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"Ahlan wa sahlan" (`welcome` in Arabic) is the most common expression you will hear in this most hospitable of countries. Situated in the heart of the Middle East, Syria`s fascinated history has been touched by many of the great civilizations. The Greeks, Romans, Pheonicians, Arab Caliphates and Crusaders have all left their indelible mark on this intriguing country. And with both Damascus and Aleppo vying for the title of the world`s oldest continually inhabited city (at around 8,000 years each) there is plenty of history to absorb. This rich heritage has blessed Syria with some of the best monuments in the Middle East and its excellent and diverse cuisine cannot fail to impress.

Damascus

As old as time itself, this ancient city lays reasonable claim to be the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city. Mohammed supposedly saw Damascus on his way to Mecca but would not enter as he “only wanted to enter paradise once”. Today Damascus is an enchanting place. The Old City bazaars teem with carts and street vendors selling coffee and spices. The narrow busy streets reveal minarets, fountains and courtyards, and behind many a door lies thousands of years of history.

Seidnaya, Maalula and Deir Marmusa

Three fascinating places just north of Damascus are Seidnaya, Maalula and Deir Marmusa. Seidnaya is an important place of pilgrimage for Christians of the Middle East. The stunning convent sits like a castle on the top of a hill and contains an icon of Mary said to have been painted by St. Luke. Maalula is one of the last places on earth where Aramaic, the language of Jesus, is still spoken. This beautiful village of yellow and blue houses is built into a cliff-face and is home to convents, monasteries and many legends. Deir Marmusa is a multifaith monastery in the middle of nowhere, built majestically on the top of a cliff with some stunning frescoes and an active theistic community.

Aleppo

Syria’s second city, Aleppo is the historic business centre of Syria. Dating back some 8000 years, there is plenty of history to soak up in this Arabian bazaar city – from its massive citadel overlooking the city to its World Heritage listed Old City. The souk (covered market) in Aleppo is one of the biggest, most colourful and busiest in the whole Middle East.

St. Simeon’s and the Dead Cities

The beautiful ruins at St. Simeon’s Basilica tell the story of a man who in his heyday in the late 4th century was believed to be the world’s most famous man. Climbing onto a pillar to get away from people, he became famous as a holy sage, and as his fame spread and his visitors increased, his pillars got higher and higher until he stood some 18m above his mortal flock! The Dead City of Serjilla is a spookily beautiful place with remarkable ruins that give little clue to their age or when the place was abandoned. The Dead City of Barra is a wonderful place to explore with pyramids, churches and a whole array of crumbling buildings, part overgrown and little explored.

Hama and Apamea

The ancient waterwheels (Norias) of Hama provide a picturesque backdrop to this pleasant town. Creaky wooden structures, they were used to provide irrigation for the surrounding lands from the bountiful Orontes river. The beautiful 3rd century ruins of Apamea – set on a wild grassy moor overlooking the Al-Ghab plain – are particularly striking in the early evening when the sun sets on the colonnaded streets, impressive gates and sumptuous surrounds.

Along the Euphrates

Taking in a sunset from a small boat floating on this giant of Middle Eastern rivers is a perfect way to finish a day. But there are many important and impressive historical sights en-route – from the beautiful Qala’at Ja’abar surrounded by the azure waters of Lake Assad to the ruined cities of Halibyeh and Rasafa, and the Roman site of Dura Europos close to the border with Iraq. The river itself and the bustling markets of Deir ez-Zur add some colour to the beautiful sparseness of the surrounding deserts.

Palmyra, the Eastern Palace and the desert

Palmyra is the fabled pink sandstone city of Zenobia, a princess believed to be descended from Cleopatra and a constant thorn in Roman sides. The stunning site is one of the most impressive in the whole Middle East, and the sprawl of the site continually turns up new ruins of historical significance and remarkable beauty. Deep in the desert, flanked by date palms and overlooked by a hilltop castle, the sublime setting for the site is hard to beat, and what better way to explore than by the traditional Bedouin vehicle, the camel. The Eastern Palace (a.k.a. Qasr Hirl Sharqi) is an immense stunning Umayyad fortress set in the middle of a vast emptiness that lets the mind wander free. The surrounding deserts are the preserve of the famously hospitable Bedouin herders.