Saturday, November 20, 2010

Fabulous Syria

I am hoping that there will be another Creative Arts Safari tour to Syria next year- there is so much more to see. I spent some time this morning working through my photos of the last trip and am longing to go back for these reasons:

Food- the food in Syria is really seriously  good- great dips, salads, and traditional dishes ranging from kebabs to wonderful aromatic casseroles:
This repast was a "quick" lunch with our friend Samir who owns a terrific shop at the Roman gate at the entry to al Hammadiya souq( upstairs)


History- layers and layers of history. Agatha Christie wrote a book about her adventures in Syria with her husband Max Mallowan. I have also seen the best Roman  ruins I have encountered- and I have seen ones in Italy, Algeria, France etc.These images are the long road in Afamia- 2kms of collonaded road that once housed 200,000 Romans ( I don't know whether this included the slaves)



The basilica at St Simeon- was named after Saint Simeon the first and probably most famous stylite- he is said to have lived on a column 40 metres high for years and years in order to get away from it all- but he became a subject of devotion for many and indeed a celebrity. The bottom photo shows a black robed figure who was a christian orthodox monk  atop the  mounting stone  said to have housed St Simeon's column- you could have been forgiven in thinking he might have been a bit of a stylite himself except that he was with a large group of young spanish women.



Riads, palaces and the second most sacred mosque in the world the Ummayed Mosque to which all visitors are welcome- all in Damascus



Textiles- ancient Roman ones, 2000 years old- fragments found in burial chambers, cross stitched Syrian dresses, silk  and raw silk, felted rugs for Bedouin tents


And people- the very friendly and charming Syrian people.
Ohh and rugs lots of wonderful rugs...

Come join us....... I am dreaming.

4 comments:

Debrina said...

OMG - what a wonderful post!! I drooled over all the photos and everything you wrote here. How amazing it must have been and how amazing it would be to go again!! Hell, I'd join ya!

marjolijn said...

This looks great! I put Syria on my wish list!

Fiona Wright said...

fabulous collection of pics, you summed it up in a nutshell.
Do love the place, so charming and friendly- hmmmm
Happy house hunting, you are close to something wonderful

Monique 78 said...

I'm crazy about Mediterranean and Middle East civilisations. I'd love to join this travel, but not sure I can afford....