Syria FAQ

When is the best time to visit Syria?

- The best time to visit Syria is spring or autumn, as the temperature is in the mild mid 20s. Winter is too cold and Summer is probably too hot for all but the most hardy traveler, add to that frequent electricity and water shortages during the hot summer months.

Is it safe to travel to Syria? Is there terrorism? What about violence and crime?

- Unfortunately, this question is asked quite a lot, and it’s quite understandable given the biased and negative way Syria is portrayed in most western media. Whether by design or ignorance, this negative image is as far from reality as you can get. Anyone who has visited Syria can attest to the fact that Syria has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. Robbery is a rarity, muggings are unheard of, and violent crime in general is very rare. In fact, the reality is that there has NEVER been a terrorist attack against tourists in Syria. No tourist has ever been kidnapped or killed, EVER. People can, and do, walk around at 3 am without fear. In all likelihood, Syria is probably a lot safer than where you live.

Is the food safe to eat? Is the tap water safe to drink?

- Generally speaking, if you’re on a short trip, try to avoid eating out and stick to canned food as much as possible. The only exception is if you’re invited to somebody’s house, the food then is safe as long as you don’t over eat, Syrian food is notoriously heavy on the digestion.
If your trip is more than a couple of days, canned food may not be an appealing option, in which case stick to eating at the best restaurants you can find. Those can usually be found at high end neighborhoods in big cities, or at 4-5 star hotels. As a general rule of thumb, if the place doesn’t look appealing then don’t eat there, and remember never ever buy any food or drink off a cart or a street vendor, no matter how appealing or exotic it looks.
As for tap water, yes it’s safe to drink, but I would recommend sticking to bottled water which is readily available and cheap. If you’re not used to Syrian tap water it might give you a stomach upset.
Ignore this advise at your own risk, at best you’ll get the runs, and at worse food poisoning or even hepatitis, oh and you’ll also ruin your whole trip.

What’s the dress code? What is considered acceptable attire? Are shorts acceptable?

- Depends on where you are in Syria. In more liberal cities, or those that are used to a large number of tourists, (Damascus, Aleppo, Lattakia, Tartus) you can pretty much wear what you want, including shorts and tank tops, but generally speaking, tourists are afforded a higher degree of acceptance when it comes to clothing. Obviously, when entering places of worship, you have to be modestly dressed, that would mean long trousers and avoiding tank tops or anything see through. Women may also be required to cover their hair at some mosques.
It might also be a good idea to avoid wearing shorts if you are entering a government building as you maybe turned away. Swimwear and bikinis are to be worn only in hotel swimming pools or beach resorts (not public beaches).

Is there a shortage of water or electricity or other essential items?

- There is no shortage of basic items, necessities or essentials. Super markets are abundant, and you can usually find whatever you want there.
During the hot summer months, the electricity maybe cut for a couple of hours a day, and the water supply will only be on at certain hours. However, this is dependent on which part of Syria you’re in, and in any case most hotels have backup generators and extra water tanks.

Is there readily available internet access? What about mobile phones and long distance calls?

- Internet access is readily available in most parts of Syria via prepaid internet cards, or at hotels and internet cafes. Long distance phone calls can be made from most hotels, as well as any branch of the post office. You can obtain a Syria prepaid mobile phone sim for around 60 U.S $, which allows you to make international calls too.

What’s the transportation like? Are there taxis or buses? Can I rent a car?

- Transportation isn’t an issue in Syria, you can get to wherever you want pretty easily and cheaply. Inside cities, there is an abundance of taxis which will take you just about anywhere (including other cities). There is no need to haggle as taxis are required to have their fare meter running, but just in case you get into a taxi which doesn’t, inter city fares range between 25 to 100 lira ( 0.5 to 2 U.S $). If however you wish to take a taxi to another city, or a destination outside town, then you’ll need to haggle. This shouldn’t be your first option though, as buses are plentiful and travel to all destinations in Syria for a fee of around 200 lira ( 4 U.S $).
You can rent a car at the airport or at high end hotels, but I would strongly advise against it. Driving in Syria is very difficult and sometimes chaotic, and most of the road signs are in Arabic only.

