Memory of the Orient: Syria on the wings of glory of
legendary heroes 8 days/7 nights.
This
tour offers an excellent insight into Syria’s
fascinating history. It selects the best sites of every
age including outstanding archaeological sites (Palmyra,
Ebla) and living ancient cities (Aleppo, Damascus. It
invites its visitors to dream about the glory of the
ancient times…
History in Syria comes alive through every stone of
its ancient monuments, if you listen to them attentively
they will tell you ancient stories of their famous residents:
on the coast amidst the impregnable walls of the crusaders
castles you will hear the roaring of swords and horses’
hooves shifting you into tormented period of Crusaders
wars, nearby in the St. Simeon Monastery, stones of
the shattered pillar weep prayers of St Simeon, the
solitary monk who wanted to reach closer to the sky.
The haunted columns of the Roman city of Apamea whisper
about the restless shadow of Cleopatra running after
her beloved Anthon.
You will be stunned in Palmyra’s temples where
the echo of majestic Gods cries the destiny of the rebellious
Queen Zenobia, who dared to rival Rome.
And what secrets conceal the Phoenician Water Temple
and the eternal creaking of the enormous Norias of Hama?
Listening to a touching voice conveying to prayer, in
the shade of fountains of splendid khans and palaces
enveloped in the fragrance of orange trees and jasmine,
or plunged in the mesmerizing labyrinths of souks in
the heart of Damascus and Aleppo buzzing with life,
you will dream of stories of one and Thousand nights
that narrates Syria, this fascinating land, where you
will feel that before centuries the time has stopped…
Entire day sightseeing in Damascus. In the morning visit to the National Museum to admire its archeological
treasures. In the afternoon visit to the inspiring Umayyad Mosque, the lavishly decorated 18th-century Azem
Palace which looks like it comes straight out of a tale in the Thousand and One Nights, the tiny Chapel of
Ananias of the biblical association and the vibrant souks. Sunset over Damascus from the Mount Kassioun.
Dinner and overnight in Damascus
day
3: Maaloula, Krack des Chevaliers,
Tartus, Lattakia
Visit of Maaloula, a picturesque village perched in the rocks concealing the church of St. Sergius, where
Mass is still celebrated in Aramaic, the language of Jesus. Drive up to visit the Krack des Chevaliers.
This imposing Crusader castle is the archetype of a medieval castle from our legends. Drive over the mountains
and along the coast populated in antiquity by the Phoenicians. Via Tartus to Amrit, a Phoenician site with a
unique water temple. Continue to the coastal city of Lattakia.Dinner and overnight in Lattakia .
Morning visit to Ugarit, home of the world’s first alphabet, transfer to the famous Saladin Castle dramatically
seated on a tall cliff, to reach the complex you must pass through a deep narrow canyon between two walls of
sheer vertical rock. Drive north through the region of rugged lime hills to the St. Simeon Monastery
considered the most beautiful cathedral of the Orient offering a breathtaking views that stretch to Turkey.
Transfer to Aleppo.
Dinner and overnight
Sightseeing in Aleppo, perhaps the most picturesque and unspoiled of Arab cities. A magnificent citadel
dominates the maze of narrow alleyways, fabulous mosques, ancient Christian churches, khans, madrassas and
the colorful medieval souks, the richest and the most fascinating in the Orient.
Dinner and overnight in Aleppo
Drive along the Orontes Valley to Ebla to contemplate the vestiges of the millenary city-state through which
ran the Silk Road caravans, continue to the classical site of Apamea, one of the largest Roman cities in the
eastern empire with a well preserved colonnaded avenue of one mile in length. Stopping in Hama to listen
to the unceasing sound of the ancient gigantesque Roman waterwheels (the famous 'Norias'). Transfer to the
oasis city of Palmyra.
Dinner and overnight in Palmyra
Entire day devoted to Palmyra, one of the most awe-inspiring of all Roman sites and one of the most
impressive archaeological sites in the whole of the Orient. It is the famous city of the legendary Queen
Zenobia, who conquered Egypt and rebelled against the Romans. The principal monuments are the colossal
Temple of Baal, which is almost identical in structure to the Temple built by Herod in Jerusalem, the
triumphal arch, colonnaded avenues, theatre and agora, as well as the mystic Valley of the Tombs.
