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INVITATION !
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We are inviting you at the meeting point of so many great people, in Syria,
a land of passion.
A coveted and envied land in which men left a tribute, a trace of their
crossing. Men and women fought
for power, ideals, many settled in Syria definitively and as time went by,
it gave birth to original people, THE SYRIANS, HEIRS OF
CIVILIZATIONS. |
The extraordinary rich Syrian archaeological patrimony, the liveliness and
the unique atmosphere of the towns will awake, deep inside you, the old
attraction for the mysterious, legendary and fabulous Orient. Before you,
many famous people such as Lawrence of Arabia, lady Esther Stanhope, Agatha
Christie, Lindberg, De Gaulle, Lamartine…and so many others fell under the
charm of this
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What’s
so special about Syria? |
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Syria is the world’s richest
resource in terms of quality, quantity and variety of its archaeological
remains. Its cultural and artistic achievements and contributions are many. |
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Archaeologists have discovered
extensive writings and evidence of a very brilliant culture. More, they
have demonstrated that Syria was the centre of one of the most ancient civilisation on earth! |
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FROM |
TO |
CIVILIZATIONS |
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3100 |
2 150 BC |
Early bronze Age (Sumerians, Acadians) |
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2 150 |
1 600 BC |
Middle Bronze
Age (Amorites, Babylonians) |
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1 600 |
1 200 BC |
Late Bronze
Age (Hittites) |
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1 200 |
539 BC |
Iron Age (Sea
People, Arameans, Assyrians) |
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539 |
333 BC |
Persian Period |
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333 |
64 BC |
Hellenistic
Period |
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64 BC |
395 AD |
Roman period |
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324 |
635 AD |
Byzantine
Period |
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661 |
750 |
Omayyad
dynasty |
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750 |
1258 |
Abbassid
dynasty |
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1097 |
1292 |
Crusade period |
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1187 |
1516 |
The Moslem
revival (Ayyubids and Mamelukes) |
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1516 |
1916 |
Ottoman Period |
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1920 |
1946 |
French Mandate |
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1946 |
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Independence |
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MAIN |
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Official name:
Syrian Arab
Republic.
Area: 185 170 sq km
Capital:
Damascus.
Main cities: Aleppo (1,6
million)
Homs (644 000)
Lattakia ( 306 000 )
Hama ( 229 000 )
Geographic organization:
Syria is divided in 14 provinces called Mouhafazat. Damascus is the main
one.
Population:
16 millions.
Religions:
Sunni Muslim (74
%), Alawis (12 %), Christians (10 %), Druze (3 %), Jews and others (1%).
Languages:
Arabic (official)
English and French widely understood.
Currency:
Syrian Pound (50 SP
= 1 USD) |
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GOVERNMENT |
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President:
Bashar EL ASSAD,
Commander in chief of the Syrian armed forces.
Type: Civil Republic
Independence: April 17, 1946.
Constitution:
January 31,
1973. It does not stipulate a state religion. |
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PRACTICAL INFORMATION |
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AIRPORTS:
Damascus international airport (30 km from city centre)
Aleppo international airport (10 km from city centre)
Airport of Lattakia
Airport of Kameshli
Airport of Palmyra
VISAS:
Visa can be obtained upon arrival in Syria for groups or individuals
(even for one person) if he or they are coming through a travel agent.
TEMPERATURES:
 November, December, January, February 5 to 15 º C
March, April, May, September, October 15 to 25 º C
June, July, August 25 to 35 º C
DAILY
LIFE:
Measures: Metric system.
Electricity: 220 V, European socket.
Shopping: Shopping in Syria is an endless delight not only because of
its various and beautiful handicraft but also thanks to the development
of the textile industry for exportation so one can enjoy buying items of
the most famous European trademarks for a much lower price!
Credit cards: All major credit cards (Visa International, Dinner’s Club,
American Express…) are accepted in hotels, restaurants, antiques shops.
Please notice that you cannot withdraw money in Syria with your credit
card. |
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