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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Wow, just read that Syria is starting to promote tourism again, to Damascus (with the partial reopening of its once impressive national museum), Aleppo, and Homs, hoping to attract 2 million visitors by the end of this year. Is it still too hard a sale to make?
More info here:
https://www.newsweek.com/syria-renowned-national-museum-reopens-gov...
http://www.nicholasreardon.com/eu.htm
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