Today we decided to wait out by making a trip to Aleppo, a an ancient city located in northern Syria. We rented a van & 12 of us set off at 9.30am & by noon were in Aleppo. Our first stop was the mosque where prophet Zakariya's tomb is. This was my first stop at a mosque since being on this trip & how I wanted to cherish it. But not having time on our side & considering there were 11 others I just made the best of whatever little time at our disposal.
Lunch was next, sitting on a bench, halfway between the mosque & the citadel. I liked this bit; the weather was friendly, the street was kept busy with people, old & young & chatter could be heard from all corners. This is when I could clearly see the charm & character of this city. Its old yet shows no signs of slowing down. Its vibrant but not loud, busy but not chaotic. And its definitely cleaner. If you but listened, this city speaks to the visitor.
After a quick meal of kebab & falafel we made our way to the citadel & as luck would have it, it closes on Tuesdays. But we still managed to get a feel of this imposing & towering building. Its well preserved & I can't begin to imagine it in its full glory.
The souk then fell victim to this group of Malaysians who can never pass up an opportunity to shop. The souk was just like any other in the middle east but way, way cheaper. It took all of my willpower plus lots of help from 'my' boys to not totally succumb.
Though the trip was brief, it was a much needed break after a week in Latakia. And if our wait here is further extended, we might just see other parts of beautiful Syria.
No comments:
Post a Comment