The History of Syrian & Armenian Cuisine

To understand Syrian cuisine as it developed in Aleppo, a little history is necessary. Aleppo is ancient, but its roots are buried beneath a very modern city. Legend has it that the prophet Abraham paused in Aleppo to milk his cows on Citadel Hill, thus came its Arabic name Halab, which means "milk." It is one of Syria's principle cities and the second largest after Damascus. Located in northwest Syria, it borders on Turkey and is at the crossroads of great and historic commercial routes, only sixty miles from the Mediterranean Sea and the Euphrates River. Aleppo lies along the Baghdad-Istanbul railway and is linked by rail with Damascus and Beirut, Lebanon. With road connections to Damascus, Latakia, and Antioch, Turkey it is a natural gateway to Asia.

Common ingredients such as pomegranate, nuts, onions, herbs, and spices are used in this  spread.

The old city of Aleppo is centered around and dominated by a twelfth-century citadel where the ancient souks, or bazaars, are found. They run along narrow and winding streets and virtually everything from spices and silks to brass are sold in these precursors to modern shopping malls.

The city was originally laid out in walled districts entered via babs or doors. Different groups, such as Jews and Armenians, lived in these distinct quarters. Though no longer segregated residential entities, these areas are still known by their ethnic names. The overwhelming majority of Aleppians are Muslim, but Christians, Jews, Turks and Armenians have had a say in the life of the city for centuries. While some group rivalries exist, it is not unusual to find churches and mosques abutting one another in Syria's major cities.

Travelers in Syria quickly realize that the people are multilingual, diverse and very much aware of the diversity around them. In the crossroads that is Aleppo, this is particularly true. Like Damascus, it is filled with many foreigners, tourists, and refugees. The Ottoman occupation of Syria, Lebanon, Greece, and Armenia supplied a context for tolerance and sharing, giving Aleppians a commonality of food, albeit in slightly different forms and presentations. When we hear baklava, for example, we think of Greece, but it is also a Syrian pastry called batlawa. Over time, the string cheese brought to Syria by the Armenians became known as Halabi cheese or the cheese of Aleppo because that is where so many of these refugees settled.

Armenian string cheese.

 Syria has an estimated 300,000 (although numbers vary a lot with some authors put the number at 800,000) ethnic Armenians. This is the largest Armenian community outside Armenia and Russia. Armenians were present within or around the northern borders of Syria since ancient times. The ancient Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia occupied the north western parts of greater Syria. This kingdom was part of the region historical and political landscape. It was involved in all the major events of the area from Mongols, Crusaders, Turks and Ayyobid wars. The Armenians established few towns in Greater Syria like Urfa and Aintab. These towns are in modern day Turkey and with virtually no Armenians left. The kingdom finally fell under the control of Mamluks rule and the Armenian population numbers in Syria dwindled gradually as most of them either immigrated to Cyprus or lived under Ottoman Turkey north of the Syrian border. The only town in modern Syria with an original Armenian population is Kassab in the north west of the country, with an Armenian presence estimated to be 1000 years old.

Most of the current Armenians in Syria today came during the Armenian genocide at the turn of the twentieth century. Tens of thousands of Armenians were forced out of their villages by the Ottomans and taken to the edge of the Syrian desert near Deir Az'Zor were they were killed and buried in mass graves. Armenians who fled the genocide came to Aleppo and other cities in northern Syria where they were given refuge and protected from the slaughter. From there they spread to the rest of Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Cyprus and Greece, and with them spread their culture and their cuisine which is incorporated into all walks of life in northern Syria mostly, and then from there into Turkey and Lebanon. 

Destruction of the Souk in Aleppo

This post was written by Rita, who spent many years living in Aleppo.

This is the souk I remember in Aleppo.  When I live there I was in this place daily for my regular shopping.  I would go and sit with the merchants and talk to them and just have a great time and also talk to the tourist as they were coming in.  During those days they were mostly British, French, and Italian, and only a few Americans.  Then after I moved from Aleppo and came back to the US and opened Caravan-Serai Tours I would take people on the tours to one of my favorite places - the souk - to get their olive oil soaps and their spices and then some other things that they wanted.  This was not a tourist market this was a market that the locals would use so you saw all different kinds of people in all different modes of attire. I have talked to my spice man who I used for over 20 years and he is safe and at home with his family, but his shop is no longer there.  This was a shop that was owned by his great-great-grandfather and was passed down through the family.  This was a man that would tell me not to put the cinnamon next to the pepper since it would drink the smell away and it would be overpowered by the cinnamon - do not put your dry mint next to your saffron since everything will then smell like mint, etc, etc.  This was a part of my life and history so you can imagine what he is going through and what the Syrian people are going through that were so proud of their city.

