www.peregrineadventures.co.uk Peregrine Adventures has arranged an exploration of one of Syria’s Cities of the Dead, a group of over 700 settlements mysteriously abandoned 15 centuries ago, although judging by the well-preserved remains, it could have been yesterday! Next departure of Peregrine’s 14-day Secrets of Jordan & Syria tour is from Amman on 22nd December 07.
Dotting the barren limestone hills between Antioch and Aleppo, lie the ruins of some 700 Byzantine towns, villages and monastic settlements. These ruins are among the greatest treasures of Byzantine architecture to be found anywhere in the ancient world.
This region once supported an immense and prosperous population until it mysteriously went into decline, leaving behind ghost towns.
As part of a longer itinerary through Jordan and Syria, Peregrine Adventures visit the eerie and fascinating ‘Dead City’ of Serjilla. Here the condition of the stone houses, tavern and church are remarkable, it feels as though its inhabitants left last week not 1500 years ago.
Other highlights during the tour include, in Jordan, a jeep exploration of the Wadi Rum with the Bedouin and visits to the ancient rose-red city of Petra and the Roman city of Jerash.
In Syria there is also much to see including the celebrated Omayyad Mosque, historic bazaars and alleyways of ‘old’ Damascus and the ancient city of Palmyra, originally a major link in the 'Spice Route' to India with pack-camels regularly arriving laden with aromatic spices and perfumes.
At Krak des Chevaliers travellers explore the greatest Crusader fortress ever built, sentiments echoed by T.E. Lawrence, who having visited some 37 castles in the region, described Krak as ‘the finest castle in the world’.
In Aleppo, major attractions include the splendid vaulted bazaars and Turkish bathhouses (Hamams) - the Hamam Al-Nasri dating back to the 14th century, is a particularly fine example.
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