Syria (2008)
Photos per year (number): 2008 (275)
Aerial view near Damascus

The welcoming tea and coffee

Busy suburban hills of Damascus

The start of the old city

Entrance of the Souq Al Hamadiyeh

Busy evening in the Souq Al Hamadiyeh

A very popular traditional ice cream shop

The kid wants ice cream

Ice cream caf

Coming out of the Souq

Impressive Omayyad Mosque

Chatting on the square in front of the mosque

Layers of history in this old Souq

Minaret of the Omayyad Mosque

Walls of the Omayyad Mosque

Inside a shop of the old souq

Men smoking the waterpipe at a caf

Magnificent old house converted into a restaurant

Ancient splendours in this stylish restaurant

Beautiful walll decorations in another part of the restaurant

Passages near the Omayyad Mosque

Omayyad Mosque at night

In the Omayyad Mosque courtyard

Leaving Damascus between barren lands and hills

The arid lands north of Damascus

An isolated house

Barren lands along the road

Rocky hills north of Damascus

Snowy tops of the Mount Lebanon Range

A shepherd and his flock by the roadside

Rural lanscapes

First views of the Krak des Chevaliers fortress

An onlooker as we approach the Krak

Panoramic view of the Krak des Chevaliers

Entrance of the Krak

Arabic inscriptions at the entrance

A Syrian watches us as we enter the castle

Inside the castle stronghold

The amazing architecture of the XIth century

View of the neighbouring village

Castle on top of the hill

The moat and the central stronghold

Shapes and lights

Try conquering this castle!

