damascus castle travel

DESERT REGION

PALMYRA

After a travel in the Syrian desert, a green oasis of palm trees suddenly appears behind the golden dunes, revealing the beauty of the magnificent city, once a great kingdom threaten the throne of Rome under the rule of Queen Zenobia, and one of the main stations on the ancient silk road, a journey in Palmyra is a great experience to discover whether on feet or on the camel back, after the exhausted tour, take your meal in an Arabic tent with the Bedouin Folklore, and at the Sunrise or the Sunset relax and enjoy a panoramic view through the eternal monuments

Attractions

Triumphal Gate

Tetra Pylon

Colonnaded Avenue

Amphitheatre

Temple of Bell, the ancient temples

Baths

Agora

The Archaeological Museum

Valley of Hypogeum Tombs

Citadel of Fakhredin

BEDOUIN FOLKLORE MUSEUM (OTTOMAN KHAN)

RAQA

Located at the bank of the Euphrates, it posses a long history since the Alexander the Great who order to build a city in this location under the name of Nicophorium, in the 3rd centaury B.C. The king Sleucide gives it his name Seleucos which accompanies the city during the Roman and Byzantine era, Raqa reflourished during the Umayyad era the Abbasids era who built a town called Rafiqa nearby the old city

Attractions

Rampart & Turret

Bab Baghdad

The Caravans used to cross to reach Baghdad

Al Mansour Mosque

Distinctive with its Minaret which extends as high as 110 m the surrounding wall consists of 20 turrets

Girls Palace

Al Rashid Palace

Situated at the exterior of the rampart of Rafiqa during the Abbasids era

RASAFA (SERGIOPOLIS)

Situated at the rout from Aleppo to Raqa, takes its name deuring the Roman and Byzantine era honouring St Sergio, a very beautiful oasis at the banks of Euphrates at the route of caravans of the silk road crossing from Aleppo towards Palmyra and vise versa, that why the Ghassanides makes it their capital as well as the Umayyad even after the invasion of Hulagu, its monuments are still stands as a witness of its glorious history

Attractions

Cathedral of Sergio

The grand Church

Martyrium

HIR EASTERN PALACE

Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi is a huge complex, includes two palace enclosures – one large, one small – an immense hammam, a khan, gardens and a water canal.
The hammam, located to the north of the two palaces, consists of three parts: the frigarium, tepidarium and calidarium. Fine marble was used to coat its interior walls and floors. The garden, located to the south of the palaces, id enclosed by a stone wall, towers and two gates. A water canal, which is paved with stone, extends 30 km in length, originating from the village of al-Kum, northwest of the site.
The smaller palace enclosure is nearly square, its sides measure approximately 70 m long, 2 m thick and around 14 m high. Four circular towers are situated at each corner and two semi-circular towers on each side

JAABAR CASTLE

While occupied since the Byzantine period, the site gained considerable strategic significance during the AH 5th / AD 11th century as a major crossing point on the Euphrates River. The site was acquired by an individual called Jabar ibn Sabiq al-Qushayri (d. AH 464 / AD 1071–2), after which it is presently named Qalat Jabar. Between AH 458 / AD 1065 and AH 564 / AD 1169, Jabar remained under the rule of the Uqailids – a local dynasty nominally responsible to the Seljuq amirs of Aleppo while maintaining important alliances with the newly created Crusader states to the west.