What currency should I bring with me? Can I use my Visa or MasterCard? are there ATMs?

- You should bring U.S dollars with you, and convert them to Syrian pounds in smallish sums as the need arises. One U.S dollar is around 46 Syrian Lira. Click here for updated exchange rates.

usually Foreign tourists are required to pay certain fees in U.S dollars (eg: at borders, airports, museums, entry fees to historic sites) and most hotels will require you to pay in U.S dollars too. For most day to day expenses and shopping however, you need to use Syrian Lira. Some shops and businesses might refuse to accept foreign currency outright, or may accept it at an unfavorable exchange rate and may not return your change!
High end shops, hotels and restaurants will accept Visa and MasterCard, but the majority do not, so it’s cash only for the most part. ATMs are available in all major cities, but you need to check with your bank first to see whether you will be able to make withdrawals.

Is accommodation hard to find? Is it expensive?

- Hotels are quite numerous in major cities, and you probably won’t have much trouble booking a room, but sometimes during high season rooms can become scarce so it’s better to book in advance.
Click here for a list of hotels in Syria.
4 and 5 star hotels are very expensive, and I believe they would be outside most people’s budgets unless you’re traveling in a tour group and getting discount rates. On the other end of the scale, 2 or 1 star hotels are really cheap ( around 15 U.S $ a night or less) but they leave much to be desired in terms of service and hygiene. Your best bet would be to try to book at a 3 star hotel, as they usually offer a good balance between reasonable prices and decent quality.

- Is it acceptable to drink alcohol? What about drug use?

- Drug use is strictly prohibited in Syria, and carries very stiff penalties for usage or possession, and no distinction is made between “hard” or “soft” drugs”. If you’re carrying pot, weed, hash or marijuana for medical use or otherwise, do not attempt to enter Syria.
Drinking Alcohol in public is unacceptable (and sometimes illegal) except in tourist resorts like Lattakia. In all other cities, you may drink alcohol at the resturants or bars that serve it, as well as in private in your hotel room. You may bring alcohol with you to Syria, but maybe required to pay duty tax.

History of Syria

Syria’s history is an enchanting tale of human history itself. In all likelihood, this is where it all began, where the first human settlements sprung up, and where mankind took it’s first tentative steps towards civilization. Although sometimes melancholy, the twists and turns of a land that saw countless conquests and re-conquests, empires rise and fall and peoples flourish and vanish, is an ultimatly triumphant testament to the human race itself.

Settling, Agriculture and the Beginning of civilization 9000BC:
This is where civilization began. The development of agriculture in Syria meant settled communities. Tribes and peoples began to prefer agriculture to hunting and with the appearance of bronze and copper tools, agriculture developed quickly. Along with the development in agriculture came a development in trade, as urbanized communities began to engage in various economic activities.

Ebla, Mari and the Bronze Age:
3000 - 2000BC:
The Great Kingdoms of Ebla and Mari belong to this era. These kingdoms are the sites of where the invention of writing began. Found in both are tablets of Cuneiform writing (wedge shaped syllables), the royal archives have been a source of controversy due to its links with the Old Testament Ebla, as for Mari 17000 tablets were found. These kingdoms lasted about 1000 years due to their cultural development, their rising trade with both Mesopotamia (the land between the Euphrates and the Tigris) and the Mediterranean, and due to the irrigation of the Euphrates. Both of these kingdoms were taken over by the Akkadians from Mesopotamia and then by the Amorites at the end of this period. The Akkadians were the source of Semitic language that became the basis for the Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic languages.

2000 - 1600BC:
had taken over The recovery of trade in this area took a while. Yamkhad the Amorite kingdom in AleppoEbla… and trade began to gradually flourish. However Hammurabi ruler of Babylon, destroyed Mari.

