-
Khan Süleiman Pasha
Straight Street is busiest at the western end (Souq Medhat Pasha), where its largely devoted to shops selling textiles and clothes. There are several old khans in this area, their gates still locked at night. Khan Süleiman Pasha, built in 1732, has a central courtyard that was form
-
Imaret Sultan Süleiman
Imaret Sultan Süleiman, another building designed by Sinan (the architect behind Takiyya as-Süleimaniyya), is across the main street. Historian Ross Burns, in Monuments of Syria: A Historical Guide, suggests the Hanbila Mosque is worth a visit for the Crusader columns in the courty
-
Bimaristan Arghan
Directly across the street, behind railings, is the splendid Bimaristan Arghan, one of the most enchanting buildings in Aleppo. Dating from the 14th century, it was converted from a house into an asylum. The main entrance gives access to a beautifully kept courtyard with a central
-
Eastern Temple Gate
From the Sayyida Ruqayya mosque, follow the lane that runs due east, and turn right (south) at the T-junction leading to a crossroad marked by the half-buried remains of the Eastern Temple Gate. The gate served as the eastern entrance to the compound of the Roman Temple of Jupiter,
-
Hammam Nureddin
If youre a male and visit only one hammam in Damascus, make it busy, men-only Hammam Nureddin, accessed from the spice souq that runs between the Umayyad Mosque and Straight St. Founded in the mid-12th century, it is one of the grandest and oldest functioning hammams in the country
-
Qala’at ibn Maan
Perched high on a hilltop to the west of the ruins is Qala’at ibn Maan, also known as the Arab Castle or citadel. From here, there are spectacular sunset views over the ruins. Though it’s possible to walk here, many travellers choose to take one of the many tours sold by hotels in
-
Arab Epigraphy Museum
For most visitors this will be a case of a museum building being more engaging than its contents. The Arab Epigraphy Museum has a small but fascinating calligraphic exhibit of illuminated manuscripts, while the 15th-century Madrassa al-Jaqmaqiyya in which the collection is exhibite
-
Old City Walls
First erected by the Romans, the Old City walls have been flattened and rebuilt several times over the 2000 or so years since. What stands today dates largely from the 13th century. They are pierced by a number of gates (the Arabic for gate is bab, plural abwab ), only one of which
-
Damascus Souq
South of Umayyad Mosque is the heart of the Damascus Souq, with stretches of stalls devoted to spices, gold, sweets, perfume and fabrics. If you can drag yourself away from the colourful and fragrant displays, there are also wonderful bits of architecture, including numerous khans,
-
Bab ash
First erected by the Romans, the Old City walls have been flattened and rebuilt several times over the 2000 or so years since. What stands today dates largely from the 13th century. They are pierced by a number of gates (the Arabic for gate is bab, plural abwab ), only one of which
-
Diocletians Baths
On the north side of the great colonnaded way, four columns standing forward of the line of the portico announce the location of what was once a public bathhouse founded by Diocletian. These columns once carried a pediment over the entrance, but this has been lost. The baths surviv
-
Minaret of Jesus
There are three minarets in the Umayyad Mosque dating from the original construction, each of which was renovated and restored by the Ayyubids, Mamluks and Ottomans. The one on the southeastern corner, the Minaret of Jesus, is the tallest, and so named because local tradition has i
-
Tetraporticus
Lattakia has precious little to show for its 3000 or so years of history. More or less the only existing monument is a right-angled Tetraporticus, a grouping of four columns, which is all thats left of a Roman gateway that once marked the eastern end of the 2nd-century-AD main stre
-
Armenian Cathedral of the 40 Martyrs
Al-Jdeida is home to five major churches, each aligned to a different denomination. On Haret al-Yasmin, is the entrance to the 17th-century Armenian Cathedral of the 40 Martyrs. If possible, its worth visiting on a Sunday to observe the Armenian mass performed here, which is still
-
Azem Palace Museum
This small but lovely museum was once the residence of the governor, As’ad Pasha al-Azem (r 1700-42). The haramlek (women’s quarters), behind the ticket office, and the upstairs courtyard are particularly beautiful, leading Ross Burns, historian and author of the sage Monuments of
-
Grand Mosque
About 400m southwest of the citadel is the Grand Mosque, which, after being almost completely destroyed in the fighting of 1982, has since been faithfully restored. It was originally built by the Umayyads in the 8th century, along the lines of their great mosque in Damascus. It had
-
An
A little way south of the roundabout at the eastern end of Sharia Shoukri al-Quwatli and tucked down a laneway is the unassuming 20th-century façade of the An-Nuri Mosque, which is actually much older than first appearances might suggest. Just north of the prayer hall, the mosque c
-
Hammam Yalbougha an
Originally constructed in 1491, Hammam Yalbougha an-Nasry was one of Syrias finest working bathhouses and something of a city showpiece, yet was closed for maintenance at the time of research with no opening date fixed. If you can manage to get in to take a look around, theres a sp
-
Shrine of Hussein
To the eastern side of the Umayyad Mosque courtyard, but a part of the mosque building itself, is the Shrine of Hussein, son of Ali and grandson of the Prophet. He was killed by the Umayyads at Kerbala in Iraq. The shrine attracts large numbers of Shiite Muslims (Ali is regarded as
-
Museum Of Popular Tradition
One of the main attractions here, housed in the lovely Beit Ajiqbash (1757). The artefacts showcasing everyday life in centuries past are interesting enough, but it’s the splendid architecture and intricate interior decoration that will live in the memory, especially the guest room
Total
134 -travel
FirstPage PreviousPage NextPage LastPage CurrentPage:
4/7 20-travel/Page Goto:
