Top Notch And Famous Places in Syria

Umayyad Mosque

The Umayyad Mosque or the Great Mosque of Damascus, located in the old city of Damascus, is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world. It is revered by both Muslims and Christians, it is believed that the head of John the Baptist is kept inside the mosque. It was built in 706-715 AD. and until that time served as a church. The Umayyad Mosque is one of the main attractions of Syria.

Damascus was the capital of the Aramaean state of Aram-Damascus during the Iron Age. The Syrians of western Syria were followers of the cult of Hadad-Ramman, the god of thunder and rain, they erected the first temple on the site of the future Umayyad mosque.

The Temple of Hadad Ramman continued to serve as the city's centerpiece when the Romans conquered Damascus in 64 BC. they turned the temple of Hadad into a temple of Jupiter. Towards the end of the 4th century, in 391, the Temple of Jupiter was converted into a cathedral by the Christian emperor Theodosius I (r. 379-395). And already in the 17th century, the Umayyad mosque was built on this site.

Aleppo Citadel

The Citadel of Aleppo is a huge fortress built on a hill that towers over the ancient city. The citadel, one of the largest castles in the world, its development began in the 3rd millennium BC. It contains numerous valuable buildings inside the perimeter of the fortress walls, works of art, as well as underground passages that penetrate to a depth of 110 meters.

The fortress played a huge role during the Crusades, it was alternately in the possession of either the crusaders or the Muslims.

Mar Sarkis Monastery

Mar Sarkis is one of the oldest Christian monasteries built on the site of a pagan temple. The monastery contains elements from the Byzantine period of the 5th-6th century AD. There are two very old icons in the monastery, one of them is considered the oldest in the world.

House of Saint Ananias

House of Saint Ananias - Damascus. underground structure. This is possibly the home of Ananias, the man who baptized Saul (Apostle Paul). Later, in the 5-6th century AD, a Byzantine church settled in the dungeon.

Palmyra

Palmyra is one of the richest and most modern cities of antiquity . Today one can only imagine what impression this beautiful city made on contemporaries who came there with caravans of merchants.

No one can say when Palmyra was founded, but the first mention of Palmyra was found on clay tablets dating back to 1800 BC, found in another ancient city - Mari.

In Aramaic, Palmyra means "invincible city". Palmyra is also mentioned in the Bible and the Talmud - according to the Bible, the city was built by King Solomon.

Conquered by Alexander the Great (circa 330 BC) changed the course of history in the Levant. Soon the empire was divided and Palmyra became an independent city in the Seleucid Empire - the Hellenistic successors of Alexander's empire.

The main attractions of the city are the Temple of Baal, the Great Colonnade of Palmyra, the Roman Theater, the Palmyra Castle, the Senate and many other interesting sights.

Resafa

Resafa is the well-preserved remains of a fortified Assyrian and Roman city that began to develop in the 9th century BC. In the 4th century AD, it was an important Christian pilgrimage site. The city is surrounded by a fortress wall. Inside are the ruins of a church and other buildings.

Bosra

Bosra - the ruins of an ancient metropolis, the oldest city of the Nabataeans (2nd century BC). It later became an important Roman settlement, the capital of the province of Arabia, and later a Byzantine city. The main attractions are: the Roman amphitheater, the Al-Omari mosque and many other ancient shrines.

Damascus

Damascus is a very old city, the first mention of the city dates back to 6300 BC, and has been developing steadily as a city since the 3rd millennium BC. An important center for the production of steel and fabrics in the Middle Ages, Damascus steel has been the benchmark for the quality of edged weapons since time immemorial. The city has hundreds of beautiful historically significant buildings such as the Umayyad Mosque, one of the most significant buildings in the Middle East. The old city is still surrounded by walls that have seven gates from Roman times.

Bosra Amphitheater (Bosra Roman Theatre)

Roman theater in Bosra, Syrian province of Daraa. A huge, well-preserved Roman theatre, built in the first half of the 2nd century AD. It was one of the largest Roman theaters ever built and could seat more than 15,000 spectators on its steps.

Outside, the amphitheater looks like a real fortress, as such it became in the 11th century, when the first two towers were built, and in the 13th century the amphitheater in Bosra finally acquired the outlines of a fortress. The defensive structures around the amphitheater were erected to protect against the Crusaders.

Krak des Chevaliers Fortress

The fortress of Krak des Chevaliers, which is located near Homs, is a very interesting landmark of medieval times. The complex was built by the Knights Hospitaller and was originally surrounded by a high stone wall with defensive towers. Only part of this wall has been preserved, but the fortress itself is in excellent condition. During a tour in this place, you will learn many interesting facts about Krak des Chevaliers. It was considered the most impregnable fortress in the country, and only Sultan Baibars managed to conquer the fortress.