Syria

A whirlwind of a trip to Syria was a perfect escape from Dubai. I was surrounded (and sometimes overwhelmed) by a history that stretches back to the beginning of time - the Euphrates river flows through Syria. The places we visited and artifacts we saw have connections to Christianity, Islam and Judaism, as well as importance for the world in general - the first alphabet, the first musical notes, evidence of 33 ancient civilizations.

Our tour group itself was a cross-section of cultures, with people from North America, South Africa, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Iran and the UAE.

We started off our visit with a meal at the Largest Restaurant in the World (certified by Guinness) and enjoyed some delicious Syrian food. The next morning we were off on our tour of Damascus!

This is Saint Paul's Church, which is dedicated to Saul/Paul, who converted to Christianity after his encounter with God on the road to Damascus.... but then had to escape from the Jews of the city by being lowered out of Anania's window in a basket. We also visited Anania's house, where he healed Paul's blindness. It's now underground (the original city has been built over) and has been turned into a chapel (picture below).


Need some petrol? This guy will sell it to you from the tank in his cart!

Here are Deb, Steve and I at Azem Palace, with some kids who weren't moving out of the way fast enough!
We fought through the holiday crowds to visit Omayyed mosque. In addition to being extremely old and beautiful, it is said to contain the head of John the Baptist, who is respected as a prophet in both Islam and Christianity. The mosque has been many things throughout the years, including a temple of Jupiter (Roman) and a Christian church. Pope John Paul II visited the mosque and he was the first pope to do so.

(Shrine for John the Baptist's head)

We also visited the museum, where we saw pieces of history from all corners of Syria, including the first phonetic alphabet and musical notes, and a beautiful synagogue with frescoes of scenes from the Old Testament that was excavated and restored in the museum.

On the road to Palmyra, a 'comfort stop' to 'make our bladder gladder' and have some tea at the Bagdad Cafe.


Palmyra is old. An important city in ancient times and a handy stop on the way to Rome, the ruins have been well-preserved and partially restored.
Tour guide Nabil explains the water system.

Below is the Temple of Bel (aka Baal), which contains some beautiful friezes and barely-there frescoes, as well as some beautiful stone-work. There's evidence that it was also at one time a mosque as well as a church.

This is the (restored) theater.

The 'new' citadel overlooking the ruins of Palmyra, with a great panoramic view.

This isn't the clearest picture ever, but it helps show the sheer size of the ruins.



The last day, we hit the road again, destination Ma'alula, one of only 3 villages in the world where people speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus.
Here we visited the Convent of St. Serge and St. Baccus, which is the oldest continually used church in the world. It was named in honor of the 'last martyrs' for Christianity, who were killed right before Christianity was made legal, but before it was a church it was a Temple of Jupiter. At this church, we saw some beautiful artwork and listened as one of the local women said the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic. It was quite a moment, to sit somewhere so ancient and hear words that have been around for two thousand years!

She also said the prayer in Arabic and in English... a multicultural moment, as well!

Our final stop before heading to the airport was Crac de Chevalier, a citadel built during the Crusades, which was a lot of fun to wander around in.

We weren't in Syria for long, but we were there long enough to appreciate the incredible history that is found there. It was fascinating to see common histories and locations with importance for Christians, Jews, Romans and Muslims, and inspiring to be in such ancient and holy places.