Aleppo

I did a big Middle East tour back in the spring of 2011. I was traveling solo. This was near the beginning of the Mideast uprising. The reason I went was to see some of the historic sites before it was no longer possible to do so. It was timely because Syria was being devastated not long after I left. It was right in the beginning of the Arab Spring. There were curfews in Hama and Damascus on some of the days I was there, but overall things went very smoothly. Safety wasn’t an issue and I did my research before I left. I had read up on travel guides and forum posts prior to my travel. At the time it was a decent country. Crime was practically non-existent. Everybody had enough to eat and somewhere to live. What is portrayed in the media about the country is about the exact opposite of reality. I was in Syria for four weeks. Tourism not surprisingly was almost non-existent. I didn’t write about my travels at the time. Wish I had jotted a few things down, but I had planned to rely on my photos which I took hundreds during the trip.

Before Syria, I had spent three weeks in Turkey – mainly in Istanbul and Cappadocia. And before that I was in Egypt, where I had started my trip. I spent a night in Antakya, Turkey the day before I left for Syria. In May I crossed the border from Turkey into Aleppo. I had gotten my Visa several months ago back in the States. You could not do it at the border. I actually went to the Syrian embassy in DC to pick up the Visa. At the time I lived just across the Potomac River.

Upon crossing the border I noticed a big change in the living standards. Turkey was solidly a second world country, but Syria was more upper third world. The standard of living there was similar to Mexico. The immigration’s building in Syria was pretty shabby and deteriorated. Turkey’s building was a lot more modern (below):

ALEPPO

It took about an hour to get from the border to Aleppo city center. I had a some difficulty finding my “hotel”. Of course a hotel here is not like a hotel in the states. The place was recommended by Lonely Planet Middle East travel Guide. I didn’t know any Arabic except for a few simple words and numbers. I asked somebody in a shop for directions. He knew some English and gladly helped me out.

I eventually found my hotel. The place was clean and comfortable. The man who worked in the hotel spoke good English.

When I was in Syria I realized my ATM card wasn’t working. In fact it had never worked. I shouldn’t have checked the card before leaving home. I was running low on cash which I originally had $3000 on me. It had carried me through Egypt and Turkey. Few places during my trip accepted anything but cash. I was getting a little worried. Fortunately I was able to get my dad to wire me money through Western Union. The money would last me several more weeks.

My Hotel (Each of the photos are clickable):

Breakfast

At the hotel, owner repairing a TV:

The Citadel

(Aleppo today)

Inside the Citadel:

View from the Citadel

Shops and Markets

Souk closed on Fridays

Mosque

Church

Despite media disinformation, the Christians and Muslims get along fine. Muslims get more offended if you tell them you are an atheist, so if they ask about your religion, just say Christian.

Night Life

Ancient Quarters

A Turkish Style Bath Called a Hamman. Me on the right.

An Upscale Neighborhood

People

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assad

Assad is real popular in Syria. When I asked Syrians opinions on Assad, they almost all gave positive remarks of him.

Town Mall

This mall was located in an upscale area of Aleppo.

Notable Vehicles

Full-size Blazer

BMW M3

Mid-70s Impala

Mid-70s Buick

Blazer, Lada, and BMW 3-series at the Old Quarters

(Coming Up – Damascus, Palmyra, and the Dead Cities. Follow Me to get updates)