Syrian Arab Republic - Day 3

 Day 3 - Sunday 

Today we started the day with breakfast at the hotel, followed by a walking tour of Damascus. Damascus is so full of history, it would be impossible to see everything even in a week. I was amazed at the number of churches, mosques and even synagogues. We toured several houses and all had a similar architecture with a large courtyard, surrounded by many rooms. There was often a water feature in the middle with many plants surrounded the outer edge, with fresh oranges, figs and pomegranates. All of the immediate family live around the courtyard, old and young together. I loved the concept. 

The Great Umayyad Mosque of Damascus - This mosque was just incredible. The architecture, chandeliers, carpets, large Quran, John the Baptist's burial site and so much more made this mosque extremely special. 

John the Baptist's head is here!

Chapel of Hanania - Apparently this is the place where the Conversion of Saul took place from Acts 9:1-21. You can enlarge the photo and read it below. 

The Story

The tour could not be complete without the viral ice cream from Bakdash, a shawarma on the street and a stroll through the markets. I bought some sweets for my co-workers and some chamomile and rosebud tea for myself. I also bought a nice zatar mix to sprinkle on a fresh salad or some roasted veggies.

Before I knew it, we were back at the airport for our direct flight to Abu Dhabi. 

I think what has struck me the most about this trip is the amount of devastation everywhere and the resilience of the people. Despite years of war and an oppressive regime, the people are warm, kind and curious. They celebrate the moment because they don’t know what is going to happen next. Although this country is still a level 4 from the US government, I found it safe, welcoming and easy to get around. I hope that the tourism industry continues to grow and Syria flourishes for a better future.We started the day with breakfast at the hotel, which was a basic Turkish-style breakfast with fresh cheeses, cucumbers/tomatoes and hummus. We also had eggs and fresh bread. The hotel had tea, but I brought my own coffee as I need coffee to start the day. 

On our way out of the city, we saw much of the leftover destruction in Damascus from the war. It still looks like complete devastation, but as I said there is some rebuilding efforts going on. I just can’t imagine how it feels to drive past it every day. It is a constant reminder of the war and how much was stolen during that time. 

Syrian Arab Republic - Day 2

Day 2 - Saturday 

We started the day with breakfast at the hotel, which was a basic Turkish-style breakfast with fresh cheeses, cucumbers/tomatoes and hummus. We also had eggs and fresh bread. The hotel had tea, but I brought my own coffee as I need coffee to start the day. 

On our way out of the city, we saw much of the leftover destruction in Damascus from the war. It still looks like complete devastation, but as I said there is some rebuilding efforts going on. I just can’t imagine how it feels to drive past it every day. It is a constant reminder of the war and how much was stolen during that time. 

Maaloula

Our first stop was the city of Maaloula to visit the Christian area and experience some of the monasteries there. This is the city where they still speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus. I was fascinated by this fact and couldn’t wait to hear it in the church and used by the people. Before we headed into the church, we found a shop selling fresh bread, hot out of the oven, so of course, we all had to have some bread to help us on our journey. 

Monastero Saint Takla 

We started with the Monastero Saint Takla, a convent built in 1935. The legend has it that Thecia was a Christian girl whose father wanted her to marry a pagan, but she wanted to be married to a Christian. So, she ran away and prayed for God’s mercy, which opened a safe passage through a mountain (grotto) where she lived the rest of her life. She spent her life healing the sick and preaching her faith. She is also buried in the site and it is dedicated to her.

Before the war, there were 15 nuns living there, but now there are only 8 as some left and died. We visited the church that is decorated with many saints and the place where Saint Takla is buried. I received a blessing from a nun there where she tied a small piece of white string and said, “may the Lord bless and keep you” - a blessing for me. I was moved by the blessing and the beautiful of the monastery. Additionally, I took a cotton ball that was dipped in holy olive oil. I am supposed to use it to help head something in my body or someone else who is sick. I am keeping it for a special occasion. The saddest part is to hear about some of the nuns being kidnapped and some of the monastery being destroyed during the war. There are still rebuilding some parts of it after the war, but it is a beautiful place to visit and you can rent a room there as well. After visiting the church and Saint Takla’s grave, we walked the same mountain pathway that she did until we reach the top of the mountain. The views were stunning on the way and apparently during Good Friday, there is a pilgrimage at this exact area up the mountain. 

Saffeer Hotel

As we continued up the mountain, we came upon a 4-star hotel that was destroyed in 2014. Apparently, the opposition forces used to use the hotel as a base because of the view it provided to see the whole city. It’s been sitting like an empty shell for nearly 10 years. It was fascinating to walk around and see the lobby, pool area, even a bar that was completely in ruins. The hotel was quite big and it almost feels like an eyesore on the top of the mountain. I often wondered how I would feel if this was my village to see such a tourist place destroyed and never rebuilt. The guide told us the government won’t invest in it because there are few tourists. 

Convent Saint Serge et Baccus

Next, we walked up the hill to the Convent Saint Serge et Bacchus, built some time in the 4th century by the Romans/Byzantine. We attended a prayer service and walked around the alter. I find it so interesting to hear people worship in Arabic, but it was such a familiar church choir sound. We also listened to the Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic. I bought an Aramaic language book at the bookstore and I can’t wait to dig into it.

Krak des Chevaliers (Fortress of the Nights)

We drove for another two hours to a beautiful castle close to the Lebanese border. On the way, we saw so many pomegranate and olive trees with beautiful sweeping views of the valleys from the mountain. When we arrived at the castle, it looked big from the outside, but I didn’t really expect so much more on the inside. This castle was found in the 11th century and it is one of the most preserved Medieval castles in the world. There are signs to help you with recognizing the various rooms and imaging the way life used to be during those times. The castle survived the war, but there are tales of various people occupying it. 

On the way back to Damascus, we saw many, many gas tankers on the road and apparently this is the route that Iraq uses to ship their oil out of the country through Syria. They used to use the Straight of Hormuz, but obviously with it shut, they are finding more creative ways to export oil. The guide said they started exporting oil in March or so and it hasn’t stopped since then. It was a real reminder of the toll that this war with Iran is taking on other countries and the creative solutions they use to survive.

Once we got back into Damascus, we had dinner together and I ordered these delicious cherry meatballs. Of course, the meal can't be complete without Arabic sweets and fruit. It was the best way to finish up a long, but rewarding day.