Aleppo: Syria's Second City

The highlight of Aleppo is indeed its Old City. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Old City is a maze of narrow streets lined with souks and mosques. You could easily spend a few hours touring the souks and chatting it up with the friendly locals.

Next to the Old City is The Citadel, a large fortress atop a 50m tall hill and surrounded by a moat that gives great views of the city and has an excellent throne room.

St. Simeon, the grand ruins of a Byzantine church is the greatest site outside of Aleppo and definitely worth the half-hour it takes to get there.

Quick Tips:

How long should I stay?: Aleppo is Syria's second largest city, but the sights within the city warrant no more than two days. As for the sights around the city, you could easily see the most impressive of those in one day. A fourth day would make your schedule a little more relaxed, but really isn't necessary at all, and I could easily see getting a bit bored with the city by the fourth day.
It can easily be done as a weekend trip from Damascus (5 hours away), or combined as part of a longer trip with Lattakia and Tartus on the Mediterranean or with Palmyra and the desert to the east.

Best Way To Get Around:

Inside Aleppo: Aleppo has all of its sights of interest located in a confined area around the old city. Everything is no more than a 20-minute walk away. Taxis are readily available, however, and run on a meter system. A cabbie may give you some story about the meter being broken and try to ask for a higher price. If this happens, ask him to turn on the meter, if he refuses, get out of the cab - you'll find another.

Around Aleppo: All the sights around Aleppo are beyond the reach of public transport, so you really only have two viable options. One is to rent a car. There are a few international car hire companies, such as Avis and Budget, in Aleppo that will rent you cars for around /day with insurance. There are also local companies, but their cars, as well as the insurance coverage, can be unreliable. But a car will give you plenty of freedom and allow you to visit all the sights you want, and the roads are in good condition. You can also hire a , most hotels will arrange this. For about , you can get one for the day, probably the best option.

While there are no real major chains, there is certainly no shortage of hotels in Aleppo. If you like luxury, you can certainly find it at the Cham Palace and others, but if you are a bargain traveler, there is certainly a fair share of cheap lodging, as long as you don’t care about sharing a shower and bathroom.

I opted for a place slightly below the middle of the road, the Hanadi Hotel. The hotel is located right off the main square of the downtown area in a restored old house. From here, you can easily walk all the main sights of Aleppo (Citadel, Old City, Jdide) and there are plenty of restaurants, both cheap and expensive, nearby, so you should never really have to hop a taxi anywhere.

The hotel itself is extremely clean and offers various types of rooms. If you want your own shower and air conditioning, you can have a room for three people for $18. The same size room without a shower or A/C will cost you $12, while a one-person room, not much larger than your bed with a shared shower and bath, will cost you $7. All these prices include a breakfast of bread, marmalade, eggs, olives, cheese, and tea. Also, these prices might rise a bit during the high season (April to May, August to Sept), but I am sure they will also drop significantly during the winter months.

All of the rooms are very clean and, since most of the rooms are set back from the street, they are very quiet as well. The hotel also has a nice courtyard where you can sit and have your breakfast.

The staff is also very helpful and polite, not pushy at all. My only complaint was that the owner completely refused to speak Arabic with me, so we devolved into a strange relationship where I asked in Arabic and he responded in English, never even acknowledging my Arabic ability, but that’s not a problem most people will have. The owner will gladly arrange an excursion to St. Simeon and the other sights for you. He doesn’t try to push them on you, which is nice, but if you ask he will explain your options and the prices.

The hotel is also very popular among the budget traveler crowd, meaning backpackers in their mid 20s from Europe, which was nice because I was able to easily find a French guy to share the price of an excursion with me. Hanadi is a no frills hotel that is clean, cheap, and in a good location. If I return to Aleppo, I’ll gladly stay there again rather than go back on the hunt.

The limestone hills surrounding Aleppo were, for much of history, considered uninhabitable. There was little water and little fertile land and, in addition to that, the area was prone to multiple invasions and instability. All that changed when, under the stability of the Roman Empire, a few intrepid Romans decided to plant some olive trees. Olive trees are peculiar because it takes them at least 10 years before they bear any fruit, so these Romans planted the trees and then waited impatiently for their fruits. Their foresight paid off when the area soon became a massive olive production area and the Roman farmers became extremely wealthy from the trade money. Their settlements soon turned into small towns with large villas, granaries, wells, and public buildings. However, as the Byzantine Empire started to crumble under pressure from the Persians and Arabs, the region once again became unstable and the settlements were abandoned. The region remained basically uninhabited until the last century when irrigation techniques and other developments made the land habitable.