The stables

The central fortress and the moat

Stunning heart of the castle

Views from the castle

View into the fortress

An impression of the size and position of the centerpiece

Stunning residential Princess Tower

Inside the castle

Arches of architectural genius

Impressive heights and state of conservation

Views onto the inside

Hordes of schoolchildren invading the castle

A classic view of the ultimate Crusader castle

Last view of the day

A child and his donkeys

Beautiful hills with fruit trees flowering

Small port of Tartus on the Mediterranean Sea

Tartus Cathedral

Getting closer to the Marqab Castle

Full length of Marqab Castle

Here we are at Marqab Castle

Entrance of Marqab Castle

Sea of greenhouses

Marqab Castle gate

Spring blossom

A symbol on a door frame

Nature and architecture on top of the hill

Inside the Marqab Castle

Former church inside the castle

Remains of the ancient fortifications of Marqab

A nice village on the way to Masyaf

The Masyaf citadel protected the city

Atrium of Apamea Cham Hotel

View of the water wheels from our hotel room

The norias at night

Norias and the mosque at night

The beautiful traditional water wheels make Hama's fame

Local pastries

Norias from the restaurant

Water wheel magic

Morning has risen, and the view is still so stunning

A last look at the norias from our room

View of Hama along the Orontes River

My sainthood is revealed at breakfast

A man passes by

Minaret of the old mosque of Hama

Our Apamea Cham Hotel

The dam and water wheels

Other water wheels in town

Views of Hama

Cultivated terraces on the hills

A different view of the nice village from the previous day

Saladdin castle

The impressive location of the castle

Impressive defensive tower

Man is dwarved by this medieval construction

On the way to the main entrance

Northern protective towers

Inside the castle, an old church

Daunting size of Saladdin Castle

View from a tower

Inside the castle grounds

Immense rooms

More fortifications

The castle and forest beyond

Also can't get enough of this castle

The path across the cliff

A huge reservoir

The beautiful reinforced cliff

A man collecting wood

The narrow road between cliffs

A fun-loving group visiting the castle

The amazing location

A view of the perched supply bridge

Driving on

Plains and mountains

Colourful local truck

Inside a beautiful restored Ottoman-style house

Splendid setting for a hotel

Amazing suite

An impressive room for lovers

The environment is stunning

View of our room

Narrow street out of our hotel

A traditional reception room

The impressive restaurant courtyard

Beauty all around us

Small street out of the old city

Kids playing football in the old city square

Narrow passageways abound in the old city

Sunset behind a mosque minaret

Old mosque of Aleppo

Activity in front of the Omayyad Mosque

City center view of the citadel

Entrance to a khan, area for merchants

First view of the steep citadel

The fortified mountain

Historical greatness

Children take possession of their history

A sight that impressed us, the Aleppo Citadel

We'll enter the citadel the next day

Entering an old khan

Khan specialising in metal objects

Wandering in this labyrinth

Getting lost in the great souq of Aleppo

More streets in the souq

A soap shop

An ornate mound of spices

A streetside shoe repair shop

Bucket for the old house well

Dinner at our Dar Zamaria

Passageway to our hotel

Aleppo's old city awakes

Bread in the morning

Well restorated buildings opposite the mosque

A man snoozes still

Emblem of this souq

Beauty of the souq's entrance

Quiet streets of the souq

Dark streets in the souq's morning

Inside a small mosque opposite the citadel

A good view of the citadel's entrance

The Aleppo Citadel awaits us

Entering the citadel

The main entrance of the citadel

The city from the citadel's bridge

Front gate

Entering the citadel

Inside the citadel's streets

Aleppo city center

Aleppo back to Damascus - Citadel

View from the citadel onto surrounding monuments

Inside the citadel

Satellite dishes and roofs of Aleppo

Several mosques of Aleppo

Streets in the citadel

An Islamic school's courtyard

Inside the Omayyad Mosque

Courtyard of the mosque

Elegance of the Omayyad architecture

Worshippers cross the courtyard

Omayyad mosque courtyard and minaret

Inside the Omayyad mosque

Working metal in the old city

Another metal worker

Fortress atop Apamea

Fortress from the bottom of the hill

Inside the Apamea Museum

Discovering the splendid alley of columns in Apamea

Hard to imagine the 500,000-strong ancient city

Ancient columns of Apamea

The alley of columns continues in a nice setting

Columns as far as the eye can see

The best preserved part of the city

Looking back on the site's grandeur

Standing behind the columns

The majestic Apamea site

Shepherds in the Apamea ruins

Aleppo back 2 - Apamea

An interesting roving horde of caterpillars in the ruins

Mosque of Homs

Desert road to Palmyra

Road to Palmyra... and Baghdad

Entering into the Baal temple compound

Towering columns of the Baal temple

Corinthian elegance

The splendid center of the Baal temple

Light shines on the Baal temple

Looking at the outer walls of the Baal temple compound

The clouds play up on the Baal temple

An impression of the size of the site

Contemplating the ruins

A palm tree, Palmyra's namesake

Art and architecture

The Palmyra site and the 17th century castle in the back

Entering the great column alley of Palmyra

A sandstorm arrives on the ancient site

Sand blows on the camel in Palmyra

The camel rises

The sand hides the view from the alley of columns

Looking at the superb entrance

Palmyra's amphitheater

Paolo passes by on the camel

Tetrapylon of Palmyra

Looking back at the beautiful rows of columns

Walking down magnificent streets

A small scarab reminds me of the Egyptian civilization

Engravings at the Palmyra Museum

Dates in front of a restaurant

Temple of Baal-Shamin

Palmyra site in the sandstorm

The wind of the sandstorm blows

Yellow light on the Temple of Baal-Shamin

Inside the Temple of Baal-Shamin

Ancient tomb sites

A shepherd and his flock rest from the sandstorm near the tombs

Local sheep

A towering tomb

Hill of tombs

Pounding the ice cream

The ever impressive Omayyad Mosque

Near the souq - almost a theatre stage

The old feel looks great here

Local life beneath the walls of the citadel

Elaborate cloths in the souq

Fabrics in the souq

View of the inside of the reconverted old house

View of the neighbouring hills

Damascus National Museum

Old houses near the fortress

Northern facade of the Omayyad Mosque

Inside the courtyard of the mosque

Women entering to pray

Groups gather in the courtyard

Classic Islamic architecture beauty

Main inner facade of the mosque

Elaborate mosaics

The sun shines inside the mosque

Peace of the inner court

Palm trees and a city

More mosaics along the corridors

Dome of the mosque

Stained glass windows

Gathering to hear the imam

Inside the Omayyad mosque

An inner courtyard near the old souq

     
Side street in the great souq

Azem Palace entrance

Freshly baked pastries

Azem Art school

Courtyard converted into a shop

     

 

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