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Christian & Classical Syria
Led by Canon Christopher Tuckwell

Syria 2

Introduction

The Road to Damascus
In this pilgrimage, we explore Classical and Christian Syria, the country of St Paul’s conversion. 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.

Basic Itinerary

DAY ONE - MONDAY 15TH NOVEMBER

London Heathrow - Damascus

Late evening departure from Heathrow on a scheduled BMI flight to Damascus. Dinner will be served in flight. Late arrival in Damascus, coach transfer to our hotel (4-star) for a three-night stay.

DAY TWO - TUESDAY 16TH NOVEMBER

Damascus

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 - WEDNESDAY 17TH NOVEMBER

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 - THURSDAY 18TH NOVEMBER

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 Sergius and Bacchus. From here we travel to Palmyra where we check into our hotel for a two-night stay.

DAY FIVE - FRIDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER

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 - SATURDAY 20TH NOVEMBER

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 - SUNDAY 21ST NOVEMBER

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 - MONDAY 22ND NOVEMBER

Aleppo - Damascus

We leave Aleppo this morning for Damascus. On the way we visit the Crac des Chevalier, the great crusader castle, built by the Hospitallers in 1170, and where in 1271 the Christian army of about 200 knights was defeated by the army of Baybars, the founder of the Mamluke Empire. Continue to Damascus, where, we check into our hotel for an overnight stay.

DAY NINE - TUESDAY 23RD NOVEMBER

Damascus - London

Transfer to Damascus Airport for our return flight to Heathrow.

 

Travel Dates and Cost:

15th November 2010 - 23rd November 2010
Nine Days
£1068

Book now

Terms of Payment:

Deposit of £120 per person on booking (plus insurance if required). Final payment due two months before the departure date.

THIS TRIP INCLUDES:

Scheduled return flights on BMI: Heathrow – Damascus, U.K. and Syrian airport taxes, 8-nights accommodation in shared twin-bedded rooms with private facilities as follows:
15th - 18th Nov Carlton Hotel (or similar), Damascus (4-star) and 22nd - 23rd Nov
18th - 20th Nov Heliopolis Hotel (or similar), Palmyra (3-star)
20th - 22nd Nov Park Hotel (or similar), Aleppo (4-star)
Meal Plan: 8 buffet breakfasts and 7 dinners, services of a local English-speaking government licensed guide/tour escort to accompany the group whilst in Syria, all touring and transfers in Syria by air-conditioned coach as per the itinerary, entrance fees as appropriate to the itinerary, porterage at Damascus Airport and all hotels, meeting and assistance at Damascus Airport, visa for Syria.

EXTRAS:

Travel insurance at £48.50 per person, single room supplement at £199 per person for 8 nights (limited availability), lunches, drinks and souvenirs, gratuities to tour guides, drivers and hotel staff.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO ENTER SYRIA IF YOU HAVE AN ISRAELI ENTRANCE OR EXIT STAMP IN YOUR PASSPORT. IF YOU DO HAVE AN ISRAELI STAMP IN YOUR PASSPORT IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO APPLY FOR A REPLACEMENT PASSPORT. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT THE PASSPORT ADVICE LINE ON 0300 222 0000. THE PRESENT COST FOR A NEW PASSPORT IS £77.50.

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS AND WORSHIP:

Catholic