Tour of Syria (Village Side)

Ahweh (Arabian Coffee)

The strong aroma of the Arabian Coffee fills the house every day (known as "Ahweh" in Syria and other arabic counties). The coffee is made in a arabic kettle with with sugar and boiling water and stirred until it up froths. We usually had this it the mornings together, served in tiny glass cups. Today is going to be a long day and this coffee will give us that energy boost.

- Sarah K

Jazeerat Arwad

Today we visited Arwad Island (Jazeerat Arwad). This island is located around Tartous, one of Syria’s main cities and it is the only island in Syria. We not only travelled by boat but also got the chance later on to watch some residents making a boat from scratch. It was an amazing experience as we had the chance to see it’s ancient heritage through the buildings and we all agreed that the seafood we had there was the yummiest we’ve ever had!

- Noura A

Dessert

Some cafes we visited in Syria have added a modern twist to their traditional foods and sweets they offered. In particular, we were amazed by this pistachio, caramel Baklava, topped with pistachio coated Halawa ice cream.  Baklava is a sweet pastry made of layers  of phyllo pastry filled with a range of nuts, in particular pistachios and is sweetened with a thick sugary syrup. Halawa, also known as “halva”, is a type of dense, sweet confection, containing a variety of nuts and dried fruits.  

 The combination worked very well, and is a must try! 

  

Sarah K

Jabal Qasioun

After arriving to the diverse city of Damascus, the first noticeable thing was a HUGE mountain. This was no ordinary mountain though. It was the central aspect of the capital city! Made of rock, minerals and other matter, this beautiful piece of nature was the cherry on top of a cake for one of the most beautiful places on earth. Jabal Qasioun was used by the Syrian government as land to build over 10 000 homes for poor people back in the 1980's. It now homes for over 100 000 Syrians, with a few relatives inhabiting the area. The first place we had decided to go was the observatory on the peak of the mountain. This allowed us to look through the large flat area of Damascus, and also look into out of space!

Panorama Shot of the view from the observatory

Mohammed N

Umayyad Mosque

Today we visited Aleppo, which is Syria’s largest city. We came across an ancient 11^th century Syrian Umayyad Mosque which is known as is Syria's most important religious structure and a world heritage site and centerpiece of Aleppo. Before we could enter the mosque it was required that women were covered with hooded cloak that must be worn in the mosque, while men in shorts or sleeveless shirts were also  asked to cover. We also needed to remove our shoes before we could enter, as this is a normal practice for Muslims before they could enter any mosque. Although the mosque had been ravaged by invading Mongols, rocked by earthquakes and gutted by fire, what remains is remarkable. Because photography was permitted we were able to take wonderful pictures and we’ve shared a few with you.

Mona M

Visit to Crac de chevaliers

On todays visit to the crac de chevaliers just a short 75km trip from tartus I discovered what could be the worlds best kept secret. My guided tour of this enormous castle was a must where I learned that Syria was ‘the cradle of civilisation’ having housed many of the world’s powers throughout history. Today I truly realised the historic element of Syria would rival that of even rome!

Alaa D

Ali Deek 'Meet and Greet'

Today, we had the chance to meet and greet the famous Syrian Singer, Ali Deek. Ali Deek is not only known in Syrian but also in other Arabic countries for his unique music. We took so many photos with him but being so caught up in the excitement, we lost our camera. Although we couldn’t share these photos with you, the following are a few videos of Ali Deek’s music videos (old and recent). While watching, you will get a feel of the what the Syrian traditional dancing, clothing and music is like.

- Noura A

Shopping!!

Shopping Shopping Shopping!! we spent half our budget in one of the oldest standing shopping malls in civilliation! It was built by Muawiya Ibn Abi Sufyan, a once a Syrian empire. It is built next to the Muawiyin mosque, which is one of the largest and complex mosque in the world! we will hopefully visit it tomorrow

Mohammed N

Argulieh

Argulieh (also commonly known as a “waterpipe” ), is very popular to have in many households, restaurants and cafes around Syria.  Argulieh is an instrument used for vaporising and smoking flavoured tobacco known as “Mu’aseel”, in which the vapour or smoke is passed through the water basin.  Our group’s favourite “Mu’aseel” flavour was mint, as it wasn’t too strong. Here in Syria, Argulieh is seen as a social thing, as wherever there is a gathering, like Matteh, Argulieh is also involved. Typically Argulieh is shared with up to four people; however, to prevent the head from burning quickly from the charcoal placed on top, two people usually shared one Argulieh.

 Argulieh - “Mu’aseel” placed in a fresh apple head.

 

 

Sarah K