The Route of Time: Damascus & Beirut Tour (PGS)

ISTANBUL- ALEPPO

Meeting at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport. After ticketing and baggage procedures, departure for Aleppo. Upon arrival, during our city tour, we will see Aleppo Citadel, the historic Aleppo Bazaar, the Great Mosque, Bab al-Hadid, and Sabun Khan, an important commercial khan built during the Ottoman period, which was used as a center for the production and trade of olive oil soap and played an important role in the economic and commercial life of the city. Afterwards, we will see the Al-Jdeideh Quarter (Christian Quarter) panoramically, one of Aleppo’s oldest and best-preserved historic settlements. It is an important quarter reflecting Aleppo’s multicultural social structure, with its stone mansions, courtyard houses, churches, and narrow streets, where Christian communities lived especially during the Ottoman period. Afterwards, transfer to our hotel, dinner, and overnight stay at our hotel in Aleppo.
 

ALEPPO- HAMA- HOMS- DAMASCUS

After breakfast at the hotel, departure for the city of Hama. Along the route, we will first visit the Umayyad Caliph Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (717–720). Then we will see the Norias, large wooden water wheels turned by the power of flowing water, among the symbols of Hama and one of the most important examples of Islamic engineering and medieval hydraulic technology, located on the Orontes River. Afterwards, in Homs, we will visit the mosque and tomb of Khalid ibn al-Walid, one of the greatest military commanders in Islamic history, known as “The Sword of Allah (Sayf Allah)” and a great companion who stood out for his strategic genius in the spread of Islam. The Church of Umm al-Zunnar, one of the oldest churches in the Middle East and one of the most important symbols of Homs’s multi-religious and multicultural history, is believed according to Christian faith to preserve the sacred girdle (zunnar) belonging to the Virgin Mary. Arrival in Damascus and transfer to our hotel. After dinner, overnight stay at our hotel in Damascus.
 

DAMASCUS

After breakfast at the hotel, we begin our city tour of Damascus. We visit the Damascus Hejaz Railway Station, the historic Hamidiye Bazaar, and Salah al-Din Ayyubi (Saladin) (1137–1193), the great commander who recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders and one of the most respected leaders in Islamic history, who holds a special place in history not only for his military success but also for his compassion, justice, and tolerance toward different faiths. Then we visit the Turkish Martyr Pilots Monument, built in memory of the Ottoman Turkish pilots who were martyred while serving in Damascus during World War I, and the Umayyad Mosque. It is one of the oldest and most magnificent mosques in the Islamic world and was built during the reign of Umayyad Caliph al-Walid I. It is believed that the shrine of John the Baptist (peace be upon him) is located inside the mosque, and the structure bears traces of Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic architecture together. Then we visit Sayyida Ruqayya, the daughter of Husayn who died at a young age and is believed to have been buried in Damascus following the events of Karbala. Her tomb is one of the most emotional symbols of love and devotion to the Ahl al-Bayt. Afterwards, Azm Palace, built in the 18th century by As’ad Pasha al-Azm, the Ottoman Governor of Damascus, is one of the finest examples of Ottoman civil architecture. Today, it serves as an important museum reflecting the social life, traditional living culture, and architecture of Damascus. Then we visit Nur al-Din Zengi, a great Islamic statesman known for his struggle against the Crusaders and his just administration. (1118–1174). He played an important role in the upbringing of Saladin and transformed Damascus into a center of learning and justice. After visiting the Nuriye Madrasa and the Tomb of Nur al-Din Zengi, return to our hotel. After dinner, overnight stay at our hotel in Damascus.

DAMASCUS

After breakfast at the hotel, we continue our city tour and visits in Damascus. On today’s tour, we will first visit Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, the great Sufi mystic, thinker, and philosopher. After visiting the tomb of this great scholar, one of the most influential figures in Islamic Sufi thought, especially known for his concept of the unity of being, we visit the Tomb of Sayyida Zaynab, the daughter of Ali and Fatima and sister of Husayn, whose tomb in Damascus is regarded as one of the most important pilgrimage centers in the history of the Ahl al-Bayt, especially after Karbala. Then we visit Bab al-Saghir Cemetery, one of the oldest and holiest cemeteries in Damascus, which contains the graves of many companions and members of the Ahl al-Bayt. Important figures in Islamic history are buried here, particularly Bilal al-Habashi, Abu al-Darda, Umm Habiba, Abdullah ibn Ja’far, Sukayna bint Husayn, and Umm Kulthum. Afterwards, we visit the graves of Mehmed VI Vahideddin, the last sultan of the Ottoman Empire, whose remains were brought to Damascus after his death in Italy in 1926 and buried in the cemetery of the Suleymaniye Complex, and members of the Ottoman dynasty of the period. Afterwards, transfer to our hotel. After dinner, overnight stay at our hotel in Damascus.
 

DAMASCUS- BOSRA - BEIRUT- ISTANBUL

After breakfast at the hotel, we will first visit the ancient city of Bosra, seeing the Monastery of the Monk Bahira and church ruins, Roman and Byzantine remains, the ancient theater, and the city walls, before departing for Beirut. After crossing the border and completing customs procedures, during our Beirut tour we will see the Corniche, the Pigeon Rocks, and the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque (Blue Mosque), a mosque that reflects modern yet classical Ottoman architecture and is located on a square with a view of the city. Afterwards, guests who wish may join a boat tour on the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean. As we cruise around the Pigeon Rocks and pass between the rocks, we will witness unique views, especially for photography at sunset. Afterwards, following free time in authentic bazaars (souks), among the most suitable places to experience Lebanese cuisine, shop for handicrafts, and observe the rhythm of the city, we proceed to Zaitunay Bay, a modern seaside complex filled with restaurants and cafés.  After a free dinner break, we transfer to the airport at the specified time. Our tour ends with departure for and arrival in Istanbul by Pegasus Airlines.