Places to visit in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon

The Middle East is full of wonderful historic and culturally rewarding places to visit. Here is a short 'must see' checklist to start you off. We have included Jordan and Lebanon for the simple reason that if you travel all the way to Syria, you would be crazy not to drop by these amazing - and nearby - sites.

Travelling around the Middle East, especially by public transport, is one of the best ways to improve your Arabic language skills. Talk to as many people as you can. You can have the same coversation over and over again to refine your skills (and without boring anyone, except yourself maybe!). Review our study tips section for more ideas.

If you had been planning to visit the Middle East without any Arabic, may we suggest you learn at least a few basics such as 'hello', 'please' and 'thank you' as a courtesy ('where is the toilet?' is another goodie). It is likely to make your visit much more rewarding. Flick through the first three chapters of our Syrian Colloquial Arabic course and take what you need with you (the full course includes a very handy index, which you can use as a dictionary). Syria Arabic is very similar to the Arabics spoken in Jordan and Lebanon.

For more detailed information on each of the sites, use our recommended resource links listed below or enter the site name in this search box.

Syria

Damascus - Take your time to wander around the Old City, visiting the Souq al-Hamadiyyeh main market, Omayyad Mosque, Saladin's Mausoleum, Azem Palace, St Paul's Chapel, and the 'Street Called Straight'. Just south of the Barada River is one of Syria's most graceful Ottoman-style mosques, Takiyyeh as-Sulaymaniyyeh, and the National Museum.

Palmyra - If you see nothing else in Syria, see this. In the middle of nowhere, Palmyra's ruins date from the 2nd century AD. It grew under the Assyrians, then the Greeks, and the Romans. They city is most well known for its ruler Queen Zenobia.

Crac des Chevaliers - Another must see. A Crusader castle which almost looks like it would have 800 years ago and which you can explore pretty much unrestricted.

Hama - This quiet town between Aleppo and Damascus is one of the most picturesque in Syria. The Orontes River, which flows through Hama, is lined with trees and gardens and there is a delightful park featuring water wheels, known as norias, in city's centre. Sit by the river and soak up the atmosphere. The Grand Mosque, the Azem Palace and Museum are also worth visiting.

Aleppo - Locals call this city Halab. It is Syria's second largest city and has been a trading centre since Roman times. Wander through the exotic maze of covered souqs, working your way to the citadel at the eastern end, and the Grand Mosque, at the northern end.

Bosra - The city is made almost entirely from black basalt. Wandering the streets past menacingly dark shops and houses, which have canabalised each other for centuries, is an experience in itself. The city also has one of the best preserved Roman theatres in the world, ruins of a nymphaeum, some baths, one of the world's oldest mosques, a 4th century monastery and a Nabatean gate.

For more detailed information about these and other sites, we can recommend Damascus Online, Old Damascus (great photos gallery!). We can also recommend two authorative reference books by former Australian Ambassador to Syria, Mr Ross Burns, Monuments of Syria (which provides invaluable detail on how to get to even the most remote site) and History of Damascus.

Jordan

Petra - Like Palmyra, this is Jordan's 'must see' (but unlike Palmyra, it will be brimming with tourists). Petra is a vast city carved into the sheer sandstone rock face by the Nabataeans more than 2000 years ago. Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage site and in 2007, it was elected as one of the ''new 7 wonders of the world''.

Amman - The capital of Jordan offers a lot to see and do. The Amman City Tour is an easy way to explore the city's sites, including the Roman theater, museums, parks, downtown (or "balad" as it is called), and the Wakalat Street shopping district, among others.

Wadi Rum - Known as ‘The Valley of the Moon’, this where Prince Faisal Bin Hussein and Lawrence of Arabia based their headquarters during the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans in World War One. Explore the Rum on camelback. Or hike through its maze of monolithic rockscapes to view 4000 year old rock drawings. Wadi Rum is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Dead Sea - Float on (not 'in') the warm, soothing, super salty water Dead Sea, which is over 400 metres (1,312 ft.) below sea level and the lowest point on earth. The waters of the Dead Sea are land-locked, so they evaporate, leaving behind a dense, rich, cocktail of salts and minerals. The water itself is some ten times saltier than sea water, and rich in chloride salts of magnesium, sodium, potassium, bromine and several others.

Jerash - The ancient city of Jerash is a fine example of the grand, formal provincial Roman urbanism that is found throughout the Middle East, comprising paved and colonnaded streets, soaring hilltop temples, handsome theatres, spacious public squares and plazas, baths, fountains and city walls pierced by towers and gates.

Aqaba and the Red Sea - Not only does Jordan offer a wide choice of climbing, trekking, cycling and horse riding possibilities, the Red Sea waters are famous for the richness of their submarine fauna and flora. So if you're a diver - or just a snorkler, or a glass bottom boat sitter - this is worth a visit.

For more detailed information about these and other sites, we can recommend The Jordan Tourism Board, which also includes a comprehensive list of guides and reference books.

Lebanon

Beirut - You can't miss Lebanon's capital, with all its history and style.

Baalbek - This is one of five UNESCO World Heratige sites in Lebanon (the other four are listed below). Baalbek's temples and city ruins are among the largest and finest examples of Roman architecture in the world. The city of Baalbek originated in Phoenician times as a place of worship to Baal, the Phoenician Sun God. During the Hellenistic period (333-64 B.C.), the Greeks named the city Heliopolis, or “City of the Sun,” but it's golden age was in 47 B.C., when Julius Caesar made it a Roman colony.

Aanjar - Aanjar was an an ancient Islamic trading hub connecting Damascus to the Mediterranean Sea and is among the world's few known ruins of the 8th century Omayyad dynasty. It is most notable for its graceful stone arches and wide arcades. At only 1,300 years old, Aanjar is one of Lebanon's newer archaeological sites. The ruins were discovered by accident relatively recently (in 1949).

Sour (Tyre) - Sour's (Tyre's) list of former rulers and conquerors reads likes a Who's-Who from Antiquity and, with over 5,000 years of history, it offers remnants of Egyptian, Assyrian, Phoenician, Greek, Byzantine, Arab, and Ottoman civilizations in the city. The Roman ruins are most prominent, including the largest Roman hippodrome in the world, an enormous triumphal arch, and an extensive Roman necropolis.

Qadisha Valley & Cedars Forest - Known as the “Holy Valley,” the Qadisha has been a place of refuge for those fleeing religious persecution since the 5th century, and it houses some of the most important early Christian monastic settlements in the world. Rock-cut chapels, grottoes, and hermitages, many painted with frescoes dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries, are tucked into the steep walls. This region is a prime destination for nature enthusiasts, with abundant opportunities for hiking and trekking, mountain climbing, caving, and other natural exploration.

Jbail (Byblos) - Not simply a picturesque seaside town, the modern port city of Jbail (Byblos) has been built upon multiple layers of ruins, dating back to as early as the Stone Age and extending to the more recent Ottoman days. A visit to Jbail (Byblos) is a chance to walk through the annals of Lebanese history and experience the diverse cultures that have made this area a mosaic of civilizations.

For more detailed information about these and other sites, we can recommend the Lebanon Ministry of Tourism.