The souk now has been burned by both the rebel forces and the military.  The rebels had taken refuge inside the souk and then the firing started between the different groups. The reports are stating about 1500 shops have been burned, since the doors that the shop keepers had were all made of wood. The market dates back about 2500 years ago.  It stood up to all kinds of foreign invasions over the centuries, earthquakes, but not the powerful tools of war of the 21st century.

I talked to Faez in Aleppo to see how they were all doing, he said “how do you think we are doing- we are listening to the news ad hearing what they have done to the old city. The destruction of one of the Old World Heritage Sites is something hard for us to accept.  We have 7 different Old Heritage Sites in this area and all have taken some sort of damage.”  I said, “I know, and I want to cry - what can we do?” He says to tell people to talk to their government officials and try and get this to stop. Get the foreign soldiers out of the country.  Let just the Syrians handle this.  The foreign soldiers and the others that are trying to help are not helping.  We have foreign mercenaries that have nothing to lose by burning these ruins and raping and abusing the children- this is a war and they are being paid.

We need to get the different sides to sit and talk and negotiate peace- this is something that can't keep going on - a solution is needed immediately.

This is what the souk is looking like now.  Syria is in need of foreign intervention.

I also, talked to Alaa in Damascus today and he says it is relatively ok there - way better than in Aleppo. His kids are going to school and the businesses are open, but that is for now.

You can see that both the government and the rebels are going from one area and destroying that and then moving on.  We saw that in Homs and in Hama that are pretty much ghost towns at this point.  We can't say this will be happening to Aleppo.  The museum in Palmyra has been destroyed and the artifacts have been stolen.  For a lot of you that used to travel with us to Syria I have been told that the young men that would sell us the jewelry, tablecloths, scarves etc. while at the sites are now gone and have joined the FSA.  Some have taken their families across the border to Jordan, walking thru the desert for days to get to the camps.  They do not have their documentation so they have to sneak into the country.

There is talk today that Jordan might have to close its borders to deal with the refugees they have if they are not able to get international aid for them. We are asking for your help.  Please forward these emails to friends and other people that you know that are worried or care for human lives and helping the children of the region.

We thank you for reading and listening.

~Rita

Levantine Adventure Comments

Below are comments sent to us by a participant in our most recent Levantine Adventure Tour. Thank you!

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My husband Bill and I travelled to Jordan , Syria and Lebanon on a Levantine Adventure trip sponsored by Caravan- Serai. We also did an extension to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman. This trip proved to be a trip of discovery, enlightenment and a sensitivity to other cultures and faiths.

Since 9/11 I have had many misconceptions about the Middle East, mainly because of what I have read and heard on the news. I was prepared to meet with some hostility since I was not wearing a hijab or abaya.

Bill and I did not meet with any hostility either in the cities or in the small villages visited. There were many school children on holiday (Easter week) who would approach us and ask, “Where are you from?” When we told them we were from the USA and lived in California near Disneyland we got a lot of smiles and a big “Welcome to our Country!”

We had the good fortune to have the owner of Caravan-Serai, Rita Zawaideh with us on the tour. Her colorful past living in both Jordan and Syria made for further insight into the lives of people living in the Middle East.

Both Bill and I enjoyed seeing and learning the history of the many ancient Roman ruins, amphitheaters, mosaic masterpieces, visiting Petra (the Rose Red City, spending a cold night in a tent at the Wadi Rum(I used all three blankets given to me),visiting Palmyra and the great Mosques (which were awesome in architecture and design. The inside of the Mosques had Swarovski crystal chandeliers costing over 60 million dollars. We experienced a jeep ride in the desert (it was like being on a roller coaster (I did not like the ride….too scary). I also had the unique experience to go to a fashion show in Dubai. Wow! I thought I was in a New York fashion show…. models from Russia and Sweden modeling the latest in Western attire with Hip Hop music in the background. There were men and women who were dressed in their traditional long black robes and scarf, others in Western garb all seating side by side enjoying the show.

Our tour also took us to a winery in Lebanon. We actually liked both the red and white wines and bought some at the Duty Free shop to take to the hotel.

The highlight of the trip was visiting Rita’s family both in Jordan and Syria. Both families outdid themselves to prepare a sumptuous lunch to top it off with delicious desserts. It was a real treat to talk to each of the family members and find out more about their lives. All were so welcoming, warm and friendly.

I would recommend the trip to all. It was a trip of discovery, educational, enriching, a priceless adventure. Both of us are grateful that we were given the opportunity to travel in these countries. However, it was good to get back to the USA, Irvine, our bed and to our cat, Koko Chanel who missed us.

Betty and Bill

Spring tour roundup

Welcome to Caravan-Serai Tours 2009 travel season! Very soon we will have our Levantine Adventure Tour departing and it is sold out! We are very excited to see that interest in traveling to the Middle East and North Africa is still strong, and getting stronger all the time. In addition to our set departures, Tunisia is a very popular destination. I will be trying to get postings from some of our travelers headed there in the next couple of months.

