Few countries can match Syria in terms of both the variety of reminders of its past and the range
of eras which still leave their mark on the modern landscape and the country's cities. For example,
from the Byzantine period alone (third to seventh centuries), over 600 villages in the zone west of Aleppo have recognisable remains – each site often with multiple churches surviving up to their rooflines. There is practically no aspect of the past which is not represented, some in spectacular fashion with sites such as Palmyra, the great caravan city at the westernmost point of the Silk Road, still slumbering in the Syrian Desert, its beautifully mellowed limestone buildings looking as crisp and dramatic as 2000 years ago. Magnificent reminders of the folly of past confrontations, including the Crusades, survive in the great fortifications that scatter the country – the Krak des Chevaliers,
the great fortress that crowns Aleppo, the refuges of the 'Assassins' hidden away in the coastal mountains or the base for the long Muslim resistance to the Crusades, the Damascus Citadel.
The website also provides an opportunity to glimpse the fabulous variety of Syria's remains through photos – only a sample of the hundreds of sites of archaeological and historical interest. These range from major World Heritage listed sites such as Palmyra, the Krak des Chevaliers and Bosra to the many mosques and madrasas of the Islamic past which dot the cities and towns, often tucked away quietly in backstreets or buried within busy suqs (markets).
Those familiar with the extraordinary variety of Syria's remains are invited to leave their own tips
and requests on the site's mailbox. The task of maintaining an updated store of information on
recent research is a huge challenge given the hundreds of sites of historical interest and the
immense amount of research being produced by Syrian and foreign teams. Suggestions will be
taken into account in future editions of the works already published or posted to guide other
visitors on additional ways in which they might use their time in Syria. The mailbox also provides
an opportunity for Syrians and others with a passion for the country's past to post photos or sketches.
Some of the Arabic place names in the third edition of 'The Monuments of Syria' need to be corrected. a full list of the place names (English text) with the Arabic originals is given on the PDF file reached through the heading above. This list corrects errors in the rendering of Arabic script in transferring between programs used in the preparation of the third edition and also corrects mistakes in transliterations. |
