Damascus is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited capital in the world. It it the city where yours truly (مخدومك ابو موفق) was born. People come from all over the world to visit Syria and Damascus and get lost in 5000+ years of history. Most of that history is in the old city, inside the black semi circle (bottom right) in the picture below or very close to it. There are many newer monuments all over but I can safely say that 90% of what you ought to see in Damasucs is on this map. In fact I can track the streets I used to walk to go to college, visit friends, and "Mack" on. I can spot the gyms, the park and the bar where me and my buddy ابو انور used to hang out. To me, this is the city where every body knows your name :)
Speaking of maps let me share with the an image I copied from Google Earth.
Let us start from the top rigth, that stadium you see is part of a newer (compared to the top map) sport complex.
This was built in the early 80s (if I remember correctly).
Moving to the left there is a big white saure, which is actually a beautiful mosque that was built in the 70s.
It is called Kuwaity Mosque (as in Kuwait), by donation of some one who had that last name.
Movign to the left, the building with the red top is actually an elementary school and right next to it is the
Ministry of Education. North of the mosque there is a park in the shape of a circle.
To the left of the park, semi square-shaped building is an all girl high school.
Between the high school and the Ministry of Education is the place where I lived and grow up.
Note that the Lat/Long coordiantes are on the picture, so if you have Google Earth you can navigate
your way to my old house. To further get your orientated, notice that the bottom image can be found
in the above image in sections C1 and C2. That should get you started if you want to navigate around the city.
Now let us move to bottom and center of the above image. The blow dots (kinda next to the word AND) is the 17 Nisan (April) square. Known to most Damascenes as Sabe Bahrat (7 pawns) Square.
From the cars models and number I am pretty sure that this picture goes back to the late 70s or early 80s, if not earlier. The street that goes towards the Kasion mountain takes you to Al-Shahbandar square and then to the Ministry of education. I used to go for Jummah (Friday) prayer at the mosque you see here sometimes. The paryer started later and finished quickly, A great deal for the lazy believers :). The building on the right, is the Syrian Central Bank. The bus will probably take the very next right to go downtown. The picture itself is taken from a government building but I cannot remember what it was. If you made it there, you will see a whole lots of picutre of whoever is rulling Syria then, hanging from that building. Welcome to dectatorship.
Starting in the late sixties, due to major political changes, the demographics of Damascus started to change drastically. Although reasonable immigration can be healthy and expected, especially in a third world country, Damascus has exploded and without the infrastructure needed to sustain this unbelievable growth. The latter is most obvious when it comes to water and power shortage. Let alone the roads and services. On a the developing countries curve, Damascus gets a B or B-. If you are used to industrialized countries standards, you have to give up few luxuries when you are in Syria in general. Nothing you cannot live without though.
Speaking of luxuries, public phones are not wide spread in all of Syria in general. Even if you find a phone both, most likely it does not work. You are most likely to be using a cell phone. These are owned by the government. SyriaTel has a monopoly on the market. Although it is traded somewhere (the heck if I know who even wants to buy it) and the website might fool you, it is part of the system and no one else dare to challenge them in the market. As much as I hate to tell you so, you are stuck here. In 2005 they were charging about 15 US cents a minute. That is pretty steep if you ask me, but who is there to say other wise. The system is GSM so make sure you get yourself a cheap GSM phone from Ebay or any other source and take it with you. You can buy Sim cards from there. If your phone is not a quad (4 frequencies) make sure it will work in Syria (GSM900 and GSM1800). To keep in touch with people from other countries it is much cheaper for them to call (calling from the US to a cell phone in Syria is about 25- 35 cents). A better way to keep in touch with people outside syria is email. Most upscale hotels have internet access. Internet cafes are also very common and cheap. As slow as heck but cheap :).
Now that I got you connected, let me get you situated. Let us find you a place to stay. One thing I have to say up front, I was born and raised in Damascus so I never had the need to rent a hotel room. Not even for what you are thinking of, get your mind of the gutter :). So, with that being said I have to say that I heard of people actually staying in Damasucs for $10 a day. None of the hotels I will list hear come close. However these are the top hotels and chains (if you want to call them that) in Syria.