In the evening drive back to Damascus.
Dinner and overnight in Damascus
Clasic Tour Long History and geography have placed Syria on the boundaries with Mesopotamia, Anatolia and Egypt determining thus its crucial role in the history of civilization. This tour offers a journey backwards reaching till the dawn of time. The eternal memory of the Orient will reveal some of its jealously hidden secrets all across its land, with its multitude of delicate perfumes and succulent meals. You will travel through the Syrian steppe and open gate to the ancient glory of forgotten civilizations of the millinery cities and powerful Roman bastions scattered along the blue mythical Euphrates. In the harsh desert the fabled Palmyra will rise from sands with its thousand columns and palm trees, the monumental Temple of Bel, bathed in colors of the setting sun will dazzle you like a mirage…. You will encounter architectural marvels of the monuments of faith, as well as medieval military art of the imposing Crusader's Castles. You will be charmed by the ancient breeze that floats through the sumptuous Islamic capitals of Damascus and Aleppo and admire the jewel of Bosra, the immaculately preserved Roman amphitheater set in its unique corset of fortifications.
Entire day sightseeing in Damascus. Morning visit to the National Museum which will open up its well of archaeological treasures. Through one of its 7 gates enter the Old City and explore its khans and madrassas, the splendor of the Great Umayyad Mosque, and beauty of mansions and gardens of the Azem Palace. Then you will make your way through the picturesque streets to the ‘Street called Straight’ and St Ananias Chapel associated with St Paul and his conversion on the road to Damascus; plunge into the fragrant maze of alleyways of the exotic souks. In the evening drive up the Mount Kassioun to witness the fabulous sunset over Damascus.
Dinner and overnight Damascus .
day
3 :Maaloula, Krack des Chevaliers, Tartus, Lattakia
Short drive to Maaloula, picturesque village sculpted in a rock where Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ can still be heard; walk in the same way as ancient pilgrims through the miraculous creak in the mountain to the St. Sergius Monastery. Then continue across mountains to Krack des Chevaliers, the legendary Crusader Castle striking for its excellent state of preservation. Amidst the castle’s walls the tormented era of the Crusades comes to live. Drive to the coast via Tartus, to Lattakia.
Dinner and overnight in Lattakia.
day
4 : Ugarit, Saladin Castle,
St.-Simeon, Aleppo
En route to Aleppo, visit of Ugarit, kingdom on the Mediterranean coast,
where the first alphabet was found.
A short drive will bring you to another reminiscence from the tormented period
of the Crusades,
the Saladin castle. After the visit you will cross the mountains and drive north,
to the breathtaking site
of St-Simeon Monastery. Here this Stylite lived more than 42 years perched on top of a pillar. The remains
of this column are still available. Excursion to some of other Dead Cities nearby. These are ruins of
Christian settlements dating from the Byzantine era, which were abandoned in the 7th century by the Christian
population feeing the seism and an approaching army.
Dinner and overnight in Aleppo
Entire day sightseeing in Aleppo, an unforgettable caravan city with an authentic flavor of the Orient. The atmosphere in its narrow alleyways seems to have changed little for hundreds of years. Visit includes the colossal Citadel with fortifications representing the apogee of the medieval military architecture, as well as the Great mosque, khans and madrassas and the Christian Quarter. Visit finishes in the bustling world of souks with stalls selling every imaginable variety of merchandise, silk, cotton, aromatic soap and dry fruits-the local specialties.
Dinner and overnight in Aleppo.
Drive east towards Rasafeh (known as Sergiopolis). Its crumbling walls loom up on the edges of the desert providing a dramatic prelude to this huge awesome fortified caravan city. Although associated essentially with the Byzantines era, the site of Rasafeh had been mentioned in earlier sources, both in Assyrian texts and in the Bible. After the visit continue to Raqqa strategically situated city on the Euphrates river founded in the 4th century BC by Alexander the Great. Ahead to Deir ez-Zor, ancient port which watched over many fabled conquerors, armies and caravans crossing the Euphrates. Stopping on the bank to contemplate the river's blue mystic depths.