There is still room on our tours to Jordan and Syria, and Iran this spring. We are also starting to see more registrations for our fall trips- Jordan-Israel, Levantine, and Iran.

In the next couple days I will be sending out our next country profile to our mailing list. This time we will be taking a look at Lebanon. I was there this last October and I loved it. This tiny country on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea is so diverse, not only in its landscape, but also in the people who liver there. To learn more about Lebanon, visit our website and click on the link to join our mailing list. I will send the profile out in a few days, then again in about a week or so to anyone who signed up on the mailing list after it was first sent.

That's it for right now. Stay tuned for updates on our tours as they depart!

Brenda

Sights and Sounds of Jordan, Syria, & Lebanon

Below is a post from one of the participants from our Oct. 15-28 Jordan and Syria Tour. Enjoy!
Brenda
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Hi Everyone,

It's hard to believe that I'm back in my comfy home after a long journey of 14 days, flying 12 and half hours across from Amman, Jordan and another 5 hours from New York to San Francisco; it was another time capsule of another world!!!The destination: Syria and Jordan..definitely the Middle East , Wonder of Wonders, the Cradle of Civilization and ten thousand years of civilization with twenty diverse cultural eras.

Before going any further, I would like to make a disclaimer that my historical knowledge and dates may not be accurate and my story are only my interpretations. My observations of the sights and sounds are my delight in the world of discovery.

JORDAN helped me complete my list of must sees, as National Geographic did mention that PETRA in Jordan as one World Wonders. No one can really appreciate the grandeur of this site, unless you are physically there. I soon realized that PETRA "Rose Red City" was more than the famed building of the Treasury, but a whole city behind, carved out of sandstone with a Roman amphitheater and spectacular Church to boot.

Little did anyone realize that on this trip, we would be treated to seven UNESCO Sites. FYI: (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Sites.It was founded to help preserve specific landmarks and natural sites and to draw public awareness to them.

Our group had the pleasure of spending an afternoon at DANA RESERVE (UNESCO site) where we were challenged to go hiking for several hours on very rocky mountain surfaces. Our Jordanian guide gave us the hope that we would find wildlife romping about, but the only rompers, were our exuberant tour members who could have been on a photography assignment as they romped precariously from rock to rock formations to get their pictures.

Little did we expect was to be really doing hard camping at another UNESCO site, WADI RUN. It is the vast desert land with jutting landscapes and more expected wildlife. I really expected to see Lawrence of Arabia reenacted on these vast plains; our group had the pleasure of sitting on the back of open air trucks riding & bumping through the fine sand. Needless to say, our wind tousled sandy hair demanded another shampoo.But not tonight..our camp was a two man Pakistani made canvas tent with two cots and bedding. No more, no less; oh yes, a bright burning lantern outside. Honeymooners would have almost loved this, but it was too challenging to find everything in the dark, much less the bathroom which was in a separate building, many tents away. Now try going to go the bathroom in the middle of the night when you only have a small Sharper Image light to guide the way. However, one lesson learned, the Jordanians cook their dinners like the Hawaiians do a kaula pig for a Luau. Their marinated meats, namely lamb and chicken, are put into huge cauldron submerged in the ground, covered with hot wood coals and cooked a whole afternoon. The end result was a culinary delight.

To compensate for the dire conditions for us "non campers" who are more like princesses, we were rewarded with a glorious stay at the Kempinski Hotel at the Dead Sea, which I have rated as 6 star!!! What awaited us was the chance to play and float in the Dead Sea, 400 meters below sea level, and to slather ourselves with the" cure all, make you beautiful mud." Yes, we all did succumb to bringing our senior bods to test the waters and found it to be truly salty and very buoyant. With the promise of improving all skin tones to rejuvenation, we naively managed to spread this very licorice looking color mud, with the consistency of molasses, on our bodies from head to toe and that meant covering our faces. Before long, we could not recognize anyone, except by body size.

A ride through the Jordanian desert , totally void of any greenery or water on a straight road with an endless horizon, brought us to visit QASR AMRA, (UNESCO) which means "Construction". Once a 8th century Palace, complete with baths and unique Christian frescoes, we were able to find the remains of a beautiful and glorious structure. This palace, in its hey day, was once occupied in a lush valley of trees and water. Again, it was a "Kodak moment" for us or should I say a "digital" moment.

AL MUIJIB, also known as APAMEA (UNESCO),13th century, Roman city,was one of my favorites; it was a "sleeper", There are boulevards of impressive restored columns and my heart just felt my heartstrings tug. It was so spectacular!!! Imagine, avenues of bold impressive columns, " Colonnade Avenue, "where it seemed like miles of tall, majestic columns, with or without it's Corinthian curly cue tops. While strolling through the avenues, we had a well fed stray dog follow our group for a few blocks and he reminded me of my morning walk with my Sheltie dog, Monty. What is impressive is the distance that large stones had to be carried up the hill and be erected to form the columns. At the southern gate, known as the Homs gate, there exists twisted fluted columns, 2nd century AD, which was happily recorded digitally by me.


SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF JORDAN
*Each morning, at 5 am, I am awakened by the Morning call to Prayer with a lingering chant.
*The city of Amman, consists of seven hills, dotted with very concrete,boxy looking, homes everywhere. It looks like Lego land and there seems to be a lack of color, like no one paints their homes with any color, very neutral sandy
*There hasn't been any rain in the area since April 2007, very arid
*Hard to believe, there is a Sam's Club and Safeway.
*All rooftops have an unfinished look: pillars with exposed metal.This is done in anticipation of adding another floor to the building for a family member to move in
*As we leave the city of Amman, the outskirts are hilly and dotted with rows of olive tree farms and pistachio farms
*One does not forget you're in the 21st century as there is plastic everywhere: plastic bags of every color are scattered all over the countryside, as there are water bottles.
* Phosphorus is the country's biggest natural product and loaded onto trains to be transported to different areas of the country. While at Wadi Run, our morning call was the rumbling sounds of a train, transporting phosphorus
* Camels are likely to cross a highway or be lumbering around the countryside on it's own. Most of these camels are white and are smaller built as compared to their counterparts.
* One of my favorite little towns was Madaba, the city of mosaics where it was discovered a Byzantine mosaic map showing Jerusalem and other holy sites from Biblical times
* Jerash, a forgotten Roman ruin was also another visit that called for more digital moments.

Not reading my itinerary too carefully, I found out that we were going to be in LEBANON for one day. That was one of the most historic days in my life, for I have found another site that I have fallen in love with. This has to be another UNESCO site, if not a World Wonder: please let me introduce to you BAALBECK.

It is a fabulous Roman city ruins which could surpass Petra.Our visit to the Temple of Jupiter where amazingly ,much was in tact. However the piece of resistance was the Temple dedicated to Bacchus, the god of grapes and wine. Those Romans were party timers from the get go...as we were able to witness a Wine Hall that was extremely well planned and perfect for having little groupies of a 1000 for drinks and nibbles. ( ah, hummus again) Because of the recent excavation of this project, we were able to see all the many finer carved details and appreciate the grandeur. One historic note, most of the rocks and stones were monster boulder size and were secured with imbedded metal rods and moved by animals and hundreds of slaves. Each boulder had been carved up to eight steps and would be placed at each building. Water systems were "no problem" ..hot or cold, the Romans had it figured out. Their water pipes have held up for centuries!!!

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF LEBANON:
*Did you know that they make wonderful wines,they have their own Napa Valley, Chateau Ksara has garnered the title of best little ole winemaker with multi awards; they used the old caves of the Romans who stored their wines there in the early days
*the architecture of their homes are nicer and more imaginative
* There are imported cars of every vintage and every make
*Kids all wear uniforms to school
*We are again reminded of the world of plastics, where plastic bags of every color are strewn all
over the countryside giving a confetti look
* Did I mention that you can purchase anything with your American dollar;?
* Taste of Lebanese food:similar to their other Middle Eastern neighbors:
Hummus, fattoch, baba,muharahma, kibbeh, cheese rolls, sabosa, lamb, chicken kabobs, and fresh fruits of the season. Persimmons were abundant and very sweet

Crossing the borders from Jordan to Syria and vise versa was serious business; strictly no picture taking and very serious border guards from both sides checked and double checked our passports to make sure that we weren't on their undesirable list. Fortunately, our tour leader, Rita Zawaideh American Jordanian, kept everything light with her great sense of humor.

Upon arriving into SYRIA, it was like going into another world. They have water and their whole world is a lot greener. It boasts of the two major cities, Damascus,the capitol and Aleppo, former capitol. Their must see showcase is Palmyra.(UNESCO) Believe me, I had never heard of this ancient city and was truly delighted to know that we would be exploring another Roman ruin. As it was dusk, our group managed to drive up to the top of a hill where there was another castle awaiting our tired feet and begging us to explore. and to see the sunset. I chose neither. I was in "shoppers paradise". All the Syrian or Bedouin vendors were hawking their gorgeous table covers & silver necklaces. Bargain, bargain and when you pay in Syrian dollars, you're not sure if you paid too little or too much. But what a adrenalin experience.

Our morning walk in Palmyra was amongst the ruins and columns and camels;it was also another adrenalin rush, because the vendors from the night before chased us on motorcycles, yes motorcycles, trying to make a sale.We went from site to site and the motorcycles and vendors were right under our noses. We were in our element. Oh, yes.

