Syria » Things to see

Navigate through the world's oldest inhabited city: Damascus. A central feature of this cluttered and clamorous city is the Ummayyad Mosque, entered by passing through the Al-Hamidiyah Bazaar. The mosque houses the Tomb of St John the Baptist. The Tikiyeh Mosque, built in the mid 16th century, stands out by its two elegant minarets and great dome. The 18th-century Al Azem Palace is now a national museum, where there are, amongst other examples of Islamic art, beautifully illuminated copies of the Koran. Situated in old Damascus, a little way off the famous Via Recta, or the 'Street called Straight', is the House of Hanania, where St Paul hid, using the underground chapel for worship. The church in the Damascus Wall from where St Paul escaped in a basket is also still preserved. Other attractions include the Sayyida Zainab Shrine (the granddaughter of the Prophet Mohammad), the Tomb of Saladin at the back of the Ummayyad Mosque, and the outskirts of Damascus, especially Dummar, with seasonal entertainment and restaurants. Ghota, the fruit orchards surrounding Damascus, is at its best during the blooming of apricot, plums, cherries and other trees in early spring.

See some of the oldest minarets in the whole of Islam in Bosra, the first city in the Syrian Arab Republic to become Muslim. As a stopover on the pilgrimage route to Mecca, Bosra was a prosperous city until the 17th century. By then the region was becoming unsafe and the pilgrims began to take a less dangerous route further west. The Mosque of Omar in the centre of the town (called Jami-al Arouss, 'the bridal mosque', by the Bosriots), used to be a pagan temple and now stands as the only mosque surviving from the early Islamic period that has preserved its original facades.

To find a whole new meaning to the phrase 'girl power', head to Palmyra, a town set in a desert oasis, where the legendary Queen Zenobia ruled and stood against the two great empires of the Romans and the Persians. Zenobia was taken captive to Rome when the Emperor Aurelian conquered and destroyed the city in AD 272. It was originally known as Tadmor, meaning 'city of dates' and its existence was recorded on stone tablets dating from the 19th century BC. In the third century BC, the city became one of the main trade routes linking east and west, and began to prosper. In the first century AD, Tadmor came under Roman rule and was renamed Palmyra, meaning 'city of palm trees'. After a succession of rulers, including Zenobia, Palmyra was captured by the Muslim leader Khalid ibn al-Walid in AD 634, and its status as a great trading city and cultural centre declined. The ruins of the Valley of Tombs, the Hypogeum of the Three Brothers, the Great Temple of Bel and the Monumental Arch, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are some of the fine remains found over a wide area of the city, prized as containing some of the most famous monuments to the Classical period in the Middle East. Halabiyé and Zalabiya, situated 40km (25 miles) from Deir ez Zor, also contain ruins that bear witness to an important military role during the reign of Queen Zenobia.

Visit Crac des Chevaliers, the most famous crusader castle in the world. A stronghold of the Hospitallers during the days of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (1100-1290), it maintained a garrison of several thousand soldiers in peacetime. The castle, rising from an altitude of 670m (2,200ft), was protected by watchtowers and supplied with food from the surrounding fertile countryside. The crusader castles of Salaheddin, near Latakia, and Markab, near Banyas, also merit a visit.

Situated on the River Orontes, 45km (28 miles) from Homs, Hama dates back to beyond 5,000BC. See the aesthetic spectacle of the norias, gigantic wooden waterwheels, which are Hama's unique feature, still used to provide water for the city and to irrigate the many public gardens. The orchards, the Great Mosque and the Al Azem Palace's Museum are also of interest.

Be gobsmacked by Aleppo, older possibly even than Damascus, and containing a massive Citadel that stands on the site of a Hittite acropolis. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most magnificent examples of Islamic Arab military architecture in the Syrian Arab Republic. There is an impressive number of mosques in the city.

See the 'pearl of the Euphrates' at Deir ez Zor, located on the right bank of the river. The garden and orchards along the banks of the Euphrates harmonise beautifully with the golden desert hues and the silver thread of the river.

Stroll around Mari's Royal Palace, built by Zimrilim, ruler of this important city-state 2,000 years ago, and boasting 300 rooms and halls. It was rediscovered in the course of excavations during the 1930s and is now protected by a modern roof. Mari itself was built at a strategic point on the trade routes from the Syrian Arab Republic to Mesopotamia. The town's oldest ruins date back 5,000 years.

Be stunned by the bright colours of Syrian cities during the annual Silk Road Festival (usually held in September), commemorating the country's meeting of myriad nationalities and communities by harking back to when the Syrian Arab Republic was the meeting place for the Silk Road caravans from around the world. Syrian cities are usually also awash with artistic and cultural activities during this time.

Attend a musical festival, held every two years, at Bosra's well-preserved Roman amphitheatre (with room for 15,000 spectators). The eastern exit to the town is one of the gorgeous amphitheatre's last surviving vestiges of a pre-Roman civilisation. The remains of an archway dating from the first century, the Nabatean period, of which nearly all traces are now lost, are unique in the Syrian Arab Republic.

Browse around one of the Syrian Arab Republic's many souks (markets). Particularly recommended is the one at Aleppo, made up of 16km (10 miles) of meandering low corridors lined with shops and bustling with activity. Damascus' Long Souk is also wonderful.

Treat yourself to a back rub in the Syrian Arab Republic's well-preserved hammams (public baths). There are some lovely ancient khans (rest houses) to unwind in.

Relax on the Syrian Arab Republic's Mediterranean coast. The major holiday resort of Latakia stands at the foot of the forested chain of mountains overlooking the coastal strip on one side and the edge of the Fertile Plains (the 'Cradle of Civilisation') on the other. There are a number of antiquities, including the ruined Temple of Bacchus and a triumphal arch. Tartus also has some lovely beaches and mountains. Near Tartus, 10km (6 miles) inland, are the Drekish Mountains, famous for the purity of their water. Most of the Mediterranean resorts offer canoeing, scuba-diving and other watersports.