 11C. Long abandoned, the monastery was revived in 1992 thanks to the ..