12 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Syria - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Syria

Palmyra

Mysterious lost empire of the Silk Road.

Krak des Chevaliers

Ruins of the Crusaders' headquarters.

Balshoon, Syria

Dead City of Serjilla

1500-year-old ghost settlement slowly faded away.

Musyaf Castle

The Syrian headquarters of alleged hashish-smoking assassins.

Church of Saint Simeon the Stylite

What is left of the pillar of Saint Simeon, the voluntary martyr who climbed the column to give his sermons, remaining perched there for thirty-seven years.

An-Nabk District, Syria

Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi

This ancient mountain monastery welcomes all manner of faith in an effort to keep Christians in Syria.

Norias of Hama

Only a handful of these gorgeous historic waterwheels remain but even those are in danger from local unrest.

Set Zaynab, Syria

Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque

This ornate mosque is said to hold the remains of Muhammad's granddaughter beneath its dome of pure gold.

See All 12 Things to Do in Syria See All 12 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Syria

Desert Truffles

So strong is Kuwaitis’ love for this seasonal delicacy that an entire market gets set up just for its sale.

Explore Syria

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Syria Leaderboard

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Recent Syria Activity

ianthe has been to The Citadel of Aleppo

ianthe has been to Krak des Chevaliers

ianthe has been to Palmyra

Steve 55 has been to Norias of Hama

Steve 55 has been to October War Panorama

Stories
About Syria

A New Crusade

How the mysterious, millennium-old, stateless Order of Malta outlived its contemporaries and established a place in the modern Middle East.

by Ariel Sophia Bardi

September 29, 2019

Accept no substitutes: Authentic Aleppo soap bears its maker's mark, and the Arabic name for the city of its origin.

In Syria, War and Modernity Are No Match for the World's Oldest Soap

The artisans of Aleppo keep plying their ancient trade, one bar at a time.

by Nora Wallaya

Students at work in Mafraq.

Syrian Refugees Are Learning Stonemasonry to Rebuild Their Country

The apprentices hope to restore damaged buildings and monuments after the war ends.