Afew other must sees and also UNESCO site materials were in the major cities Damascus and Aleppo. Not to forget, the Citadel in Aleppo,the Street Called Straight in Damascus, the Omaryyad Mosque, also in Damascus.

We were beginning to feel "ruined ' out" but still manage to drag our tired bodies to see the other plums. The city of Bosra was nice and neat and their claim to fame is the largest Roman amphitheater. And who would have thought that the Syrians would have named a castle in French; Krak Des Chevalier.(UNESCO) It's a complicated story, but a remarkably well preserved Crusader castle.

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SYRIA
* I'm still awaken by the 5 am Morning call to Prayer with a lingering chant
* The traditional women of different sects all have their version of a black dress, called a burka or kaffeiyehs. If you go into the souk, (market place) you'll see every conceivable black dress with many embellishments of trims and flowers. The best one was when I saw a lady in her black burka and it was trimmed with the Burberry plaid. Now how stylish can you be??
* The souks, a local market since time, is the Whole Foods of the Middle East; you will find the most fascinating and complete store in the world. I was more intriqued with all the fancy women's lingerie that rivaled Fredericks of Hollywood. I certainly didn't see the women wearing them, so I suspect there is a lot going on that doesn't meet the eye under those black burkas.
* The souks gave us Americans of having a chance to interact with the merchants; when one of the merchants found out we were from America, he expressed his choice of our presidential candidate. We want" Obama, we want Obama" I had to hold my tongue.
* In the downtown area of Damascus, in the morning,the shop keepers all wash and mop their floors and even the frontage of their side walks. Shades of Japan and Korea.
* If you want a little morning exercise, try walking in downtown Damascus and try crossing the street. You have to play the game of chicken when you cross between a million yellow cabs and dodge quickly all the other oncoming cars. Great for your mind and agility
* If I haven't mentioned it before, our bathroom stops were quite challenging. Question??? Is it a Western?? No, it's a HOLY ONE!!!
* Did I mention that we traveled in a Chinese made bus ?? Yutong
* Many gorgeous pashmina scarves found in all the stores are from the Far East and even have the same familiar labels
* Upon entering the Holy Mosques, we women were required to rent a robe that covered us from head to toe and had to have our heads covered during our visit. Shoes were not permitted. It made us feel so "local".

From our Christian background, it was exciting to be visiting the many places that Jesus Christ had been to or to relive a happening from our Biblical stories. Our stop to the Baptismal site of Jesus in the Jordan River, gave way to our getting our selves wet with the same water. The visit to the Church of Annais, Basilica of St Simeon ruins and the tiny villages of Ma'alaula and Sednaya, where it is the only place in the world that speaks Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ. We heard a priest say the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic.

My head is still reeling from all this saturation of history, architecture, culture, religion, people, foods etc and feel so blessed to be able to do another Trip of a Lifetime. Now I can check off my list of Wonders of the World and add more UNESCO sites that I've seen.

AH, now for a good nights sleep....perhaps, I'll be awaken by the early morning Call to Prayer.

MURIEL KAO

Photo Album for Levantine Adventure Tour

Visit my photo album for the Levantine Adventure Tour! Click the link below.

Photo Album

enjoy!

Brenda

Home at last

Wow, what an action-packed last 2 and a half weeks! I am at home now, reflecting on my trip to Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, and what a trip it was. Where else can you see ancient wonders such as Petra, natural wonders like Jeitta Grotto in Lebanon, cosmopolitan cities like Beirut and small villages and Bedouins still living the nomadic life?

I learned about insurance for camels- what happens if a camel runs out on the road and is hit by a car or bus? This a very real problem, and camels are very valuable to their owners- one figure I heard was about $1500 US dollars per animal. Obviously something you don't want to lose. But the camel herds, and the goat and sheep herds, too, often cross highways or graze alongside the roads. So what happens if one gets hit? Well, auto insurance includes provisions to compensate the animal's owner for their loss, as well as for fixing the car and taking care of other costs. I am sure Geico has never been asked - do you cover camel accidents?

I also got to see some places I had been before and noted the many changes that have taken place. One change in Jordan is the notable increase in visitors. Sites are more and more popular as word gets out that these sights really are amazing. Other changes were not so monumental, such as noting that the cafe I used to spend lots of time at in Aleppo when I was there 12 years ago, has been upgraded with new chairs, tables, and umbrellas, and the street it sits on is now blocked off to car traffic - that was half the appeal to the place before- watching the cars zoom around the base of the citadel! Oh well, time marches on, as the sculpture of Father Time reminds us at the Jeitta Grotto caves, and things will change either in large chunks or small drips.

My next project will be to upload a web album of the photos I took throughout the whole trip.

Aleppo, Syria

Aleppo's Ommayad Mosque after a brief rainstorm.