1600 - 1200BC:
The Hittites from Anatolia and the Egyptians fought heavily for this land… but gradually the Hittites took over more and more of Syria, as Egypt was distracted due to religious havoc at home. This period also saw the rise of Ugarit where the first Alphabet was established and then taken over to ancient Greece by the Mycenaeans. This is also about the time when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and settled in Palestine.

The Hittites and the Arameans 1200 - 539BC:
A lot happened in this period… the most important was that of the Sea Peoples, a barbaric people who came from several lands around the Aegean Sea. They took over from the Hittites and Ugarit. At Ugarit, a message being sent before their arrival was found in the ruins. At the same time the Phoenicians were getting stronger and were establishing colonies around the Mediterranean. Later on the Arameans began to move across Syria to the North… their language was spoken by Jesus nearly 1000 years later, and is now still spoken in the village of Maaloula.

In about 800 BC the Assyrian Empire rose to power and for nearly 2 centuries they administered Syria and Lebanon. In 612 BC it fell to Babylonia land of the famous hanging gardens, at its capital Nineveh.

The Persians 539 - 333BC:
In this period Persia conquered Babylonia and took over the Middle East. Their colonies and provinces were well defended, governed and administered, and were all linked through an efficient network of roads. Persia fell at the end of this period to the Greeks.

Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Empire 333 - 64BC:
The defeat of Darius by the great leader Alexander of Macedonia was the beginning of Western rule over Syria. The Hellenistic Empire combined both Western and Eastern cultures but with a predominantly Greek system and outlook. After Alexander’s death, Greater Syria was divided into two empires one under Ptolemy, the other under Seleucus. Contemporary Syria was under the Seleucids. The Seleucids built Apamea as their Military base using Latakia as their main port. They also built the fortress of Doura Europos. All these cities were built under Greek architectural design and planning. At the end of this period came the Arab Nabateans from the south taking over Damascus and Bosra, while the Romans came from the north.

The Romans and Zenobia 64BC to 395AD:
flourished under the leadership of Queen Zenobia. She conquered most of Egypt and Asia Minor but was defeated by the Romans in 272AD. Through out this time Christianity was spreading aggressively through the Empire. In 324AD Constantine the Great took over from Diocletian, and named Constantinople (Istanbul) as his capital. Under Constantine, a converted Christian, Although the south was kept under Nabatean control, most of Syria was brought under control by the Romans and their leader Pompey. Under Rome, Syria’s cultivation and civilization greatly developed and with the well organized new road network; trade was able to prosper greatly. It was around this time that the great empire of PalmyraChristianity began to flourish under imperial patronage…and the Emperor Theodosius I named Christianity the official language of the Roman Empire. This change of religion and the moving of the Roman capital from Rome to Constantinople were the beginning of a new empire…

The Byzantine Empire 395-632AD:
The Byzantine Empire, a mixture of Greek culture and Christianity began with the death of Theodosius, when Rome was divided between East and West. There are many ruins and dead cities in the North of Syria that reflect the strength and architectural genius of these Romans. Among the greatest is the Basilica of St Simeon the Stylite who stood atop a pillar to pray for 38 years. The Basilica was built around this pillar and it was a regular place for pilgrims. Justinian was by far the greatest of the Roman empires during this period, he won back a lot of the lost land of the former Roman empire and it was he who held off the Sassanians (from Persia) at Resafa and Halabiye. However in 632 the new Islamic faith fighters took over Syria from the Emperor Heraclius.

Islam:
The Rashedeen Caliphate 632-661AD:
After the death of the prophet Muhammad, the Arab fighters began to spread Islam through battles and faith preaching. Under the Caliph Omar Bin Al Khattab, Syria was taken over form the Byzantines, in 636 the Muslims fought against the Byzantines in the battle of Yarmuk (on the river Yarmuk).

