Syria (سوريا)

Cities, towns, and villages

• Damascus (دمشق Dimaşk) — is the capital of Syria. Established between 8,000 to 10,000 BC, The old city of Damascus is considered to be among the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. Damascus was the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate during the Islamic Golden Age. it is entitled the City of Jasmine and is a major cultural centre in the Levant and the Arab world. The UNESCO World Heritage listed old-walled city, in particular, feels very ancient and largely consists of a maze of narrow alleys, punctuated by enigmatic doors that lead into pleasing, verdant courtyards and blank-faced houses. The city has some 125 monuments from different periods of its history – one of the most spectacular is the 8th-century Great Mosque of the Umayyads. The old city still has an authentic medieval feel to it.

• Aleppo (حلب, الشهباء Ḥalab) — is the largest city in Syria. One of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world, it has a wealth of historical sites, and its old city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monumental Citadel of Aleppo, rising above the suqs, mosques and madrasas of the old walled city, is testament to Arab military might from the 12th to the 14th centuries. The walled city that grew up around the castle contains the remains of mosques and religious schools associated with the development of the city in the Ayyubid and Mamluk eras, and mosques and palaces built in the Ottoman period later.

• Deir-az-Zur (دَيْرُ ٱلزُّور) — is a relatively young city (Ottoman period) so does not contain any spectacular ruins - though there are many extra-ordinary archaeological sites in the region. The city is flanked on one side by the Euphrates river and on the other by the stretch of desert which leads to Palmyra. It is not a tourist-oriented city, which can add to some of its appeal if you have come from Palmyra. There is a museum to visit and a famous suspension bridge over the Euphrates as well as a small souk. Is the main commercial center for the Aleppo-Mosul and Damascus-Mosul routes due to its proximity to the Iraqi border, and it is also located on several routes across the desert.

• Hama (حَمَاة / Ḥamāh) — is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria, Described as "Syria's prettiest city".
  Hama makes a great base for exploring a lot of the north-east of Syria
  1. The city is renowned for its seventeen norias used for watering the gardens (نواعير حماة), which are claimed to date back to 1100 BC. Though historically used for irrigation, the norias today are purely for show for the local population.
  2. Azem Palace. A little hidden in the old town, is not as big as its counterpart in Damascus but still very much worth a visit.
  3. Citadel of Hama. Nothing remains of the castle, but it's a locals' favourite spot for a picnic on a Friday. You do get some views over the city, can find some ice-cream there.
  4. Nur al-Din Mosque. Historic mosque built in 1163-64 CE.
  5. Dead Cities - a series of towns that once formed part of Antioch. They have long since been abandoned but make an interesting stop for tourists. Al Bara (البارة) boasts pyramidal tombs and formerly grand archways set on modern farm land. Serjilla (سرجيلة) is another famous dead city.
  6. Ma'arat an-Nu'aman - for the Mosaic Museum
  7. Apamea - a former Roman city that once housed about half a million people. Apamea was hit by an earthquake in the 12th century and much of it was destroyed but it still boasts a long street lined with columns, some of which have twisted fluting.
  8. Qala'at Sheisar - ruined castle overlooking steep river valley
  9. Qala'at Musyaf - another crusader castle about 45 minutes west of Hama. (The castle is right in the city center, you can't miss it).

• Homs (حِمْص) — is an ancient city by the Orontes river, amazing green mountains in Spring, dating back to the year 2300 B.C. Emesa's fortunes were always tied with the trade city of Palmyra. Homs was the third station on the "Silk Road" after Doura Europos and Palmyra. Now Homs has an important historical building like: Khaled Ibn Al-Walid Mosque, Al Nouri Mosque (or Great Mosque), and it is close to the Krak des Chevaliers castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• Latakia (ٱللَّاذْقِيَّة) — is the principal port city of Syria, the city consists largely of white stucco highrises and streets lined with palm trees, and the most popular beaches are along the coast to the north of the city. Latakia is home to one of Syria's largest universities, Tishreen University. The Latakia region is known for its diversity of landscapes, from the green mountains to the sandy beaches, with many important archeological sites, such as the Saladin Castle (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006) and the ruins of Ugarit, close enough to see on a day trip from Latakia, ational Museum, Ruins of Ugarit (أُوجَارِيت). The ancient Phoenician city that lays claim to developing one of the first written alphabets in the world. Located about 20km north of Latakia.

