The Road to Damascus
I am dancing for joy! Adventure Man and I are taking a trip soon, back to Damascus! We spent many a happy weekend, even a couple weeks there, way back when, driving from Amman whenever we could. We loved Syria.
I would sit in the old Hammadiyya Souk, drinking tea and feeling the ghosts of the centuries of traders who had sipped tea in the same place. There is, for us, something special about Damascus.
I know there are a lot of Syrian bloggers out there. And it has been a while since we have seen Damascus. I would love to know a couple really great places to eat (we eat in local dives and we eat in the best hotels; we look for good food and atmosphere and know that cost and value are not always the same so recommend whatever YOU love), a good shop for the silk brocades, and anything else you think we really should see.
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I’m sooooooooooooooooooooo jealous!!
you’re staying at the four seasons, right? its perfect – you can walk from there directly into Shaalan and Abou Roumaneh or take a taxi anywhere. when will you be there? do you want to meet up with my friend A?
best shaabi restaurants:
Shamiyat, on the end of Maysaloun Street
Spicy (same owner), nearer the Meridien
Maroush (no taouk), behind the Jordanian/KSA embassies on a little street off Abou Roumaneh
Journalists’ Club (Nadi Al Si7afiyeen), lower Muhajirin/upper Tiliani (get A to take you there – they LOVE him)
best restaurant restaurants:
the breakfast at the Four Seasons 😀
Leila’s, near the Umayyad Mosque
Gemini, in Abou Roumaneh, for watching stylish Damascenes at Friday (or any day) lunch
Al Dar, near Midhat Pasha street
so, so, so jealous 😀
dont forget to go to the famous icecream place in sooq hameedya ,,, !! hope you have a bgreat time 🙂
“drinking tea and feeling the ghosts of the centuries of traders who had sipped tea in the same place.”
think millenia !
Hope you have a wonderful trip! 🙂
You will be back in the area, Little Diamond, and maybe you can join us for a couple days. I know you love Damascus as we do! And we are looking at a boutique hotel recommended by a Kuwait blogger that looks really cool, but good to know the 4 seasons is a good back-up plan.
Oh Abdulaziz – you hit AdventureMan’s weakness – ice cream! We’ll have to look for that shop! And you are right – MILLENIA!
Thanks, N!
1. Leila’s right off the Ummayyad Mosque’s square
2. Vino Rosso in Bab Toma (perfect for a romantic dinner, don’t go for their house-wine take something bottled).
3. Waraq El Zaman also in Bab Toma has one of the coziest atmospheres.
4. There’s a cafe tretoire right next to United Colors of Benetton (Shaalan) I can’t recall the name. If you can catch the early hours of the morning there you will be able to see the city literally waking up. Not to mention the divine sound of Fairouz accompanying your morning cup of coffee.
5. Noufara traditional cafe right next to the Ummayyad Mosque.
6. In the alley leading to the Ummayyad Mosque if you’re coming in from Bab Toma, there’s this little antique store it has some really great pieces if you want to check it out.
Enjoy it 😀
Oh, thank you Kinan, solid gold! I will print those off and take them with me! They all sound like just the kind of places we like, and my heart is pumping faster thinking of the antique shop. . . and maybe the walking!