The only day it rained during our entire trip was our day in and around Aleppo on October 15. We got lucky, though. Our day started at the Citadel of Aleppo, then the Museum afterwards. As we were leaving the museum for St. Simeon, it started to rain. We had decided to stop and get some "pizzas" for lunch to take on the way and eat while we were at St. Simeon. It rained all the way there and and while we ate our lunch in the bus, but as soon as we were done, the rain stopped! We were able to visit the site where St. Simeon the Stylite, a Christian ascetic, settled in 412. He lived for nearly 40 years on the top of a column, surrounded by pilgrims. The surrounding basilica and baptistry are on a hill top overlooking the surrounding countryside and you can see Turkey to the north. As soon as our visit was over and we were heading back to Aleppo in the bus, the rain started again!

Once back in Aleppo we went to visit the Ommayad Mosque and the souk with its miles and miles of covered passageways, located at the foot of the citadel. The souk is ancient, having been in use for centuries because of Aleppo's important location on the trade routes between east and west. You can spend days and days exploring all of the souk, and you can buy everything from kitchen utensils, fabrics, clothing, gold, souvenirs, soap, spices, nuts, sweets, and more. It is an asault on your senses, but in a good way- the odors of the spices and the sounds of the merchants moving more goods to their shops on the backs of donkeys, colors of all types of fabrics. The souk is a world of its own. Once inside, you leave the city behind, and it is very easy to get lost. I don't know if the is a map of the layout of the souk, but I doubt it would do any good. But half the fun and adventure of visiting the souk is to emerse yourself if this age-old insitution of trade and commerce, and forget about what might be going on outside.

Brenda

Beirut - the Paris of the Middle East

I have done some previous studying of the vibrant city of Beirut and it is really quite inspiring to be here at last. One thing I hadn't really realized about the city and the country of Lebanon is that there really isn't much flat land, except in the Bekka valley. The rest, almost right up to the Mediterranean Sea is mountains! Beirut is located on a natural peninsula that is relatively flat compared to the surrounding landscape. It really is beautiful here, with the warm sea breeze and the zest for life is evident everywhere.

Beirut and Lebanon have gone through so much in its history - I won't even attempt to summarize here as it would be pages and pages long even in summary! - but every time seems to snap back, rise from the ashes, and becomes even better than before. OK, some propaganda there, but for the most part it is true. While not everyone is happy about some of the reconstruction plans, or the handling of archeological sites newly discovered in the city, or the price of real estate in the downtown area, for the most part with little exception you would not know there was a war in this city as recently as 2 years ago.

There are a couple of reminders, or souveniers as our guide liked to say, of the recent war but also of the civil war in the 80s and 90s. For example, a theater that was opened just days before fighting broke out in the civil war is in ruins, but part is still standing and will some day be repaired/rebuilt and used for different purpose. There is also the shell of a Holiday Inn hotel that is a remnant from the civil war - also to be repaired someday and used again. They are reminders to what has happened while at the same time providing a stark contrast as to what has become of the city since then: new construction, pedestrian streets, a beautiful coriche to stroll on, and more have been built - the city is as modern as any western metropolis. Mercedes and BMWs and other luxury cars zoom long the streets next to Hondas and the new Chinese car - Cherry.

Today we visited Harissa to the north of Beirut to see the giant statue of the Virgin Mary and see the modern cathedral as well as enjoy the view of the city of Jounieh below, the coastline and Beirut in the distance. Our next stop was the Jeita grotto- which is a candidate for the new 7 Natural Wonders of the World. These underground caverns are spectacular - stalactites and stalagmites and the undrground river rushing through the rocks below- amazing! This place is not to be missed, it truly is a natural wonder. It is hard to imagine how long it has taken these rock formations to develop into their current state - and they are still growing and changing. There is a sculpture of Father Time outside the caves.

After the Grotto, we went to the south of Beirut to visit the palace at Beitedine. this is a 19th century palace and is still a governemt facility. The architecture is really beautiful once you get inside- don't be fooled by the somewhat plain exterior and main square. However, before our visit there we stopped for lunch at a little restaurant not far a way from the palace and we were in for a treat! The woman that owns the retaurant was warned ahead of time we were coming so she was waiting at the door and as soon as she saw our bus she ran out waving and greeting us with so much enthusiasm it was really cute. She was running around like crazy to make sure we had places to sit, took our orders, suggested I have the special Amina pizza- her specialty, and the green tea rather than regular tea - OK. Good choices/recommendations on both counts. It was really one of the most fun lunches we have had -relaxing, entertaining, and good food. Al Amina Restaurant is a good place to stop when visiting Beitedine.

Our day was completed with a walking tour of downtown Beirut. We could see some of the new construction as well as the uncovered Roman ruins. The city was alive with families enjoying the late afternoon at the cafes and strolling through the streets, and also there were a few weddings going on. We ended at the Green Line, that separated West Beirut from East Beirut during the civil war and is now a park commemorating the martyrs of the cicl war. Also, a commemoration of Rafiq Hariri's death and the still unsolved mystery of his assisination was nearby.

