Syria

Currently, travel to Syria not possible due to its status as an active war zone. Civil war has been raging since 2011, and the country has a high risk of armed violence, aerial bombardment, and kidnapping. Syria’s population has suffered heavy losses, and travel infrastructure has been devastated. When the situation becomes less volatile, however, the country may once again become a fascinating destination for visitors, despite the destruction which has fallen upon cities, historical sites, and archaeological ruins alike.

Capital Damascus claims to be the oldest continually inhabited city on Earth, and its leafy Old Town is home to street after street of historic buildings, bustling Souk al-Hamidiyya, and Islam’s fourth-holiest site, the Umayyad Mosque. Roman ruins and contemporary art galleries rub shoulders with each other. Aleppo is known for its towering citadel and sprawling souks, as well as Saint Simeon’s basilica, which is set 30 miles outside the city and is currently highly dangerous due to its use for tunnelling activities by the Islamic Front. The ruined Roman city of Bosra sits majestically atop empty desert sands, and central Syria is home to iconic Crusader castle Krak des Chevaliers, built between 1142 and 1271.