You will find Syria and Lebanon a mosaic of cultures, history and religion with a warm and welcoming people. Our drives through the countryside are very reminiscent of Biblical times.
In Syria, at Maaloula we find a village which until quite recently still spoke Aramaic, the language of Christ. Outside Aleppo we explore the 5th Century church of St Simeon where Simeon Stylites lived for 42 years on the top of a pillar preaching to the pilgrims who flocked to the site. Damascus was the capital of the Moslem world, and here we discover a shrine reputedly holding the head of John the Baptist and see Straight Street, where St. Paul was lowered from the walls. Highlights of our three nights in Lebanon include the Phoenician coastal towns of Tyre and Sidon, which Jesus visited during his ministry.
We also visit Krak des Chevaliers, the world’s most magnificently preserved Crusader Castle and the spectacular ruins of Palmyra deep in Syria’s Eastern desert.