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Spiekermann
Tour Itinerarys...
Syria & Lebanon (Extension to Jordan)
Splendours of the Levant Itinerary
Oct. 16-17 Depart the US for Lebanon
Depart JFK for Amman, Jordan arriving the following day. Connect to the flight
to Beirut, Lebanon. You will be met upon arrival and taken to your hotel.
Oct. 18 Tyre and Sidon
Visit the excavated ruins of the World Heritage Site of Tyre, one of the
greatest of the Phoenician city-states. Tour the south side of the old
Phoenician island-city including public baths, mosaic streets and a
rectangular arena; the northern site ruins observed from the road; and the
east side consisting of the impressive remains of a Roman necropolis and
hippodrome. Drive back along the coastal road to Sidon to visit the Sea
Castle, Phoenician Temple complex of Echmoun and old covered souks. Return to
Beirut. (B,L,D)
Oct. 19 Byblos and Beirut
Head north of Beirut to Byblos. Explore its ancient sites and the old part of
town on foot, starting from fishermen’s harbor, leading uphill towards the
Church of St. John the Baptist and the souks. Return to Beirut to tour the
Central District and National Museum. Dinner and overnight in Beirut. (B,L,D)
Oct. 20 Beiteddine and Baalbek to Damascus
Drive to Damour, to the imposing palace of Beiteddine, the best example of
early 19th century Lebanese architecture. Tour its museums and view its fine
collection of well-preserved Byzantine mosaics. Descend to the Beqaa Plain and
Baalbek, Lebanon’s greatest Roman treasure. Explore temples attributed to
Jupiter, Bacchus and Venus, a remarkable great court and hexagonal forecourt.
Head across the Syrian border to Damascus for overnight. (B,L,D)
Oct. 21 Damascus
Visit the Umayyad Mosque, one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world.
Located in one of the holiest sites in the old city of Damascus, it is of
great architectural importance and it holds a shrine which is said to contain
the head of John the Baptist. Then visit Azm Palace with its gardens
surrounded by the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions followed by the
National Archaeological Museum. Continue to Old Damascus to walk the Via Recta
of the Roman period known as the "Straight Street" from the Book of Acts; then
visit the House of Annanias. (B,L,D)
Oct. 22 Ma’aloula and Krak des Chevaliers
Head to Ma'aloula, a city lost in time whose inhabitants still speak a dialect
of Aramaic, a language from the time of Christ. Continue to Krak des
Chevaliers, the premier Crusader castle in the world, built high on the hills
overlooking the Homs Pass. Overnight at a nearby hotel. (B,L,D)
Oct. 23 Tartous, Ugarit and Lattakia
Drive along the coast stopping in the small town of Tartous than continue to
Ugarit an old Canaanite city from the Bronze Age and probably the first
international port in history. Continue to the beach town of Lattakia. (B,L,D)
Oct. 24 Salah Eddin castle, Apamea and Hama
Depart for the Byzantine/Arabian castle of Salah Eddin, representing Crusader
architecture from its most romantic period. Continue across the mountains
through the countryside that provided a perfect place for Seleucus I Nicator
to build in the 3rd century BC the city of Apamea, the so-called ‘city of a
thousand columns’. Continue to Hama for overnight. (B,L,D)
Oct. 25 Hama, Serjilla, Ebla and Aleppo
Before departing Hama view the ‘norias’ or water wheels on the Orontes River
which have been in operation since Roman times. Head to Maarat El Numan to
visit its special Mosaics' museum. Continue to Serjilla, one of the 700 “Dead
Cities” that were suddenly abandoned in the 7th century for unknown reasons.
Last stop is the Early Bronze Age city of Ebla. The palace archives found here
contained one of the earliest examples of a bi-lingual dictionary. Dinner and
overnight in Aleppo. (B,L,D)
Oct. 26 St Simeon and Ain Dara
A morning excursion takes you to the Monastery of St. Simeon who was one of
Syria’s most renowned early Christians. The church, surrounding his pillar,
built over 1500 years ago, is in remarkable condition; the arches of its
octagonal yard are still complete. Continue to Ain Dara to visit the well
preserved Neo-Hittite Temple. Dinner and overnight in Aleppo. (B,L,D)
Oct. 27 Aleppo
Begin your day touring the 2nd largest city of Syria with a visit to the
Archaeological Museum and the Citadel of Aleppo. Explore Aleppo’s souq, one of
the best and largest in the east, and visit the Umayyad mosque. Stop at the
historic Baron Hotel, where Lawrence of Arabia stayed while on campaign in
Syria. Many excavations heading into Eastern Syria departed from this
location. Return to your hotel for overnight. (B,L,D)
Oct. 28 Aleppo to Palmyra
Depart from Aleppo to the oasis city of Palmyra, "Tadmor" in ancient times,
was the home of Queen Zenobia. At the end of the 3rd century AD she defied the
Romans and was consequently destroyed by them. One of Syria’s most magnificent
ancient sites, Palmyra spreads over many acres and has an abundance of intact
edifices from the 2nd century AD. Visit the temple of Bel, the Necropolis, the
Agora, the Cardo and other sites of the city. Dinner and overnight in the
beautiful oasis of Palmyra. (B,L,D)
Oct. 29 Palmyra to Damascus
If the opportunity arises, you may stop at one of the Bedouin camps along the
road to Damascus to meet the nomads. Arrival afternoon to Damascus for
enjoying the renowned Hamidiyye Souq (Market) for last minute shopping or
revisiting the museum and its extensive collection. Bid farewell to Syria and
share fond memories of your journey at dinner in a local restaurant. It will
be a special place with traditional live music and great Syrian dishes (B,L,D)
Oct. 30 Bosra and Shahba
Head to the black basalt city of Bosra. Visit the best-preserved Roman theatre
in the world, which dates back to the 2nd century and can seat 10,000
spectators. Stop in Shahba or Philippopolis, a Roman city built by Philip the
Arab in the 3rd century AD. The main ruins include a forum, a palace, a
temple, a theater, baths, and a kalybe. Return to your hotel in Damascus for
dinner and overnight. (B,L,D)
Oct. 31 Depart
Early transfer to the airport for your flight to the US arriving home the same
day. OR extend to Jordan (B)
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