Damascus

Legend tells us that the prophet Muhammad, on his journey from Mecca, saw Damascus from a nearby mountain but refused to enter, saying that he only wanted to enter the gates of paradise once, and that was when he died.

Damascus, the capital of Syria, has failed to maintain this serene image and for decades has been shunned by Western travellers because of its political and economic situation. But in recent years Syria's image has changed and Damascus is emerging as a vibrant, fascinating city that's a 'must do' on any trip to the Middle East.

Damascus claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. This is easy to believe once you enter the gates of the Old City, which looks like it has changed little in the past two millennia. The Old City is a Unesco World Heritage Site and is still surrounded by walls built by the Greeks and Romans. Inside is a labyrinth of winding lanes, covered markets and beautiful mosques.

There is more than enough in the old city to keep you busy for a few days if not a week. You won't avoid getting lost in the winding paths, but this usually ends up being fun and a great way for discovering the unexpected. The disorientation is made even more pleasant by the friendly locals who go to great lengths to welcome visitors to Damascus. Their friendliness is astounding and I lost count of the number of times that I was invited for tea or food in people's homes. Locals crossed the road just to say, 'Ahlan wa sahlan' ('You are welcome'). The art of hospitality has deep roots in Syria and many of its people treat every encounter with guests in their country as a gift from God.

Once inside the walls of the Old City the visitor's senses are heightened by the noise, smells and colour of the market. Damascenes pack the small streets, going about their daily business alongside Bedouin nomads and Iranian pilgrims. There are many women on the streets of Damascus, unlike their restricted Saudi Arabian sisters.

Damascus is a city built for shopping and its souks (markets) are packed with shops selling fashion items, dried herbs, silk rugs, colourful textiles and soaps from Syria's second city Aleppo. Each shop specialises in one type of product. Often a whole street is packed with only a certain type of shop. This led me to give my own names to streets, such as Curtain Row or Sweet Street. Perfume shops, where visitors can make their own scents, are popular.

Every day, except for Friday (holy day), Damascenes love to shop and the markets are great places to immerse yourself in their culture. You will see other tourists but not many as it still seems to be comparatively off the tourist map. This makes for a tranquil shopping experience, unlike cities such as Marrakech in Morocco, where tourists are plagued by unwanted attention and hassled into buying carpets that they don't want.

The covered area of the market of Souq al-Hamidiyya is a welcome relief from the heat of the Syrian sun. The 19th century corrugated iron roof blocks all light except for some bullet holes that allow shafts of light to cut the darkness like lasers. The bullet holes were caused by French gunfire during the nationalist rebellion in 1925, a reminder of Syria's troubled past.

Souq al-Hamidiyya is home to my favourite shop in Damascus. Bakdash is Syria's oldest ice-cream parlour and has been making ice cream since 1890. Locals and visitors pack in to the shop for the delicious, light textured ice cream. Regardless of whether you like ice cream, it's still worth a visit to see the men dressed like something out of an American 50s diner, making the ice cream with the massive pestle and mortars. There are several other cafés serving thick Turkish coffee or honey drenched fresh baklava and all along the streets are vendors selling fruit juice and boiled sweets. The restaurants are excellent in Damascus and many are beautifully set in old Damascene residences. The dining area is usually in a large court yards with fountains in the middle.

A great way to unwind after a busy day in the souq is to visit one of the local hammam, many which date back as far as the 12th century and still function as before. For less than €10 an attendant will scrub you cleaner then you ever have been and give you a nice, quick massage. It's great to spend the day there like the locals washing yourself and chatting, just like others have for thousands of years. The hammam is an important social activity for many Syrian Muslim women and for the tourist offers social immersion in life beyond the black veil.

At the centre of the old city is the Umayyad Mosque, one of Islam's greatest architectural glories. Completed in 715, it's said to be one of the largest, oldest and holiest mosques in the world. After donning the obligatory hooded robe for non Muslims and leaving your shoes outside, you are instantly wowed when you step inside its walls and enter into a stunning courtyard of glittering marble.

Equally as striking are the beautiful golden mosaics decorating the inside of the prayer hall. In one of the rooms there is a shrine which claims to hold the head of John the Baptist, who interestingly is a prophet to both Christians and Muslims. The Shrine of Hussein is in another room. He was the grandson of the prophet Mohammad and Shiite pilgrims who are mostly Iranian pack this room paying tribute to their special martyr. While there, I witnessed many pilgrims crying hysterically and beating their chest. It was a very strange experience to be in a room filled with such emotion and not really understand what was going on.

The perfect way to round off a day in the old city is a visit to Al-Nawfara Coffee Shop which is just behind the Umayyad Mosque. The storyteller Abu Shady is the last professional storyteller left in Syria and after a 20-year hiatus he returned to performing in 1990. He appears here nightly, costumed in traditional baggy trousers, waistcoat and fez. Although he speaks in Arabic, his stories are still highly entertaining as he punctuates his words with waves and smashing of his sword and there is plenty of heckling from the audience.

Deirdre Mullins

Deirdre Mullins visited Damascus as a part of a trip from Cairo to Istanbul with Intrepid Travel: 21 days from €1225 (plus local payment US$400). For more information or to book, telephone: 01 524 0071 or visit: www.intrepidtravel.com.

Flights
Turkish Airlines flies to Cairo from Dublin 7 days a week via Istanbul, starting from €436 including taxes. The company also flies direct from Dublin to Istanbul 7 days per week, starting from €230 including taxes. For more information or to book, visit: www.turkishairlines.com or telephone: (01)844 79 20.

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