Acknowledgments

Much of the historical information on this site is sourced from the excellent The Monuments of Syria: A Guide by Ross Burns. For more information on this book, please visit http://www.monumentsofsyria.com. I would highly recommend purchasing a copy of this guide if you intend to visit the sites covered on this website.

Syria: A Historical and Architectural Guide by Warwick Ball is another valuable guidebook for those interested in Syria’s architectural and archaeological heritage.

Additionally, the Arabic-language website eSyria (http://www.esyria.sy) has been incredibly valuable for historic information, particularly on Islamic sites.

Special thanks to:

Mohammed Ziadeh of Safwan Hotel in Lattakia for his friendship and valuable assistance in covering sites in Syria’s coastal regions.

George Mazaher, George Moussally and Jad Batri for their friendship and support in covering the more obscure sites in the countryside of Aleppo.

Sajid Osman for all his help and hospitality in my visits to the Byzantine sites of Jebel Barisha.

Salam al-Sharif of Damascus for his dedicated friendship. I would have been lost without his companionship and support during my time in Syria.

Majd Steti and Rima Sawah for fielding my numerous inquiries about sites in and around Homs.

Riad Lakmes and Abdullah of Riad Hotel in Hama for their guidance in covering the sites in the Homs & Hama provinces, and for always providing a comfortable place to stay.

Abdullah, Hashem, Eman, Hossam, Ahmad and all the other wonderful staff, past and present, of al-Haramein Hotel in Saroujeh, Damascus.

Zeid Hashem for introducing me to many hidden treasures of Damascus, and sharing with me his passion and enthusiasm for the city and its history.

Ross Burns for sharing his wealth of knowledge and research in support of my efforts, for his advice and encouragement, and for his exceptional work in The Monuments of Syria, a guidebook that was indispensable during my travels in the country.

The late Father Frans van der Lugt for his inspirational work of promoting interfaith dialogue, bringing together Syrians from diverse backgrounds to celebrate their country’s remarkable beauty and heritage. His kindness, generosity, and commitment to the Syrian people will be deeply missed.

My wonderful wife, Rasha, for her patience and encouragement during work on this ambitious and incredibly time consuming project. She generously devoted many hours of her time assisting me with research and translation.

The hundreds of Syrian people who guided me along my journey throughout the years, giving directions, offering advice, providing rides, sharing meals, and welcoming me into their homes. It was their kindness, warmth, generosity and hospitality that ultimately inspired this work.