It is because of the basic lack of human contact that a number of the ruins from the Roman Era are left in surprisingly good shape. Hundreds of villas and other buildings have been located and are free for you to explore. There are so many that the Syrian government cannot possibly keep track of them all and some of them have been incorporated into daily life. You may see a modern Syrian house built on the foundation of a Roman villa, and, in many cases, the locals have just built their lives around the ruins without damaging them. So you will see a Roman house in the middle of a field of eggplants, and you will see local farmers using the same walls as the Romans to mark their fields.

There are far too many ruins for you to see them all. Also, most of them are far beyond the reaches of public transport. If you have your own car, you could spend a whole day driving around and stopping at various ruins. The best way to do visit some of these "dead cities" is by doing it as part of a larger tour to the other sights of the region. Many hotels offer excursions that will stop by one of these villages, most often the one near Qala’at Samaan.

Whichever one you happen to stop at, you will surely not be disappointed. Very little is actually known about many of the structures, so, most of the time, it’s just best to use your imagination. Was this a villa? A church? In many other countries, these ruins would be a star tourist attraction, but in Syria, the land of history, they are just one of many, but they will still fire up your imagination. Some may be a bit appalled by the way people have made their homes among the ruins, but I find that it gives it a particular vibrancy.

By far the most impressive set of ruins around Aleppo are those of the Basillica of St. Simeon, known as Qala’at Samaan in Arabic. Lying on the top of a large limestone hill, St. Simeon is an impressive fifth-century Byzantine church that was considered the grandest Christian monument for about 100 years, until the founding of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

The church is built on the sight where the third-century monk, St. Simeon, began his peculiar habit of living atop various pillars, spending his whole time praying to God and never coming down. For 42 years St. Simeon sat atop his pillars welcoming pilgrims and sharing his advice, creating a huge cult following. Byzantine authorities finally built the remarkable church on the spot as an attempt to create church unity and appease the Eastern sects that were so in love with St. Simeon. The church soon became a huge pilgrimage center and remained so even after its capture by Arab and other invading forces. However, as the surrounding area eventually became depopulated because of instability, the church was also abandoned and left practically untouched until the last century.

The lack of human contact meant that the church was only left to the elements and, thus, survived surprisingly well. Visiting the church today, even though the roof has crumbled as well as some of the walls, it is still easy to get an idea of the grandeur of the church and the awe it must have imposed on pilgrims. The main entranceway is well preserved, as is the triple apse. Inside the main hall of the church, you can see bits of mosaic peeking out through layers of dirt, but one of the most spectacular aspects of the church is its views. From among the ruins of the church, you can peer out past columns at the Afrine River, rolling limestone hills, and orchards of olive trees. Across from the church, there was also a small monastery and chapel that contains a very nicely preserved baptismal basin. The church has even maintained its status as a pilgrimage center. While there, I saw two busloads of Greek Orthodox priests and nuns unload for a visit.

All in all this is probably the one place outside of Aleppo that you have to see. The size of the church is astounding and the views are amazing. Like the rest of the area, though, it is beyond public transportation and so you will have to arrange for a guide to take you; most hotels can do this for you. St. Simeon is something you should not miss out on.

The Citadel of Aleppo is a must-see, no doubt about it. In fact, it’s practically unavoidable. It sits there atop a large hill, on the edge of the Old City, staring down with protecting eyes, its towering walls sinking down into a deep (but now dry) moat, with the only access being from a long bridge built atop sturdy arches protected by two gate houses. Standing at the edge of the moat, staring up at the stone behemoth above will make you feel utterly insignificant. It’s no wonder the Crusaders never succeeded in their multiple attempts to capture the city.