Cham hotel (Cham is French spelling for Sham, which is the nickname of Damascus). I am listing this first for many reasons. One of them is I think it is pretty good, it is within a walking distance from the city center. By the way, get used to the word walking. It is you best friend in Damasucs. I actually worked in this hotel when I started college. One end of it has the movie theater, the other has the cafe trottoir, and above that is a restaurant (at least it was). You can sit in the lobby and listen to live music and get a drink too. The main bar is on the 11th floor and it has live music too. The top restaurant (I think 15th or 14th floor) is one of those rotating things, that allow you to see all of Damascus while you are having dinner. If you are going to do this, do it early in your visit so you can get your bearing early in the game. This is a pretty good place to meet with others too.
Sheraton of Damascus This a great place to have a drink the bar or cafe, and also get a bite to eat. The Nawafeer serves traditional food but they also have traditional live music and dance. It is great place to have dinner. The atmosphere in this hotel is pretty good. I used to have some of my friends working there but not anymore.
Sheraton Maaret Sednaya Hotel This is another Sheraton, not that I am getting a commission or anything like that. In fact, if you go to Sheraton website, they would not even acknowledge these two hotels. If you think you want to move in and out of Damascus (the actual city) and that you are going to rent a car anyway, this is the hotel for you. It runs around $100 a night so compared to the other top dogs it is cheap. By the way a car will run you $50 in Damasucs and it goes up and up based on the season. So that will give you a reference point. If you want to search for this hotel search under Maaret Sednaya. A huge advantage to this hotel is that the town is 30km outside Damascus (1/2 an hour), so it is extremely quiet. If you go there, you will immediately notice about 15-20 degree change in temperature from the city and, here is the punch line, no pollution. One of the best restaurants I have been to when I was there in 2005 is in this town.
Le Meridien Damascus This is a bit older than Damascus Sheraton (1978) and closer to twon center (1km or so). I used to go get coffee or a drink at the Al Liwan This puts you a little bit outside the hustle and bussle of down town. You can choose to face the river (Barada), the better view side, and deal with the noise, or take the opposite side. But in general, the city sleeps early. By 11 or 12 there will be very little traffic.
Omayad Hotel, Damascus. This is one of the older hotels is the city. It is very close to Cham hotel. It is right next to one of the largest all-boys high school in Damasucs. It will also put you in the end of the major shopping area. By the way, there is couple of malls in Damascus but the vast majority of store directly on the streets.
There are many more hotels in Damascus but I do not know much about them. If you do an internet search you probably find few more. A good idea is to find online reviews. I read some and thought they were very useful.
English is your best bet in Damscus. Not everyone speaks it, but when people realize you need help those who do, will come to your help. People are very helpful and will do their best to do so. If you are waiting for a chance to practice your Arabic, this is it. People will appreciate your attempts no matter what. If you see them laugh do not be alarmed. It is becuase of the way you said things or your accent. Generally that is a good sign. Remember this is a different culture. Put a smile on your face and try again. If the Arabic speech tempo and the hand gestures started to fly, that is not a good sign. Unless used for directions, one finger (any finger) signs (almost in any spot in the world and any culture), means trouble will follow :). You to lean at least few phrases in Arabic before you go. You might by one of these books that has statements in Arabic and other languages that you can point to. I can help you if need help in pronunciation of these phrases
Let us talk Booz. Many people do not know that Syria is more secular than the USA. Drinking in public is ok in most places. Do not do it next to a mosque or a church. Use your judgement, if other around you are doing it, than it is ok. Getting drunk is not ok though. If you cannot handle you liquor, do not push your luck. Shots and other stupid drinking games are not acceptable at all. Drinking in Syria is a mature and sophisticated activity. Booz is available all over the place but nothing fancy. If you want something a bit more sophisticated try the Hawai (4444418 - 4454408 - 4427846). Make sure you carry your own bottle(s) out. If you do not, you will know why I told you to do so :).
If you wish to use the public transportation to go to other cities in Syria, I found the Alhasan (4521317 - 4516696) to be great.
I have to say the 90% of the buses that go between Syrian cities are clean, dependable and very cheap,
I am talking a $1 or $1.5 US.
