Qalamoun Mountains

Maaloula

A Melkite Greek Catholic monastery on the heights above Maaloula, whose church, dedicated to Saints Sergius and Bacchus, goes back to the 4th century and is among the oldest in Syria. It looks out over the village and the rocky gorge.

Maaloula

A hotel in Maaloula. Maaloula is a mountain village north-east of Damascus, one of the few places where Western Aramaic is still spoken, known for its monasteries of St Thecla and St Sergius.

Maaloula

A Greek Orthodox convent at the foot of the cliffs in Maaloula, built around the cave said to hold the tomb of St Thecla, a disciple of St Paul. Nearby runs the Fajj, a narrow gorge that legend says opened in the rock to let Thecla escape her pursuers.

Ain at-Tina

A restaurant in Ain at-Tina. Ain at-Tina is a village in Rif Dimashq governorate, about 42 km north-east of Damascus.

Ain at-Tina

A restaurant in Ain at-Tina. Ain at-Tina is a village in Rif Dimashq governorate, about 42 km north-east of Damascus.

Al-Qutayfah

Khan al-Arus is a fortified caravanserai of the Ayyubid period on the old road between Damascus and Homs near al-Qutayfah, attributed to Saladin in the late 12th century; some historians called it Khan al-Sultan. The building is square, about 40 metres on each side, and built of large stone blocks.