A visit to the National Museum followed by the enormous Souk al-Hamidiyeh (a market in Arab countries). ex-Marine had made a point of repeating to me over and over again…”Sheila, don’t tell anyone you are an American! Say you are Canadian or British.” Yeah, yeah… In the very first shop visited, the shopkeeper politely inquired, “…and Madam, which country are you from?…” and I politely replied, “America.” With that, he went into a long, effusive rhapsody of, “You are so welcome to my country. Please do not listen to what is said about Syria in the newspapers or television. All we want is peace and I am so glad you are here.” This turned out to be the theme for the entire stay in Syria with Syrians always welcoming us with open arms, hearts and hospitality. After this first incident, ex-Marine proudly and without fear joined in answering, “We are Americans.”

“A Street Called Straight” ran right through the center of the souk with infinite side streets turning in all directions. Impossible to see it all in one visit, we walked back and forth several times from the hotel. Gold and silver jewelry, herbs, spices, what appeared to be zillions of carpets and rugs almost impossible for me to resist. And, as a matter of fact, we ended up buying small rugs for each adult child at the end of the trip.

in the Damascus souk, Syria
If you’ve ever wondered what the difference is between “rugs” and “carpets” (the term is used interchangeably), read this Tunisia post that explains it.

wedding dresses for sale in the Damascus, Syria souk
From the Souk over to Omayyd Mosque with it’s fabulous mosaics. The Omayyd Mosque is one of the most gorgeous Mosque’s I’ve ever seen…View image and, believe me, I’ve seen Mosques in many countries. This one had such incredible detail that everyone was stunned.

Omayyd Mosque, Damascus, Syria
The women in the group had a hilarious time posing in the hooded, long cover-ups we had to wear to visit the Mosque. This was definitely not the most flattering outfit any of us have ever worn.

Sheila dressed for the Mosque (or Halloween), Syria 

an unattractive coven of witches in Damascus, Syria
May I repeat again that the majority of the world only want to live in peace, take care of themselves and their families without war, strife, famine, or terrorism. There is such a small minority of people in the Arab/Islamic world who do fit that mold, and so unfair not only to lump every person into the terrorist realm but refrain from travel because of these fears. Be realistic. Weigh pros and cons and then make your decision. Syria was turning out to be fantastic. Keep reading…