City: Syria
Top Things to do in Syria
Countries
What to do and see in Syria: The Best Places and Tips
Syria from Middle East region, is best know for Sacred & Religious Sites. Discover best things to do in Syria with beautiful photos and great reviews from traveller around the world here!
Restaurants in Syria
1. Umayyad Mosque
Overall Ratings
5 based on 183 reviews
2. Site of Palmyra
Overall Ratings
5 based on 85 reviews
Reviewed By MichaelNewYork - New York
Visited Palymra in 2000 and in 1997. Given the recent events, I felt obligated to write on it. Having visited 75 or so countries, Palmyra and the Grand Canyon are my two most favorite sites in the world. It is very difficult to believe, as you drive towards Palmyra, what you will stumble upon. The site is enormous, the lack of crowds refreshing, the kindness of the locals incredible. The history is incredible: Roman, Arab, Christian, Muslim - usually all in one building! There is/was a motel in the middle of the site; the tables in the courtyard were Corinthian capitals - perhaps an archeologist's nightmare but what a unique way to have breakfast.
I will miss not being able to take my children to see its grandeur.
3. Aleppo Citadel
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 85 reviews
Reviewed By Ttimur7 - Greater London, United Kingdom
Takes your breath away leaving you fantasising about being a knight in a former life :)
Crossing the drawbridge which is a feat in itself leaves you a little out of breath, due to its sheer width, walkway and elevation
Stunning architecture considering its hundreds of years old, it was kept in amazing prestine condition.
Clean with cobbled passage ways leading up towards the inner chambers, with hoof prints & wheel prints, imbedded in the midst of the stones & general entry point. Clear signs of heavy cavalry entry into the central chambers quite some years back
Going deeper into the depths of the castle you find these immense columns metres thick, rushing upwards forming the foundations every few 20 meters apart
With arches allowing for elevated passage in between them. A colossal foundations which clearly must have cost a fortune to build, since it's design and foundations were meant as a fortification against raiders entering the city and access is further hampered by a huge moat surrounding the entire Citadel.
So much history .....
Although its foundations are in the heart of the city, it's also banking a cliff edge with a vista stretching miles beyond.
You will certainly need to explore the hidden chambers a must !!!! Most tourists miss these gems, each room a ballroom with exquisite marketry in the floor and ceiling and incredible wood panelling
You would require best part of a day to visit this place. I went with friends the year prior to the war :(.... The city deserves a furth review !!!....
4. Qala'at al-Hosn (Krac des Chevaliers)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 37 reviews
Reviewed By tumbuna - Sydney, Australia
This castle is the most complete one left in the middle east for 2 reason, 1) it was not taken in a seige but surrendered after the knights negotiated a surrender 2) the muslims respected the knights for their bravery and took the castle over not pulled it down.
The view from the outer wall is all the way to Lebanon and the inner wall is complete as well. The chapel and the main hall are still in good shape as is the toilet drops (holes in the inner wall that allowed the excretions to drop into the moat). There are other rooms here that have different uses but are not clear but there are at least ovens to cooks for the crusaders, stables for the horses and a tower for the Lookouts.
5. Apamea
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26 reviews
Reviewed By eddnash - Detroit
this Seleucid then roman city had a population of half million 2000 years ago..explains the 2 km amazing colonnaded street.
the columns are massive, pink with carvings pattern, hence more sophisticated than Palmyra's
there is also a large theatre, as well as large baths.
on the side of the city there is a large mansion for aristocracy
dont forget to see the mosaic meuseum in the Khan which has a huge mosaic collection..pretty much similar to the mosaic meuseum in Maara al Naooman (so you need either one).
there is also Al Madeek medieval Castle overlooking the city..spectacular view.
6. Norias (Water Wheels)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 21 reviews
17 Famous Water Wheels
Reviewed By Bluenile - London, United Kingdom
A welcome stop on route to Palmyra, and an excellent place to have lunch in a fab old villa Aspasia just inside the old city. A local speciality rice in yoghurt served with either chicken or lamb,topped with fried bread is highly recommended.After lunch leaving the Villa, turn left, travel back in time through narrow paved streets with medival style buildings.Take the covered passage left between the mosque and river,there are several artists workshops on the left worth a visit, where paintings are made from coffee.Follow the narrow alleyway with its old houses and overhanging Ottoman balconies that run parallel to the Orantes river and waterwheels, Slient and traffic free !! Through a covered passageway turn right and a short walk takes you onto the bridge over the river with great views of the waterwheels
7. Krak des Chevalier
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15 reviews
Reviewed By margaret h - London, United Kingdom
I have visited this Crusader castle twice, the first time in 2002, before the war which has ravaged the country. At that time, it was a very popular tourist destination, one of the must-see sights of Syria.
However, during the war, the castle and the Valley of the Christians in which it is situated were bitterly contested for 3 years after a group of Lebanese Salafis occupied the castle and terrorised villages in the Valley. They were finally expelled in the spring of 2014. Unfortunately, the castle was damaged during the fighting and was shut to visitors.
Even though it was closed, I was able to visit it again in May 2015, while it was garrisoned by the Syrian army, and saw that there was damage to the interior, but nothing which could not be repaired.
The good news is that was re-opened today.
http://www.sana.sy/en/?p=50295
I do urge you to go. It's a magnificent, awe-inspiring sight from afar. You can see why Saladin did not even attempt to take it. The inside is well-preserved and you can imagine Richard Lionheart and Crusader knights in it.
Syria is a wonderful country and this is one of the top five attractions in it.
8. Deir Mar Takla
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By eddnash - Detroit
this is a part of pilgrimage program for eastern orthodox christians, as well as a lot of shiaa visitors (surprisingly).
the monastery has an old part (2000 years old), and the added on outer new part..make sure to find the old part where the saint's grave is.
this is where Saint Takla spent the rest of her days in the mountain cave after escaping the roman soldiers.
make sure to drink from the cold holy water from the cave.
9. Souq al-Hamidiyyeh
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 110 reviews
Reviewed By Mazen k
Souq Al Hamidiyyeh reflects the old Syrian lifestyle. The shops there had been inherited from generation to another. I like the great relationship and combination among the owners of the shops there. They will invite your to share them Breakfast when you pass by their shops, even they do not know you... Great people
10. Old City
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 27 reviews
Reviewed By fabiofort - Oslo, Norway
i have spent a couple of months in Aleppo a few years ago, and have otherwise visited the city many many times. This is a wonderful city, with one of the best preserved old markets in the Middle East. interesting as a city, because of the incredible heterogeneous population, ,Armenians (most of them are grandsons and daughters of the survivers of the massacre of 1915), Druse, Kurds, Christians of all denominations, Muslims of all denominations....
the city is fantastic. Visit the castle on top of the hill
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