Syria

Damascus Old City

The Umayyad Mosque, Al-Hamidiyah Souq, and old stone houses make this one of the most layered historic centers in the region.

Aleppo Citadel

The hilltop fortress gives a strong sense of the city’s long military and trading history, even before you walk into the old quarters below.

Bosra

The Roman theater and black basalt ruins are unusually intact and easy to read on foot.

Krak des Chevaliers

This Crusader castle is one of the best-preserved medieval fortresses in the world, with clear views over the surrounding hills.

Kibbeh

A mix of bulgur, meat, and spices, often shaped into patties, balls, or a baked tray dish.

Fatteh

A layered dish with toasted bread, yogurt or tahini, chickpeas, and toppings like pine nuts.

Muhammara

A red pepper and walnut spread, usually served with bread as a starter.

Baklava

Thin pastry layered with nuts and syrup, sold in many pastry shops and cafés.

Arab, Kurdish, Armenian, Assyrian, and many other communities have shaped daily life here, and you can still see that mix in food, language, churches, mosques, and neighborhood traditions. Damascus and Aleppo were major trading cities for centuries, so the old souqs, caravan routes, and craft workshops are part of the country’s living history, not just museum pieces.

• مرحبا

  mar-ha-ba

  Hello

• شكراً

  shuk-ran

  Thank you

• من فضلك

  min fad-lak / min fad-lik

  Please

• بكم هذا؟

  bik-kam ha-tha?

  How much is this?

The ancient city of Palmyra was once a major caravan hub linking the Mediterranean world with Mesopotamia and Persia, and its ruins still show how wealthy and cosmopolitan it was.

Damascus is often described as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

A horizontal tricolor of red, white, and black with two green stars in the center of the white stripe.

See who has been there and what you need to travel.