A country that leaves a trace in your soul.. My travel to Syria

We had to take a cruise up to North Cape and we ended up doing a thorough tour of Syria ...
The economic availability of the cruise was fully booked since November and since I was accidentally came the news that Syria does not accept Israel's visa on the passport and sooner or later we would go to the Holy Land, Syria and the name of an agency with which to plan a tour ... we are catapulted into the Middle East or, as we recognize them, the Middle East!
I booked flights for myself and the cheapest prices, together with the choice of a decent time of arrival and departure (Indeed, it seems that the Damascus airport works mainly at night!), Determined the duration of the Tour, 10 few days.
We paid € 407 each and the companies were on Alitalia and Egypt Air Cairo to Damascus. There was nothing at a lower price and to arrive and depart during the day, despite the many tips on travel stories read: Austrian, Czech, Turkish and several other airlines and airports were the most strange!
During the past months I and the head of the agency Sherazade Travel, Mr.Moheddin, we have exchanged many emails with which we concocted a wonderfully classic.
We had a guide for us women, Diala, an archaeologist who has a doctorate in Rome and driving, Dareh available to us for 9 days aboard a comfortable air-conditioned van.
Before beginning the long travel story, I just want to say that this country has left a mark in the soul and that almost everything we have seen, or of the context or because of its inherent characteristics, it was literally AWESOME!

 

Arrival

We arrived at the airport in Damascus from Cairo Egypt to the 16.15.La difference is immediately obvious: cleanliness, order, file complied and, once outside the airport, traffic orderly and disciplined, and most of the new machines. ... almost all Korean, Japanese e. .. Chinese!
Dareh airport waiting for us, what will be our driver for most of the tour: stocky, robust, light-colored and the open smile and sincere, as well as contagious. He leaves us to our first hotel, Hotel Al Zaetona, in the Christian quarter in the old city of Damascus. Before leaving I had read a wonderful novel by Rafik Schama, scittore a Syrian living in Germany for many years and it was with great pleasure that I discovered that we were really in the city that had so much of the romazo! The hotel is a house damascena: beautiful but not luxurious, the choice we made for the whole tour, giving up, the possibility of having pools in which to refresh every now and then, at the end of the day. This possibility, in the end there is not, but hotels were all very typical and often with authentic and sought after.
The house is virtually damascena sghangherato a door that opens onto a narrow, dark corridor, at the end of which there seems to be a wall, because the real door is left or right and opens onto a courtyard with a central generally , a fountain, many plants (including trees!), at least a cage of birds, many doors and interior windows at different heights and a system of curtains that open cortile.Tutto on this, to ensure maximum privacy and not to give the ' idea of luxury, but even within that there's so many times!
I read somewhere that Damascus is a city that does everything to hide her beauty, just because he knows it ... and at the end of the trip I can not help but agree!
Many hotels and restaurants come from homes damascene and then this all over Syria, also, that these houses are located in the center, as a UNESCO heritage, particularly outside can not be changed. We placed in the rooms, where I noticed two pairs of wooden clogs ... then and there I thought someone had forgotten them, but when we come back tour at the end of four days in this hotel, but in different rooms and found more ... I find that are put there to deliberately, because they are a symbol of this amazing city! The guys are not sleeping well and then, since we are in the center and seems to be in a paesone ... we go out and make the first reconnaissance alone! The streets are crowded and clean, despite all the people rushing to the ground, because there are scavengers who clean continuamente.Ci are lots of shops and, although they could not, there are many machines that sometimes They come in weight raised by passers-by, for overcome some narrowest point, when you can not fix .. "pass", only with normal manovre.Spesso you can not walk, but is piacevole.Arriviamo Mosque, Simone manages to sgattaloiare in, but I, despite a veil improvised and her skirt down to her ankles, I am soon intercepted as a tourist and I can not get in because the ticket is now chiusa.Si sees a beautiful courtyard ... Let's go back to the hotel, where the boys are still tired and no appetite, then we can eat Elissar and go to the restaurant, who turned out to be the typical Diala for foreigners, even as prices: in reality will be one of the cheapest that happen to us throughout the trip. On average, we spent between 15 and 25 € in 4 persone.La cuisine is more Mediterranean than Arab: there are many appetizers to salads and creams to be taken with Arabic bread (which are always found cut into slices in ripegati in a plastic bag), the meat is very good, there are plenty of vegetables, using much the chickpeas instead of beans and there is the couscous. The prices of food at times we seem to be overwhelming: for example tea, which are very attached to their end of the meal costs the same as a salad! For a drink I'd understand the import, but the tea ...! Let's go back to the hotel after a walk in the middle of a hustle and bustle that seems higher than that of the day!

