Find places in Syria

Must-Haves

• Umayyad Mosque (Old City)
  One of the oldest and grandest mosques on earth, with golden mosaics and a vast marble courtyard.
• Azem Palace (Old City)
  An eighteenth century governor's palace of striped stone courtyards, fountains and painted rooms.
• National Museum of Damascus (Shukri al Quwatli Street)
  Treasures from Ugarit, Mari and Palmyra, plus the painted synagogue of Dura Europos.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mausoleum of Saladin (Old City)
  The small garden tomb of the great sultan, tucked beside the Umayyad Mosque.
• Chapel of Saint Ananias (Bab Touma)
  A quiet underground chapel where Saint Paul is said to have been baptised.

Must-Haves

• Souq al Hamidiyah (Old City)
  The great covered market leading to the Umayyad Mosque, its iron roof pierced by shafts of light.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Souq al Bzouriyah (Old City)
  The spice and sweets market, fragrant with cumin, rose water and dried fruit.
• Souq al Khayatin (Old City)
  The tailors' market, good for cloth, buttons and everyday local shopping.

Off the Beaten Path

• Souq al Harir (Old City)
  The old silk market, still selling fabrics, scarves and tablecloths.

Fun for Everyone

• Al Hamra Street (Shaalan)
  A busy modern shopping street for clothes, snacks and people watching.

Must-Haves

• Bakdash (Souq al Hamidiyah)
  Pounded ice cream rolled in pistachios, a Damascus ritual for well over a century.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Al Nawfara Café (Old City)
  A historic café by the steps of the Umayyad Mosque, long home to the city's storytellers.
• Al Rawda Café (Abu Rummaneh)
  A classic city café where older Damascenes play backgammon over tea.

Must-Haves

• Straight Street (Old City)
  The biblical street running from Bab al Jabiyah to Bab Sharqi past spice shops and a Roman arch.

Off the Beaten Path

• Hammam Nur al Din (Souq al Bzouriyah)
  One of the oldest working bathhouses in the city, for a steam and scrub the old way.
• Souq Sarouja (Sarouja)
  An old Ottoman quarter outside the walls, once called little Istanbul.

Fun for Everyone

• Bab Sharqi (Old City)
  The Roman eastern gate, the starting point for evening walks through the Christian quarter.
• Old City walking route (Bab Touma)
  Getting lost between Bab Touma, Straight Street and the mosque is the best free activity in Damascus.

Great for Date Night

• Mount Qasioun (Muhajireen)
  The mountain above the city, where families gather at dusk to watch Damascus light up.

Fun for Everyone

• Tishreen Park (Mezzeh)
  A large green park where Damascene families picnic on Fridays.

Great for Date Night

• Naranj (Straight Street)
  A grand Old City restaurant known for elegant Damascene mezze and grills.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Beit Jabri (Old City)
  A restored courtyard house serving simple Syrian dishes under the lemon trees.
• Sweet shops of Al Midan (Al Midan)
  A street of sweet shops famous for fresh pastries, especially busy during Ramadan.

Fun for Everyone

• Dama Rose Hotel (Shukri al Quwatli Street)
  A big central hotel near the Barada river, practical for families.

Fun for Everyone

• Damascus International Fair (Airport Road)
  The revived annual trade fair, with concerts, food stalls and huge crowds of local families.

Must-Haves

• Ramadan nights in the Old City (Old City)
  After iftar the souks fill with families, sweets and music until late.

Must-Haves

• Citadel of Aleppo (Old City)
  One of the largest and oldest castles in the world, towering over the city.
• Great Mosque of Aleppo (Old City)
  The Umayyad mosque whose fallen minaret is being carefully rebuilt stone by stone.

Off the Beaten Path

• Khan al Wazir (Old City)
  A grand Ottoman caravanserai with striped stone and carved window frames.
• Madrasa al Halawiyah (Old City)
  A former Byzantine cathedral turned medieval school, with ancient columns inside.
• Al Adiliyah Mosque (Old City)
  An elegant sixteenth century Ottoman mosque near the souks.

Must-Haves

• Souq al Saqatiyah (Old City)
  The first of the old covered souks to be restored, alive again with butchers and spice sellers.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Khan al Shouneh (Old City)
  A restored khan near the citadel selling laurel soap, textiles and crafts.
• Aleppo laurel soap sellers (Old City)
  Buy the city's famous olive and laurel oil soap directly from family makers.