The mound on top of which the Citadel sits, is so perfectly shaped, that you would assume it to be artificial, but in fact it is perfectly natural, having been worn to that shape over time. Indeed, the Citadel is its most impressive from the outside where you can stare at the walls, the moat, and the bridge and wonder just how one would even go about trying to capture the fort, but it is still definitely worth it to take a look inside. The Citadel is currently undergoing a huge restoration at the hands of Germans and Syrians, but there is still plenty to see. Actually, visiting it in this state of rehabilitation is a bit of advantage because the site hasn’t been packaged up for the tourists yet. You are completely free to wonder wherever you want and nobody will stop you. As long as you can walk there, you can go see it. Undoubtedly, when the restorations are complete, the Citadel will just be a serious of ropes and "Do Not Enter" signs guiding tourists along a set path. But for now you can enjoy exploring on your own, coming across secret passages and rooms where you will be the only one around.

Much of the restoration is being dedicated to the various rooms of the Citadel such as the baths and the mosques, so that they can be restored for future tourists, but there are still some rooms that are open now that are plenty impressive. One is a small mosque with a nice pine-shaded courtyard and another is the Sultan’s baths, but the most impressive is the throne room, a lavishly decorated room with chandeliers and mosaics that looks like it belongs in Topkap?, not Aleppo. Make sure to see these last, as from here you can descend down the "secret exit" and enjoy looking down through the grates at tourists passing through the main entrance below.

The other main reason to head up to the Citadel is, of course, for the views. From here you can see all of Aleppo, a city that is much larger than you would think. Still, though it’s fun to stand at the edge of the walls and imagine what it was like to be an Ayyubid soldier staring out across the fields and seeing a horde of Mongol fresh off the destruction of Baghdad ready to raise your town.

The Jdide Quarter (the New Quarter) is probably the most interesting part of Aleppo after the Old City. Built in the late Ottoman period (17th to 18th centuries), it’s not exactly what many of us would call new. The quarter became the home of the large Christian community of Aleppo, mainly Maronites and Armenians, and that is how it remains today. The Jdide Quarter with its narrow streets and balconied houses maintains a completely different identity and air than that of the rest of Aleppo. Walking through the covered cobblestone streets, it is easy to forget that you are in Syria at all. Indeed for most of its history, this was the wealthy part of town and it still maintains remnants of that today with a few high-end hotels and expensive restaurants, as well as hip cafes and bars. While there is not a terrible amount to see in terms of sights, it is still worth your time to take an afternoon stroll though the quarter to admire the woodwork on the buildings and the much more relaxed atmosphere.

In terms of sights, the quarter is home to many churches, many of which were built recently, but there are still a few worth visiting. One of these is the Forty Martyrs Armenian Cathedral. Originally built in the 16th century, the church has undergone extensive repairs and additions, losing much of its original style, but it is still a nice place to stop by, especially if you have never seen an Armenian church before. A more imposing and impressive church, however, is the Maronite Cathedral, dating from the 1800s. Probably the best tourist stop in Jdide is the Museum of Popular Tradition, a small museum housed in an old, Ottoman-style house. Each room of the house is redecorated to how it would have looked in Ottoman times, complete with manikins dressed in traditional clothes. The museum, although a bit cheesy, is still worth a stop because it will give you a good idea of what an Ottoman house looked like. Although there are better examples throughout the former Ottoman world, this is one isn’t too bad.

Other than that just enjoy your time strolling around the quiet Jdide quarter and, if you want, return to one of the bars or cafes at for a bit of nightlife.

The old city of Aleppo is a confusing labyrinth of narrow cobblestone streets, covered bazaars, khans, mosques and madrasas, unlike any other in the world. Of all the great old cities of the Islamic world (I have been to from Marrakesh to Cairo to Istanbul), Aleppo is by far the most spectacular. It is so unique in fact that UNESCO has declared it a world heritage site. Walking through the old souks of Aleppo is the closest you can get to actually stepping back in time and witnessing the hectic life of an Islamic old city.

Most of the structures and souks in the old city of Aleppo are of Ottoman construction, and it was during the Ottoman period that Aleppo reached the height of its power. It was the center of trade for the Middle East, attracting traders from all over the Ottoman Empire, as well as Europe. During its heyday, Aleppo was full of Venetian, French, and British traders setting up shops right next to Arab, Armenian, and Turkish traders, buying goods to sell to the European elite in Venice, Paris, and London. Although those days are gone, Aleppo still hasn’t lost its cosmopolitan nature and its ability to attract traders from around the world.

There is still a huge Armenian population as well as a number of Turks, all who have established themselves in the Old City. The Venetians may have stopped coming, but they have been replaced by Russian traders who come to stock up on goods to take back to the major Russian cities. In the Aleppo of today, it is still possible to hear a range of languages being shouted out by shopkeepers, and a sign in Cyrillic is as easy to find as one in Arabic.

