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SyriaSyria<!-- begin quick bar --> <div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em"> <table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="border: 1px solid #9866FF; background-color: #f3f3ff" width="330"> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; border-bottom: 1px solid #C9AFFF; background-color: #ddddff">Flag</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; padding: 2px">Image:sy-flag.png</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; border-bottom: 1px solid #C9AFFF; border-top: 1px solid #C9AFFF; background-color: #ddddff">Quick Facts</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Capital'''</td><td>Damascus</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Government'''</td><td>republic under military regime</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Currency'''</td><td>Syrian pound (SYP)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Area'''</td><td>185,180 sq km</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Population'''</td><td>17,155,814</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Language'''</td><td>Arabic</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Religion'''</td><td>Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Calling Code'''</td><td>963</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Internet TLD'''</td><td>.sy</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Time Zone'''</td><td>UTC +2</td></tr> </table> </div> <!-- end quick bar --> '''Syria''' (the Syrian Arab Republic) is one of the larger states of the Middle East region and has its capital in Damascus. Image:sy-map.gif|frame|Map of Syria ==Regions== *Damascus and its Environs *Mediterranean Coast *Golan Heights (occupied by Israel) ==Cities== *Damascus - *Hama - *Aleppo - ==Other destinations== *Krak des Chevaliers - the archetypal Crusader castle, magnificently preserved and not to be missed *Palmyra - magnificient ruins of a roman city, in the middle of the desert. It can be considered the main attraction in Syria ==Understand== Syria has a population of 17.8 million people (UN, 2003), of which 6 million are concentrated in the capital Damascus. A moderately large country (185,180 sq km or 72,150 sq miles), Syria is situated centrally within the Middle East region and has land borders with Turkey in the north, with Israel and Lebanon in the south, and with Iraq and Jordan in the east and south-east respectively. The population of Syria is predominately Arab (90%), with large minorities from other ethnic groups: Kurds, Armenians, Circassians and Turks. The official language is Arabic, but other tongues are widely spoken and include Kurdish, Armenian, Turkish, French and English. The Syrian Republic is officially secular, but in nonetheless greatly influenced by the majority religion of Islam (90% of the population, split between 74% Sunni Muslim and 16% other Muslim). There is a large Christian minority that amounts to about 10% of the population. The President of Syria is Bashar al-Assad, who replaced his father Hafez al-Assad soon after his death on 10 June 2000. Having studied to become an opthalmologist (eye doctor) in Damsascus and London, Bashar was groomed for the presidency after the 1994 car fataility of his elder brother Basil. As a consequence, he joined the army and became colonel in 1999. Bashar's modernising credentials were somewhat boosted by his role in a domestic anti-corruption drive. More recently, however, Bashar's style of leadership has more closely come to resemble that of his father as an non-democratically elected and autocratic ruler (à la Saddam Hussein of Iraq). Bashar's position as dictator of Syria rests on his presidency of the Baath Party (the only legal political party, as previously in Iraq) and his command-in-chief of the army. A "cult of personality" is widely promoted for Bashar Assad and his late father - their images are to be seen everywhere in the streets of Syria. Assad's regime and the Baath Party own or control the vast majority of Syria's media. Criticism of the president and his family is not permitted and the press (both foreign and domestic) are heavily censored for material deemed threatening or embarrassing to the government. A brief period of relative press freedom arose after Bashar became president in 2000 and saw the licensing of the first private publications in almost 40 years. A later crackdown, however, imposed a range of restrictions regarding licensing and content. In a more relaxed manner (perhaps owing more to the fact that these matters are largely beyond possible government control), many Syrians have gained access to foreign television broadcasts (usually via satellite) as well as the three state-run networks. In 2002 the government set out conditions for licensing private, commercial FM radio stations, ruling at the same time, however, that radio stations could not broadcast news or political content. ==Get in== ===By plane=== Syria has two international airports: Damascus International Airport, 35km (22miles) SE of the capital, and another just NE of Aleppo in the north of the country. Both airports have regular connections to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, though flights tend to be relatively expensive compared to other destinations in the region. Syria levies an air departure tax of US$5. ===By train=== There are two international train connections to Syria: Tehran -Damascus and Istanbul - Damascus *[http://www.cfssyria.org CFS (Chemins de fer Syriens)] - Site of the Syrian train operator - for train schedule, select "trips". ===By car=== Traveling from Lebanon service taxis are a convenient way to reach Damascus, Tartus or other Syrian towns near the border. A taxi from Beirut to Damascus will cost about $15. Although in most cases it is necessary to buy a Syrian visa before leaving home, often costing over $100 it is possible, even