Things to see and do Syria

The most important of these necropolises, the Valley of Tombs, runs along the Al-Qoubour Oued west of Palmyra. It houses many tower tombs, the oldest style attested, perhaps dating back to the Hellenistic period. Among the many testimonies of this burial art lining the flanks of the small hill of Umm al-Belqis, the tomb of Jamblique is the best preserved. It dates from 83 Apr. On three floors, it allowed 200 burials. Because the tombs of Palmyra were designed to receive an extended family circle, or even strangers to the family to whom the location was rented.

By continuing to the west by the path to the banks of the oued, the most important tower tombs, that of Elahbel, are reached. Its capacity was 300 burials. The ground floor is particularly well preserved, with ceiling ceiling and pilasters with corinthians capitals, and the view of the summit is astonishing but dangerous. Each location was closed by a stone which, according to a tradition of Palmyra, bore the image of the deceased. These stones have long been removed, and there are hardly any major museums in the world that have a few copies.

Many other tombs are particularly in ruins in the surrounding areas. Some are made up of underground chambers (hypogeous), such as that of Yarhaï, which is now reconstituted in the basement of the Damascus museum.

Another necropolis is located at the exit of the city, on the right, on the road leading to Damascus, shortly after Hotel Palmyra.

It is mainly composed of hypogeous. The tomb, said of the three brothers (mid th century), is accessible by a staircase that plunges the visitor underground. It is in T. An inscription indicates that three brothers built this tomb for commercial purposes. Each wing contained small modules to accommodate the dead. In addition, it gives us an idea of the decorations painted inside the tombs. The main wing is decorated with a fresco to the glory of the three brothers.

150 m from there, the Recorded Recorded (98 apr. ) is particularly interesting by the sculpture (much later since dated 229) who represents the deceased, a notable rich of the name of Maqqaï, taking part in his funeral banquet, lying on his own sarcophagus.

On the other side of the road to Damascus, there is a third necropolis, including the Artaban recorded, well preserved as discovered during the pipeline route, in 1957. Nothing prevents the discovery of tombs on foot or by car (for the distant ones) alone. However, there are only closed doors. To see the richly decorated interior, tours are organised from the Antiques museum where tickets are purchased. Fixed-time departures since the Master of the keys (an employee of the museum) must join the convoy. Only two tombs are open to the visit.

Consecrated to the civilizations of Djézireh, the museum, inaugurated in 1996, showcases life in the region. It traces the rich past of this land from the Neolithic to Muslim Syria.

" See the museum in the city centre (even for anti-museums). Indeed, we finally have excellent daily scenes to imagine what life could be 3 000 to 4 000 years BC along the Euphrates in the Mari and Dura-Europos cities. The presentation of figurines, tablets, bronzes… is very well done. My recommendation: instead of épuiser to say "I was there" in Mari or Dura-Europos… I recommend spending a morning in this museum and then reaching Palmyra. " Jean-Claude Sylvestre, Paris, France.

Room 1. Rebuilding of a house of Tell Bouqras (site to the south-east of Deir ez-Zor). The main pieces are displayed in the left bedroom of the house.

Room 2. It comes from the reconstitution of a door of Tell Bderi (south of Hassaké). The objects of the Mari civilization (including cylindrical seals) and the Empire empire and beautiful jewels of Tell Brak (manufactured in 2300 BC), including some gold, are presented. It is amazing how much contemporary jewellers are still inspired by these forms today. At the centre of the passage to room 3, a showcase is devoted to the Hourrites, a non Semitic population originating in Anatolia.

Room 3. Reconstitution of Room 64 of the Royal Mari Palace. It opened on the throne hall and it was in this hall that the statue of the goddess in from vase was found. The frescoes illustrate the royal investiture (on the sides, two dates of dates harvest and, in the upper register, meeting between the king of Mari and the goddess Ishtar). On the Neo-Assyrian Djézireh, notice the door from Tell Ajaja. It is the god Lamassou, a winged bull with a human face.

The Assyrian reconstructed garden, like the rooms of the nearby windows, comes from Hard Katlimmu. Closing the room, the Dura-Europos's Nest presents copies of the paintings of the temple of Bêl. The most recent part of the museum is devoted to the inhabitants of the steppe. It is essential to reserve a little bit of its concentration to look at the valuable ethnographic data identified here.