The Umayyad Period 661 - 750AD:
Muawiya former governor of Syria, fought with the Caliph Ali Bin Abi Talib along the Euphrates, and in 661 when Caliph Ali was assassinated he took over and made Damascus capital of the Umayyad territory. Damascus became the capital of a land extending from Spain in Andalusia to the Indus River in India. The Umayyads showed tolerance of the Christian faith and were very encouraging of education and the sciences. In 750AD Damascus was taken over by Abu Al Abbas who founded the Abbasid Dynasty in Baghdad.

Syria under the Abbasids 750 - 1199AD:
Syria, was neglected greatly under the Abbasid Dynasty, this is reflected by the lack of Abbasid architecture in Syria, which is only evident in Raqqa. After the reign of Harun Al Rashid, the Fatimids in 978AD took over the South and Damascus, while Aleppo was ruled by the Hamdanids in the 10th and 11th Centuries. The Fatimids under the leadership of Caliph Hakim began to demolish churches in the Holy Land. This coupled with the appeal for help by the Byzantines against the Seljuks prompted the next phase of Syria… the Crusades.

The Crusaders and the Ayyubids 1098 - 1250:
Arriving to Syria in 1098, under Raymond de Saint Gilles, Count of Toulouse, they took the route via the Orontes Valley (upper) then through Hama and Sheizar to the site that is now Krak Des Chevaliers. In December 1098 they massacred the Male population of Maarat Al Numan. When Edessa, a Latin enclave, fell to Zengi (a Muslim leader)… a second crusade arrived from France and Germany. However they were unable to recapture Edessa and they couldn’t capture Damascus either. This dampened European enthusiasm. Saladin, was very influential in the defeat of the Crusaders. He managed to recapture Jerusalem, Acre, Sidon, and Beirut all in 1187. He also had many battles against the leader of the third crusade, Richard the Lionheart.

The Mamelukes 1250 - 1516:
This period was not very positive for the Syria and the Syrians. Eight years after the Burgi Mamelukes took power (from their capital in Cairo), saw the attack of the Mongols who destroyed everything in their way. Under Baybars the Mameluke commander, the Mongols were defeated and the Krak, Safita, and Latakia were all taken back from the Crusaders (1271 - 1289). In 1291 Tartous was taken back by his successor Sultan Khalil. 1302, when the Crusade garrison in Arwad was taken back, saw the end of the Crusader venture in the Middle East. A second group of Mamelukes, the Burgis, took power in 1382. It took decades of rivalries between them and their predecessors the Bahris before they took power. This undermined their defense and in 1400 Damascus was hit by its biggest attacker yet, Tamerlane. He destroyed most of Syria and with the rerouting of European trade around Africa, Syria’s trade dropped.

The Ottoman Empire 1516-1918:
In 1516 Sultan Selim I, who defeated the Mamelukes in North Aleppo, conquered Syria. He later went on to claim himself as the Caliph. It was under his successor Suleyman the magnificent, that the Tekkiye Mosque complex was built in Damascus. The Ottomans built many Khans in the souks of both Aleppo and Damascus. Damascus, which was the last stop for pilgrims bound towards Mecca, had many great Khans and souks built for this cause. Aleppo’s great Khans on the other hand were built for the European Merchants after trade was opened up to Europe. Aleppo once again became the leading city of the Middle East for East-West trade. Under Ibrahim Pasha, the Son of Muhammad Ali, Damascus became the centralized government of Syria. Ibrahim Pasha captured Damascus in 1832 and founded schools, reorganized the judicial system, reformed the taxation policies and encouraged education. He also put the Christians and Jews on equal footing with the Muslims. During the First World War the Ottomans massacred between 1 and 2 Million Armenians, some in the Turkish run Belsen in Deir Ezzor. T.E. Lawrence and the Arabs, who revolted against the Turks, arrived to Damascus led by the forces of Emir Feisal, son of Hussein, the Sherif of Mecca in 1918.