When it comes to making money of you as a tourist, that comes first :). So whether it is a taxi drive or a merchant in the old Bazaar, they will make a buck of your butt one way or another. When it comes to buying sevouniers, you will be had even if you got it for free. Do not feel bad, I myself could not strike a good deal when I was there. It is like buying a car in the US you are not going to beat the dealer but you can do some damage control. Buy your stuff from spcialty stores, if you want to buy mosaic boxes or Persian rugs do so from someone who does that only. Stores that are on the main drag charge much more. Do not be afraid to walk into the side streets. Look for stores that have one person in them (I do not mean the customers). This means this guy is probably making money selling his stuff whole sale, to the other guys. You will find better much better quality. If I am going to carry something 10,000 miles, it better be worth.
Textile manufacturing is the oldest handicraft industry in Syria. It began over 4,400 years ago and flourished in ancient times. Of the things I bought was two Damask (Damesco) pillow cases. I was so proud of myself and bragged about them to my sister. She took a look and laughed her butt off; then she told me that she just bought the same thing in Dubai, for 1/5 of the price and they are made in China. I am not saying there is no Damask in Damascus, but if you do not know your stuff (like this amigo), you might as well buy your stuff from Walmart.
In general you should not go in summer. It is too hot and too crowded. If you are staying longer than couple of weeks you might want to look into renting a house rather than staying in a hotel. The prices are very reasonable off season (summer that is). If you can afford to rent a house outside the city and get a car that will be best. The city is so noisey and polluted and most homes do not have AC. If you go when it is cooler you can keep your widows close and yet not die from heat exhustion. There are so many places to visit in Damascus alone, so make sure you get an early start on your day. You can actually find things to do and see from 6am (open parks, squares, etc.) till late at night (shops, street malls, restaurants, clubs..etc.). The ministry of tourism is trying hard to provide visitors with information. I found the staff members extremely polite, knowledgeable and helpful. You can visit one of there sites located in the city and get free maps and booklets.
US citizens can contact the US embassy for fruther information or if they needed help while they are there. I strongly recommand that you know your major streets and how to get to the embassy if something happened. You might loose your passport, get sick, or have an emergency at home. Also know ahead of time where you can get cash or have some wired to you if needed. If you for any reason feel you need to get somewhere fast and safe, have your hotel or host call a cab from a taxi agencies. They call them Maktab (office in Arabic) taxi. These are operated as a net. They worry about their reputation and have higher standard of service. Their cars are newer, with ac and they will pick you up from almost anywhere for the right price. You will pay extra of course. Street taxi should never cost you more than 4 bucks (I do not care where or when). The Maktab taxi will be twice or triple that at most.
So what should you see in Damascus. Well, I learned that the worst people to ask bout a city are those who live there. They usually take evertying for granted and do not learn about their own heritage. I love Damascus but I learnt more about the city living in the US than living in it. At any rate, there are few places that you have to see otherwise you trip to Damasucs is a waste of time :). I will list some of these places here and I will provide you with some pointers. First pointer, Arabic and English versions of most website that talk about some of these locations are totally different. I will try to find some English website that have the same information, but that is not easy. What good is the arabic version to you if you do not speak it, well I think very useful. Try google language tool or try to find someone who speaks Arabic and can translate the pages for you. Trust me, it is worth it if you are really into history and culture.
The Wall and doors of old Damascus:
The remaining parts of the wall of old Damascus belong to the Roman and Islamic periods,
mainly to the Zankid and Ayobid periods. At the wall one can see seven doors erected during the
Greek era and fortified in the Roman period. The Arab Muslims closed some of these and open others,
including the eight doors still in place and seen today. These doors are the following:
Now there are billions of things to see outside Damascus. Let me run few of them by you. You will have a different outlook on that region of the world after visiting these sights.
If you are interested in visiting Syria and Damascus you might want to take a look at these links
sometime before you leave.
My recent trip to Damascus (Summer of 2005) was the straw that broke the camel's back.
From the get go, Damascus International Airport felt Deserted.
It was my exit point 16 years ago but landing in it was like landing on Mars.
The lack of activities was the first sign of being in a remote area and underdeveloped location.
Mind you that it has gone through some major improvement since I left (to be truthful).
The ever disgusting behavior of the customs individuals (begging for money or gifts)
gave me a sad dose of reality real quick.
If you are not Syrian or Lebanese, you are most likely to survive this experience.
If you know any Arabic, now it is the time to shut you yap up :).
Seeing both of my sisters, brothers in law and my friend ابو عمار was definitely worth it though.
As we drove along the Airport Blvd., cars were all over the lanes and the shoulder of the road, bikes,
joggers and even horses run along the right side (against traffic).