Tourists, conquered by the exceptional monuments of Palmyra, often forget to walk through the oasis. However, the gardens that populate the ancient city cover over 3 000 ha, where palm trees, olive trees and pomegranate trees grow away from high walls of land between which wind paths and canals.

The irrigation, once exclusively provided by the Efca source, is now complemented by diesel powered diesel pumps. In the middle of this maze of paths, you will probably be invited to share a glass of tea in the shade of a garden.

It will also be an opportunity to discover the fauna and flora that inhabit these places: date palms, olive trees and grenadiers. Today, the oasis belongs to the premises. Some have built part of their parcel of coffee; A break in one of them is the best way to discover how the oasis works.

Try a route from the street that runs through the palm grove to then reach the temple of Bêl. Around it, you will find several small coffees lost in the middle of the vegetation, some with swimming pool and space for camping:

Al-Baider coffee restaurant

Located behind the time of Bêl

59 17 410 86 54 84 44 09 031

[email protected]

Count 300 LS for a meal, 50 LS for tea or coffee (served alcohol) and 300 LS for sleeping under tent.

In the Bêl temple, this café-restaurant serves typical dishes from Palmyra served on tables scattered throughout the oasis. Here no concrete structure, we are in contact with nature, surrounded by palm trees, olive trees and grenadiers with a privileged view on the rear wall of the temple of Bêl. If you want to relax in the swimming pool, you can relax with a massage or even spend the night in the Bedouin tent at the entrance to the camp.

An unforgettable exit, provided that it is done in clear time. Half an hour before dark, take pull and vent, call a taxi and indicate the direction of jebel Qassioun (200 LS one way). After crossing the bare hill and overcoming the futuristic buildings of the presidential palace and the palace of hosts, then the monument to the dead, the car stops on the road in a balcony overlooking Damascus. The difference is such that you feel like flying around the city. Minarets and modern buildings go beyond a compact, compact housing. In the distance, a green belt loop the city and seems to protect it. While the day is brutally seated at night, a hundred muezzins stand in the air to invite the faithful to prayer. The city lights up with a thousand lights, while the cold that wins the mountain reminds us that Damascus is a desert girl.

The vision that is offered to contemplative at the beginning of the st century does not, however, have much to do with the inflamed stories of writers, a century ago.

" The city appears from there, all graceful and white, with its roof roofs and its fine minarets, in the midst of the abundant foliage tablecloth surrounding it like a small sea, or a large lake, with a slightly bluish green. The last rays of sunshine gently empourprent her; It does not seem very large, but deliciously cool and beautiful in its woods and orchards. The mountains and the plains that are crushed by the autumn, which surround the oasis, give the impression of desert; it is a splendid and splendid framework, especially at this hour of the day when a pink mist voile the summits of anti-Lebanon and Hermon. (Vega, Travel to Syria and Galilee, 1912.)

Dozens of small cafés hanging on the hill offer drinks, chicha and sometimes some dishes. Beware, prices are very high for lower quality. Moreover, scams are frequent, a tea can quickly return to 200 LS, here the pack of handkerchief on the table is paid! A board, therefore, admire the view away from these stalls and return to quench your thirst in the streets of the old town.

Beautiful rooms from prehistoric times. Very good explanatory panels. Finally, a masterpiece of ancient art dated the end of the th century. The Mosaïque mosaic was discovered in a villa in the town of Mariamin in Jebel Ansarié. Six women are represented playing musical instruments (castanets, flute, organ, rattlesnakes). A unique document on the music of the time.

The Azem Palace is located on the left bank of the Orontes near the city centre, facing the public garden. There is a small street passing under the aqueduct of one of the major norias. Built by the same governor (Azem Pasha) as the palace of Damascus, he is not equal.

Its dimensions, its plane at levels and its escapement on the Orontes make it a magnificent th century building.

We first enter the haremlik encombré of ancient sculptures, where the iwan faces a fountain under a magnolia. This yard serves the stables and warehouses, which are now housed in the museum. On the floor you can discover the most noble part of the haremlik, preceded by a magnificent portico. Three rooms in T are served by a room under cupola. In contrast to the portico, rooms present a wax museum in the beautiful furniture (painted wood, meubles-impregnated furniture…). It illustrates the astonishing wealth of costumes in the region.