• Tartous (طرطوس) — a historical port city and historical small island called Arwad. an ancient city on the Mediterranean coast of Syria, is the second largest port in Syria after Latakia. Today Tartous is a summer vacation spot for many Syrians, numerous beach hotels and resorts are dotted along the coast.
  Arwad (أرواد), is a town in Syria on an eponymous island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is the only inhabited island in Syria. It is located 3 km (1.9 mi) from Tartus. Today, Arwad is mainly a fishing town. The island is currently surrounded by ancient Phoenician era walls. (Go by boat to Arwad Island)

• Raqqa (ٱلرَّقَّة) — the city has a long history as a Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine city. Many historic sights and artifacts have however been destroyed or lost during the fight to liberate the city.
  Raqqa makes a great base for exploring a lot of the north of Syria
  1. Great Mosque of Raqqa (الجامع الكبير في الرقة). First built in 772 AD, this mosque was extensively damaged during by fighting in 2017. Reconstruction efforts started in late 2019.
  2. Ruins of Qasr al-Banat Castle. Ruins of a 12th century palace.
  3. Raqqa Museum (متحف الرقة). Damaged during the civil war, the museum has now been renovated and is once again open to the public. However, of the more than 5,000 artifacts that was housed before the war, only about 1,300 remains.
  4. Raqqa City Walls. Assyrian fortifications, survived the 2017 siege of the city except for a 25-m-long stretch that was demolished to allow Syrian Democratic Forces troops to enter the Old City.
  5. Baghdad Gate (باب بغداد). One of the surviving historic city gates.
  6. Tuttul (Tell Bi'a / تل بيعة). Archaeological site of the Broze Age town of Tuttul.
  7. Ruins of Heraqla victory monument (موقع هرقلة الأثري) (8 km west of the city). Ruins of an unfinished victory monument from the time of Harun al-Rashid said to commemorate the conquest of the Byzantine city of Herakleia in 806. The monument is preserved in a substructure of a square building in the centre of a circular walled enclosure, 500 metres (1,600 ft) in diameter. However, the upper part was never finished because of the sudden death of Harun al-Rashid in 809 AD.

• Deraa (درعا / Darʿā) — is a city in Syria on the border with Jordan.
  - Daraa, town, southwestern Syria. It is the chief town of the Ḥawrān region of Syria. A road and rail junction located less than 6 miles (10 km) from the Jordanian border on the Wadi Jride, Daraa is the focal point for communications and transportation between Amman and Damascus.
  - Daraa serves as a market center and garrison town. The town contains ruins from the Greco-Roman period and a mosque built in 1253.
  - Daraa is the center of a grain-growing (especially wheat and barley) region. Improved farming methods were introduced, and efforts were made to remove the numerous lava rocks that have hindered land cultivation.
  - Earning the nickname “the cradle of the revolution,” Daraa was the site of the first protests of the 2011 uprising against Bashar al-Assad’s government.
  - On March 6, 2011, a group of teenagers who were inspired by the Arab Spring pro-democracy uprising were arrested after writing graffiti that used the Arab Spring slogan: “The people want the fall of the regime.” Locals took to the street in protest against the action as well as the generally poor treatment of Daraa by the government. The following week, protests spread across Syria; they continued to escalate and culminated in the Syrian Civil War.
  - Bosra has appeared on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger since 2013. Portions of the Ancient City of Bosra were destroyed during combat on 22 December 2015. There is fear of further deterioration due to severe damage to the western courtyard adjacent to Bosra’s 2nd century Roman theatre and to parts of the Ayyubid citadel which surrounds it.