Liz and Jim Patton

October 18 – 22

These days are a heady mix of historic sites  (including mosques, churches and ruins,) observations of Aleppo (Aleppo DIY,) and conversations with local people.  The area covered is North to the border of Turkey, and West to the Mediterranean.

Historic Sites

As in the rest of the country, the historic sites are many and significant. A unique perspective is to consider them by the historical date of their prominence, rather than as the journey led us.

Ebla Ruins (c 2000 BC) Ebla was one of the most powerful city-states in Syria in the late third millennium BC, controlling most of northwestern Syria until it was sacked (~2250 BC,)  rising again briefly, until the Hittites came in 1600 BC. Most interestingly it lay undiscovered for centuries, until a farmer found a statue in 1955. Italian teams, under the archeologist Paul Metier, have been digging since then. Some 60 or so were actually on site when we arrived, brushing carefully, sifting dirt through leather baskets. It was fascinating to watch them – unfortunately, a few minutes after we came their day ended (10:30AM) and they were gone in a few minutes, buzzing away on motorbikes. It is thought that this area had a formal language since 5000 BC. Over 15,000 clay tablets have been unearthed in a Sumerian dialect, providing information on economics, local administration, and dictionaries of other languages.

Ugarit (c 1800 BC) Once the most important city on the Mediterranean coast, Ugarit is considered the birthplace of one of the world’s earliest alphabets, and the world’s first international port. Evidence suggests that a settlement here was trading with Cyprus and Mesopotamia in the 3^rd millennium BC. In 2000-1800 BC Ugarit traded with Egypt, exporting timber and bronze. Ugarit became wealthy and innovative during this period; wealthy houses had piped water systems and drainage. The alphabet developed here was a huge improvement on cuneiform and hieroglyphics, both of which used hundreds of pictorial images. The Ugarit language consisted of 30 letters that represented sounds. Additionally, the first use of written music correlated with words (a musical score) was found here. Like Ebla, this area had been undiscovered until an accidental find in 1928.

Maalula (c 325 AD) A very early site of the Christian church, this is the only place in the world where the Aramaic language (the language of Christ) is still spoken. In the church of St.Sergius (and early Christian martyr) we heard the Lord’s Prayer spoken in Aramaic. There are some fabulous icons in the church. In addition, on this site another early Christian, St. Thecla, was being chased by Roman soldiers. Legend has it that the rock was struck by lightening and a cleft appeared through which she escaped. The cleft is still there, now lit by electric lights and dotted with trash. [The day we come here, bands are playing and young girls stand on the stairs to the church holding flowers. Alas, it is not for us, but for Bashir Assad who is scheduled to come by with Hugo Chavez, on a visit from Venzuela. Rosemary and Liz stand on the balcony while Audrey and Nancy prowl the streets below, getting in a good position for photos. We wait for almost an hour, but they don’t appear, so we finally leave. What a shame to miss them!!]

Hama (c 600 AD) Another ancient city that likely dates back to the Neolithic Age, then held by the Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, etc. The Romans built a series of water wheels (Noria) on the Orontes river – some are 20 M tall, and still operate in the summer. Most recently, Hama was the site of the 1982 massacre of 10,000-25,000 people. The Muslim Brotherhood (which had been declared illegal since a 1980 assassination attempt on Hafez Assad, father of the current president,) had removed the Ba’athist (Assad’s party) leaders fro town and declared it to be free of the Assad government. Within a month, the government began shelling the city and said that anyone who remained would be killed. Most of the city was destroyed along with many mosques, churches and historic sites. Somehow, in spite of this sad story, we manage to find an old shop where linens are made by hand, and we all buy some.

Mosaic Museum at Maarat Al-Numan (c 600-700 AD) An absolutely wonderful collection of mosaics from the floors of homes of the “Dead Cities,” clusters of now deserted Byzantine towns from the 5^th and 6^th century. In addition to the abstract and floral patterns, there are many depictions of animals: running, nursing, attacking and killing other animals. According to our guide, all of these animals were found in the area, And included elephants, lions, tigers, and leopards. Enchanting!

