We arrived in Damascus on 18 Dec 2010 and immediately went in a bus to Aleppo, 375 km north, an ancient city in Syria. It was cold, 13 degrees Celcius. We had to walk quite a distance to Martini Hotel as buses cannot go through the narrow street. Shivering, I walked as fast as I could. Martini Hotel was a delight, an old traditional Syrian house turned into hotel. Dinner, then bed to rest my tired body.In Aleppo:
1. Aleppo Citadel - the first Muslim castle that had not been penetrated by the Christian crusaders. There were clever watch holes everywhere to check whether there were enemies. The moat surrounding the castle is dried now.
2. Umawi Mosque Aleppo where the tomb of Prophet Zakaria was. For ladies who wore pants, we were given a robe to be worn before entering the mosque area. We prayed Jama' Zohor and Asar. Ablution was torture as the day was freezing cold.
3, Walked through the narrow street of the souk with millions of people jostling and pushing past. Reminded me of Fes in Morocco. We couldn't buy anything, it was impossible. Anyway, I wasn't interested in shopping.19 Dec 2010, we left Aleppo early to go to Damascus, 450 km away, and stopping along the way to see the historical sights. The bus ride was gloomy with 14 degrees temperature. Syria is famous for its pistachio nuts but since it's winter, the plants were pathetically lethargic with branches devoid of leaves. I wanted so much to see the plants but it wasn't to be.
4. In Hama, the 4th largest city in Syria, we visited the old windmills which once provided the city with power. Now the two windmills were at standstill to become tourist attractions. The water level of the river has lowered and pollution set in. The drizzling cold weather and limited time allowed didn't permit us to explore around it. The cold weather is Syria forced us to look for toilets every now and then and Hisham, the guide, wasn't so pleased for the frequent stops!
5. The drive up a long steep hill to Crack Des Chavelier castle, 750 meters above sea level, was breathtaking. The winding roads provided a panoramic view of the Homs valley. The Arab Muslims under Sultan Mamluk Zaher were able to chase away the crusaders and took hold of the castle and thus remained in Muslim hands from then on.
The Homs valley.
6. In Homs we stopped at Khalid Al-Walid mosque and visit his makam. Arrived in Damascus late in the evening, very tired. We were told that we could drink water straight from the tap here as it came straight from spring water. That was good.
Food in Syria mostly consisted of fresh salads, lamb and chicken and occasionally fish. I love the food, it's healthy and they used a lot of olive oil. The many attractive pickles tempted me so much that caused me gastric attacks. From then on, no matter how attractive the pickles were, I avoided taking them. What a pity!!By this time, I felt the strain of hectic traveling with little rest. But I had to go on gritting my teeth, wondering why I made this trip. Traveling in group wasn't so fun when many members' goal was shopping and had little respect for time. I hate waiting for late comers and wondered how they felt. Didn't they feel guilty for making others wait for them? Malaysians are notorious for being selfish and blatantly disregarded others' comfort.
7. Visit to Bosra, an old historic city where in Buheira Cathederal, an old Greek Orthodox priest told Prophet Mohammad that he would be a prophet. Visited the Roman Amphetheatre and Al-Umari mosque, the first mosque built in Syria during Khalifah Umar Al-Khattab ra. The complex is so big, full of Islamic history.
21 Dec 2010, another long drive to Qosiyun mountain where makam of Habil (son of Adam who was murdered by his brother, Qabil). Along the way, there was much snow on the ground and we passed security areas where we weren't supposed to take photos. Then back to Damascus for more sightseeing.
The huge souk is around the Damascus Citadel and Umawi Mosque Damascus where makam Prophet Yahya is.At makam Prophet Yahaya in Umawi mosque, Damascus.
This mosque is described as an architectural wonder and it's really is. Nearby was Makam Salahuddin al Ayobi, the Muslim worrier who freed Arab land from the cruelty of the crusaders. I was quite overwhelmed over the information about Islamic history found in abundance there. I just remember that during Prophet Mohammad's time, he traded in Syam and Syam was Syria.Inside Umawi mosque, Damascus.
Masjid Umawi courtyard.
I took loads of photos and some I have forgotten where they were taken. My travel journal is not helping either as I wasn't able to describe the places the photos were taken. To those who read my blog and recognize the photos, please let me know whether I labeled them correctly.
There are a lot more of Syria that I would like to see at my own leisure. Insyallah, one day I may find my way back there again.