Ok, I think I have rambled on long enough. Maybe tomorrow I will sit down and write a more coherant summary of the trip so far.

brenda

From the Dead Sea to Damascus

Ahhh, Damascus, the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world! Unless of course you are in Aleppo! Ahhhh, Aleppo, the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world! OK, so why do they both claim the title? Well both cities have evidence of continuous human habitation dating back longer than any other cities in the world, but I heard today the Damascus gets the official title because it is and has been a capitol city throughout much of its existance.

OK, but before we get to Damascus, I must tell you about the Dead Sea. We had a morning to spend a few hours soaking the Dead Sea, or just relaxing. I opted for the swim in the Dead Sea since I have studied a bit about Dead Sea salt and all its benefits so I could not pass this opportunity up to soak in the real deal. The water is like bath water. You wade in and when you get up to your hips you can just sit back and start floating. And let me tell you, float on your back! Don't try to float on your stomach - it doesn't work very well. You are so bouyant that your legs will not want to go back down to stand up. This creates a dilema when you want to get out! I tried and tried to get my legs under me but no way! I was thrashing around but it just wasn't happening - everytime I would try I would roll over or tilt and not get my feet down. I finally ended up having to go into the very shallow water and then I could get my knees under me and stand up! Glad no one had a video camera.

Next was the mud treatment. Soft, silty mud can be found along the shore of the Dead Sea and it is loaded with minerals. You just reach down and scoop some up and start smearing it all over yourself for more youthful looking skin and to help with sking conditions and to draw out impurities. Once covered in the mud, you just stand or sit and let it dry in the sun for a bit, then wither rinse off in the Dead Sea or shower it off at one of the beach showers. One other thing is a must - completely rinse yourself after soaking the Dead Sea or you will experience chaffing and itching like you wouldn't believe - I heard about that before from someone who apparently decided to skip the rinse and just got dressed strait from their soak. Big mistake, they discovered!

So after the Dead Sea we went to Amman for overnight, then the next day we departed for Syria with a stop in Jerash before the border, and then at Bosra after crossing into Syria. Both sights are very impressive and I highly recommend visiting both - the theater at Bosra is amazingly well preserved and the black basalt stone it is constructed with is unusual - most of the Roman cities we think of are white with the limestone and other lighter colored stones used in their construction.

Finally we made it to Damascus - yeah!! Damascus has a history dating back even further than the pyramids of Egypt. It figures prominently in Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic history and has remnants of almost all of its history still visible. The Ommayyad Mosque, for example, started out as a pagan temple, then bacame a Roman temple, then a Christian church and is now a mosque. All of its past can still be seen in the architecture - from the columns, minarets, mosaics, and arches. St. Paul was converted to Christianity in Damascus.

I won't go into the complete history of Damascus here- it is far beyond my scope and I certainly don't have the amount of time necessary on my free interent access at the hotel to do it justice! But to really start to see and understand the importance of Damascus, you really must walk the Street Called Strait and visit St. Hannaniya's church, and walk the marbel floor of the Ommayyad Mosque to just scratch the surface.

One more thing not to be missed- the ice cream at one of the oldest shops in Damascus - the ice creamery in the Hamadiya Souk! YUM!!!

Tomorrow it is on to Palmyra, so more to come then!

Brenda

Wadi Rum and Lawrence of Arabia

I have found that a new recommendation we should make for anyone traveling to Jordan would be to read up on Lawrence of Arabia and the Great Arab Revolt when the Arab tribes rose up against the Ottoman Turks in the early 1900's. A trip to the Desert Castles starts you off with a bit of history of Lawrence and his adventures, but to really get into it you must go to Wadi Rum and see where he and the Arab leaders initiated attacks against the infrastructure of the Ottomans, namely the railway that passes through the desert.

Our tour took us on a long journey from Amman to Madaba, Mt. Nebo, Kerak castle, and finally Wadi Rum and the Jabal Rum campsite. It was a long day, but worth it to spend the night in the camp in the middle of this historic and beautiful but barren landscape. Our camp was actually not too far away from the rail line that was bombed by Lawrence, but is now repaired in use today. We had dinner under the stars- a real Bedouin meal, followed by entertainment and a mock wedding where bride and groom are paraded out and then celebrate the marriage with singing and dancing. This camp is pretty nice as far as camping goes- individual tents with beds, blankets and pillows, a bathroom with showers and toilets! When the sun went down, there were foxes singing to the stars and moon to serenade us to sleep.

