Arabian
Kingdoms
Adventure tours of Syria & Egypt
Magic
of the Arabian Empire
(9 Days)
Syria,
Jordan & Egypt in 9 days Weekly departure year round
Great
Arabian Kingdoms ( 12 Days)
Syria & Egypt . We'll show you the
wonders of fabled Damascus, Biblical sites and the ancient Land of the
Pharaohs on a Nile Cruise in 12 days. Weekly. Year Round
- Once
a vast Roman province, now a surprisingly friendly Arab country, Syria
is finally being discovered by travelers. Names
on the map of modern Syria positively ring with history: Aleppo,
Damascus, Latakiya, Palmyra, the Euphrates, the Orontes. Travelers
come to see all these and more. Expecting only desert, they find
a varied country of plains, mountains, valleys, rivers‹and
yes, plenty of desert.
- The
climate is typical for the eastern Mediterranean: dry in summer with
hot days and cool nights, mild and rainy in winter.
- The
great Omayyad Mosque (705) in Damascus is wonderful. At Palmyra
(Tadmor), a hundred miles east of Homs, are the extensive ruins of
a fabulously wealthy Roman City ruled by the famed Zenobia. Its
theater, Great Colonnade, monumental arch and various temples
are on everybody's list of must-sees.
- While
you're here, don't forget to meet the Syrians. Many visitors consider
them the friendliest people in the eastern Mediterranean. Come see
for yourself
Sample
Charming Boutique Hotels in Syria :
Talisman Hotel: Damascus
Talisman is more than an hotel: it is more like a home. We will provide
you all the services and luxury of a five stars residence. Two wide opened
courtyards with outdoor swimming
pool. Private and exclusive Turkish Hammam.
The Talisman is a luxury «charm» hotel situated in the old
town of Damascus, twenty minutes from the airport, a hundred yards from
the old Roman straight way (Medhat Pacha) and the historical Bab Sharqi,
famous now for its souks and street markets. This old Jewish palace, built
in a quiet side street and easily accessible by car, has been restored
in the most authentic tradition of an Arab house.
Each
of the 16 rooms and suites at Talisman is unique with its personalized
lay-out and decoration. All the rooms are equipped with the latest commodities:king
size bed, mini bar, central heating, individual air-conditioning, plasma
television set with decoder so that you may choose any channel you please,
DVD reader, wi-fi internet connection, telephone. Executive suites are
larger and have a desk corner. The bathrooms are spacious and planned
for your rest and well-being: finely worked wooden basins with their matching
mirrors, old cement tiled or beige marble floors, bath tub or shower cabin,
or both, hair-drier and comfortable bathrobes.
Zenobia hotel: Palmyra
built in 1920 … Agatha Christy was one of the welcomed guests ,
the Zenobia Hotel is ideally located in the middle of Palmyra archeological
site; rooms offers a wonderful view of the traces of past civilizations,
which you can explore at your ease.
The
26-room hotel offers a wonderful view of the traces of past civilizations,
which you can explore at your ease. The hotel is a masterpiece of elegance
and warm hospitality that is part of our commitment to tradition particularly
amidst this historical surrounding. You are welcome to the world of Zenobia
hotel where you relive the past and feel the glorious days of Palmyra.
The hotel rooms; all are air-conditioned, with central heating and a telephone.
The Countess suite is a duplex room, with two double beds and a private
bathroom on each deck. ( Supplement applies, and you must really book
in advance to get this suite)
The
Oasis restaurant offers a wide variety of delicious cuisine whether it
is indoors or in the open air with a direct view on the ruins.
Palmyra
was known as the bride of the desert, where once stood as one of the greatest
Roman oasis cities of all times. The extensive roman ruins, only a three-minute
walk from the hotel; stand gracefully to remind us of the glory of Palmyra's
past
Beit Wakil Hotel: Aleppo
A true example of the distinguished 16th century Aleppine architecture,is
a charming palace situated just outside the old city walls.This perfectly
preserved structure which has stubbornly defied the destructive elements
of time,ranks among the most elegant and
beautiful palaces in the region.