Down on the ground floor, we won the small hammam of the palace where scenes reconstruct the animation of the bath. We then win the salemlik as the haremlik on two floors. The ground floor was reserved for the service.

On the floor the reception rooms are open, with some original ornamentations.

The principle is simple: It is about raising the water through the current to water the gardens that dominate the bed of the river. Large wooden wheels with buckets turn like mills at the rhythm of the river. Become at the top of her noria, water is discharged into a stone channel that leads her to gentle slope as far as possible from the shores without any human effort. Man must, however, build and maintain these large wooden wheels that water and current gradually use.

The wood grinding, the runoff of the excess water, the fine rain worn by the wind have an unforgettable charm. The higher the wheel, the more striking the effect is.

The city centre has a beautiful group of norias near the public garden. But the most imposing group, the "four norias", is located in the east, 1 km from the river. La Noria is located downstream of the citadel. Its 21 m diameter is the highest in Hama. It dates back to the th century.

If you visit the theatre, you should not miss entering the Great Mosque in the same park. It contains the tomb of the Afghan Sultan Ibrahim, who died in 778, who abandoned his throne to end his days in faith and charity in Djéblé. The large prayer room, with the low vaults under many domes, is particularly austere.

The only vestige of a very rich history, the theatre of Djéblé makes it possible to appreciate the importance of the city in Roman times. With the same diameter as the one in Palmyra (90 m), it could accommodate nearly 7 000 spectators on three floors of stands. Only the first two floors (11 and 12 rows) are well preserved. Built in flat ground, like that of Overnight, the hemicycle is supported by a powerful dome system which can still be done. It is difficult to get an idea of the quality of the decor, so the scene is in poor condition. Nevertheless, the remaining remains show a real concern for detail and care for the choice of imported materials, such as granite and marble.

Beyond the surprising gap is, we move towards the entrance of the castle which is now on one of the south towers. It's reached by a gentle slope ramp that runs three of the towers of the cross circle, the beautiful pin device. The bastion crossed the three towers from the inside to arrive at a recently cleaned and decorated courtyard. This court serves the main franques constructions: écuries, dungeon and poterne. The latter, surrounded by two towers, had a drawbridge based on the ditch of the ditch.

In front of the main entrance, Arab constructions are discovered: a mosque and steam bath as well as a tank of impressive proportions (10 m depth 32 m in length).

Gap. The gap on arrival is particularly spectacular. Dug on the rock over a length of 156 m, it allowed to cut the castle of the plateau which continues to the east and thus perfect the defence of the site. Only a needle that supports the drawbridge was spared by the crusaders. Monumental, it forms a curious 28 m high monolith. In the age of dens and explosives, it is hard to imagine what such a puncture was supposed to be in the th century. Near the parking lot, there is a large room, probably used as a prison, and, in front of it, the remains of an identifiable stable with mounts for mounts that are pierced by the wall.

The Byzantine fort, in the state of ruin, is not visiting. By circumventing it, a shop is housed in a two-storey Carolingian defence. From there, you can reach the low yard. It is from the lower town that the troops of Saladin could enter the citadel. By moving towards the exit, we go to a Byzantine chapel.

Stables. A nearly square room, 32 m apart, consisting of five naves defined by four rows of pillars, was the fortress stables. They were equipped with drinking water. The south side of the room is equipped with a tank that is reached by one of the towers of the enclosure.

The dungeon. Crossing the threshold, we reach a large room at the centre of which an imposing square pillar pillar supports a ceiling vaulted ceiling. Archères atténuent slightly the darkness of the places. The same provision is found on the floor, which is reached by stairs on the north side. Access to the terrace, by the same dark and steep staircase, makes it possible to enjoy an admirable view of the 24 m of the dungeon. Two of the ancient Byzantine walls stand in the way of the court.

This is the same dungeon as the vanquished crusaders were able to leave free, with a ransom set at 10 dinars for men, 5 dinars for women and 2 dinars for children.

Mosque and hammam. Unlike other cross fortresses taken by Muslims (Marqab, Krak des Chevaliers), the mosque was not installed in a disused chapel. Dated the period of Sultan Qalaoon by the mention of the low door of the mighty square minaret, she complemented a set of buildings including a palace. The latter has an entrance made up of three spherical niches to mouqarnas, and a bande of geometric web. The palace was equipped with a modern hammam. A central courtyard, composed of four iwan (open quadrangular vaulted room on the courtyard of some mosques) with central fountain, serves bathrooms, which still have their pipes and beautiful coloured marble plates.

