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Christian and Classical Syria

Syria 2

Introduction

The Road to Damascus: The Churches of Syria have a long complex history dating back to apostolic times and, being indigenous to the land, have a strong Semitic character and generally use Arabic or Syriac as their liturgical language. Although Christians are in a minority in Syria they are well integrated into society at almost every level. We follow in Paul’s footsteps in Damascus, and we also follow in the footsteps of the Phoenicians, Alexander the Great, Hittites, Romans and Crusaders. We visit some of the most ancient cities in the Middle East, early Christian and Maronite Catholic churches; we make acquaintances once more with the Stylites. Finally we travel to the Euphrates and return across the desert via Palmyra, the city of palms, and Aleppo from where we fly home.
This Pilgrimage can be arranged for private groups of between 25 - 40 participants

Basic Itinerary

DAY ONE

London Heathrow - Damascus

Departure from London on a scheduled flight to Damascus. A meal will be served in flight.

DAY TWO

Damascus

We arrive early morning in Damascus, on arrival, transfer to our hotel (4-star) for a rest and a three-night stay. Our time in Damascus will enable us to visit (on foot) much of the Old City with its mosques, souks, khans and narrow winding streets. Today we visit the great Umayyad Mosque which includes the Shrine of St John the Baptist, said to contain his head with the hair and skin intact. We also visit the Al-Hamidieh Souq, the Omayyad Mosque, and the mausoleum of Saladin.

DAY THREE

Damascus

We start the day in the footsteps of St Paul, visiting the chapel of St Ananias, the disciple who had a vision of Jesus telling him to look for Saul in The House of Judas. Ananias was reluctant, since Saul was known as a persecutor of the followers of Christ. However Ananias did meet Saul and laid his hands on him. Saul regained his sight, was baptised and began preaching the Gospel in the Synagogues of Damascus. He aroused the anger of some of the Jews and was forced to flee, being lowered from the walls in a basket. We visit St Paul’s chapel, supposedly on the site from where St Paul escaped.

DAY FOUR

Damascus - Ezra - Bosra - Palmyra

Today we depart for Palmyra which is situated 190 miles north of Damascus. Our first stop is at the town of Ezra, where we visit the orthodox church of St George, probably the oldest surviving church in Syria. We continue to the town of Bosra, where we visit the sixth century cathedral dedicated to the Syrian Saints Segius and Bacchus. From here we travel to Palmyra where we check into our hotel for a two-night stay.

DAY FIVE

Palmyra

Palmyra was named by the Romans as the City of Palms, the setting, an oasis in the desert, has tremendous appeal. We will visit the archaeological site of the Valley of Tombs and the ruins of the town, as well as watching the sunset.

DAY SIX

Palmyra - Aleppo

We make the drive through the desert via Hama and Homs. We arrive in Aleppo in the late afternoon, and check into our hotel for a two-night stay. Incidentally, the Bazaars in Aleppo are said to be the best in the Middle East.

DAY SEVEN

Aleppo

Aleppo is Syria’s second largest city and vies with Damascus for the title of the oldest continually-inhabited city in the world. During the second millennium BC it was the capital of an Amorite Kingdom and later became part of the Assyrian, Roman and Ottoman Empires. During the day we will have the opportunity to visit Aleppo Citadel in the centre of the city, the Great (Omayyad) Mosque and probably some of the souks, Caveranserai, and Madrasseh (Islamic Schools).

DAY EIGHT

Aleppo - London Heathrow

This morning we transfer to Aleppo Airport for our return flight to London.

Terms of Payment:

This pilgrimage is available for private groups of between 25 - 40 participants