Maaloula, Krak des Chevaliers, Hama

The next morning at 9, finished an excellent and generous breakfast (yogurt, olives and soft cheeses, which are always found, biscuits, fruit, tea, juice and sesame seeds in every way ..), Diala know, our guide and depart immediately for Maaloula the first stage. Between us we immediately established a sympathy that will grow day by day and become a strong empathy.
A Maloula we stop to visit two Christian monasteries, that of St. Sergius and Santa Tecla, also visited by many musulmani.In reality is the only part of the journey that tells you nothing, neither from a secular point of view .. . that sacred! The only interesting thing is one way to arrive in Santa Tecla, a narrow and winding excavated from an ancient river rock, which resembles' inland quarries dug by the Etruscans in our Maremma Toscana.
We depart for the Crac des Chevaliers, the mighty castle built by the Crusaders and occupied for at least two centuries by the Knights of St John, or Knights of Malta, besieged by the Arabs before asserted.
Well, I must admit that, for the position, which for size, I've never seen a more imposing castle fortress in my life!
The last stop of the day Hama, the city of Norie, where we spend the night.
The town is predominantly Muslim, is trivial and modern, these are the only characteristic Norie, the giant wooden wheels, which are used for centuries to convey water, of which the city is unusually rich in a masonry aqueduct also reaches the fertile surroundings.This wheels are also fascinating because of the sound emitting strange and erratic shooting, a cross between a squeak and creak. The old town of Hama no longer exists, because in 1982 the then President of the father and, convinced that the town was a hotbed of insurgents who wanted to make a coup, the heavily bombed. We will never know how many deaths were: the official figure is 10,000, but we are talking about 25,000 .... seems, however, that the inhabitants of Hama have not forgiven.
Our friends have left us the Orient House Hotel, another good ex-damascene house at 17 o'clock.
And 'soon, we're not tired, but outside there is nothing to be done: everything is closed because it's Friday and the city still is not beautiful, the river, where it would be nice to walk, far away.
So, resigned, we stay at the hotel, where at least we can have dinner at a great price and eating good food.

Apamea, Serjilla, Ebla, Aleppo.