Our next day included a tour of Wadi Rum which shows off the beauty of the desert and mountain landscape - not to be missed! We ended up finally in Petra with a full day of sightseeing the next day. I have been to Petra before but it is always a spectacular sight. A group of us decided to do the candlelight tour through the canyon and to the Treasury - the whole way is lit by candles and at the Treasury the crowd is entertained by Bedouin music and story telling. The next day when we visited the sight we did the usual horse ride to the entrance of the canyon, then walk the rest of the way to the treasury. A little further on, three of us decided to hire donkeys to take us to the Monastery at the other end of the canyon - something I had not done before. Let me tell you, it is well worth the $20! We rode the donkeys almost to the top of the 800+ stairs, climbed the last little bit and there it was! The Monastery is like the Treasury, but without the crowds. What an exciting trip to ride the donkey up, visit the sight, then walk down to meet the donkeys again to ride them back to the Treasury- it is well worth it because we were able to see a lot in our short time there, and it was just a hoot, any way- but watch out, you have no directional control over the donkeys! They know where they are supposed to go, so don't try to change their minds!

OK, enough for now. Others are waiting to use the computers, so I better get off this one so I don't get in trouble! More later about the Dead Sea and Bethany.

Brenda

Levantine Adventure is underway!

We had our first day of sightseeing today, starting at the Desert Castles in the eastern desert. Many of the group were intrigued with the idea that we were on the road to Iraq. But, we never did get any closer than about 150 miles or so. We were very close to the Saudi border, though!

The bus picked us up this morning and we headed out of the city, which is becoming a more involved adventure than it used to be. The traffiv situation in Amman has become very congested. Certaininly it is nothing like Cairo traffic or from what I hear, Tehran traffic, but it is taking longer and longer just to cross town due to the increased population of the city. This is the result of a huge influx of Iraqis fleeing their homeland. In the early days of the war in Iraq in 2003, those with the ability and money to get out of the country did, especially when they could see the situation deteriorating into chaos. So they went to their neighboring countries like Jordan and Syria, and have since put a squeeze on housing and other goods and services, while swelling the populations of their host cities. Our guide, Okla, said that apartment rents in Amman tripled! I heard this was also true in Damascus. Anyway, the end result is that there have been far reaching and unintended consequences of the war in Iraq that are not talked about at all.

OK, back to the Desert Castles. I do have to caution anyone that the term "castle" is used loosely here. The three structures that we saw were of differing types of design, use, and size. Probably the one closest to being a castle is the desert fortress of Azraq, the furthest to the east. It was built of black basalt stone, and is a large walled structure with many rooms around the interior of the walls, and one in the middle. It also has a more recognizable place in history for many westerners - Lawrence of Arabia spent time there meeting with the Arab leaders as they planned the great Arab Revolt to take the Arab lands and people back from the Ottoman rulers.

The other castles were used as a private hunting lodge and a meeting place between the Bedouins and the Ommayyad leaders, who would trade with them and make deals with them to keep the Bedouins from attacking their caravans! At the Qasr Amra, we stopped to have tea in a Bedouin tent, and were greatly entertained by a young man who gave a dancing demonstration, and showed the group a traditional Bedouin welcoming and coffee preparation (even though we had tea).

The day was capped off with a visit to the hilltop ruins of the original city of Amman- Pagan Roman, Islamic, Byzantine - all represented! And a great view of the city can be had from here as well. We had a short visit to the museum on the sight, which is well worth a look!

OK, I am about to fall over because I am still very tired- didn't sleep to well last night so I need to get to bed early tonight and try and catch up. More to follow, probably from the Dead Sea. I will be able to report on our night out under the stars in Wadi Rum, and out visit to Petra.

Good night!

Brenda

Arrival day...

At last, after a very long day of flying - I left my house outside Seattle at 4:30am Saturday the 4th, and now it is 10pm Sunday here in Amman - we have arrived and the tour has officially begun. I am here with a group of 14 people to see the spectacular sights of Jordan, Syria and Lebanon over the next 2 weeks. I am already hearing from people in the group how friendly thay are finding the Jordanian people, even in the short time we have been here. I am sure this positive feeling will continue throughout the tour as the group expereinces more and more of the Arab hospitality.

Tomorrow we will start the day with a visit to the Desert Castles in the desert east of Amman , so hopefully when I write tomorrow I will have some photos to post with my entry. I am really looking forward to this tour and getting to know the rest of the group and to hear about their perceptions as the days go by.

This is a short post, mostly because we have only just arrived, but also because I am about to pass out from being so tired! Good night, and more tomorrow when things start to happen!

Brenda

Checking my packing list

Countdown, T-minus 2.5 days and counting. On Saturday morning I will be hopping on a plane to go to New York to meet up with our group going to Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon for 2 and a half weeks. I can't wait! I just need to finish my packing. I am one of those who waits to the last minute to pack.

I will be posting updates during the tour so you can read all about our adventures, and if I can, I will post photos, too.

So check back - the first entry will probably be on the 6th of October from Amman, Jordan.

Brenda