In terms of sights, the main attraction of the Old City is the city itself. Although, over the years, parts of the Old City succumbed to the pressures of modernization (you will notice there are no walls), the Syrian government, with the help of German engineers and archaeologists, have been reclaiming a much of the old city and restoring it to its former glory. The Syrian government has given tax breaks to people willing to open up shops in the old city, and their efforts seem to be working. The Old City is as alive today as it probably was in the Ottoman Era.

If you have visited other souks, like Khan el-Khalili in Cairo, the first thing you will notice about Aleppo is the virtual lack of touts, or people begging you to "have a look." Of course they are there, especially in the area right by the main gate, but, for the most part, you will be amazed by the almost completely hassle-free nature of walking around Aleppo. It is because of this that I recommend that when visiting the Old City - all you need to do is just walk. Start at one end, preferably at the entrance of Souk al-Attarin near the Citadel. This is the most tourist-oriented part of the Old City, and you will be able to find all those little trinkets and gifts you need for people back home. From here, all you have to do is just walk. You really don’t have to get worried about becoming lost either. This is nowhere near the maze that you will find in places like Fez, and a guide is definitely not necessary. The Old City is quite small and everything centers around the main street of Souk al-Attarin. If you ever get a little disoriented, all you have to do is walk and you will either end up on Souk al-Attarin or outside the Old City, from where you can just enter in again.

So that is my suggestion: just grab your camera, maybe a list of things to buy, and then just go. Let the streets tell you where to go. If you see something interesting, go look at it. You never have to worry about wandering into a bad part of the city, as there are none. You may walk into parts that are more local than others, where instead of pillow covers, they are selling cow hearts, but that is all part of the experience. You will soon discover that it is perfectly easy to spend a few good hours in the city. Take your time, there should be no rush.

Do not be afraid of the shopkeepers. They are all extremely friendly and willing to help you out in anyway. They may offer you some tea. Go ahead and sit, sip some tea, and chat with a shopkeeper. He will most likely have a few interesting stories to share. Of course he’ll show you all sorts of merchandise, but there is never any pressure. Never feel like you have to buy anything. You can sit, drink tea, and then walk away and the shopkeeper will think nothing less of you.

So just relish the opportunity to be one of the few tourists meandering around this window into another time. Take in the sights and the smells. Stop off for some lemon juice made with bitter, but refreshing Omani lemons. Make your way to the Umayyad Mosque or duck into a few madrasas to see beautiful examples of Ottoman architecture. The Old City of Aleppo is a world unlike anywhere else, and as of now, it’s relatively unscathed by the claws of tourism, but that is sure to change as Syria pushes its tourism agenda forward. See it while you can.

If you have never had the pleasure of experiencing a hammam (Turkish bathouse) before, then the Hammam Yalbougha al-Nasri in Aleppo is a great place to do it.

In the mid-1980s, the Syrian government restored this 14th-century Mameluke hammam to full working order and opened it back up to the public. This hammam is one of the largest, and certainly most ornate, hammams in all of Syria. From the outside the building looks like a typical Mameluke structure with a large entranceway and black and white stones, but, once you enter, a long and winding hallway takes you down into the main salon of the hammam, a large, lavishly decorated room with a raised platform running along the walls, on top of which are a series of padded benches. Built into the walls are small recesses covered by drapes and beads that act as changing rooms, and in the middle of the room is a large fountain.

When you enter you will have the choice of which services you would like, each costing a different amount. The all-inclusive package will run you 415 Lira (less than $10), meanwhile, a steam bath with some soap will cost you about 215 Lira. If this is your first real hammam experience, you have to go for the full package - it just wouldn’t be right if you didn’t.

If you opt for the full package, you will be given a security box to put your valuables in and then shown to one of the benches where an assistant will give you a red towel. You then take this towel into the changing alcove where you will strip down and put the towel around your waist. Note that no matter how comfortable you are with your body, that towel had better not leave your waist. After a bit, you will be given some wooden slippers and then led down another winding hallway, through the cold room and into the main bath area. From here, you will be shown the steam room where the temperature is the hottest. After sitting in there for a while, meaning after your pores have expunged themselves, you will be led back into the cold room by a large Arab man (or woman if you are a woman). With a series of grunts he will command you to sit up, lie down, and roll over as he takes a large glove with the consistency of steel wool and vigorously rubs it over your body. It will hurt a bit at first (you had better hope you are not sunburned), but, after a bit, it will actually start to feel good and you will feel even better when you see large rolls of dirt falling of your body, dirt that has probably been lodged in your skin for ten years.

