Syria Easter Tour

Wednesday 16th – Maaloula ​» Mar Musa ​»  Aleppo

• Our first stop today will be at Maaloula, a small Christian town that was almost completely decimated by ISIS in 2014. Greek Catholic Church, which was destroyed but has already largely been rebuilt.We continue to Homs.
• visit the St. Mary Church of the Holy Belt, the Seat of the Syriac Orthodox Church, where the Virgin Mary’s belt was kept until shortly before the war. 
• Fortunately the belt was already removed before the church was looted and all the icons and artwork were burnt or stolen. 
• Homs is the most affected city by the Syrian crisis, We will see another aspect of living different from Damascus .
  
• Then leave to Aleppo, A flourishing metropolis since the 3rd millennium BC, Aleppo has been fighting with Damascus for the title of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city. 
  
• The old city has undoubtedly the most beautiful souks of the Middle East. Lunch during the visit. Dinner and overnight in Aleppo.
  

Thursday 17th –  Aleppo

• Our first stop in the morning will be the famous Aleppo Castle. On the way in and out of the castle you’ll also be able to see the destroyed souk. The citadel: stands in the middle of the city and dominates it from the height of its fifty meters. It has admirably designed towers and is distinguished by its entrances made with perfection to prevent any enemy intrusion and its iron gates.
• Caravanserais: They were intended for the accommodation of traders on the move and their goods. They are famous for their decorated facades, high arched entrances and huge wooden doors that closed at nightfall …
• The souks: The old souks covered with Aleppo are distinguished by their coffered vaults and their enormous cupolas. Most date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. These are real living museums that offer us a true image of what were the commercial districts and the animation that reigned in the Middle Ages. Each souk specializes in selling a type of product. In the charming souks you can also find authentic Bedouin handicrafts, as well as rugs, fabrics and many varieties of delicacies to enjoy, such as the famous Aleppo pistachios, honey-based pastries, almonds and fruits. dry that will make happy the most greedy. 
• You will do the best shopping in the Orient …We’ll then drive into the old town, one of the areas that was the worst affected by the war. Overnight in Aleppo.

Friday 18th – Hama ​» Krak de Chevaliers ​» Homs

• Breakfast . Departure to Apamea :Founded in 301 B.C., Apamea was one of the most important cities of North Syria in the Seleucid era. The Apamea site is considered one of the most affected sites as a result of ongoing illegal excavations, which are centred on the eastern, northeastern, and western regions of the city.Armed gangs have systematically carried out illegal excavations, using bulldozers and occasionally using electronic machines to search for metals, targeting mosaics.
• Hama city and stay there for 2 hours (Visit the waterwheels) 
• krak Des Chevaliers, The most wholly admirable castle in the world." As Lawrence of Arabia commented. After a fascinating visit to the castle. 
• Overnight in Al Mishtaya.
  

Saturday 19th – Palmyra ​» Damascus

• Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to Palmyra: The one that the Romans baptized Palmyra (the city of palms) and that the Syrians call Tadmor (miracle in Aramaic) is the most important oasis of the Syrian Desert. Located 240 km from Damascus, Palmyra is the city of all superlatives. It arises in the midst of golden sands that extend to infinity. An oasis of columns remains and palm trees that testifies to the splendor of this city that made, one day, tremble Rome.
• The temple of Bel: It was for the Palmyrenes what Zeus was for the Greeks. Its temple is the largest and most majestic building in Palmyra, a unique example of fusion between Greco-Roman and oriental-inspired architecture.The theater and the big colonnade: It crosses the city on more than one kilometer by which the caravans arriving from the desert passed.Tombs: including tombs towers, tombs dug tombs temples or individual tombs.
• Back to Damascus – Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Sunday 20th –  Bosra ​» Damascus

• Breakfast at the hotel . 
• Departure towards the South of Syria.Visit Bosra , a very ancient city, already mentioned in the inscriptions of Akhenaton, in the 14th century BC. The most important of its monuments is the famous Roman theater (2nd century AD), the one of the most beautiful and best preserved in the world. It is 45 meters long and has a depth of 8 meters. Its stands can accommodate seventeen thousand spectators.
• After Visit the most complete Roman amphitheater in the world and the other monuments head to Damascus and overnight.

Monday 21st - Damascus ​» Beirut

• Breakfast, discover the daily life of the Syrians, and be in touch with the local community.Visit Neiraben Park and watch the sunset in Damascus from an elevated area overlooking the largest public square in the city.
•  Umayyad Square, Visit the remaining tourist places in Damascus. 
• Finish the tour and head to Beirut.