On Saturday morning we drive to Apamea, a city built by one of the generals of Alexander the Macedonian. We're almost the only ones, as in almost all the archeological sites we visit, because here the tourist season is mainly concentrated in the spring.
We could make this journey only this time, but our confidence in the dry climate was rewarded, because we will never find an excessive heat ... indeed, sometimes even enjoyable, enjoying the sights in compensation to owners.
What about Apamea? It 's the second Syrian archaeological site and the number of visitors actually 2 km of colonnaded street will remain unforgettable!
Then, go down to town to visit an Ottoman khan which houses ancient mosaics transported from a nearby church, vast, beautiful but dusty and poorly lit.
The concept of Khan is that of a structure with a central courtyard of varying size and shape, such as to accommodate the passage of traders and their goods to be exhibited or immagazzinare.Nei various suk, there are many different khan, in general, with a name that distinguishes the goods or offering or who made them build.
From here, we move Serjilla, one of the best preserved of about 600 dead cities.
More evocative scenery and great, both for buildings (churches, baths, palaces, houses and markets) that the context in which it resides.
E 'was built in 473, during the Christian period and abandoned after about three centuries, when the Arabs conquered the region and the trade routes between Antioch and Apamea were suspended.
All these cities were completely abbondonate and appears suddenly. Among the other theories that explain why we are the progressive lack of water or an epidemic ... but were not found either of the bodies ...
On the road to Aleppo, we stopped at Ebla, a powerful city state as early as 3000 BC It is basically just a collection of ruins, interesting though, because you really understand the stratigraphy and because we understand how archaeologists work.
Finally converge to Mandaloun Aleppo Hotel, another house in the Armenian Quarter damascena, but far from the souk.
Are 17 today and we are not tired, so after a grind on foot, without a shred of person who can understand English, somehow reach the souk and the center is visited storico.Avevo read that even when shops are closed, to get a clearer idea of the structure of the Khan that open onto two long corridors and roofs beautiful. It is indeed special, but the reigning dirt, both here and in the alleys, which in the area in front of the imposing citadel, there are definitely preferable to Damascus Aleppo.Inoltre, apart from this very limited area and the small Armenian Quarter of alleys that is just a big chaotic city that it seemed like too unfriendly to return to the hotel, we do not find a taxi driver willing to take us (!!!!) and here, more than ever, I feel that Muslims are evil and look at us razzisti.Moltissimi disapprovingly .. yet we always dressed with care and respect, I make very little and not look into your eyes people ... that mean? This holiday, from this point of view, I was upset moltissimo.Anche we make them feel the same way when they are in our house? I guess so, but I am at home I tried to respect their customs and did not do anything.

San Simeon and Aleppo

In the morning we leave Aleppo to visit the cathedral of San Simeon, dilapidated and grand, in a land of stony hills, quiet, but strangely desolate!
San Simeon wanted to live in solitude and since, would not let him in peace, lived on a pillar for 19 years to make its miracoli.Di this column was little, because a piece at a time, was broken up and taken away as a relic .
Beyond the belief in these things and consider worthy of esteem one who chooses to live isolated from the world and become a saint for this, the site is attractive and leads to introspection and meditation.
Let's go back to Aleppo. Here we visit the magnificent citadel with Diala and the souk with shops open. Today feels the heat, perhaps even to the traffic and the asphalt.
We said goodbye a little 'earlier than usual.
We quickly freshen up at the hotel (for Hama, now a swimming pool at the hotel would have been welcome) and then we go to a bar in the main square of the Armenian quarter to take a drink Syrian typical, good and very refreshing: the lemonade with mint... but true chopped mint, not syrup!
The Armenian quarter to make the dinner, discreet and cheap!

Lake Assad, Sergiopolis, Palmyra

We leave Aleppo and head east towards the Euphrates and from the desert. In late morning we reach the Lake Assad, a large artificial lake created to give the Euphrates water to Syria, it's something of which they speak with great pride.
Nearby, on anything except a bad town built to house those who have deliberately built the dam and who should control it.
We will sail along the great river to the south, with hardly able to see it, and we head further into the desert. This is made up mainly of rock, sometimes flat, other mountains, but sometimes there is little wind-blown sand, and every time we see a whirlpool of sand at a distance, but our friends tell us that when there is real storm, do not see anything and the road disappears in a flash and becomes easy to get lost.
Even the rare rains immediately destroy the road, and in an instant can turn into a dangerous and swirling sand mud seems inimagginabile today!
Sometimes there are tanks, which precisely controls the government, so they are always full for the Bedouins in transit. We meet in the villages with houses made of clay and some nomad camp: Syria, new teachers must pass the law for one year at least accompanied nomadic clan, so as to ensure at least basic education to all! But, in practice, they must remain until a replacement is found ...!
We reach Sergiopolis to Rassafa, a small pearl in the desert. It 's something that strikes me and I did not expect to die is the last outpost before the great Roman Persia.
But that outpost: a perfectly square and fortified city, with houses, colonnaded streets and incredible water tanks, stone yellow, reddish. Here you feel the heat.
I seem to be one of the many documentaries I think back to the Roman empire and our great civilizations of the past and I say, they are here again now and see what wonders have anything built in, allowing local cultures as always, to maintain their religions and their traditions.
We share, but these colors and these stones that I have spoken, I do not leave your head.
Around 16 Palmyra.Siamo we get hot and dusty, I see the sign near the hotel swimming pool, and I flatter myself that it is something enjoyable .. we get into the room and see that the pool is just below us and, as usual, there are only men, many more are also in their underwear: how could I delude myself? But here the women just can not enjoy any luxury in life? I feel really humbled, for me and for them, and I am very ill, especially because I realize that I still have not understood anything. Luckily, our boys, perhaps out of solidarity, we are told that remain in the room with us and who is not interested in going to the pool. E 'selfish, I know, but it comforts me a little.
At least, from the same window we have a picture postcard, completely unexpected: the legendary Palmyra oasis surrounded!
In the evening we met with our friends to visit the citadel of Fakhr Al Din, a fortified building, which offers a stunning panorama, desert mountains, at the Tombs in Palmyra and the incredible tower.
Sites to visit with calm the next day.

