Would you go on holiday to Syria?

[Trouble]

That sounds no fun. I wanna go to Idlib.

[Ülev]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._castles#Syria

the duty of every European

[Satem]

As an Armenoid maybe I would finally feel like at home somewhere, though I'm not sure

[Graham]

It's not for me, but i can see why it would attract some.

[Laly]

I've booked holidays in Syria next September. I'm so excited!

[sioned]

There is nothing to see in Syria

[Laly]

There is nothing to see in Syria

Not true, and the program of that first travel agency organising trips to Syria again is really attractive:

The guide will be the director of the association SOS Chrétiens d’Orient.

I’ve found these videos in English about that association:





I will visit Damascus, including its Christian neighbourhood, Bar Touma, where there’s the house of Saint Ananias, visited by Saint Paul. I’ll visit the Umayyad Mosque, preserving the head of Saint John the Baptist. I will visit Plais Azem, which used to be the residence of the Ottoman governors. I’ll attend the mass at the Greek Catholic Cathedral of Damascus. I will also attend a show of whirling derviches. In Damascus, I will also visit the National Museum, I will go to the caravanserai Sulaymanieh and I will go to see a show at the National Opera.

In Bosra, I’ll see the Roman theatre. In the Christian village of Seidnaya, I will visit paleo-Christian churches and be able to see the Mount Hermon, as well as the Anti-Lebanon. Then, I’ll go to the martyred Christian village of Maaloula, where I’ll visit the Saint Serge and Bacchus monastery. I will meet there Father Toufik and I will sleep there in a private house. I will see the procession and the festivities of the Fest of the Cross.

Then, I’ll visit the monastery of Mar Moussa and then I’ll go to Homs and to Aleppo. In Aleppo, I’ll visit the Christian neighbourhood of Jdeideh, and its Catholic and Armenian churches. I will meet the Archbishop of Aleppo, His Grace Masri. I will see the restauration works in Aleppo and see the citadel.

After, I’ll go to Apamea, amazing Hellenistic city, and visit the temple of Zeus and the museum. Then, I will meet locals, including fighters against al-Nosra in the martyred Christian villages of Sqalbieh and Mhardeh. Then, I’ll visit the Krak of the Knights.

Then, I’ll visit Palmyra and Saint George Convent in the Valley of Christians. I’ll also see the castle of Saladin. After, I’ll go to the coast and visit the Phoenician site of Ugarit, near Latakia. Then, I’ll attend the mass in the cathedral of Tartous and visit the museum of the former cathedral built by the Franks.

[Tannhauser]

I've booked holidays in Syria next September. I'm so excited!

Don't forget to drink Mate there.

[Laly]

Don't forget to drink Mate there.

Indeed my dear, I won't forget to do so, since I love maté! I'm actually a bit surprised that Syrians are the biggest drinkers of maté in the world outside of Latin America, importing it from Brasil or Argentina. I wonder where such a liking for maté comes from... I've found an article in French on that topic from French speaking Lebanese newspaper L'Orient le Jour, but it doesn't say why (https://www.lorientlejour.com/articl...8cle%20dernier)... By the way, one of the videos in my previous post mentions maté too.

[Tannhauser]

Indeed my dear, I won't forget to do so, since I love maté! I'm actually a bit surprised that Syrians are the biggest drinkers of maté in the world outside of Latin America, importing it from Brasil or Argentina. I wonder where such a liking for maté comes from... I've found an article in French on that topic from French speaking Lebanese newspaper L'Orient le Jour, but it doesn't say why (https://www.lorientlejour.com/articl...8cle%20dernier)... By the way, one of the videos in my previous post mentions maté too.

Great to know a Matélover overseas jaja.

It 's explained in the first paragraph. The consumption is higher among the Druze and other minorities.

Further reading:

https://yerbamatero.com/blogs/histor...-lebanon-syria