Aleppo Citadel and Krac des Chevaliers (c 1100-1200 AD) One of the most important stories of this region is that of the coming of the crusaders and their century reign before being chased out by Saladdin and others. The Citadel in Aleppo stands on a high mound in the southeastern part of the city. The first fortifications were probably built on this site in the 3^rd century BC, but its most important use was as a power base for the Muslims during Crusades. It was never conquered by the crusaders. Not so the Krac des Chevaliers, built originally by the emir of Homs in 1031. This castle stands high in the mountains and could control the flow of goods from the Mediterranean to inland Syria. It was first attacked by the crusaders in 1099, and they remained in power there until 1271. During this time the castle was enlarged by the Knights Hospitaller into what has been called the “finest castle in the world (T.E. Lawrence.) At it’s peak, 2000 people were garrisoned there, along with their horses. It is in great shape, and the significant rooms are identifiable and interesting.

Aleppo DIY

Aleppo is a jewel – a center of commerce since Roman times and a key stop on the silk route, as it is positioned between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean – and it is still vital and interesting today. We spend lots of time in the old souks –  hundreds of shops  on covered cobblestoned alleys snake around the old mosque, and still the place to shop for the locals.  There are spices, textiles, brocades, gold and silver, carpets and….soap.  This region is famous for its olive oil soap, which comes in various qualities – the best being good enough to use as shampoo. There are huge towers of the bars in the soap shops. Using it takes some getting used to – it’s greenish brown, and looks that way until it’s rinsed off. The souks are crowded and exciting. Several of the shops we go into give us tea to drink (in hopes that we’ll buy something, and we often do.) Along the narrow lanes we often have to hunker against buildings as donkey carts and minivans go by.

To the Northwest is the Christian section, and here is the real action of the city. There are shops doing metal making (a cacophony of sounds on that street), roasting vegetables, making bread (one baker tosses Rosemary a large flatbread which she has to bounce in her hands a few times to let it cool enough that she can hold it), making pizza, making ice.  The streets here are also filled with people. Most interesting are the many women in black abiyahs – often with sheer black veils completely covering their faces and black gloves.

People are generally OK with having their pictures taken, but one man says no to Rosemary, then takes her picture with his phone and shows it to her.

The drives around Aleppo are also informative. The country is very dry (the water supply in the country has dropped 50% in the last 6 years, and the desert is encroaching quickly in the north.) There are thousands of pistachio trees (which don’t appear to be irrigated) and olive trees. Along the Mediterranean coast are many high rise apartments that appear to be only partially completed, but yet are already partly occupied – so there will be a row of empty cement windows, then a couple that are painted, have curtains and windows and laundry hanging out, then more empty ones. Strange. Audrey says she has seen the same in Egypt.

Comments from Syrians

Syria has been worrisome. People say constantly that they don’t know or care about politics, but a few share comments:

–       The increased number of women with head covering comes from the increase in poverty and in religious extremism.

–       Syria has ~1 million Palestinians and 1 million Iraqis. The Palestinians are mostly poor, yet will not take the lowest paying jobs. The Iraqis are mostly rich, but are still a burden on the country.

–       If we’re not careful, we’ll be like Lebanon.

–       A man tells the story of a Palestinian friend. In 1948, when he was six, he was loaded onto a train and told by the Israeli’s that they were taking them away to protect them from the Arabs, and that they would return shortly. He was shipped to Aleppo. His mother had been taken off at an earlier city and it was a year until they were reunited. Some Palestinians still keep the keys to their homes after 60 years.

–       One very intelligent, well-spoken Syrian explained that he hates the Israelis. He sometimes is forced to deal with them in business and cannot bring himself to do it. He understands that he is probably wrong to feel this way, and he hopes the next generation is better, but he himself cannot change.

–       Today’s Syria is going backwards in terms of education for women. Theoretically education is mandatory to the 9^th grade, but many poor people never even register the birth of their children, and then never send the girls to school at all.

–       Now we are opened to tourists, so it has become a problem that many non-tourists can come in to the country. But, we know who they are, we follow them. [How do you know who they are?] It’s not my business. Security does.