• Damascus is the oldest inhabited city in the world and ‘Damask’ has come into the English language because this fine cloth was traded from there.

• Palmyra in its stunning desert setting gives a window into the glories of the Roman Empire.

• St Paul was struck blind on the road to Damascus and early Christians built churches that survive as vivid testimonies to their faith and vision. We will visit the vast Cathedral of St Simeon at Aleppo

• Crac de Chevalier is a beautiful reminder of the challenge faced by the Crusaders in the Middle Ages

• Souks in Aleppo and Damascus allow us to enter the colourful world of trade for which this region has been famous for thousands of years.

Add to these, water wheels of vast proportions, splendid mosaics, wonderful views at sunset, Greek, Roman and Islamic architecture and meals at traditional restaurants. This is a tour tailored with painstaking care by people who love the country and want to share their enthusiasm.

Tour itinerary

Day 1
London to Damascus - fly early afternoon from London Heathrow to Damascus, arriving early evening - first of three nights in Damascus, Dar Al Yasmin Hotel.

Day 2
Damascus - Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, capital of the Umayyad Empire as well as of modern Syria. We will take a guided walk through the picturesque streets of the centre including the ‘Street called Straight’ and St Ananias Chapel of Biblical association, the 18th-cent. mansion and gardens of the Azem Palace, caravanserai, the Hamidiyeh Souk , the 8th-cent. Umayyad mosque and the tomb of Saladin - overnight Damascus (Talisman Hotel).

Day 3
Bosra - We take a day trip to the south through the black basalt region of the Jebel Druze, visiting Izra en route. Bosra was briefly a Nabatean capital before becoming capital of the Roman province of Syria. The splendid Roman theatre was converted into an Ayyubid fortress and there are current inhabitants in the ruined remains of this Roman town. We return to Damascus making time for sunset visit to the citadel with an overview of the city.

Day 4
We drive, via Maaloula, to Palmyra - once home to the infamous Queen Zenobia who conquered Egypt and rebelled against the Romans. These ruins are as impressive as any Roman site. There will be time to walk through the colonnaded streets, the well-preserved temples of Bel and Nebo, the theatre, and the monumental market place as well as visit the museum - overnight Palmyra.

Day 5
Crac des Chevaliers - After early morning among the ruins of Palmyra, (or looking at them from the terrace of the hotel), we drive west to Crac des Chevaliers, headquarters of the Knights Hospitaliers and the most awe-inspiring of castles. It is extraordinarily preserved and its vast, heavy beauty makes an impression even now – especially its dominance of the local landscape. Overnight nearby at Al Mashtaiyeh village, Panorama Hotel.

Day 6
We stop at Hama to see the vast ancient waterwheels driven by the River Orontes. After lunch we will visit a selection of the ‘Dead Cities’ in the Jebel Zawiye - Ruwaiha, Bara and Serjilla, which are extraordinary testaments to the past with their almost complete if roofless houses. First of 3 nights in Aleppo, Beit Wakil Hotel.

Day 7
Qalb Lozeh & St Simeon - we drive into the hills to the west of Aleppo, first visiting the beautiful 5th-cent. cathedral at Qalb Lozeh - one of the most intact monuments in the region - once a major pilgrimage destination. The enormous 6th-cent. monastery church of St Simeon Stylites is one of the masterpieces of Christian architecture; four basilicas radiate from the site of the pillar on which St Simeon lived for 42 years - overnight Aleppo.

Day 8
Aleppo, has 4,000 years of history and is a bustling city with that distinctive eastern character, hung somewhere between past and present. Its huge citadel dominates the city, and bears witness to the powerful Arab military architecture. There is a maze of colourful bazaars and assorted caravanserai to explore. The Great Mosque, the madrasa and the picturesque residential quarter are also worth visiting. Overnight in Aleppo.

Day 9
Morning flight from Aleppo, arriving Heathrow c. 13.05.

Tour Leader(s): Philippa Boston

Picture gallery
Palmyra	Street scene	Crac de Chevalier
Roman theatre in Bosra	Street shop	Palmyra
Corinthian column	Roman theatre in Bosra	Church of Saint Simeon

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	info@smaugabroad.com
	Smaug Abroad Ltd., The Lodge, Bardwell Road, Oxford, OX2 6SS
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