Fun for Everyone

• Bab al Faraj Clock Tower (Bab al Faraj)
  The city's Ottoman era clock tower, a landmark meeting point by the old walls.

Great for Date Night

• Jdeideh quarter (Jdeideh)
  Old mansions, churches and lanes in the historic Christian quarter, slowly being restored.

Off the Beaten Path

• Bab Antakya (Old City)
  The western gate into the souks, where the old road to Antioch began.

Fun for Everyone

• Aleppo Public Park (Aziziyeh)
  A large shady park where families stroll and children play in the evenings.

Great for Date Night

• Citadel at sunset (Old City)
  Watching the walls glow gold from the cafés around the moat is a perfect evening.

Fun for Everyone

• Restaurants of Aziziyeh (Aziziyeh)
  A lively district of Armenian and Aleppan restaurants for kebab with cherries.

Must-Haves

• Norias of Hama (Orontes River)
  Giant wooden waterwheels that groan and turn as they lift river water.
• Al Muhammadiyah Noria (Orontes River)
  The largest of the city's waterwheels, a striking sight close to the old quarter.

Off the Beaten Path

• Kilaniyah quarter (Old City)
  Vaulted lanes and old stone houses, among the few that survived 1982.

Fun for Everyone

• Four Norias at Bab al Nahr (Bab al Nahr)
  A group of wheels by riverside parks where families picnic in the evening.

Great for Date Night

• Citadel Hill Park (City centre)
  A green hilltop park on the site of the old citadel, with views over the city.

Must-Haves

• Azem Palace of Hama (Old City)
  A graceful Ottoman governor's house with courtyards and a small museum of local life.

Off the Beaten Path

• Great Mosque of Hama (Old City)
  Rebuilt after 1982 on a site that was once a temple and a church.
• Hama Museum (City centre)
  A small museum with finds from Apamea and the surrounding region.
• Shaizar Castle (Shaizar)
  A ruined castle on a ridge above the Orontes, north west of Hama.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Halawet el jibn shops (City centre)
  Hama is the home of this sweet cheese roll, made fresh every morning.

Must-Haves

• Krak des Chevaliers (Qalaat al Hosn)
  The finest crusader castle in the world, with towers, halls and views to Lebanon.
• Monastery of Saint George (Al Humayrah)
  An important Orthodox monastery with an old chapel and famous feasts.

Fun for Everyone

• Marmarita village (Marmarita)
  The liveliest village in the valley, busy with families on summer evenings.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Qalaat al Hosn village (Qalaat al Hosn)
  The village wrapped around the castle walls, best explored on foot.

Must-Haves

• Feast of the Cross (Al Humayrah)
  Bonfires and celebrations across the valley each September.

Off the Beaten Path

• Feast of Saint George (Al Humayrah)
  Pilgrims gather at the monastery for this spring feast.

Great for Date Night

• Mishtaya hilltop (Mishtaya)
  A high village with views across the valley at sunset.

Fun for Everyone

• Valley spring walks (Marmarita)
  Easy walks between orchards and springs in the cool hills.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Roadside fruit stalls (Wadi al Nasara)
  Apples, cherries and figs straight from the orchards in season.

Must-Haves

• Latakia Corniche (Seafront)
  The seafront where the whole city walks at sunset.

Fun for Everyone

• Al Shaikh Daher Square (City centre)
  The busy central square for shopping, snacks and evening strolls.

Must-Haves

• Ugarit (Ras Shamra)
  The Bronze Age city where one of the first alphabets was found.
• Saladin Castle (Al Haffah)
  A castle on a forested ridge with a famous needle of rock.

Off the Beaten Path

• Roman Tetrapylon (Old Town)
  A four sided Roman arch left from ancient Laodicea.
• Latakia National Museum (Seafront)
  A small museum in an old khan near the sea, with finds from Ugarit.

Fun for Everyone

• Blue Beach (Shatee al Azraq)
  The city's favourite beach strip, busy with families in summer.

Great for Date Night

• Ibn Hani Bay (Ras Ibn Hani)
  A quiet headland with sea views and ancient remains.

Great for Date Night

• Seafront cafés of the corniche (Seafront)
  Cafés and lounges where young people gather late into summer nights.