Damascus, the beauty is under the surface

It was with anticipation and excitement we left Beirut for Syria and Damascus. We did not know what to expect; would we feel welcome? I joined this group with Against the Compass, and five people from different countries wanted to visit this country. A land full of ancient history, and a long reputation for being an exciting tourist destination; then came the Syrian civil war.

Arriving in Damaskus

As in many Arabic countries, the narrow pedestrian streets in old towns are neutral, and the doors are not too flashy. Then the surprise is even more significant when you enter a backyard and private area, typically without a roof, but always with a corner on the south side, with the top, so the sun never reaches down. You often get a wow impression when you enter these places like we did in our hotel.

On the road to Damascus, we saw several villages that were totally damaged, and much of the suburbs of Damascus were bombed, but the actual bombing never reached the center and old town of Damascus. The damage was devastating and heartbreaking, but we must be happy that the old capital is still intact. The very recent earthquake did, thankfully, not do any damage to the capital.

The Umayyad Mosque

Located in the old city of Damascus, it is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world. Christian and Muslim traditions consider it the burial place of John the Baptist head. Muslim tradition holds that the mosque will be where Jesus will return before the End of Days. When the Roman Empire ruled Syria, it was constructed as a Christian Byzantine church, which is easy to recognize when you look inside. As the Muslim community grew, they confiscated the cathedral for Muslim use.

The streets and souks of Damascus

There were only narrow pedestrian streets in most of the old town of Damascus. Then you came to the shopping streets and the souks. Everywhere people were smiling and said welcome, without feeling they wanted us to buy anything. You could feel the pleasure they felt that tourists were coming back. We did not see any shortage of goods to buy on the market.

Maaloula

We spent two nights on this trip in Damascus, the first and the last. In the middle, we spent two nights in Aleppo. So, on the second day, we left for Aleppo; on the way there, we would stop in Maaloula, a small Christian village. This village is mainly known for being the last place in the world where they speak West Aramaic. This is the language that Jesus is supposed to have spoken.

This monastery became famous during the civil war when thirteen nuns were kidnapped by a terrorist group and kept for three months before they were left free. We saw some of the nuns, but they wanted to be left in peace. Much of the village is still damaged after the war, and it is evident in the ruins of the hotel built on the top above the town. A suicide bomber bombed it.

Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi

We also stopped at Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi, the monastery of Moses. To reach it, we had to walk up stairs for about 30 minutes, and it is recommended to do this in silence. It is a very small monastery, and the main church in the facility has precious frescoes dating back to the 1000- to 1100-century. We had a simple but tasteful lunch here before we headed for Aleppo.