At the Mediterranean's eastern end, this once gradually liberalizing Arab country and up-and-coming travel destination possesses some gems of ancient history, including Aleppo, Palmyra, and various landmarks of Phoenician, Roman, and Crusades history. But except for capital Damascus, much of Syria has been devastated and made unsafe for travelers by a decade of horrific civil war.
But now that the brutal dictatorship of Bashir Al-Assad has been overthrown by rebels with a promising message of remaking the country as a more pluralistic democracy, we can hold out hope that one day in the not distant future visitors can return to discover and explore its amazing cultural and historic riches.
Damascus´ Umayyad is one of ´10 of the World´s Most Magnificent Mosques´
alazaat Also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus, this is one of the world's largest and oldest, finished in 715 and named for the Ummayad Caliphate during which it was built. Also considered the fourth holiest site in the Islamic world (after the mosques of Makka/Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem), it has three high domes; three minarets; a large courtyard with several domed pavillions; and an interior adorned with marble paneling, ornate grilles, and elaborate mosaics. One interesting note:…
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And although some in the West are concerned that the rebels will take Syria to a dark century, the Syrians themselves are very optimistic that it’s not gonna be like this. We´ve been disappointed before - when Bashir Al-Assad became president after his dictator father died, it looked like he would be a reformer, and we know how that turned out. But something tells me this time is different!
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