Castles Galore!

On Friday, we left for a two-night excursion to the north of Syria. Our first stop was Maloula, a town that still speaks Aramaic. We visited the church of St. Sarkis, which was built in the 4^th century on what used to be a pagan temple. Inside we heard the Lord’s Prayer recited in Aramaic.

 

Next we hiked through some winding paths carved into the hillside to the shrine of Saint Tekla. The shrine is located in a convent that is built into the cliffs. A few of us climbed up the countless number of stairs to the shrine, and were greeted by a  gorgeous open-air room with a tree growing inside it.

 

We then continued onward to the Krak des Chevaliers. This massive castle was built in the early 11^th century and used by the crusaders. Much of the outer wall is still intact, supplying excellent views of the surrounding countryside. Inside, we saw a massive oven and the mess hall attached. We were also treated to a piece of the call to prayer sung by a local boy. A specially designed corner of the mosque sent the call echoing throughout the castle. We were given the better part of two hours to explore, but I could have stayed all day. If only I had brought my flashlight.

 

The next day we left early and made our way towards Aleppo. Along the way we made a quick stop in Homs to see the ancient water wheels. The wheels were used to lift water from the river to the aqueducts, and are still in operation today.

 

Our time in Aleppo was brief. We arrived in the afternoon and toured the Citadel, which paled in comparison to the Krak. Among the highlights were the view of the city, an amphitheater and the bathhouse.

 

We spent the night at Dar Zamari, an old family home that was converted into a hotel.

 

 

That night we visited the Aleppo Market place, and made friends with a scarf dealer. He had Clarice, Rich and Gabi watch the shop while he took me to attempt to run my credit card (which was unsuccessful). When we returned, the three looked right at home, and were joking around with some of the owner’s friends.

 

The owner, who is 22, proceeded to explain to me how his father bought him the store when he graduated high school. Before he could run the store, however, he had to serve the obligatory two years in the Syrian army. While in the army, he was forced to work long days learning to drive tanks.

 

He said the experience was hard, but that life isn’t fair. He went on to explain that Syrian children are very reliant on their parents, and the draft is a way of achieving independence. While in the army, he learned to wash clothes, cook meals, and work hard.

 

 

When he returned home he went to work in the shop. There, he taught himself to speak English, French, and Spanish from books. Currently he is working on learning German. In order to keep the languages straight, he keeps a cheat sheet under the counter with certain phrases listed in all the languages. He says that business in the shop is slow, but learning keeps him occupied.

 

 

When we left the next day, it felt as if we had just arrived. What a whirlwind tour!

Advertisement