Syria under the French Mandate:
In 1918 a parliamentary government was established in Damascus and in 1920 the Emir Feisal, was declared King of Syria. Syria at this point of time was geographically defined by the natural boundaries, beginning at the Taurus mountains in Turkey to Sinai in the South. The Arabs thought Syria would be a self-governing country, or so it was explained by the British. The secret Sykes-Picot agreement however would put a stop to this. This agreement which was set up in 1916 was put into action after the San Remo meeting. Syria was divided into 4 parts, and shared by Britain and France. Current day Syria and Lebanon went to the French, while Palestine and Jordan would go to the British. King Feisal was made King of Iraq.

Syria was then divided by the French into the separate provinces or states of Aleppo, Damascus, Latakia, and the Hauran. Aleppo was later brought into the state of Syria whose capital was Damascus. In 1925, the Druze population in the Hauran revolted and moved towards the capital, which prompted the heavy bombardment of Damascus by the French. In 1939 the state of Iskanderoun was given to the Turks in order to keep them neutral during the second world war. In 1942 Hauran and Latakia were incorporated into the Syrian state. In 1945 Syria gained independence and in 1946 the last of the French were seen.

Recent history:
With most of the Arab states gaining their independence around this time, Arab unity was revived. Syria entered several agreements, namely forming with Egypt in 1958 to form the United Arab Republic. In 1962 however it dissolved and in 1963 the Syrian Baath Party took control.

Syria Facts and Figures

Important information and facts about Syria:

Location: Syria is located on the Mediterranean sea, between Iraq, Israel and Turkey

Time Zone: GMT+3

Languages: official and major spoken language is Arabic. Kurdish, Armenian, Turkish and Circassian are also spoken by their respective ethnic minorities.  Assyrian and Aramaic (the language of Jesus) is also spoken in some villages like Malula.

Religion: The majority, around 74% are Sunni Muslim. A further 16% is Muslim of differing sects (Alawi, Druze, Shia). Christians of various orders make up around 10%, with Greek Orthodox being the largest denomination. Other Christian churches include Armenian Catholic, Armenian Orthodox (Gregorian), Syrian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Maronite Christian, Baptist, Mennonite, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and Nestorian (Chaldean). Other religions include Ismailis and Yazidis.

Ethnicity: The majority of the population, around 90% is ethnic Arab. Kurds and Armenians make up a sizable majority of the remainder. Other groups include Turkmen, Circassians and Assyrians.

Currency: The currency unit in Syria is called the Syrian Lira, or sometimes Syrian Pound. One U.S dollar is equivalent to around 46 Syrian Lira. Click here for an updated exchange rate.

Population: 19,750,000

Electricity: 2 pin, 220 v

Average Temperatures (degrees celsius):

winter between 0 and 15, summer mid 30’s to low 40’s. In Spring and autumn the temperature is a mild 25, so that’s the best time for a visit.

Major Cities: Damascus (capital), Aleppo, Lattakia (main port), Tartus, Homs, Hama, Idleb, As-Suwayda, Daraa, Quneitra, Deir ez-Zor, Al-Hasakah, Ar-Raqqah

Historical Places: way too many to list here. In fact, Syria is home to no less than 5 UNESCO World Heritage sites. Click here for a list of the most important places of interest in Syria

Government and Politics: Syria is a republic, with a parliamentary system and an elected president. The current president is DR. Bashar al-Assad, who was elected in 2000.

The country is divided into 14 administrative Governorates (the equivalent of states or counties), called in Arabic muhafazat (singular: muhafazah). The Governorates are divided into sixty districts, or manatiq (singular: mintaqah), which are further divided into subdistricts, or nawahi (singular: nahia). The nawahi contain villages, which are the smallest administrative units. These Governorates are administered by a Governer (muhafez) who is appointed by the ministry of the interior and approved by the cabinet, he in turn appoints officials to administer districts and subdistricts. The Governor is responsible for running all aspects and affairs of his governate, and is assisted by a provincial council of elected and appointed members.