After your exfoliation, your attendant will then take a loufa and some olive oil soap and give your entire body a good rub. Once soap has been grinded into every inch of exposed skin, you will be doused with water and cleansed. Then comes the best part - the massage. Your masseur will lay you down and then begin to use his fleshy arms to press deep into your chest, back, arms, and legs. He will press all his weight onto your spine, flattening you against the stone floor until every vertebrae cracks. Then your arms and legs will be bent into directions you never thought they could go, stretching your muscles and creating space between your compacted bones, all of it done quickly and forcibly but never inciting pain. Soon you will get a big slap on the back signifying that you are done and you will be left to wander back to the main steam area to sit and douse yourself with cold water from copper bowls. You will be left to sit for as long as you need and when you have fully recovered you can head back into cold area where the attendant will wrap you up like Tutankhamen in towels and then send you back into the main hall. Once in the main hall, you will be allowed to rest on your bench, drinking tea (and nargile if you wish) until you feel ready to go.

It’s truly a wonderful experience and will leave you feeling clean and refreshed the rest of the day. Note that although this hammam is a bit on the touristy side, it is still very traditional and everything is done in a traditional manner, and this means that there are separate times for men and woman. The times are set up by alternating days; men on Friday, women Saturday and so on. So if you are there with co-ed company, the best thing to do is just designate a bath time for each day. The whole process will take about an hour and a half, so if the men want to bathe one day, then the ladies can go to the National Museum or walk around the Old City. You can then alternate the next day. Also, this hammam is a bit more expensive than those in Damascus, so if you are visiting both cities and in a crunch for money, you may want to hold out for Damascus, but this hammam is definitely the grandest in Syria. Whether you bathe in Aleppo or Damascus, it is sure to be a great experience and one not to miss out on if you have never done it before.

The most spectacular sights around Aleppo are the "dead cities" and St. Simeon, both covered in other entries, but, if you have a couple of days in Aleppo and are not short on time, I recommend extending your excursion to St. Simeon to include a few of the other sights buried in the limestone mountains. You can easily see them all (including St. Simeon and the dead cities) on one day-long excursion. Public transportation in this area is minimal and most of the sites are beyond the reach of minibuses, so if you have rented a car (not a bad idea for touring Syria) then you will have no trouble. If you do not have a car, it is perfectly easy to arrange a tour through your hotel. It should cost around $20/person.

The first of the major sights, and the one closest to Aleppo, is the Byzantine church of Mushabbak. The church, while nowhere near the scale of St. Simeon, is still impressively preserved and provides a good introduction to what you can expect from the other sites. The church is a basic basilica built in the fifth century. Inside, the nave and the support columns give you the best idea of what the church looked like in its prime. Also, just outside the church is a small quarry (where the stones for the church came from) and a small tomb. There is also a small monastery complex.

If you are on a planned excursion, you will head from here to a dead city and St. Simeon, after which you can proceed on to the temple complex of Ain Dara. Ain Dara is a Hittite temple from around 10,000 B.C. While the ruins themselves are not terribly impressive, they are still worth a look. The lion statues outside of the tomb give you a good idea of Hittite sculpting, and the large "footprints" inside the temple are unique. If you have never seen a Hittite temple before, Ain Dara will impress, and, in addition to great views, the most impressive aspect of the temple is merely its age.

After Ain Dara, you will head a good 30km farther north, probably stopping for lunch on the way. Beware that you will be expected to pay for your driver’s lunch if you stop. Also, you should know that the driver might just decide to bring his son along, like he did with us, and you will have to pay for him too. Admittedly I was a bit annoyed, but the 10-year-old boy was too cute, and it’s not like it was expensive anyway. The stretch of road from Ain Dara to the ruins of Cyrrhus is the most impressive part of the drive. You will wind around the mountains on narrow roads and through villages. Eventually at one point you will arrive at two Roman bridges, both immaculately preserved and still in use. Your driver will allow you to take some pictures before you head over the steep arches yourself. A few kilometers later, you will reach the ruins of Cyrrhus, an old Roman town. Not much remains except for a Roman tower and a crumbled theater, but the real reason is to head out there is for the drive and the views at the site, which is right on the Turkish border.