If that did not say welcome to Damascus I do not know what would :).
I stayed 21 days in Damascus and I wish I could say it was fun. I had a great time with my friends and family but aside from that it was miserable. The time to visit was not the best to start with. I had to go in June. My other sister who lives in Dubai can visit only in summer when here kids do not have school. It was so damn hot and altought the humidity was not there, the pollution made up for it. Cars were emitting enormous amount of smoke and there were planty of them, way more than the city streets can handle. Transportation in the city is a problem even if you have your own car. Parking is a huge problem in down town. Finding a cab was even worse. The old habit of the cab drivers trying to get several people in the car (regardless of your existance) is alive and well. The lack of AC and the smoking of the drivers made the ride extra enjoyable. It was obvious that most of the taxi drivers were new to the city because they themselves did not know much about the city.
The only fun past time that Damascus has today is food. There is not a whole lot a person can do that does not evolve around food and Shisha. Girls, in their twenties, sitting in Cafes and smoking the Shisha; that is supposed to be the ultimate declaration of being "hip" and progressive. Thank you Brittney Spears, Paris Hilton and all the other sluts. Males (from 16 and up) were stroking the Shisha as it was the closest thing to a woman that they can turn on. They had so many customs and rules on how to handle the Shisha and how to exchange possession of the "hose". I wish they had that many that dealt with social manners and ethics. I bet you, wiggling the long and hard tip of the hose, watching the top of the Shisha (Narah) glow when they sucked on it, and hearing the moaning of it (the Shisha), was a ritual that replaced a forbidden act.
The prices of everything went through the roof. A box of Kleenex cost about 40 Syrian pound (at the time the 1USD = 48 SyrP). The price of 1kg of meat is 500 Syrian pound. The average salary for a professional (with BS degree at least) seems to be around 10,000 Syrian pounds. The rent of a half ass descent house exceeds 15,000 a month. I have no idea how people are managing over there. To me, couple of thousand pounds for lunch (for two people) or dinner was no big deal but for those how live there, this is a lot of money. Nevertheless, restaurants seemed to be always full and people were spending money as if it grew on trees. With unemployment rates running close to 40% and youg men hanging around in streets, something did not add up.
If you make it there and you are looking for nice restaurants (the food is awesome even for me), here a short list that might help you out:
Aldar 111 (Damascus-beside Assieh School-963-11-542-3232). This is an old house in down town (old Damascus) that was converted to a restaurant.
Manuella, in Blodan (outside the city) 963-11-7126902. The Scenery is great at dusk and at night.
Jar al Kamar, in Saidnaia (also outside the city). Amazing view of grape vines and good food. At night as the weather gets colder ask the waiter (almost no waitresses in Damascus by the way) to bring you Abaya . On a clear and cool night, one can spend hours enjoying the piece and quietness this restaurant offers.
My Friends are really like brothers and sisters to me. They took me around, comforted me, helped me achieve the goals of my visit in ever possible way. I am so lucky to have them as friends. They made me feel like I was home and like I left the country just yesterday. I think they were shocked by how much I changed, and I was shocked by how much they did not. Yet, there is that magic that I can look at anyone of them and read his/her face like an open book. I can hear their thoughts without them saying a word. I feel their pain and joy, even when I am 10,000 miles away.
I not trying to discourage you from visiting Damascus or Syria. To me it is along the "been there done that" lines. If I am going to spend the time and the money I would not go there to have fun. If you are into history, cultural exposure, language, travel for the heck of it, or if you have family, then you will have a blast.
I was (and still am) proud of my heritage and culture. In school I learnt about the Islamic/Arab expansion, in particular under the Umayyad empire. Reading and hearing about my heritage was great but it was not until I visited France, Spain and Russia, I fully understood the full picture. In Andalucía, I took a walk long the Guadalquivir in Cordoba and visited the Mezquita. Alhambra de Granada was another perlexing site that took me in history to the golry days or Arabs and Muslims that seem to be forgotten. (Not to take anything away from the Cathédrale de Notre-Dame de Paris, on the Î le de la Cité and other western sites). I got so high on what I saw yet so sad to see what became of Arabs and Muslims today.
After I came back I strated to keep an eye on the Syrian news and I have compiled this list below. I hope to come back and work on it one day. So if some of it did not make sense to you, please bare with me.