Palmyra

Let us start from the "Valley of the Tombs" which lies west of the city and features a tower tombs, very special, and Graves in house or underground.
The tombs in the Tower, with a square base, they can get to achieve four stories tall and are mostly family tombs: As you climb upwards, diminish the importance of the deceased and thus become poorer and less ornate stanza.Una the tower could accommodate up to about 300 bodies, placed in coffins and stacked in columns in front of each tomb was a plaque that shows some detail of life and a bust of the deceased who visited the tomb rappresentava.Abbiamo Elhabel tower, dating from 100 AD and the underground room of the "Three Brothers", beautiful, but less distinctive.
Were found in both types of tombs, many funerary statues "in bed", in general, unfortunately, no clear shape of the head and Persian.
Tombs Tower are amazing, like many gigantic monoliths spaced, set in the desert valley.
So, we went to Palmyra, UNESCO and most visited archaeological site in the country.
Its monumental remains testify to the greatness of the town known by the second millennium BC and transit point of the Silk Road from the Far East, and always full to the duties imposed.
The Semitic name of the city was Tadmor (city of dates), but in the first century AD Romans arrived, gave it the name of Palmyra (city of palms) and left a substantial independence. Hadrian visited in 130 A. D. and declared it an "independent", Caracalla, in 212, and the colony had it rebuilt, leaving the imprint of Roman times. After rejecting an attack by the Parties, Oden of Palmyra by the Romans had the title of "dux orientalis, but he died, perhaps murdered, his wife Zenobia took power in the name of the child is still young, and declared his independence from Rome by minting coins with his face and appointing his son Augustus. Faced with this challenge the Emperor Aurelian in 271 besieging the city intervened and Zenobia took prisoner in Rome. In reply to another revolt, in 273 Aurelian destroyed the city slaughtering its inhabitants. Next, Palmyra was a mere outpost of the Roman Empire and was fortified by Diocletian and Justinian. In 634 it was conquered by Muslims in 1089 was devastated by an earthquake and ended up covered with sand. It was rediscovered in 1678 by two English merchants, but excavations only began in 1924.
This is his story: the monuments and sights are so many jaw-dropping: the greatest is the Temple of Bel, but there are a colonnade, a beautiful theater, arches, buildings, holes and a tetrapilo gigantesco.Insomma, the usual things, you say! Well, just for nothing: the usual things, megalithic, in the middle of a desert oasis with fantastic colors.
Palmyra, alone, is well worth the trip!
We set the conclusion of the visit to the site and we take the van in less than 3 h will leave us again at the Hotel Al Zaetona of Damascus.

