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ART, ARTISTS, AND ARCHAEOLOGY – 5,000 Years OF CULTURE IN THE LEVANT
Day 1: Meet and Assist at Damascus International Airport, Transfer to Sheraton Hotel in Damascus, the oldest continuously occupied city in the world.. As a geographic crossroads from ancient times, Damascus is layer upon layer of civilization, often all melding in the “top layer” which is the 21 st Century. We have a typical “Oriental” welcome dinner in a revolving restaurantoverlooking the city
Day 2: As you may know, Damascus was the site of many events recounted in the New Testament. The old souk, the Hamadieh, abounds in these ancient sites (as well as fantastic gold souks). Today we: visit the National Musuem, Handicraft market,(within walking distance of the Sheraton) Azem Palace, Ommayad Mosque, the Street called Straight, the church of St. Ananias, the window of St. Paul and an introduction to the souk Hamidieh followed by panoramic view from mount Kassion where Lawrence of Arabia stood before entering the city, with late afternoon tea. Special dinner with dervish performance
Day 3 Internationally acclaimed designer Heike Weber escorts us through her artisans workshop.in Damascus. Heike now has about 400 women working in various aspects of design and creation of absolutely gorgeous fashions. She offers training in design as well as business management to women in the Palestinian refugee camps as well as Syrian village women who have no skills and no possibilities of earning money. Heike then introduces us to other artisans studios in Damascus for private tours .In the evening we return to her lovely 400 year old home in the midst of the old souk for a private dinner and show.
Day 4 Visit artisans in nearby villages. Free time for shopping., exploring the fabeled Hamadieh souq, visit the ancient Christian monastery and church of Maloula in the mountains overlooking Damascus……Dinner in Damascus’ most sophisticated continental restaurant.
Day 5: After breakfast, take the beautiful drive to Lebanon: via Baalbeck ,a Graeco Roman site of extreme beauty. . Leaving Baalbeck we pass through the Suq al Gharb and begin the breathtaking panoramic descent to the Mediterranean and Beirut., known as the “Paris of the East” . Arriving in Beirut a city tour – dinner and overnight at Phoenicia Hotel renown for many years for its splendor.
Baalbek 1992 EOS
Day 6 Enjoy the beauty of the Lebanese countryside with a private tour of the Ksara winery, established by Christian monks in the 19 th C and continually operating since that time.. Picnic lunch in the mountains. Evening free for another lovely seaside dinner, the casinos, Beirut’s incredible nightlife…as you please.(Lebanese gold/jewelry designs are widely acclaimed for their intricately fine craftsmanship).
Day 7: Breakfast, departure to Homs, Syria. En-route visit Beit Eddine – Byblos – then to Homs, dinner and overnight in Homs. Homs was the site of one of the first “anti terrorist movements” little known in the west – In the early 1980’s the late president of Syria, Hafaz al Assad, called the total Syrian military to Homs to battle a large and growing right wing fundamentalist insurgency. A siege ensured; ultimately more than 20,000 insurgents were killed.. Islamic fundamentalists have not been a factor in Syria since that time.
Day 8: Breakfast, departure to to Qalaat al-Hisn, better known as Krak des Chevaliers, built by the Knights Hospitaller during the Crusaders’ campaigns for Jerusalem. This enormous castle defies description its massive, overpowering presence must be felt. It is one of the best preserved mediæval castles in the Mediterranean. .
Day 9: Drive via thePhoenician/Roman site of Baetobecea to Tartus .
Day 10: To Sahyun, Saladin's own castle occupied by Crusaders in 1110 and recaptured in 1188 *More about Saladin in your information workbook. In the afternoon Ugarit, the city which gave the world its first alphabet. Continue to Latakia to enjoy the beautiful eastern Mediterranean seaside.
Day 11: Depart Latakia for the Graeco-Roman site of Apamee, and the ruined Assassins’ Castle of Masyaf.* More about the interesting sect of “hashashaseen” in your notebook. Overnight stay at Hama, on the Orontes whose mediæval wooden water wheels or norias are one of the most famous sights in Syria. Special private tour with Heike of artisans’ workshops.
Day12: Leave Hama via Ma'arat, an Numan Museum, for its Byzantine mosaics and Ebla. , the 2 nd oldest archaeological site in the Middle East after Mari on the Euphrates. Tour Idlib Museum.. Special lecture by the Italian archaeologist , Dr. Paolo Mattaie,who identified and excavated Ebla. And has been working at the site for more than 30 years.
Day13: Whole-day excursion to "Dead Cities" region near the Turkish border including Qalaat Seman and the neo-Hittite site of Ain-Dara. This is a little explored Hittite area which contains many unexcavated, unpublished sites.
1991 EOS Norias at Hama
Day 14 Breakfast, Travel to Aleppo: In Aleppo:the National Archæological Museum with its fine collection of Hittite antiquities, the Citadel, the Great Mosque and the Madrasa Halawiye, Aleppo's old cathedral converted into a theological college in the 12 th century. Free time for shopping in Aleppo’s suq. In the evening a special lecture from the UNESCO restorers of the Citadel.
Day 15 Visit to artisans’ workshops with Heike in the Aleppo area. Afternoon tea at the Baron Hotel, where many of the Agatha Christie novels were written. Free time for shopping in the fabulous Aleppo suq.
Day 16: Depart Aleppo by coach following the course of the Euphrates River eastwards to the ruined city of Rusafah, with the remains of Byzantine Basilicas;(Rusafah is another spectacular site, little frequented by tourists) and Halibiya, another ruined city from Palmyrene and Byzantine times for overnight stay at Badiat Cham Palace, Deir El-Zor.
 Aleppo Suq 1992
Day 17: Drive to the walls and defences of Dura Europas on the Euphrates River, founded by the Macedonian settlers in 312 BC, shortly after the conquest of Syria by Alexander the Great. Continue to Palmyra, on one of the major trade routes from theMediterranean to the Euphrates and thence to all markets of the East. Stay for two nights at Hotel Zenobia in Palmyra. ( not to be missed experience)
PALMYRA 1991 EOS
Day 18: Whole day in Palmyra to see the impressive Roman ruins, the Agora, theatre, nymphaea etc and especially the Corinthian temple dedicated to Bel (Baal).*More about Zenobia, the Palmyrene Queen who held the Romans at bay for years, in your notebook. VerySpecialDinner and entertainment.
Day 19: After Breakfast departure for a journey to the south of Amman to visit Madaba and Mount Nebo in the highest Moabit range which has been a center for pilgrimages since earliest Christian times. Then drive through the awe- inspiring Wadi Mujib along the Moabit ridge to Kerak castle which was built in the 12th century AD. Drive to Petra for Dinner and overnight.
Day 20: After breakfast. a tour of the Red Rose City ,Petra This is an unforgettable day. We will go by foot, horseback or carriage till we reach the Treasury. Our guide will give a brief history of the city, followed by a walk through the heart of the Nabateans Capital (Petra). Special dinner and overnight
 The Treasury at Petra EOS 1993
Day 21 PETRA Full day at Petra. Late afternoon departure for Amman.
Day 22: Breakfast at the hotel then transfer to Amman airport for departure to USA.
Welcome Home !!!
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For further information call 1-800-211-6028
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