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The Road To Damascus | What You…

January 13, 2023

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December 1, 2022

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I spent my 2-day stay in Thessaloniki in the Class

I spent my 2-day stay in Thessaloniki in the Classic Suite of Grand Hotel Palace. This particular suite is divided into two generously sized rooms; a spacious living-sitting area, and an elegant bedroom with a king-sized bed.
What’s worth mentioning is that the suite enjoys its own ambiance, and is decorated with eclectic furniture, and other vintage pieces. The use of a palette of calming neutral tones is carefully selected to deliver the elegance and laid-back sophistication that encourages guests to settle in and stay for a while!
The Classic Suite features a wide balcony overlooking the hotel’s inner courtyard, two separate bathrooms (both with a bathtub), and two closets. Guests are offered bathrobes, slippers, and skincare bathroom amenities. Overall, the suite offers all the comforts you would expect, with a work desk, a spacious sofa, armchairs, a dining table, and a mini-bar with coffee and tea facilities.
It comes without saying that Grand Hotel Palace exceeded my expectations. It was spotless, with high-quality rooms, and high-quality services. I had an exceptional stay and I would strongly recommend it to anyone that would like to be surrounded by the finer things in life! Go Grand!
#StayGrand #grandhotelpalace #skg #thessaloniki #luxuryhotels #luxuryhotel #luxury #beautifulhotels #hotellife #besthotels #luxuryhotelsworld #luxurylife

The five-star Grand Hotel Palace is a luxury lifes

The five-star Grand Hotel Palace is a luxury lifestyle hotel, around four kilometers away from downtown Thessaloniki. The hotel is absolutely gorgeous, housed in a neoclassical building, evoking elegance and a strong design aesthetic inside out. In Grand Hotel Palace every detail matters!
Starting with the entrance area and ground floor, whose appearance and arrangement clearly expose the character of the hotel. Elegant furnishing, chandeliers, and a luxurious marbled floor contribute to the classy ambiance Grand Hotel Palace wants to create for its guests. Grand Hotel Palace definitely has a personality of its own with artistic exhibition-like corners that create a unique look and feel.
#StayGrand #grandhotelpalace #skg #thessaloniki #luxuryhotels #luxuryhotel #luxury #beautifulhotels #hotellife #besthotels #luxuryhotelsworld #luxurylife

For 4 years, during the Syrian conflict, the peopl

For 4 years, during the Syrian conflict, the people of Aleppo were trapped in the heat of heavy fighting that left much of the city in ruins.
Still, when the Battle of Aleppo finally ended, they started rebuilding their houses and lives from zero. And when life seemed to slowly get back to normal, the recent earthquake left the people of Aleppo wondering, do they really deserve this fate or not...?
Our thoughts are with the people of Syria (and Turkey) at the moment 🙏❤️, hoping that this is the last hardship they will ever experience in their life…
📸 The pictures were taken during my visit to Syria at the beginning of November 2022.
#visitsyria #prayforsyria #visitaleppo

Our next stop was at Homs, the so-called capital o

Our next stop was at Homs, the so-called capital of the revolution and the city that served as a major stronghold of the opposition against President Bashar Al-Assad.
Due to its strategic location, at the crossroads between the main north-south road and west-east road, Homs became a key battlefield in the Syrian armed conflict. Whoever got control over this major transport hub, would also block the main highway between the capital Damascus and the North. For that very reason, and while the city remained occupied by the Free Syrian Army, the government forces kept on bombing Homs by both air and land.
In the meantime, thousands of families trapped between the two sides suffered from starvation with all supply routes being cut off. The outcome of over 3 years of blockades and bombardments, was a city left in ruins. Finally, on 9 December 2015, after complex negotiations, a cease-fire was achieved and the besieged were allowed to leave the city.
Visiting Homs today is definitely a disturbing sight. Streets and buildings are haunted by violence and death. Entire neighborhoods lie destroyed, leaving an apocalyptic scene. It is more than clear that Homs is the city that suffered the most during the Syrian crisis. No words can describe that awful silence… Nonetheless, some residents have returned to their homes, hoping to begin everything anew.
#visitsyria