Dinner and overnight in Deir ez-Zor
Driving east along the stream of Euphrates to Mari, great Mesopotamian city-state dating to the third millennium B.C. which rose and fell, and to the strategic port Dura Europos, a used-to-be frontier town for Romans and Persians, nicknamed 'the Pompeii of the Orient' due to its impressive frescos. Follow in the path of the Silk Road to Palmyra, wealthy trading emporium of the past with luxurious villas and magnificent temples. Dinner and overnight in Palmyra.
A full day in Palmyra to explore one of the world’s great archaeological sites and to admire its glorious past. This oasis was the capital of the legendary Queen Zenobia and a caravan city par excellence linking the Euphrates with the Mediterranean. The visit includes the enormous Temple of Bel, the mystic Valley of Tombs, the monumental arch and colonnaded avenues, theatre, agora and museum with a splendid collection of portrait sculpture of Palmyrene inhabitants. Return to Damascus.
Dinner and overnight in Damascus.
Excursion in the Jebel Druze area to Bosra, Suweida and Shahba which are distinguished by the black basalt building material. Bosra, once the capital of the Roman province of Arabia, boasts an immaculately preserved Roman theater enclosed within a medieval citadel, which is one of the most captivating sites in Syria. Through Suweida (nicknamed 'the little black' by the Nabatean), home to a museum of ancient mosaics of exceptional beauty. Excursion to Shahba, the ancient Philippopolis, birthplace of the first Arab emperor of Rome, with well conserved theatre, basilica and spa. Return to Damascus.
Dinner and overnight in Damascus.
Travel through time: from Early Empires to jewels of the Umayyads 14 days/ 13 nights
Quite unjustifiably neglected, Syria has the finest antiquities and cities of any country in the Levant. This special tour offers a fascinating kaleidoscope of the Middle Eastern history. Since the dawn of history this land has been a cross-road where different peoples, cultures and empires have met, influenced each other and fought...Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians, Hittites, Greeks, Romans, the Umayyads, Abbasids, Crusaders and Ottomans.... Syrian sceneries unfold like pages of a history book where the antiquity and the rich heritage of our ancestors are recited in the open air. There's an abundance of amazing prehistoric sites both on the coast and in the fertile Euphrates valley (Ugarit, Mari, Ebla), the early Byzantine vestiges (St-Simeon) and jewels of the early Islamic art and architecture, impregnable Crusader castles such as the Krack des Chevaliers and the Qalat Saladin, major Roman remains of Palmyra and Apamea, Damascus the oldest inhabited city in the world and Aleppo which has retained the magic atmosphere of the fragrant ancient Orient. Syria is a genuine paradise for lovers of ancient architecture and archaeology.
Full day sightseeing in Damascus which has a history stretching back to 4000 years: morning excursion to the National Museum housing excellent collection which contains the art and artifacts from the Neolithic to the Umayyad Period. City monuments include the Great Umayyad Mosque which reveals a Roman, Christian and Muslim heritage with a complex of minarets, fountains, courtyards and rich Byzantine mosaics. Walk through the buzzing Al-Hamidiyeh Souk via splendid Azem Palace, ancient residence of an Ottoman governor of Damascus, along the Straight Street (Via Recta) which will lead you to the Christian quarter where you will visit the house of Ananias. Here according to tradition Saint Paul recovered his sight. In the evening drive up the Mount Kassioun to witness the sunset over this fabulous city.
Dinner and overnight in Damascus.
Arrive at Damascus airport, meet and greet, transfer to hotel.
Dinner and overnight in Damascus.
day
3 : Maaloula, Krack des Chevaliers,Arwad Island, Amrit, Tartus
Drive north to the picturesque village of Maaloula, here Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ is still spoken. Proceed through the coastal mountains to the imposing Crusader castle Krack des Chevaliers, the virtually impregnable Crusader Castle, headquarters of the Knights Hospitallers, that fuses the Roman and Early Gothic art. Afternoon on the way to the port of Tartus, excursion to the ancient Phoenician city of Amrit, a sea trip to the tiny island of Arwad to explore this picturesque island with narrow alleys and citadel.