These sites may not compare to the grandeur of St. Simeon, but it is still a worthy day trip from Aleppo and one worth taking. The scenery is unbeatable.

This is just an anecdote from my travels that I thought fit to share. Now, I have traveled all over the Middle East and this is the first time anything like this has ever happened to me, but I'm relating the story so that if it ever happens to you, you will know what to do.

There I was, in the courtyard of the Forty Martyrs Armenian Church in Aleppo quietly reflecting on the Armenian Genocide memorial when a discreet old man approached. "Where are you from?" He asked in Arabic. "America," I responded. He smiled, revealing a full set yellow, but surprisingly healthy teeth and asked if I would drink some tea. I politely declined, and then as Arab custom dictates, declined the next two offers. Finally, he was so insistent that I agreed. I figured that he was a guard (or similar position) at the church and actually liked the idea of sitting down and talking to someone about the Armenian community in Aleppo. As we walked out the door, however, I became a bit suspicious.

I immediately tried to rescind my acceptance, saying that I had a bus to catch because I was going back to Damascus. He said I had plenty of time and that buses leave every hour. "But..." I pleaded. I still had to go back to the hotel and I wanted to stop by the museum on my way to the station. He would give me no leave and ushered me into a coffee shop.

After the tea was ordered, he started talking. He was Iraqi, but was living in Syria now. We talked about Arabic, the U.S., places he'd traveled, all standard conversation stuff. "Maybe he does really want to just talk..." I thought to myself, but I remained suspicious.

When only a few drops of tea remained in my glass, sensing my desire to get going, he began with the story...

He had left Baghdad one year ago, paying 3,000 Euros for illegal passage into Italy, where he worked for a while, until he was discovered and forced to go back to Iraq. He escaped again, bribing the Turkish border guards to let him in. For three months he bounced around the Arabic speaking parts of Turkey (Anatakya, Iskanderun) doing odd jobs and getting by. Two weeks ago he crossed into Syria. He had yet to find a job. He was subsisting on tea and cigarettes, sometimes finding a friendly hotel owner to let him sleep on a couch, but more often sleeping on the street...

I asked the waiter for the check. He insisted on paying.

We walked towards my hotel. "I'm tired. I'm hungry. I have no place to live."

At the door of the hotel he asked if he should wait. I said no and goodbye. "But please, if you could just give something..." I don't really know why, but I wasn't in the mood for being swindled. "Something? If I had known that all you wanted was money, I would have followed you for tea!"

"But from the moment I saw you I knew that my prayers had been answered..."

"Prayers? No, I'm sorry."

"But please, I paid for the tea."

"I offered, but you refused. You invited me to tea. You paid. That's hospitality."

"But please..."

I shoved 25 lira at him. "There," I grumbled.

"But sir, the tea was..."

"Don't tell me what the tea was. Tea is never more that 25 lira. Take it."

He turned away. I went upstairs.

Now, before you think to yourself that I may be heartless and bitter, I have to explain that this man's story, although sad, was most likely not true.

First off, there were the linguistic signs. He spoke in perfect Syrian dialect, without a hint of Iraqi. If he had really arrived in Syria two weeks ago, there is no way he could speak like that. That is the equivalent of a British man coming to the U.S. and, two weeks later, speaking like a perfect American. Secondly, his clothes and general state were all too clean for someone who had been jobless for two weeks, not that that necessarily means something, but still. Also, he tried to lie about the price of tea.

And most of all, as I said, this is extremely rare behavior for the Middle East, and especially Syria. A tea invitation is an almost sacred thing, not something to be taken lightly, and certainly not a means for begging for money. Each time I related the story to a Syrian, they all agreed that there was no way the story was true, and that he was just one of the few bad Syrians who was trying to get a few dollars out of a foreigner, and telling an American a horror story from Iraq is a good way to do it.

The chances of anything like this happening to you are minimal. Syrians are some of the most friendly and hospitable people I have ever seen, and you will notice it right away. The amount of swindling that occurs is minimal compared to that in Morocco, Cairo, or Istanbul, but if anything like this does happen, don't believe the story right away, and know that even if he does buy you tea, you have NO obligation whatsoever.