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.