Dinner and overnight in Tartus.
Excursions along the coast: in Tartus explore the labyrinth of streets in the mediaeval old city and the Tartus Museum on the site of the former Cathedral. Visit of two Crusader Castles, 'Qalat Marqab' the nearest Crusader Castle to the coastline of Syria concealing fabulous frescos of the last supper. On to the famous Saone castle, nesting on a rock. The site was occupied by the Phoenicians and Byzantines, in the early 12 cent. It was seized by the Crusaders until it was finally taken by Saladin in 1188 and renamed the 'Qalat Saladin'. You must pass through a deep narrow canyon between two walls of sheer vertical rock to reach it. Depart for Lattakia.
Dinner and overnight in Lattakia
On the way to Aleppo, visit of Ugarit, one of the most prosperous seaports of the Levant coast during 2000 B.C., it is the birthplace of the first alphabet of the world. Drive northwards and explore the early Byzantine ruins of the mysterious Dead cites, abandoned in the course of the 6th and 7th century, but still standing, scattered through the rugged limestone hills, including the most famous, St. Simeon Monastery, Serjilla and Al-Bara. Whole buildings and groups of buildings: houses, villas, churches and markets survive almost intact, providing a vivid impression of life in the Late Antique world. Return to Aleppo.
Dinner and overnight in Aleppo.
The entire day dedicated to Aleppo, an ancient caravan city, a bustling city and trading centre: the museum, the colossal Citadel, its fortifications representing the apogee of Arab military architecture, the Great Mosque, madarasas and khans of the Old City, the vibrant bazaars.
Dinner and overnight in Aleppo.
An excursion to Ebla the missing station on the Silk Road, destroyed around 1600 BC, displaying remains of a Bronze Age Civilization. Continue to Apamea, city founded during the Hellenistic era by Seleucos Nicator. The site boasts the most stunning colonnaded avenue of the Antique World and vestiges of a fountain, church and villas. Return to Aleppo via Hama, the famous city of Norias.
Dinner and overnight .
Departure towards the Syrian desert, visit of Raqqa the ancient city founded by Alexander the Great, then to the garrison Rasafeh which has early Byzantine walls that conceal the martyrdom of St. Sergius and cisterns like immense subterranean cathedrals. Continue to Deir ez-Zor.
Dinner and overnight in Deir ez-Zor.
Depart for Mari, a wealthy Mesopotamian way station for caravan and boat traffic along the Euphrates, among the vestiges you can admire the great palace of Zimri-Lim with more than 260 rooms and courtyards. Move to Dura Europus, to visit this strategic site above the Euphrates valley a used-to-be strong fortress on the Roman imperial frontier founded by one of the generals of Seleucos I in 300 BC. On the way to Palmyra you will stop in Deir Ezzor to explore the recently opened, exceptional museum boosting numerous archaeological treasures.
Dinner and overnight in Palmyra.
Full day in this legendary oasis city, capital of the famous Queen Zenobia, who dared to challenge the power of Rome. Visit of the tremendous Temple of Bel, which is almost identical in structure to the Temple built by Herod in Jerusalem, agora, theatre, tetrapylon and colonnaded streets with a monumental arch …. In the evening ascend to the Arab castle to witness a fabulous sunset over the ruins.
Dinner and overnight in Palmyra
Continue sightseeing in Palmyra: in the morning the mysterious Valley of tombs where you can admire the splendid subterranean tomb of Three Brothers and the unique Tower tombs. Afternoon visit to the museum of the Palmyrene art, which houses an interesting collection of splendid portrait sculptures. Return to Damascus.
Dinner and overnight in Damascus.
Excursion to the volcanic region in the south of Damascus: visit of Bosra, a Nabatean city, capital of the new 'Provincia Arabia' under Trajan. The principal charm of this dark city is the immaculately preserved Roman Theater which was converted into a fortress by the Ayyubid. Continue to Shahba, the Roman city of Philippopolis, stopping at Suweida, the city called 'little black' because of its building material, black volcanic stone.
Dinner and overnight in Damascus.