The Old City of Aleppo is a labyrinth of cobblestone streets and shops.
This alley at the entrance to the Old City also led to Beit Wakil, whose
sign and awning are visible to the left. Beit Wakil is an old merchant
serai that has been renovated into a charming 14 room hotel. The hotel
is centered around the courtyard pictured at the right, and the rooms
are all arrayed around this central point. Our room, shown at the left
was one floor up from the courtyard. The rooms are very traditional, dark
wood with equally dark woven rugs on the floor, a bed and nightstand.
For privacy one closes the wooden shutters. Except for electricity and
your cable tele , the room could have been from an Indiana Jones movie
set
The
Hotel is in " Jadidah" which is a particularly picturesque quarter.
Next to the main Maronite church is Sissi Street, which is full of old
Arab residences. Most have now been converted into small boutique hotels
and restaurants serving the delicious local Arab-Syrian cuisine for which
Aleppo is famous. Beit Wakil is one of the loveliest examples. Simple
on the outside, but you enter a beautiful courtyard with a fountain, a
majestic arch, coloured marble flooring and arabesque glass windows. You
can descend past an underground bar into stone-built cellars with a labyrinth
of tunnels, said to lead all the way to the Aleppo Citadel.
Beit
Wakil,a true example of the distinguished 16th. century Aleppine architecture,is
a charming palace situated just outside the old city walls.This perfectly
preserved structure which has stubbornly defied the destructive elements
of time,ranks among the most elegant and beautiful palaces in the region.
Faithful to the old Aleppine tradition the exterior is castle like,simple
and void of any decoration,but as soon one enters inside a magical oriental
story like world comes into existence
The
beautiful courtyards with breathtaking relief and tracery work of their
walls, the marble fountains among the jasmine and lemon trees, the unique
iwan with its majestic arch and colors marble flooring,the elegant arabesque
woodwork of the wall cupboards,the hand drawn wooden ceilings with corniche,
the famous central Qa'a (large room: Lobby ) with its suspended dome and
coloured arabesque glass windows,the stone built cellars and the lime
stone caves below with a labyrinth of tunnels , one of which , links the
palace to the Citadel of Aleppo , are just few of the many elements which
distinguishes the Aleppine masonry art and Arabian architectural genius
Today,
Beit Wakil welcomes its guests as a four star hotel with all the modern
comfort facilities. Beit Wakil rooms and suits are centrally air conditioned,
with traditional comfortable Aleppine furniture, minibar, music, T. V
and satellite services, phone and private bathrooms. Both our summer and
winter restaurants offer a wide verity of delicious Aleppine mezes and
specialties together with an oriental entertainment program of classical
Arabic music and dancing.
Aleppo
includes a virile population, a splendid architecture,and a fine Arab
tradition. Aleppo AL-Chahba, 355 Kilometers from Damascus, has been a
prosperous city since the 3rd millennium B.C. and has maintained its status
through town development and an increasing population. It has played a
vital role in the history of the area from the time of the Akkadian and
Amorite Kingdoms. Until recently it has always been the center of the
junction of the ancient trade routs. The old city was surrounded by a
wall incorporating defense towers and fortified gates built during the
Islamic period. A large part of the wall still standing, for example Bab
Qinisrin, Bab Al-Nasser, Bab Al-Hadid, Bab Antakia. Aleppo is also known
for its mosques and churches and is considered the third city in the Islamic
world because of the number of its mosques and schools. The Archaeological
Museum contains exhibits from the stone age to modern times. It has particularly
interesting collection of antiquities from some of the most ancient site
in Syria (Mari, Ugarit, Ebla) , objects found in the Euphrates Basin,
Hama, Tell Halaf and Ein
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