About an hour’s drive north of Damascus lies Maa

About an hour’s drive north of Damascus lies Maaloula, a small Christian town, literally carved into the Qalamoun Mountain. This is one of the world’s oldest villages and out of the few remaining places on earth where Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus Christ, still survives.
Even if the written form of Aramaic has fallen away over the centuries, the majority of residents in Maaloula still use this ancient language in their everyday life. They also try to preserve it by passing it on to their children.
While in Maaloula we visited the Convent of Saint Thecla. The story of Saint Thecla goes like this... St. Thecla converted to Christianity at a very young age, inspired by the preaching of Saint Paul.
In her efforts to convey the same message, she was exposed to torture and persecution by her own father. St. Thecla managed to escape and fled towards Antioch by crossing a great distance on foot. However, when she reached the base of Maaloula Mountain she realized that the mountain was too high and obstructed her way. She, then, kneeled, raised her hands, and prayed to God.
As her father’s soldiers were getting closer, the mountain was suddenly divided into two, creating a passage (today’s gorge) for her to pass through. Maaloula got its name by this very miracle, as the word Maaloula in Aramaic signifies exactly this: the “entrance”.
#visitsyria

Despite the 12-year armed conflict, Damascus itsel

Despite the 12-year armed conflict, Damascus itself was the less-hit city in the whole of Syria. The places you will be visiting, both in the Old City and in the new part of Damascus, remain intact with minimum to no signs of hits.
All shops, souks, and restaurants are open, while the streets are bustling with life.
As soon as the visitor enters the old city from any of the seven different gates, he dives into a maze of narrow streets and alleys.
A large part of the heritage of the city consists of magnificent palaces and private houses built during the Ottoman conquest. Most of these houses have now been converted into museums, galleries, luxury hotels, or traditional restaurants.
#visitsyria #visitdamascus

Following the end of the afternoon prayer that tak

Following the end of the afternoon prayer that takes place at 6 pm, locals in Damascus enjoy gathering in cafes to listen to the stories narrated by “al hakawati” (aka the storyteller). In fact, this is a very well-known tradition in Damascus!
One of the most famous cafes in which storytellers still tell their stories is Al Nawfara Café, located in old Damascus, next to the Great Umayyad Mosque.
The hakawati narrates a long story that unfolds into small “episodes” every single day. There is no repetition of the same narration, just a continuation of the story each day!
We personally could not understand a word of it, but we had loads of fun seeing how the hakawati got emotionally involved in his reading. Sometimes waving a flat sword in the air and some other times slamming it against a table in an effort to silence the audience or to add a dramatic effect to his sayings!
No matter what the story was all about, our evening at the Al Nawafara Café crowned our full-day exploring Damascus and added much to the city’s historic charm!
#visitsyria #storyteller

The Grand Mosque of Damascus), is one of the large

The Grand Mosque of Damascus), is one of the largest mosques in the world and one of the oldest sites of continuous prayer since the rise of Islam. The building alone is a magnificent structure, a wonder of Islamic architecture, and the work of thousands of craftsmen of Coptic, Persian, Indian, and Byzantine origin.
However, this site has hosted many different religions in the past. The Aramaeans originally built a temple here in 100 BC for Haddad, the God of storms and lightning. Then, in the early 1st century AD, the Romans arrived and built a massive temple to Jupiter over the foundations of the Aramaean temple. Nowadays, before entering the Umayyad Mosque, visitors cross a spacious square with Roman columns and arches. These are actually the remains of the main entrance of that Roman temple.
In the late 4th century this area became a Christian sacred site. The temple of Jupiter was destroyed and a church dedicated to John the Baptist was built in its place. The church was believed to enshrine the head of the Baptist, making the site an important pilgrimage destination.
The Muslim conquest of Damascus in 636 didn’t initially affect the church, and the building was shared by Muslim and Christian worshipers. Later on, a large part of that church was demolished and the Umayyad Mosque was constructed in its place. However, sheltered inside the prayer hall still remains the small chapel and shrine of John the Baptist.
I have learnt all this 🤓📖 (and even more 😅) from our brilliant guide @rnawaya from @marrota.tourism.syria 🔝
#visitsyria #visitdamascus

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