routine, to obtain a visa for $16 when crossing by land from Lebanon. Whether this policy will remain in place after Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon is open to debate. ===By bus=== ===By boat=== ==Get around== ===By taxi=== The taxis (usually either white or yellow, and always clearly marked) are an easy way to get around Damascus, Aleppo and other cities. A little Arabic would be helpful: most taxi drivers do not speak English. All licensed taxis carry meters, and it is best to insist that the driver puts the meter on, and watch that it stays on. Most drivers expect to haggle prices with foreign travellers rather than use the meter. A taxi ride across Damascus might come to £S30. ===By microbus=== The microbuses (locally called ''meekroboos'') are little white vans that carry ten, or so, passengers around cities on set routes for about £S4. The destinations are written on the front of microbus in Arabic. Usually, the passenger sitting behind the driver deals with the money. You can ask the driver to stop anywhere along his route. Often, microbuses will do longer routes, for example, to surrounding villages around Damascus and Aleppo, or from Homs to Tadmor or Krak-des-Chavaliers. They are often more uncomfortable and crowded than the larger buses, but cheaper. ===By bus or coach=== Air-conditioned coaches are one of the easy ways to make longer hauls around Syria, for example, the trip from Damascus to Tadmor. ===By train=== The Syrian railways are reasonably modern and are based on Russian rolling stock. Rail travel is inexpensive and generally punctual, although railway stations are often a reasonable distance out of town centres. The main line connects Damascus, Aleppo, Deir ez-Zur, Hassake and Qamishle. A secondary line serves stations along the Mediterranean coast. In the summer, on Fridays, a little steam train leaves from the Hejaz Railway Station in Damascus (which has a good restaurant) and climbs into the Anti-Lebanon Mountains. Many locals enjoy the ride to picnic in the cooler mountains. ==Buy== The unit of currency in Syria is the Syrian pound or 'lira' (£S), divided into 100 piastres. Exchange rates (current in November 2003): *1 UK£ = £S 78.92 *1 USD$ = £S 53.00 *1 Euro = £S 54.93 *1 AUD$ = £S 33.70 In the past, many forgeiners visiting Syria had to make a trip to Lebanon in order to withdraw money using their ATM cards. In recent months, a number of ATMs have become available in downtown Damascus. At the time of writing, ATMs are available, down the street from downtown's Tourist Information Office (just ask the taxi driver to take you to "al-Sahaw Ma-ha-foutha" and near the entrace to the Cham Palace Hotel. Others are also available in various locations throughout downtown. One thing to keep in mind is that exchange rates using the ATM system are much lower than the official rate which is still lower than street rate. Unfortunately, withdrawal of money in US dollars via ATM is not an option in Syria. If you really need dollars, Lebanon is your best choice. Credit cards are becoming more widely accepted, but their use is largely confined to top hotels and expensive restaurants. It is also virtually impossible to get an advance on your credit card in Syria. ==Eat== You can find the famous falafel for 10 to 15 Syrian Pound. Shwarma costs 25 Syrian Pound. ==Drink== You can drink water from the tab, if the locals drink it, you can. This water is of course for free compared to the bottled water that comes at 25 Syrian Pound for 1.5 liter. Just as an example, a half liter beer in your hotel costs about 100 Syrian Pound. ==Sleep== A budget traveler spends about 100 to 150 Syrian Pound a night for a rooftop. A double room you can find for around 500 Syrian Pound. ==Learn== ==Work== ==Stay Safe== Syria is a relatively safe country for travellers. As crime is considered shameful and is heavily punished, there is little petty crime. However, it is still best to take basic precautions. It is unwise to make political comments. This would make most Syrians embarrassed. Women travelling alone may find that they draw a little too much attention from Syrian men. If at all possible it is better for women to travel in mixed company. If a woman feels that she is getting too much attention from men, the best approach is to tut and stare at the man's shoes (an expression of shameful disgust). Sitting alone in cafés and riding in the front of taxis are also best avoided. In some tourist spots away from Damascus travellers can sometimes be hounded by children begging for money, pens or anything else. Although they pose no threat, it is probably best not encourage these small groups or get into conversation with them. ==Stay Healthy== ==Respect== ==Contact== ===Phone=== The international calling code for Syria is +963. ===Internet=== Syrians were only allowed access to the Internet after 2000 when the new President relaxed most (if not all) restrictions to its use. The advent of the Internet has created a mini-boom with most cities and towns having at least two or three internet cafés. The system remains heavily overloaded and can be incredibly slow. The authorities have blocked direct access to some Western web site (such as Yahoo and Hotmail), but the proprietors of Internet cafés have mostly managed to get around this, presenting no problem to the traveler in general. ==External links== ===Online news=== *[http://www.syria-report.com The Syria Report] The only English-language business newsletter on Syria ===Travel and Tourism=== *[http://www.syriatourism.org/new/index.html Ministry of Tourism of Syria] ===Newspapers=== *[http://www.teshreen.com/syriatimes/ Syria Times] - the English-language version of the Syrian daily national newspaper ''Tishreen'' (very much follows the government line...) fr:Syrie WikiPedia:Syria Dmoz:Middle_East/Syria de:Syrien First page | Prev | Next | Last page |
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