Aleppo, and a fond farewell to Syria

---

School’s out, work has finished and we had a few days off before returning to the UK. It was the first day of Ramadan and we had been surprised to hear drums outside in the street at 3.30am. This is, apparently, to wake everyone up for an early breakfast before the fasting begins each day! Even so, we had managed to get back to sleep and still made it to the bus station in time for a 8.30 departure to Aleppo.

The journey took a little under 5 hours. We feared not being able to drink even water because of Ramadan, but we needn’t have worried. The conductor still brought sweets and refreshments around until we got to Hama. There we had a short break but our favourite kebab man was closed because of the religious restrictions. A couple of hours later we were being dropped off somewhere in Aleppo and were negotiating a good price for a taxi to take us to our hotel.

The Al-Gawahar was very nice. It is well located for both the old town and the moderate restaurants of the Christian quarter. Our first challenge was lunch during Ramadan. We found a place grilling chickens and spotted a family munching away towards the back. Soon we were tucking into a huge and delicious lunch.

There were four main things we wanted to do in and around Aleppo, so rather than deal with this blog in a chronological order, let’s just look at those four.

Firstly the citadel. The ancient castle dominates the skyline around Aleppo. Unfortunately it is closed on Tuesdays! When we got in there on Wednesday we were surprised at how much there was to see, even if the ongoing excavations give it a bit of a scruffy appearance. The views out over the city are wonderful and there are several viewpoints around the walls. It was nice to sit outside and drink a refreshing tea in the shade. The new amphitheatre looks a bit out of place but we imagine it must be wonderful to see a performance of something there. Descending into the restored hammam (Turkish Bath) was nice and the dioramas in there were very good. The guidebooks recommend allowing an hour and a half but we recommend a bit more than that!

Next, the souk. Where the Damascus souk is disappointing, Aleppo’s is amazing. There are many different sections including shoemakers, butchers, spices, clothes, coffee (the smell was staggering!) and the infamous Aleppo soap (made from olive and laurel). It is usually packed with people but as the sun sets, a cannon fires loud across the city marking ifta, the end of fasting for the day. Suddenly the streets are deserted and it was incredible to see the souk without a soul in there.

Staying within the city, the beautifully restored Christian quarter is well worth a wander. The labyrinthal alleyways are well lit even at night and felt very safe. This is where the best restaurants are, but we decided we couldn’t afford to eat in the “best” of them. Instead we ate upstairs in the “Kan Zaman” where wonderful Syrian food was served at excellent prices. The souvenir shops are good for browsing but a bit on the expensive side.

An hour outside of Aleppo are the ruins of Saint Simeon. We had seen plenty of photos but it was a place we really wanted to see for ourselves. The church is essentially four basilicas (North, South, East and West) built around a pillar, once very high but now reduced to a stump of rock. This was, apparently(!), where Saul (St Paul) stood for several years (without a break?!) giving his sermons. Souvenir hunters over the years have chipped away at the pillar gradually reducing it to its current sorry state. It took us quite a while to explore every nook and cranny but it was well worth the trip out. The views over to the Turkish border were lovely, and we were reminded very much of Cyprus many years ago.

In our view, Aleppo is an unmissable sight for anyone visiting Syria. For us, the food was better than in Damascus and, while the traffic was much worse than the capital, the city was easy to explore on foot and the people were much friendlier. It was a great place to spend out final few days before heading back to Damascus for some final goodbyes.

---

Photos

Islamic Architecture
Notice the "existence" of a zebra crossing in the foreground. Don't let this fool you. Crossing the road is highly dangerous!!

Butchers Souk
A huge carcass!

Handicraft Souk
But these coffee pots were a bit too big for our rucksacks

In the Hammam
Russ wanted a waistcoat like this!

Bar at the Baron Hotel
Faded elegance at Agatha Christie's old hang out.

Comments

[barrygahan]

Looks very nice!
We're only back a week but are already planning future trips. Syria is definitely on the list! Good look to you both in Azerbaijan.