Damascus, Deir Mar Musa

Damascus, Damascus Deir Mar Musa we stop other four days, but this is also the base for trips outside the city.
Today, for example we are going to Deir Mar Musa, or the Monastery of St. Moses the Abyssinian he lives in a monastic community coordinated by the Italian Jesuit Father Paolo and is trying to encourage dialogue between Christianity and Islam.
The monastery is built on (and) rock of a mountain, you come with more than 300 steps and is a fantastic place that really takes you to introspection.
When you reach the terrace overlooking the valley, you can take food freely available, olives, fresh ricotta cheese, bread and cheese and before you leave, you leave a bid to taste.
Asking first, you can stay to sleep, but it's very very basic and all work together.
The church itself, a real gem, with frescoes dating from the eleventh and twelfth century represents, in my opinion, the best of two religions: one must enter barefoot, all may enter, but you can camp out on the ground in meditation, propria.Fantastico at home!
When we feel refreshed, back to the so-called civilization, which is in the city of Damascus.
Being downtown, we hang out like we want to go out today and decide to try another tradition: we come to the souq al-Hamidyya and we take the typical ice cream powder semolina topped with crushed pistachios in the famous bar Bekdach: a little 'sweet but delicious.
At 19.30 we meet with our friends in Bab Touma, the Christian quarter of the square, because we take in a scenic area of the city from which to watch the sunset.
In the dark, among the many lights, the green ones will prevail, the minarets of mosques.

Damascus and Deir Mar Musa

Today we visit the archaeological museum, which, among other things, I hit the small clay tablets with cuneiform writing ... the scittura was born in the Fertile Crescent thousands of years ago and why? To accompany the goods in short of the delivery is good and beautiful.
We see the Suleymaniye Mosque only from outside, because there are restoration and the khan of the craftsmen, adjacent to it.
We are approaching the middle path and the main corridor to the souk we arrive at the Umayyad Mosque, a jewel of Islamic architecture.
I waited for this moment for the entire trip.
The fly is immense beauty competes with the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and is second only to the sacred mosque of Mecca and Medina.Inoltre, has a long history: in the ninth century was a aCvi Aramean temple to the god Hadad, similar that of Bel Palmyra, the Romans transformed it into a temple to Jupiter, became a Christian church in 313 and 600 after it was turned into a mosque, under the Umayyad caliph, Khaled ibn al-Walid.
Every wall was covered with rich mosaics, chandeliers, there were gold and precious stones in the prayer niche: despite earthquakes, fires and the devastation wrought by the Mongols, there is still a large part of the ancient splendor, Damascus claimed to 7 years taxes.
Perhaps this Mosque, by itself, worth the trip.
I am struck by the spirit of Muslims is a place to meet, relax, rest and austere as I imagined, except where people pray, of course.
So, for us as the town square, runs under the case or the hole and the agora for our ancestors.
A spirit beautiful, but again I feel left out ... also because of these bad Tabarroni that make us wear and that mark us as a scarlet letter .... Deir Mar Musa was something for everyone, but obviously , even that is an exception.
We eat falafel made with chickpea flour and shawarma on the street and then continue the walk through Straight Street, or the ancient Via Recta, then the Christian quarter and, finally, the House of Ananias, in whose cellar, according to tradition, these St. Paul had hidden in the days of great conversion.
Diala greet with weariness and sadness, because the next day, after a trip to Baalbek, in Lebanon we know that we will have salutare.Dareh we have already welcomed this morning.

Baalbek, Lebanon

At the end of the tour in Lebanon, we salute our friend with sincere emotion.

Damascus

The appointment to the airport is at 14, so finally we got up late, make a hearty breakfast, leave your luggage outside the room and we're going to spend the last hours in Damascus.
It's Friday and is almost completely closed, but we can visit the El Azem Palace, Damascus home of great luxury and impact, which also houses a kind of folklore museum and the Khan As'ad Pasha, practically a cathedral in the middle of the souk !
It 'opened the kiosk where we ate shawarma with Diala, are purchased and go to the hotel, where a new driver will take us to the airport well in advance.
I reflect with regret that a part of which is to not be able to do the Hammam: they were being renovated or were only for men ... and perhaps also to leave this already with an infinite longing and yearning in your heart.