Unfortunately, the service is inefficient, though nice.

Around the acropolis, in tight islets, extended several quarters of dwellings and workshops. Lapidary and Goldsmiths worked for the fortune and reputation of Ugarit.

Designed on a plane relatively similar to that of the Royal Palace, the residences of the rich Ougaritains offered the particularity of hosting both the living and their deceased ancestors. An opening to the ground of a small piece of each house allowed to win the burial chamber by a stair of stairs. The most beautiful example of this joint arrangement at most of the major residences is located in the house of Rapanou, which is a town of the city, whose neighbour, a Dénommé, was responsible for the Ugarit market. The houses have delivered various, often very luxurious, objects of local, foreign, or even imitation bills such as Egyptian beetles and ivories.

In the northeast of the tell, dominating the city, the acropolis presented to its visitors two main temples, one dedicated to Baal, the other to Dagon. These massive buildings were visible from the port. Today, from these anonymous ruins, you can see the nearby sea and the view to the Hotel Méridien. Ships'anchors were raised to the sanctuary of Baal, the god of the storm. Offerings were devoted to him, sometimes so that his anger did not trigger storms that were harmful to navigation, sometimes to plead the rain necessary for cultures.

As indicated in the Dagon temple stelas, shared between the Louvre and the Aleppo Museum, animals were sacrificed to this god in honour of the dead. In the house, known as the Magician-Magician, south of the acropolis, many livers of clay animals were found. Prêtres priests, called aruspices, examined the entrailles of the victims and animals to draw predictions.

The site's guarded entrance allows access to the threshold of the Royal Palace of Ugarit, composed of a multitude of two- or three-tier chutes, and combined over its two hundred years of existence. Panels indicate the function of each of them. The Royal Palace was so richly decorated and furnished that its fame had come to the ears of pharaoh Amenhotep III. The official entry was decorated with two columns whose base of the drums is still visible. On the left, a library housed a large collection of shelves. In contrast, a large dallée courtyard (the main palace) had a well at the south-west corner and a water system.

In the east of this court, many exhibits were located in the administrative centre of the city (offices, archives) and funeral facilities. Finally, a large garden agrémentait everything.

In the north and south of the Royal Palace, several buildings have been discovered, without the need to determine the precise use of them: the northern palace, at the central courtyard with bitumen coated with bitumen (left, in the main street), certainly abandoned well before the destruction of Ugarit; the large building that faces it and whose exceptional burial cellar was established some years ago; finally, the small palace (in the south), which also houses a cave.

From the numerous fortifications known to Ugarit, the western section is best preserved, with its square tower which protected the palace and its backdoor (poterne) which allowed access. The glacis is particularly tilted: These remains were probably more used during the final Fire of Ugarit. It then came directly to the palace by a ramp that is no longer visible.

The. Tablettes, the military art and the currencies of the Lattakia museum are not looking for masterpieces. Most of the excavations are exhibited either at the Damascus museum or at the Aleppo Museum. Here the main interest lies in the place itself (a former caravanserai to the beautiful vaults), whose upper floor, built under the French mandate, housed the governor of the state of the Alawi. The large number of columns of columns crammed into a corner of the garden betrays the importance of Lattakia in antiquity. The garden of the museum is a pleasant break in the midst of lush vegetation, the only possible green stop to Lattakia without gardens.

The museum's rooms are located on the ground Floor and do not hesitate to push the wooden doors that give them access.

Two mosques deserve a visit: the Great Mosque () al-Dawla Street) from the beginning of the th century, and not far away the Al-Jadid Mosque (Maleki Street) of the th century, raised by Soulayman Pasha, the uncle of the Bâtisseur Palace of Damascus.

The large Greek Orthodox community in the city surrounds its churches with special care. The one dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Filasteen Street) has a beautiful marble decorated iconostasis (th century). St. Nicholas Church, Mayssaloun Street, houses a collection of th and th century Syrian icons as well as an ebony throne (th century). See also the Latin Church, the oldest in the city, only look, the interior has been completely renovated (open from to every day, at the corner of Yarmouk and Baghdad streets.)

An interesting museum that brings together collections from various eras, prehistoric, classical and Muslim.